#you can shoot right through them and hit above or below you

[purble-gaymer]

alright first night opinion. new kits are kinda underwhelming, but they’ll probably just take some getting used to. gold dynamo is probably my favorite of the three i was looking forward to. not crazy about custom goober. inkline bow is fine but i’d rather die than give up my killer wail so i think i just need time to adjust

[2tcs]

DCxDP Prompt

Ah. It's good to hear the voice of god above me instead of below. Dick thinks as he begins to wake up more and realizes that it's Jason’s voice yelling above him. 

Wait. Why is his voice above me? Where am I? Suddenly Dick shoots up from where he is lying, only for pain to flare in his hip and up his side.

“Hay Mr. Nightwing? Are you awake?” A little boy asks as two kids open the door to the room he was in.

How did I get here?

“See Dan? I told you I heard him moving around.” The little girl said as she stuck her tongue out at her brother.

“Mama said that you should never ashoom anything and should always verify.” The little boy, Dan said with an adorable glare.

“Your Mama is right. It's not good to make assumptions. By the way, where is your Mama?” Dick asked trying to derail the argument he could see coming and hoping to get some answers.

“Mama is in the kitchen making supper. You slept the whooole day. But Mama wouldn't let us wake you up. She said that you needed your sleep because you were hurt. Are you still hurt Mr. Nightwing?” The little girl said while bouncing on her toes.

“Mama will want to know you're awake.” Dan said before grabbing his sister's hand and dragging her out of the room.

Watching them go Dick decided to take another look around the room. Other than the bed and a dresser the room was pretty barren of personality. Not even a window to break up the monotony of the room's walls. Must be a guest bed then. Dick thought as he managed to get up and hobbled his way to the main area of the apartment.

“Good morning Mr. Nightwing. Or good evening? Never mind. If you want you can go sit down while I finish making supper.” A man who looks around his mid-twenties said from the kitchen. “How are you feeling? You were pretty banged up when you came in last night but I managed to pop your hip back in place and stitched up your side. You really should sit down so you don't aggravate your hip. I am sorry if the kids woke you up.” He said, only for the sound of something hitting a wall and more yelling before what sounded like a door slamming and everything going quiet filtered down to them from the upstairs apartment. “Or my neighbor. He's normally really quiet.”

“It's okay. And thanks for patching me up Mr…?”

“Oh. Sorry. I'm Danny. My daughter over there is Ellie and my son is Dan.”

“Well thank you Danny. But can I ask how I got here?” Dick asked as he sat down.

“You climbed in through the window!” Ellie said excitedly.

“I think you thought it was an old safe house because you unlocked the window and came in before passing out. Ellie…” Danny said with a stern look at his daughter “had apparently decided she needed a midnight snack saw you come in.”

“Ya, probably. I don't remember much of what happened last night.” Dick admitted as he watched Danny plate up food and started handing it out to Dick and the kids before sitting on the couch with his own plate as his kids ate next to him.

“Hmm. You might have a bit of a concussion. You should probably call someone to pick you up if you can’t remember anything.”

After eating Dick opened his com and notified everyone where he was and that he needed help getting home. He'll have to figure out a way to thank Danny for his help. After dealing with the batlecture and his sibling's teasing.

[darlingshane]

hold on to me, darlin'

Shane Walsh x F!Reader

Summary: Shane is helping you locate your missing friends when you both get caught in a trap.

CW: fluff, crack, guns, making out, pet names, friends to lovers or something like that.

Word Count: 1,4k

A/N: This was inspired by a scene in Lost where Jack and Kate get caught in a net.

— Links: AO3 // Shane Masterlist.

Like a bloodhound following a scent, Shane stalks several paces ahead from you between the mass of trees and luscious greenery, scanning the grounds for the saviors trail.

It's still sweltering when the sun begins descending on the horizon. The humid air almost makes it impossible to veer through the woods, but you'll keep going until dark if you have to.

You've heard stories about them before, Negan and The Saviors, but you never came in close contact with them until this morning when they destroyed your campsite and took two people from your group. You're lucky you even came out unscathed from the encounter given their reputation.

Slowing down, you reach into your backpack to grab your bottle and take a gulp of warm water.

After tucking the bottle back into your pack, as your feet start moving again, you notice something white sticking out under a bush sitting under the shadow of a tree. Taking a step closer to the bush, you notice a baby doll wrapped in a blanket.

You decide to inspect it.

When Shane turns his head to see you reaching to pick up the dirty doll, he tries to warn you by calling your name, but it’s too late. The doll is an inch away from your hand and the only thing he can do is lunge fast, throw his body to tackle you down before you can touch it, but there’s no use. A trigger mechanism goes off right as his body collapses with yours, and you’re both suddenly yanked up 12 feet above the ground, trapped in a net.

The fear of falling and the ropes digging hard into one of your arms push your hands to clutch to his sides.

“Sorry,” you say, glancing down to see the ground shifting below.

“It’s alright, hold on to me, darlin’,” he pants. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. You?”

“Peachy,” he huffs, straining his voice as he tries to find a comfortable position. “If you wanted to try something like this you shoulda told me, sweetheart. I’m always game.”

“Huh? Are you hitting on me right now, Walsh?”

“Uh-uh, just sayin’ you didn’t have to go through all this trouble if you wanted to get close to me.”

“You’re an idiot.”

You can’t help but chuckle breathless as the constricting ropes keep you both hotly pressed front to front against the other, his body radiating just as much heat and sweat as yours. Trying to keep your balance, you move as little as possible. You look up to see a tightrope secured from one trunk to a parallel one, and a second set of ropes lined up vertically with the trees that keeps the net up with your weight. It feels like you're about to fall, but the good news is that the trap seems well-crafted enough to hold you both for a while. The bad news is that you need to get out of it before whoever went to all this trouble to set something like this up comes back to reap their rewards.

“This wasn’t for walkers,” you assume by the doll used as bait.

“Yeah, guess it wasn’t,” Shane swings the net when he attempts to unfold his arm.

“What are you doing?”

“Tryna grab my gun,” he grunts. “Can’t get my arm around.”

“Where is it?”

“At the back of my pants.”

Of course, it is.

“All right, let me.” You struggle to move your arms too, but you manage to curl them around his waist and blindly find his gun that’s tucked in the waistband of his cargo pants. His skin is wet with sweat under your fingers as you make your way to the handle. With your dominant hand, you carefully grab it, securing a tight grip around it.

“You got it?”

“Yeah, I’m trying not to shoot your ass,” it takes you a moment to retrieve it as the net keeps crushing you against his chest.

“Please don’t,” he scoffs.

“Got it, got it,” you finally say when you manage to bring your arm back to your front.

“Okay, give it to me.”

“Why? What for?”

“I’m gonna shoot the rope,” he points at the vertical rope that’s keeping you up.

“I can do it. I’m a better shot than you.” you stretch the net with your free hand, and stick your opposite arm, holding the weapon, through one of the squares in the net.

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. Told you I grew up hunting with my dad.”

“Then, go ahead, sweetheart.”

Drawing a breath, you level your aim, keeping yourself as steady as you can before pulling the trigger, letting him watch you miserably fail when you take your shot.

“Damn it!”

“Can I get a turn now?”

“You gonna waste another bullet?”

“Don't worry. We'll still have thirteen more to shoot each other with.”

Handing the gun to Shane, you say, “you have a better angle than me anyway.”

“That's gonna be your excuse when l make the shot?” The corner of his mouth curls up as he gets into position.

You watch him closely pushing his arm between the ropes with an even pulse pulling the trigger a second before promptly falling along with him down to the ground. He lands on his back with you on top of him.

“Nice shot,” you hold your palms to his chest to push yourself up, but your body takes a second to bounce from the falling.

“Nice landing,” he raises a brow, squeezing the sides of your hips as you both start laughing.

Pressing your forehead against his breastplate as your laugh runs out, you draw a long breath before carefully pushing yourself off him.

You stand up first, and you offer your hand up to him. He grabs it, and pulls himself up with your help.

Shane kicks the discarded net under a bush as you adjust your backpack to your shoulders. You keep moving, upping your pace before anyone comes to respond to the sound of those two bullets you’ve fired.

Focused on your mission you keep walking until the sun is fully set. By that time the trail is nearly lost thanks to the undead that have managed to aid them into covering their tracks.

You made camp for the night in a spot near a stream for the night.

In the stillness of the night, while Shane circles the perimeter a couple of times you rinse the sweet off your face and chest using the cooling water from the stream to freshen up your skin. Then, you use your makeshift water filter to fill up your bottles.

Sitting crisscrossed at the bank of the stream, you notice Shane’s shadow drawn in the water by the bouncing moonlight on the water.

He crouches besides you, propping the butt of his shotgun on the dirt.

“I’ll take the first shift, you should get some sleep while you can, sweetheart.”

“It’s alright. I don’t think I can sleep right now.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll catch up with them tomorrow.”

“How? We’ve lost the trail.”

“I think I know where they’re going.”

“Yeah? Where?”

“There’s a radio station only a couple of miles up. I heard once there was a group of them holing up there. We’ll try that at first light.”

“Thank you for coming with me,” you say, glancing at him. “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.”

“Why?”

Shane scoffs at your question, “why? Guess I owed you for letting me into your group. You didn’t have to do that either.”

“Is that the real reason you came?”

His head shakes, “I came cause I like you. But you already knew that.”

Your cheeks heat up as you look down for a beat.

“You’re going to tell me you didn’t know, darlin’?”

“No, no… I knew,” you quickly respond, drawing a smile as you gaze at him once more.

“Well, what do you think about it? Do I have a chance here or not?” His head tilts to the side with a boisterous grin illuminating his face in the dark.

“I’d say you have a chance or two,” you mirror his expression.

“Yeah?”

Though the last thing you need right now is getting distracted by his charm, when his head leans closer to print a kiss on your lips, you don’t move your head away. You let his delicious lips bounce twice against yours before opening your mouth to invite him in to taste something deeper. He shifts on the ground for a better position as his tongue slowly draws the shape of your mouth. You find yourself shifting with him and without almost realizing you end up pinned beneath his body as he explores the depths of your mouth.

[emmalandry]

⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆

ℙ𝕦𝕡𝕡𝕖 ~ 𝕂ö𝕟𝕚𝕘 𝕩 𝕀𝕟𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕕!𝔽𝕖𝕞!ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣

⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆

⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕓𝕓𝕝𝕖༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆

Imagine König with a naive inexperienced reader who's never even been with a man in any way shape or form before him. Let me set the scene for everyone.

His large hands caressed down your much smaller frame before slipping under your his shirt. Your dainty frame is basically being swallowed by his hand on your tummy before you grab hold of his wrist and try and remove his hand from underneath. "What's wrong meine liebe?" a panic settling across his features.

"It's just..." you start before going silent. "It's just what puppe?" he's knawing on his lip awaiting your response. "I've never done this before and I'm afraid I'm gonna do something wrong." you begin to look away before he has hold of your jaw bringing you to look him in the eyes. "Ich liebe dich. I'll walk you through it, it's okay I promise." you let out a small nod before releasing his wrist and allowing him to move it further up toward your breast.

