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boldlygoingtohell · 5 months

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In a weird way, as a Jew, I can kinda take Normal Antisemitism™️.

I mean, I understand where right-wing racists are coming from when it comes to their antisemitism. At the end of the day, theirs just comes from fear, replacement theory, etc… It’s easily identifiable. 2+2=4. Yea its shitty, but I see how they got from A to B and it’s a straight line.

But left-wing antisemitism?? Like, how does that happen? I thought the left was about supporting minority groups, encouraging them to speak and be heard. But all I’m seeing from leftists these days (I myself being super fucking liberal, left, etc…) is just waves and waves of antisemitism. And yes it has to do with Israel, but these people are incapable of criticizing the Israeli government without going “all Jews are responsible!” in the process. It's infuriating.

Are all the the world’s Jews, millions of which live OUTSIDE of Israel, now responsible for Israel’s actions? I'M a stupid American! I’ve never even BEEN to Israel, much less know the intricate details of a geo-political conflict whose complexities go willfully unlearned by armchair activists in favor of yelling in all caps for 140 characters.

But what really gets me, and I mean REALLY get me about the whole situation, is the hypocrisy.

Remember how awful it was when we saw waves of Islamophobic hate crimes after 9/11, American Muslims with no ties to al-Qaeda being targeted for the faith those terrorists claimed to represent?

Or do you remember standing against the wave of anti-Asian hate crimes that was spurned on by COVID falsehoods? The “China virus” as Trump so eloquently put it? You remember being pissed about that, not blaming Asian Americans but standing with them against hate?

And hell, I’ve heard there has been a rash of Islamophobic attacks again because of the Israeli-Gaza conflict. That’s fucking awful, and I will stand against that bull shit because it does not belong here, end of story.

But now there are also antisemitic attacks, hate crimes, being perpetrated around the world. And who are the perpetrators now? The left that stood against everything else. There's no widespread ally-ship for Jews like me. There's no sweeping social media campaign, no catchy hashtag, no ice bucket challenge.

Why am I allowed to be condemned for what a country on the other side of the world is doing, when I have nothing to do with it? Why can I have the finger pointed at me when I don’t want the fighting in the first place? Why must Jews be allowed to be the target of this ire when it's already been decided that other ethnicities/religions don't deserve it either?

Now, I am PROUD to be Jewish; it is my culture, in my heritage, in my literal blood. It is in my genetics, my bones, my spoken language, it is in the holidays I celebrate, the philosophies I live by.

But it is also in the generational trauma of my mother insisting I have a passport as a young child, not because we were traveling, but in case we had to flee. It is in her inherent distrust of the government; a card-carrying Democrat all her life, she would always remind me, "if you don't think the government can't turn on you, you're kidding yourself." It is her constant reminders that as a Jew, our assimilation is conditional, our acceptance is political. I felt these, but never as strongly as she did. Not until now.

I am third generation American, and yet I feel like an outsider in the only country I have ever known. People who I thought understood, who were my friends, who marched with me against the injustices of the world, are now calling after Jews to answer for Israel's actions.

I say I don't want the violence to persist and I'm told that I'm, "one of the good ones". I'm told hurt Israelis don't deserve sympathy because, "all Jews are rich anyway, right? Who cares." I tell them my fears about the rising antisemitism and wearing my star of david necklace out. I'm told, "it doesn't matter, you're white anyway."

For the first time in my life, the racists aren't just some crazy KKK members. They're not just Nazis marching around with beer bellies and ill fitting helmets. It's not just some screeching street preacher who claims I'm going to hell after he caught the glint off my star of david necklace. If needs be, I can kick and punch my way out of those. They're just idiots. Isolated, concentrated incidents. It'd be a good story to tell at a bar the next day though a gap-toothed smile and a sling on my shoulder.

But now, both sides are coming after me and my people. Now, it's not just idiots who have all of their views backwards; it's people I thought I could trust to have my back, to go down swinging with me against those Nazis. Right. Left. It's everywhere. There's no escape.

It's coming from all sides. It's coming from social media platforms, from dinners with friends, from posters on street lamps.

I live in one of the safest, most Jewish neighborhoods in America, and for the first time in my life I am truly scared.

#jumblr #antisemitism #judaism #jewish #I'm just so tired of it all #I wasn't an anxious person before this #racism #long post I guess #can we go back to the days of punching Nazis?#life was simple

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flowercrowngods · 1 year

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part 1 | part 2 (these make one big story, you won't understand this part without the others)

day 03: first kiss

a/n: not sure if I vibe with this part, but I hope it's okay. also don't think you're getting fluff

A broken heart is such a thing that will make you live either in the past or in the future; never in the present moment. Lovesickness feels like a virus is attacking the very fabric of your universe, distorting time and space and leaving you floating; directionless and hurting.

That is how Steve feels as he goes through the motions of his life, getting his kids ready for finals, for their oral and written exams, or planning end-of-year school trips. While school provides a great distraction and he has mastered the art of switching into teacher mode almost effortlessly, he feels like he’s just an inch or two beside himself. Beside where he should be.

He’s dwelling in the past or mourning dozens of possible futures, an infinity of them that will end up unrealised, unlived, unloved. His heart is heavy all the time, his head hurting, and his phone chiming with an endless string of messages that go unopened, unreplied.

It’s been a few weeks since the engagement party, since he last saw Eddie — who asked if he was okay, who has been asking to see him again, to hang out, have a drink, just catch up. But every time he does, Steve just hurts, and he finds excuses.

— Sorry, it’s finals season, I’ll be spread thin for the next few weeks :(

Eddie had replied with a litany of sad, brokenhearted emojis that were at equal measures ridiculous as they were exactly what Steve was feeling. Is feeling. Will probably always be feeling, for the rest of his life and beyond.

So far, Eddie hasn’t asked him to be his best man. Steve sort of doesn’t want to give him the opportunity for that. He’s cowardly enough to wish he could avoid Eddie forever if only that meant he wouldn’t have to see his face fall and crumble when he tells him, No.

No, I can’t be your best man. I can’t make it to the wedding. I can’t make it, I can’t do this, I can’t stand by and watch as you show me and the rest of the world that your dream life is not with me. Never with me. I can’t hand you over when all I wanna do is hold you. Hold your hand. Walk you down the aisle and then sweep you up in my arms, just to run out, run away; anywhere, as long as it’s with you.

It doesn’t make sense. There won’t be an aisle, there won’t be any sweeping, there won’t be a future for them. Never has been. Not like this.

Although there was a brief moment in time where their futures almost aligned. Almost. The timing was never right, though, stumbling through the motions and currents of two lost boys’ emotions. But it was almost there, almost enough.

And it's what's been on Steve's mind all week, playing and replaying, tearing at him from the inside out, leaving him with a jigsaw puzzle of infinite pieces of could have beens, would have beens, and what ifs.

"You know," he tells Robin one evening, who has practically moved in now, claiming that broken hearts are best nursed together. "I was actually Eddie's first kiss."

To her credit, Robin doesn't drop the carton pizza at Steve's non-sequitur. She just swallows hard and looks at him in that careful way she has now, where she's trying to read him and ask his eyes to tell her what it is that she should say next. It's frustrating. It's the greatest kindness anyone has ever shown him. It makes him want to punch a wall, and it makes him want to wrap her in the warmest hug and never, ever let her go.

"You were?"

Steve just nods, his lips trembling as his throat closes up again.

"No," she says in the gentlest voice, taking his hand as she guides him to the living room couch. "I didn't know that. Do you wanna talk about it?"

He shakes his head, tucking his feet under her thigh and leaning sideways against the backrest of the couch. His head is heavy and he's tired. He's always tired, even though he doesn't cry as much anymore. It's been four weeks since the engagement party.

"No, I just, uh– Just wanted to say that."

She nods, her eyes boring into him for two, three, four seconds before she finally turns to her pizza.

He looks past her, his eyes unfocused as his mind travels back to that day when they were still in high school.

~*~

The day that Eddie told him he was gay. And Steve had asked how he knew, because he'd been wondering about his own sexuality.

"I don't know, I just know."

"Well, have you ever kissed a boy?"

And Eddie had blushed a little, charred with his feet in the dirt like he always did – still does. "No."

"Okay."

And Steve, ten years ago, had thought, why not kill two birds with one stone. "Would you like to?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I mean, I'm kinda on the fence about it? Sometimes I think I might like guys, but then other times not so much. But I've never kissed one either, so," he shrugged. "If you, like, want to? We can."

"You want me to kiss you?" Eddie sounded incredulous, but his eyes were very big, very dark, very vulnerable. And it was not a no.

"Only if you want to."

A grin split Eddie's face then and he raised his eyebrows suggestively, but there was something forced about it. "Well, what If I fall madly in love with you, Steve Harrington, hm? What then?"

"Oh, please," Steve had only snorted; the thought that Eddie would fall for him out of all people was just too absurd.

And then something had shifted between them, the air turned into something sizzling as Eddie's smile fell and he stepped closer to Steve, raising one hand to his cheek.

"Here goes my first kiss," he murmured.

"Ever?"

"If we discount Lisa from kindergarten, then yes."

Steve huffed, looking down at Eddie's lips, the moment strangely intimate – but not uncomfortably so. Being this close to Eddie wasn't something new, Steve was used to his friend's tactile nature. "Fuck Lisa from kindergarten."

