#they take their advice on how to hunt and build weapons very seriously

[aro-in-danyl]

DP x DC Prompt #2 - Fenton Cafe

Inspired by that one underground bar post @stealingyourbones

The Fentons move to Gotham to support Jazz at her new college and open up a small cafe on the first floor of their blimp house to earn money. 

Now the Fentons moved to a sketchy part of Gotham cause that’s the only place they could land safely. It doesn’t take long for rogues to slither in looking for easy cash. 

And promptly get blasted by the Fenton anti-ghost Defense System. They wake up to Maddie and Jack tending to their wounds and shoving a tin of fudge into their hands, respectively. The goon/rogue gets booted by Danny after being forced to listen to his parent’s ghost rant for several hours. 

Weirdly, it doesn’t take long before the cafe becomes a safe haven for rogues and goons alike to relax. But then the bats arrive to get a handle on the new ‘villain hideout.’

The Fenton’s don’t discriminate. The bats get the same treatment as the rogues all the way down to the complimentary fudge. No one comes into their house with that kind of attitude. 

It’s a Violence-free unless you’re a Fenton zone. 

But It’s a real party when Danny’s rogues start showing up. 

[findingjoynweirdstuff]

Dream SMP Recap (April 9/2021) - Interrogation

Tubbo does some interrogating, hoping to find out the truth about the missing nuke. Foolish joins in.

The mysterious messages continue.

---

VOD LINKS:

HBomb94

Foolish

Tubbo

TommyInnit

Philza

Captain Puffy

Ranboo

---

- HBomb makes his way from the savannah village back to the main area. He explores around Kinoko and meets with Niki, who shows him her underground city.

- After Niki gets a grass block from an Enderman, HBomb mentions the glitched snow block he got a while back on September 24th, near his parkour challenge: the rarest block in the game. He and Niki leave the city to visit it. 

- They reminisce about how HBomb joined the day of Schlatt’s inauguration, and the subject comes up of HBomb’s other characters.

- HBomb logs out and Thevir logs in. Thevir has arrived in the Dream Land. Rumors say, if you go to a special dream land, a green blob gives you more money than usual. Niki shows him around.

- Tubbo needs a way to interrogate people to figure out where the nuke went. He gathers resources to build.

- He remarks that it seems like the Egg is dying away.

SOMEONE NEEDS

TO TELL HIM

- Tubbo takes supplies from Eret and creates the desk of interrogation. He says he needs to scare people so that they take him seriously. 

HE MUST GO TO

- Tubbo emphasizes that this room is for interrogation, not torture. He tries out different shaders to see what would look scariest

THE NORTH

- Tubbo turns on some acid shaders. He walks around the mansion and remarks that it’s even more cursed looking to the north.

- He goes down to the north gate to see what Foolish is up to and turns off the shaders. He decides to interrogate Foolish and tells Foolish to put all his belongings in two barrels.

- Tubbo leads Foolish to the interrogation room and tells him that he’s lost something valuable and needs Foolish to be honest with him.

IF ANYONE CAN

- When the nuke went missing, Foolish was online. Tubbo tells him only three people were on the server that day. Foolish says he was probably just building that day. 

- Tubbo tells him that the missing “firework” is a very big deal. He asks, if Foolish were to steal something, what his motives would be

- Foolish says he’s just building for people. Tubbo asks about the other kingdom that Foolish is building for, and mentions that Foolish is a citizen of Snowchester. If this other kingdom wanted something of Snowchester’s, would Foolish mention anything?

- Foolish says no. He wouldn’t mention the vault or tell the people of the other kingdom about Snowchester’s “fireworks.” He only mentions things concerning the build.

- Tubbo asks if Foolish has ever seen any strange books. A very distinct book. One with a list of instructions. Foolish says no.

- Tubbo says it was more than just a valuable firework. He thinks Foolish is innocent and tells Foolish to walk with him. He leads Foolish to the confidential nuke factory and shows him.

- Foolish asks if it couldn’t have been stolen before. Tubbo tells him that the nuke was there five minutes before, and Foolish was working on the mansion.

- Foolish insists, though, that he has no motive to steal a nuke, as he’s a pacifist. Tubbo trusts him.

- Who would steal a nuke? Who would be an enemy of Snowchester?

HEAR THIS

- Foolish says there’s no one who seems to be on the war path right now. 

- Tubbo tells him that he needs Foolish to gather reconnaissance on all the places he’s been building for. Foolish mentions that there’s another place that he’s been building for, but it’s a secret...there are too many voices, ears and eyes that could be listening. He’ll have to tell Tubbo later.

- Foolish suggests the Eggpire. He tells Tubbo about this event that the Eggpire is holding, a “bury the hatchet” kind of party. He, Sam and Puffy have been invited so far, but there will be more invitations.

- Whoever stole the nuke, they took a scuffed one. One with a dead man’s snitch. It leaks and poisons nature.

- Foolish asks about Sam. What about the prison guard? Tubbo says that Sam’s been couped up. Foolish says he’s worried about Sam, though. Tubbo tells him they’ll kill him someday, put him out of his misery. It wouldn’t be him.

- Tubbo and Foolish return to the interrogation room.

- Is there anyone who lives far away, where if they stored the nuke near their home, they wouldn’t know? Sam lives far away. HBomb lives far away, and Foolish built a mansion for him too, in the savannah. They should pay H a visit.

- They chase after HBomb (Thevir). They spot Niki at the Community House and think it’s H, following her through the Nether to the underground city.

I STASHED A

- They reach the city and see Niki and Thevir together. The two run, and Tubbo and Foolish pan out to look for them.

- Tubbo and Foolish speak with Niki, who insists that she doesn’t know where HBomb is. Niki says H isn’t here, Thevir is here.

- Niki explained that earlier, she showed H around her city and they went to the L’cast area, at which point HBomb’s game crashed and Thevir joined, and Niki has been showing him around.

- Tubbo and Foolish stumble across Thevir hiding in a corner and talk to Niki, who tells them it’s Thevir and not HBomb.

- Tubbo and Foolish tell Niki they lost a weapon and try to waterboard Thevir. (Thevir says that he’s been tortured before and he’s into this, so it isn’t particularly effective)

- Tubbo and Foolish leave. Thevir could possibly have connections to H.

BOOK

- They head to HBomb’s house in the savannah. Foolish asks who else has been to Snowchester? Puffy, Ranboo -- Tubbo says that wouldn’t be possible -- Sam, Fundy...

- They make it to the mansion. Tubbo asks what direction it’s in -- they find it’s east of Snowchester. They search around.

IT HAS INSTRUCTIONS

- Foolish and Tubbo listen to chat to search places. Foolish says they’re all saying to go north, but he doesn’t know why. Tubbo doesn’t think they should go north.

- They think through more possibilities as they run back through the Nether. Quackity? No, Tubbo says he’s on good terms with Quackity. They have mutual respect.

HE NEEDS TO

- Does Tubbo have any enemies? Tubbo mentions that Phil isn’t the biggest fan of him due to the ankle bracelet, but Phil doesn’t really care.

- Tubbo suggests they go to L’manburg. He’s trying to think of past relations. Who were the enemies of L’manburg?

Dream, Technoblade, and Alivebur

- Would someone take the nuke for money or for power? 

Tubbo: “The power. Everything on this server is about power, Foolish.”

- They reach L’manhole.

- Eret? Foolish says that when he spoke with Eret last, he was looking to a clean start.

Tubbo: “There are some benefits to knowing your insides and out around your country.”

- Tubbo leads Foolish down to the old underground library and panic bunker. They look through the chests. There are still bits of yellow and black concrete, blackstone... Original pieces of the walls.

- He takes Foolish through the tunnel to Pogtopia. Foolish remarks that he’s never been.

Wilbur and Tommy split off during the reign of Manberg. Tubbo built this tunnel to Pogtopia, but it was eventually found out.

- They mention that things have been quite...quiet recently.

- Tubbo shows Foolish the water drop escape into the tunnel, mentioning that he used it to escape death many times.

- They reach Pogtopia.

Foolish: “When you see this, do you see this as happy or sad memories?”

Tubbo: “Conflicting memories.”

- Tubbo shows Foolish the old pit. It’s dark, the lights are out. There’s the old potato farm that Tubbo made for Technoblade. They reminisce about Tubbo and Antfrost being taken hostage.

- They head back.

WAKE UP!

- Tubbo explains to Foolish that he built the bunker before the tunnel to Pogtopia. He shows the tunnel through which Tommy and Wilbur escaped during the inauguration.

- Foolish says it seems like L’manburg was a nice little place. Tubbo shows Foolish all the various escape routes he used. Dream used to hunt him down during the first L’manburg War for independence.

- Foolish can’t imagine it. There were so many little skirmishes that used to happen. Tubbo shows him the old surface entrance to Pogtopia.

- Tubbo leads him over to Technoblade’s old secret base. A significant part of history -- the original vault.

They find that some of the chests still have supplies that haven’t been taken yet.

- Tubbo patches it up a bit

Tubbo: “This is not how this place deserves to be remembered.”

- Foolish asks -- was this a revolution, a rebellion? Tubbo says it was a reclaiming. The revolution.

HE MUST!

- Foolish and Tubbo make it back to the crater. Foolish wonders if there would ever be a community like this again. Tubbo doesn’t think so. Everything’s too complicated now, everyone’s too split apart.

Tubbo: “So all we have now is memories.”

Foolish: “Well, we could always try to make new memories.”

Tubbo: “Yeah, but it won’t be the same.”

- Foolish tells Tubbo that Bad and the others have said that they can start cleaning up the Blood Vines.

- Tubbo leads Foolish down the Prime Path, asking whether he knows who built each of the builds along the route. Tubbo tells him who built each one.

- Tubbo thinks the Final Control Room is now gone.

- He shows Foolish his and Tommy’s old nuclear war bunker.

- They then return to Snowchester and the interrogation room. They haven’t narrowed down the suspects.

WAKE UP!!!!!!

- Foolish asks, what if the nukes were never really stolen, but just moved to a different part of Snowchester?

- Tubbo tells Foolish the mansion is north of the facility. They need to pause their investigation for the time being. 

- Tommy does a birthday stream

- Tommy tells Tubbo that he doesn’t think Ranboo is right for him, and getting married at 17 was a bad idea.

- Ranboo joins the call.

- Tommy leads Tubbo into the ruins of Tubbo’s old house to give him some relationship advice. He thinks Tubbo should rebuild his house and move out.

- He then takes Tubbo to his “secret place.” Ranboo’s just there in the call. He asks where all the Egg has been going. He takes Tubbo to Fundy’s house, where he’s been keeping his things.

- Tubbo gets stuck in a cobweb

- Tommy wants to create a proper vault for his things. Drista gave Tommy many seeds.

- They go to see if the barrier block staircase is still there. 

- Tommy wonders what a good place to hide things would be. He mentions Pogtopia.

- Tubbo leads him to L’manhole. Ranboo appears and gives Tommy a Totem of Undying for his birthday.

- They go down to the tunnel. Tommy tells Ranboo to tell him what problems he and Tubbo are having as they reach Pogtopia.

- Tommy starts mining a room into the wall and puts his riches in a chest. He asks Ranboo to talk about his feelings. 

- They ask Sam for help with a redstone door and talk about TNT cannons. Maybe they could launch one at the prison to get to Dream. Sam comes to Pogtopia. He gives Tommy a few stacks of TNT for his birthday.

- They ride the railway back to L’manburg.

- They try to blow up the POG2020/ASS2020/CRY sign and in the process explode pretty much everything but. Tommy dies and respawns a million blocks away. He can’t break the bed due to mining fatigue. The totem was used up, he just died again and lost all his things.

- The CRY sign is now the Y7 sign

- They decide to work on clearing off Ponk and Punz’s towers of the Blood Vines. Here are some of the more interesting quotes that came up...