He begins to cup your breast before gripping the strap of your bra pulling it lightly before letting it slap against your skin. "Can I take this off?" you bite your lip lightly and nod. He reaches around to unclip your bra with one hand. 'So he's skilled with his hands. Noted.' You think to yourself. His lips crash against yours nothing but tongues and teeth clashing together as he begins to tweak at your nipples.

He pulls and pinches on them lightly making a moan slip through your lips into his mouth. He tugs on the bottom of the shirt you're wearing while his lips are still on yours as a way to ask for permission to remove it. You pull away from the kiss practically ripping your shirt off. But you cover up your chest after realizing how exposed you are.

"Verdammt Schön" he mutters below his breath before his lips begin to attack your chest nipping and sucking at the tender skin leaving love bites along the tops of your breasts and down your sternum. A whimper slips past your lips as he begins to trail his kisses down past your belly button right above your panty line. You can feel him smile against your tummy before looking up at you to ask for permission before he removes your panties.

Once he has permission he slips them down beginning to kiss along your thighs. Biting at the skin before licking the spot he just nipped at as he gets closer and closer to your throbbing cunt. "König don't tease." You say while squirming beneath his touch forcing him to pin you down by the hips. "Patience puppe." his kisses finally reach your cunt before he darts his tongue out and licks a long stripe up your cunt allowing him to taste your slick.

Your back arches as you grip the couch cushion letting out a moan. He eats you out like a man starved making sure to collect everything you give him whilst still making sure his nose bumps against your clit making a surge of pleasure shoot through you. You begin to feel a knot build up in your tummy. "König I feel weird. I think somethings wrong." You try to warn him but to no avail. "It's okay Puppe let go, that just means you're going to cum."

He gets back to work devouring your cunt. Suckling on your clit as he slides two of his fingers into your wet heat before curling them upwards hitting a spot you didn't even know you had. Your hand flies to grip his hair. "König, Oh my god" Your spine could've snapped at the speed that it arched into the air. He continued to pump his fingers in and out of you while still sucking your clit allowing you to ride out your orgasm.

"That was...fuck." you manage to breathe out. He chuckles before leaving a small kiss against your puffy clit. "Did you enjoy yourself meine liebe?" His chin was coated in your release. He looked beautiful, his lips puffy and dripping your slick along with hooded eyes. "Yeah..that was..wow. Just wow." you let out a giggle as you finish your sentence. "What about you?" you let your eyes trail down toward his painfully hard erection before you look back up at him. "That's a lesson for another day, Puppe. For now, let's just get you cleaned up okay?"

⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆

Translation:

Puppe - Babydoll/Doll

Meine Liebe - My Love

Ich liebe dich - I love you

Verdammt Schön - Damn Beautiful

⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆

𝔸/ℕ: 𝕀'𝕧𝕖 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕖𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕕 𝕓𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕀'𝕞 𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕚𝕥 𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕤𝕠 𝕀 𝕙𝕠𝕡𝕖 𝕀 𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕠𝕜𝕒𝕪. 𝔼𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪!

⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆*⋆⸜ ⚘ ⸝⋆ .* ⚘ ⋆

[misanthropologymajor]

buggin' out (part 2)

plagas!leon x partner!fem!reader

So you've found the President's daughter-- now what?

warnings: parasitic infections, descriptive violence, slow burn, anxious reader, lots of euphemisms for killing, awkwardly written combat, animal death, dog bite, slow building las plagas infections, crossposted on ao3

part one

feedback is appreciated :)

wc: 2.1k

The Merchant greets your trio as you return to the village square. “I ‘ave somethin’ I think you’ll like.” He glints the silver blade of a folding knife toward you. “Could be useful.”

You think for a second before opening the outside pocket of your waist pouch. “Ashley, why don’t we get you this to keep in your boot? Just in case?” You hand the Merchant his asking price before handing Ashley her new steel and juniper navaja, a sturdy antique pocket knife. 

She tucks it into her right boot before brushing an errant cobweb off the hem of her skirt. “Can we take a break?”

“Sorry, we need to keep moving.” Leon walks past the Merchant and enters the town hall. He keeps his hand on his holster as he walks past the flickering flame of the last lit lantern. 

Ashley gives a brief, “Got it.”

You grab her hand to squeeze it briefly as you try to encourage her to keep going. “You should have seen me in Raccoon City. After I got licked in the face by a mutated zombie, I made Leon give me five minutes to cool off. You’re doing better than I was.” 

“Wait, you two were there for Raccoon City? How did you get out?” Ashley nearly stopped dead in her tracks, but you pulled her along with your clasped hands.

“We had some help getting to an underground train below Umbrella’s lab. We made it out with a girl around our age, Claire, and a little girl named Sherry. In the end, we really just got lucky.”

Leon coughs a bit before speaking, “We don’t have time to talk about R.C. If you really wanna know, wait for the chopper.” He wipes the corner of his mouth as he walks past the mantlepiece portrait. 

He continues forward, pushing the door open to reveal the downed bell tower. A man begins climbing through the smashed window of the nearest house. Leon takes aim and shoots him in the head twice before he can fully get outside. An elderly woman in a black bandana shoves his body the rest of the way out of the window frame before climbing through herself.

You shoot the woman just as she finds her footing. Holding the next occupants of the room at bay with shots to the torso before you climb over the most recent corpses. A villager attempts to grapple you. Drawing your leather-handled Bowie knife, you sink it into the soft spot above his clavicle. He drops dead as you return your knife to its sheath. You shoot the final man in the room as Leon helps Ashley through the window. 

You toss a flash grenade into the next room before entering. After shooting one villager lethally, the next two mutate into bladed tentacles. It takes nearly a full clip before the tentacle heads and the other two villagers drop. You look back to Leon and Ashley. Leon��s hair sticks flat to his forehead, and Ashley’s tights have two new snags.

“Let’s keep going. We’ve got to beat this storm.” You shoulder the door open while keeping your gun drawn.  Only two humanoids are in your path, but three mutated dogs scramble between them. Leon shoots at the nearest humanoid as you direct your fire at the dogs, snapping their excessive fangs at you. Ashley waits in the doorway.

As Leon finishes the second humanoid, the last dog manages to evade your fire and leaps to tackle you to the ground. You manage to tuck your head to avoid hitting it on the ground, and it ineffectively tries to bite you through your elbow pads.  Leon pulls it off of you and uses his knife to dispatch the poor mutated canine. As the dog lies limp, you pull yourself up to a seated position, allowing Leon to help you to your feet. 

You check under your elbow pads to ensure that the dog had not been able to cause damage through your protective equipment. Leon grabs your arm to check, as well. 

When you’re cleared, Leon leads off to the pickup location via the farm and stables. You gesture for Ashley to go before you with an over-dramatic hand gesture before finally following. 

One male villager blocks the path forward. Unfortunately for him, he does not see or hear your approach and is facing away. Leon uses his knife to quietly remove him from the situation. He continues his approach to the heavy gate, the final barrier to the farm. Leon’s forearm and shoulders flex as he pushes the door open. 

Quiet voices float through the air over the dilapidated shack you pull Ashley into. Leon continues to slink around the shack. You lean in close and whisper, “Pull out your knife. Only use it if someone tries to grab you. Be careful.” 

As Ashley draws her knife, you walk out with your own gun and knife ready and see an old woman catch sight of Leon. You shoot her in the chest twice as the other villagers move toward the commotion. Ashley clutches her new knife close, yet stays tucked behind you as you fire into the crowd of disgruntled mutant farmers. 

The villagers part to allow a larger bull-masked man to spiral through, propelled by the weight of a large hammer. Leon barely avoids his attack and you reach for the shotgun holstered on your back. You move toward the beast to fire your first shot into his chest. He stumbles, allowing Leon to shoot him, too. Another blast from your shotgun pushes his lifeless body to the ground as Leon uses his own shotgun to kill two smaller villagers in one shot. Ashley squeals at a villager who approaches her but manages to push her knife deep enough into his torso to pause him. His momentary stop allows you to grab him from behind and thrust your own knife into his throat.

As you remove and wipe Ashley’s knife off on your pants, Leon uses his handgun to finish off the last of the villagers in this area.

You return Ashley’s knife while voices approach from the village center. Leon leads you through the next set of gates and onto the suspension bridge. Villagers are approaching from behind and from the path to your right while a distinctly conscious voice rings out. The house directly in front of you, which you had barely even noticed until this point, holds a man you recognize from Leon’s earlier short-term abduction. A large gated fence surrounds the modest home.

“Hey! Over here, come on!” Finding the only option, Leon starts running, shortly followed by Ashley. 

You bring up the rear, and as you run into the house, Leon slams the door closed and barricades it with a large piece of metal. Leon turns on his heel and approaches the mystery man. “You!”

“Hey, listen, about earlier, I–”

“Yeah, about that…” Leon winds up a punch while you consider pulling his arm back. Before you can stop Leon’s attack, the strange man speaks up.

“Hey! I see you found your ‘missing señorita!’” The man looks between both you and Ashley before returning his gaze to Leon.

“This ‘señorita’ has a name, and it’s Ashley. And you are?”

You quickly give your own name before the man can introduce himself.

“Name’s Luis. Encantado.” 

“Great. We all have names.Now then—Who are you? And what're you doing here?”

A crack resounds from where the gate had been. You notice the bookcase near a window across the left side room and run over to push it in front of the window. Leon and Luis move a dresser to hide Ashley in the cavity behind it. A villager breaks through the window between your window and the stairs.

You are nearly done pushing the bookcase in front of the window when Leon shoots right behind you. The villager had gotten much closer than you’d realized, and Leon took him down right before he got the chance to grab you.

“Hordes of them against the three of us. Oh, and let’s not forget– this mob is made up of monsters! You two done warming up? Hope you stretched!” Luis aims his revolver at the window nearest Ashley’s alcove, and you notice a few loose boards in the table behind him. A hammer and several long nails rest on the more stable portion of the table. As Luis and Leon guard the two open windows, you can hear the creaking of wood from the destruction of your bookcase. 

With one foot on a chair and the other on the inside of the table, you begin to prise thick wooden boards from the old table. Leon and Luis kill at least ten villagers as you pull the third board from the table. You grab the boards, hammer, and nails and rush toward Luis’s window. Telling him to switch to the failing bookcase, you hold the board with your torso, the nail with one hand, and use the hammer with your other hand in order to form a more permanent barricade on this window. Luis’s remarks to Leon are drowned out by your repeated hammering and focus on building your barricade. Four more villagers, two being tentacled, are brought down in the time it takes you to get one board fully in place and another partially secured. 

The final nail enters your first barricade, and you shoot a tentacled head before it can stab Leon. You return to the table and pry another board out to give you enough boards for your next barricade. You send Luis to Leon’s window, and Leon takes it upon himself to grab more boards. Using a similar method, you manage to halve the time spent forming a blockade on this second window. 

A crash echoes from upstairs while Leon pulls the final board you need out. Luis rushes up, and Leon gives you the boards before following the Spaniard. The final window blockade is just completed as a dull and deep noise echoes from the middle barricade.

You barely make it up to the landing when another bull-masked man busts through your hard work. “You have to be kidding me! Heads up, one big guy coming from downstairs.”

Before Leon or Luis can heed your warning, a door right behind you slams open. You just barely stop yourself from stabbing Ashley in your shock. “This way, hurry!” Ashley calls to Leon and Luis. 

