#they've taken like the whole week to get to this point though so it's slow going

[neon-angels-system]

we are totally splitting a new alter, aren't we....

[cherrydreamer]

Got thinking about Joyce in Lenora Hills, and how maybe, within the first week, there's a woman coming round to welcome her to the neighborhood. A pretty woman with a floaty sundress, a Tupperware full of still-warm cookies and a bright and breezy, "Well hello there neighbour, I'm Donna. Welcome to Lenora!"

And even though Joyce isn't really the social type- she's always felt out of place at Karen Wheeler's gossipy book/wine club and even at Claudia Henderson's giggly Avon parties- there's just something about Donna that Joyce is drawn to. And soon enough they've become friends. Good friends. And one night the conversation (and the wine) starts flowing, and Joyce finds herself sitting in Donna's pretty, pastel house, opening up a little more than she normally would. She talks about a lot of things, about her boys and El, of course, and her job and about Hopper, and she even talks a little bit about Lonnie. And that's when Donna's lips press together and her hand rubs at a non-existent bruise on her arm and her expression changes and Joyce sees it. Gets it. The understanding. The kind that comes with first hand experience.

And it's enough to get Joyce opening up even more.

So she tells Donna why they moved. Not the full truth, obviously, but she talks about nearly losing Will. About how she did lose him, for a while. About the fear and the panic and the pain of it all that's still with her now. And that's when Donna's expression falls even more, when she stares over at the photos on the mantle, a whole row of them, all of a little blond boy, curly-haired and gap-toothed and with a smile like sunshine, and says, in a slow, quiet voice, that she understands. She knows that pain, she really knows that pain. Because her boy is gone too.

"I never meant to lose him," she says, voice choked with regret, "But I needed to sort things out. Get myself somewhere I could get my head straight. But I always meant to come back for him. I told him I would, I promised him. And I told his piece of shit father too. Told him to wait. But I...I ran into some trouble and things got...complicated. Messy. And I guess...I guess I'd left it too long. Because when I did come back, they were gone. He'd taken him away. He'd taken my son. My little boy."

The last words are raw. Aching. But before Joyce can say anything, can offer a word of comfort, Donna's turning around, a sad, small smile on her face.

"But isn't that strange? One of those funny things, those coincidences," she says, pointing a finger between her and Joyce, "Because my boy is a William too, well, officially, he is," she smiles again, a little bigger now, "But he...he's always been Billy to me. My Billy."

[konnorhasapen]

SNIPPET(SNEAK PEEK) SUNDAY FUNDAY!

MOAR PIRATES >:D

[Find the first part of 'Treading Waters' here!]

——

  Kody Pluvaes...

   They'd heard of him before—from Damien back when he was still stuck here, and even just before their parents were killed in that fire. They had a feeling those rumors of what he did to the last person who had been arranged to marry him weren't rumors at all. After they had taken a stand for themself, they were locked in the dungeon, but Damien said they had escaped. He said they were going to try and find them—the Mage, Freelancer—when he escaped and promised to take them on the adventure too after the loss of their parents. Just two best friends against the world, searching for The Mage's Damnation... So much for that.

   They couldn't blame him though. While Sofia was a levelheaded Queen, she was a tyrant to her son behind closed doors. It had gotten to the point where he hardly had any life outside of being forced to prepare for his upbringing as the next King of Favíll—which was about the last thing he wanted. So, he left. He had meant to bring Angel with him and they knew that, but, in the end, he didn't have time. It was either get out alone, or get caught.

   Escaping.., they let the word roll off their mental tongue, eyes drifting to the tapestries lining the walls as they pondered. That's got quite the appeal to it.

   "I've already arranged for us to set out at dawn and meet him in Rainfall," she smiled. "How exciting." Angel felt themself begin to spiral:

  Oh Gods, they thought to themself, I can't do this. I can't let her marry me off to some mildewy creep like I'm some trading good. They pushed their seat from the table and stood abruptly.

   "Please excuse me?" They asked, barely waiting for the dismissive wave of the Queen's hand before they took the shortest route to their room and stepped out on to the balcony, letting the crisp air that carried the scent of the ocean waft through their senses and slow their mind into a state of calm. Now, they could start thinking rationally.

   When did they set off? They asked themself, gaze loacked on the distant piers of their own city. One whole week ago, thereabouts. They should be home soon. Within the day, in fact. 

   As if they themselves possessed abilities to see into what the future holds, Angel could hear the clattering and clobbering of a horse's footfall, they could see the sun shining brightly against heavy iron and the light reflecting off their bronze emblem.

   "By the Gods, they've made it back in one piece!" Angel exclaimed from their balcony, snickering to themself as they could sense the roll of Stealth's keen eyes without having to actually see them. Once they knew they had the attention of their Knight, they smiled.

   "Meet me in the private courtyard!" They beckoned, recieving a nod without hesitation before Stealth continued their trot into the stables atop Arion. It didn't take long for all of the mare's needs to be met and Stealth to find the last royal heir sat comfortably on a white stone bench deep within the private courtyard, delicately nursing a drooping sunflower.

——

Hope you enjoyed! I've been wondering how many people thought Baabe would be Angel's guard and Sweetheart the Innkeeper from the introduction🤔

💫TAGS LIST💫

@sealriously-sealrious @friendlyfaded @morgansplace @sri-rachaa @the-gender-bending-squid @epsi-l0n @star-sheeps @slushrottweiler @nonbinarycringe404 @shiningkeyoflife @anthrokiaera @whatalovelymae @beemybella @0605018redactedasmr (I think that's everybody! If you'd like to be added to see more of my Redacted Audio pirate au fanfic Treading Waters, let me know!)

[iloveabunchofgames]

#JakeReviewsItch

About Love, Hate & the other ones

by Black Pants Studio, Johannes Spohr

Genre: Puzzle

Pitch: A side-view, single-screen puzzle game. Help two characters manipulate their environment to reach the goal in each level.

My expectations: Seems appropriate. It's St. Valentimes Day. I've heard of this game, but I had it in my mind that it was an adventure game, so I suppose I don't know what to expect. I haven't played Tiny & Big: Grandpa's Leftovers, (also from Black Pants Studio), but it's been on my list for some time, which means I have a vague, untested affinity for this developer.

Review:

What is Love? Love is an attractive black blob with friendly eyes and a flower in its hair. Hate is also a black blob, but its threatening scowl and permanent scowl are repulsive.

The other ones are repelled and repulsed. Select Love and click on a green one, for example, and it will move one space forward. Use Hate, and it moves one step back. Contrary to what you might have heard, Love is not all you need. The goal of each puzzle is for either Love or Hate (it doesn’t matter which) to reach a button. Why are Love and Hate cooperating to push a button? Because Love and Hate are a simple way to represent Pull and Push as characters—characters who never say anything except, “I love you!” / ”I hate you!” in amusingly deep voices. There’s not much story, but there are dialogue-heavy cutscenes between two characters who can only say one phrase each, and it rocks.

