#they're all safe in my inbox and I'll get to them

[darqx]

And if time's elimination then we got nothing to lose

Some more BP/non-RAD asks!

I HAD TO CUT THIS POST SHORT BECAUSE IT EXCEEDED 30 SCREENSHOTS/IMAGES

Oh I love food related questions they're just so fun to consider haha. I've done something like this with other desserts but not ice cream, so here are some either "signature" or "vibe" flavours:

Izm: Mint Choc Chip (invigorating/refreshing, somewhat confusing)

.D: Fresh Strawberry (tart with an underlying sweetness)

Zeke: Butter Pecan (warm and "homey")

Wei Ren: Lychee (subtle and smart; rounded in many notes)

Marcus: Vanilla (simple and unobtrusive. Easily fits with anything)

Rire: Lavender Earl Grey, OR Black Sesame (considered mature/sophisticated flavour profiles. Also one contains tea so...)

Eid: Mango coconut (natural sweetness)

Desmond: Rainbow (looks crazy and like it contains 15 different chemicals)

Caleb: Matcha (polarising. Also I'm one of those people that can only taste the bitterness in green tea and get no other flavour nuance so there's that |D)

Isla: Chocolate (either double or dark for the richer profile - comforting and popular)

Grimshaw: Cherry Amaretto (sharp, tangy and lightly bitter/boozy)

Oh they don't create portals; the power gives them the ability to traverse naturally existing ones. It is a rare "randomly generated" cross-demon species power (ie any individual demon could be born with it), with the exception of soul-stealer species like Rire's who are 100% always born with it.

That doesn't mean they all inherently know how to use it though and like any skill it needs to be learnt, which in itself is pretty dangerous and few undertake it on purpose. Rire got kind of scary good at navigating the Gates which is an open secret in the Nether.

Oh thank you! 🥰 Simply put, the core friend group is .D, Izm, Zeke, Ren and Marcus who start off as strangers to found family. Antagonists include Rire and Caleb and a few others that crop up.

Eid, Mu and Grimshaw are in a different plotline that technically runs at the same time. But it would be a different "book" to the main BP story and something I'm considering drawing after the "end" of the main story. Which is terrible because i'm already theorising about it now |D

You'll just have to read it when it comes out to find out hmm!

DHJGBDHJGBDHG OK I HAD TO TAKE THIS ONE OUT OF MY INBOX COS IT WAS FRICKING HILARIOUS XD

I'll just use the main BP characs for this one!

.D: Thaumiel lol do you see what i did there

Izm: Keter

Zeke: Euclid

Wei Ren: Euclid (or Archon)

Marcus: Euclid (Safe) Listen if you applied the box test with Marcus he's not getting out on his own but he will have everyone else breaking him out.

Rire: Keter

Was sorely tempted to make Rire an Apollyon but by himself he's not dangerous enough to be in that category so I'm being realistic here lol.

And here's a nicer one lol

My listening of Gorillaz songs was limited to very specific songs / time period so these are from the ones i'm familiar with XD

.D: Dirty Harry

Izm: Feel Good Inc. / Demon Days

Zeke: 19-2000 (radio remix)

Wei Ren: Clint Eastwood

Marcus: On Melancholy Hill

Rire: DARE

I would love to make another game but it would be vastly different to a VN lol. In fact i did have an idea for a random one ages ago that i might do one day 🤔 in like the yr 3000 maybe

HH is not lost media, they're just one shot comics mostly about the HH version interactions/relationships/a mood so there's technically no storyline to them XD "Technically" because if you noticed some "common points" in some of the one shots it pointed to a storyline forming in the bg but i never actually developed it for people to read properly lol.

As for BP, well...

🎉 I FINALLY STARTED ACTUALLY DRAWING IT LMAO HALLELUJAH FINALLY. Haven't posted them anywhere yet though. Creating a bit of a buffer first ~

Thanks! ^^ The demon and human cultures in BP are pretty separated from each other, so the demons in the Nether don't/cant (though some might bring back ideas) whereas the demons that live on/can visit Earth do. Also yes there are some elements of our world in there, though maybe slightly diff like how in anime you can find WcDonalds lol.

Yes...and no lol. I will explain what i mean by this at some point in the story but it's not actually important to the story tbh.

Skipping this question because it can't be answered in the context of BP due to (1) XD Also BROOO you'll just have to read the comic whenever it comes out to see what happens XDD

I've been good thanks! Though i feel like i have been losing track of time a lot more recently, like where the heck are all these days going?! I blink and it's been a month. I'm pretty sure i've said this exact same thing word for word somewhere else 😩 help

Aw Anon, I hope this can also make you smile! :D

Context: set in the villain dad!AU i have with some friends XD Grimshaw is texting Cortez (friend's charac) who is the melodramatic father of Eid's bestie Mu (other friend's charac). Cortez does not like Grimshaw and they are always low key fighting with each other, but Grimshaw gets along well with the rest of Cortez's family much to the latter's chagrin.

I mean, wouldnt this just be them in like their school uniforms? XD

I look like this but less cute lol

You may but please remember to credit me for them :) Also i think it goes without saying that you can't like...make adoptables or whatever out of them.

[rootspiral]

I’m sure you’ve already done this but what do you imagine Agatha and rios first time meeting was like

I've talked about something similar here. But I like to think that their first meeting was very brief, and that Agatha was the one who started pursuing Rio, it took them a long time to fall in love because I love slow burns ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[hawnks]

Logging out for a while, love you miss you <3

[nemisuki]

𐔌 ✧.* ʜᴇᴀᴅʟɪɴᴇꜱ .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ || He would never let paparazzi overwhelm you, not when he’s here.   

᧔o᧓ || katsuki bakugo x f!reader, she/her pronouns, pure fluff, no smut or angst, short oneshot, dating au, protective bkg, acts of service, he’s just a lil guy, 539 word count

It was practically chaos whenever the students were spotted outside campus.

A frankly annoying mix of paparazzi and chattering reporters, disrupting their previous peace — attempting to get through the crowd — as they try to make it back on school grounds from their mini outing.

"Give us some fucking space! We're not a damn circus act 'ya money hungry extras!"

He was on the verge of exploding right then and there.

Until he felt her practically glued to his side, hand firmly gripping onto his forearm — as if seeking comfort in the disarray of people — squinting at every flashing light from the snapping camera lenses.

The action unknowingly reminded himself that he's not alone, that he has a job to do.

He's quick to wrap his arm around her back — carefully guiding her closer — making sure not one of these extras lays even a single finger on her.

His threatening gaze zeroing in on those who are closest.

"Move it."

He scoffs when some shrink back, clearly caught off guard by his serious tone.

Talk about a bunch of weaklings...

Seeing an open opportunity, the blonde picks their pace up, shuffling towards the entrance.

"Fucking nosey shits."

They both visibly relax once they safely make it through, the automatic closing gates shutting out the loud voices from the other side, finally giving them time to breathe without a camera in their face.

A feeling that's unfortunately rare these days.

"There were more of them today huh? Honestly, I'm shocked that they are so persistent."

"Just our damn luck. It's like those pesky extras keep multiplying."

"Guess they're really invested in our lives..."

"Tch, more like they need to get one of their own."

Her head perks up as he turns to her, noticeably giving her figure a silent once over for any injuries or discomfort.

His crimson eyes looking straight into her own with slight concern, remembering the girls earlier anxiety in the crowd.

"You alright?"

She smiles at his protective nature — feeling a warm sensation in her chest — he's always like this.

Grumpy but still incredibly loving.

"Mhm! I just didn't want to be separated from you in the crowd—"

"As if I'd let that happen, idiot."

The girl could only laugh at his offended look, the combination of furrowed brows and crossed arms — looking away with a frown — clearly not finding humor in this situation.

"I'm serious, you know? I wouldn't let anything happen to you... dumbass."

Her eyes soften, taking a hold of his hand and giving it a — both gentle and reassuring — squeeze.

"I know, I wouldn't let anyone hurt you either."

He scoffs, giving her hand a squeeze back.

"I'm damn near untouchable but thanks for the thought."

She rolls her eyes.

Oblivious to the small smirk threatening to form on his face at her reaction.

"Is that your ego talking?"

"Nah, that's just the facts sweetheart."

He can see the way she bites back a shy smile at his teasing, sticking close to him as they walk towards the dorms.

Pride filling his heart in ways he never imagined at her clingy nature, it's not like he minded though.

After all, in the midst of a chaotic world, she could always rely on him.