“My sacrifices are boneless, man, just like the wings.” - Ranboo

“Moist is just wet without the commitment.” - Ranboo

“God, why did you invent impotence?” - Tommy

“Who’s the god of English?”  “Shakespeare?”

“The mouth sounds are the reason why we can’t remember!” - Ranboo

“How do you reckon you’ll die?” - Tubbo

“Volcano.” - Tommy

- Afterwards, they head over to Ranboo’s house. The instant Phil logs on, Tommy logs off.

- Phil, Ranboo and Tubbo hang out at the Arctic.

- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wishes Tommy a happy birthday and tells him to drink tequila.

- Ranboo fills a whole barrel full of totems.

---

Upcoming Events:

- The Red Banquet

- Quackity’s lore stream on Monday

- Quackity’s business opening

- Dream’s lore video

- Ranboo’s lore stream

[charlessmithhasmyheart]

Title: Hunting Hijinks

Genre: Romance

Type: Charles x Reader

Triggers: None

A/N: Hey hey hey! This is a gift for the lovely @fangirl-ramblings. When I got the message that I was your secret santa, I was super excited! You are defs one of the people who I would consider to be my biggest supporter throughout this blog endeavor. Seriously! I would like to apologize for how long this took, but I wanted to make sure I was happy with everything before posting.

I know you had requested something about several people, so I chose Charles! Hope this is to your liking.

Here ya go! :)

____________________________

The sun was slowly sinking, the fire in front of you easily becoming your only source of light. The camp and it’s residents had been in the process of setting down for the night. Everyone but you. You were sitting on a log lost in thought, head resting in your hands as you stared into the flames; the object of your contemplation being none other than the mysterious Charles Smith.

Of course, this was of no surprise to you. It had been happening quite frequently. Charles was on your mind a lot. Especially since you had officially become a member of the Van Der Linde Gang.

A small smile began to tug at your lips as you recalled your first encounter with the illustrious group of outlaws.

You had been a bounty hunter then. Well, you hadn’t really been a true bounty hunter. You were just taking odd jobs from the wanted posters around Valentine and Saint Denis. It wasn’t the best work, but it paid well when you succeeded. And you did.

Believe it or not, you had actually met them during one of your jobs. You had been tracking a particularly elusive criminal for a few days. He had held up the general store and robbed a few of the townsfolk. Killed some too. The sheriff was adamant that he was brought back; alive or dead, it didn’t matter.

You were on the trail, the tracks very fresh when suddenly gunfire broke out ahead of you. Intrigued, you spurred your mount on only to come face to face with a shoot out. The target in question was crouched behind an over turned wagon, his own horse dead, as bullets from his attackers, three of them, soared through the air.

Determined to be the one to bring him to justice, you pulled your own gun from its holster and spurred your mount on again. Unfortunately the criminal, in what you can only assume to be a moment of stupidity, peaked from around the wagon, pistol loaded, only to receive a bullet to the face. With him now dead, the attacker’s switched their attention to you, guns still drawn. A curse slipped from your lips as you brought your horse to an abrupt stop.

“You take one step closer miss, and I cannot promise you’ll get away unharmed.” Warned their leader, who you later on learned to be Dutch.

When you made no move to speak he continued.

“Now I suggest you lower your weapon and we can talk this out. I see no reason for any more blood-shed.” He spoke, lowering his own weapon and signaling for the others in his group to do the same.

It took a moment, but you complied and re-holstered your weapon. Then came the conversation that would change your life. You had explained how you were a bounty hunter, making money to survive on your own after your family had died. Dutch responded in kind; giving you the run down of his gang, and, when he was finished, offered you a place to stay. After all, a woman of your abilities would be beneficial to their cause. Seeing as you had no better options, you accepted.

When you had arrived at their campsite at Horseshoe Overlook, you were introduced to many people who, despite being outlaws, were some of the most kind and hardworking people you had ever met. You fit right in, quickly developed relationships with many of the gang members, and the rest was history.

But despite all that, there was one member that you still hadn’t been able to understand.

When you had first been introduced to Charles, he barely mumbled a greeting or looked in your direction before heading of to complete some chore. You had brushed it off in the beginning, assuming you would find time to get to know him later. Now, it was later, and you knew next to nothing other than you had developed feelings for him.

It was all so odd. How could you develop feelings for someone who wouldn’t speak to you, let alone even look at you in the eyes? Sure, you had admired his silent nature, his penchant for taking on the difficult or unappealing jobs and his kindness with the other gang members from afar. Not to mention, he himself wasn’t unappealing to look at. But it still frustrated you to no end because you knew that he wouldn’t feel the same way. Charles had made it perfectly clear, without speaking, how he felt about you.

Stifling a groan, you rubbed a hand over your face, your frustration beginning to build to unhealthy levels.

“Something the matter [Y/N]? You’ve been sitting there an awfully long time.”

You jumped at the sound of someone’s voice and turned to see Hosea strolling towards you, a curious look on his face.

“I’m fine, Hosea.” You replied as he eased into a chair on the other side of the fire. “Just tired is all.”

“I may be old,” he started. “But not so that I can’t recognize when someone’s troubled. What’s bothering you my dear?”

You shifted your gaze from the fire to Hosea. He was leaning back in the chair, arms folded in his lap, with his eyes fixed on you. There was nothing but concern and a honest want to help you in them. He had always been like that. When you were struggling to learn the ways of the outlaw life, Hosea had been with you every step of the way. Making sure you knew the best hunting spots, helping you tend to your chores, and keeping your spirits up whenever you got discouraged. But, expressing your thoughts of Charles out loud? That was different. You didn’t know if you could.

“I don’t really know, if I’m bein’ honest.” You responded finally. “I’m just trying to sort out my feelings.”

And you were. Trying and failing, but you were trying. No matter how hard you tried you couldn’t convince yourself to forget.

“Your feelings for Charles?” He stated matter-of-factly.

You snapped your head up, heat beginning to rise in your face as you tried to stammer out a response.

“How did you know— I mean. I never said—”

Hosea chuckled and splayed his hands out in a calming gesture.

“Like I said. I may be old, but I still know a thing or two. And the way you look at the man when you think no one is paying attention? I’d say you were smitten.” He teased, winking at you.

You stared, dumbfounded and unsure of what to say. If Hosea knew, surely others in the camp knew. And if they knew, did that mean Charles knew as well? And if Charles knew then... No. You weren’t even going to consider the thought.

“You know what? I think I’m gonna turn in for the night.” You stated, pushing yourself off the log and heading towards your tent, refusing to look at Hosea anymore lest you get sucked into a full blown confession.

“You know,” He called after you. “It’ll just get worse the longer you keep it to yourself.”

You gave a half-hearted flick of you hand, the only indication that you had heard his words as you continued to walk through the camp.

——————————

The next morning proved to be no better. The minute you had opened your eyes, your thoughts immediately went to Charles. And Hosea’s advice. When you had finally settled into bed last night, you had pondered what he had said. Maybe it would be in your best interest to talk to him, but the fear of his first words to you being full of hate was too much, and you had drifted off late into the night.

Groaning, you pushed yourself to your feet, ready to distract yourself with the days work. You grabbed your hat from where it had fallen on the floor during sleep and stepped out of your tent. The morning sun shone through the campsite and the warmth felt good on your face. A cup of coffee sounded like a good way to start your day so you headed towards the communal pot; Abigail and Pearson already there with cups in hand.

“Morning [Y/N].” Pearson called out. “Any specific plans for your day yet?”

“Other then my daily chores? No.” You responded, pouring the dark liquid into your tin mug. “Why?”

“Well,” he began. “We’re getting low on food supplies and I can’t remember the last time anyone went hunting. Think you’re up for the task?”

“Sure,” you replied between sips. “I’ll head out right now.”

Pearson grunted his thanks and returned to his own mug. It felt good to finally have some sense of normalcy thrust upon you, so you were more than happy to comply. Nodding your head at Abigail, you finished your coffee; the warmth of the liquid reaching and energizing every part of your body before heading towards the horses.

Hunting hadn’t always been a skill that you particularly excelled at, but when you had expressed your unease with the chore during your first weeks with the gang, Hosea had wasted no time with setting up lessons with Arthur. Originally he would have asked Charles to do it, but every time he had mysteriously disappeared, leaving you wondering what accursed thing you had done to receive the cold shoulder. And hunting with Arthur wasn’t so bad. Of course, he was a little moody at times and his patience wasn’t always there, but you learned. You considered yourself to be quite the hunter nowadays.

Having now reached your horse, you ran your fingers through her mane and cooed soft encouragements before swinging yourself into the saddle. Grabbing the reins, you clicked your tongue and eased her towards he camp entrance.

“[Y/N], hold up!”

You brought your horse to a halt, startled, and turned in the saddle. You were surprised and a bit worried as Hosea sped up towards you, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Are you going out?” He inquired, an odd look that you couldn’t quite place etched on his face.

“Yes,” you replied hesitantly. “Pearson asked me to. Why?”

“Why don’t you take Charles with you, huh? He’s quite the hunter himself.” Without waiting for a reply he called out to Charles who was sharpening a knife. “Hey Charles! You up for some hunting? [Y/N], here could use some assistance.”

It was in that moment that your heart beat began to quicken; from anger and from nervousness at the thought of thee Charles Smith hunting with you. Alone. In the woods. With no one around for miles. Oh, would Hosea be getting an ear-full once you returned. Well, maybe you’d say if. The possibility of you running away forever from sheer embarrassment was entirely plausible.

“There now,” Hosea continued, clapping Charles on the shoulder with his hand. “I’m sure the two of you can scrounge up some food for the lot of us. And don’t come back until you do.”

You shot Hosea a burning look as he sauntered away, whistling a tune the whole while. Charles barely glanced at you as he pulled himself onto his own mount, Taima, and encouraged her towards the edge of camp. You followed suite without a word.

————————

You gripped the bow tightly in your hands, trying to rack your brain for anything to say as Charles walked beside you. The silence between the two of you was uncomfortable. At least, that’s how you felt about it, and, frankly, you couldn’t deal with the fact that the man you had pined for months over was finally capable of staying close to you. Deciding you’ve had enough, you lowered your weapon and turned to face him.

“Why do you hate me?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why do you hate me?” You repeated, crossing your arms.

Charles’ eyes widened as he took in your words, and a strange look crossed his face. You started to feel guilty as you waited for a response. You had come across as a bit rude. It wasn’t what you were going for, but the words just came out without any thought. But, now that you were in this predicament, you decided you were going to keep going.

“I don’t hate you,” Charles finally spoke.

“Well, then have I done something to upset you? I’ve been with the gang for months now and you’ve said all of six words to me.”

Another long moment of silence ensued. Finally deciding you’ve had enough, you tightened the grip on your bow and turned to leave, tears pricking at the corner of your eyes. Before you could reach your horse, however, you felt a hand grasp your arm and you found yourself twisted around and a pair of lips locking with yours’. You tensed for barely a second as your mind tried to register what was happening. You were kissing Charles. Or, rather, he was kissing you. And it felt like you had always imagined it to be. When he broke away, you stared, dumbfounded.

“I don’t hate you, [Y/N],” He said, reaching out to take your hand his large calloused one. “I never have. In fact, it’s the opposite.”

“Charles,” You uttered, barely a whisper.

“Ever since the first day you stepped into camp, I knew there was something special about you. I was just too afraid to say anything.” Charles confessed. “I didn’t know how to say anything, because I didn’t know how you would feel.”

His dark eyes locked with yours and you could see the sincerity and fear swirling around in them. A small smile tugged at your lips. There was only one way you felt you could express your true feelings. You reached a hand up to cup his cheek and pulled him into another kiss.

Time seemed to stop. Your heart beat just as quick as you pressed your lips against his in a gentle fashion. His strong fingers brushed tentatively against the back of your neck while your own hand tangled amongst his dark locks. You placed your other hand against his chest and grasped at the loose fabric of his shirt, feeling a hunger your had never felt welling up inside you. Charles, sensing this, slipped a hand down to the small of your back and pulled you flush to him.