The puzzle design is solid. I liked every one I played (66 of 80), though there aren’t many I’d consider especially impressive. There’s a good variety of other ones, all visually and mechanically distinct. Nothing revolutionary, but definitely above average.

+ Attracting and repelling strange creatures. The ability to fall from any distance but only climb the height of a single block. You can't fool me; they stole all this from Toki Tori 2! Actually, the two-character thing is unique, and self-contained levels are more like the first Toki Tori. And there's no way to die. They've taken inspiration from the best and given it a unique spin. I approve. + Not a bad puzzle in the bunch. + Tricky puzzles based on clear rules that are rolled out slowly and combined into even trickier puzzles. Bonus points for often tossing in an easy level after the most grueling challenges. + Hours of relaxed puzzle-solving. Trying to play the whole thing in one sitting for this review was a mistake. Short levels make for a great game to play for a few minutes at a time over the course of a couple weeks.

– Just a little slow. Speed up every animation by, like, 25%, the game would be 50% better. – Puzzles end with a thud. I'm a genius. Why aren't you celebrating my accomplishment? Have you seen Toki Tori dance? I deserve fanfare, fireworks, and catharsis. – Audio. There's a surprisingly long piece of music for the loading screen between levels, but there's no music in the levels. (On the plus side, it's a good excuse to pick your own soundtrack. I went with Teen Girl Scientist Monthly.) – There are four different worlds, each with their own visual theme and no other changes. Looking at the same dull background for 20 stages in a row, only to get another dull background for the next 20 stages is wearying.

🧡🧡🧡🧡🤍 Bottom Line: A strong collection of bite-size puzzles. Easy to understand, difficult to solve, and never stressful. It's no Toki Tori 2, but the fact that it can be compared to one of the greatest puzzle games ever made makes this an easy recommendation, despite its undercooked presentation.

#JakeReviewsTwitch is a series of daily game reviews. You can learn more here. You can also browse past reviews...

• By name • By rating • By genre

[kashimos-hajime]

NO BECAUSE I WAS JUST ABT TO TURN MY PHONE OFF AND HEAD TO BED UNTIL I SAW THAT U UPDATED AND AAA INSTANTLY UNRUINED MY DAY THANK YOU

OKAY OKAY so i love how there was still a moment of soft fluffy comfort despite the unresolved angsty(is that the right word) mess geto and yn have going on rn coz despite the whole sort of but not rly intentionally pushing each other away thing they are doing, they would still go out of their way to be there for each other instead of committing to the bit. am i reading too much into this? probably. is this bare minimum? most likely </3 but geto ‘regurgitates his food out at the thought o commitment’ suguru and yn ‘physically and mentally mortified to form connections’ ln, both certifiably traumatised, could have easily taken the easy way out and dipped and ykw they deserve brownie points for that. also toge is so real for that i just know he gave geto the biggest stink eye the next time he saw him after that text 💀 AND LOOK WHEN I SAW THE UPDATE WAS TITLED ITADORI MY DUMB ASS LITERALLY WENT ‘aw maybe we are gonna see yn and yuji become fast friends and it’ll be rly cute’ BUT THEN I FORGOT THAT SUKUNA IS LITERALLY JUST SLEAZY YUJI AND 🫠 normalize blaming sukuna for everything. also props to maki for pushing aside the absolute disgust that comes with texting fic!gojo for yn’s wellbeing if it were me i would’ve started puking blood the moment i pulled up his contact.

thank you for another incredible update (as usual). i find it admirable that despite the truckload of stuff you had going on that you still made time for an update. and not to overstep but while ur regular updates are greatly appreciated, i think i (and many more) would not mind if you needed to slow down or take a break :) also i’m sorry i didn’t realise how long this gotten but oh well hehe i hope you have nothing but the world’s best naps after this!

every time i see an ask from you i get the happiest lightest feeling one can get from reading anything. you unruined my day as much as i have unruined yours so thank you <3

yes!! who cares about reading too much into it!! because THEY SURE AS HELL AREN’T FR like i think even though they have their own conflicting feelings (that the other doesn't know about or even remembers 😭) that they still prioritize their friendship even though they're not aware of how important it is to them :( they have a very deep sense of care for each other that drives them both a bit intensely especially because of how unused to that feeling they are, too 😭 getou being upset as soon as he saw yns tweet (to the point where he publicized it 🙄) and reaching out, yn letting him in and letting him help her cheer up. toge most definitely was rolling his eyes, but he had to bc maki wasn't there.

HELPPP NOT THE SUKUNA COMMENT!@!#N!LK#N no bc tbh you really CAN BLAME EVERYTHING ON HIM!!! he hasn't even shown up yet and you can blame him i swear :) and yes!! maki would literally walk through fire for yn bc of their friendship throughout high school. they've been through thick and thin together and even though maki comes off a bit harsh and y/n a bit frustrating, they love each other regardless.

thank you for your kind words! you're not overstepping dw :) i try to keep a healthy mindset about updating (i'm pretty fine with setting boundaries over the internet and stepping away when i need to) but i really wanted to give you guys the next update! i think my life should settle down over the next few weeks so they should resume at a semi-normal pace. sleep well!

[peterrparrkerr]

Hit mad falls in love with target - read on ao3

*-*

Peter waved frantically at Tony when he walked into the lab, eyes glued to a computer screen.

"Tony, quick! Look!" He demanded, nearly vibrating in his chair.

Tony made his way over, hands clasped behind his back as he leaned over Peter's shoulder.

"Isn't it awesome?" The young man asked, waving his hands around.

"What am I looking at?" Tony asked.

"Its cancer," Peter said. He points to different colored lines in the graph, all jagged and fluctuating. "This is breast cancer, and this one is pancreatic, skin, lung."

Tony hums as Peter continues to list each colored line as a different form of cancer.

"I was able to isolate the individual cells from everything else, and- look, look!"

Peter snatches Tony by the shirt sleeve and tugs him from one monitor to the one on the other side of the lab. He taps his fingers on the screen, bouncing on his heels.

"These are the cells after being treated with non-radioactive therapy," Peter said, looking up at Tony. "The number of cancer cells is cut in half within a week!"

Peter then drags Tony across the lab again, babbling excitedly as he does so. "Do you know what this means? This means we can start human testing! And we can market the treatment for practically nothing!"

He shows Tony a live feed of the treatment in action from a TV monitor.

"Think about the possibilities," Peter grinned. "Anyone can get treated, no matter their financial standing. And the treatment isn't as harmful as chemo or radiation. It doesn't attack the body as a whole, it isolates the cancer cells and leaves the rest of the body alone.

"No more hair loss or side effects. And we could cut remission in half too," Peter said. "Just think, this time next year, we could start selling to hospitals all over the world."

Tony smiles down at the younger man. He had known within the first day of meeting Peter that he wouldn't be able to follow through. He's glad he hadn't.

"Have you told anybody else?" He asks casually.