"I'd really rather not," Eddie smiled before finally, finally leaning in and capturing Steve's lips in a kiss.

To this day, Steve is not sure why he went and deepened the kiss like he did. Was it because he knew this was Eddie's first and he wanted to make it good, make it last? Was it because something deep inside of him knew that he liked boys, too, and that he liked Eddie, even though that realisation wouldn't come for another year at least?

He doesn't know why, but he feels it on his lips still, the memory of their first kiss. Their only kiss. A spectacular one that ended with twin smiles after Steve showed Eddie how to move his lips, how to tilt his head, how to open his mouth to let him in. How to capture the little sigh that he would make.

Eddie had looked at him, a little dazed, and Steve grinned at him, delighted at his expression more than at the kiss itself.

"A-And did you," Eddie started, pulling his hands away from Steve and shoving them deeply into his pockets. "Did you get any closer to, uh, to finding out?"

"If I like guys?"

Eddie nodded.

Steve thought about it; about the kiss and how it wasn't as soft as making out with Nancy or Allison. How he would swallow their moans and run his hands along their soft bodies. Eddie wasn't like that. Eddie was just Eddie.

"I think I'll just stick with girls for now," he shrugged with a smile, patting Eddie on the shoulder and squeezing lightly when the other boy began to sway a little.

"Suit yourself, Harrington," Eddie said, shoving him a little. "But you're missing out."

Years later, Eddie had drunkenly confessed to him that he'd had a crush on Steve back then. For years. And Steve had wanted to ask about it, ask if it's still there, that crush, that connection on a deeper, closer level; but then Eddie told him, "Remember Chrissy? We're official now."

And all the words had died on Steve's lips. All those questions, or the confession that, Yeah, me too. Though Steve's crush on Eddie was much later, years after their first kiss, – and it never really ended.

Still hasn't. And it's not a crush. It's more. It's everything.. He's in love. In it. Caught, stuck, trapped inside, while Eddie and everyone else is on the outside, just watching him struggle.

~*~

Later that night, on his umpteenth re-run of the First Kiss Episode that's keeping him from falling asleep, leaving him frustrated and sad and wondering, his phone rings. Eddie's name pops up on the screen, the impersonal Eddie Munson feels like a knife through his heart. He couldn't bear any of the silly nicknames that Eddie's always had in his phone, and needed to go back to a clean slate.

It hurts, though. He watches, considering to let it go to voicemail – but he hasn't talked to his... to Eddie in four weeks. Barely even talked to him on his engagement party.

And even though there's a chance opening for Eddie to ask him or to talk about his wedding, Steve answers the call.

"Stevie," Eddie says, somewhere between a sigh and a hum, and immediately takes away Steve's breath.

"Hi," he rasps. His heart is racing, his hands begin to tremble and he's shaking even under the thick, warm blanket.

"Did I wake you?"

He hums a negative, not trusting himself to speak, and it comes out a pathetic croak, because God, he missed Eddie. Part of him was missing – part of him will always be missing now, he knows –, and it makes him cry. It's not a sob, not a wail, not anything that Eddie can hear or something that would alarm Robin in the other room.

They're silent tears, and he presses his face into the pillow. He should hang up.

"Stevie?" Eddie asks again, his voice so small, so gentle, so worried. "Are you okay?" And after a moment of Steve being unresponsive because he can't catch his breath without gasping, Eddie asks, "Are you crying?"

And just like a kid that tries to be brave through the pain after falling down, but breaks the moment someone asks if they're hurt, Steve lets out a tiny, broken little sob.

"Oh, Stevie baby," Eddie sighs, and he sounds so sad, so compassionate, Steve never wants to hear his name like that ever again. "Do you want me to come over?"

"No," he croaks pathetically, hitting himself once, twice, three times for not keeping it together. For not being strong enough.

I can't do this.

"What do you need?"

"Sleep," he sniffles, stupidly.

"Okay. Then I'll stay here and be silent company, yeah? Don't need to be alone. Is Robin there?" He hums again, affirmative. "Good. Want me to say something? Read to you, tell you a story? Play you some music or–"

"Eddie," Steve manages. I love you. "Just silence? But you don't have to."

"Nah, I'll stay with you," Eddie says before Steve even finished his objections. "Until you've fallen asleep, yeah?"

Steve just nods into his pillow, even though Eddie can't see or hear it.

He's watching the seconds turn into minutes as the time passes. He's so tired, but he doesn't want to let go yet. Not when Eddie is right there. Not when there's still the phantom feeling of his lips capturing Steve's, a memory that is ten years old and still as strong as the very first second.

He should have known, then. Should have leaned in for another kiss, should have told Eddie that he knows he's into boys now, too, and ask Eddie to keep kissing him.

He shouldn't have taken years.

He should have created a new world just for the two of them, with an infinite amount of futures, and all go them happy. All of them SteveAndEddie.

But he didn't. And he wants to apologise. For being so slow, for not knowing until it was too late. For pulling away these past few weeks when that's the last thing he ever wants to do. For not being strong enough; for being too weak.

I'm in love with you, he thinks. Over and over and over. Mouths it voicelessly into the silence between them. Says it out loud when after almost two hours, Eddie hangs up with a quiet, "Good night, Stevie. I miss you." He says it when Eddie's gone, the beep of an empty line the only response he gets before that cuts out, too.

And then he's all alone again.

tagging: @sexymothmanincarnate @mcneen @livsters @eddiemunchondeeznuts @abstractnaturaldisaster @steddie-as-they-go @hyperfixationgoddess @goodolefashionedloverboi @stxrcrossed186 @imzadidragonfly @eddiemunsonswife @bidisastersworld @ghost-ly-s @romanticdestruction @walkingaftermidnight07 @anaibis @rainydays35 @mightbeasleep @sunfloweringstories @korixae and thanks to everyone who said nice things about this 🤍🌷

come back tomorrow for: here come the tears (and hurt/comfort, maybe) | read part 4 here

#steddie fic #steddie #steddie week fic #steddieweek2023 #maybe I'll write the first kiss scene as one later. when my eyes dont hurt and the thought of posting doesnt make my brain eat itself #will I ever post a steddie week thing not around 2am?? -- unlikely #the emotions are dulled unless they are sharp because heartache is fun like that (and so is anxiety can I get a wahoo)#dio words #I hope I got all the tags I dont think there were any requests in reblogs but if I missed them pls dont be mad 🥺

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thegnomelord · 19 days

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speaking of a cod apocalypse (i think actually idk i just skimmed over my tl) thoughts on the boys becoming some sort of fucked up mutated creatures?

like they're soldiers, right? and assuming the government sends them out to deal with whatever apocalyptic shit there is, surely one of them makes a stupid mistake that'll cost them their lives. fast forward to them succumbing to whatever radioactive shit decided to live in their bodies, and they're dead but alive? and like... just grotesque things. they're still them, just more brutal and monstrous. maybe their skin is melting off, maybe they're growing another limb or two, maybe they have teeth growing on their head.

anyways, thoughts on this kind of genre???? :))))

(i think itd be cool if like.... some of them merged together, just a mass of limbs and skin :33)

Okay, consider: Horizon zero dawn world, full of killer machines and tribes n shit, combined with the virus from the Prototype (that and darksiders are my fav games of all time tbh) also body horror, specifically the blend of machine and flesh bh, is my favorite shit :Dd this is a rough idea

So like as killer machines were sweeping across the planet, devouring everything in sight and replicating, a disease was created that, it was hoped, would be able to infect and eat away at the metal. But it fails, the virus ends up infecting the soldiers that are fighting against the machines and just, combining the human and machine.

The world eventually goes so far to shit that everything on the planet dies. The war machines become deactivated and some of the machine/human mutants are sealed away in bunkers to be used as experiments.

And just like, the 141 becoming a blend of steel and flesh in the grotesque approximation of what they used to be, able to strip away parts of other machines and graft them to their own forms.

Gaz was the first, fighting on the front lines back when he had foolishly believed the killer robots could be defeated. He had gotten separated when he got infected, the fear secondary only to the pain as his flesh literally melted into the corruptors, bone and muscle becoming tangled in gears and wires until all he could feel were his numerous stilt like legs now scrambled to gain purchase on the blood soaked ground . Turned into some weird metal scorpion bellow the waist, weaponry weighing on his back and coolant full wires snaking across his body, Kyle had passed out from the pain, his body further changing in his slumber to grow skin and eyes over the raw metal.

He woke up deep underground in a bunker, turned into a science experiment.

Price was next. He was a soldier turned scientist, working on a subfunction of the teraforming AI that would work to clear the world of the virus that had unleashed. He was the soft voice of comfort Kyle would listen to when they pricked and prodded him, the person Kyle spilled his heart out time and time again.

It came as little surprise when Price became infected. He had started to feel lethargic and sick for the few days, all of it going unnoticed as no one knew how the virus affected humans. That was until he came in contact with a Plowhorn, that changed him into a bulwark of flesh and metal, a living tank with a heavy crest of horns sitting on his head and thick metal plates to protect him.

Price and Kyle kept each other from going insane, figuring out the worst part of the virus — they had become immortal like the machines, but still felt pain like people, pain muddling their brains when pistons and gears would grind against flesh again and again until it regrew in a different way.