The kiss lasted for what felt like years before you finally pulled away, both of you breathing hard and a shine in his eyes that you no doubt mirrored.

“Do you know how I feel now?” You teased.

“Yes, I think so.” Charles chuckled, entwining his fingers with your own. You smiled warmly at him.

“Maybe we should get back to hunting then?” You inquired. “There’s a certain someone I need to have a chat with when we get back. And then, maybe we can have a chat of our own, hmm?”

Charles suppressed another laugh, placed a kiss on your cheek before resuming the hold on his own bow, and traipsed deeper into the woods. The memory of that kiss would reside in your mind as you finished the hunt and it would carry on until later in the evening when you and Charles had another moment alone.

[thelastarchangelaskblog]

Session 9

This session was another dungeon crawler! We also hit level 4 by the end! A lot happened; it was also a very giggly session as we kept breaking out of character to laugh.

All of us were in attendance, and we have lots of highlights.

**

(Read more.)

We open up immediately after Tony (me) has had the dream, and DJ (doxblogsstuff) and Zira ( @heliocentricgeometric​) are first up and chatting about breakfast. DJ would like to apologize to Tony for what happened the other day.

DJ: I was gonna try to apologize by making him breakfast.

Zira: doubt.jpg

Zira is not at all certain about DJ doing anything cooking-related, even though DJ insists he knows how to cut things up.

DJ: I'll have you know my professor told me I had the best prepared, and best cut ingredients of anyone in the class. 

Zira: Of what, though?

DJ’s talents lie in alchemy, and Zira is very aware of this.

Zira: You are very good at exploding things, and I fear this talent will extend to everything you do.

DJ: I want to make breakfast, Zira! How hard can it be to make toast?

very hard

DJ does eventually do the toast thing.

Dox: DJ gets his bread out.

@the-grey-hunt​ as DM: Roll for toast.

Dox rolls pretty high, so DJ’s first attempts at making toast go well!

DM: DJ did just make toast perfectly competently in front of you. 

Helio: Yeah, but Zira's still pressing X to doubt.

Dox:  I can't believe I wasted my Nat 20 on toast.

Dox makes some more toast for everyone else but one of them is pretty charcoaled and that goes to Bob ( @thechaoticwave​) since he can’t smell or taste. 

Helio: Zira isn’t laughing in DJ’s face, but the energy is there.

Rhodey ( @rebaobsessions​) gets a rather burnt piece as well but it’s Tony who gets a good piece because DJ’s feeling apologetic.

DJ to Tony: I made toast and didn’t even burn it!

Tony’s still reeling from the dream and the leather glove Bob threw at his head this morning.

Tony: Then why does Rhodey’s bread look rather burnt?

DJ asks for privacy from Zira so he can talk to Tony.

Zira: Have fun! Don't commit any murder!

DJ and Tony have a pretty heartfelt conversation as DJ apologizes for what happened yesterday. Tony’s a little uncertain about the apology because he did deserve it but DJ’s insistent.

They tie it up with talking about their upcoming mission.

DJ: Now we're gonna go and try not to get killed by a bunch of bugbears. This is gonna suck.

DJ then rushes off to make toast for Clint but doesn’t roll very well.

DJ, handing toast to Clint: If it makes you feel better, Bob's was worse.

Clint: It doesn’t.

Tony has a talk with Rhodey about some suspicious stuff Bob did.

Tony: Hey, uh, Rhodey...have you...uh...noticed anything...odd about Bob?

Rhodey probably internally: what the fuck isn’t odd about Bob

Rhodey: Odd?

Tony: (says something buckwild about Bob seeing things that aren’t there)

Rhodey: ...huh.

Rhodey does agree to keep an eye on things with Tony.

Rhodey: What's Bob's name today?

Tony: I have no fucking idea. I'm just calling him Bob. 

Rhodey: So, you haven't asked yet. Good to know.

Tony’s a little sad since he had a good nickname for Bob the previous day.

Tony: What do you think he'd do if I call him Riff-Raff? 

Rhodey: I have no idea. 

Tony turns around. 

Tony: Hey, Riff-Raff! 

Bob doesn't respond. 

Tony: Well, that answers that. 

Reba in the lurking chat: Rhodey stares doubtfully at Tony’s back

We head to Cragmaw Castle! Clint volunteers to sneak.

Zira: That is horrifically structurally unsound. Good luck.

DM: Clint's character in a nutshell: dirty 20 followed immediately by a nat 1

We all have red cloaks from the Redbrands and we make sure we’re ready to go in.

DM to Bob: Your beak is still visible; there's not a lot you can do to hide that.

@imagine1117​: Look down.

We’re all dressed to go bluff our way through the castle!

Zira: Tony, you are very good at bullshit. I think you should go first.

thanks for putting me on the spot, helio

Tony does manage to bluff their way past the guards by saying they scrammed from Briarbane because things went south. They gain access to the castle.

We (Tony & Zira) have a chat with a goblin sentry where Zira is critiquing their structurally unsound choice of a hideout.

Zira: This is absolutely terribly unsafe.

Goblin: What - do you want to go build something?

Tony: This is absolutely awesome and has great atmosphere.

Goblin: See - this guy gets it!

Tony says goodbye by telling him to have fun guarding. We’re then left to our own ends to find the boss who won’t be pleased with us having left Briarbane.

Zira: I assume the boss is behind the trap, because they're usually cowards.

We get further into the castle and there’s an area hidden behind a curtain. Tony suggests investigating and Rhodey and Bob take him up on it.

Reba: I roll 14 for stealth.

DM: Okay! (dice clattering on table)

There’s a monster that drops from the ceiling!

imagine: Is [the grick] slimy? 

DM: Sure.

The grick goes down in no time.

DJ: Hey. Hey, you! (launches Magic Missile) Bitch. 

Bob notices some people behind the curtain. Luna and then Rhodey both go to investigate. Rhodey notices a goblin’s foot behind the altar in the room.

DM: I forgot to roll initiative for some people. 

Me: WHICH PEOPLE 

DM: Don't worry about it. 

imagine: We're worrying!

Me: Of course we're going to worry!

A goblin springs out from behind the altar and tries to attack Rhodey. It misses. DJ then attempted to whack the goblin with his quarterstaff but misses. Tony ran in and then shouted at the goblin to stop attacking because they were allies.

DM: For the record, because of how rounds work, Tony ran in and asked why they were fighting you guys simultaneously as DJ tried to hit him with his quarterstaff.

Helio: So Zira slips over to the doorway to the room, and sees Mom trying to commit murder, Dad attempting to soothe hurt feelings, and her brother doing whatever the fuck he’s doing.

Dox: Also trying to commit murder!

Bob unsuccessfully tries to set the goblin on fire.

There’s another goblin that springs out and this one looks more like a priest and notices our red cloaks and demands an explanation. Tony bullshits one about being from Briarbane.

DM (to me): Roll deception. He's going to roll competing insight - natural one. Don't even bother. He believes you instantly.

Rhodey “intimidates” the first goblin into giving up his weapon. It’s “intimidates” because he rolled a 21 and the goblin got a nat 20 so the goblin grudgingly handed over his scimitar because he was in the wrong.

Reba: I'm trying to get Rhodey to accumulate odd weapons.

We get out of the religious goblins’ way and Tony tells the first goblin to look before he attacks next time since otherwise he might get hurt. The advice is taken seriously.

Once we’re out in private we have a discussion on what to do the next time we meet some goblins. Tony is very serious about telling them that there will be no setting people on fire (to Bob) and no explosions (to DJ) since they will be talking their way through the encounters. So future encounters mean no raising weapons! He drills this into their heads.

DJ: I wanted to protect Mom!

Rhodey covers his mouth to stop laughing.

Rhodey: That’s great, but I don’t need protection.

Tony: But it’s a sweet thought, isn’t it, Hubby?

Everyone in the VC cracks up laughing.

Rhodey: Hubby?

Bob: Is that better or worse than "Rhodeo”?

Zira is confused about when we actually got married but then realizes it’s another nickname. Just a bad one that is not worse than Rhodeo.

Tony: You love all my nicknames. Don’t even lie.

We continue on this vein.

DM: Clint is still there, by the way.

thechaoticwave: I give him another arrow and bolt.

DM: Goddamn it.

Rhodey is decidedly unimpressed with Zira mentioning Rhodeo.

Rhodey: Please, I would take any nickname over “Rhodeo.”

Zira, cheerfully: Okay, Mom!

We continue onwards and don’t run into anymore issues aside from two hobgoblins. Rhodey rolls a great performance check after Tony says he has to walk in like he’s supposed to be there. The hobgoblins are easily enough fooled and direct us to where the boss is as Tony asks if he’s in the usual place.

Most of the group is really uncertain about going to where the boss is so Tony opts for majority opinion. Clint pulls them back and they do end up knocking on the boss’s door.

Bob hides behind Clint since he can’t hide his beak. He also stuffs his new glass staff into Tony’s bag of holding.

thechaoticwave: How tall is Clint? 

DM: Hang on, let me Google how tall Jeremy Renner is.

Our employer is in the room! Along with one bugbear, one pet wolf, and one drow (who is working for the Black Spider). They’re irritated to see us but we’re still in disguise and Tony tries to bluff his way through it but we reach a stalemate.

Bob really wants to set things on fire and asks Tony if he can. Tony nods; Rhodey catches the nod. The three of them get in a surprise round!

Bob heads over to our employer and heals him some.

This is the first time we’ve spoken to Ryss since session 1.

Bob: Hey, what's crackalackin? 

We’re in actual combat and Dox realizes something important about our combat order...

Dox: When did Clint go? 

DM: FUCK

The drow - badly injured - transforms into a mirror image of Rhodey! ...They’re still on fire.

Reba: I want to hit the drow.

DM: What drow? There's just Rhodey.

Mid-combat, Bob asks Tony for his glass staff. I take up an entire action to throw the staff right to him. One awesome DEX save later and Bob catches it.

Zira moves to attack the drow, who still looks like Rhodey. She switches personalities to 465.

DM: So 465 doesn’t give a shit about Rhodey?

Helio: 465 doesn’t give a shit about anyone.

We defeat the drow and the bugbear and the wolf! And there’s loot! And Ryss is okay! We have a map to the Lost Mine!

Reba about the bag of holding: It's an Armory of Holding and a Bag of Healing.

Clint heads off with Ryss (several bolts and arrows later) once we sneak out the castle the back way. The rest of the group will head off to the Lost Mine next session!

Aaaaand that’s a wrap! (And so much bullshitting but surprisingly not many lies.)

[mistersourwolf]

A New Beginning - Daryl Dixon x Reader

Title: A New Beginning

Word count: 2,715

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x reader

Warnings: Suicide, Angst, Blood mentioned, Slight cursing (nothing too serious) Daryl being a huge asshole? Please let me know if I’m missing any!!

Request: Daryl Dixon imagine

season one

Glenn finds a woman in Atlanta getting ready to jump off a building Glenn talks her down and she goes back to the quarry. And she knows how to shoot a gun and a bow.

A/N : This was a requested fic, I changed her knowing how to shoot a crossbow, but everything else is the same. Also!! Please, please do get help if you are experiencing any suicidal thoughts or depression. Your life matters and things can get better but not if you make a permanent decision. Please take care of yourself, love always, Sav xx

You overlooked the city, seeing walkers crowding the streets of Atlanta. It had been several months since the outbreak, and the world had gone to hell. The only noises made in the city were screams of agony and the constant sound of growling herds. It was unbearable. You no longer felt like fighting to survive, not if you had no one to do it with. Since your family had been taken by the dead, you felt hollow inside. Every night you went to sleep, it was hard not to pray that you’d die. And you wanted so badly to give up, for a herd to stumble along your tent and devour you. Death wasn’t a promise of happiness but it seemed to be more promising than living.