The door leads to an elevated wooden path. Several villagers pursue you as you rush past a gate. Leon turns his aim to the gin wheel securing the gate, and fires, crushing the nearest villager. The thick log gate blocks the rest. 

Luis leans on the nearest wall to pant as Ashley stumbles into the other wall beside you. She lets out a few deep coughs and a crimson splatter lands on her hand. “What’s happening to me?” You use one arm to hold her shoulders while searching your pack for something to clean her hand with.

Luis walks up and grabs her hand. “Ashley, is this the first time you’ve coughed up blood like this?” She nods.

“You want to start explaining?” Leon’s voice and steps forward hold a threatening undercurrent.

“The cough, the blood, it’s caused by something called a… ‘plaga.’” He pauses, pacing. “Okay, you saw those ‘people,’ right? Well, you have the same thing inside of you. The same thing that made them like that. This, what you’re experiencing, these symptoms, they’re only the beginning.”

“I don’t want to become like them.” At the end of her sentence, Ashley inhaled sharply and began to tremble. You wiped her hand clean with a bandana and scanned her exposed skin for other symptoms. Luis paces away from you, Ashley, and Leon.

“You are, well, lucky. You see, at this early stage, the parasite– the plaga, it is possible to remove it,” Luis paused for a fraction of a second. “With a surgical procedure. All you need is some know-how. And, oh yeah– the right equipment.” With his last sentence, Luis turns on his heel to reveal a jagged scar running diagonally from the middle of his left clavicle to his mid-sternum. 

Unlike you or Ashley, Leon doesn’t make an audible noise of surprise. “Wait, you too?”

Luis releases the front placket of his shirt to address you. “No worries. See, I have a plan. But you’re going to have to trust me.” 

Leon looks between you and Ashley. You barely nod to him, and he more confidently nods to Luis. 

“Great! We’re partners, then.” He begins to stride away. 

“Hey, why are you–” Leon is cut off.

“No time for questions, the clock is ticking.”

“Luis, why are you helping us?” You call through the pouring rain.

“Because it makes me feel better. Let’s leave it at that. I will contact you later.” 

The Spaniard walks into the rain and out of your lines of sight.

[ddejavvu]

a major obi-wan thought on my bedtime rotation is the idea of sparring with him like that scene from miss congeniality WOAHHH another would be the interrogation with reader being a potential spy idk maybe i just find interrogations sexy.. and u cant go wrong with the classic mean obi wan taming a brat reader whose perhaps his padawan or an unruly senator under his protection ELITEEE

if you want sparring with obi-wan, you can check out my fic betrayal, that was meant to be a quick and dirty 200 words and ended up being a 17K porn novel <3 i totally agree with you on the interrogation front, i swear with the way he holds eye contact with jango in aotc i'm surprised the guy's pants didn't drop of their own accord. all that to say i've chosen the senator plotline <3

this post is 18+, minors dni.

You're not entirely sure how the Force works, but you're willing to bet that it opened its big fat mouth and told your overzealous security guard that you were trying to escape. You made sure to be deadly silent, and you'd blocked the cameras set up to monitor your bedroom, so you know he hadn't seen or heard you. Nevertheless, he stands in your bedroom doorway looking very unimpressed by the one leg you've managed to weasel through your window.

"Tell me, Senator," He calls, voice purposefully casual, like you're not bisected by a pane of glass, "Are you trying to kill yourself so that no one else gets the chance?"

"I'm not going to die." You insist, moving further still out of the window, "I'm going to take a walk."

"How many stories up are we? Two hundred?" Master Kenobi asks, this time stepping forwards into your room. He approaches your window but doesn't grab you, merely staring down at the very long distance between you and the ground.

"One-hundred-and-eight." You grunt, your strength waning the more you hang from the ledge of your window. He notices the strain in your voice, but prolongs your suffering with a thoughtful nod.

"Yes, right. I think that's a wonderful coincidence, then, seeing as how that's the number of bones you're going to break if you fall."

"I'm not going to- fall-!" You gasp at the feeling of your foot slipping against the balcony below you, but you're actually thankful for the Force now that it fuels Obi-Wan's quick reflexes. He dives to catch you, and hauls you up by only one of his hands gripping your bicep. It hurts, but you suppose he was right; it would have hurt a lot more to fall.

You're set on your feet with the expression of a tooka caught shredding its owners bedspread, but Obi-Wan meets your surly pout with an unimpressed look of his own. You're safely on the floor of your apartment, but his hand remains curled around your upper arm.

"I didn't think I needed to specify to you that staying 'out of reach' of your assassins did not mean dangling above them like a strung-up target."

"I was going to take a walk in the city," You repeat, teeth gritted, "I was going to keep my hood up, and I was going to blend in with the crowd."

"An excellent plan, truly," Obi-Wan indulges you, "I'm sure the seasoned bounty hunters that are poised to shoot you on sight would have been fooled by a cloth draped over your hair."

"I'm going crazy in here! I have to get out, I have to do something!" You gush, attempting to tear your arm out of Obi-Wan's grip. He doesn't let go, though, and he muscles it back to your side with a fleeting glint of fury in his eyes that you hadn't thought a Jedi was capable of. He walks forwards, and by extension, you walk backwards until your knees hit the frame of your bed and you're pushed down onto the mattress.

"Senator," He starts, keeping his voice tightly wound as he now looms over you, "I have a duty to protect you, but you have a duty to your own life as well. And I will not see you risk it by hanging yourself off of a skyscraper for something as menial as a stroll in the city! If you'd like to walk, you may walk into the closet and get yourself changed into your nightclothes, because the only thing you'll be doing this late at night is sleeping."

"You're not my daddy," You sneer at the man, his audacity setting something in your chest aflame, "You can't tell me what to do. I'm not going to sleep."

"I find your impression of a petulant toddler truly amusing, Senator," Obi-Wan deflects your persistent attempts at boiling him over, "But as you have a hearing to attend tomorrow, I suggest you take my advice and turn in for the night."

You bite the inside of your cheek so hard you're surprised it doesn't split beneath your teeth. He's right. You have a hearing tomorrow, and you're really only protesting sleep because he's asking you to do it. Perhaps.. perhaps that is below your station.

"Go," Obi-Wan's eyes flicker towards your dark closet, "But I would like you to leave the door open, please."

"What?" You rear your head back indignantly, any succession you'd decided on now gone as you process his request, "I'm not letting you watch me change, you freak!"

"I assure you I will not be watching," Obi-Wan lets go of your bicep, leaving a stinging ring around your skin in his wake, "But should there be any climb-able windows or secret exits in your closet that I'm not yet aware of, I don't want to be slowed down by a lock in my attempts to rescue you from your own foolishness."

"You're crazy. I'm telling the Jedi Council about this." You vow, storming off to your closet and tucking yourself into the walk-in portion so that your bodyguard can't see you as you strip down.

"You're more than welcome to, Senator. I suggest, though, that you be truthful with them about your attempts to fall from the two-hundredth-story of this building, otherwise you're going to make me look rather perverted."

"It's the 108th floor!" You snap, any patience you'd possessed throughout your encounter with Kenobi flooding out of you. It heats your skin, blazes it warm, which is perhaps why you've forgotten you're no longer clothed when you whirl around to correct the man to his face.

You're standing in the doorway of your closet now, very angry and very naked. Master Kenobi's eyes stay politely locked on your own, but one of his eyebrows raises, and a corner of his lips twitch in a barely-concealed smirk.

"Senator, if I were you," He drawls, his gaze heavy upon you despite being fixed on only your eyes, "I wouldn't tell the Council that you're giving me a strip show."

[ur-catboy]

title: discipline

user: urcatboy

length: 10:27

desc: i haven’t been good being away for so long ~~ u can only learn if u discipline urself, right ?

[contents] stifles, half-stifles, rapid snz, let out snz, loads of inducing, begging (hehe), mess starting at 6:49

-

“i haven’t been good, have i?” urcatboy asks in a gentle tone, subtly suggesting something a little more below the surface.

“maybe if i discipline myself, i’ll learn my lesson.”

he then turns to his side to grabs something out of frame. returning, in his hand he has a rolled up tissue formed into a rod.

“i’ll sneeze as much as you want me to, okay?”

his soft spoken nature—draped over with a sense of charm and slight suggestive tone makes his words all the more exciting.

he wastes no time doing what he’s promised. his lips part as the tissue eases its way inside his left nostril. an instant reaction sparks through his face—first at his eyebrows, flinching together as his wrist turns the tissue slowly.

soft puffs of air accompany his mouth widening, his tongue sheepishly beginning to poke out. each movement is slow, yet calculated in this buildup.

“h’tshh!”

a mist erupts into the air in front of him. his hand keeps the tissue steady once his body jerked forwards.

his eyes open briefly to look above him, his nostrils flaring outwards as the tissue continues to wriggle inside his nose. he seemingly hits a sensitive spot, his body twitching roughly before his eyes shut.

“gh—!”

he sneezes immediately, spraying his entire body as his head snaps downwards. another shoots out directly after with no hesitation. he licks his lips as he brings his body upright, his hand roughly wriggling the tissue back and forth in a more sporadic manner. this instantly causes another two or three sneezes this time, him straining to keep his head tilted upwards so that you can see almost everything. his nostrils widen with every sneeze, them just eager to relieve the tickle as he is.

he continues to induce himself, each round of wriggling the tissue then sneezing a couple times begins to quicken in pace. now, it seems he’s sneezing a few times more and a little faster.

that’s until one particular sneeze suddenly halts the cycle, teetering on the very edge.

he pants loudly, wriggling the tissue in desperation to sent himself over the edge. even though that seems to tickle him more just as he wanted, the sneeze just doesn’t want to come.

after a few more seconds of waiting, it’s gone. he sighs, sniffling as his body relaxes back against the bed frame. his arm reaches out of frame to grab something, returning with another rolled rod of tissue. after letting himself breathe for a moment, he now slides the fresh rod into his other nostril. his entire face flinches at the sensation. his mouth jerks open as it makes its way deeper inside.

he now re-adjusts how he’s holding each tissue—each hand now holding rod. his hands slowly begin to work the tissues inside his nose, but his composure doesn’t last for long.

the first few sneezes are kept directly in view, his upper body tensed to keep himself upright. however, this doesn’t last very long. he’s gradually beginning to lurch further a little more with each sneeze, his hands shaking as they trigger sneeze after sneeze with no stopping. he’s merciless with himself.

his fit continues, but it’s audible how he’s running out of air. sure, he gets a gasp or two in between sets, but it’s not enough to keep him going. his body knows this, forcing him to stop by sending a wave of coughs through his chest.

he lets them out, bending a little more at his waist as each one wracks his frame. a few straggling sneezes shoot out of him afterwards, but the fit has pretty much stopped.

he now rests his head against the wall behind him, leaving the tissues poking out to hang freely. he brings his hand up to his forehead to push his hair back, pausing before a sneeze hits him. despite the force of the sneeze and his body lurching forwards, the tissues are still secured loosely in his nose.

he now looks at the camera. his visuals are pathetic. each side of his nose is prodded with a tissue as he slumps against his bed frame. his open mouth breaths send puffs of air to the ends of the tissues which are left unwound, pushing them upwards gently with every exhale.

with the end of the leash just out of sight, he tugs slightly at his collar, yanking his upper body forward by his neck while his head jerks back.

this seems to cause more than the small whine that slips out of him, his face morphing into a buildup.

he begins panting, his head still tilted back with the rods fluttering up and down with each breath. with a couple heavier hitches, he lurches forward with a sneeze that instantly dislodges the first rod onto his lap.

pulling the other one out, the tissue instantly bends on itself—soaked from the fit it just triggered. he scrunches his nose quickly before using a bent finger to rub at the tip.

he reveals a feather—one he’s never used before. usually, his videos include smaller, more pointed ones, but the one in front of him is exactly what’d you imagine a perfect feather would look like. it’s a bit bigger with a white, fluffy texture that makes it float delicately in the air.

he brings the feather up to the bridge of his nose, purposefully taking his time to avoid his trigger spot and build up the tension. despite this, he still manages to flinch at the delicate touch once it glides down the bridge, his nose still flaring as if it were right in front of it.

next, he decides to brush the feather very quickly across his nose. it’s fast enough to not trigger an entire sneeze, but it still sends a flicker of something through his nose.