They were finally freed when the people experimenting on them died and the AI released the locks of the doors. They emerged hell knows how many years later, taking the first steps into a reborn world that was still crying in it's cradle.

Soap was amongst the first humans to emerge from the mechanical cradle, thrust into a wild and untamed world full of strange machines, with no tools but his hands. While out trying to scavange some of the metal from downed glinthawks he was attacked by Scrappers, ending up infected with the virus that had been slumbering in the earth. Soap became like the sphinx, glinthawk wings attaching to his back with wires, talons merging with skin and pushing out bone, the body of the scraper combining with his own until he was unable to stand on two legs, forced to crawl on all fours and screech in pain through distorted vocal chords until Price and Gaz found him. They took care of him until he was used to his body enough to soar through the air about as well as he could run across the earth.

Simon was the last, born to a tribe that valued strength and worshipped the machines above all. And Simon is the only one who's convergence to steel has any semblence of thought or preparation. He had spent years hunting Fireclaws, tearing off the intact pieces and pistons after every hunt until the shamans of his tribe deemed him ready to become one of the metal gods. The change was slow and painful, bones melting and hardening around new metal, body getting bigger and flesh stretching to fit the new frame, heavy claws weighing on his muscular arms until Simon had become Ghost.

It wasn't what he expected. What he had done in an attempt to fit in amongst his kin served to further push him away as his tribe worshipped him as one of the machine gods, erasing his name as Simon. It was a relief when he met the others, finding comfort in their disfigured and grotesque bodies that looked so similar like his own.

And then you meet them.

Maybe you're a foolish mercenary that stumbled too far into the wild, maybe you're one of the subfunctions of the original teraforming AI that gained sentience. Either way, you didn't fear them, you tried to talk to them, to get to know them even when every societal law of your tribe deemed them as monsters and demons.

And on one random evening, when they had all settled into a rough cuddle pile, scarred flesh over sharp metal creating enough of a cushion for you to sleep in the middle of them all — safe and warm... It occured to them: you are nice, you are kind, and they want to to stay by their side.

#gnome correspondence #trinckets of the hoard #cod mw2 #horizon zero dawn #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #john soap mactavish x reader #kyle gaz garrick #captain john price #kyle gaz garrick x reader #captain john price x reader

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sunlightmurdock · 1 year

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bradley bradshaw extended universe

↳ aka Katie’s Rooster masterlist

18+, minors dni. If I notice that you are an ageless / underage blog, you will be blocked

Completed Series ✓

Sub Rosa — Masterlist (completed)

After months of sneaking around, and a few weeks of not seeing each other, Rooster and Reader get a few minutes to themselves at Ice’s birthday party.

Trouble in Paradise — masterlist (completed)

After the most painful break-up of his life, Rooster is stationed in Hawaii for the next six months. Alone, away from home and hurting, he finds comfort in the arms of a stranger.

Ongoing Series

Ceasefire — masterlist

Bradley Bradshaw is in San Diego, summoned to Top Gun for the first time. Commander “Hyde” Simpson is his flight instructor, and she doesn’t have time for schoolboy crushes.

My Future in You — masterlist

Bradley’s twenty-two years old and not where he’s supposed to be. He’s supposed to be out of the academy by now. He’s mad at the world. Then, a hook up at a Halloween party changes his future even more than he could have imagined. College / accidental pregnancy au

Safe Zone (+ Jake Seresin) — masterlist

A team of elite naval aviators holding down the fort at the North Island Air Base while they wait for reinforcements after a virus sweeps the continental U.S. - only, it’s been three months and no one has shown up. Zombie au

Blow by Blow — masterlist

Bradley’s washed up before his career has even really begun. He doesn’t want to fill his father’s shoes and he doesn’t want someone else to either. Stuck in limbo, living the same way he always has, the opportunity to step up wanders through the door of his gym in a mini dress and heels that are a size too big. Boxing au.

The Parent Trap — masterlist

In which, after a couple of years of listening to Peyton and Piper Bradshaw complain about their parents’ custody agreement, Grandpa Mav’s meddling goes a little bit too far.

The Odyssey — masterlist

The tale of the arrogant classics professor and the dwindling, soon-to-be-wed heiress that was failing his class.

Ashes, Ashes — masterlist

Maverick is missing in action after not making it back from the uranium trip, leaving his estranged daughter and Bradley Bradshaw to pick up the pieces.

Aeterna — masterlist *coming Summer 24*

Eternity and the related concept of infinity. The summer you strayed from home. 70s circus supernatural thriller au.

Drabble Series’

Hey, Hot Shot — masterlist

Just us spreading our firefighter Bradley agenda — more of a series of one shots / drabbles, etc rather than a series

How you wish it could be all the time — masterlist

A masterlist of drabbles / one shots about Bradley and his dangerous entanglement with Pete Mitchell’s daughter

One-Shots

Helping Hand

So, why do they call you Rooster?

Dog Fight

Pursuit

When All is Said and Done

For Old Times’ Sake + its prequel ‘Five Stars’!

Nerves of Steel (Part One and Two)

#bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw au #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw smut #trouble in paradise #ceasefire #my future in you #safe zone #sub Rosa

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b7ngt4n · 5 months

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The Last Remaining | Part 01

-> South Korea was left abandoned after a 'zombie' virus sweeps the nation. Left to save themselves, Y/N and a group of seven men, who she's found safety in, rely on each other to stay alive as they travel south of the country for a rumoured 'z-free' haven. But nothing is ever easy. Especially when they find it's not only just zombies they need to watch their backs for.

-> A female reader x BTS zombie apocalypse AU

-> Genre: Post-apocalyptic, action

-> Warnings for Part 1: Violence, gore, swearing

-> Word count: 2,071 words

-> Interactions are greatly appreciated xoxo 💖

Part 01: A Month Ago 🧟

A month ago, the nation of South Korea fell to its knees. A deadly virus swept through the country, killing every human it came in contact with and mutating them into flesh-fiending, viciously-violent creatures, fictionally known as zombies.

The outbreak spread fast through Seoul, turning half of the civilians here into zombies within 24 hours. Rumours were that outbreaks happened in Busan, Gwangju, and Daegu before the Seoul outbreak even started. Everything happened within a matter of hours. Nobody had any time to react, you had to fight for your life within the blink of an eye. Even the government was left dumbfounded.

They deployed military power to try and control the outbreaks. However, the number of zombies soon outnumbered the number of military personnel. Eventually, there was no stopping the virus as it just grew out of control.

It was too late for the government to issue martial law. They knew there was no use putting up a fight they knew they couldn't win. Instead they moved onto plan B: evacuation. Your TV was only able to play a singular automated voice message that repeated, 'All of South Korea is currently being affected by the 'Zombie' virus. The government advises you to stay indoors and wait for evacuation processes to be initiated.' And by evacuation, you heard they evacuated the entire Blue House, the closest schools, and the closest retirement villages. You watched choppers fly from Incheon, none of which you saw ever once stopped to evacuate other buildings. That's when you knew the government was absolute bullshit. They didn't bother to try save anyone else. They didn't want to risk it.

You heard the evacuation camp was set up somewhere in Incheon, which made sense because of the helicopters. But you later heard the camp was overridden by the virus only three days later. You never heard choppers flying around ever again. With no government left to guide you, all hope for survival was lost. A week later, the power in your complex stopped running. Matter of fact, you're sure the power for the entire city stopped. Phones stopped working a day after the outbreak so you couldn't call for help. And with food in your apartment running low, you knew your survival rate was plummeting lower by the day.

You were lucky that you only lived on the 5th floor. You had been watching the streets closely the past month. It used to be very busy with screams, growls, tyre screeches, and running footsteps. You even used to be able to hear zombie groans at night. But recently you noticed how quiet it has been. You see a zombie slowly roaming around every now and then but you haven't seen many alive humans. You wonder if everyone else had just left while they could. The more you think about leaving, the more you think 'fuck it, let's do it'. Could it be worse out there? Absolutely. But would you rather die from starvation or die trying to survive?

There was a convenience store just a street down. If you were lucky, you could make it there and hopefully there would be food waiting for you. You just had to be quick. You could do that. You used to be in the track team in high school and a regular gym goer. You can be quick.

"This should be a piece of cake," you encouraged yourself, but the entire time you were screaming at yourself 'what the fuck are you doing?' Only you were hunger-driven enough to go out into a bloody zombie apocalypse to get cup noodles.

You changed into a zip up hoodie and a pair of gym tights, tying your hair into a low ponytail and lacing up in running shoes. You put on your old elbow pads and knee pads from when you were in your rollerblading phase for protection. You also tucked away a pocket knife in your bra. As you were sliding your backpack on, you started having second thoughts. Was this really worth it? Would you really risk dying out there rather than safely at the comfort of your own home? Your life was in your hands but it seemed that any choice you would make could have you dead. You had to at least try. You believed in yourself, you believed you could get there if you tried hard enough. Gripping a baseball bat in one hand and the door knob in the other, you took a deep breath. Carefully unlocking the door, you opened it a small inch, enough for you to peek an eye out into the lobby. It was empty to your relief. You didn't hesitate to make a move, locking your apartment and bidding it a sad farewell.