"Ned knows," Peter said. "And Bruce, but they were here when it happened."

"Where are they now?"

Peter gives Tony a wry smile, still too excited about his treatment working.

"I sent them home a couple hours ago," he said. "We've all been awake for almost three days, so I'm sure they've gone to bed already."

"You should be in bed too, don't you think?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow.

Peter waves him off, shaking his head as he goes to his work desk. "I'll sleep later," he said, pulling his lab coat off and draping it over the chair.

He's dressed in his usual outfit; comfortable pants and a button up.

"Plus, I knew you'd make your rounds around this time, and I wanted to tell you," Peter said with a grin, grabbing his personal items.

That was part of Tony's cover. A janitor for the building Peter worked for. Hes wearing a navy blue jump suit, though he's left the cart out in the hallway.

"I'll walk you to your car," Tony hums, leading the way out. When he'd first started this, he'd offered his company to get closer to Peter -to find his vulnerabilities.

Now though, he does it because he's protecting the young scientist.

He'd skipped out with 45 thousand dollars paid to kill the boy, but as the days had gone on, and Peter had grown comfortable with him, Tony realized he couldn't steal him from the world.

Peter was incredible. He worked tirelessly to find a cure for cancer. He's already created a new insulin for diabetes that he's made available to everyone for only $10 a month -something not many other medical professionals liked.

Peter was making enemies left and right, and Tony decided to make it his job to keep him breathing. If not for the rest of his life, then for as long as it takes for the young scientist to see an end to cancer.

The boy wasn't getting much in terms of money for his creations. In fact, from what Tony's come to learn, the boy doesn't own a car, and rents an apartment with his aunt. 

He sees enough to live paycheck to paycheck and this new treatment won't do much to better his life, but he's not concerned with money. He wants to make Healthcare more effective and affordable.

Tony's got morals. Enough of them to know when a hit is a bad investment. That didn't stop him from taking his payment anyway.

The two make it to the car park. Its dark, the overhead lights buzzing annoyingly. Its empty, save for a couple cars belonging to a few of the security guards, and the car Peter shares with his aunt.

It's an older model, grey paint chipping and metal beneath rusting near the wheels. Peter talks animatedly beside him, lands flailing in front of him.

Tony glances around them, scowling as he takes in the familiar cement structure.

"Wait," Tony says, just as Peter's pulling the keys from his pocket. They're a couple feet away from the car, and the hairs on Tony's arms and neck stand on end.

"What is it?" Peter asked curiously, reaching for the door handle.

It's just as Peter grips the handle that Tony sees the wire connected to the metal lock on the other side of the glass.

Tony is quick to react, grabbing Peter by the arms and wrenching him away from the door.

Peter yelps in surprise, but its cut out by the sound of a small explosion. Tony braces for the blast of air that knocks the two off their feet, and grits his teeth at the heat that follows.

Peter's pressed against the cement, Tony weighing down on him. His ears ring, but he quickly gets to his feet, unzipping his jumpsuit and grabbing the .9 mm from the waistband of his jeans.

The car is ablaze, crackle-popping and sizzling. Its just the cab thats on fire, but Tony knows its only a matter of seconds before the flames reach the engine and the fuel line.

Tony looks around him, trying to find the culprit -though he knows from experience that the man won't be here.

He grabs Peter by the armpits and pulls him to his feet. Blood smears against his forehead and jaw. His hands and arms are scraped up and Tony can tell his knees are busted too, but it doesn't look like anything damaging.

"We gotta go," Tony urges, already half dragging the younger back towards the building.

"You-you have a gun," Peter gapes, stumbling after Tony, arm in the older's hard grip. "Why do you have a gun?"

Tony reaches the door for the stairwell.

"I'm a hired gun," Tony said, glancing up, then down, gun following his eyeline before pushing Peter towards the stairs going up.

"I thought you were a janitor," Peter gasped, climbing the stairs and swaying. Tony places his free hand on Peter's lower back.

"Thats just a front," Tony confessed. "We got to get you out of here."

"Someone blew up my car," Peter said, panting as they continue up to the first floor. "Aunt May is gonna kill me."

"Not if Buck doesn't kill you first," Tony grunted, pulling Peter out of the stairwell and into the main lobby.

Tony's car is around the side of the building, but its open to attack. Tony can't keep Peter trapped inside the building though, so he risks it.

Their feet slap loudly on the asphalt as they run for the nondescript black SUV Tony had taken to driving.

He checks around the vehicle, under and inside before issuing Peter into the back seat.

Tires screech as Tony peels out of the parking lot.

"What- whats happening? Tony, what- why do-"

"Someones trying to kill you, Peter," Tony said, blowing past the guard tower at the exit of the parking lot.

"But why?" Peter asked dumbly, voice slurring slightly as more blood turns the side of his face crimson.

"I'll answer all your questions when we're safe," Tony promised, eyes frantically shifting from the area ahead of him to the rear view mirror.

Peter must really be feeling the effects of his head slamming into the concrete, because he doesn't protest.

"Lay down," Tony orders, merging into traffic and slowing down. "Lay low until I say."

Peter does -Tony thinks mostly because of his head injury. Tony relaxes a little, knowing the scientist won't be gunned down in the back seat.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere safe," Tony answered, keeping an eye behind him.

He doesn't see a tail, but he takes a round-about way to his safe house, just outside of Queens.

When they get to the small cabin, Tony checks the building before helping Peter inside.

"I think I have a concussion," Peter mumbles, swaying on his feet as Tony guides him to the kitchen chair.

"I don't doubt it," Tony agrees, setting his gun down on the table beside Peter's elbow before grabbing the first aid kit.

He pulls another chair over in front of the young scientist and opens the red box.

"Let me see your hands," Tony orders. Peter does, palms up. Tony begins to clean them and his arms.

"Tony," Peter says, breaking the silence. Tony doesn't say anything. He reaches up to clean the blood from the side of Peter's cheek.

"Is your name actually Tony?"

Tony makes eye contact before nodding.

"And you're a hired gun?" Peter asks, slightly breathless. "Like, like a hitman?"

"Yes," Tony answers, reaching the cut on Peter's hairline. Peter winces, but doesn't pull away.

"You kill people for a living?"

"Yes."

It takes Peter a couple seconds, but it seems to hit him. Hes bolting to his feet, the chair clattering behind him.

Tony leans back into the chair, watching as Peter begins to pace.

"What- Tony, you have to tell me whats going on," Peter demands, hand on his head. Tony knows from experience that pacing tends to help the scientist expell excess energy.

"I will," Tony nods. Peter continues his pacing. Back and forth beside the kitchen counter.

"Why- why are people trying to kill me?" He demanded. "Who blew up my car?"

Tony sets the paper towels down on the table, knowing Peter won't sit still for him to properly tend to him.

"The one who blew up your car is another hitman," Tony said. "Goes by the name Winter Soldier."