“it’s soft,” he murmurs, circling the feather quickly once again.

“it…oh,” he begins to say, this time the feather encroaching a little longer than before. his movements are now slower, really letting the feather brush against his septum and the bottom of his nostrils.

it seems to catch him off guard how fast this sends a tickle through. he continues to play with it, a few hitches starting to appear.

“it…hih! i a-already h-have t—hih! t-to sn-neezehih!” he struggles to say, quickly building to a full release.

that is, until he pulls the feather away.

he abruptly leaves himself hitching, just barely at the precipice of a sneeze, before it slowly winds back down to 0.

“i don’t want t…” he starts after bringing the feather back to his nose. he’s almost turning away from himself, slightly tilting his head away from his hand as he tickles the side of his septum.

reaching the top of the buildup was much quicker this time around, him almost immediately returning to where he was just a moment ago. he hitches, furrowing his eyebrows desperately to try and hold back the sneeze he was triggering.

“let…me…”

his words are broken—struggling to string a phrase together. the feather seems to be completely consuming his focus now. the bristles softly brush against the bottom of his nose as he swishes it to and fro. that gentle touch seems to be almost torturing him.

“i have to…” he mumbles before a troubled exhale, his words now slurring together in a hurry. “so—”

he cuts himself off with a couple weak coughs. the feather continues to flutter back and forth just beneath his nose with his chest raising and falling with quickening breaths.

suddenly, he yanks the feather away from him before tightly pinching his fingers onto his nose. instantly, between his fingers, a rough sneeze shakes his entire body. another one soon follows, and now it’s a full blown fit. he’s pressing his thighs together as the fit continues on, each stifle sounding less secure than the last. he can barely open his eyes. it’s visibly clear that he’s struggling to keep each one contained.

he manages to hold it together for a few more moments, but one poorly timed shift of his hand results in a failed half stifle. his body immediately hooks on this, sending sneeze after sneeze, faster and faster.

he’s now struggling badly to keep this under wraps and try to recover. each sneeze sounds different than the one before it. he’s trying to pinch them back shut, but his body won’t let him.

the moment he concedes to his fate and fully unplugs his nose, a sharp inhale shocks his frame. two curt sneezes zip past him before he can even process it. now the floodgates have opened. he clumsily switches his hands to pushing his fingers against the ball of his nose, the camera now getting a full view of what’s about to come.

“et’shuu!”

with each release, you can just hear the irritation behind them. if that didn’t give enough of a hint, the light catches his nose beginning to run.

“oh,” he breathes out, sniffling. he bites his bottom lip slightly before looking up at the camera. “i’m sorry…”

“one more time…?”

he turns to lift a can of air freshener into the frame.

“it…” he starts, before a—

“hsh’uu…”

the sneeze, spawning from his sensitivity, sounds so rushed that there’s no way it could have been satisfying.

he sniffles before continuing. “i won’t be able to stop...”

his voice is usually one that is gentle and smooth, but now it’s bordering on pure exhaustion. his posture has also slouched considerably since the beginning.

pressing on the can’s trigger, a mist of freshener fills the air in front of him. he waves his arm back and forth a bit to increase its spread. his body’s reaction is almost immediate with a small flurry of coughs now crowding his chest. he places the air freshener can down, waving his hand in front of his face for some sort of feigned relief, it seems.

his face then melts into an languid expression, washing over him like he has no control over himself. you can quickly catch his eyes rolling back slightly before they fall shut, his mouth sliding open as his nose flares wildly.

he’s at the mercy of his body.

after a few clunky hitches, he lets out a sound that revs from the back of his throat. it sounds slightly desperate, like he’s overwhelmed, while also being the crescendo to whatever his body was about to hit him with.

the sneezes that erupt are messy. they’re coming out at such a pace that there’s not even a lull long enough for him to sniffle or collect himself. they’re much more uncontained now—sounding wilder and more uncontrollable than they ever have. mess begins to stream down his philtrum with each frenzied release.

he haphazardly places his hand on the bed, steadying himself so he doesn’t tip over. he starts blinking in random bouts, his mouth agape as he tries to get a hold of himself.

he coughs openly with his eyes squeezed shut, the few coughs sounds much more rough and taxing than before. after, his eyes relax for a moment before flinching tighter again, the mess building at the edge of his nose sliding down a bit more.

“can i…wipe…my nose?” he asks the camera weakly, his pleading eyes shining back at it. “…please? i…”

“it…tickles…”

his breath starts to pick up as his nose continues to run despite his discomfort. his breaths are full on pants now though as his mouth, still agape, waits expectantly while this buildup comes to fruition.

“fuck! i—h’shgthh!”

another explosion of mess flows onto his face with no hesitation. he instinctively bows his head so that his face is hidden from view. with his head bent, he lets out a following sneeze that send whatever has built up during his fits flying onto his lap.

he coughs, a whine of discomfort punctuating it. he stays in this position, bent for a moment, before timidly raising his head back up.

he rests his head against the wall once again, unveiling his final state. completely demolished, his half lidded eyes stare back at you as he lets out a futile attempt at a sniffle. tear tracks glisten on his cheeks and his lips are now closed, a small tremble rippling through them. the video then fades out.

[bvnniixs]

‘call out my name.’

keigo takami x f!reader

villain reader

warnings: smut, straight into it, smut without a plot, rough, breeding, creampie. got lazy when writing warnings just expect smut , drunk sex , slight angst

She knew it was a bad idea, coming out to drink with him. He was apart of the liberation army now, so she had to get used to him. Despite him being a whole ass hero trying to act villain. It frustrated her, he frustrated her. Now he was balls deep in her, skin slapping echoed through the room in her apartment. “so good.” his voice groaned out, his thrusts becoming more and more sloppy. He was hovered above her, hands gripping her hips like no tomorrow. Digging his nails into her skin. She called out his name, moaning it multiple times as his brutal thrusts continued. “fuck..hawks!” she cried out, calling specifically his hero name since she of course didn’t know his real one. “that’s it baby..call out my name” his soothing voice cooed softly, straight into her ear. It made butterflies flutter in her stomach, why was he making her feel such things. She bit down on her lip, hard. Hard enough to draw blood as he pounded into her, the way his wings looked at he fucked her just turned her on even more in a way. The way he puffed his chest out, huffing as he thrusted. Her arms remained around his neck, moving them down eventually to dig her nails into his bare skin. A groan left his lips as her nails dug into his skin, leaving marks.

After a minute or so he pulled out, leaving her empty. “wha..” she breathed out, wondering why he had stopped. Until he flipped her over onto her stomach, a small gasp left her lips as he did so. He took her hips and lifted them up, without warning he thrusted back into her wet cunt. The sounds being lewd, and loud. He was close. So so close. But he couldn’t cum, not now. Not until his sweet angel finished first. “you gonna cum for daddy?” he asked as he pounded into her. She nodded her head the best she could, before he shoved her face into the bed sheets. Allowing her to move her head ever so slightly to the side so she could breathe. He was ruthless with his thrust, the sound of his balls slapping on her wet cunt filled the room once again. She was so close, so so close. she gripped the bedsheets below her, curled her toes and rolled her eyes back as she felt herself being fucked so hard. “cum for me baby~” he practically sang, and that was all she needed to hear. She released like never before, he hit all the right spots which caused her to basically lose control. She came hard, her walls clenching down on his cock as she came around him. “cumming!” she cried out, her grip on the bedsheets only tightened more. “that’s a good girl..” he said with a smirk, he didn’t stop there. He continued to thrust even after she came, overstimulating her ultimately. “fuck..gonna give you my babies…” his voice cooed again, his thrusts becoming sloppy as he was close to his climax. “fuck baby..” he whimpered out, she felt so fucking good. So warm, so tight. It was like she was made for him. He thrusted more until he finished, shooting his seed deep into her. Filling her up. She gasped as she felt his pump his hot seed inside her, definitely need a plan b now.

He pulled out after a minute or so, slowly as he huffed and leaned down on her. “fuck..” he breathed out, his pants growing as he flopped besides her. She hummed in satisfaction, looking at the male while remains on her stomach. She didn’t move, at least not yet. “i’ll clean you up baby..just gimme a second.” he whispered as he laid there, catching his breath. After five minutes he got up, retrieving napkins for her he clean her up the best he could and threw them out after. He held her up and laid her down comfortably, laying besides her soon after. The two remained silent there for moments before she spoke up. “I think i can tolerate you better now.” she laughed softly, he returned the laugh. Looking to his side where she was, he smiled softly. “good..” he replied.

-

keigos pov

Ever since the two had their encounter, they had grown closer together over the past few days, weeks. They were friends with benefits, nothing more. Besides, They had reputations. They couldn’t ruin their reputations for something more..but it wasn’t anything more. It wasn’t? It was nothing, it meant nothing. Right?..right?

-

a/n: i’m alive 🙏🏼

[boxfullaturtles]

Not sure if you're writing specific versions of the turtles for the angst prompts, but would you be able to do 2003 Raph with 19 (beastly) or 32 (begging)?

"Tell me not to." The villain of the week orders--some new chump the Purple Dragons have on their payroll.

Raph grinds his teeth, hands clenched so hard into fists that they're shaking. The bastard's got a gun pressed against Mikey's shell. And while Raph and his brothers are tough, at that range the bullet will punch right through and then Mikey's...

"I already dropped my weapons, ya' dickweed! What more do ya' want!?" Raph snaps, letting his anger coat the terror thudding in his chest. Anger is so much easier to manage than fear.

"I want you to beg me not to shoot him," The guy's got a sneer like he's the one with all the cards. And right now, he is, "Beg me, come on, freak, I wanna hear you plead for his life."

"Raph--" Mikey chokes on whatever stupid joke he was trying to make.

They both know that Raph will do anything for his brothers. Just like any of them would do anything for him. Raph embraces all the violence and rage and bitterness so his brothers don't have to. Raph will take all the hard hits, throw all the worst punches, and do all the dirty work. If it means keeping his brothers' hands clean, he'll take it.