You jumped to find a zombie lurking around the elevator lobby. It turned around the moment it heard your footsteps, snarling loudly at you. You recognised it to be Mrs Lim, a sweet elderly woman who lived next door to you. You would watch her cats for her whenever she went out of town to visit her daughter. Your heart broke to see her once-white skin drained of colour, her eyes not the usual dark brown but a mustard yellow, and her teeth was covered in dry blood. You didn't have any time to decide what to do about her as she came charging toward you.

"Why does the first zombie I come across have to be you Mrs Lim!" you protested as you held the baseball bat horizontally, keeping a distance between you and her. She was strong for an old lady, well half old lady half zombie, but strong enough to have you sliding back on the tiles. You noticed down the lobby on the other side of the complex were a couple other zombies. They had already noticed you and were rushing towards you.

"Shit!" you cursed, "sorry Mrs Lim," you quickly apologised before kicking her as hard as you could in the stomach. She groaned, stumbling backwards, tripping over her own feet, and falling to the ground. You didn't waste time, opening the door to the stairwell and making sure to lock it behind you.

There were no zombies in the staircase. Though the apartment did feel different without the lights on. You couldn't imagine how much of a struggle it'd be to do this at night without the power working. You had to make sure you were back home at least before the sun set.

A few zombies filled the entrance lobby. You instantly recognised one of them to be another resident who you saw around often and another one of them to be a security guard. You noticed a taser in his holster, something you deemed could be useful to you. They all turned around the moment you opened the door and came rushing towards you. You hit them in the heads with the bat as hard as you could, occasionally using your foot to kick them back whenever they got too close. They all fell to the floor after a good fight from you. You mutter a sorry to them and took the opportunity to steal the security guard's taser and tuck it safely away in your bag, whispering your extra apologies to him.

You hadn't been outside in a month. It felt weird to be back all of a sudden at a place you used to come through everyday. Blood that was smeared on the glass doors made you cringe. You checked the coast. All you could see was the apartment's front garden and the street through the gates. So far, everything was zombie-free. But you don't let your guard down just yet.

Drops of old blood stained the pavement. What was once a nice garden now looks outgrown and somewhat sat on. You could smell the faint stench of dried blood and what you assumed was the smell of dead flesh. The entrance water fountain you thought was so pretty was no longer squirting out water and the water was coloured red. 'Gross' you thought to yourself.

The street was nothing different. Cars were littered all over the place, some had actually looked like they crashed into poles, some were also open. You wondered for a second if you could check the ones that were open out but you also did fear it was only a matter of time before a zombie found you. One car you passed had crashed into a light pole and inside laid a dead rotten woman in the drivers seat. You would have never seen stuff like this before the outbreak. You feel sad for that lady. Who knows how long she had been sitting there? And who knows how much longer she'll be left like that?

Loud snarls made you stop in your tracks. You pressed your back against the concrete wall and peeked slowly around the corner. A quick count of at least 7 zombies were within a 20 metre radius. They blocked the entrance to the convenience store. There were bound to be more too, ones that were hidden in your blind spots. There was no way you could take on all of them.

You noticed a half empty water bottle lying on the floor. Then you had an idea. You snatched it up, crawling behind cars to get closer to the herd without getting spotted. The sounds of their groans terrified you as it grew louder the closer you got. You chucked the water bottle the opposite way as far as you could. It landed on the bumper of a car, sounding its alarm. The loud horn attracted the zombies instantly. They turned around, racing to the source of the sound snarling loudly at it. It was loud enough to probably attract every zombie within a 100 metre radius which would definitely be more zombies than you can handle. But at least you got them distracted. As soon as the coast was clear, you dashed towards the convenience store. Luckily it was unlocked.

The store was a mess. Products littered the ground but the store would was at least half filled. You guess the store could've been looted a couple of times but it's likely this mess was caused the day of the outbreak. You noticed it was also quiet. No snarls, no groans. That was a good sign. You felt a little at ease.

Canned soup, instant noodles, granola bars, biscuits, water bottles. All the foods you have been craving were here in this very room. You have been longing for this moment. You shoved whatever wasn't expired and would likely last a long time into your bag. You noticed your favourite flavour of Doritos 'Sweet Thai Chilli' sitting on the shelf, untouched and not expired yet. You didn't wait to eat these back at home and decided to open one now, your stomach grumbling at the sight. You walked down the aisles like you used to late at night before. It felt wrong to be looting and in a way stealing. You were friends with the owners, a nice old couple ran the store with the occasional help from their daughter. It felt wrong to steal from them. But then again, it was the apocalypse.

Just as you turned down into the end aisle alongside all the freezers of frozen food and cold drinks, a zombie jumped out from the corner, taking you by surprise.

You yelped, flinging the Doritos out your hands by accident. Just in time, you managed to wedge the baseball bat between its teeth, keeping it from biting you. But it was way stronger than you, quickly trapping you between a freezer and itself. You tried to kick your feet at it but it was difficult in the position you were in. The more you tried, the more stronger it pushed against your bat, closing the threatening distance between you both.

You heard the stabbing sound before the zombie stopped moving. A knife had been plunged through the back of its head. The sharp tip stuck out through its forehead, nearly knocking you in the process. You heaved its heavy body off of you to reveal a muscular, middle-aged, man standing behind it. Behind him was a skinnier but taller and younger man. You assumed the two to be friends.

"Thank you" you breathed out, all your energy gone as you lean against the freezer to catch your breath.

The middle-aged man chuckled, an eerie smile that gave you chills appearing on his face, "Anytime sweetheart."

His smile was the last thing you saw before you felt a bash to the head and your world went dark.

(a/n: forgive me ik! "no bts in the first chapter?" "what a shit fucking story!" i know i know 😔😔 i promise it’s development 🙏🙏 appearances begin in the nxt chapter)

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cosmic-lavender · 3 days

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Violent delights 🍝

Alastor x F reader

Warning adult themes MINORS NOT FOR YOUR EYES.

Summary! Alastor and you are friends, and it's complicated. You reminded him of a life he once wanted when he was alive and he was determined to possibly have again for reasons he couldn't understand. You felt the same too and it leads to an interesting situation. You both have a past and will that bring you closer together or drive you apart. ?

So I decided to do this story a little bit backwards. This is technically the middle. The next few chapters are going to be backstory with some choosing your adventure type. After that we're going to move on from this chapter heading forward.

CHAPTER 1

These violent delights have violent ends - Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

“Hey, angel baby, I'm going to head back early,” you yelled over the music, wrapping your arms around his tall torso. “I love you. Please get home safe.” You leaned back and yelled, “ALL OF YOU”. He was earning nods and sounds of yeah and ok from the group. He squeezed you back. “I love you too, dollface. You gonna be ok with Mr smiling Scarecrow over there?” he nudged his head toward Alastor, who was checking his nails in one hand and gripping his microphone with the other, gritting his teeth. It was evident he was growing tired of this club; the loud noise, the people, the lights, it was all too much flash for his taste.. his ears flicked at every deep bass boom the DJ released, washing over his body. It felt gross and invading to the senses.

The slow dancing accompanied the quiet nights and the soft, slow hum of his jazz music, which was on repeat from his radio; that's what he longed for. It was also clear the rest of the club guests wanted him gone, too; everyone had created a large and prominent circle around him, and no one wanted to bump into the overlord accidentally. It was creating a tense atmosphere. Plus, he wanted to be alone with you, not that he would admit that to anyone, and honestly, he barely admitted it to himself. He had grown annoyed at the constant flutter of people around you stealing your attention, touching your body with … hugs and holding your hand as they pulled you to the dance floor, although he enjoyed watching you smile and, dare he say, dance? If he could call all this dancing, though he preferred to say,

He couldn't believe he allowed himself to enter an establishment such as this, but he knew you were coming, and he didn't trust the rest of the group to keep you as safe as he could. Honestly, no one could, and that was becoming a problem. He had convinced himself it was in pursuit of your soul, but he knew now it was more than that, more profound than that. You were his friend, maybe one of his closest, even in ways Rosie wasn't.

You reminded him of his former life in so many ways. You carried little pieces with you that slowly pierced his heart day by day. He was cursed with images of holding hands with you in the middle of the street back in New Orleans while the band music played in the background and the warm southern air filled your lungs. He pictured picking you up and spinning you around, your laughter filling his ears and crawling into his soul. Your smile reached your eyes and then inspired him to smile, too.

It was an infection, and he wanted more; he wanted to be sick with the virus that was you. Could he have that here in this life? Was it possible to achieve even a whisper of that dream? He could make it so; he could give you so much; he wanted to provide you with so much. But at what cost would this mean for you? Would you become a target for the vees? Would you be collateral damage to the restraints of his deal? Could he be so selfish he does not care?

“Alastor”? You are standing before him now, concern sweeping your face. Snapping out his daydream, he looked down at your dress. “ What happened to your lovely outfit?” “Oh! Someone bumped into me and spilled a drink”. You brushed the fabric, chuckling. “Oh, this is gonna be sticky, haha,” he narrowed his eyes. “Who? Who bumped into you? Are you hurt?” his ears twitching; he scanned the club for the culprit as if they would let themselves know suddenly. Oh, it's ok. I can wash it. Are you okay? You look like you have something on your mind?” if you just gave him your soul, he thought he could make sure you weren't ever in harm's way pulling you out of any situation he deemed unfit. He hated the idea of someone bumping into you. Touching you, feeling you.. “oh, quite alright, my dear. Are you about ready to head back to the hotel? I think it's early enough to catch the glow from the mountains of the lust ring. I do know how you enjoy that” he smiled more showing more of his fangs.