"You called him Buck," Peter said, pointing an accusatory finger at Tony, eyes narrowed.

"I did," Tony nodded. "Hitmen tend to run in the same circles, though we don't always like each other. Bucky was probably hired to finish the job."

"Finish the job," Peter repeated dumbly. "I'm the job?"

Tony nods, once more letting Peter process. He knew Peter would figure it out without Tony's help. He was smart.

"Finish the job means someone already tried to- to kill me," Peter said, panting as he continued to pace. The wound at his hairline is bleeding sluggishly, dripping down his temple and towards his jaw.

Peter wipes at it without thought, smearing blood against his cheek. He pauses to look down at his hand, fingers glistening in red.

He touches his forehead again, as if remembering he's still injured, then turns to Tony, accusation and fear in his Bambi brown eyes.

"You," he said softly, in disbelief. "You were hired to kill me, weren't you."

"I was," Tony nodded.

"But you haven't," Peter said. Tony can practically see the gears turning behind his eyes. "And, and now whoever hired you hired the Winter Soldier."

Tony only nods. Peter takes a shuddering inhale and has to grip the counter with a bloody hand to stabilize himself.

"I'm- I'm- who- who would want to-to kill me?!"

"The payment was anonymous," Tony said. "Thats how it works. But whoever it is is threatened by you."

Peter looks at Tony incredulously. "Me? Why me? I'm the least threatening person -like- ever!"

"You've cost Big Pharma millions with your insulin," Tony said. "You've patented it, so they can't take it and upcharge the way they've been doing. And if your treatment for cancer is a success, you'd be costing them even more."

Peter takes a moment to process that before he nods. "Right, yeah. I knew I was going to make a lot of people mad about that, but. But I never expected anyone to actually try to kill me."

"Money is a powerful motive," Tony said, a little too much experience leaking into his tone.

Peter hears it, because he stops his pacing, shoulders dropping. Exhaustion seems to pull him towards the floor like an anvil tied to his spine.

He sways a little, and Tony's about to offer him the chair again, but he moves to it willingly. When he sits, their knees are barely touching, and he blinks dazedly at his bloody hand.

Tony grabs a clean rag and leans forward to clean up the blood from Peter's head. The younger lets him, still processing and no doubt sluggish from the concussion.

"Why didn't you?" Peter asked after Tony had taped gauze to his hairline. It was patchy and poorly done, but it would help.

"Why didn't I what," Tony hummed, using an alcoholic wet wipe to clean the remaining blood from Peter's hands. The boy winces at the burn to his scraped palms.

"Kill me," he said, swallowing thickly. "You had plenty of opportunity."

Tony sighed, setting the wipes down before leaning forward and looking Peter in the eye.

"Because I believe in the work you're doing," he said honestly. "And I'm going to make sure you finish it."

Peter blinks once, twice, before breaking eye contact and sighing, body eating to melt into the chair as the air leaves his lungs.

"Come on," Tony said, standing up and slipping the gun into the waistband of his pants. Then offering his hand. "This place is safe. Theres a bed you can sleep in."

"I shouldn't sleep with a concussion," Peter said weakly, taking Tony's offered hand anyway.

"Its mild, I'm sure you'll be fine," Tony mused, heading deeper into the cabin to the bedroom.

The bedroom isn't anything special. A twin bed in the corner, a four drawer dresser and a blackout curtain.

Peter climbs onto the bed, not bothering with the covers or taking his shoes off. Tony thinks its best he sleep with them on anyway, in case Bucky finds them.

Tony moves to leave, grabbing the handle, and Peter bolts upright again, eyes wide.

"You're okay," Tony promises. "I'll be right outside."

Peter gives the barest shake of his head. "Stay here, please," he says softly.

Tony nods, shutting the door and turning off the light before making his way to the side of the bed. Theres an old step stool there, and he sits down at the head of the bed.

Peter lays back down, body too tense to ever fall asleep. Tony keeps his ears attuned to any noise that could alert him to Bucky, or anyone else, gun sitting perfectly stop on his knee, finger off the trigger, but ready at a moments notice.

"Tony?"

"Yes, Peter."

Peter shuffles around, and Tony turns his head just in time to feel pillow soft lips connect with the corner of his mouth.

He can't help but smirk as Peter settles back down. "Thanks for not killing me."

Tony chuckles at that, leaning his head against the wall. "I may be a hitman, but I've got morals," he says into the dark room. "Besides, nobody likes cancer."

Peter laughs tiredly at that before reaching his hand out and grabbing Tony's. Their fingers interlock, and Tony doesn't really know which one of them initiated it.

"You're going to be okay," Tony continued. "I wont let anyone hurt you. You're safe with me."

"I know."

[one-boring-person]

Six Bodies In An Alley.

The Lost Boys x reader

Warnings: pretty graphic descriptions of gore, death, blood imagery

Context: the reader lives in Santa Carla, and has befriended the boys, but still has no idea what they are, so is in for a surprise when they go looking for their brother one night, only to find them in the middle of business they'd rather the reader didn't see.

A/N: I reckon I'll turn this into a two-part story, seeing as it is a bit inconclusive, and the boys don't play a massive part just yet, so I'd better get down to that😂💛

Masterlist

"Three hours late. How on earth is anyone ever three hours late to anything?" I mutter irritably to myself as I push through the crowd, aiming to get off the Boardwalk as quickly as possible, my confused yet annoyed mood giving me the confidence to actively shove people out of my way, choosing to ignore any protests as I move past them. Two or three of them try to grab my arm, but I don't give them the time of day, pulling myself from their grip without even turning to them, worry starting to creep into me as I glance back down at my watch, knowing how late it now is.

A couple of days ago, my younger brother got in contact, telling me that he'll be in Santa Carla for a few days, and would like to meet up, having taken a couple of weeks off from his job in New York, where he's been holed up for months. Naturally, I'd jumped at the opportunity, glad to finally be able to show him around the little coastal town, and to be able to introduce him to the friends I've made in my time living here, seeing as he has not seen me since we both left our hometown, back when our mother passed away. We arranged to meet up on the Boardwalk around seven, but he never turned up, leaving me to wait in the bustling area with no clue as to his whereabouts. The hours dragged on, three of them passing before I finally had enough of worrying, deciding to go looking for him as my curiosity spiked, which is where I find myself now, a frown etched onto my face as I push through the writhing bodies around me.

After a good ten minutes of wrestling with the crowd, I manage to reach a main road, where the pedestrian traffic is a lot thinner, allowing me to see the surroundings with more ease. Still unable to spot either him or his recognizable car, I start to walk towards the outskirts of the town, where it is likely he may have gotten lost, pulling my jacket tighter around me as the air becomes cooler, the lack of people around me making the cold breeze more noticeable. Biting my lip, I try to suppress the urge to turn back and get somewhere warmer, continuing on into the dimly lit back roads looping around the town, an odd feeling starting to grow in the back of my mind, an inbuilt instinct telling me something is wrong, and that I'm not safe. Ignoring it, I start to observe the few cars parked here and there, struggling to see in the strangely foggy light, aware that the streetlights don't illuminate everything around me, meaning there are a lot of blindspots surrounding me.