✦ ⎯⎯⋆ ˚｡⋆ ୨ masterlist || taglist || intro || socials ୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⎯⎯ ✦

ᴀ/ɴ ||| i'm actually going on vacation this whole summer so i need to pre-write some fics to post while i'm away! feel free to send some [preferably summer themed] ideas/tropes in my inbox bc i need to write at least 12 stories to post once a week, doesn't have to be with just bkg btw, u can request diff characters as well! no promises i'll do all of them, so just a warning, keep it fluffy is all i ask (੭˃ᴗ˂)੭ ɴᴇxᴛ ꜰɪᴄ ||| katsuki bakugo x f!reader (fluff) ᴛᴀɢꜱ ||| @leleyro @zaiban2989 @qyuin @sunnyalmighty — ໒꒰ྀི ´๑  ̫๑`  ꒱ྀིა

[thepencilnerd]

Hello! So I'm the same anon asking about delving more into the Robby/reader/Abbot dynamic and protective behavior. Firstly, I'd like to say thank you for giving us more details and doing such a beautiful job at it! I loved reading about how Robby and Abbot are both protective in their own ways, and how that sort of caretaking loops around to taking care of Robby in his down moments... it's just a really beautiful cycle <3. I've also re-read both that response and "seeing double" about a hundred times in the past few days, and I have some further questions from "seeing double" I'd like to ask if that's alright? If not, feel free to skip and I'll try to make the rest of this short so you're not reading an entire essay lol. 1) with the locker convo between Robby and Abbot, in your mind was that solely just them figuring out how to woo reader, or them coming to the conclusion that they'd like to try and both be in a poly relationship with reader? I feel like there's probably an obvious answer there that you spelled out perfectly, and I'm just too dumb to realize it lol. 2) with the flashback conversation with Samira and the IUD, were the guys upset about reader possibly taking out her IUD because it meant her giving up on romance? And therefore letting go of any chance of her being in a relationship with them? Yet again, probably another really obvious answer and I'm just dumb lol. 3) not a question really, but my headcanon/theory of the guys making breakfast at the end is that they would've tried to surprise reader with breakfast in bed b/c I'm a projecting romantic sap and think both of those simps would do something like that lol. 4) if I ever had a random thought of like "how would Robby and Abbot reacting to reader getting sick/passing out/having a panic attack?" or something similar can I send it in because I'm so infatuated with how you've written the triad dynamic and would love to see more, but I also don't want to be pushy and blow up your inbox lol.

babe you have no idea how much i appreciate you taking the time to reread my blurbs and send these questions, i send you all my love <333

Not dumb at all! I love that you asked this, because to me, that locker conversation wasn’t solely about strategy or timing. It was the culmination of weeks of tension, misfires, and quiet realizations on both their ends. In my mind, it was that explosion moment—where everything they’d been circling around finally cracked open. They’d both come to the same conclusion: they want you, but more than that, they care enough about you (and each other) not to let this turn into something that could hurt you. So yeah, it wasn’t just about figuring out how to woo you—it was the moment they both silently agreed to try together. To make it work as three, not two competing sides.

Yes, exactly that! The IUD thing isn’t just about sex; it’s a symbol. To them, it’s you quietly closing a door to any form of intimacy, both physical and emotional. It’s you saying, “I’m done hoping. I’m done expecting anything real.” And that hurts. Because Jack and Robby don’t just want you, they want to be that real thing for you. The safe thing. The steady thing. The one that doesn’t disappoint you like everyone else has. So when they overhear you telling Samira you’re thinking of getting it removed, it’s not the medical detail that hits them—it’s the implication. What they hear underneath all that casual, sleep-deprived banter is that you’re giving up. On romance. On the idea that someone could actually love you the way you deserve. On them before they’ve even had a chance to show you they could. And being the pro-choice kings that they are, they would never be upset about your choice to take it out. They'd support you, no matter what you decide, and would never presume to have a say in your body. That’s not who he is. But this? It's about watching someone they care about so deeply resign themself to loneliness. Robby and Jack aren't angry at you. They're just scared they're already too late.

I'm a sucker for partner waking up morning after to full breakfast cooked and prepped so absolutely

feel free to send in and i can add it to my wip!

[nyarumie]

hey axia ｡⁠◕⁠‿⁠◕⁠｡

enjoy the start of your semester, before uni gets crazy!! I loved your previous works, so I'll just slip into your inbox while the requests are open:3

What do you think would make Hoshina blush, or like, properly flustered?!

(be it headcanon, scenario, or whatever else you feel like, if anything:))

have a great day 🔆

Heart in Your Hands

hoshina soshiro x reader — fluff, comfort, they're both deeply in love, (god me when), short and sweet, established relationship

Author's Reply: Hi, thank you anon! I hope this work caters well to your request; finally got the time to work on something (which hopefully helps with my writer's block)

Reblogs and likes are appreciated! Please view my pinned and masterlist too (⁠◡⁠ ⁠ω⁠ ⁠◡⁠)

Trying to get Soshiro to blush is definitely rarer than a blue moon. Trust me, even his own platoon of talented rookies tried catching him off-guard — it's just near impossible!

Keyword: Near impossible. That's where you enter the picture.

As a Platoon Leader, you do your best to be a figure of inspiration to your officers, thus keeping up your facade of a strict mentor; but honestly—you’re not fooling anyone, you're totally a softie! Despite your personal ‘no-distractions-during-work’ policy, obvious signs of your feelings for the Vice Captain naturally slip out occasionally. Still, you refuse to get your relationship in the way of your work.

Behind closed doors lie the reserved intimacy and affection you held for him. He won't ever admit it, but he sometimes pushes himself too hard, hard enough to have scars and calluses all over his hands from his intense training, and you can only imagine how tight and desperate his grip is on his personalized close combat weapon.

He’s always desperate to prove his worth, desperate to keep the only thing that gives meaning to his existence, and you know that your words are not enough to quell the distress behind each swing and slash of his blades.

That's why you do what you know will calm him best—love him just as fierce as he swings those blades of his.

You caught him training again one night, exhaustion evident on his form. The adrenaline coursing through his body has yet to be quenched, and you know you have to do your magic to get him to rest.

“Soshiro. You're here again. One more night of this and you’ll really strain your body.” you softly said, concern evident in your voice.

He stopped midway his slash, breath heaving as he turned to face you. “Can't rest easy when the rookie officers are a whole ‘nother level, dear. If I don't do this, I doubt I’ll be able to get even the slightest hit on No. 9.”

Sighing, you made your way to him. “Put your weapon down for a while, please? Let me at least do something for you.”

Doing as you asked, he kept them somewhere safe and curiously stood in front of you again. He gave you an inquisitive look, patiently waiting for what you're planning to do.

You took his hands and caressed them, slowly feeling the roughness and evidence of all the nights he's spent bruising himself up just to get even stronger. You move his hands so that his palms are facing you, his eyes widening at your next move.

He felt a soft, careful kiss touch each of his palms, followed by a kiss to each of his fingertips.

He thinks his ears are on fire with how hot it's burning.

“W-what are ya doing, dear? I haven't cleaned my hands up!”

You entwined your hands with his before he could even pull them away, thinking that he didn't like what you just did. “I’m sorry, did I make you uncomf— Oh.”

Oh, indeed. The sight that greeted you when you turned your face up to see him is… remarkable. You can't believe the Third Division’s Vice Captain would be blushing over his significant other tenderly kissing his rough, tired hands.

“Ya didn't have to do that… I know you love me plenty! And please stop gripping on my hands harder, ya aren't letting me turn away!”

You snort. “Of course I won't let you. This is a rare sight. Still, I didn't know something like that could get you severely flustered.” you said, a hint of pride in your tone.

“Told ya I haven't cleaned ‘em up. I was holdin’ those nasty blades moments ago.”

“Ah, excuses. Just say you liked the kisses more than you expected. I’ll let you off this one time and say it's just out of exhaustion.” you giggled.

Your expression turned soft and serious again, now hugging him. His arms wrapped around you, a tired sigh coming from him. “You do so much for me, ya know that? I thought I was gonna explode earlier. Don't know what I did to deserve ya.”

“Mhm, ‘Shiro. You have no idea how at a loss I am sometimes to do something for you. I want to shoulder at least a piece of your burden, want you to share your pain with me without worrying about whether I can take it. Because I will, just for you. I’ll hold your hand whatever happens and stand side by side with you. All I ask is that you take care of yourself.”

He let out a soft laugh of relief. “I should be sayin’ these things to you. I hope ya know how amazing you are to me.”

You both pulled away from the hug, him taking a hand of yours in his. “Let's get some rest. Don't wanna worry my princess over here.”

Smiling in content, you nod your head at him. “Thank you, Soshiro.”

[vampireimiko]

omg! could you make a miguel fic were like him and reader are like mom and dad to hobie pav miles and gwen. miguel being the like strict dad n reader being the mom that defends her kids with her life n yells at him when he’s being to mean😭

protective mom mode: activate!

warnings, none !! just the reader being protective over her kids 🦭

note, AGHHH i actually love this request sm but it's been sitting in my inbox for a while so i wanted to get it out, HOWEVER. i might add on more to this scenario and make it sillier :3

If there was one thing everybody around Spider-Society knew, it's that Miguel was super strict and almost always being serious. He was known for being harder on younger spider people. While you were the polar opposite, you were nice and understanding, and loved to joke around from time to time. You were known for being someone younger spider people could come too.

So with that being said, the younger spider people, as in Miles, Pav, Hobie, and Gwen could always come to you for safety whenever Miguel was about to scold them. For example, just yesterday Miguel was about to get on all four of them for almost jeopardizing a mission.

"Miguel we understand what you're saying but-" Gwen started only get cutoff by Miguel who has his hands on his hips and a frustrated look on his face.

"No! You clearly don't understand! You 4 show me time after time again that you can't be trusted going on a mission together because all you do is-!" Miguel is then interrupted by YOU this time. Except this time, he goes quiet by himself. Your presence was enough to shut him up whenever he got to talking crazy. Cause if there was one thing about you, you did not play about those kids.

"Miguel, leave them babies alone! They ain't did nothing wrong!" You intervened, not letting him get in another word of scolding in. Miles and Hobie couldn't help but stifile a laugh at your intrusion which caused Gwen and Pav to bump shoulders with the two while also trying to stop themselves from laughing.

Miguel's eyes narrowed at your interruption, a mix of frustration and resignation evident in his expression. He knew better than to argue with you when you adopted that protective stance towards the 4 younger spider kids.