Oh, his lovely petite mademoiselle, you would have loved the sunsets from his cabin on the bayou, watching the fireflies dance, and the crawdads sing. “Yes, I am so ready to go and change, BYE EVERYONE,” you waved behind you, taking Alastor's outstretched arm, and you walked out of the club into the night air.

You walked arm in arm in comfortable silence with the occasional hum from Alastor. The sky was a beautiful color of purple and green with the occasional splash of deep red. A red that matched his eyes, you found yourself staring at him, the bouncing of his soft, fluffy ears and ever-present smile. He was so handsome and mysterious you could only imagine how attractive he was alive if he looked this delectable as a demon. You don't realize, being lost in your thoughts, that he had looked down, watching you watch him. “something on your mind, sweetheart?” He asked, scanning your face and laughing, seeing the realization washing over your features that he had caught you staring.

“Oh, nothing. I am just happy you came tonight, Alastor. I know it's not your scene, but I enjoyed having you there.” “Hm, I believe our fellow hotel guests and the rest of the patrons would disagree,” you shrugged. So what? You're just as much a part of the hotel family as anyone else.” Silence again for a few steps before you spoke again. “I have to admit this was fun, but I would have preferred a jazz club.”

His ears perked up at that, and he looked back down at you. “ Yeah, when I was on earth, I went to a couple; my favorite was when I traveled to New Orleans for vacation. I fell in love with that city. The jazz bars were amazing, tho I'm sure not as amazing as in your time. I wish I could have seen the 1930s. I feel I was born at the wrong time. Sometimes I like the simplicity of it,” you signed and smiled up at him. “I wish we had gone together! That would have been so much fun, you think?” He paused for a beat, then replied,” I believe that my dear, we would have painted the town red.”

“You think there's any here in hell we could go to?” Like an excited small rabbit, you smiled and hopped a little with your next step. A rabbit he thought I could sink teeth into.“Hmm, well, I believe if one exists, we can find it!” He twirled his microphone before setting it behind his back with his free hand, or I'll make one, he thought and forced some souls to perform for my madamolese. “Y/n darling, I have something to admit or an idea to present.” You were right in front of the hotel, and he stopped walking before opening the door; he always opened the door for you, always the gentleman. “This may seem unorthodox, but I request you hear me out fully before making a decision.” He released your arm, standing in front of you now, hands holding onto the base of his microphone.

“Sure, what's up?” You picked at your cuticle, suddenly nervous. Why did he seem so serious all of a sudden? Did you offend him? You couldn't imagine perhaps bringing up his past life? “I consider you a dear friend, and I must admit it makes me feel some distress knowing that there are places and situations I cannot keep you safe from.” “Oh, all, you're my dear friend, too honest, one of my best friends, and I'm..” “Please,” he interrupted, “ allow me to finish,” you nodded. “ Although that does bring me happiness to hear you hold me in such high regard, I admit I am not the easiest person to befriend.” he clicked his nails against the base of the microphone lightly. “to be frank, I feel if you were to allow me to have more control over your life, I could protect you easier, you wouldn't have to do anything in exchange other than what you're doing now which is being my dear friend, I swear to never force you into situations that I would never want to be in or without your consent, of course, unless you are in danger, so what do you say?”

He tilted his head to the left, staring silently, letting you absorb his words. Say yes, he thought, give me your soul, allow me to know where you are at all times, keep you safe and close. keep you mine… “hold on,” you blinked a little bit, feeling anxious all of a sudden, angry and confused, but also curious and a bit turned on..the idea of Alastor being able to do whatever he wanted with you… no, push those thoughts down. What was he saying? Why was he saying this?.. “Alastor, why are you asking for my soul!” Tears pricked at your ears, and you backed away slowly. “Is that why you befriended me? Because of my connections to Charlie?”

He blinked in confusion. Oh, I can see how this looks; curses, this was not the right time or presentation. Why was I so impulsive? “My dear, no, the reasons are strictly what I presented. '' He stood up a little straighter to reassure you of his sincerity. “This doesn't make sense tho. Why would you do that just for a friend?? I didn't think you cared about me that deeply.” Ouch, that stung but probably deserved; social connections were not his strong point for anything other than for his gains. What? he said the feelings you had brought in him clouded his judgment. Did he want something from you? Something he did not want to admit and hiding behind the ruse of power? Coward, he thought to himself, you are a coward. He didn't answer you, too lost in his thoughts. He saw you studying his face; it made him feel suddenly very exposed and vulnerable, and he cleared his throat. “I feel it would also be beneficial with the ongoing conflict with the vees. If you were under my protection, they would be less likely to harm you, as well as any unsavory individuals you may encounter here.” “They already are less likely because of Charlie and Uncle Luci.” Irritation flickered across his eyes at the mention of Lucifer Curse, that short king. “ I wouldn't put much merit into that; Lucifer has not been respected in hell for quite some time.”

“Um, this is confusing, and the answer is no, thank you.” You had crossed your arms in front of yourself now. “ I appreciate it, Alastor, but I can't give up my trust and control like that to anyone. But if it's any consolation, I do feel safer with everyone knowing I'm your friend, especially now after you walked me out of the club,” you chuckled lightly. “A lot of people were staring.” Alastor sighed slightly, a slight smile wavering a bit. “ I hope I did not offend you, my dear, though my offer will stand if you should ever change your mind.” You were staring at him again with an unreadable expression on her face.

You walk closer to him, which then causes him to feel a rush of anxiety now. You were close to his chest, almost touching his microphone.. “if I ever were to give up control like that it would not be my soul I give but my heart, that would control me more than any soul contract, trust and love those things are how you truly own someone”.

Alastor was frozen in place and, for a rare moment, lost for words. Why were you looking at him like that you couldn't possibly? “That would be the closest you can get to marriage down here. Have you ever thought about that Alastor? love, married life, and the whole shebang?” “at a time,” he said softly, the edges of his smile twitching. You chuckled and turned away from him, heading towards the hotel door. “Have you?” He asked, causing you to turn back. “Yes, I have.” You put your arms behind your back, rocking gently on your feet.” But I don't think it'll ever happen. I guess what I want is something that was from a past time, a past life. Curious though, if you had taken my soul and became my knight in shining armor, how would your future partner think of that, or mine for that matter, if I were ever to find anyone?” his throat was tight.

Have you found someone else? Who? He needed a name.. “who?” “What?” “Who… have you met someone?” he tried to relay that question as casually as possible, but you caught the slight strain in his throat; you continued to fiddle with your hands behind your back, looking up at the sky. “Yeah, maybe,” his grip became tighter, risking to snap his microphone, “ but I'm sure he doesn't feel the same. I think he just sees me as a friend.” You shrugged. “Ce la vie,” he looked at the same sky you were admiring, “then he is a fool.” “Oh, Alastor,” you said, turning to look at him, “ don't say that about yourself.” he froze again, eyes wide, and you swore you heard a record scratch. “I'm hungry. Let's see what's to eat inside.” Turning to leave, you suddenly felt something grip around your waist and pull you backward, leaving you face to face with Alastor, his black tentacle gripping your waist.

His eyes were blown wide with intensity, his usual composed demeanor threatening to slip. “Y/n,” he said through gritted teeth, "you know better than to play with me, I don't like games.” You leaned forward, gripping the top of his microphone, placing both your hands and then your chin on the top, tilting your head. “Whose playing games? I'm not.. I know what I said and I meant it” You smiled up at him sweetly, oh you little naughty sugar plum. He grabbed your face without warning, forcing you to look up at him; you smiled. Oh, you would be his death. He wonder if you truly knew the power you held over him. He looked into your eyes… gods, those eyes.. looking into them, he almost felt human again. They were beautiful; his favorite color, whatever they were before, was now these; your eyes were so expressive and curious that they were arguably his favorite feature on you. He resisted a growl before leaning closer. “Did your mother never tell you to be careful of what you wish for? Because sometimes you just you just might get it”. He ran a claw over your lips as he spoke. “You have no idea what you... are.... asking.... of me.” “I do know,” you said, never breaking eye contact.

A laugh rang out through the night air, alerting you both that the group was returning home. He released you, and you stepped back, both chests rising more. You ran your hands through your hair. “I'm starved. Do you have any more jambalaya?” He began to walk next to you towards the door, “ I do, but I have something even better that I believe you would like. I put a special ingredient in it.” you nodded. “OK, I'll try it.” He paused at the door, “You coming?” You called, making your way to the kitchen. He began to follow. Making your way to the table, he pulled a chair for you, ushering you to sit down. “Ah ah ha sit sit. I have something special for you.” he walked into the kitchen back to you as you kicked your feet slightly under your chair.

Did you just flirt with the radio demon a moment ago? Sobering up from the few drinks you had earlier, the liquid courage started to dampen. You always felt something between you both, but you couldn't be sure it wasn't one-sided. It wasn't hard to fall for Alastor; he was powerful, charming, and oh-so handsome. But it was hard to trust him; the apparent mountain of walls he had built around himself wasn't easy to penetrate. Plus, you had a sneaking suspicion he was hiding something. Vaggie wasn't comfortable with the idea of you both so close; she had warned you not to make any deals with him of the soul or heart.