At first, I don't recognise any of the vehicles lingering by the side of the road, my hopes briefly flaring up as I see a similar car, only to realise it is the wrong model and is, in fact, not the gaudy crimson colour I thought it was, a realisation that draws a curse from me. It takes another twenty minutes of searching before I finally find the right one, my suspicions having been confirmed when I see the scarlet car parked on the curb, the engine idling in the now-freezing night air. Relieved, I go over to it, knocking on the window of the driver's side, waiting for him to roll it down, or get out of the car. When neither happens, I bend over to look into the interior, my brow furrowing when I find it empty, the keys still in the ignition despite the fact that the driver is clearly missing. Straightening, I look over the exterior of the car, noticing that the back left tyre is flat, my eyes wandering to the back windows, though there is nothing behind them when I check, expecting to see the familiar sight of my brother sleeping on the backseats.

Frowning, I step away from the car, trying to think where he may have gone, going over all the possible places he could've walked to in the area, though I don't know this particular area as well as I'd like, my knowledge of the surrounding streets slightly limited. Chewing my lip, I go back to the car and switch off the engine, taking the keys with me as I decide to check if there are any garages anywhere nearby, knowing my brother is unlikely to leave the car running unless he is going to return to it relatively quickly. Locking the vehicle, I start back up the road, cursing myself for not checking up on him sooner, worry still biting at the back of my mind as I try to focus on finding him again.

I don't go far, expecting him to have stayed in the area, stopping and turning back when I reach another badly lit junction, at which point I finally acknowledge something off about the last half an hour: the streets are deserted, not a living soul passing me as I traipse the dark pavements. At this realisation, the instinctual feeling from before returns, the hairs at the back of my neck standing on end as goosebumps appear on my skin, an irrational fear clouding my judgement as I turn and start walking hurriedly back the way I came, intending to reach the car again so that I can at least memorize it's whereabouts and collect it in the morning. My brother must've found his way into town or something, though it is odd that he left his prized car alone, with the engine still idling, something he's never really done. I try to reassure myself of this fact as my mind becomes ever more convinced that I'm not safe, my pace inadvertently picking up at the thought of something happening to me. It's only when I pass close to an alley that I slow, halting in my step as something catches my attention.

Taking a breath, I approach the alley, my instincts telling me to run and get away from here, still fully aware that I can't see every inch of the area around me, due to the bad coverage of the streetlights. Despite this, I still manage to make out the shape that caught my eye, instantly recognising it as human, though it isn't moving, not even to breathe, which is odd. As I move closer to the person, I become aware of the other people lying a little way away, one of them separate from the rest, a putrid stench floating up from them all, making my eyes water slightly at the strength of it. Wrinkling my nose, I crouch down beside the first person, intending to ask them where I am and if they've seen my brother pass them, only to let out a half scream when her head rolls forwards, a thick liquid rushing down her front as it does.

In the dim light, her eyes stare up at me, glassy and unseeing, her face mutilated and caked with dark blood, bone and muscle visible under the torn skin. Her hair hangs in filthy strands over her shoulders, though it moves out of the way to reveal a deep hole in her chest, as if her ribs caved in over her heart, puncturing her lungs and heart, which are just visible under the slick covering of blood, all the skin that would normally cover her torso torn into shreds and peeled away to reveal the musculature beneath. Flies are already gathering around the reeking corpse, a few rats even starting to crawl up her slashed arms, eager to get hold of this new meal, the whole sight making me want to throw up, bile starting to rise in my throat, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth as I stand, tearing my gaze away from her.

A quick glance proves to me that the rest are all similarly mangled, their blood black in the dusky lighting, pools of the stuff gathering in the dips in the pavement around their corpses, the stench emanating from these vile puddles. Horror and fear, as well as panic, well up in me, my body starting to shake as I remain rigid, standing there for a good few minutes before I manage to collect my thoughts again, thinking through what could possibly have happened. Was it a freak animal attack? Are there rabid creatures waiting in the shadows to tear me apart, as they have done to these people?

As I think this through, one thought surfaces, a pang of deep fear striking me as I quickly go to each body, frantically checking their faces for a familiar one, gagging and wincing as I see the bloodied scraps that are left of their visages, their blood soon coating my hands and shirt from where I've handled their lifeless cadavers. In total, there are six bodies, and five of them are unfamiliar to me, so I approach the sixth with some hesitation, my steps slow and cautious, as if to delay the inevitable, though it isn't long until the face of the person comes into view, the unmistakable shape of his jaw and bone structure sending an icy bolt of horror through me.

It's my brother.

Gasping, I trace to his side and collapse to the floor, eyes finding the wounds littering his body, widening as they take in the gory mess that is the remains of his throat, as well as the mangled stump where his right arm used to be. A wave of nausea threatens to crash over me as I try to concentrate, unsure of whether this is really happening, my hands reaching out, gingerly, to trace a clean patch of his skin, a strangled sob leaving me at the feeling of his frigid skin beneath mine. Just in time, I turn to the side and allow the contents of my stomach to empty themselves onto the pavement, my stomach unable to hold itself together as I try not to break down completely; I continue to throw up for a good five minutes, a painful cramp setting in as I am reduced to dry-heaving.

I barely register the sounds of a group of people rounding the corner, their voices familiar to me as they joke with each other, laughter accompanying the cynical words of their leader. It's only when they stop a few metres away, voices fading into shocked silence, that I look up, terror filling me as I take in their appearance, identifying them immediately: Paul, Marko, Dwayne and David.

My eyes take their forms, horror and panic building up in me as I take in their bloodied appearances, discomposure filling me as I notice the concentration of the brackish fluid around their chins and mouth, before my eyes lift to their other features. Upon seeing them, I back away, confusion and fear evident on my face as I slowly get to my feet, continuing to edge away from them as they start to come closer - their features are distorted, their brows pulled into longer, grotesque caricatures of their usually handsome faces, blazing yellow eyes ringed with crimson following my every move, razor sharp fangs poking out from under their top lips as they go to speak, each pale tooth stained scarlet.

Without a second thought, I turn and run.

Adrenaline gives me speed, my pulse pounding in my ears as I race back onto the street I was on before, my breathing becoming harsh and ragged as I push myself into my fastest pace. Behind me, I hear a couple of deep chuckles, as well as a maniac laugh as footsteps start to follow me, a horribly familiar voice calling after me. I ignore it, focusing on staying ahead of my pursuers, doing my best to avoid the stones littering the pavement, my hand scrabbling in my pocket for the keys to my brother's car, thinking I could use it to get away, even if the tyre is flat. Finding them, I pull them out and continue sprinting down the road, a relieved gasp escaping me as I catch sight of the vehicle ahead, a new burst of energy exploding in me as I give one final push, reaching it swiftly.