So it doesn't take much effort for him to bite the words out, "Don't shoot him. Don't do it. Just let him go."

"That don't sound like beggin', that sounded like an order..." There's a click of the hammer pulling back and Mikey shivers.

"Please!" Raph shouts, taking a half a step forward, "Please don't! Please, just let him go!"

"Eh, I dunno if you mean it..."

Desperation burns fuel for rage and Raph drops to his knees, "Please don't hurt him! He--he's just a kid! He's my baby brother! I'll do anything!" Everything's spilling out, he's opened a flood gate and it doesn't want to close. His voice cracks and he hates it but he can't stop, "Take me instead! Let him go and take me! Please!"

"No, Raph!"

"You wanna take the bullet for your pal?"

Raph's breath hitches and his chest is shuddering. He meets Mikey's gaze and Mikey is begging him not to do this. But Leo's always going on about responsibility and Raph is responsible for getting them in this mess. It's his burden to bear.

"Yes," He breathes and has to force his lungs to work louder, "Yes, shoot me instead. Let him go and shoot me instead! I--I can take it!" Pride means nothing in the face of potentially losing a brother, "Please! PLEASE!"

"Well, since you asked so nicely..." The chump moves pretty fast for a human. Between one blink and the next, Raph sees the barrel of the gun aimed at him.

Then there's that ear-splitting BANG and agony punches him in the chest, sending him toppling backwards. His ears are ringing but he can still hear Mikey's distant scream. The floor is spinning, the pain blistering over his other senses until he's just a throbbing beat of suffering. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts so bad. There's a flower of hurt blooming just below his collarbone, right above his plastron, and it's digging its roots deep into his chest cavity, filling him up until he can't hardly breathe.

"Raph! RAPH! RAPHIE, PLEASE!" Distantly there are familiar hands on him and Mikey's voice screeching from under a film of muddy water, "Please say something! Raph, please! Don't--don't leave me here, bro..."

His vision swims in and out of focus, darkening at the edges, and Raph squints up at Mikey's tearful face. Aw shit, he's made Mikey cry. Leo's going to lecture him for that one.

"'S 'kay, Mike..." Fuck, it's so hard to talk. Raph is nothing but a vessel of pain, pain, pain and pain doesn't have a language, "You s-safe...?"

"R-Raphie, you're bleeding...! I--I dunno what to do! Don's not--no, no, shit, please, please, Raphie, please!"

"M' t-tellin' Leo that you s-swore..." Raph wheezes and lets his eyes close because it's way too hard to keep them open.

Mikey makes a disgusting sound, all gummed up and choked like he's the one who can't breathe. There's water dripping on Raph's face, making him twitch. Did it start raining? Crap, they should get home before it starts to downpour. They were outside, right? Things are becoming slippery. Raph is sinking into a sea of fiery agony.

"M-Mikey?"

"Yeah, yeah, Raphie, I'm right here! I'm right here!"

"...you safe?"

Mikey sobs and Raph feels his baby brother press their forehead's together, "Y-yeah, I...I'm okay, Raph, I'm safe. I promise I'm safe. But--but you gotta be safe too, okay! You gotta stay here! You gotta stay safe and--and you can't go anywhere!"

"M'kay..." Raph mumbles. There's a screech like tires from beyond the veil of pain he's draped in, doors slamming, voice calling, "'M here...stayin' here...I...I'll..."

He wants to say he'll always be here. Because somebody's got to take all the hits that he won't ever let his brothers feel.

But he doesn't manage to get the words out before the roots of the flower in his chest squeeze the last of the air from his lungs. He sinks all the way to the bottom of the pain-filled trench and lets the sea wash him away into darkness.

[huffle-dork]

Swap Beyond the Crystalverse Chapter 6: Shift AU

Co-written with @crystalninjaphoenix Read Swapboys | Read Crystal’s AUs

Other Multiverse Stories: SITCV | SATCV | GITHV

"Watch your step. Don't want to fall." 

Marvin, Bro, and Chase show up at the end of a hallway, leading to a large room. The space through the portal is reminiscent of a laboratory of some kind, with walls and floor made of stainless steel and tubes of blue lights illuminating the area. Two circular doors--one left and one right--lead out of the room. There's a similar door behind them. In the middle of the room are tables and tables of equipment, and a large device, an upright ring with part of it broken off. But the reason for the warning is clear. There is no ceiling, as the walls end in cracks and shards. Everything above is just an empty black space. And there are holes in the ground, also leading to that same black void.

Bro looks at that space with a bit of fear in his eyes, swallowing shakily as he looks at the lab set up. So many horrible memories flash before his eyes. But he shuts them and tries to shake it off- he’s gotta focus. He almost stumbles over a hole in the ground but catches himself and floats a bit over it. But even someone who can fly doesn’t like the look of the void below. “…l-lovely place you have here, Doc…” Bro mumbles, quickly finding another solid spot.

"Oh you don't need to lie to me," Shattered says, chuckling. "It is a real hazard, I know. Doll complained so much while working here." He disappears and reappears in the center of the room. 

“You made Jackie work here?” Bro says with a growl, thinking of Mag using Alt.

"Where is she?!" Marvin demands. "Tell me, o-or I'll shoot!" 

"Marvin, careful!" Chase pulls him back from the edge of a hole. He looks down at it and holds out a hand. Yellow magic covers over some of the holes, creating a solid bridge into the solid room. 

"Over here." Shattered appears over by the right doorway. He hits a glowing blue button and it opens up. Marvin runs over in that direction, pulling ahead of Bro and Chase. As he goes through the doorway, Shattered's hand hesitates over the button again, but he doesn't push it. Bro yells a bit as he pulls ahead and quickly speeds after Marvin and through the door.

The room beyond looks like it was once a storage room of some kind, with metal shelves full of boxes and random things. But there have been some changes. Someone took plywood boards and nailed them over the holes in the floor, and a corner of the room has been made into a tiny kitchen with a mini-fridge, microwave, shoddily-made cabinet, and coffee maker. Up against the other corner is a metal bedframe, and on it-- 

"Dad?" 

"Skyler!" Marvin rushes over to her, immediately scooping her up into a hug. Skyler is small for her age, her brown hair held back by a purple headband. She's wearing a pink dress with white accents and a rounded collar, and she has white sneakers on her feet--the type with bungee cords and not laces. Her socks are fuzzy and purple.

Bro watches the reunion with a wet smile, but then he glares behind him at Shattered. “…what’s the point of all of this huh? To torture Marvin? To have some kind of control? …a little girl doesn’t deserve to get thrown into adult messes. You’re sick.”

Shattered blinks, uncomprehending. "...She is fine, though." 

"Are you fine, sweets?" Marvin asks, giving her a kiss on the forehead. 

"Mm-hmm." Skyler nods. "Dad? I want ice cream." 

Marvin laughs. "Is that what's on your mind?" 

"I haven't had any dessert for forever. And I'm bored. I wanna go to the park." 

"We'll go to the park as soon as we can, sweets, I promise you." Marvin stands up, holding her in her arms. 

Chase looks over at Shattered. "Well?" 

"Hmm?" Shattered stares at him. "What?" 

"Where's the way out?" 

"I got rid of it after you came in." Shattered grins. 

Bro’s eyes flash and he lashes out to try to grab Shattered by the collar and slam him into the wall, “Fucking bastard! This was a trap?!”

Shattered's head knocks against the wall, but he just laughs. "Of course! I was not expecting others, but it works out, ja?" 

Marvin's eyes widen. He takes Skyler and hurries out of the room, searching around the edges of the room. 

"You bastard!" Chase's eyes flare bright yellow. "You just wanted to--to kidnap Marvin?! Why?!" 

Shattered's smile fades. "yes... that is a good question," he whispers. "I... he is..." He trails off, suddenly looking lost.

Bro’s hold on him loosens a bit- confused. Then, sympathetic. What if… Shattered here is just like Glitch? Someone corrupted that can’t help but act on their impulses? Should he try to give him mercy? Should he try to appeal to who he was before..? …it’s worth a try isn't it? “…Henrik?” Bro asks quietly, “…are you still in there somewhere…?”

Shattered blinks. "Hen...rik?" he repeats. "Th-that is a... name. That is a... familiar... name." 

Chase blinks. "Is that your name?" he asks, matching Bro's softer tone. 

"I..." Shattered looks around, like he's taking in the details of this strange space for the first time. "This is... a broken place. For broken things. It... should not be here..."

“It was… did you forget, Schneep? …what happened- to put you here… that made this place?” Bro asks quietly. “Do you remember?”

"There was... an accident," Shattered says slowly. "I... I was... not..." He gasps, and suddenly grabs onto Bro’s shirt with both hands. "Wo sind sie? Wohin sind sie gegangen? Wie bekomme ich sieczurück? Wie bekomme ich sie zurück?!" And then, as sudden as the panic arrives, it disappears. He blinks at Bro slowly, like he's never seen him before. "...Ah. What... am I... supposed to do now?" It's like he's asking for the next line of a script. 

Bro can’t help but flinch back and look at Shattered with wide eyes. German- German-! He knows some from Henny? Where… he’s asking where someone is? Bro takes a deep breath and holds Shattered’s wrist gently in his hand, “…you’re missing someone, huh? Is that why you took Skyler? Why you want Marvin? …you’re trying to replace something that you’ve lost.” He says quietly, firmly, but also, with compassion.

"Replace...? Replace what?" Shattered blinks. "Who are... ah, you are a Hero, ja?" And he looks over at Chase. "And a Magician." He turns to look at Marvin and Skyler, still searching for some other way out of here. "Oh! Such a cute little one. She looks tired. She should probably lie down, maybe."

Bro gets frustrated at this and then shoves Shattered back, “Okay don’t play dumb, Schneep! I’m trying to help you! You took Skyler, remember?? You trapped us all in here- are you just losing your mind?! What that fuck happened to you?!”

Shattered stares at him, then laughs. "What did you say? Shneep? What a funny word. No, no, we are not trapped in here. You just have to concentrate! Or... is that just me?" 

“Schneep! Henrik! That’s who you used to be cuz I fucking know you dude! Or I know what you’re supposed to be! you-!” Bro starts to yell, frustrated tears brimming in his eyes. The way Shattered’s blue eyes glow and his black coat- it can only make Bro think of the Schneep he knows becoming like this… just like he saw Alt in Glitch. 

Chase walks over and puts a hand on Bro's shoulder. "Um... Bro? I don't think he's playing dumb. I think he's just... like this."

Bro flinches a bit as Chase touches his shoulder and glances at him briefly. He loosens his grip a bit more but looks at Shattered with sadness. “… how did this happen…?” He whispers before finally letting Shattered go, not expecting an answer. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath then addresses Shattered again, “… you’re right- the little girl does look tired, doesn’t she? I don’t think that bed is good for her back there- can you help us get her back to rest somewhere?” He asks.

"Hm? Oh, yes that would probably be a good idea." Shattered nods. "Where is that way out...?" He wanders over, pressing his metal hand to the nearest wall. He closes his eyes for a moment. "Where are we going?" 

"Um--we have some friends at a building on South Project Street," Chase says hurriedly. "The number is 223. Does that help?" 