You stepped forward, placing a hand on Miguel's arm in a gesture of both reassurance and defiance. "Look, I get it, Miguel. You want to keep them safe, and that's admirable. But they're still learning, and they need room to make mistakes and grow. We were all in their shoes once."

Miguel let out a sigh, his initial frustration giving way to a more measured contemplation. He glanced at the group of 4 once more before finally nodding, acknowledging the truth in your words.

"You're right," he admitted, his tone softer now. "They do need both sides of the coin. I'll work on finding a better balance."

A collective sigh of relief escaped from the younger spider people as they realized they had been spared from a severe scolding. They exchanged grateful glances and offered you appreciative smiles.

"I know I'm right, now watch your mouth when you speaking my kids like that." You playfully said rolling your eyes. You then turned towards the group of four, "How about we go get some ice cream? My treat!"

𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞; FINALLY GOT ALL FIVE OF MY REQUESTS DONE 🫶🏾 opening requests up tonight methinks

𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 ��𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

[anonmousegosqueak]

So, I'm stuck in Dallas right now 🫠 My flight was supposed to be at 17:30 local time, connect to Dallas, then fly home. But instead, my flight out of OKC took off at 22:30 local time, and now I'm sitting in a hotel room in Dallas, my flight in the morning learning at 10:30 :(

I'm sitting in some writers block rn (the stress of my flight has not been helping) so I'll stick with bullet points for now.

John is the type of man that will deal with customer service and the airline staff and even the fucking janitor if it means getting a hotel room or the next available flight. Especially if it's not his fault for missing the flight or the plane is delayed.

Kyle will go with whatever he's told. Airline staff told him to call the 1-800 number, so he did that. Sure, he'll be a day later than he wanted, but he's never in much rush.

Johnny ends up in bed with the pilot. He's happy to help them relieve some stress in return for an upgrade to first class. And he even keeps their number for some 'flying classes' later.

Simon just doesn't like dealing with airports. His flight got delayed? He's renting a car and driving if he can. If it's overseas, he books the next available flight and sleeps in the airport.

Nik never flies commercial. He's got contacts on top of favours on top of friends. He's flying some ratty old plane across the country/wherever and he's loving it.

Roach has been banned from flying alone, so he'll follow whoever he's with. He got lost in the airport and ended up in the luggage storage on a plane to Russia. Nik just so happened to be in Russia at the time visiting family, so Bug Boy got an impromptu meet-the-parents.

Red is banned from flying, but I feel like they would much rather prefer the train or a boat, something they can get up and walk around in. They've probably tried telling the team to let them go alone, to go ahead and take the plane without him, but they never listen.

Kate and Laura (her wife) fly first class every time. Their flight got cancelled? They've been given a full refund of their flight and been given a room quicker than John ever was. These women are treated like queens because they're kind and respectful and terrifying.

am I projecting my problems onto them? Absolutely, they all deserve it.

- 🦴

So I'm gonna assume you aren't still stuck in Dallas, considering I've accidentally left this ask to rot in my inbox for a week now. More than a week? I don't even know anymore.

I HOPE YOU GOT HOME SAFE!! <3

Price is absolutely talking to everyone until something gets fixed. He's not rude, he's not pushy, I mean he literally has years of experience of being polite and keeping cool under pressure. He's just determined. He's probably getting back on a plane the soonest out of everyone.

Ghost once stole a car. He's not proud of it but thankfully no one found out. Why did he commit grad theft auto (wait that's a different game-)? Because his flight was delayed and he was overstimulated. You cannot tell me this man doesn't know how to hotwire a car, he just needed to get a few towns over so he could get in contact with one of Nikolai's contacts. He left about $70 (in whatever currency) behind as an apology.

Soapy boy is taking the opertunity and having a good time 😎. Piolets are probably people too! Everyone needs a little stress relief, he's just the guy. Also yes- he has turned straight men gay just for him.

Gaz is such a good boy. I wanna say him and Soap are swapped but that's probably just my favoritism speaking. He's not picky, he's not pushy. He's just polite and charming and gets a good deal. Customer service loves him and always gives him a discount, it's just part of the Gaz experience™

Roach... He's just a puppy honestly. If he's with Price? He stands behind him and looks cute, happily trotting around from person to person. Gaz? Turns the cuteness up to 11 and no one can resist giving the pair a nice hotel. Soap? The pilots room is big enough for three~ He also has Nik on speedial whenever he travels, often needing someone to pick him up from whatever forest or city or ocean he got lost in.

Speaking of Nikolai- I already said he hates flying. Now if something were to go wrong? Well that just proves him right, never should have trusted the commercial airline. It's fine, he has someone he can call up, but he's still muttering to himself the whole time. Nothing but shitty aircrafts held together with duct-tape and hope and flown by someone who doesn't have a legal license for him!

Laswell and Sara are vip. Y'know how first class people never get their luggage lost? Yeah, that's them. They're important passengers, only the best experience for them.

Red often gets teased (by Soap) about being a "stereotypical autistic 5 year old boy". Why? Because I am BECAUSE THEY LIKE TRAINS. They think it's neat! They wanna look out the window and see the world go past, they wanna close their eyes and listen to the sounds around them. They spent most of their formative teenage years traveling on trains, it's now their favorite mode of transportation. Boats are a bit worse. They don't like boats, actually they kinda hate it, but also... What else are they supposed to do? It's fine, they're fine, they'd rather boat over airplane any day.

[sunkiss3dlily]

to you, i'm just a man (to me, you're all i am) part four | joel miller x reader

Joel Miller x Fem!Reader Word Count: 5916

Summary: Time is running out for you in the fight against David. Joel comes to your rescue.

Note(s): Okay, so now it's become five parts. I should just never set a goal for how many chapters I'm writing because I always exceed it hahahaha but at least Joel and reader are reunited!! I'm not gonna lie this took so long to write because I hated writing for David. He is so creepy and I felt so gross. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed, and I promise this time, the next chapter will be the last haha! Thank you for all the love I'm so grateful! And as always feedback is appreciated, but please be respectful! Please give me any (detailed, please!) requests in my inbox or comments if you have any, I would love to hear them! Thank you so much for reading! ♡

Taglist: @wonwoosthetic @paleidiot @orcasoul @slut4mascss @paqerings @missladym1981 @oscarisaac2099 @stilllivindue2spite @aspecialgreenie @amyispxnk @caitlynsixxx

✮˚. ᵎᵎ 𖦹彡⋆｡˚,

The bitter cold stole your every sense of direction in the relentless blizzard, pushing you to stumble aimlessly through the thick snow, much like you had the day before, only this time you were no longer the hunter but the prey.

All around, the storm howled, and your every step was one of desperation in the search for any sign of David and James' group.

"Stay alert, everybody; if this man's not already dead, he's dangerous." David's voice calling out from the other end of the street had you bolting to hide behind a fence, your rifle clutched steadily in your hand. "And the woman too; she can’t be fully trusted, either."

Clutching your rifle, you took a shaky breath, straining your hearing to catch the next set of orders.

“What about the little girl?” James' voice cut through the harsh wind, and a surge of protectiveness swelled within you at the mention of Ellie. You silently vowed not to let any of them get near her—not one step.

“We bring her back with us." David responds. "Her, and the woman.”

"Try it, motherfucker," you muttered, biding your time as they started advancing down your end of the street, where you remained safely hidden, at least for the moment. There was no need to risk wasting bullets and missing a shot; you had to be smart about this.

A loud scoff cuts through the air, and a voice that you haven't heard before rings out: "That woman will kill us all in our goddamn sleep if we let her stay with us."

"Yeah, I agree," James cuts in soon after. "I don't mean to question your sense of mercy, David, but we can kill the man and the woman and just let the little girl go. If we bring that little girl back with us, she's just another mouth to feed."

You peek out, taking your aim and squeezing one eye shut.

"If we leave either of them out here, they'll die," David chastises, still seemingly set on having you and Ellie come back with him.

As if you'd let that happen.

James scoffed, and as the group approached, you could now count their numbers.

Five.

You watched as James bitterly shook his head, and almost instinctively, you raised your rifle, focusing on the moving target. "Maybe that's God's will."

David's head snapped to look at his taller friend, but before he could speak, your first shot rang out.

James practically folded in on himself, the bullet finding its mark right between his eyes. Genuine shock registered on David's face before a darker expression replaced it just as swiftly. The other four members of the group looked around in utter bewilderment, raising their weapons and expressing a mix of fear, anger, and shock.

"Holy shit!"

"What the fuck do we do, David?!"

"They killed James!"

Too preoccupied reloading your rifle, you didn't notice David's eyes settling on the neck of your gun, which was slightly peeking out from behind the fence.

"Split up. Find the house they're staying in and get that little girl back to me alive. I'll take care of the woman."

As the three scatter in different directions, you finally look up, and that's when you notice David approaching the fence, his own gun at the ready, aimed and dangerous.

You feel it before you hear it—the burning sensation as the bullet rips through your coat and shirt, sinking into the skin of your shoulder. The sickening whoosh of the bullet through the air is only heard after. Had your senses been more in tune, perhaps you would have dodged it. Instead, a muffled cry of pain escapes your lips as you slam them together, forcing yourself into a standing yet crouched position. Running along the back of the fence, you do your best to ignore both the pain and the sensation of your blood coating your fingers, compressing the wound as you move, the rifle held limply in the hand of your injured arm.

"Get back here!"