Tremors wrack my hands as I attempt to get the key into the door, aware of the ever-approaching boys behind me, my breath held as I struggle to remain calm, adrenaline still pumping through me, a curse escaping me as I fight with the stuff turning mechanism. It finally opens, allowing me to climb into the car and slam the door behind me, quickly sticking the key into the ignition and turning it, only for the engine to stall. Going to try again, I growl in frustration as the same thing happens, the car refusing to let me put it into drive as I wrestle with the key. Panic starts to resurface within me, my actions becoming more and more frenzied, until I give up, punching the steering wheel in front of me in anger, wincing when my fist smarts afterwards.

A dent suddenly appears in the roof of the car, as if a heavy weight was dropped on it, a blood-curdling screeching noise following, as if someone was tearing through rusted metal, or trying to bend it out of shape. Looking out of the window, I notice a pair of hands digging into the weak spot just above the window, the metal coming away from the base as they continue to pull at it, opening me up to them, whatever they are. Petrified, I remain still for a couple of seconds, before jumping back into action, moving so that I'm forcing myself through the gap between the driver and passenger seats, crushing myself through the space into the backseats, collecting myself before I throw open the back door, stumbling briefly as I try to regain my balance, racing off towards the main road. I must look a sight - wearing a bloodied shirt and sporting similarly stained hands, tears streaking my cheeks, my breath coming out in rasping pants as I try to stay ahead of a group of who I assume to be killers. Hope fills me as I see a brighter light appear at the end of the road, clearly the beginning of the main road leading into Santa Carla, my pace remaining steady as I aim for it, careful not to get too excited, knowing I'm not quite in the clear yet.

A pair of arms suddenly appear around my waist, their owner easily lifting me off the ground and into the air, a scream of terror ripping itself from me as my attacker somehow floats upwards, holding me against a muscular chest, the smell of their black coat very familiar to me. Instantly, I start to writhe in his grip, kicking and wriggling as much as I can in his tight grasp.

"Calm down, (Y/n)! I'm not going to hurt you!" David commands, tightening his arms around me as I pay him no attention, trying to get out using any possible technique, "If you keep this up, I'll have to drop you, and we're a long way from the ground!"

At his words, I look down, freezing up as I see how far away we are from the pavement below, my eyes widening in fear, a pathetic whimper escaping me. I look up to see the other three sort of hovering around David and I, all of them looking serious for once, not just Dwayne, Marko chewing on his thumb as Paul struggles to stay still, somehow managing to fidget in mid air.

"What do you want? What are you?" I ask them, despair lacing my tone as I address them, knowing I'll probably end up like my brother, another corpse my supposed friends have left behind for others to find.

"We'll explain soon enough, but for now, we're going home. Hang on tight." The platinum blonde confirms, shifting me around so that I'm facing him, his icy blue eyes boring into mine as he repositions my arms around his neck, encouraging me to hold on tight. Gritting my teeth, I swallow and hold on, linking my legs around his waist as he starts to move, burying my face into his chest in pure fear, unsure of what will happen.

[silver-wield]

A lot of this is speculation, although I did check the times for sunrise/set in 2007 to help estimate the time of day.

There's very few in game clocks and notices to pin point the hour. There's one in chapter 1 before you go into the reactor and another on the wall in Jessie's house in chapter 4.

I'm going to guess at the ring around the 2nd of December is when Zack and Cloud escaped their test tubes because there's no other event that happened on that date. This would also give Zack time to mosey with Cloud assuming little time passed until he got that letter from Aerith and decided to return to Midgar.

FF7 is typical for using a lot of 7 symbolism and 7R also does this, which leads me to believe the in game timeline is no more than a week long, from the evening of the 9th to the morning of the 16th.

This leads to the next marker on the calendar, which either says return or reborn. Now, I was saying before that this was when they escaped and decided to return to Midgar, but that leaves a plot hole where them waking on the 2nd doesn't.

So, on the 4th, Zack and Cloud start heading to Midgar, pursued by Shinra.

On the 7th is Zack's last stand.

It takes Cloud at least 30hrs to cross the remaining few miles into Midgar, where he collapses from exhaustion at the train station in sector 7. Late that evening (8th), Tifa finds Cloud and his soldier persona snaps into place. We have to assume he spent the night in the bar and then the next day, he agreed to join the reactor 1 mission.

Chapter one

09/12/07

8.50pm - 11.00pm

The clock before you enter the reactor has several train times listed with the next one due at 8.50pm. Avalanche want to be in and out quickly, so wouldn't have taken long to get to mako storage, although the boss battle and escape would've stretched the time limit. The maximum amount of time on the bomb is 30m and Barret acts like Cloud is a coward if we choose it. Meaning they had 20m maximum to get out.

Chapter two:

09/12/07 - 10/12/07

11.00pm - 12.00am

Cloud and co catch the last train out of Midgar. The detour from the collapse and Cloud having to fight his way through wouldn't have taken long or else there would have been more public security on the streets. They'd had time to install some roadblocks and scramble choppers, which would've taken about 30m-1hr.

Chapter 3

10/12/07

12.30am - 4.00pm

The train journey taken into account, Avalanche arrives back in sector 7 after midnight.

That morning, Cloud and Tifa spend time together until late afternoon when Barret sends him off. After fighting Corneo's goons, Cloud wants a nap, so heads back to stargazer heights, where he run into Jessie.

The lighting changes after their chat, indicating the sun will set soon, meaning it's around 4pm.

Chapter 4

10/12/07 - 11/12/07

9.00pm - 7.00am

It's fully dark when Cloud goes to the station to meet Jessie and the trains are on a reduced schedule. This means that Cloud did get some sleep in the meantime, though I doubt it was very restful.

It takes them longer to reach the plate than a train would because the bikes aren't as fast and they have to fight public security and Roche.

By the time Cloud's "mission" stealing a security card is through we see from the clock it's 12.35am.

This leaves the remaining time dedicated to the storming the annex and getting home to sector 7 again.

After a chat with Tifa, where we could assume she's up early or just couldn't sleep, the chapter ends early that morning when whispers attack and incapacitate Jessie.

Chapter 5

11/12/07

8.00am - 2.00pm

After prepping, the triple A trio take the rush hour train to Midgar, with Tifa noting how empty the carriages are.

Following the jump from the train, it takes several hours to reach the platform that'll take them to the underplate.

Chapter 6

11/12/07

3.00pm - 6.00pm

Tifa notes the sunset seen on the horizon and by the time they make it to the far side of the underplate, we can see in president Shinra's view from his office that it's dark.

Chapter 7

11/12/07

6.30pm - 10.30pm

President Shinra's office window shows us it's dark and it would've taken a few hours to go up all the floors, fight the enemies and mess with the airbuster.

Exiting outside the reactor we can see it's fully dark.

Chapter 8

12/12/07

8.00am - 7.00pm

The whispers slow Cloud’s 300m descent into sector 5 and he wakes the next morning to Aerith telling him he fell into the flowers.