✨Flashback✨ “Mirar, I know he's your friend, and he's been a big help at the hotel,” her long silver hair swaying around as she paced. “Pero I don't trust him. I know Charlie does. She trusts everyone,” she scoffed and stopped pacing. g “You're one of my best friends. I can't see you hurt.”. “Vaggie,” you said, standing up and walking over to her. “I'm not doing anything with Alastor. I don't even think he sees me that way. And yes, I guess my little crush on him is evident to everyone but him; I get your concern. It would be well stupid to get close to him. But maybe he needs someone to help him unharden his heart. I think there's more to him than we thought”. “Yeah, shit under more shit,” she replied, rolling her eyes..” please, “ she took your hands. “You're like my sister; don't for any reason make a deal with him, and don't go too far until we know more about him.” “I won't, I promise, Hermana.” You hugged her tightly. “ Besides, Uncle Luci would kill me.” “Pish, I would kill you.” she leaned her head onto your shoulder.

“Here we are!!” Alastor had reappeared with a large bowl of soup and placed it in front of you.” What's this? We are out of jambalaya?” “No no but I wanted you to try this first! I remember when we were at Rosie's last week and you said you were.. curious about her cuisine that she had for sale! I picked up a couple things for you to try if you're still interested”.

✨ Last week at Rosie's ✨ “ALASTOR MY MY IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU, AND YOU BROUGHT MY BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FRIEND TODAY WHAT A TREAT!”. The tall, skeletal woman made her way to you, wrapping you up in a huge hug. “what do I owe this pleasure?! Come come sit.” You both sat at her round table as she brought over some tea. “ Oh, I was on my way to discuss some notes with you for the next overload meeting, and it was such a lovely day I asked y/n here if she would like to join me; she's been quite the chatterbox about you of late,�� Alastor took one of the black tea cups and took a sip.

You blushed a little at his statement, although it was true you adored Rosie; the first time Alastor had taken you to cannibal town, the two of you hit it off instantly, gossiping like school girls. You felt as if you had known Rosie forever, and she felt the same way about you. She had told you as you were leaving to please come back anytime. You inquired about helping her at the quaint little shop. Which caused her to clap her hands together with delight. “oh please, please do! I would enjoy your company. Come anytime; my cannibals won't harm you, I assure you”.Sitting down with you both, Rosie beamed at his statement. “Well, the feeling is mutual,” she said, squeezing your hand. “I might have to steal this little rose from you! She brings such a light into this shop. Who doesn't love a beautiful little thing greeting you at the door? Are you hungry? I just got some buttered fingers in! It's best in town if I say so myself, but I forgot! You aren't a fan of this dietary preference?”. “Well,” you said, picking up your teacup. “I haven't tried it, so perhaps I would like it. You never know”.

Alastor and Rosie turned to look at you, curiosity creeping into his face. Rosie was smiling from ear to ear.” oh, I knew there was something I loved about you! Such an adventurous spirit; whenever you're ready, see me, and I'll pick out all the best samples for you to try! Have a look around and see what might tickle your fancy! Help yourself to anything”! You thanked her and stood up, walking around the shop admiring all the trinkets and odds and ends. Alastor watched you walk around the shop curiously. “Oh, I know that look,” Rosie said, smiling at him. “Rosie, I don't know what you're talking about,'' he laughed as he waved her off, helping himself to more tea. “Mmhmm, I'm not saying anything, but the eyes don't lie, and I don't know many young ladies who would be this interested in their friends' lifestyle choices to this degree.” “She's a curious kitten. What can I say? I doubt that has anything to do with me."

"oh, Alastor, you can be so foolish for someone so smart." Walking out of the shop, you waved goodbye and expressed your desire to return soon. “Why didn't you pick anything?” Alastor asked, noticing your empty hands, “ I wanted to. I was just so intimidated. There's so much to try. Maybe next time you can help me pick something. What's your favorite there?” You asked, looking up at him. “Hmm, nothing on the shelves, but I'll show you someday.”

He pulled out a chair and sat beside you, watching intensity. Oh, the idea of you joining him in his… peculiar taste had him excited, oh so excited. He felt a strange and foreign feeling creep into his body, focusing on his lower region. He wanted to watch you taste the blood and flesh and bone that had been ground up in that stew almost as much as he wanted to taste your blood and flesh.. he could see the veins in your neck under your skin flush vibrantly.

He yearned to drag his claw across your neck and lap up the sweet nectar of your life force. He first wanted to see you become corrupted. Join him in his unholy act of consuming the dead. He waited, tho; ever the gentleman, he would not pressure you. It would be more satisfying to watch you slowly consume it gradually.

Delayed gratification, he thought. His hands gripped the edge of the table as he leaned in, breathing becoming slightly shallow—the slightest quiver on his large smile as his fangs presented themselves on full display. His eyes narrowed, and he focused on every slight movements you made. He swears he forgot to breathe when you lifted the bowl to your lips and allowed the red liquid to enter your mouth and travel down your throat, your soft lips pressed against it. He felt his heart begin to race and his blood run hot. Your tiny hands gripped the bowl, your chest lifting and falling as you breathed. Clearing his throat, he asked, “How is the taste, darling?” His voice was barely above a whisper, and he leaned closer ever so slightly as you lifted the bowl, finishing the last drop. The liquid was salty and thick, your mind racing about how deprived this act was, yet you couldn't stop it. It was addicting, and the taste was like black licorice and metal. You wanted more. You could feel his eyes on you as you drank it, the unspoken praise of his jutting approval. He enjoyed watching you partake, and you enjoyed him watching you.

“It's delicious,” you chuckled, licking your lips and setting the bowl down, eyes traveling to meet his. “Do you have any more?” He rose and offered a clawed hand towards you, towering above you as you looked up at him with large, innocent eyes. He reached one of his claws to your face to swipe the small amount of bloody broth that had trickled into your chin. Sticking it in his mouth, he pulled it out with a pop. “ There is more where that came from.” before you could lift from your seat, he gently lifted your chin, leaning closer to you, “My my, those eyes.”. You swallowed, staring into his large red ones, clenching the fabric of your dress. Just then, the door of the hotel swung open as loud drunk voices filled the room. He released your face, standing to his full height, placing his hands behind his back, and allowing you space to stand from your seat. “If you follow me, my dear, we can do something else to satisfy your newfound pallet.”

#alastor hazbin hotel #alastor x reader #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel #alastor fanfiction #slow burn

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mindblowingscience · 3 months

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A highly contagious and virulent virus is sweeping through domestic and wild swine populations across the world, decimating those in Asia, Europe, and Africa. The near-100% fatality rate threatens food security, ecosystems and the lives and traditions of millions. African Swine Fever (ASF) is probably the most devastating viral disease you have never heard of. Cultural practices centuries-old are at risk of extinction. Diets are dramatically shifting, placing an unsustainable burden on an already strained socio-ecological environment. Low- and lower-middle-income countries are bearing the brunt of this catastrophic pandemic, but few seem to care beyond the protection of domestic pork production. Would it be the same if experts were to predict that not a single American household would celebrate Thanksgiving with a turkey in 2024?

#Science #Animals #Biology #Ecology #African Swine Fever #Borneo

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bingbongsupremacy · 4 months

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Lonely Pt. 1

Pairing: Stranger Things x reader Zombie Apocalypse AU

Warnings:

Summary: A few days after the zombie apocolypse took over Hawkins you lost everyone. Once you finally run out of supplies, you're forced to venture out into the town, hoping not to run into anyone and make it to safety alive. Unfortunately, life doesn't always go how you want it.

*Not Proof Read*

This Fic does not mention body type, weight, race, gender, etc. If I happened to mess up and add a pronoun or anything that could define the readers appearance, please let me know so I can fix it. Ty!

ABC List Stranger Things Master List

Pt. 1 Pt. 2

*****

People are evil. They truly. When things get rough the worst parts of us tend to leak out. Maybe it's from fear, maybe it's from adrenaline. Whatever it is, the worst parts of us tend to leak out, forever changing us.

Three days after the virus hit Hawkins my family was killed. A group of blood thirsty survivors tore through my parents' house, killing everyone. Well almost everyone.

I managed to get out. I'm not sure how, but I did. I ran until my lungs hurt. Until I felt like I would die if I kept going.

Flashes of Jason Carver, the athlete turned cold blooded survivalist leader, killing my parents running through my mind. The lack of emotions sent shivers down my spine. How can someone take the life of another and not feel anything? Not feel guilty or disgusting. Somehow the previous three days turned the cocky pretty boy into an emotionless killer.

The personality change is terrifying.

I managed to find a house away from the inner heart of Hawkins. Away from the people. Thankfully, whoever lived there left behind a good amount of food and water.

Unfortunately, food and water can only last so long. I knew this day would come. The day where surviving off of the pantries of nearby homes wouldn't be possible anymore.

Frankly, I'm not sure how I've made it 6 months on my own. I still struggle to kill the zombie things out there. I hide away whenever they come out, hoping they don't hear me move around.

I tuck the last few remaining bits of food into my backpack before pulling the heavy pack onto my shoulders. I do one last sweep around the house, making sure I have everything I need.

I tightly grip onto the kitchen knife in my hand. Hopefully I don't run into a hoard. There's no way in hell I could survive if I do.