Today, you thought could be the day you work up the courage to end it yourself. You had always talked yourself out of it, but today was a beautiful day. Even more so, a beautiful day to die. You stood at the top of a building, looking down at the vacant streets. Your eyes began to tear up at the thought of being able to see your family again. You closed your eyes, not wanting to think about what you were going to do. Hesitantly, you stepped forward, but quickly turned around when you heard a voice call out behind you.

“Hey! Wait, please, just wait.”

You glanced back and saw a man who wore a ball cap start walking towards you. You glanced back down at the streets below you.

“What am I waiting for?” You choked out a laugh, as tears began to fall down your face.

The man was now beside you, which you hadn’t noticed due to you being in a daze.

“It doesn’t have to be this way, your life doesn’t have to end like this.” He assured you calmly, but you could hear in his voice that he was just as nervous as you were.

“I lost everything, everyone, I have nothing to live for.” You said wiping your tears away.

“You can still back away from this, you can choose to live for them.” He said reaching out to touch your shoulder. You shivered at the feeling of his touch, it had been so long since you had felt anyone’s hand on your skin. It had been longer since you had heard someone’s voice. “I’m Glenn.” He smiled nervously at you. You smiled back slightly, looking back at him.

“It’s getting harder to breathe, Glenn. And now I have a chance to relieve that pain and-.” Your voice cracked, “and please let me do this.” You finished, staring at the pavement.

“I don’t know you but I know that this is not your fate. It doesn’t have to be.” Glenn grasped your arm pulling you back from the edge. You tried pulling away from him, starting to break down.

“Please!” You cried, “I can’t do this anymore!” You fell onto your knees, bringing him down with you as well. “I want to be with my family, please just let me go be with them.” You sobbed.

Glenn wrapped both his arms around you to try to prevent you from getting away as you squirmed in his grasp.

“Shh.” He started to hush you, but you could only sit there sobbing and screaming.

“Just let me go! Please!” You continued to cry, punching the rooftop. Your knuckles began to bleed, but you barely noticed.

Glenn squeezed you tighter, rocking you side to side. “No I can’t let you, I can’t live with that.” His voice cracked and you could tell this was upsetting him. It was just as painful for him to watch you crumble and he didn’t even know you. You sat on the roof for a few minutes crying and distraught. It seemed like you would never stop crying, the pain was so intense.

“Shh,” Glenn whispered, “It’s okay, you’re gonna be okay.”

”I-I can’t.” You sobbed. You continued to cry until a few minutes later. Glenn tried to stand you up and this time you complied. Your mind was blank and you felt completely numb inside. He walked with you away from the edge towards the ladder on the side of the building.

“What’s your name?” Glenn asked, continuing to walk. You thought about your name and how long it had been since you had heard anyone say it.

“Y/N,” You struggled to speak, your voice was strained, most likely from the crying. He smiled, “Never met a Y/N, glad you’re the one I met.” He noted before sending you down the ladder. You climbed down as fast as you could, trying not to make any noise that might attract the dead. You had a knife on you as well as a pistol but that was it. In all honesty, you always preferred a crossbow, but you were an equally good shot with a gun. Your lips were cracked from lack of water, and they had almost began to bleed a little.

Once you were both on the ground, he reached in his backpack pulling out a bottle of water, as if he had read your mind. Your eyes softened, how could he be so kind? You didn’t know that good people still existed.

“Listen, you can come back with me, we have a group with food and water. You’ll be safe.” Glenn assured you, starting to walk down the alley. His words sounded made up, like a fairy tale. You were out here fighting for your life hoping to get your hands on any kind of food, even if it was in spite of your own personal taste.

You followed him, trying your best to not make any noise. “Will they be mad at you?” You asked Glenn, curious as to how a group who seemingly had it together would be comfortable with any stranger coming in.

“No, they won’t be.” He answered, taking a right turn out the alley. He sounded unsure which made you nervous. Glenn knew he didn’t sound sure of himself and he wasn’t.

“You’re positive?” You questioned.

“I know I’m a terrible liar so that would also be a no.” Glenn said rushing up to a car and picking the lock.

“I won’t go with you, I can’t intrude on what you guys have.” You said, quietly. Glenn got in the car, opening the passenger door.

“You will die if you stay, if the geeks don’t kill you, starvation will. Now will you just get your ass in the car.” He said, patting the seat beside him.

You hesitated for a minute but decided to get in.

Glenn fumbled with the cables that were out and soon you heard the car start to hum. You looked over at him, surprised he was able to start it.

“You’re something else.” You smiled, leaning on the window.

Glenn laughed, pulling off into the street, “Wait until you meet the group.”

The drive was quiet and as you got closer to the group, the more scenic the drive was. The quarry was gorgeous unlike the rundown city. Glenn was listening to an old cd that had been left in the car. It was a jazz album, singing about a happy world. The world you’d seen was anything except happy, but you hoped things would look up for you soon. You were nervous when you arrived and anxious to meet everyone.

“It’s gonna be okay, they won’t bite.” Glenn joked, “Seriously, come meet them, you’ll like them a lot” Glenn stepped out of the car and walked toward an RV that was parked center of the camp. You sat for a minute, fumbling with your hands. What were they going to think of you? What would you say to them? Would Glenn tell them how he found you? He said he was a terrible liar but you still hoped he could cover your ass. You weren’t ashamed but didn’t want to be thought of as weak. Deep down, you knew you weren’t, you were strong but even strong people lose fights sometimes.

After a long mental prep, you stepped out of the car and slowly walked towards the group. Glenn was talking to them, which you assumed had something to do with you.

A lady approached you quickly. She had short gray hair and kind eyes. Immediately she welcomed you with a smile and a warm hug. You hugged her back as well and probably longer than you should have. Your eyes started to tear up just at the thought of being able to hug someone again. You soon pulled away, laughing and wiping your eyes.

“Sorry,” you said through tears. “It’s been too long since I’ve had a good hug.” You smiled.

“Well you can always get plenty from me.” She smiled big at you, “I’m Carol.”

“Y/N, it’s really nice to meet you Carol.” You smiled back at her, wiping whatever tears you had remaining.

“Come meet the rest of group.” She smiled leading you to where Glenn and a few more people stood.

“That’s Andrea & Amy, they’re sisters and are practically joined at the hips.” She said pointing towards two blonde women, one looked fairly young and it was easy to tell who was older. You smiled at them, waving hello.

“That’s Dale, he’s a wise man, incredible for any advice.” She introduced the man, who was far older than anyone else it appeared.

“That’s Rick & Lori, he is new to the group, just found his family again.” She pointed out, “My daughter Sophie and Rick and Lori’s son, Carl.”

She continued to list the names of all the group members. Each person greeted you with a smile, and you felt very welcome.

“There is one more, his name is Daryl, he’s hunting right now but should be back sometime before dinner.” She said before walking off.

Daryl returned before dinner just as Carol had said. He had seven squirrels along with a bird or two along his back. He carried a crossbow, a weapon you always wanted to learn how to use. Daryl was older as well but not by much, he was actually kind of handsome. You couldn’t help but first notice his muscles, he looked very strong but you saw that he had an off putting personality. Daryl seemed disconnected and anti-social. In a way, you felt very much like him. You took advantage of this and sat next to him by the fire. Everyone else was eating and talking about their previous lives, telling funny stories and how their life used to be. But you sat quiet next to him, eager to break the silence.

“Would you teach me?” You asked shyly, looking down at your food.

He lifted his head up, looking over at you, “Teach ya’ what?” He said. He had a gruff voice, one that certainly suited him.

You blushed slightly, “How to shoot it.” You gestured toward the crossbow laying next to him. He looked down at his crossbow and then back at you.

“Why ya’ wanna learn, you got a gun.” He said roughly, throwing down what he was eating. He looked away from you, and towards the group.

“My dad, he used to—“

“But he ain’t here no more,” Daryl interrupted, an angry expression taking over his face, “Ain’t no sense in learning if that’s what it’s about.” He stormed off, leaving you in shock. You were surprised how he could treat someone he didn’t know like that. As much as you wanted to sit and sulk, something drove you to chase after him.

“Hey!” You shouted, but he continued to walk. You quickly caught up to him, touching his arm. He pulled back, turning around to face you.

“Why you following me,” He asked angrily, “I don’t want nothin’ to do with you or your bullshit story.” He turned back around continuing to walk.

“You know you’re just like him!” You said, trying to provoke him and you did exactly that. He turned back around, walking up to you until he was standing inches away from your face, “Sweetheart, I ain’t nothin’ like him, because I’m here and he’s not.”

Your eyes started to water but you didn’t want to show him any kind of weakness, so you fought them back.

“If you’re trying to tell me just because you’re alive doesn’t mean your weak then you’re wrong.“ You scolded him, “You’re in just as much in pain as everyone else, probably worse.”

Daryl didn’t like that and he showed that quickly, he grabbed you by your arm dragging you to the woods.

“Let go of me!” You yelled, trying to pull away from him.

“Nah you wanna shoot, let’s shoot.” He was definitely mad by the tone of his voice.

“Daryl, stop!” You complained as he grabbed your hands, helping you hold the cross bow. Daryl started to whistle, taking two metal scraps from the ground banging them together.

Soon followed a series of growling, but it was hard to see anything. Your eyes slowly adjusted as you saw a walker come from behind a tree. It slowly walked over to you, it’s mouth had been completely eaten and decayed.

“Shoot em’! You wanna learn, right?” Daryl said, continuing to bang the pieces. You quickly shot at the walker, but you missed, it kept walking towards you. You tried shooting at it again but failed once more before it tackled you. It’s jaws kept moving forward trying desperately to bite you, but you fought back. You cried out as the walker continued to wrestle you. This went on for a minute or two as you fumbled with your jeans trying to find your knife. Suddenly you heard a squishing sound and blood splattered on your forehead. You closed your eyes in disgust.

Daryl pulled the walker off of you, extending his hand. You rejected and quickly stood up, glaring at him.

“What the hell?” You yelled pushing him back. He pushed past you, picking up the arrows from the ground.

“You’re welcome.” He said breathless, picking up his crossbow as well.

“I never asked you to save me,” you remarked, out of breath from the fight.

“So I shoulda let em’ kill ya?” He asked, pissed off for whatever reason.

“I can take care of myself!” You argued.

“You really had a handle on that,” he huffed, his sarcasm pissing you off even more. “You wanted this, remember?”

“I almost got killed!” You refuted, angry at him for the danger he put you in.

“What, you don’t wanna die?” He yelled, making you finally cave in. You put your face in your palms trying to hide your eyes. You started to cry lifting your head towards the sky. You stared at the stars trying to hold back any more tears, but you failed.

He took a small step towards you, his body became less stiff. He stared at the ground before looking back up at you.

“I-I ain’t mean to—“ he started but you cut him off.

“No,” You sniffled, “You’re right, I do.”

A moment of silence followed. You covered your mouth as you let out a final sob, not wanting anyone to hear.

“How’d it happen?” Daryl looked up, his eyes had softened a little, seeming genuine.

“What, my dad?”

He nodded slowly.

“He died before all of this, was diagnosed with cancer when I was thirteen. Lost him not even a year after. But I’m glad he didn’t have to see this, you know?” You looked at Daryl, trying to read his thoughts.

“He liked the crossbow?” He said, looking at his own. You smiled, nodding.

“He loved the crossbow, he would always practice in his free time and sometimes let me try, even though mom would kill him if she found out.” You laughed thinking about those times and how simple they were. “He started using it more when he got sick, was tired of laying around I guess.”

“Okay.” He said quietly. “I’ll teach ya.” He slowly walked away, leaving you to your thoughts. You were incredibly sad but felt a shimmer of excitement. If there was anyway to honor your family, it would be staying alive, and that’s exactly what you were gonna do.

[fictionliv-ing]

04 || Marked

view this chapter on wattpad!

"Listen here, you lot!"