Your legs turn to jelly as you sprint through the snow, heading straight for one of the houses. Despite the intensifying pain in your shoulder, you strive to keep your cool. Bullets whiz dangerously close to your tattered boots, narrowly missing as you move just a fraction too quickly for David's shooting ability.

“It doesn’t have to be this hard!”

Gasping for breath, you reach cover at the side of a nearby house, pressing your back against the cold exterior. The bitter wind bites at your exposed skin as you take a moment to assess the wound on your shoulder, your fingers coming away stained with blood. You reach back, whimpering to yourself as you feel the unmistakable hole in your shirt and coat, realising that, for one small mercy, the bullet has gone straight through.

"I didn't want to hurt you." David's voice echoes chillingly close, urging you to retreat to the back of the house. As you hastily assess for an entry point, he adds with a sinister tone, "You forced my hand."

Despite the searing pain in your shoulder and the fear gnawing at your senses, a twisted sense of relief settles in as you reach the back of the house. The knowledge that it's you who David is pursuing, and not Joel or Ellie, somehow grants you a twisted comfort.

“There’s no need to keep fighting me like this. It’s pointless.”

With trembling hands, you fumble to open the door, your mind racing faster than your jittery heartbeat.

The wooden door creaks open, revealing the dim interior of the house. Staggering under the weight of pain and panic, you stumble inside, the world spinning as you navigate the all-too-familiar surroundings from when you were desperately searching for any first aid for Joel the day prior, so you already know there is nothing here that is going to help you. The urgency of your situation intensifies, and you quickly slam the door behind you closed.

The house offers a brief respite from the relentless blizzard and the immediate threat of David's pursuit. As you move deeper into the residence, your unsteady footsteps echo against the worn floorboards. The muted sounds of the storm outside contrast with the thunderous beating of your heart.

A narrow staircase comes into view, and with each step, your legs feel heavier, like lead. The ascent is a gruelling task, with your battered body protesting with every movement. As you reach the top, you catch your breath, realising the vulnerability of your situation. You're wounded and isolated, and you're at the mercy of your surroundings and David.

Summoning the last reserves of your strength, you push forward, weaving through the upper floor. The pain in your shoulder becomes an unbearable companion, gnawing at your resolve, and your vision blurs. A distant bedroom beckons, and you stumble towards it, guided more by instinct than conscious thought.

With each step, the world becomes more of a blurry haze. You push the bedroom door open with a light swing, revealing your final refuge from the chaos. Collapsing against the far wall, behind a double bed, you sink to the floor, your breaths ragged and laboured. The room spins around you as you succumb to the exhaustion, your body finally finding a momentary sanctuary amid the turmoil.

✮˚. ᵎᵎ 𖦹彡⋆｡˚,

The unmistakable echo of a gunshot reached Joel's ears, shattering the relative silence of the basement and snapping him out of the uneasy rest he had slipped into.

It felt like just moments ago that he had watched you leave, resolute in facing danger to protect him and Ellie. The mental image of you willingly sacrificing yourself for their safety wound around his heart like barbed wire, each beat accentuating his feelings of pain and helplessness. Staring at the closed door, he had been consumed by profound desperation, silently yearning for you to turn around and come back to them, to him. But, as the seconds ticked away, it became clear you weren't coming back.

Ellie's eyes had met his, her dark pools of pleading tears watching him as the weight of sleep threatened to pull him under.

"Joel! Wake the fuck up! We have to go!"

Suddenly, Ellie was gripping his shirt, the surge of adrenaline from the shock of it all combatting the heaviness of his slumber. The gunshot's resonance wasn't just a haunting echo of his nightmares about Sarah; it was the stark reality now centred around you. Whether you were the shooter or the one being shot at, Joel couldn't allow himself to stand, or rather lay, by while you faced danger, even in his weakened state.

"Joel!" Ellie repeated, shaking him just as furiously as before. "Fuck, wait a second."

She disappeared from his sight for a moment, peripherals included, and for some twisted reason inside of him, the thought of her leaving too made him even more scared. He couldn't lose both of you.

"Ellie," he called hoarsely.

She was back within a few moments, seemingly fueled by the sound of his voice as she kneeled beside him, syringe and medicine bottle in hand. "Yeah, I'm here. Just give me a minute. I've never done this before."

He held still, barely breathing as the needle pricked his wound once more, not wanting to freak the kid out any more than she already was.

"Ellie," he repeated. Her eyes fell to his as she continued to plunge the syringe slowly, just as she had watched you do so many times. Her dark eyes were still watery and held so much fear that she attempted to hide with her otherwise stoic expression, barring the slight trembling of her lips. "It's...it's gonna be okay."

"Yeah," she nodded, though her gaze fell away from him as if she didn't believe him. "I know."

Silence settled between them, a void that you typically filled. As Ellie withdrew the syringe, returning it along with the medicine to her bag, the echo of a second gunshot pierced the air, prompting them to exchange uneasy glances.

The heavy footsteps from above spurred Joel into action, breaking the inertia that had held him for days. He staggered to his feet, his unsteady legs protesting disuse, and gently guided Ellie into the corner beneath the stairs. Pressing his rifle into her hands, he saw the horror in her eyes. A shake of his head preceded his retrieval of her knife from the bag.

"If anything goes wrong, you shoot and run, alright?" Her mouth opened, but he silenced any objections, his tone unwavering. "No. No questions, no smart remarks. You run."

Joel's voice carried a resolute authority, his eyes revealing a blend of concern and determination. Ellie nodded, her grip tightening on the rifle as she comprehended the gravity of the situation.

The clamour above intensified, muffled voices now accompanied by the crash of furniture in front of the basement door. 

Time seemed to stretch as they waited, breaths suspended in anticipation. As the footsteps finally seemed to reach the top of the stairs and the door opened, Joel whispered one final directive, his voice barely audible. 

"Face the wall."

✮˚. ᵎᵎ 𖦹彡⋆｡˚,

A tender touch, brushing hair away from your forehead, coaxes you back to awareness. Initially feeling numb, the haze lifts as you blink away blurriness, and the searing pain in your wound snaps into focus. A cry escapes your lips, and instinctively, you reach to cover the injury, as if the pressure could quell the pain. Surprisingly, a make-shift bandage is wrapped around the bare skin of your shoulder, and as you withdraw your hand, you find no fresh blood, only the remnants of dried staining from before.

A fleeting sense of relief washes over you when you suddenly realise someone is taking care of you; you've been saved.

"You were lucky; I'll give you that."

Anticipating Joel's deep, somewhat soothing tone, the sudden and chilling sound of David's higher voice jolted you. Startled, you looked up and blinked rapidly, only to find the devil himself kneeling in front of you, his hand resting on your cheek.

"Getting the jump on us like that. It was smart." He chuckled slightly, unsettling you further, prompting an instinctive flex of your fingers to search for your rifle. It must have been moved, and you think you can see the handle just behind him on the bed. The sheet on top of the mattress appears to be torn, evidently being what was used to conceal your wound. "I won't say it'll earn you many brownie points with the folks back home, but I understand. I understand why you did it."

You draw in a shaky breath, attempting to breathe through the pain and panic, while desperately searching your mind for any semblance of a plan.

David withdraws his hand from your cheek, replacing it with two fingers on your neck's pulse point, holding them there for a moment. "You know, I was worried you weren't going to wake up at all."

You make your best attempt to shrug him off, disliking the sensation of his cold fingertips on your skin. Despite your weakness, you glare up at him and retort, "You should be more worried than I was."

He smiles with a glint of amusement in his eyes, and you despise the gut-wrenching feeling of vulnerability blooming in your chest at the notion of being stuck in this man's presence. A chuckle escapes him, and he sucks his teeth before raising his hand, causing your head to snap to the side as the back of his hand connects with your cheek, a ring on his finger slashing your cheek upon impact.

Stunned to silence, you manage only a few heavy breaths as blood dribbles down your cheek. Eventually, you compose yourself enough to meet his gaze once more.

David releases a heavy sigh, observing you with a gaze that combines pity and satisfaction as he sits back on his knees.

“I like you. I do."

You glare back at him, biting back a snide comment.

He smiles, releasing a soft chuckle. “You’re so much different from the women back in my village. They’re so docile, complacent, and scared of their own shadows. You, on the other hand, are feral. Violent. A murderer.”

You swallow uncomfortably, unsettled by the excited glint in his eyes as he gazes at you.

“I like that. It’s realistic. A woman who does what she has to do to get what she wants. It’s the only way to survive, right?” David smiles, reaching out to clasp your limp hand that sits on your lap. “We’re very similar in that way. We do what we have to do to provide for the people who rely on us. No matter what, right?”

You fight the urge to snap his fingers in your palm, feeling his thumb stroking roughly over your skin, a poor imitation of Joel's comforting touch from only hours ago.

“You see, I’m not your enemy here.” He whispers in an attempt at a soothing tone. “I never have been. In fact, I am your equal, and in being that, I believe you would make the perfect addition to stand by my side in leading our people through the darkness that this winter has brought.”

You shake your head, but he raises a hand and emits a shushing noise.

“I know. It’s a hard concept to grasp when you’re in this fight-or-flight headspace. I’m sure you feel you won’t be accepted by them for all your sins and for all the heartache you’ve brought to our community, but they, as well as you, will come to understand, in good time, that reformation is indeed possible.” He squeezes your hand tight—so tight that it becomes uncomfortable very quickly. You breathe your way through the pain. “And if you can’t, then you can provide for our community in another way.” He lifts his other hand to lift your chin, forcing you to meet his eyes. “My people are hungry, you see. I wouldn’t be a good leader if I didn't do what I needed to provide for them, despite sacrificing what would be the closest thing I have to my equal. You understand the necessity of that, right?”