It takes a couple of hours to cross the rooftops after beating up Reno, then Cloud spends the rest of the day with Aerith and after waking from another nap, we can see it's now dark as he leaves to head back to sector 7.

Chapter 9

12/12/07 - 13/12/07

7.00pm - 12.00am

It takes around an hour to navigate the collapsed expressway and run to wall market, meaning Cloud and Aerith arrive at around 8.00pm as hinted at in one of the sector 5 posters foreshadowing the "date night."

It takes Cloud several hours to complete tasks and work his way through fights at the coliseum before he reunites with Tifa and they're dropped into the sewers.

Chapter 10

13/12/07

12.15am - 2.00am

It takes at the most a couple of hours to navigate the sewers. When Cloud, Tifa and Aerith reach the surface we see it's still dark and there's fighting going on at the pillar.

Chapter 11

13/12/07

2.00am - 4.00am

The train graveyard would also only take at the most a couple of hours due to the ghosts delaying them, as well as being forced to navigate the maze like area.

We hear over the radio that Avalanche are still holding off public security and that reinforcements are being called in, including Tseng.

Chapter 12

13/12/07

4.00am - 5.30am

Following the rules of climactic action, this chapter would take the least amount of time from start to finish to convey the high pressure the characters are under. We see both Cloud and Tifa's run up the pillar as rushed and in Tifa's case it happens at the same time as Aerith is getting Marlene. We also see that Cloud has been pinned down by the Turks for minutes at the most. They quickly reach the top and the subsequent collapse happens within the span of 30m.

The skyline, though hazy with smoke, suggests early hours of the morning.

Chapter 13

13/12/07

6.00am - 3.00pm

With Tifa knocked out, there must've been a point where Cloud put her arm under her head for her to wake like that.

It's still dark when Avalanche reach Elmyra's and when they go back to sector 7 to search for survivors.

By the time they exit deepground with Wedge most of the day has passed and Elmyra is suggesting they've had a long day and to get some rest.

Chapter 14

13/12/07 - 14/12/07

4.00pm - 2.00pm

Barret's resolution shows us it's not fully dark, which gives us a rough estimate of the time. Tifa's resolution happens around midnight, and Aerith tells us it's almost morning in hers.

When Avalanche leave Elmyra's it's early morning and they spend several hours helping out the locals and Leslie.

It's late afternoon by the time they start up the wall.

Chapter 15

14/12/07

3.00pm - 6.00pm

It's sunset at the start of this chapter and by the time the trio reach the top, several hours have passed, which is a logical conclusion based on how far they had to climb.

Chapter 16

14/12/07

7.00pm - 11.00pm

It takes a few hours of back and forth to navigate the Shinra building. The skyline is fully dark the whole time and we hear comments from workers about the late hour.

Chapter 17

15/12/07 - 16/12/07

12.00am - 4.00am

Following Cloud's passing out, the group hides in Aerith's room and spends the day recovering before getting trapped by Hojo in the drum. This takes several hours to navigate. This gives Wedge time to wake up and get inside the building where he tells the group he begged Avalanche to fly by. After they escape, they head to roof where we see it's night again. They then have to head back down when the helicopter is blown up.

Chapter 18

16/12/07

4.00am - 8.00am

The escape along the Midgar expressway and subsequent battle with the whispers and Sephiroth takes a few hours so that it's early morning in the final cut scene and for that time of year, sunrise would be around 8am.

[sarcasticgaypotato]

For an interesting prompt: masquerade party. Both chell and Glados attend in masks not recognizing each other until after they've danced and are dumbstruck because they're on hostile ground and why is this person so alluring all of the sudden...

This was all ridiculous. Gladys strongly believed that.She understood the need to get funding for Aperture, she was well aware of the financial situation that Aperture was in.  She wouldn’t have even rolled her eyes too much at a normal black-tie event to look pretty for potential investors.But this? This was absurd.A masquerade, Cave had suggested. It would be perfect, he said. Interesting enough to create buzz, but formal enough to keep up a reputation.  Caroline had, of course, agreed with him.  And Gladys, being a lead scientist, found herself with an invitation.She had argued with Caroline for hours when she first found out, protesting to the idea of being sent out to chat up living sacks of money.  However, to her surprise, Caroline had openly admitted that wasn’t the reason Cave was sending her.  He was there to talk to investors, along with Caroline and a few others. Gladys was there to talk to the other guests.Potential test subjects.  If they seemed like they could be someone that Aperture would want- athletes and olympians being the preferred options- then they got an invitation.  Then, Gladys and the other scientists were to entice them in the same way that Cave intended to do for investors.  Except instead of money, they’d be giving Aperture their bodies.This information had been enough to get Gladys to agree to go, as she was admittedly interested in seeing what test subjects she might get to run through her program.However, as the night of the event was upon her, she was reminded why she had been against this idea in the first place.Gladys liked to know who she was speaking to. She liked having files on near everyone she spoke to so that no matter what, they could not surprise her. She would always be one step ahead, knowing them better than they knew themselves.A masquerade made that incredibly difficult.