I close the front door of the house I've been borrowing for the past half a year. I feel anxiety bubble up in my stomach. I'm scared. I can't deny it. What if I get bitten? Or kidnapped by Jason Carver's pack of assholes?

I have no choice.

The sound of crunching leaves beneath my feet and wind are the only sounds I hear as I step onto empty street. It's silent, the way it has been for months. The last time I heard something was when a small group of zombies wandered through the the neighborhood, managing to somehow stumble into every garbage can possible.

Any sign of human life is gone. The lack of animals is terrifying. Is everything dead? What if I'm the only person alive.

Will I be alone forever?

It's been hard being alone for so long. There's not much you can do when you're by yourself with no access to electricity or running water.

I never thought I'd say this, but I miss my fucking job. At least there I got to talk to people, even if it was a forced greeting.

I finally make it out of the neighborhood. Even though I haven't been this far out in months, I remember every road. I know exactly how to get to the center of town.

There has to be some place with food, right? There's no way Jason Carver could have gotten absolutely everything.

As I pass another neighborhood, I immediately spot the smashed in doors. Windows are shattered and belongings from inside and thrown around the yard. People have raided here.

In a weird way it gives me some sort of hope. Maybe there are people besides Jason and his friends that are alive. Maybe they'll help me.

Not everyone can be evil, right?

Not everyone is a murderer.

A few cars litter the roads, rotting people sitting inside. Some have turned and others are still, their bodies decomposing.

I finally make it to the entrance of main street. All of the surrounding buildings are smashed in. I pass a four car crash in the center of the road, dried blood staining all around.

The loud sound of groans fills my ears. A shiver runs through my back.

There's a zombie somewhere out here.

I turn onto a nearby street and immediately regret my decision. Dozens of zombies wander around the street.

" Fuck. " I mumble, fear crawling it's way towards my throat.

The heads of the zombies snap towards me, their dead grey eyes piercing into my body like a knife.

They have fucking super hearing or some shit. I'm fucked. I'm fucked.

I quickly turn to run down the street. The sounds of shuffling feet follows behind me. They're not super fast, but there's no way I'd be able to run for miles with them behind me. If I stop running they'd easily catch up.

Clenching the knife in my hand, I run as I fast I can off of main street. Maybe I can make it back to the house? Fuck fuck!

Fuck me. The side road is blocked by another group of zombies. My old neighbors, people I used to talk to every day, quickly turn their hungry eyes on me.

I'm so screwed.

I have two fucking hoards behind me.

I turn onto another street, hoping there's not another group on this street.

I'm so caught up in panic that I don't register the sound of a speeding car and gun shots.

A brown and white van speeds in front of me. The door opens as it quickly halts to a stop a few feet in front of me.

" Get in! " The man yells. His eyes trained on the group behind me. In his hands is a large shot gun.

I hesitate. What if this guy fucking kills me?

" Earth to girl, get in the fucking van! " Another man in the drivers seat yells, shooting the pistol in his dirty hands.

Fuck it, being killed by them might hurt less than being eaten alive.

I scramble into the van, immediately noticing the pile of tools and weapons laying around.

The man at the van door slams it shut. He clutches onto the back of the passenger seat in front of him as the driver speeds down the street. He turns his attention to me, immediately raising his gun towards me when the van stops jumping around.

I push myself against the van wall, fear coursing through my veins. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I should've just gotten eaten. " Please don't hurt me! " I keep the knife in front of me, hoping it'll help somehow.

Who am I kidding, a fucking knife won't save me from shit.

" Drop the knife. " The man grunts. His face is covered by a short beard. His long frizzy hair is tied back into a bun, his head covered with a battered hat. A small scar runs down the left side of his face, near his eyebrow. His eyes look familiar but I can't quite place it.

Deciding it's probably best if I listen, I carefully set down the knife. " Okay, okay. " My breath is shaky.

" Check for bites. " The guy up front barks, glancing back at us from the rear view mirror. His skin is covered in splotches of dirt and grime, his eyes are covered with a pair of dark sunglasses. His hair however, reminds me of someone; Steve Harrington. It's neatly put up, only a few stray strands framing his face.

I don't have time to question the looks of the man up front before the guy holding a shotgun speaks to me.

" Show me your arms and legs. "

I don't hesitate to shrug off my bag and jacket. I pull up the ends up my sleeves, turning my arms back and forth before pulling up my jeans. I let out a small wince when I notice a large gash on my ankle. I have no idea where I got this. Maybe I scraped it against something? "

" Where did you get that? " The shotgun man asks, nodding down to my leg.

" I have no idea. I had no idea I was bleeding. "

" Tie them, E. " The man up front says nonchalantly.

My eyes widen. " What? But I haven't been bitten! I swear to god, I haven't been bitten. I-I'll take everything off and show you! " I offer, terrified about what these men are going to do to me.

Guilt flashes in the shot gun holding guys' eyes. " Look, until we know you're not dangerous or infected, we can't take any risks. If you're clear, you'll be out of this in no time. " The guy pulls a handful of zipties from his pocket. " Please give me your hands. "

I hesitantly hand his my hands, seeing no way out of this.

The guy quickly ties my hands and ankles before putting anything sharp in my reach in a locked box. He pulls a small red bag out of the box and scoots towards me.

I try to scoot further into the corner of the van, tucking my arms into my body.

The guy notices. " I'm not going to hurt you. " He pulls out a Band-Aid. " I'm gonna clean your cut up. If it's not infected with the virus, it's going to get infected by some other shit. The last thing you need is an fucked up leg. " His tone is slightly softer than it was a few minutes ago.

I allow him to take a look at my ankle. His cold hands pull my ankles onto his lap before he begins cleaning up my cut. The anti bacterial wipe stings but not bad enough to cause me to wince.

" Good news is it's not deep. Probably a branch or wire that scraped you. "

I take this opportunity to study the mans face. Small dark bags rest under his brown eyes. Over grown bangs droop past his eyes, pushes aside by him every once in a while.

Up closer I notice the shirt he's wearing. It's covered in dirt and blood, making it nearly impossible to tell it was once white. My eyes trace the familiar design. The Hellfire Club.

I was never apart of it, but I'd heard of it. I'd thought about joining back in high school but I was too scared. I worried they wouldn't let me play since I'd be the only girl in the group or think I wasn't good enough to join. I let my fears get the best of me.

" Eddie Munson? " I ask, my eyes looking up at the mans' face.

His eyes meet mine, widening in confusion. " Yeah? "

A little bit of relief fills my chest. I was never friends with Eddie, but I'd worked on a couple of assignments with him growing up. He was always kind and for the most part, did his part of the project. I'm not exactly sure why he got held back. He was smart, he just didn't seem to want to put in the hard work needed to graduate. It was like he didn't believe in himself.

" I'm Y/N. You probably don't remember me, it was so long- " I'm cut off by him.

" From world civ! " His lips curl into a small smile. " I remember you. "

My heart jumps a little. I'd always had a small crush on the dark haired boy. He was one of the reasons I wanted to join Hellfire. He'd talk about it sometimes during our projects, making it sound so fun.

" Is that Steve Harrington? " I ask, glancing to the driver.

" It's me. " Steve replies, his eyes not leaving the road. " Sorry, I don't think I remember you, Y/N. "

I nod. " I was 3 years older than you so we never really crossed paths. " I feel slightly more safe knowing I at least semi know the people I'm with. " Did we lose the zombies? "

" Yeah we lost them a while back. " Steve nods, his eyes glancing back at the rear view mirror every once in a while. " We're going to need to stop for gas soon, Eddie. "

" Fuck. " Eddie sighs. " Of course we are. "

" Should've filled the tank up when I told you. " Steve rolls his eyes.

Eddie finishes bandaging up my ankle before gently fixing the positioning of the ties around it. " I was busy grabbing bullets. "

The van pulls to a stop and Steve shuts off the engine, making sure to take the keys out of the ignition. " Grab the tube. "

Eddie grabs a small bag. A small tube pokes out of the top of it, quickly disappearing when Eddie shoves it down. " We'll be back. " He reassures me before opening the back doors and jumping out.

I quietly lean against the van wall.

" Let's just cut them free. " Eddie's voice is muffled slightly .

" No fucking way, Eddie. I know you know them, but we still have to follow protocol. We keep them tied for at least a week. Until we know they aren't infected. Besides, we don't even know if they're dangerous. They could slit our fucking throats and steal our supplies. " Steve's voice is stern.

Eddie sighs. " They wouldn't do that. I know they would- "

" When was the last time you saw them, Eddie? High school? It doesn't sound like you guys were friends when they graduated. I'm pretty sure you'd be able to recognize them faster if you were. " Steve points out.

" Well, yeah but they're a good person. They wouldn't do that shit. " Eddie defends me, making my heart jump a little.

My stupid fucking crush is back.

" It's been years Eddie. You don't know them. It's been 6 months since shit hit the fan. People change, especially after all the crap that's been going on. They probably aren't the same person they were years ago. Look, nobody's going to hurt them. We just have to keep the ties on until with get back to the lab. "

Eddie gives up arguing. The two return and Eddie tosses the bag on top of the tool box. The van slightly fills with the scent of gasoline as Eddie and Steve close the doors. The source being the tube.

Steve rolls down the front windows, letting air filter through the van.