At the sound of the proctor's voice, I give her my full attention. She stands in front of a tall fence that separates us from a dense forest— one so dense that beyond the frontmost trees, I see nothing but dark shadows.

"Before we begin the second exam, I have to hand these out to all of you." Anko holds up a thick wad of papers before passing them to the nearest genin, who then passes it around for everyone to take. "It's a consent form. You must sign it before you can participate."

Naruto speaks up, studying the sheet of paper given to him. "Why do we need a consent form, though?"

"This forest is called 'The Forest of Death'- and for good reason. The moment you step foot in there, there's a chance you'll die. I have to get your consent for that." She smiles sheepishly. "Otherwise, it'll be my responsibility.

"The second exam is one big survival exercise." Anko continues. "You'll be let into the forest through a gate. There are 44 in total, surrounding the entire area. Inside, you'll find rivers, a forest, and a tower. The tower is right in the center of the area, an exact 10 kilometres away from each gate.

"The objective is simple." She states. "Make it to the tower in five days."

"That's it?" Kono mumbles to us. "That doesn't sound so bad."

"However," Anko pipes up again, reaching into her jacket and bringing out two scrolls- one colored a light cream, the other a dark navy. "To pass the second exam, you must show up to the tower with a pair of scrolls: one Heaven and one Earth."

I narrow my eyes in suspicion.

"Half of the teams here will get one Heaven scroll each. The other half will be given one Earth scroll. All your team has to do is survive in the forest and get to the tower with both scrolls." She says.

So, we'd have to hunt others down to pass.

Anko continues to explain the rules of the second exam to us. We'd have to make it to the tower as a three-person team, with both scrolls, within the time limit. If anyone were to become incapacitated or if a member was lost, we'd be disqualified. On top of all of that, looking at the content of the scrolls was absolutely forbidden— to test our reliability as chunin.

"That's all!" She concludes. "When you're done signing your forms, step up to that table over there and exchange your forms for a scroll. Once you've gotten your scrolls, choose a gate and wait. All the gates will open at the same time.

"Just one last piece of advice," Anko sighs, looking at all of us seriously. "Don't die!"

"Well, that's cheerful." Kono comments, deadpanning nervously. Mira looks just as nervous, fidgeting with the sheet of paper in her hands. The three of us sign our forms and quickly exchange them for a scroll. Heaven. Mira pockets it quickly, keeping it tucked away under all the weapons and tools in her pouch.

Walking to a gate far away from the other examinees, we strategize. We decide that Mira keeps the scroll as she has the best defenses with her earth style ninjutsu. In the inevitable situation that we come across other teams, we're to pretend that Kono is holding onto the scroll, which will hopefully fool the opponent because of his tall stature and authoritative aura. But since our primary objective is to obtain an Earth scroll, we plan to spend the rest of the day settling into a clearing and setting up traps. When all the traps are in place, we'd then set up camp right in the middle and wait for someone to fall victim to our scheme.

It went smoothly enough. As soon as the gates opened, we'd sprinted straight into the forest, putting good distance in between us and the perimeter. Once we'd found a clearing that had great lighting, we immediately got to work. Not even thirty minutes into the exam and our plan was already going well.

Halfway through our setting up, something changes and everything feels wrong. There's a shift in the air, an ominous one. I'm not the only one who notices, either. To my right, Mira stops in her tracks and glances at me. We exchange looks and turn to Kono, only to find him already standing alert and in a fighting stance.

"Mira. Sumi." He says, teeth clenched. "The plan can wait."

At his tone and demeanor, Mira and I immediately move to his side in a defensive stance. We face our intruder.

On the other side of the clearing stands a man in neutral colored clothing. A Grass shinobi. He has a thick, purple rope tied around his waist and a straw hat resting atop his head. His teammates are nowhere in sight, so I immediately scan the area behind him and around us, just in case they were lurking in the shadows somewhere.

"Look at you three," He hisses. Under the hat, a freakishly long tongue darts out to lick his lips messily. Gross. "So young and full of life."

"What do you want?" Kono barks out.

"I was planning to attack only one team here but," He takes off his straw hat and tosses it to the side, fixating on us with a predatory glare. "I'm feeling a bit more alive today."

I narrow my eyes at his form. The blood lust rolling off of him is sickening.

What happens next is too fast for any of us to process. His head darts forward, neck elongating with his movement, and we're all knocked off our feet. The collision sends us all flying backwards into a tree, and we don't even have time to react.

"Pitiful." He drawls, head returning to his body. "Is this the best the Hidden Leaf can do?"

Kono gets to his feet first, holding out a hand to help Mira and I up without turning his back on the man. "You guys alright?"

I nod, hand going to my kunai holster and bringing out a knife. Clenching it hard in my fist, I stand confidently beside Kono, ready to engage. "Are we fighting?"

"Seems so." Mira answers from Kono's other side. She flexes her fingers in anticipation of the battle to come. "He's not going away anytime soon. Kono?"

"Hm." He grunts in response. We understand right away and brace ourselves. "Go."

The signal is quiet and sudden, but we react immediately. Moving along the perimeter of the clearing, I sprint towards the Grass ninja, pumping chakra to my legs to increase my speed. Kono does the same on the other side, leaving Mira behind us. She immediately gets to work, weaving a series of hand signs.

"Earth Style: Dark Swamp!" she calls out, slamming her hands down onto the ground. Her jutsu makes the earth beneath the Grass ninja's feet turns dark and sludgy. He sinks into the mud, unable to move from his spot. Kono and I take this opportunity to close in from both sides, aiming to kick downwards at his shoulders. Before our feet make contact, the Grass nin raises his hands and latches onto our ankles, effectively stopping our attack.

He twists his body a full 360-degree angle to build up momentum and roughly flings us back to where we came from. I crash into Kono, who is caught by Mira. Since her hands are forced to catch us, her jutsu is put to an end. The Grass nin steps out of the mud, smiling menacingly at the three of us, who lie on top of each other on the ground. My breathing is deep and heavy; I'd put a lot of chakra into that kick, hoping to end things quickly so we could go back to our plan. To have my chakra release cut off like that- it's taken a toll on my body.

"We're going to have to fight our way out of this one, guys." Kono says after I get off of him. I offer the them my hands and help them up, the three of us getting into formation again. "He's tough, but it's three against one. We can do this."

And try, we do. For what feels like hours, we do our best against this Grass shinobi who seems to have a counterattack for everything we throw at him. One after the other, Mira and Kono are knocked out, heavily wounded, and I'm left barely standing with dozens of scratches around my body, breathing raggedly.

I wasn't going to use my Kekkei Genkai until we encountered a team that possessed the scroll we wanted, but I'm left no choice. Despite not having enough time to take a chakra pill, I do my best to will my teammates' blood clean and back into their bodies. The openings of the cuts, I seal, just to make sure that they don't start bleeding out again. Seizing control over my own blood, I form it into senbon needles and send them flying towards my opponent, who stands at the far end of the clearing. Because I'm so tired, he's able to dodge my attack easily. He's smart, too; he doesn't fail to notice the details that make my needles unique.

"Red needles?" He asks me, being direct with his question. "Blood?"

I don't respond. How could I, when it's taking what little energy I have left to keep myself from collapsing. Instead, I will more blood needles into form, throwing them relentlessly at the Grass ninja. Might not have been my best move, as he dodges everything just as easily as the first time, and I'm running out of blood by the second.

"It is." The man hisses in wonder, walking towards me and licking his lips with that abnormally long tongue of his. "I haven't encountered a member of the Takao clan in so long."

He stands close enough for me to see the evil glint in his eyes. Due to our close proximity, it should've been easy for me to hit him accurately this time, but I can feel my consciousness slipping away. The blood loss is causing my vision to go blurry, and my head is suffering from the lack of oxygen. I can't hold myself up anymore. My legs give out from under me, and my body surges forward. I wait for the cold, hard ground to hit me in the face, but it never comes.

What happens next disgusts me to my very core. The Grass ninja sticks his tongue out, elongating it rapidly and wrapping it around my waist. I'm lifted up by the muscular organ, and he holds my limp body up in front of him.

"You have potential." He tells me, tongue moving to flick my hair away from my face. I shiver in fear and cringe away, but still lack the energy to free myself from his grasp. "You will be mine."

His tongue moves away from my face and goes to wrap around my wrist. My arm is lifted up, though I don't really process anything as I slip in and out of consciousness. Blinking desperately, I struggle to make sense of what he does.

He sinks his fangs into my forearm, sending a searing pain tearing through my body. I scream in agony, feeling as though his bite sends fire crawling into my veins. Slowly, he unwinds his tongue from my waist. I fall to the ground roughly, clutching onto my arm as if squeezing it hard enough would make the pain go away.

"How little you must know of your heritage." The man drawls. I don't even have the energy to look up at him as he speaks. I'm left staring at the ground, clenching my teeth in an effort to keep quiet; the last thing I need is more enemies showing up. "If you want answers, you will come to me. I'll give them to you. And then I'll give you more."

One blink and he's gone. He's vanished, and there's not a single trace of him other than the bite marks on my forearm. I fight to stay awake, but my body eventually gives into the exhaustion and my consciousness leaves me, the memory of his promise ringing in my head.

-

There's a blinding light that whites my vision.

Am I dead?

Blinking rapidly, I angle my head away from the light. My neck protests against the sudden movement; pain is my body's reaction. I gasp at the sensation, lifting a hand to my neck to clutch at it. My arm burns too, making me groan in discomfort.

So, this is what the afterlife is like. Your body holds onto the pain you feel in your dying moments. Not exactly what I expected, but—

"Sumi-chan!" A hazy voice calls.

Huh? Who's that?

"Kono-kun, Sumi-chan's awake!"

A pair of shadows loom over me, blocking the light source, and I am finally able to see clearly. Leaning over me with worried looks on their faces are my teammates. The air smells of dirt and foliage- but maybe that's just because I'm lying flat on the ground. Then, I remember: I'm in the Forest of Death.

My body screams in protest as I struggle to pull myself up. Kono helps me into a sitting position, and Mira rummages through our supplies for a canteen of water.

"What happened?" I ask, voice coming out raspy and hoarse at the lack of hydration. I accept the canteen that Mira hands me, relishing the feel of the water sliding down my throat.

"When we woke up, you were unconscious, so we don't know what happened between you and that Grass ninja." Mira starts. "We did our best to dress your wounds, but you've lost a lot of blood. You're a lot paler than usual."

"We went ahead and set up the traps." Kono says, reaching into his pouch. "While you were out, a team got caught. Luckily, they were weak enough for us to defeat, and they surrendered their scroll without further hesitation."

He brings out two scrolls of different colors. "Lucky for us, they had an Earth scroll. Now, we just need to make it to the tower. We'll be fine."

"That's great news." I let out a sigh of relief. "How long was I out?"

"Two days."

"Two days?!" I exclaim, straightening up and wincing at my lightheadedness due to the loss of blood. "That's a lot of time lost. We should get going!"

Despite the pain in my muscles, I try to get up on my feet. Grunting in pain, I manage to get to my knees before my body absolutely refuses to move.

"Stop, Sumi." Kono commands with authority in his voice- a tone I rarely hear him use. "You have no energy in you, and your body needs a little bit more time to recover. Rest first."

"I've been resting for two days— " I protest.

Mira rests a hand on my shoulder. "Kono's right, Sumi-chan. You're only going to hurt yourself if you keep pushing on like this. Eat something first, at least."

Seeing the concerned looks in their eyes, I nod. They help move me to lean against a tree, giving me some food that they'd cooked while I was unconscious. While I eat, we strategize. Our main goal now is to reach the tower without any delays. No fighting, no side trips, no breaks— just a one-way trip to the tower.

Kono and Mira decide to seal the scrolls we'd managed to obtain in a spare scroll that we'd brought with us, so that if we were ever cornered by another enemy, we'd be able to convince them that we had no scrolls in possession.