She had a limited knowledge of the guests who would be there, but hadn’t been granted access to the full list.  All she was told was where to be, and what her end goal was. How she got there was up to her.With a small huff of annoyance, she stood outside the doors to one of the conference rooms that had been transformed into the ballroom, hand lingering on the door.She could do this. She didn’t like not being able to know these people, but at least they couldn’t know her.Pulling her mask down to rest in place, she opened the door and stepped into the the mass of people, trying not to lose herself to the mindless sound of music and chatter combined.The first couple hours passed without anything of interest. A few glasses of champagne to keep herself sane, a few successful attempts to chat up soon-to-be test subjects with more brawn than brains.  They spoke loudly to let their voices reach over the music, boasting about their athletic accomplishments, and sometimes going so far as introducing themselves- clearly missing the point of a masked event.Gladys treated them all the same: offer them a smile, some well twisted words, and perhaps even a dance, if they looked like they needed extra encouragement.While a promise to see their applications within the next week was certainly satisfying, Gladys hadn’t exactly been having fun.  She didn’t think she was supposed to, but sparing one glance towards where she knew Cave and Caroline to be proved that she might be the only one who thought that way.Her boss seemed to be having the time of his life, and she even noticed Caroline cracking a smile from time to time, or a hint of laughter that was quickly hidden behind her hand.Well good for them, Gladys thought bitterly.  Cave was a social man, and Caroline was seemingly content doing just about anything, so long as Cave wasn’t doing something reckless.Gladys, on the other hand, had higher standards of entertainment. She could be doing science right now.  She could be reviewing the reports that came back on the long-fall boots, or looking over the blueprints on the next prototype for the portal gun. She could be getting so much work done right now, and that would be ten times more interesting than-She was snapped out of her thoughts by the feeling of a pair of eyes on her. That on its own meant nothing- she was well aware of how hungry eyes that followed the lines of her low-cut black dress had been staring at her throughout the evening- but something about this was different.As Gladys brought her gaze up to meet the eyes in question, she found herself almost taken aback.Sharp, silvery grey eyes that seemed to look into her very soul. They held a heat within them that burned with intrigue, a look of awareness and intelligence that Gladys hadn’t expected to see from anyone tonight.The woman was dressed in nice enough clothes, a suit that didn’t look terribly expensive, but molded itself to its wearer’s body incredibly well. Her face was partially covered by a mask that matched the colors of her suit, simply painted with no excess adornments to distract from the simplicity. She was clearly not an investor, as her build alone gave away plenty to Gladys.A lean form, well built and muscled, holding herself high and at the ready with the attentiveness of a soldier, yet with a stance that seemed to radiate independence that didn’t come from someone who had been through the military.If not for the figure’s outstretched hand-presumably waiting to shake her hand- Gladys would’ve forgotten to speak, as her pre-prepared speech for everyone she met suddenly seemed to fail her, and she could hardly remember a word of it.“Good evening. I take it you’ve been enjoying yourself?”A polite nod in response, though Gladys didn’t miss the hint of a shrug that came with it. “Well I’m a scientist here at Aperture Science, and I take it that you must be-”Gladys was cut off mid-sentence.  She had taken the outstretched hand as she spoke, expecting a handshake, yet finding herself very surprised when she realized that the figure held her hand instead, surprisingly gingerly, and gestured to the dancefloor without a word.Well. That was bold.Gladys blinked, before a slow smile crossed her lips.  She liked bold.  Bold was interesting.Slowly, she allowed herself to be pulled into the fray of dancers, only vaguely taking note of the song that was playing, and instead finding herself more focused on the rhythm.Her newfound dance partner wasted no time slipping into position, keeping one of Gladys’s hands held in her own, while her other hand rested comfortably on Gladys’s back.  Not too low, but not too high either.Gladys could feel callouses on the woman’s hands, leaving them slightly rough to the touch, and stark contrast of her own, which were smooth and soft from a lifetime of watching other people do the physical labor. The closer she got, the more she realized how badly she wanted this woman. -As a test subject.  She wanted her as a test subject.She was clearly strong, yet showed no signs of being a complete meathead. She was aware of her surroundings, managing to easily avoid bumping into less talented and more intoxicated dancers, and most of all?  She just seemed to… fit.Something about the stranger just radiated Aperture. Something about her got Gladys practically tingling with excitement at the thought of all the tests she could run with her.  She didn’t feel like the others. She didn’t feel like she’d just give up. She would be the perfect fit… so long as Gladys could actually remember to talk to her and convince her to send in an application.As even when the first song ended, Gladys found that she didn’t try to coax the woman back to the sidelines to start chatting her up, finding the very thought to be so disinteresting that it was brushed away without debate. Instead, as the next song began- slower than the last- she found herself leaning a little closer.What had been somewhat stiff, calculated movements before slowly became more and more loose, as Gladys slowly stopped caring about the act of perfectly pulling off each move, and simply moved to the beat of her partner’s movements.Quicker than she liked to admit, she relaxed into it. Finding that time started to slip through her fingers as the two of them moved through song after song, each time allowing themselves to move closer and closer, to the point where Gladys hardly noticed that she was pressed against her partner’s chest, and that the mysterious stranger’s hand had moved to the small of her back, where it now rested, dangerously shifting in a motion too frequent not to be intentional.  In return, Gladys had allowed her leg to occasionally slip, pressing forward against the stranger. Brief enough to not break the flow of their movements, but distinct enough to make itself known.Gladys knew her cheeks were flushed a dark red at this point, and was genuinely thankful for her mask for keeping that mostly hidden.  Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she remembered why she was here. That now was a good of a time as any to pull this woman aside and rope her into Aperture. Yet, as their fifth song together slowly faded out, she found herself… reluctant.Those grey eyes had been on her this whole time, burning into Gladys and sending a heat that had only grown in intensity as time went on. She hadn’t even noticed that her partner hadn’t said a word this whole time, but she didn’t have to. It was unspoken between them, shared in each moment that their eyes met.Slowly, she leaned in closer, so that her lips were a breath away from the woman’s ear, allowing her to say what she needed to without anyone around them hearing it.“Come with me.”Pulling back just enough to meet the stranger’s gaze, she got her answer.A glimmer of excitement in those silver eyes, followed by the slightest twitch of her lips upwards.Without another word, Gladys lead her off the dancefloor, to the outskirts of the room where she knew she ought to stop and start talking, and then out the door, and down an adjacent hallway.She had been bored earlier, but not now.  Now her heart was hammering in her ears as she pushed this complete stranger- she tried not to think about that part- against the wall of the dark, currently unused hallway, and pressed their lips together.It was hot, messy, and exactly what she had been craving. Perhaps it was the champagne, perhaps it was the fact that it had been so long, but Gladys found her better judgement thrown out the window as she sucked on her partner’s bottom lip, earning a wordless sigh of encouragement, and prompting hands to snake back around her waist, pulling her closer.They broke apart for breath for only a brief moment, neither one of them wishing to do more than gasp for air as quickly as possible before clashing back together, lips and tongues seeming almost violent in how aggressively they were pressed against the other. It was exciting, intoxicating, and… familiar.Gladys brushed the thought aside at first, wanting to focus her full attention on the task at hand, yet it started to nag at her.As those calloused hands tangled themselves in her hair, as those lips- slightly chapped- moved from her lips to her neck, to a very specific spot on her neck, causing Gladys’s back to arch and a soft vocalization to escape her.It was all familiar. Like she had felt this before.She moved her hands away from her partner’s chest- where they had already started to undo the first three buttons- and brought them to the stranger’s face, coaxing her head upwards and away from her neck.  Her fingers slipped underneath the strap of the mask, and in one, swift movement, she pulled the mask off.And promptly after, dropped it to the floor.“You.”The face that greeted her was one that she should’ve recognized sooner. She should’ve known from the moment those eyes met hers.And, judging by the way the stranger’s expression was painted with confusion, Gladys had the feeling that she wasn’t the only one who had failed to recognize an old flame.Or, more accurately, a bitter ex.Pulling herself back, Gladys pulled her own mask off, tossing it to the side with a clatter, and meeting this woman- no, Chell’s- gaze once more, so that she could watch the dawning realization flicker into those silver eyes with no mask to distract them.The heat in the air between them had shifted from a comfortable warmth to something more akin to being burnt alive, as the two of them stared the other down, with only the heaving sounds of their breathing echoing through the hallway.Gladys had thought about this moment for a long time. What she would do if she ever saw Chell’s face in Aperture again.She thought about slapping her, or downright strangling her. Screaming at her, or perhaps leaving her in icy silence.She had not foreseen the surge of heat in her stomach that pushed her forward once more, so that her face was once again only inches away from Chell’s, as she uttered only three words-“I hate you.”- before kissing her again.