A sickening feeling churns in your stomach. Whatever he has in mind for you is likely nothing you want to endure. You bite your tongue, resolved to maintain composure and conceal your fear.

“And then, I suppose, your daughter will be the one to take your place beside me.”

Your entire body tenses, and he seems to notice the fire blazing in your eyes at the mention of Ellie, a light smirk settling on his lips.

Quick to wipe it off, you wrap your palm around his middle finger and tug it back with all the strength you can muster, causing a sickening crack as it breaks, ricocheting around you. He lets out an anguished cry of pain, filling you with relentless satisfaction. As he releases your hand entirely, you shove him backward and use the wall to guide you to your feet.

Rushing for your rifle, your movements are short-lived as you feel his hand wrap around your ankle, grabbing hold of you. Swinging your arm around to hit him, he tugs you forcefully via your arm, causing you to flop face down on the floor beside him.

Releasing angry pants, he flips you over onto your back and uses his free hand to press down on your wound, keeping you down and eliciting a cry of unbearable pain from your lips.

“There it is. There’s that fight in you I like so much.”

You spit at him, aiming directly for his face, and raise your knee to strike him in the crotch. He releases your wound, and you take a sharp intake of breath, readying your hand to deliver a strike to his face. But he's too quick, grabbing your wrist and yanking it hard, exerting so much force that you feel your arm being ripped out of its socket.

A blinding wave of pain overwhelms you, bringing all your struggles to an instant halt. Your pain threshold has been entirely depleted. You're done fighting. It's all too much.

He clears his throat as he shifts to hold himself above you, his gaze a mix of satisfaction and disappointment as he looks down at you.

“Is that all you’ve got in you?” He laughed breathlessly. “I’m disappointed. Underneath all that strong facade, you’re just the same as every other woman. Weak. I should’ve known you’d end up just the same: under my mercy."

Your strength waned, unable to conceal the overwhelming fear as his weight bore down on you, and instead, you opened your mouth, releasing a gut-wrenching scream.

✮˚. ᵎᵎ 𖦹彡⋆｡˚,

It was guttural—the scream that tore through the streets—and it sent a shiver down Joel's spine. Ellie was huddled at his side, his arm protectively encircling her, marking the first substantial contact between them. The moment he tensed, he felt her reaction mirror his own.

Joel held tight to Callus' reins in his other hand. Although logic dictated that he and Ellie should be riding towards your safety, the events in the basement lingered in Joel's mind. Forcing two out of three men to reveal your whereabouts, even with Ellie upstairs and out of direct earshot, it had been a traumatic ordeal for the both of them. Joel couldn't deny Ellie the comfort of being close to him after such a harrowing experience. Contrary to his initial fears, it became evident that Ellie wasn't terrified of him; in fact, the very opposite seemed true.

'"That's her," Ellie said through chattering teeth as the biting winds whipped around them. "We have to help her."

Joel nodded, his gaze firm and determined, tugging Callus along once more. "We will. We'll get to her."

Once again, your scream, fraught with fear and desperation, reverberated through the desolate streets. The chilling sound momentarily froze time, leaving Joel feeling utterly helpless about where to go or how to reach you. The haunting silence that followed became almost unbearable, casting an oppressive weight on Joel's chest, which he tried to ignore with every stride he took, Ellie in tow.

Abruptly, just as it had ceased, your screaming resumed, and Joel couldn't summon the strength to look down, yet he could feel Ellie's tears soaking his shirt. Each agonising note sliced through the air, and this time, it seemed to pierce Joel even more deeply than before. The raw, visceral sound of your distress clawed at his heart, dismantling any remaining walls that held back his emotions towards you. He despised that sound—the sound of you in pain, the sound of you scared, the sound of you broken—and silently vowed to do whatever it took to never hear it again.

However, amidst the torment, there existed a perverse sense of gratitude. Your screams served as a guiding force, leading Joel, Ellie, and Callus through the relentless blizzard in pursuit of you. A steely resolve tightened Joel's jaw, determination etched across his weathered face as you fell silent once more, only to start screaming again seconds later. The idea of you enduring suffering was unbearable, and an urgency to reach you surged through Joel's veins, propelling their movements forward through the biting cold.

Reaching the front of the house from which your screams echoed, Joel gently pulled away from Ellie's trembling frame. He tried to ignore the way she instinctively sought to move closer, holding her by the shoulders. "I need you to listen to me, Ellie."

Her face was pale, tear-stricken, and concerned, lacking the strength to argue. She nodded in response.

"I need you to ride Callus to the furthest house away, to the very last one in this neighbourhood, okay? Not one sooner. The very last one."

Her lips parted, wobbling, but your scream from above tore every word from the tip of her tongue. She made her way to Callus, placing one foot in the stirrup before Joel helped launch her onto the horse completely. He held back a wince as his wound ached with every movement, and raised his rifle for her to take.

"I'll come and find you as soon as we're out. You don't leave for anything. You stay right there, hidden, until we come back. Got it?"

Ellie took the rifle, slugging it onto shoulder, before gripping Callus' reins and nodding. "Got it."

"Good." He hummed, stroking Callus' side before meeting Ellie's eyes. "Go on."

She simply sniffled, murmuring, "Let's go," to the horse before she and Callus thundered off down the street.

Joel watched as Ellie rode away, his rifle slung over her shoulder, and as he turned back towards the house, it took him about a second to realise you were no longer making any noise, and it only took half of that time to send him into utter panic.

✮˚. ᵎᵎ 𖦹彡⋆｡˚,

The carpet beneath your fingernails was the only sensation you registered as David's hand coiled around your throat, tightening its grip and stifling any more attempts at screaming.

You weren't fighting back anymore. You couldn't. You'd lost it all the moment David had you pinned down and injured. The likelihood of Joel succumbing to the brutality of David's men gnawed at your conscience. Imagining Ellie, now alone and convinced you were lost too, fighting desperately to escape their clutches added another layer of anguish to your already shattered resolve. You didn't want to risk that becoming a truth, and so you just lay there.

Time seemed to stretch with each agonising blink, your eyes lingering shut for longer intervals. As David's suffocating grip on your throat gradually released, you struggled to focus through the haze. His lips moved, likely weaving a twisted soliloquy, but the only sound that reached you was the persistent thud of blood coursing through your veins. Each breath you managed to draw felt like a desperate attempt to refill your lungs, your chest heaving with the effort.

His vice-like grip on your neck finally released, and as you dared to steal a glance downward, all you saw was his hand moving towards his zipper.

You clutched at the carpet, fingers digging in, and drew in a wheezy breath, steeling yourself for whatever might come next.

David's face and body loomed over you, paralysing you with fear. Just as you thought it was all over, the sudden impact of your rifle against the side of his head sent his looming figure crashing to the floor beside you. Through the haze of your vision, you could vaguely make out a blurry figure in a brown coat gripping your rifle and ruthlessly slamming it down repeatedly onto what appeared to be David's body.

Unable to discern many words, you could only catch snippets of angry and pained sounds. Fear gripped you, but in a moment of reprieve, you managed to turn on your side. For perhaps the first time since you woke up, you felt a semblance of relief, as if you could finally afford to breathe again.

Your body ached, and your lungs burned with each precious breath of fresh air, reminiscent of a dog lapping up water on a scorching day. Curled into a foetal position, the only sounds that reached your ears were the haunting echoes of sniffles and whimpering. It didn't take long for you to grasp the painful realisation that those anguished sounds were escaping your own lips.

A hand gripping your ankle jolts you into immediate action, fearing the worst. A distressed wail escapes your lips as you kick out, refusing to glance at the person who has a hold of you. Slowly crawling away, you use your uninjured arm to support yourself, doing your best to fight the searing pain flowing through you.

The hand lets up, and then it moves to land delicately on your back. Gentle and light, it hovers, assuring you of his presence.

Everything seems to move once more in slow motion as you continue to kick out, eventually flipping onto your side and meeting your would-be assailant's eyes once more.

Except it's not David.

It's Joel.

His lips are parted, and he is speaking to you softly. His face is taut with concern, distress, and fear.

"..'s me; it's just me. It's me."

The sound of relief escaping you doesn't come close to the immense relief flooding your insides.

As Joel senses the realisation dawning in your eyes, his expression eases slightly, a fraction of his concern dissipating.

You can't help but avert your gaze, your eyes falling upon David's battered body lying a short distance away. The butt of your rifle, stained with his blood, rests by his side. It's evident that Joel has discarded it and hurried to your aid.

His touch on your cheek is gentle, coaxing you to meet his gaze once more.

"Look at me," he urges, his voice a comforting murmur. "You're okay. You're with me. Just keep your eyes on me. Keep focusing on me."

Your lip trembles. "J-Joel...he…he…”

"I know," he murmurs softly, his face etched with pain as he gently covers your hand with his own on the floor. The gesture makes you flinch involuntarily, and memories of David flood your mind. "I know, honey. I know."

Honey.

The term is uttered with such tenderness, so delicately, that it catches you off guard. His eyes glisten with unshed tears as he regards you with the utmost care, as if he can hardly believe he's reached you in time.