"Oh yes, that place! They should be able to get her home from there." A cracking noise rings out and the section of the wall breaks, forming another portal. Shattered looks back at Bro and Chase and smiles. "Let's go, then."

Bro looks pretty weirded out and guarded but he nods and whistles to get Marvin’s attention, “Marvin!! Hurry over here!”

The whistle is not necessary. Marvin is already looking in that direction, a concerned expression on his face. He takes Skyler by the hand and the two of them hurry over. "We're leaving for real, then, Dad?" 

"Yes, Skyler, we're leaving for real," Marvin says. 

Shattered blinks as Marvin gets close. "You are her father? Do... do I know you?" 

"Uh--nope." Marvin turns his face away. 

"You seem familiar, though." 

"Just a coincidence." Marvin hurries over to the portal. "Chase, Chase--both Chases, um--you better be right behind us. C'mon, Sky, you go first." 

"Come with me!" Skyler clings to his hand. 

"At the same time!" Marvin glances back at Shattered, who is staring at him with a puzzled expression, brows furrowed in thought. "Okay, at the same time. C'mon you two." And he and Skyler hurry through the portal.

Bro looks back at Shattered, expression conflicted. But, then he nods and follows right after the other two.

As Chase follows as well, Shattered's eyes seem to snap into place. "Wait!" he shouts. "You cannot leave!" 

The portal starts to close, but Chase lunges forward, the edges scraping against his skin, and barely manages to make it out before it shuts altogether. The three of them and Skyler are standing in the lobby of the building, alone.

Bro breathes heavily as they make it to the other side, clenching a hand over his heart. “J-Jesus Christ… t-that was insane…!” He then shakes himself out then kneels down by Skyler, giving her a gentle smile. “Hi Skyler, you okay? Nothing bruised?”

Skyler stares at him with wide eyes. "Are you Uncle Chase's twin?" 

Chase laughs. "Uh--no, not exactly. But he's a friend. So, it's okay to answer his question." 

“Oh yeah uh sorry! You can call me Bro, okay?” Bro laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I-I’m a hero so I help people like your dad, you know?”

"Oh. Yeah, I'm okay." She pats her own arms, checking herself over. 

"Were you scared?" Marvin asks quietly. 

"...sometimes," Skyler says, even quieter than him. "Because, uh... I didn' know what was going on." 

Marvin leans down and gives her a tight hug. "Well, it's all over now. I promise."

Bro smiles sadly and pats Marvin’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay, Skyler… we’ll get you home real soon, okay?” He looks up at the ceiling, knitting his eyebrows in concern.

"Yeah, all your other uncles came to find you, too, but they had to stay back," Marvin says. "They're somewhere upstairs right now, with Bro's brother, too. Do you want to go find them, or do you want to stay here with me and wait for them?" 

"Um..." Skyler twists back and forth, twirling her skirt as she thinks. "I wanna go find them." 

"Alright." Marvin nods. "Let's go, then." He glances at Chase and Bro. "You two lead the way."

Bro chuckles a little, “You’re really brave, Skyler. A tough lass!” He smiles at her then heads towards the stairs. 

————- 

It’s easy enough to try to find Alt- the second he’s alone on an upper floor- he’s not even sure which one— he screams in rage and a rocket of power comes out of him, throwing anything left over around in an explosive burst. He starts to grab things and throw them, hit the walls with electric bursts, yelling until his throat starts to go raw. Then, he looks at the damage he’s done as he pants heavily, then yells out with a cracked voice before he curls up, curling his fingers in his hair. 

Why is he so angry? He doesn’t even know this kid! But… thinking about her- all alone and scared and taken from her family makes his blood boil. …Is it because no one came for him? That he wanted so badly to help save her? Is it because Shattered wears his friend’s face but has the attitude of the scientists that tortured him? The people that changed him and Chase forever? 

Maybe maybe- he’s not sure- all he knows is he’s so so angry and he can’t control it and all the others must think he’s just as bad as the other hims and-! 

He’s not even sure when the tears started to come until he felt the wet warmth on his face. 

 "...Alt, are you... okay?" Anti's voice comes from the phone. "I haven't seen this... reaction from you before. And I don't think... this is something you usually do."

Alt is quiet for a long time after hearing Anti’s voice. “…I… I don’t know…” he answers truthfully. Then he laughs bitterly, “obviously I’m not okay… I… I don’t know why I’m so angry I… s-she’s not even my kid- she’s not a kid I know- but a-all of this… I…” he lightly touches his neck and closes his eyes. “…guess it just brings up b-bad memories…” 

"Ah. So it's a trauma response," Anti says bluntly. "You don't want any other kid to go through something that reminds you of something you went through. You might have even been seeing Shattered as the people who hurt you, striking back in a way you couldn't back then." He pauses. "Well... all of that is understandable. It really is. But you have to know you were going a bit too far back there.”

Alt is quiet, gripping his arms tight as he curls up around his knees. “…yeah I… I know…” he whispers. “…I think it was more too. I saw him as… as the people in SCLERA… the Alterra people that hurt us… I-i guess it was just… not wanting to be scared. Easier to be angry than… afraid.” 

“You can't let your anger control you like that, as valid as it is. I know you're not... like that. If that makes sense." 

Alt laughs a bit bitterly at Anti’s last statement, “…you didn’t know me at my worst… there was a reason I was… targeted. I was always an angry kid… angry when Chase found me again… a-always so angry… I don’t think it… really leaves, you know?” 

Anti doesn't respond to that right away. "...maybe," he says quietly. "But—" 

And then he stops, the phone microphone detecting sounds. 

There are footsteps in the hallway outside the room Alt is in. "--just follow the loud ass noises," Dr. Anti's voice is saying. 

"D'you think he's alright?" Jackie asks, worried. "Seemed a bit rattled by the whole thing." 

"Fucking understatement." 

Alt stiffens as he hears the others’ voices and he looks at the door with wide eyes. He doesn’t think- he just glitches to hide behind something- not ready to face anyone.

The door to the room opens, and JJ walks inside, looking around. Jackie follows behind him, then Dr. Anti. 

"Well... this is definitely where he was," Dr. Anti says. 

"D'you think he left?" 

JJ shakes his head. His eyes scan the room... and then he walks directly towards Alt's hiding space behind an overturned table. He stops a few feet away, and starts typing on the brace on his wrist. "Alt?" says a robotic voice. "Do you want to talk or would you rather stay quiet?" It sounds like a computerized version of Dr. J's voice.

Alt freezes as he hears JJ start to walk towards him. He’s quiet for a few intense beats. Then, he quietly laughs, though it sounds… pained. “…forgot you said you had ESP..  c-cool communicator though.” He doesn’t move to come out of the spot though, opting to curl up more against the table.

“Thank you. My brother made it.” JJ glances back at Jackie and Dr. Anti. The two of them come over, and they all sit down on the floor. “We just wanted to check that you were okay.” 

“You, um… didn’t get hurt while throwing stuff around, did you?” Dr. Anti asks awkwardly. “I’m not that kind of doctor but I’m still a doctor. I got… bandages and stuff.” 

“I’m okay…” Alt replies quietly, “…not hurt or anything.” 

“…sorry about all that,” Jackie says quietly. “He’s… really frustrating. When he’s like that.” 

“I don’t think Alt was ‘frustrated,’ exactly,” JJ says.

Alt laughs bitterly and grips at his arms, “…not exactly no… I… I’m sorry I-it’s… complicated. …I didn’t mean to e-explode though-“

“It’s okay,” JJ says. “It’s an understandable thing to get mad at.” 

“I won’t lie, it was a tad shocking,” Jackie says. “But if I got upset with people for having a temper I’d spend half my life mad at Anti.” 

“Ha.” Dr. Anti rolls his eyes. “Look, Alt. We get it. And Shattered deserves it. And judging by your brother’s reaction, this isn’t something that happens a lot with you. So it’s fine.” 

“We just want to know what we can do to help,” JJ says.

Alt is quiet for a long time, idly touching his scar. “… just you all being here… for Skyler… that’s enough. …it’s more than I got. She’s a lucky girl… seems like she’s got a big family who loves her a lot.”

"Oh..." Jackie breathes, eyes widening. He quickly starts talking. "Oh yes, absolutely. It's a really good thing, innit? I mean, poor girl doesn't have a mom, the least we can do it give her some extra uncles. And, ah, you know what they say about kids and villages. I think. I don't know if that expression exists in your world." 

Alt laughs quietly, “Y-Yeah… I know that one.”

JJ looks in Alt's direction thoughtfully. He knows there's something bothering him. Some lingering pain. But this isn't the time to bring it up. After all, they only met about thirty minutes ago. 

"Are you, um.... going to... sit here?" Dr. Anti asks awkwardly. "Or... maybe something else will help?" 

"Absolutely," JJ says. "We can talk about something else, if you want."

Alt breathes slowly, “I’m… not sure. I-I guess I need to… go look for the TRVLR piece now but I… I t-think I just… need some… time.” He wipes at his face, “…you guys are nice for… sitting here with me…. But, you don’t have to. Kinda awkward to do that with a stranger huh?”

"Well... we're not going to just leave you," Jackie says. "You don't have to be a friend to feel for someone. Especially in JJ's case." JJ chuckles silently. "And you do remind me of Anti, in a way." 

"Well yeah, he looks like me," Dr. Anti says. "Cept for the eyes." 

"I mean in the way you get angry when you're scared." "I--I don't--!" Dr. Anti stammers. "You can't just--!" 

"My point being, you don't feel like a stranger, even if you are," JJ continues.

Alt’s eyes widen and he glitches a bit in place. Then he throws a hand over his eyes and laughs, teetering on the edge of sounding pained. “…I’m that obvious now, huh?”

"To a fucking empath, maybe," Dr. Anti mutters. "You can't hide this shit from Jackson." 

"Sorry. I can't turn it off." JJ looks apologetic as he types.

“…Oh you’re … you can actually feel that-“ Alt chuckles, “that explains a lot…” 

"You don't have to talk about it," Jackie says hurriedly. "But, uh, if you want to... I, um... went through some stuff... with Shattered. It might... be, um... Sorry, I don't know what I'm saying."

Alt glances back and then grips at his arm, looking at the purple rings on his wrist. “… I noticed… he called you Doll.” He feels that burst of anger that has him gripping nails into his skin and magic sparking in his eyes. “… does Shattered make… puppets?” He asks quietly.

"Not... how you're... thinking, probably," Jackie says slowly. "But... he does have this... hypnotizing effect, if he wants to use it. He rarely does, but when it... happens, it's like... You're just... confused all the time. In this weird daze that leaves you wanting to listen to suggestions from anyone." Dr. Anti shudders slightly. Alt shudders at the mention of hypnosis too."But I mean... I was taken from my time," Jackie continues. "I left behind a lot. I don't think Shattered meant to do it, but still."

“…I’m sorry Jackie… that must be really hard.” Alt says quietly. He waits a few more beats before he asks, “…did any of you know Shattered…? Before he became… this? Or …how it happened?”

"Not at all," JJ says. "Jackie would know the most," Dr. Anti says, glancing at him. 

"He was like this when I showed up," Jackie shrugs. "But... I know it wasn't always like this. He's not some strange creature. There are moments when... there's something else." He shakes his head. "They've never happened while he was out here, only in that pocket world." He pauses. "He didn't always call me Doll... he knew my name once. But over time, he... stopped using it. And I think it's because he forgot."