We're almost ready to go. I've finished my food and have done a couple of stretches. Though my muscles still ache a bit, I'm feeling much better than I did when I first woke up and can properly move by myself. I lift my canteen of water to my lips one last time before we depart.

"Sumi-chan, what's that?" Mira asks, pointing to my hand. I follow her gaze to a mark on the inner side of my left wrist: three slightly curved lines surrounding a hollow center, the tips equidistant from one another.

"I don't know..." I reach out a finger to touch it, the action bringing back a familiar sensation. It's the same burning feeling I felt when that Grass ninja bit into my arm, though not as painful. "What...?"

"Guys." Kono interrupts, though I can see him studying the mark on my wrist cautiously. "We should go."

I stand straight and nod, Mira mirroring my stance. "Right."

Jumping into the shadows of the trees and traveling towards the tower as quickly as we can, we leave the clearing behind and move forward to greater things.

-

For the first time since the second exam started, things go according to plan. We make it to the forest by sunset without interruption; no enemies, no traps, nothing. It's the best thing to happen to me in this forest, and when we enter the tower, I fall to my knees in both exhaustion and gratification.

"Sumi-chan!" Mira gasps, rushing to my side in concern.

"I'm fine." I pant, still not having fully recovered from all the blood loss. "A little tired, but I'm fine."

Together, Kono and Mira help me to my feet, supporting my weight as we make our way further into the tower and into a room, where I rest on a bench. Draining my canteen, I lean back against the wall and close my eyes, concentrating on calming my breathing.

"Hey, look, it's Hinata!"

Kono's voice makes me look up. Sure enough, Hinata stands in the doorway of the room we're resting in.

"Kiba-kun, they're in here!" She calls out behind her. Entering the room, she takes notice of the numerous cuts scattered on our body and offers us a special ointment. Taking it gratefully, Mira applies the ointment to my wounds first, then does the same to herself before passing the pot to Kono.

Kiba comes running in with Akamaru on his heels and Shino close behind. "Sumi-chan! Wow, you guys look terrible."

"Thanks for stating the obvious." Mira says with a pointed glare at him. Kiba chuckles and scratches the back of his head sheepishly before growing serious.

"You'll never believe what we saw." He says, tone grim. "You guys know the Sand genin, right?"

At the mention of Gaara and the others, I narrow my eyes. "What happened?"

Kiba goes on to tell us the story of how they'd gone to investigate the opponents that Akamaru had noticed, only to witness Gaara ruthlessly murder an entire team, even after obtaining their needed scroll. He had used his sand to encase their bodies in a cocoon, and then applied pressure until the bodies caved in. The victims had died in seconds.

"You were right, Sumi-chan." Kono mumbles, a scared look in his eyes. "They're bad news after all."

"At least we successfully avoided them this time." Mira says, placing a hand on my shoulder in comfort. She knows how easily triggered I get at the mention of that sand. "The only thing we can do now is rest up and recover. Who knows what the proctors have in store for us?"

-

previous || next (coming soon!) || masterlist

[sueboohscorner]

#TeenWolf Season 6B EP 13 "After Images" Aka "Palinopsia" Recap & Review

"Three things cannot be long hidden; the sun, the moon and the truth."

This week's Teen Wolf opens with a dramatic scene. Shortly after the hunt, Brett has been injured by an arrow, shot by the guidance counselor and Gerard Argent. Brett leads the hunter on a chase after pushing the arrow through his chest. Meanwhile, Brett's sister approaches Scott to ask for his help in finding Brett. She's found Brett's blood near the woods and is concerned that he's in trouble.

Both Melissa McCall and Mason experience a creepy feeling about the body they found with no face. When Melissa goes to perform an amateur autopsy on the body, lights go out, the doors to the morgue lock and she escapes the morgue screaming. Does this body remind anyone else of Jennifer Blake/The Darach? Mason seems to be having Palin Ossian after seeing the body. Creepy, right?

Chris Argent comes to help Melissa with the autopsy, and he runs away in terror (Damn! This is Chris Argent we're talking about!!). Gerard and the guidance counselor track Brett. Gerard teaches his new talent in the creepiest, most sadistic way possible as per usual. But for real though, how many of you are so excited to see Michael Hogan back on the show? He's been busy with Fargo and lots of other work. This man can act.

Mason and Corey set out with Lydia to help find Brett. Lydia, Mason, and Corey start looking for Brett. Lydia keeps seeing the number 68. She looks at a locker, number 68 incidentally, and as she shuts the locker door, a kid studying in the library hears it a seemingly telepathic ally. Another young man approaches the first kid. They have both noticed how Corey appears and disappears, showing up out of nowhere. They begin watching Mason and Corey.

The rest of the pack fights in the woods about how to hunt for Brett while Brett runs out of time. They find that there are at least two hunters out there. The pack decides not to split up. The hunters have tracked Brett underground. Thankfully, Brett leaves a stacked rocks to let his sister know where he was going. Satomi taught them this technique (heck, I'd sure love to have a teacher like Satomi if I were a werewolf). The phrase: "Three things cannot be long hidden; the sun, the moon and the truth" has been trending on Google ever since season three of Teen Wolf.

Brett hides in the rafters as the hunters argue strategy beneath him in the underground tunnels. Gerard really has it out for Scott (surprise, surprise). Brett's sister steps into a trap. Scott takes the arrow and Malia waits while Scott heals. Brett's sister wants to charge ahead, despite the fact that Scott seems to think Gerard Argent or at least hunters he has trained must be involved.

Melissa and Chris work on the body. It begins moving. The two talk to distract each other while performing the autopsy. Argent points a gun at the body. Melissa explains to Argent how being around bodies can actually induce a sense of mortal terror (cool scientific explanation, Jeff Davis, and team!) This is one of the things I believe sets Teen Wolf apart. The writing team does some excellent research. They weave science, fact, logic, stories and urban legends into an incredible tapestry of storytelling genius!

Back in the underground tunnel, Malia calls Scott out on his martyr behavior. She wants with him while the rest of the pack goes ahead to find Brett. Melissa and Chris Argent view the slides from the tissue sample Melissa took from the body. Apparently, there is nothing there--no DNA, no cell structure, nothing. Darach, anyone? Liam convinces Brett's sister that Brett is going to be okay. Apparently, Brett started playing lacrosse for his sister, accepting a lacrosse scholarship to Davenport Prep on both of their behalfs. Liam and Brett's sister smell poison in the tunnels. Gerard Argent and the guidance counselor wait for Brett and find Liam and Brett's sister instead. Gerard plans to trap and kill the entire pack. Sociopathic much? This guy is a narcissistic sociopath of the highest [lowest] order.

The kid who witnessed Corey in the library approaches Corey. He seems pretty darned agitated. Mason talks to the boy about parrot fish and changing DNA and RNA, but apparently, the kid wants to know what Corey's deal is. He stabs Corey in his hand and shows everyone how Corey heals, creating an environment of panic and fear. Teen Wolf still doesn't shy away from the social and political commentary.

Meanwhile, back in the tunnels, Scott figures out for certain that Gerard is the one hunting the pack in the tunnels. I'll bet Scott is seriously reconsidering whether or not he should've left Argent alive. I'm sure Chris feeling the same way. Gerard Argent sure is a piece of work.

Lydia stops the kid who took video of Corey healing after he stabbed Corey with a pen in the library in the hall. He's wearing a hoodie with the number 68 on the back. She mistakenly asks him about Brett, thinking he has something to do with Brett's disappearance. This kid has also undergone some DNA/RNA changes since he appears to be having visions. This seems to be a plot device which equates homophobia and being gay to having intuitive visions and being disgusted by/afraid of others with similar abilities. This kid seems to be very afraid and very conflicted and wants to turn the spotlight on someone else. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Teen Wolf is not afraid of addressing the critical issues. When Lydia touches him, the kid has a feeling that Lydia is "one of them" and runs away in fear and anger.

The pack finds Brett and Gerard Argent and friend sneak up on them with weapons and aerosolized wolfsbane and weapons with lights and sounds operating on a higher frequency. The guidance counselor doesn't trust Argent's methods. Argent, of course, has a bigger plan. He wants an army to hunt down all of the werewolves and the entire McCall pack. I wonder whether former allies like Deucalion and Theo (assuming he's still alive) will be called upon to help.

Scott and Malia find that Scott isn't healing as he should be. Malia can't seem to take Scott's pain. Malia berates both Scott and herself for not having called Stiles right away. She suggests that their promise not to call Stiles was a stupid one. She says she's afraid of losing Scott. The two hold hands. Scott says that Stiles would be okay with him and Malia being together. She is finally able to take his pain. Aww. They would be super cute together. Apparently, Kira isn't going to be a featured character in season 6B, which leaves an opening in Scott's romantic life.

Melissa and Chris have an awkward goodbye as he gets ready to leave. The two have something going on and want to stay together due to the extreme fear they're still feeling. They're both awkward about their previous interactions and they finally let each other know that they're both still attracted to one another and things proceed... awkwardly.

Lydia says that what happened was a test--that Nolan, the boy in the library is trying to make everyone afraid of that pack, that he's encouraging everyone to turn on the pack. Brett's sister Lori tries to help him out of the tunnels while the high-frequency devices flash and beep. When they escape from the tunnel, they are both runs over by Gerard Argent's car, which kills Brett and leaves Lori injured. Lori tries to take Brett's pain, but she can't. He's dead. Lori dies in the street next to Brett. Liam rushes out of the tunnel and challenges the hunters, Scott and Malia are hot on his trail. Liam exposes himself to the people of the town. Gerard has set this up to build his army. As the camera pans out, the street name is shown above Liam. He stands on the corner of Muse Ave. Pretty clever.

In scenes from the next episode of Teen Wolf, the pack is seen trying to convince the guidance counselor to stop taking advice from Gerard Argent--probably a good piece of advice for anyone who wants to, you know, live to die another day. Gerard's advice to Scott via Chris Argent is to run.

[imaginetonyandbucky]

Once Upon A Time in a Shattered Mind Ch. 26

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 pt. 1 & pt. 2 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 pt. 1 & pt. 2 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19  | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25                 

AO3 Link

Tony moaned as he arched his back, his hands on his lumbar to brace it. “I forgot how horrible riding is.” Tony trampled through the brush. He stretched his arms over his head and popped his spine.

“Imagine how much worse it would be if you were riding horseback and not in the luxury of a carriage.” Rhodey picked up a thick tree branch from the ground. After a quick examination, Rhodey added it to the pile of wood in his arms. “Now are you going to help me with the fire or what? I don’t see any wood in your arms.”

“I’m getting to it.” Tony snatched up the closest piece of wood at his feet and cradled it. “I was just stretching.”

“You’ve been stretching for a long time,” Rhodey commented.

Tony dramatically raised his hand to his forehead and sighed in a forlorn manner. “I know. I’m getting old.”

Rhodey held up one of his branches threateningly. “Don’t make me throw this at you! Really, I’m surprised you didn’t try to become an actor after you abdicated.”

“I considered it, but there was more money in pirating.”

A startled cry that sounded like it was from a child, ripped Rhodey and Tony out of their friendly banter. Their heads snapped in the direction of the sound then toward each other, a look of unease on both of their faces.

“I’m not sure which I find more disturbing,” Tony said. “The idea that there would be a child this far out in the forest or the fact that it sounds like that scream came from where we made camp.”

Rhodey grumbled and shifted all of his wood into one arm. He hurried off in the direction of their camp. Tony followed swiftly behind him.

They had left Bucky in charge of the camp, so if any danger had occurred while Rhodey and Tony were away then Bucky was alone and in the thick of it.

Rhodey lay his hand on his sword’s hilt as the camp came into view.

Rhodey came to a halt and straightened.

Tony just barely stopped himself from crashing into Rhodey.

A young boy with a mop of brown hair was tied up and lying face down on the ground.

“What the-” Before Tony could finish his sentence the sounds of a struggle caught his attention.