Tears stream down your cheeks, unnoticed, until you feel his arms enveloping you. It's surprising the sheer gentleness emanating from a man hardened by years of violence, his fists having shed blood from countless adversaries. Yet here he is, cradling you as though you're the most precious gift, as if it's the most natural thing for him to do, as though he was born to love and protect you, no matter the time it took for him to realise it.

His hand finds solace in your matted hair, anchoring you to him as you weep against his chest. For a long while, he remains silent, allowing your sorrow to seep into him as if, by some miracle, it might alleviate your pain. You feel a shift in his posture, and then his chapped lips brush gently against your forehead.

Drawing back slightly from the comfort of his embrace, you meet his gaze.

"You're... you're alive," you breathe out softly.

The corners of his lips twitch up a little, and he nods gently down at you. "Your stubborn ass saved me, remember?"

"I... I had to. I couldn't... couldn't lose you," you respond, still teary-eyed. Your gaze darts around frantically for a moment. "E—Ellie? Where's Ellie? Did they get Ellie?"

Joel shakes his head quickly. "We... I got 'em, I swear. They didn't touch her. She's safe."

"They... they were really bad people, Joel," you whisper, a slight desperation in your voice, as if you need him to believe you, though you have no idea why you feel the need to justify it. "Really bad. They... they... the things he wanted to do."

Your gaze starts to drift back to David's body, but Joel gently redirects your focus to him with a tender touch on your cheek, his thumb wiping away the blood from where David's ring had cut your skin. "No, no. Don't look at him, alright? Just keep looking at me and listening, okay? Focus right here on me and me only."

You nod, your attention fixed on him.

“You did good, sweetheart. You did so good. You saved me and Ellie, and…and you’re still here with us. It was always going to be your life over any of theirs. You did what you had to do.”

Weakly, you nod and rest your trembling hand on his arm.

He glances down at your hand, resting his own atop it, and takes a breath. Using the next few moments to assess your condition, he notices the blood-soaked sheet wrapped around your shoulder, his face paling considerably. Then, his gaze falls on the swollen part of your arm where David has torn it from its socket.

He releases your hand and rises to his feet, prompting a soft cry of his name from you, as if he might leave you in that state.

"I'm right here. You're okay," he assures you, reaching down to cup your cheek. "I just need to... I need to help you. You're hurt, sweetheart. Just keep your eyes on me. I'm not going anywhere; I just need to..."

Glancing over to the bed, where the ripped sheet lies, he reluctantly lets go of you and strides over to retrieve it. Returning to your side, he offers reassurance. "See? I'm still here."

You watch him carefully as he tears the fabric apart with his bare hands, studying his every move.

"Joel," you say softly at first, catching his attention only when you repeat his name with a bit more urgency.

"Yeah, what's up?" He responds, turning to you.

"I'm... I'm glad you're here."

His worried expression softens, though concern still lingers in his gentle brown eyes. After a moment's pause, he replies, "Me too, honey." Taking a breath, he continues, "Now, I'm gonna ask you to do something for me, okay?"

You weakly nod your agreement.

"Just stay still while I see what I can do about your arm, alright?" he instructs.

He shakily reaches over to lightly press your swollen, deformed-looking arm, retracting his hand almost immediately when you cry out in pain. The anguish in his eyes mirrors your own hurt, and once the wave of pain has passed, you grasp his coat with your uninjured hand, murmuring your apologies.

"It's okay, it's okay," he reassures you softly, cupping your cheek and meeting your gaze with his intense one. "I need you to trust me for a second, okay? This is going to hurt, but you are going to be just fine, I promise. Everything's going to be okay."

Tears brim in your eyes, but you nod. "I trust you, Joel."

He smiles softly at you, leaning forward to press a kiss on your head before he reaches out and takes your injured arm's hand in his own. With a shaky breath, he asks, "Can you feel that?"

You nod with a sniffle.

"Good. That's good." He squeezes your hand gently. "And you feel that?"

Again, you nod.

He squeezes once more, meeting your eyes. "Still with me?"

Another nod.

Taking a breath, he squeezes for the third time, a nervous expression clouding his face.

It takes you a moment to process his confession as pain overwhelms you. But when you realise what he has said, everything stops hurting for a moment, and a relieved tear slips down your cheek.

He smiles weakly back at you.

And then he tugs.

✮˚. ᵎᵎ 𖦹彡⋆｡˚,

"Almost there, sweetheart," Joel murmurs, his hand light on your back as he guides you through the blizzard, mindful of your delicate state. "I've got you."

Your injured arm is cradled in a makeshift sling, and a fresh bandage, fashioned from the same sheet, is carefully tied over your bullet wound. Despite the lingering pain, being with Joel feels like a balm to your soul, as if you're walking on air. The thought of being reunited with Ellie soon fills you with hope, giving you the strength to keep moving forward, despite the weariness weighing down your legs.

Every little noise puts you on edge, whether it's the howl of the wind or the thud of snow against a roof. But Joel is there, a reassuring presence, whispering words of comfort each time you tense up, trying to reach for a weapon and inadvertently causing yourself more pain.

"Hey, hey, it’s okay," Joel assures as you come to reach the last few houses on the road, the sight of horse prints visible in the snow-covered ground. "Look behind us; look around. There is no one here but us. No one is going to hurt you, I promise."

You look around nervously, seeing that he is right. You are simply overwhelmed by paranoia right now.

“No one is going to hurt you,” Joel repeats gently, a change from his usual tone but a welcome one. You've never felt safer.

You nod, scooting closer to him all the same.

The horse tracks lead up to the final house on the road, and Joel is grateful that Ellie followed his instructions this time.

He shuffles as slowly as you need up the short distance of the porch steps, and when you both reach the top and you begin to lose your ability to keep moving forward, he wraps your uninjured arm around his neck and keeps you moving. “I’ve got you. You’re okay, sweetheart. You’re just tired, that’s all. You’re going to rest as soon as we get inside, alright? Talk to me; let me know you’re still in there.”

“Still here..." you assure quietly, though your vision is beginning to blur and darkness is beginning to form in your peripherals.

“Atta girl, stay with me.” He presses a gentle hand over your ear and pushes the other to rest against his chest. He raises his voice, though muffled to you, as he kicks the front door as he has no hands free. “Ellie! Open up! It’s us!”

By the time the door opens, you are halfway through succumbing to the darkness.

©️sunkiss3dlily, 2024.

[khaire-traveler]

hello! i'm not sure if you received my other ask asking about Lord Apollon worship, so i'll send it again, just to be safe.

my entire family is Catholic, and i can't worship Lord Apollo freely in my home. i have to keep him secret, and i have to pretend I'm still a "good Catholic" whenever i'm with my family, i'm scared of what they could do if they discover i'm worshiping "evil gods" (that's what my parents call them, but i don't believe they're evil at all). i am still forced to do everything a Catholic does, including praying to God.

do you think its ok to still pray to another god against your will if you're worshiping another god by will, like Lord Apollon? I'm not sure if this is ok. i'm still fairly new to this, i made a tiny altar to Apollon like 3 days ago. it's not much, just a candle (a 22 ounce candle btw, its BIG), some earrings that remind me of him, a seashell, two golden rings, and a perfume that I think he would like. as i said, it's not much, i still have to keep him kind of hidden, but I'm trying.

sorry if this was a bit long, i just have a lot to say and i think youre the perfect person to ask. thank you for your help and time!

(also, side note: i believe that Lord Apollon likes frappes because i offered him some of mine and i felt warm the entire day)

Khaire, I did get your other ask, Nonny, but my inbox has been very full, sorry.

There are many, many people who have to keep their worship hidden. For hundreds of years, worshippers of the gods have had to hide their worship away, lest they be persecuted or, worse, killed. This is to say that the gods tend to be very understanding of these things. Unfortunately, this isn't something the gods have no experience with. The gods have adapted themselves, I'm sure, to all forms of worship, and they will continue to do so for the rest of time, I'd imagine.

In my experience, the gods aren't cruel. They don't hold these things against people. Apollon is very kind, benevolent, and understanding. If you haven't made him aware of your situation, I would let him know; maybe he could offer some guidance or assistance as you get through this difficult time. It sounds like you still live at home and are maybe young. Things do get much easier once you're able to move out and start choosing life more for yourself. This is a great step, however, into discovering what things you align more with, outside of your family.

It sounds like you've given meaningful and thoughtful offerings. I'm sure Apollon appreciates them. And your altar sounds lovely, too! It's great that you were able to make one, but just know that if it ever compromised your safety, you could always use a digital altar instead. 🫂

I wish you well, Nonny. It's more than ok to have to keep things hidden. I'm sure it's ok to need to pray to a God you may not even believe for your safety. I would imagine Apollon would want you to be safe, first and foremost. He's not the type of god to value his own pride over the safety of his worshippers, in my experience (if that type of god even exists at all, really). Take care of yourself, and know that you have allies in the community. Welcome to Hellenic Polytheism, friend. You're safe here. 🧡

[olderthannetfic]

I hope you don't mind a long story in your inbox.

Reading through the fic deletion wank and then the commenting not-so-wank left me in a bad bad BAD place. The consensus on comments seem to be "comment anyways, even if you come across as a psychopath!". But there are differing opinions on whether or not deleting fics from an archive is in bad taste.

I'm the person right in between. An author (possibly a BNF?) doesn't allow comments on any of their works. They also link no socials so I can't leave them anon asks or follow them and cozy up to them like a true freak and hopefully gain some scraps or excerpts.