Alt sighs and then finally glitches out of his hiding space to sit in front of the others, sitting cross-legged. He doesn’t look at them at first, “…that’s another reason why this is hard… I know who’s supposed to be.” Finally he looks them in the eyes, a deep sadness behind them. “…he used to be Henrik von Schneeplestein… I know his face. And… his approach to all this… scientific and medical it- …he’s not like my Hen… but like others I know. Like a very good friend of mine…” He looks at his hands as he idly plays with them, “…recently in our travels… I… we saw what… could happen if I- became something like Shattered. And not just… another Anti… it was me. I saw Shattered and… I got so angry… seeing him like he was my friend.” He laughs bitterly, “…I think some part of me thought I could… knock some sense back into him… but he’s not my Schneep. He’s not Henny either. …it’s still tough though- to see the face of someone you care about… twisted like that.” He shudders- almost relived he can’t ever really picture Distorter’s face clearly, even if he knows the truth.

The other three jump slightly as he appears, but none of them say anything as he talks. "Oh... I'm... I'm so sorry, Alt," Jackie whispers. "I can't even imagine..." He shivers. 

So it seemed personal to you, JJ says, signing now that Alt can see him. I see. He nods slowly. I suppose that if you go through enough worlds, you'll eventually find something very disturbing. A you that went down the wrong path. Or a friend who did. But it doesn't make it easy.

Alt nods and holds his arm, looking away. “… personal for that and… o-other reasons. But yeah… seeing him and… a child being in danger. …it was a lot and… my magic reacts to my emotions. Sometimes… it’s like- the anger becomes its own uncontrollable power and… takes over, I guess? …that sounds like an excuse but.. t-that’s what it feels like. I… I couldn’t think straight I… I’m sorry.”

JJ nods slowly. I understand. 

"It can be hard to control sometimes," Dr. Anti mutters. "You ever think about anger management classes?" 

Jackie shoves him. "Not the time!" 

"Well, if it becomes a problem, you know? Personally sometimes I think it helps to remove my--yourself, but... I guess that wasn't really an option back there." 

Alt’s eyes flicker angrily towards Dr. Anti and spark a bit, bits of his hair sticking up from the electricity. “…I used to be worse.” He bites out. 

Dr. Anti blinks. "...sorry," he says quietly. "I guess I don't know your life. I just..." He shakes his head. 

Ignore him, JJ says. He's not good with emotions. It's fine, Alt. Everyone is going to be okay. I'm sure of it.

Alt’s magic dies down as JJ signs and he gives him a weak smile. “…yeah, I’m sure Chase- …Bro has everything taken care of…” 

I'm sure too. JJ smiles. But I think it will be a good idea to leave as soon as possible once he and the others get back with Skyler. Are you feeling up to moving on?

Alt nods and glitches to his feet. He looks around, “Any idea what floor this is? …I kinda just- glitched to a random place.”

"It's the fourth, we saw the number next to the door while coming up the stairs," Jackie says, also getting up. 

"So if your thing is still on the fifth floor, we just have to go up one more set of stairs," Anti adds, standing. 

Let's go then. JJ gets to his feet and leads the way out of the room, glancing back to make sure Alt is following.

Alt hesitates- then follows after them. No sense in glitching ahead now. He glances at the mess he made then quickly hurries after the others.

They go down a hallway and back to the stairwell, climbing up the steps to the next floor. The whole building is still pretty dim, since the lights aren't on and the only source of illumination comes from the windows. But none of the guys dare turn on the lights. 

Though, Alt crackles out a blue-green ball of light in his hand to help light the way. 

The fifth floor has a U-shaped hallway, with lockers at one end for the employees and a breakroom at the other end. The bend of the U has a set of glass doors leading into what looks like a chemistry lab of some kind. "Do you have any idea what we're looking for?" Jackie asks Alt.

Alt blinks at Jackie then pulls out the tracker to check. “Let’s see…” The tracker tells him that the part is in a trash can in the lab area.

Alt hums and glitches forward, “…I dunno what exactly it looks like- but according to this it’s in a trash can.” He glitches over to the first one he sees and tries to search through it.

"It's in a bin? Oh boooo." Jackie frowns. 

There's only one trash can in the hallway, and it's empty. JJ goes over to the break area to check, but quickly returns. Everything in there is empty. 

"They really abandoned this place, didn't they?" Dr. Anti mutters. "Well, at least they were courteous enough to take out the garbage." He walks up to the glass doors leading into the lab. "Another card reader. Alt? D'you want to try that thing again?"

Alt stands up once he realizes this isn’t the right place. 

He hears Dr. Anti and glitches over to the door, wordlessly zapping the card reader with his magic again.

The red light flickers, but doesn't disappear. "...huh." Dr. Anti blinks. 

JJ watches this happen. You've probably spent a lot of energy, Alt. It's okay, we can find some other way in. 

Alt looks a bit unnerved but the fact that his magic wasn’t enough. But he nods to JJ’s logic. Alt

Jackie immediately walks over and punches the glass. "Ow!" 

"Jackie!" Dr. Anti stares at him in shock. "You dumb bastard!" 

"I've punched through glass before!" 

Alt jumps a bit then hides a laugh behind his hand. “J-Jackie..!” 

"Your wrist is sprained!" Dr. Anti shoves him aside. "You probably just made it worse! Go fucking--rest. Actually take care of yourself for once." 

JJ laughs silently. Do you still have that card thing, Anti? Do you think it will work? Dr. Anti hesitates. "Mmmmaybe?"

Alt touches the door- then tries to see if he can just glitch inside.

Yep. He's on the other side easily enough. 

"Oh." Dr. Anti blinks. "That works, too." He checks his pockets, pulling out a wallet. "But now I'm curious... nope, I don't even have it with me. Nevermind." 

"You dumb bastard!" Jackie says jokingly. 

"Well I'm not going to carry around some PUPIL shit after what they did to Marvin!" 

JJ rolls his eyes. Can you open it from the other side, Alt? 

Alt tries to look for a way to open the door, chuckling at the banter between Jackie and Anti.

Looks like it just opens when pushed. The others file in as soon as Alt opens the door. 

JJ looks around. So... the trash bins, then? 

"Yippeeeee," Jackie comments. 

"There's ones all along the walls, let's all get searching," Dr. Anti says.

“Oh yay, love me a bin scavenger hunt,” Alt drones with sarcasm. He glitches around, peeking inside. Most of them are empty. “…I am glad we’re not actually shifting through trash though-“

"Yeah, lucky," Jackie says. 

There are a surprising number of trash cans in the big lab, so it takes longer than expected. But eventually, Alt sees a glint in the bottom of one. A small copper ring, with other copper rings inside it, a series of concentric circles tied by a wire that sticks out on one side. The whole thing is intricate in its smallness, only as big as a fingertip. 

Alt brightens up at the glint then carefully grabs the piece- marveling at how small it is. Something this intricate must be it! “I think I found it!” He calls, putting it in the bag quickly so he doesn’t lose it. 

Then there's a knock on the glass doors leading to the lab. On the other side--Bro, Chase, Marvin, and a little girl in Marvin's arms, blinking sleepily (she got tired of climbing stairs.)

Alt glitches up in a bit of fear at the knock then sees it’s the others… and Skyler. His expression lightens up and he relaxes. “…you found her.” 

Bro smiles, “Yup! Safe and sound~! And sounds like you have the piece! Mission accomplished gentlemen!!” He beams. 

Jackie hurries over to open up the door. "Hullo, Sky!" 

"Jackie!" Skyler smiles tiredly. "Hi!" 

JJ and Dr. Anti hurries over. 

"How are you?" Dr. Anti asks in an unusually soft voice. "You're not hurt, are you?" 

"I'm tired. But no, Uncle Anti." 

"That's good." Dr. Anti nods. "If you feel anything weird, you tell us, okay?" 

"Mm-hmm." 

JJ smiles down at Skyler. We're going to get you home, okay? 

"Mmmm-hmm." 

Alt smiles warmly as the others check over Skyler. Then, he looks away, holding his arms. 

Bro sees this and comes over, pulling Alt into a side hug. “…you okay?” Bro asks. 

Alt nods, not looking at him, but not glitching away either. 

Bro looks down at him in concern but doesn’t say anything. He’s pretty sure he gets it. He felt that all too. 

"So if you guys found it, we can just leave right away, then?" Chase asks. "This place makes me nervous. And, uh... Shattered might be coming after us soon."

Once Chase asks, the Brody Brothers look up then nod to each other. “Yeah, we can head out.” Bro says. 

“…I can glitch you all to your car- but I understand if we’d rather just walk cuz uh- Skyler.” Alt says quietly. Bro can tell Alt wants so badly to go over and meet her- but he’s holding himself back.

Marvin looks over at Alt. He blinks, and smiles. "Yeah. That's probably safer, for now. Hey sweets, this is Bro's brother, Alt." 

Skyler looks over at him--and gasps. "Sparkly eyes!" 

Marvin laughs. "Yeah, he has cool eyes, doesn't he? He helped us find this place." 

"Sparrrrklyyyy," Skyler whispers in awe.

Alt blinks over at Marvin and Skyler- then his face melts into an easy warm smile. He touches over his chest. “…she likes my eyes?” He whispers. 

“They are really cool-“ Bro laughs. 

Alt walks over and bends down a bit to be more at Skyler’s level. “Hi Skyler… it’s nice to meet you! We were all really worried, I’m glad you’re okay!”

"Hi!" Skyler smiles a little. "Yeah, I'm okay. It was just uh... I dunno." 

"Confusing, right?" Marvin says. "Don't worry, we're heading home now, things will be less confusing there." 

"Okay." 

As the group heads back to the stairwell, Skyler turns around in Marvin's arms to look at Alt. "Why're your eyes sparkly? Is it like Anti's thing?"

Alt blinks then smiles, “Kinda. They didn’t always use to be like this though.” 

“Yeah when we were younger, his eyes looked just like mine!” Bro grins, pointing at his eyes. 

Alt chuckles, “but, like how your uncle Chase does magic, I do too. But I didn’t know I had magic until I was in very big trouble one day- then boom! I glitched out of the trouble and my eyes changed colors.” He smiles at her, “Pretty cool, huh?” 

"Whoaaa." Skyler's eyes go wide. "That's a lot like what happened with Uncle Chase!" 

Chase coughs. "Uh--Sky, wh-what are you talking about?" 

"Dad said that you were in trouble one day and your magic saved you!" 

Chase looks at Marvin, slightly alarmed. 

"She was asking about it," Marvin whispers. "I didn't share any details." 

"Well... that's true, Skyler," Chase says slowly. "But, uh... I'll tell you more when you're much older, okay?"

Bro looks over to Chase with concern, then nods to him with a knowing look in his eyes. He gets it. Chase nods back to Bro, relieved to not have to explain it out loud. 

Skyler nods. "D'you think that if I get in trouble I'll get magic? Or my eyes will change color?" 

"Don't go putting yourself in danger, Sky," Marvin says firmly. "It's more likely that nothing will happen, y'know? Except for you getting hurt." 

"Okay." 