Bucky emerged from behind the carriage with another boy tied up like a turkey and slung over his shoulder. The second boy wiggled and cursed. “We didn’t do anything!”

“Also, it’s really disturbing how easily you tied us up,” the first boy interjected. “Do you tie up kids for a living? Are you a child snatcher?”

Bucky dropped the second kid next to the first. “You really should be careful who you steal from.”

“We weren’t stealing,” the two boys cried in unison.

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say mini-pirates.”

“Pirates?” Boy two repeated.

“Mini!” The first one squawked.

Bucky looked up at Rhodey and Tony then. He nodded in acknowledgement. “There are the big pirates now.”

Rhodey turned to Tony then and shook his head. “In case I haven’t said it already, you have the strangest taste in partners.”

Tony gesticulated. “Did you not hear him? These kids were stealing.”

“We were not,” the first boy protested.

Bucky quirked an eyebrow. “He lies almost as much as you, Tony. The other one is more clever though.”

Rhodey crouched in front of the kids, scrutinizing them.

The kids were covered in torn and dirty clothes. Mud splotched their hands and faces. Traces of fat and muscles still lined their small frames though, so they must not have been out in the woods that long.

“Where are your parents?” Rhodey asked.

“That’s what we’d like to know,” Kid One said.

“We don’t have any parents,” Kid Two answered.

“How about any names?” Tony asked, mentally filing away their previous answers for a later. Maybe the kids were orphans or maybe they were playing the sympathy game in hopes of being spared any form of punishment.

The kids kept quiet.

Bucky pointed to Kid Two. “That one is Miles. The other is Peter.”

Miles and Peter whined like the children they were at having been unfairly outed.

Bucky shrugged. “Next time don’t shout each others name when you’ve been spotted stealing.”

Neither Miles nor Peter were pleased by Bucky’s advice.

“All right, so what are two kids doing out in the middle of the forest?” Rhodey asked.

“According your friend: stealing,” Peter answered.

Rhodey made a face of annoyance then turned to Miles. “That your answer too?”

“We were just on our way to get some food when we saw your horses and carriage. We just wanted to have a look. We didn’t mean any harm.”

“Food?” Tony reexamined the kids. “You don’t have any weapons for hunting, and by the looks of your pouches, you haven’t been doing a very good job collecting plants or mushrooms. Not that you’d want to eat any of the ones around here. They’re poisonous. So are you going to tell us the truth or-”

“It is the truth. We can show you.” Miles wiggled until he had his legs stretched out in front of Rhodey. “Just untie our legs and we can show you. You don’t even have to untie our hands.”

“Miles,” Peter hissed in warning.

“It’s not like they can take all the food themselves,” Miles hissed back. “We show them the house, and it proves we’re not lying.”

House? Tony was intrigued. No ordinary person would build a house this far in the woods. “All right, sounds like a deal to me. You show us this house, we’ll believe that you’ve been telling us the truth all along, and we’ll let you go.”

“That’s a terrible way to prove they aren’t lying,” Bucky argued.

Tony waved off Bucky’s protest. “I didn’t say it would prove anything, just that we’d believe them. How far away is this house?” Tony directed the question at Miles.

“Not far,” Miles said as Rhodey untied his bindings. “Not even an hour away.”

Tony nodded, taking in the information. Rhodey and he had agreed that they shouldn’t leave Bucky alone for any great length of time. The journey to find the house could take a while, and someone needed to stay and guard their belongings.

Tony knew without asking that Rhodey would prefer to follow the kids, but Tony also knew that while Bucky and Rhodey did get along, Bucky prefered Tony’s company. Bucky also would be more insistent about Tony and him remaining close since he’d been left alone for a while.

“Well, Rhodey,” Tony said, “you’re probably thinking what I’m thinking. Someone has to stay behind.”

Bucky took a step closer to Tony. “I’d like to stay with Tony.”

“I figured,” Rhodey grumbled. He finished untying Miles then helped the boy stand.

With Miles untied, Rhodey set about freeing Peter. Miles kneeled beside Rhodey, watching intently as Rhodey unbound Peter. If Tony had to guess, he would think Miles was studying Rhodey’s movements and memorizing them for later use.  

Peter’s eyes widened with fright, but his fear wasn’t aimed at Rhodey. “You’re not seriously going to have the guy who tied us up follow us?”

Bucky smirked. “Seems like a smart idea to me. I’ll happily tie both of you up again if this turns out to be some trick or trap.”  He crossed his arms over his chest. “This is your chance to confess that you’re trying to deceive us without much retaliation if you do.”

“How about no retaliation?” Tony offered, giving Bucky a warning look. “They’re kids.”

“I should tell you about the time I stole three chickens from a neighbor when I was their age some time,” Bucky said.

“Three? At once?” Tony asked.

Bucky nodded.

Tony whistled in appreciation. “Not bad.”

“So you’re a hypocrite,” Peter stated.

“Guilty,” Bucky admitted with no shame. “I was better at not getting caught though, so at least I earned what I stole.”

Peter gaped and Miles wrinkled his nose.

Rhodey shook his head. He grumbled something as he finished untying Peter. He slipped the rope free from the boy and just like he’d done with Mile, he helped the boy stand.

“Okay,” Tony drew out the vowels. “Let’s not insult each other and instead go on a nice walk through the woods to find this house?”

Miles and Peter looked at each other.

Peter frowned.

Miles shrugged.

Peter cocked his head at Bucky.

Miles rolled his eyes and huffed.

Peter nodded at Bucky again.

Miles exaggeratedly looked away from the group.

Peter threw his hands up in defeat. “Fine. We’ll show the creepy adults where all the food is. Maybe most of it has rotted by now.”

“That’s the spirit,” Bucky said.

Peter groaned and stomped off farther into the woods. Miles followed after him. Tony hurriedly trailed after them.

Tony cast a glance at Bucky as the hatter strolled up next to Tony. “You have a wonderful way with children.”

Bucky grinned. “They really are mini pirates.”

“I feel like Rhodey and I should be offended. Also, maybe worried since one of them reminds you of me.”

“It’s their bickering and their closeness with each other that reminds me of you and Rhodey. Personality-wise, Peter reminds me of a younger Steve.” Bucky’s grin widened. “He’s just as fun to mess with as Steve was.”

“You’re a cruel man.”

“Hey!” Peter hollered from on up ahead. “If you two don’t hurry up, you can forget our deal. I’ll take off running right now.”

“Do it and I’ll catch you,” Bucky shouted back.

“Yeah right.”

Bucky chuckled. “Test me. I dare you.”

Peter’s cheeks flushed. He snapped his head forward and marched onward.

“A true child expert,” Tony teased.

Bucky chuckled.

Peter and Miles led them through the woods, albeit Peter reluctantly. There were a number of times when Peter glanced over his shoulder at them, a calculating gleam to his gaze. It was obvious he was contemplating his odds of out running Tony and Bucky. Personally, Tony would have taken the risk if he were in Peter’s situation.

Then again he wasn’t seeing the looks Bucky was giving Peter each time Peter looked back.

Knowing Bucky, they were probably frightening to a kid.

A sweet aroma wafted through the forest. Tony frowned and sniffed the air. Sweet cakes, caramel, cookies, and the smell of other delicious baked goods permeated the forest.

Tony glimpsed at Bucky, who eyed their surroundings warily.  He sniffed then scrunched his face in befuddlement.

So Tony wasn’t the only picking up on the out of place scent.

Peter and Miles picked up their pace and were soon sprinting through the woods.

Through the trees Tony could make out what looked like a house. He squinted at the strange and colorful design of the cottage. It was of a decent size--the size of a home he’d expected from a well off farmer, but it looked lavish like something belonging to a king.

As Tony got closer and the sweet aroma grew stronger he realized that the house was not made from wood or any material normally used for architect. The walls were made of gingerbread and held together by frosting. Candies, the kind he’d only had when he was a child and were considered a delicacy speckled the walls and framed the windows and doors, which appeared to be made from other sweets that Tony had never come across in his life even as a privileged prince.

“What the hell?” Bucky gawked at the house.

Peter and Miles shared mischievous and knowing looks.

“Told you we weren’t lying,” Peter said.

“So now you have to let us go,” Miles added.

Tony nodded. He did not need a mirror to know he looked far too dour for someone who had a house of sweets in front of him. Then again, perhaps a serious and ponderous expression was appropriate, because the house of sweets was the very reason for his negativity. He liked to think he hadn’t become a cynic, but the house churned his stomach with foreboding.

After all, even if he were to suspend his disbelief and believe that a baker or someone with a sweet tooth had built the house and not a magic user (unlikely since the house showed no signs of deterioration), then the question still remained: why go to all the trouble? Why make an edible house?

“Do you two know who owns this house?” Tony asked.

Miles and Peter looked at each other then back at Tony.

“Doesn’t matter,” Miles answered. “As long as we get food, we don’t care.”

“This reeks of a trap,” Bucky said, his voice a low growl.

Tony nodded.

Peter rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah, someone made a house of out of sweets because they want hungry people to come by and steal from them.”

Tony was tempted to point out that it would be an excellent way to poison a few thieves, but he kept quiet. No need to cause the children to panic or set them off on a tangent about how neither felt poisoned.

“Let’s see who’s inside.” Tony marched up to the house.

Peter scurried behind him. “There’s no one. Miles and I always look, but no one is ever around.”

Tony quirked a brow at that. “And you don’t find that the least bit suspicious?”

Peter stopped in his tracks. Suddenly he wasn’t so vocal or opinionated.

Tony headed toward one of the windows, mindful of keeping himself unseen just in case Peter was wrong and someone was inside the house.

Tony plastered himself to the side of window then peered into the home.

There was an entire table of cake. Strings of crystallized sugar hung from the ceiling like wind chimes. Every piece of furniture had something on it that promised to give one a sugar high if devoured. Caramel apples, cupcakes, mugs of chocolate, cookies as big as Tony’s head, marshmallows, and so much more covered every inch of the home. Treats aside though, the house had a few more luxurious items than the average home, but looked normal for the most part.

Except that the hearth was lit and no one was around to enjoy it, nor was there anything cooking or drying on the hearth.

Maybe the owner was just trying to keep the house warm? It wasn’t uncommon in other homes. However, this was an edible home. Perhaps it was just Tony, but it seemed especially odd to leave a fire going in a house made of food, even if magic was at play.

“You really have never seen anyone inside?” Tony asked the kids.

Peter and Miles shook their heads.

“The front door is always unlock too. See.” Miles opened the door for show.

Just as Miles said, the door swung open with no resistance.

Tony moved toward the door, but suddenly Bucky had a hold of his wrist and put himself between Tony and the entrance.

“Bucky-”

“I go in first,” Bucky cut Tony off. He brandished the dagger Tony had given him.

Tony snorted in amusement. He patted Bucky on the cheek. “Fine. I’ll indulge your protective behavior. Lead on.”

Bucky gave a grunt of approval and strutted into the house like he owned it (not exactly the maneuver Tony expected someone who claimed to have stolen three chickens at once to pull when entering someone’s home invited, but then again, nothing about this situation was normal). Once inside Bucky moved with a little more stealth, checking every corner before rounding it.

Tony ran his hand over a shelf in search of dust, but his fingers came up clean.

Either magic was once again afoot, or someone had cleaned the house recently.

Tony followed Bucky into the kitchen.

Without preamble, Tony opened the cupboards and drawers.

All but one cupboard was empty.  The one cupboard that was full contained canisters of spices.

Tony plucked a few of canisters out, smelling and tasting the contents. “I wouldn’t use these for any sweets that I know of.” Tony offered a canister to Bucky, who took a whiff. He shook his head.

“I wouldn’t either.”

“So?” Peter asked, having followed them into the kitchen. He snagged a cupcake off one of the tables and nibbled on it. “What’s the big deal?”

“Nothing or-” A narrow door tucked away in the back of the kitchen caught Tony’s eye. A real door, not one made of lemon loaf or gingerbread. And on that door was a monster-sized iron lock.