So they wrote an absolute masterpiece of a short fic for a rare rare RARE pair with like 10 fics for it. I think about it daily. This <500 words of a fic is practically my religion.

Due to no socials and comments, we can't know for sure if they've gotten any hate about it. However, it's safe to say that they don't want comments. So I left a bookmark that sounds like "This is my holy grail. If the author reads this note, know that you are my lifesaver" and weeks later... The author deleted the work. And all of their works for this fandom (not just the rarepair).

Naturally, I was upset. I have this one fic downloaded, but I didn't download their other fics (which are all masterpieces), so they're gone forever. However, the feeling of guilt is worse. Am I the reason the fic was deleted? Was I trespassing? Should I have not left the bookmark note as a poor replacement for a comment? Was the note not good enough? Should I have added "i'll match the love of 1000 people for this one rarepair so plz never delete this is my life support"? If I hadn't left the comment, would the fic still be up today?

I know it's just me overthinking and that the deletion probably doesn't have anything to do with me (or does it?). But still... All the wank have left me so conflicted. A part of me regrets leaving that bookmark note/comment. The whole of me regrets not downloading all of their other deleted fics.

While we're at this, what's my best shot at getting a copy of their other deleted fics? Contacting them on their other (can be commented on) fics under another pseud (sounds rude)? Rarepair community (nonexistent)? Reddit (which subreddit)? Or is this in poor taste?

If this author sounds like you, reader of OTNF, then can I get your number haha ha jk i'm shy

--

LOL. I doubt it was about your bookmark.

The main place I see people ask is on r/Fanfiction, though they don't always have any luck.

[seismologically-silly]

Puzzlemaster Week 2 Recap

paltry progress on the puzzles, but a plethora of plot proceedings!

oh my god has it really been a week since the last update? not quite, sorry. i've got prescheduled Life Stuff tomorrow making me busy, so i want to do this today. do describe developments without delay if a LOT goes down tomorrow!

some corrections from last week-- apparently 5 August is something that happened in the Puzzlemaster's past (thanks for the correction @art-thou-a-man-or-a-muppet!), but i'll still be holding onto my hat if/when things pick up then. wouldn't be surprised if that's why this week has been quiet-- the calm before the storm.

@the-1t also wanted it to be known that they're still here, don't worry (i'm worrying).

new stuff this week: the Them had some more interactions with the community this week. They have been harrassing the Puzzlemaster. i said i'd do this so here goes: They are cowards. There, i've said it again.

new player on the board as well: everyone welcome @h1y1p1n101s. i think that's how to spell their name. they've sent a few of us some messages trying to make us fall asleep. they've got nothing to do with the Them, so who knows what's going on here. some advice for dealing with all of these eldritch entities in the tags and inboxes: don't take deals. if you have to (or are just really pressing your luck), make a deal but do it carefully. watch your wording. a little mnemonic i've been living by for a few years: make 'em, don't take 'em, and above all else never break 'em.

i also want to note that there's quite a few books being shuffled around somehow. i think there's one that's disappointingly not cursed, one which is, and one the Puzzlemaster is trying to get to @potato-lord-but-not from way back at the start of the game. or whatever this is.

again, there's still this evening and tomorrow for things to Happen, so stay safe, have fun, and good luck!

OH YEAH THANK YOU TO POTATO LORD FOR REMINDING ME: CONGRATS @the-r4t-man ON YOUR DATE WITH THE PUZZLEMASTER! 🎉🎉🎉 🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀 hope it went well!

[iguana-braces]

Heyo it’s your favorite anon back again! Struck the other day with first times. Like of course Jayce’s first time having magic used on him is life changing. But MANNNNNNN thinking about the blood rush that Mel and Vik get from watching Jayce writhe for the first time is sending me. Also! I’ve decided I’m assigning myself an emoji for simplicity’s sake 🌀🌀🌀 MWAH

I was going to save this until tomorrow but I had a half-baked idea before bed so here we are

I feel like there would definitely be a momentary blood rush of panic the first time that happens because Mel and Vik aren't entirely sure how Jayce will react to it. Like, they're all super down for it and excited to try, but in the back of their minds there is the actual risk of Jayce getting hurt or maybe even one of them triggered (I'm obsessed with the idea of a polycule having to recover from those few months (?) one of them tried to become god and they all had to physically fight each other about it, anyway--).

But then they do get down to business and Jayce is SO into it, maybe even more than he expected to be 🤭, but it doesn't exactly come across that way and Mel and Vik immediately stop and are like "Omg are you okay? Are you in pain? Was that too much????" but Jayce is like "That was NOT enough! I know the safe-word, I'll use it when I damn well need to. Keep. Going."

And Mel and Viktor just--

--and keep going. Once they're sure that Jayce will stop them if need be, they're all in on enjoying it for themselves too. It could definitely be a power trip for them, maybe for Viktor more, knowing that it's their powers that are making Jayce feel that good. It's something no one else can do to him, and it's something unique that they share with each other.

Okay, actually I've been in an Arcane slump lately but I have really missed rotating these three around my brain, thank you for that and for gracing my inbox with your presence again 🌀 (it took me so long to find that emoji because it's different in my keyboard vs tumblr text???)

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[harbours-lighthouse]

get to know your mutuals!

thank you for the tag @karasong! you've got me all glassy-eyed from your sweet recommendation of my fic, which led me to my ao3 dashboard and my inbox and your comments—you're lovely💗

☁️ what’s the origin of your blog title? i've always liked the idea of lighthouses being a way to guide ships home and illuminate the rocky shores for them, and in a way, we can all be lighthouses for each other. i also live in an actual harbour (no lighthouse though, sadly), so i just put two and two together to get 'harbours-lighthouse' :)

☁️ favorite fandoms: star wars, jurassic park/world, borderlands, avatar, and call of duty. there's a certain side of the CoD fandom that i stay faaaaar away from though

☁️ OTP(s)/shipname: anidala (star wars), jeytiri (avatar)

☁️ favorite color: navy blue, but i love the colour green too and other shades of blue

☁️ favorite game: the 2013 tomb raider. i adore tomb raider—don't even get me started lol

☁️ song stuck in your head: weirdly enough, 'hold me while you wait' by lewis capaldi. i don't even think i've ever listened to that song outside of hearing it play in the grocery store

☁️ weirdest habit/trait? i re-like any tiktoks that i've saved, which isn't much tbh, so that they're all in order (i.e, all my fandom tiktoks are grouped together and all my poetry or faith tiktoks are grouped together, etc)

☁️ hobbies: writing, reading, drawing, video games, film watching, and i'd like to start painting. i also love watching insider videos like 'survivalist breaks down survival scenes from movies/shows'

☁️ if you work, what’s your profession? i don't work, but the last job (and only job that i've had so far) was as a waitress

☁️ if you could have any job you wish what would it be? i have no idea. i have so many different career ideas, so i genuinely can't answer that

☁️ something you’re good at: writing up emails, making good coffee, reading when i should be working, listening to people, and keeping people's secrets safe

☁️ something you’re bad at: hyping myself up to make a phone call, waking up early in the morning, not smiling when my brother says something outrageous

☁️ something you love: the jokes that send my whole family laughing until we're crying and can't breathe, the ability to love and be kind despite it all, and the first touch of warmth when you're horribly cold

☁️ something you could talk about for hours off the cuff: i could prattle on about military history any time—facts about WWI & II, inaccuracies in war movies, specific dates and timelines, lesser known events, etc.

☁️ something you hate: when people constantly argue, and when the water from the tap takes more than FIVE FRICKEN MINTUES to warm up when i want to wash the dishes or warm my hands

☁️ something you collect: i'm not much of a collector tbh (i wish i was) but i suppose i collect books, and i keep a lot of things that my sister makes too: bookmarks, a jewellery box she painted for me, a note she wrote to me when we were little

☁️ something you forget: i remember very little about what i eat, when i ate, what it tasted like. if you asked me to recall what french toast or a hamburger tastes like, i wouldn't be able to tell you

☁️ what’s your love language? acts of service and words of affirmation, and those work in reverse too! i love doing things for people, but i'll admit my ability to speak out loud the things i want to say is a little rusty, but i do my best :)

☁️ favorite movie/show: brave (2012) <3

☁️ favorite food: i might not remember much about food, but bread is hands-down the best thing there is. but it needs to be PROPER bread, like sourdough or baguettes!

☁️ favorite animal: i love cats and owls

☁️ are you musical? i wouldn't say so. i love to listen to music, and i love to sing, but in terms of playing a musical instrument or writing songs, i'd say i do a pretty poor job at that

☁️ what were you like as a child? i was a painfully shy kid with thick bangs and pigtails who could barely get a sentence or two out to someone who wasn't family

☁️ favorite subject at school? english :)

☁️ least favorite subject? math. i never had a good experience when learning math, so now i have a bit of a mental block against it

☁️ what’s your best character trait? staying calm and reasonable when things get stressful. just the other day my mum said that i 'don't come across as someone who's easily stressed out' and it made me literally beam

☁️ what’s your worst character trait? i'd say my tendency to keep things bottled up. i'm a private person by nature and that's fine, but i tend to keep a lot of negative things to myself that in turn affect me mentally & emotionally

☁️ if you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be? it's 2 am and i'll be honest with you, i'd change the fact that i'm still awake right now and would have gone to sleep at 9 pm

☁️ if you could travel in time who would you like to meet? i'd like to meet vincent van gogh. he's such an interesting person to me—and if not him, than probably anastasia romanov

☁️ recommend one of your favorite fanfics (spread the love!): ha! it's like i'm revenge booping you right now, kara. 'Thereby Hangs A Tale' on ao3 by the amazing kara has recently been plaguing my mind in the best of ways. absolutely amazing story that just sucks you right in even if you don't know much about the borderlands games <333

np tags: @erinmichele333 @corpsedogs @kitkatlover015 @enviedear @corameiwrites and anyone else who wants to join in!