Eddie sits across from me, his shot gun next to him. " We're going to help you. " He reassures me. " We just can't risk that you aren't infected. As soon as we're sure you can get those off. " He glances down at the zip ties.

I nod. " I understand. Thank you for saving me. "

Eddie smiles. " Of course. Couldn't just let you die out there. " He leans back against the van wall, crossing his arms. " We've got a bit of a ride, sit back and relax. "

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bestygogirl · 4 months

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BEST YGO GIRL: Round 4, Group B

Match 2

please use this as an opportunity to say why you like a character, not why you don't.

Propaganda under the cut!

Aoi Zaizen

The show hates her but she is a very good character. Trickstars and Marincesses are both hella cool decks.

Aoi’s parents died when she was around 6 and she was mostly raised by her older brother. She’s the 2nd best Duelist in the VRAINS at the start of the series and over the course of the first season goes from being rather shy and only putting on a happy facade to a determined Duelist willing to risk her life to save the world. She even puts a stop to a virus that’s leaving people in comas.

Aoi gets two more avatars (Blue Girl and Blue Maiden) and also obtains a semi-magic AI named Aqua as her partner.

She never lets her trauma keep her down and was a huge inspiration for me in high school!

AOI ZAIZEN IS THE BEST GIRL! She's gonna sweep this whole tournament and here's why:

Is the peak YGO Girl who Deserved Better from the writers

Just a normal everyday girl IRL who secretly turns into an ultra bubbly sweetheart idol who everyone absolutely loves when in the virtual world.

Her VRAINS persona is extremely popular, and none of her fans know that she's just Some Girl.

Plays an idol deck with Trickstars (toxic meta combo not included)

Is sheltered by her overprotective older step-brother/guardian, but very quickly stands up for herself and what she believes is right.

Mutual protection with said step-brother is the sweetest thing ever, I love Aoi and Akira moments so much!

She does NOT fall head over heels for the main protagonist, but they do share a nice conversation and handshake as they become friends IRL (one of the best VRAINS scenes, honestly)

Absolutely wrecks Soulburner for like 99% of their duel, and only loses because the writers don't understand how to move a plot along if Soulburner doesn't win as many duels as possible

Duels two seasonal antagonists, and completely destroys them both before losing thanks to an OP anime card that will never see the light of day, and a one-off card made specifically to counter her strategy and have her lose.

Her first virtual avatar, Blue Angel, is inspired by the main character from her favorite childhood book. That's adorable!

Her main summoning chants are all about hopes, dreams, and believing in yourself.

In the English dub, she says "I could so swipe left on you right now" implying that Tinder exists in the Yu-Gi-Oh universe.

Never got the Magical Girl transformation sequence she deserved because the writers apparently were not aware that Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS is a Magical Girl show, despite the two main dudes getting that special treatment.

AOI ZAIZEN DESERVED BETTER! Give her what she deserves!

AND SHE'S A TRANS LESBIAN

Dark Magician Girl

she is iconic, basically the unofficial mascot of the anime. She has so much merch and so much fanart she is THE girl ever

#best ygo girl poll #round 4 #yugioh vrains #aoi zaizen #yugioh tcg #dark magician girl #skye zaizen

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jae-birde · 6 months

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This was supposed to come out weeks ago, but I got stuck in the editing process and then I got sick… so yeah, this took a while. But now it's done!

This is also cross-posted on AO3 here.

This fic is dedicated to both @somerandomdudelmao and @tapakah0, both of whom are incredibly talented and huge inspirations to me, both in terms of writing and in drawing, so thank you both so much.

Anyways, spoilers up to chapter 16 of Cass' Apocalypse series.

Donnie was standing in the middle of a crowd.

It was safe to say that he was very much not used to being surrounded by such crowds, even in the Resistance. He was never the one that everyone would crowd around; that was always Leo or Raph or Mikey or April or… literally anyone but him. Even considering that, and even thinking about the few times people did crowd around him, there was something very different about this one. Something off.

He looked around. He could tell that they were talking — their mouths were moving, and sound was certainly coming out — but it was indecipherable, and none of the people had a distinct form, which was quickly beginning to become very unnerving.

Donnie looked around, and a tug in his gut had him scanning the crowd for his brothers.

"Mikey?" He called out. "Leo! Where the fuck are… you…?" Donnie trailed off, frozen at the sight of the pink veins covering his hand. His hands, actually.

"What…?" His mind was suddenly thrust backwards — or was it forwards? — in time, remembering when he'd first seen signs of the infection.

The infection.

"No! No, no, no, no, no…" Donnie couldn't help the desperation in his tone, his horror growing as he watched and felt the infection creeping through his veins, killing him all over again. Only this time, it didn't give him the mercy of time, the pain instead seeming to flood his senses. He sucked in a sharp breath and felt it get caught in his throat. He felt the way the virus weakened him, sapping his strength like poison as it happened all over again. He closed his eyes at the wave of pain that crashed over him, a sick feeling settling in his gut.

His legs gave away, and he dropped to the ground with a groan, one hand out to catch his fall, the other wrapping around his stomach as a pain shot through it. The pink was all over him now; he could see it. It seeped into the ground around him, trying to pull him down with it. He opened his eyes, looking up at the crowd desperately.

"Please— I—" Donnie stopped, staring at the crowd around him.

They all stared back.

"Why are you…?" He trailed off, looking around, hoping to see any sign of someone moving to help.

No one moved.

"…Just looking…?"

The crowd hovered around him, indistinct forms still murmuring incomprehensible words. The pink of the virus encompassed him, and he felt himself growing weaker with every second, pain wracking his body as he sunk lower onto the ground.

"You're already dead," one voice said, seemingly coming from everywhere at once.

They're the first words he heard that weren't his own since he found himself in this crowd, and they made it feel as if the world was crashing down on him.

"What's the point?" Another asked, voice void of emotion as it echoed around him.

Donnie stared at them, uncomprehending. "But… I'm not?" He tried to push himself up, but his arms trembled and gave out under him, and he collapsed again, strength weakening by the second.

"Not… yet… Donnie closed his eyes, tears stinging at them as he lay there, forcing himself to take breath after shuddery breath.

This poison had practically consumed him. It had sapped away his strength until he could barely move.

And he didn't particularly want to.

The crowd's murmuring had silenced, but he could still feel their presence around him, their forms towering over his prone one.

Donnie couldn't open his eyes. He felt a tear track down his face as he lay still, letting the pain, cold, and exhaustion wash over him and sweep him away. He couldn't do anything now. He was overwhelmed by the pain and misery caused by the infection. There wasn't anything that could be done at this point anyway; he was too far gone. There was an insistent tug around him, pulling him into the ground.

You are dead after all, a voice whispered in Donnie's mind. It's just bringing you to where you belong.

And Donnie didn't have the strength to fight it anymore.

But then he didn't have to.

He was being carried. It was a familiar enough feeling to him, his brothers and sister all having done it at one point or another for him, but this hold was different. Familiar in a way that he was clinging to, even before he realized who it was. And then, all at once, Donnie recognized who it was.

Leo.

Donnie nearly cried at feeling his brother's arms holding him again; he would recognize his twin's hold anywhere. He felt safe in his brother's arms in a way he hadn't felt for a long time. He knew that Leo would keep him safe. Donnie felt himself go slack in Leo's arms before he felt a gentle weight on his head and cracked his eyes open.

And there was Mikey, floating just in front of him, dark hair obscuring most of his face, but his little brother's sad smile was visible.

There was a glow around Mikey, a pale orange that was nearly white, that seemed to emanate from him in an aura. There was soothing warmth pouring from Mikey's touch that chased away the freezing cold of the Krang infection, and Donnie felt himself leaning into the sweet, blessed relief, despite the memories poking at his consciousness, whispering in his ear that it wouldn't help. Mikey had tried everything he could before; all it ever did was leave Mikey more tired than before. It wasn't worth it. Donnie didn't want his brother to feel that not when he'd just found him again.

"You know… that won't really help…?" Donnie trailed off despite himself, lost in an odd mix of pain and relief as the warmth of Mikey's mystic powers seeped through his veins, chasing away the cold of the virus in a way that Donnie had never felt before.

"Hm… yes." Leo mused, and Donnie felt a stab to his heart from hearing his brother's voice for the first time since he died.

Mikey's hand glowed brighter, and Donnie felt the mystics wash over his body. The pink that had nearly covered his hand turned white, and Donnie reached for his brother, desperate to hold onto Mikey's hand while he still could.

"Yes," Mikey continued, taking Donnie's hand in his own and squeezing tightly, his other hand gently holding the side of Donnie's face.

Donnie felt Leo gently rub his shell, and he relaxed further into his brother's hold, smiling up at Mikey, tears in his eyes.

"We do," Mikey concluded, the glow from his hands growing brighter before Donnie was left blinking from the brightness of it.

And suddenly, he wasn't looking at his brother anymore. He wasn't being carried.

His eyes shot fully open, and he sat up, eyes darting around his desk as he remembered where — and when — he was. Coffee mugs were grouped to the side, and paper notes were scattered across the desk's surface. Glowing purple screens were the only thing illuminating the otherwise empty room.

Donnie straightened up, rubbing at his eyes before dragging his hand down his face as his posture slumped. Mikey and Leo were still out there.

He looked up at his screens.

He just needed to find them.

Besides. Death was fixable after all.

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