“Now that may be just the most disconcerting thing about this house.” Tony went to the lock and examined it. “Bucky, love, I hate to assume things, but you wouldn’t happen to have a few needles on you, would you?”

Bucky fiddled with a cuff of his coat. After a minute of pushing and prodding something hidden in the folds of the fabric Bucky produced two needles.

“Thank you.” Tony plucked the needles out of Bucky’s hand and set about using the needles to pick the lock. The needles were one of the worst tools he’d ever used to pick a lock with. They forever tested his grip on them and slid out of place. It was only his years of experience picking locks that made it possible for him to open the lock with the inappropriate tool.

The tumblers clicked into place and Tony opened the door.

Human size cages hung from the ceiling of the closet. Blood stained the stone floor. And the flames of the oven embedded in the far wall cast shadows over the sealed away room.

Peter and Miles gasped.

Bucky seized Tony’s forearm and pulled Tony closer to him.

Tony was paralyzed in shock. He hadn't considered this possibility.

“Who dares enter my home?”

Tony whirled.

One moment he was standing, the next he was flying across the room. His back hit the wall. An invisible grip squeezed his neck and pinned him to the wall like a helpless butterfly.

A woman covered in piles of rich cloth clenched her hand in the air as if choking someone.

Peter and Miles scattered in fright, ducking behind the table and hiding from sight.

Bucky launched himself at the woman.

“Children?” The woman questioned with a smile as she threw up her other hand.

Bucky rammed into an invisible wall and hit the floor hard.

Tony winced.

Bucky really had some terrible luck with those invisible barriers. How many had he run into now since Tony and him had met?

“I absolutely love children. I should thank you.” The woman flicked her wrist and Bucky was flung against wall next to Tony. “I won’t though.”

“Get her!” Peter shouted, running out from his hiding spot. He tackled the woman around the waist.

The woman stumbled. The action broke whatever magic trick she was using on Tony, and Tony dropped to his feet.

The woman grabbed Peter’s arm, and Peter bit her.

She howled in pain and slapped Peter.

Meanwhile Miles ran up behind her and kicked her in the shin.

Tony raced to formulate a plan. With her powers they had a low chance of successfully running away. The odds of winning a fight were low too, but they might have a chance of overwhelming her. It all came down to how many spells she could cast at once and just how powerful she was.

The woman used her magic to hoist Peter in the air and create a force field around Miles legs that prevented him from moving.

She wasn’t looking at Tony.

Tony rushed her and elbowed her in the face.

Peter gasped as he hit the floor and Miles rolled away from the witch.

“You dried out and stringy piece of meat!” The woman moved to strike, but stopped halfway when a dagger embedded itself in her stomach.  She lurched forward and gasped in pain.

Tony spun toward the direction the dagger had come from to see Bucky standing and poised in a way that revealed he’d hurled the blade.

“Good aim,” Tony said.

Bucky scowled and tackled Tony to floor.

A fireball just missed Tony.

“She’s not dead yet,” Bucky growled and climbed off Tony.

“Why do they never go down easy?” Tony grumbled then jumped back into the fray.

Chaos was the only word that could appropriately describe the brawl that followed. The witch was only able to use her spells on two of them at a time, giving the other two a chance to fight her and disrupt her spell. From an outside perspective it probably looked like one of the most ridiculous fights to have ever occurred, and not like the desperate battle for one’s life that it was.

At some point they had all fallen into the macabre room.

During one of his moments of freedom Bucky seized the handle of the oven and yanked it open.

He threw himself at the witch—his dagger long since fallen somewhere. He completely missed the woman, stumbling past her. The witch didn’t care about his inaccuracy though and turned her attention on Bucky, freeing up Miles to brawl with her again.

The fight continued and Bucky got free again, and when he did, he didn’t miss with his next attack.

Bucky seized the woman around the waist and ran toward the oven.  He threw the witch inside.

She screamed.

Tony and the kids froze at the horrific sight of the woman scrambling to get out of the oven and Bucky slamming the door on her. With a grunt, Bucky locked the oven then braced himself against the door as the witch banged against it.

When her screaming ceased and the door no longer quaked under her fists, Bucky moved away from the oven and scowled at it. “I hate witches.”

“You just murdered her!” Peter shouted.

Miles cursed.

Bucky startled. He slowly looked back at the oven behind him. His eyes widened incrementally as realization dawned on him. His skin which was already far too pale became white enough to rival a corpse.

“I…” Bucky started.

Tony snapped out of his shock and marched over to Bucky. He hugged him fiercely. “It’s okay. Everyone is alive.”

The sour and bitter smell of rotten food assaulted Tony.

Tony cussed under his breath. He dropped his embrace but grabbed hold of Bucky’s hand. “Everyone out. Dead witch, means no more magic, which means no more house of sweets.”

Peter and Miles didn’t hesitate. The fled from the house with Bucky and Tony close behind.

Tony sighted Bucky’s dagger as they ran and snatched it from the ground.

Tony wanted to gag as they fled. Mold ate away at the house like a disease, turning everything inside into white, gray, and black mush that slowly collapsed in on itself.

Once outside Tony and the others continued to run to put distance not just between themselves and the house, but from house’s rancid odor. By the time they stopped running, all four of them were doubled over and gasping for breath.

“What the hell happened in there?” Miles said between breaths.

“My guess?” Tony started. “Witchy made a house of sweets to lure people to her then kill them, possibly eat them considering the oven. I picked the lock on her super secret door, which either alerted her to our presence or she was watching all along and didn’t like what I’d just done.”

“But she never tried to kill us before,” Peter said.

“If she’s killing for food, you and Miles aren’t fat enough yet to eat.”

Miles and Peter looked offended.

“It’s true.” Tony shrugged and straightened, finally having caught his breath.

“I messed up.” Bucky bowed his head in shame.

Crap. Tony took a deep breath for strength and to harden his resolve. He stomped over to Bucky; he’d complete what he had started to do before Witchy’s house had gone bad.

Tony hugged Bucky, tucking Bucky’s face into his shoulder so he could run his fingers through Bucky’s hair soothingly. “That wasn’t revenge, Bucky. You protected us and yourself back there.”

“But it was too easy. How can I go back to being the past me—the happy me if I can kill so easily?”

Tony huffed out a laugh. “Sorry, the melodrama is just a little much for me, love. I will say this though, you don’t have to be your past self to be happy. And yes, it can be a little scary to see how much you’ve changed and what lengths you’ll go to, but as someone who has been in a similar situation, I can say you’re doing fine. The world isn’t so black and white, and everyone makes mistakes. You know, all those platitudes that probably sound meaningless to you right now.”

Bucky snorted in amusement, but kept his head bowed.

“My feelings for you haven’t changed though, if that helps.”

“But he-” Peter started and Miles rammed his elbow in Peter’s gut.

“You’ll be okay,” Tony reiterated. He guided Bucky to raise his head then kissed Bucky on the forehead. “You may never go back to being who you were, but we’ll find you a happy ending.”

“Now who’s being sappy.” Bucky rolled his eyes. A second later though he glanced shyly at Tony. He hesitated then leaned forward. He kissed Tony.

Tony smiled.

“This is gross,” Peter mumbled.

Miles smacked Peter.

“Ow!

“What the hell happened to you four?” Rhodey stormed up to Tony and grabbed his face. He scowled at the bruise Tony could feel forming just under his eye. “Why does it look like the four of you decided to have a fist fight?”

“You’re not that far off,” Peter mumbled.

“Seriously,” Miles chimed in.

“Witches,” Bucky offered as an explanation.

Rhodey’s scowl deepened. “Okay, someone better start explaining or I swear you’ll regret it.”

Tony winced. Rhodey wasn’t making an idle threat.  “Can we sit down first, and then I can explain?”

Rhodey nodded and gestured for Tony to take a seat.

Tony sighed in relief. He plopped himself on a log and stretched out his legs. “Before I begin, just so you know, we’re going to take a detour. I promised to take Peter and Miles to the closest village.”

Rhodey’s gaze narrowed. “Start talking.”

And Tony did.

[petty-crush]

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Case of The Killer Pizzas”

-This is probably the quintessential Ninja Turtles episode to me. I must have watched the vhs a thousand times.

-the fact that this episode and its vhs sister episodes (“Enter: the fly”) are both monster movie homages is not lost on me. Hell, it might even be of the building blocks to my love of the genre. I was very into the turtles as a kid.

-one thing I definitely appreciate about this episode is that it takes itself with a certain amount of seriousness. It’s not a stuffed shirt, but after re-watching so many of the later episodes that introduced potentially interesting characters only to have them be defanged comic relief, it’s beyond satisfying to see a enemy given a degree of actual menace

-I love the design of the creatures. The baby forms were definitely a influence on my drawing style

-the adult forms of the pizza monsters are definitely a nick on the xenomorphs of “Alien” fame. Possibly a reason I grew to appreciate the film series.

-I wonder if there was a reason the adult pizza monsters are the exact same color as April’s jump suit. Something familiar, something deadly?

-another great part about this episode is how it involves pretty much every single character at the time. Shredder plants the dimension x eggs and gets to fight the turtles, Baxter Stockman controls devices and is unusually competent, the pizza monsters show up in Aprils pizza and she decides to follow them for a scoop(involving the cowardly and pink short wearing Verne), Irma gets scared and worried about a man while with April, Splinter is there to provide advice, and Krang/Bebop/Rocksteady are watching on the technodrome screen, providing commentary +it’s a great introduction to all the characters, for new viewers. All their personalities and traits are clearly presented and part of the story.

-there is a legitimately funny line delivered well from Rocksteady to Bebop after seeing the adult monsters +“they look like your old girlfriend. Except prettier”

-another funny bit is about the turtles scaring away an overbearing suitor to Irma. It’s not “Curb Your Enthusiasm” but it’s cute and, again, does not reduce or come at the expense of the show’s action and content

-this is honestly one of the best paced episodes I have seen from the show. Congrats to Douglas Booth for his excellent structure

-I like this last scenes before commercials-both involve the monsters from canted close up angle. Guaranteeing I would be back

-this episodes has a ton of locations. The technodrome, the sewers, a pizza parlor, al two different apartments. It cross cuts between them nicely, and flows smoothly.

-I personally love a hunt for monsters, especially when it takes you all over the city, and even more so in the sky (as with the turtle blimp)

-it’s rare to see both a all turtles fight with Shredder and another separate one with a different opponent

-hell, it’s rare to see a creative and sustained fight with Shredder at all, after x amounts of seasons they seemed to have settled for tired fourth wall jokes, and shredder ether neatly avoided or fouled by increasingly irritating antics via dumbing down rocksteady and bebop. So to see them fight Shredder and use other weapons is a hoot

-I would totally order from a place called “UFO Pizza”

-this has to be one of the most prescient episodes to deal with the turtles obsession with pizza (also one of my favorite foods, so full agreement) +the only thing I can think of being more on the mark is the great pizza montage in “Secret if the Ooze”

-I do like this training sequence with the dummy. And Splinter’s comment “careful, Shredder is more dangerous than a washing machine”

-the pizza monsters transformation sequence is a nicely done cross dissolve that is a inspiring take from “the wolfman”

-Being fairly early in the Turtles run, there are tons of animation errors. Wrong bandanna color, wrong voices, even Shredder’s blades seem looney tunes like when prying open a fire hydrant. I always find these to be funny, part of the charm of the show. In a show about ninja fight turtles, you accept a certain amount of absurdity.

-conversely, there is a great amount of the background and incidental music created for the Ninja Turtles (it seemed to have vanished later in the run) which I always found to be of the most striking parts of the show, the odd ambience it let linger

-the part where Leonardo jumps to cut the electric line to shock the adult pizza monsters is like something out of a ballet Hong Kong sword film (like "the one armed-swordsman"). Beautiful

-this is one of the best balances between humor and action the series ever got

-just one of the show’s best episodes, stand alone or not, period