[leothil]

You know that not everyone has to agree with you…?

Some people don’t agree with how people are rating the show. They are just as entitled to their opinion as you are.

Not everyone has the capacity to be as negative and doomsdaying like you are. I’m really not trying to be rude and I’m sorry if this comes off like this. There’s just enough bullshit going on right now. Some of us are trying to keep things positive because that’s all we have left as a safe space.

There is insane double standard going on. If you don’t align with what certain fandom accounts believe, then you’re automatically wrong. You must be trying to say you’re better than everyone else. You need to get off your high horse. You’re stupid to think any of that is good.

Just because some people don’t hate where the show is going or are choosing to accept things as is, doesn’t mean they’re wrong. And it also doesn’t mean they’re right either.

Same goes for you. People are allowed to have their own opinion. You could have made that post without screenshotting someone else’s. But instead you chose to be childish and immature.

At the end of the day, we have no control over how this show is run and written. The only thing we can control is how we react to it.

You’re allowed to grieve all you want. But don’t try and drag other people down with you into the pits of despair if that’s not what they want.

I hate that they killed off Bobby. I think it was an insanely stupid decision. I’m not going on other people’s post and telling them that that their reaction is wrong and not as valid as mine.

Why is crashing out the only acceptable option?

Why is trying to just move forward anyways not?

I genuinely want to know why some people are allowed to grieve in their way and it’s okay. But other people aren’t?

Life is already shitty right now. Not all of us are trying to be that negative. And if you don’t follow the leaders and do and believe exactly what they do, you’re gonna get harassed for simply having a different opinion?

What the actual fuck. I am so sick of the people in this fandom acting like they aren’t also a part of the problem. Making fun of other people. Escalating discourse beyond any measure that it needs to.

There are people who are scared to simply say hey, I don’t agree with that. Is that okay?

All because there is a specific group of accounts on here that say if you don’t fall in line, then you’re wrong.

Why can people just not take a step back and simply scroll and move on if they don’t agree? Why do you need to make an announcement and put someone on trial just because they think differently than you?

You know, if you'd've read my post properly you'd notice I never say "you have to agree with me" anywhere. In fact I've said the exact opposite e.g. in response to an anon here. It's also why I tagged my post(s) "fandom discourse" so that people who don't want to see that type of content can easily filter it. You're welcome to filter that tag in the future.

I'll try to address at least some of your points, but I do first have to point out - do you notice that YOU are not taking your own advice to scroll and move on?

Funny that you think I'm being negative, because the only negative posts I've made are about people who are trying to do exactly what you accuse me of; tone policing and telling others how they're allowed to react. My biggest feeling surrounding the last three episodes is honestly confusion, as seen in e.g. this post I made following 8x16. I have some mutuals and people I follow that have reacted positively to the last episodes (meaning they would've liked it if Bobby stayed alive but still liked the storyline), and I've been perfectly capable of reading their posts and moving on with my differing opinion. You'll find I have, in fact, not gone "on other people’s post and telling them that that their reaction is wrong and not as valid as mine." Meanwhile, here you are in my inbox whining that people are being too negative.

You seem to be conflating a lot of things here right now, saying "If you don’t align with what certain fandom accounts believe, then you’re automatically wrong." Having an opinion about the contagion arc is not "being right or wrong," it's literally just having an opinion? If you're talking about character interpretation then that's a completely different discussion, and frankly one that could go on for way too long.

It's honestly also a bit funny that you say "I genuinely want to know why some people are allowed to grieve in their way and it’s okay. But other people aren’t?" when that's exactly what the post I was screenshotting was trying to do - telling others that their way of grieving isn't correct and that they shouldn't do it. And the reason I screenshot it was precisely to not bring my own thoughts to op's post, since they clearly are of a different opinion than I am. Would you have preferred that I "put op on blast" instead?

Quite honestly it sounds like you're upset that blogs you follow don't agree with your assessment of the episode and the fallout from it. And it can be hard to feel like the odd one out, but I'm certain there are other people out there who share your opinion and you could find common ground with. But if you're mad that people are downvoting a show you love, well, I'm sorry but I can't really do anything about that. Say a prayer that Tim Minear stops changing his mind all the time and writes a season that's coherent from start to end and starts treating his cast and crew better, I guess.

[notiddygothgf]

OKAAAAY, finally, I have a moment to discuss.

(Although, I have a college exam tomorrow, so....)

This chapter made me simultaneously fall more in love with Aki, yet hate him even more at the same time.

The fact that he's so aware of his emotional unavailability was somewhat surprising to me. I didn't expect him to be that self-aware.

Realistically, they're in love, your honor.

The thing is, though, I feel like they BOTH know it, you know?

I don't think Aki's in a stage of "not knowing", he's in DENIAL. Lord knows sleepy Aki had me swooning.

I do enjoy the way that despite their dynamic, Aki kind of just let her yell at him and get her feelings out. He's a dominant, a lifestyle one (from what I've gathered), however, he doesn't exude control just because he has it or because it's what he prefers. He does it with her interests and care for her in mind.

I truly think that area is where BDSM as a whole receives it's negative reputation. A Dom/Sub relationship was never meant to be about controlling every aspect of someone's life just because you can. It's about trust and feeling comfortable with your partner.

Expressing your feelings, positive OR negative, isn't the "attitude" some people in the BDSM community think it is. I personally think that ideology is much too normalized, and goes against the very principles of BDSM.

In truth, I love the tension. (although, the unresolved sexual tension in the last chapter was thick enough to slice) It's just going to make it that much better when Aki gets over himself and just ADMITS IT.

Aki's getting bolder though, and I can appreciate that. He's not a situationship villain. (lord knows I've had my run-ins)

I want to leave this little tangent off by saying that this story has effectively healed me from my own shitty situationships, it feels so good to be able to relate and feel seen. (Even though Aki's situationship behavior beats the shit I deal with by a mile. It's okay, he can do whatever he wants. He's gorgeous.)

I'll be looking forward to the next chapter. (What I mean is i need it yesterday). SOOOOOO glad to have you back from the grasps of finals.

With love,

-Bae

omg i had so much fun responding to this one lol. pardon the long post! i wanted to address as many of your points as i could because you put sm time into it, and i want to reciprocate! i love love LOVE the long inboxes! ill talk about my works for hours lol.

IM SO LATE! good luck on your exam dearest, you’ll ace that shit.

Honestly i love to hate aki too, BUT I HATE THAT I CANT STAY MAD AT HIM IN THIS FANFIC UGHHHHHHHH

Yes, aki may be a toxic guy but that doesnt mean he isn’t very self aware about it! one of the things i liked about akis character going into this story is that he’s very in tune with his emotions. he knows he’s a complete trainwreck and THATS why he was so adamant about keeping y/n at bay. but, alas, what is y/n in my fanfics if not a little stupid at times. she doesnt care! she swears she can change him! can she??? (stay tuned ;)) (btw i do not condone this irl, if you’re thinking you can change your current situationship bc of this story, pls stop and abandon ship x)

I will not confirm or deny their feelings towards eachother, but there’s definitely something they both need to realize lol. 

DENIAL IS A RIVER IN EGYPT and they are both drowning in it. honestly i wish i could just push their heads together and make them smooch it out ( i totally can, but then that would take away the fun “Slow burn” aspect. i hope you all do know i was talking about an EMOTIONAL slow burn, obv not a sexual one lol (stares extra hard at chapter 5).

Sleepy aki is honestly my favorite genre of man. I personally wanted to illustrate the fact that, despite what he may say about not wanting commitment, he genuinely does feel very safe with her — in a way he hasn’t with anyone else. i think that this is the first time anyone’s ever seen through his armor, and he’s a little scared. i mean, hell, he lived his entire life raising himself.

Yes, aki took the verbal beating. Why? Because, deep down, he knows he’s a piece of shit lol. he hates the fact that he cannot be a good man (at least, he thinks he cants), so instead of hurting you, his idea is… well, also hurting you, but he can’t see that yet. it’s not about controlling her. he knows she’s a person with free will, hell he probably even WANTS her to leave and make it easier for him to walk away, but… this is a notiddygothgf fanfic after all. 

Yes, aki truly does care for the reader -- more than I think he knows what to do with. How much? Well, stay tuned.

i agree, i think that just because a character who plays the role of submissive might lash out at times, that doesn’t mean that it’s unjustified. aki knows that she’s coming from a place of care, and that’s why he’s content to listen to her rant. he knows shes right.

god, i have something great planned with the whole aki-admitting-it thing. Will he admit it? can’t confirm. what i can tell you is that it is going to be juicy.

I think that while aki has his shortcomings, he’s not a bad man (in spite of what he might think) and hes certainly not irredeemable. The question is simply — will he reedem himself?

As always, thank you for such an in depth analysis of my story! Omg it makes me feel so loved. I’m so glad to be back! I hope you love the direction i take the story in as much as i do, but again, your feedback helps me shape how i want it to go!!!!

for the record, though… aki’s pretty privilege is a bitch. cant stay mad at him for too long lol.

LOVE ALWAYS, LEO x