The group is heading down the stairs now. 

Alt nods seriously towards Skyler, “…your dad is right. …I got in that situation because I was always putting myself in danger… I was… not a good kid. I probably could have gotten my magic in a much safer way… had I been more careful.” He then looks at her and smiles. “But hey? Who knows… magic is all around us. Maybe you’ll come across your own kind of magic some day.”

Skyler nods, taking this seriously. "Okay. Maybe I'll get powers like Uncle JJ did." 

JJ laughs, and types on his communication device. "That was also pretty dangerous, Skyler. You have to be careful, okay?" 

"Yeah, I know." Skyler nods again, then rests her head on Marvin's shoulder. 

Bro and Alt share a glance and a small laugh, smiling at Skyler. 

The group heads down the stairwell until they eventually reach the ground floor. JJ is out in front, pushing the door open and leading the group down the hallway into the lobby. And... as soon as they reach that room... there's a strange cracking sound in the air behind them.

Once in the new room, Alt’s guard is up, a shiver running down his spine. He whips around towards the noise, green magic lighting up on his fingers.

The cracking noise suddenly breaks, and the air seems to shatter. Chase whirls around, conjuring up a shield that blocks most of the shards that fly out, but gets shredded as a result. 

Shattered suddenly lunges forward, and manages to grab onto the nearest person--Bro. "You bastards!" he snarls. "You tricked me!" A loud sound comes from behind him, a sound like tinkling glass, like wind chimes. The air around him seems to fracture, kaleidoscope patterns moving in an intriguing pattern.

"No!" Jackie gasps. "Don't look!"

Bro cries out and tries to pull himself away, “H-Hey! Let go-!” He tries to say- but then his eyes widen as the air fractures into those… beautiful intricate patterns. Seemingly getting pulled into its thrall. 

“No, Chase!” Alt cries out. 

But Bro squeezes his eyes shut and easily seems to shake off the effects, grabbing Shattered’s wrist and throwing him off him. “D-Don’t try that freaky shit on me!“ 

Shattered staggers back, breaking up the pattern. 

"Go go go!" Dr. Anti shouts, pushing Marvin and Skyler towards the doorway. He staggers and then runs, clutching her to his chest. Bro staggers back then rushes after Marvin and Skyler- ready to protect them. 

"Go where?!" Shattered suddenly grabs Anti, pulling him back into the pattern. "None of you are leaving!" 

JJ rushes forward, thwacking Shattered in the face with his staff. There's a Crak! sound and Shattered stumbles back once more, letting JJ grab Dr. Anti and pull him out. 

"Anti!" he types into the brace. "Wake up!" 

Dr. Anti leans heavily against JJ. His eyes are overcome by a strange pattern, blue and black kaleidoscope shards. "I--I--" 

Shattered regains his balance. "Doctor!" he shouts. "Bring them to me!" 

Anti blinks slowly--and then shoves JJ backwards and lunges towards Alt. He latches onto him and starts pulling him back. 

Alt hesitates, horrified by watching Shattered grab Anti and affect him. So he’s not at all prepared at all for Anti to grab him. He yells out in surprise and tries to pull himself away. “h-Hey! Other me l-let go!” 

"Let go?" Dr. Anti repeats idly, his grip loosening. 

"Don't let go!" Shattered shouts, and Anti's grip tightens again. "Bring them here!" 

Dr. Anti nods and resumes dragging Alt back.

 "No!" Chase looks back and forth between Dr. Anti and Shattered. He conjures up a shield that glows bright yellow, blocking Anti's way to Shattered. "Guys! Shake him out of it!" 

JJ recovers and runs forward again, trying to push Anti away from Alt. With his help, Alt manages to pull free of Anti's grip.

Alt glitches back away from Anti with wide eyes- shaking a bit. “F-Fucking hell- t-That’s his hypnosis??” It’s so different from anything he’s ever seen- …it’s kinda pretty though- in a dangerous sort of way. He glares then glitches around the shield and tries to tackle Shattered away.

Shattered immediately vanishes, letting Alt run pass him. "No no no, that won't work again," he says. 

"Alt!" Chase gasps, unconsciously dropping the shield. "The fuck are you doing?!" He throws out a hand and grabs Alt with his magic, trying to drag him back. "Let's go! The car is right outside!" 

JJ grabs onto Dr. Anti, pulling him back. Jackie runs up to him and shakes him slightly. "Don't listen to him don't listen to him!" Jackie says. 

"No, don't listen to HIM!" Shattered shouts. 

Dr. Anti's head rolls back and forth between them, his expression conflicted. 

"God damn it!" Chase turns his attention back to Anti, throwing out a hand. Yellow magic wraps around Anti's head, covering his ears and eyes.

Alt yelps as he’s grabbed by Chase and struggles back. “I-I can distract him while you guys get everyone outside! We’re pretty well matched! Then I can glitch into the car once you all are safe!” He looks at Chase with determined eyes.

Chase hesitates... then nods. "Okay," he breathes. And he lets go, spinning around. "Go go go go go!" 

Jackie bolts for the door, and JJ follows, dragging Dr. Anti along. Chase backs up slowly, keeping a shield in front to protect the others. 

Shattered's attention immediately turns to Alt. He laughs. "How brave of you, Magician!" 

Bro looks at the others coming his way and looks back with panic towards the end of the hall, “Alt!” 

Alt grins, his eyes flashing. “I’ll give you a run for your money, bitch!” He makes a knife out of magic and glitches around to draw his eye around before trying to stab him with it in the shoulder.

Shattered's eyes dart around to keep track of him and then yelps in surprise when Alt is suddenly right in front of him, stabbing him. It doesn't feel like stabbing a person--it feels more akin to stabbing through a thin bit of wood. "Oh! Very good!" He grins. "Do you want to see mine?" His left hand draws back, and the air around it seems to break as he suddenly stabs towards Alt's stomach with a transparent shard.

Alt yells out in surprise and winces, then blinks as it just barely hurts. He laughs in Shattered’s face, “Ha! That’s nothing!” He grins and poofs away his knife then goes to try to shock Shattered. “Try this!”

Shattered snaps backwards, falling to the ground, electricity racing along his metal arm. For a moment, he looks very disoriented indeed, blinking up at Alt like he's never seen him before. But then he takes in the threatening look on his face. He disappears and reappears back in a standing position. The wall next to Alt makes another one of those cracking sounds and more glass-like shards burst outwards from it.

Alt quickly glitches back and forth to dodge the shards- all of them just hardly missing him. He pants then glares at Shattered, building up more magic in his hands. He sends out a wave of sound to try to disorient him.

The moment the soundwave hits Shattered, he cries out and claps his hands over his ears. The cracks on him seem to widen and he backs up, then falls to his knees. "Nein! Nein, bitte, nicht mehr! Bitte hör auf!" 

Alt looks down at him in surprise, momentarily caught off guard. Especially as he shouts out in such distress. “S-Schneep-“ He whispers.

Back in the lobby, Chase is pushing JJ and Dr. Anti out of the door. He spins around. "Alt!" he shouts. "Get out of there!" 

Alt’shead turns towards the others and he spares one more glance at Shattered before he glitches down the hall. 

Chase runs over and grabs Alt by the hand, pulling him out the door. Everyone else is already in the car, and Marvin has it started and running. JJ leans out the open back door and whistles for them to get in. He, Jackie, and Anti are in the back seat, while Bro is in the passenger's side and Skyler is sitting on the floor between the two middle seats.

Alt lets himself get grabbed and runs with Chase, hurrying into the car with eveyone else. “I-I think I managed to throw him off enough! Let’s get out of here!” He tells Marvin.

The moment the door closes Marvin throws the van into gear. "Hold on, Sky!" he shouts, and Skyler holds onto Alt's leg as Marvin slams on the gas and the van goes flying down the street.

Alt doesn’t get into a seat he just holds onto Skyler as the van moves, curling up around her instinctively.

Marvin doesn't slow down until Project Street is well out of sight. Only then does he relax. The van gradually slows and eventually stops as Marvin pulls to the side of the road. He looks back at the others. "Who's hurt? What's up with Anti?" 

"Chase and JJ are still bleeding from that first attack," Jackie says. "Anti's still in it." 

Dr. Anti is squished up against the window of the van, head rolled back. 

"Anti, answer me!" Jackie shakes him slightly. 

"I--I--" Anti's voice sounds choked up.

Alt blinks up and uncurls from around Skyler. He blinks in confusion at Dr. Anti and furrows his brow in concern. “…he’s supposed to listen to suggestions from anyone right?” He glitches up into a chair and looks down at Anti, “Anti! Break out of this! Come on, you gonna let that bitch win??” 

Anti blinks at Alt for a moment, looking confused... And then something about Alt gets through to him, and abruptly the fractal designs in his eyes disappear as he snaps back to reality. "Fuck!" he gasps. "H-holy shit, I forgot what that..." He shudders. "I... f-fuck." 

Jackie puts a hand on your shoulder. "You're okay," he says softly. "He can't get to you right now." 

"Y-yeah, I know." Dr. Anti squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head. "God."

Alt relaxes a bit and slumps into the seat. “Whew… good-“ 

Bro goes and punches Alt on the shoulder once it feels like eveyone can breathe again. 

Alt yelps out in surprise then glares at Bro as he rubs it. “What??” 

Bro glares at Alt back, “You fucking dumbass! You could have gotten yourself caught in that shit! You know how susceptible you are!” 

“I was the only one who could have gotten away fast enough without him getting anyone else!” Alt bites back, “And it worked didn't it?!” 

Marvin sighs. "He just wants you to take care of yourself, yknow," he says, turning back to look at Alt. Then he glances at Bro. "And he just wanted to make sure everyone was alright." Then he looks back and forth between the two of them. "Good intentions all around. And it's in the past now." 

"Y-yeah..." Chase nods. "We're all safe. There's no reason to fight right now. I think. A-and I was hanging back, Bro, I could've grabbed him if something happened."

Bro pouts a bit at this as the two brothers stare each other down. Then they both seem to deflate at the same time and nod. “…right - thanks for watching out for him, other me.” 

Chase nods. "Yeah." He glances at Alt. "Though your brother is, uh, very capable--as I'm sure you know." 

Alt crosses his arms, still a bit heated but trying to calm down. Or maybe that’s just the adrenaline still pumping in his veins. “…we got the piece, so… I guess we should probably be on our way… since Skyler is safe now.” Alt says quietly.

"You're gonna go?" Skyler asks, sounding a bit disappointed. 

"Yeah, sweets, they're on an important, uh, mission," Marvin says. "They were so nice to help us find you when they had something else to do." 

"Oh." Skyler looks up at Alt with big brown eyes. "Are you gonna come back? To, um, visit?"

Alt looks down at Skyler with conflicted eyes. He looks back at the rest of them and Bro does the same. “…do you all want us to come back and visit?” Alt asks quietly, kneeling down next to Skyler but glancing at the rest. “…cuz I think Anti saved the address here… so… we could.” He smiles at her. “If you want.”

"Hell yeah, bro." Chase grins. "It's so cool to meet another version of me! And you're bada--you're really cool, Alt." 

"You correct bad-A but not hell?" Marvin mutters. 

"...oops." 

Marvin laughs. "Anyway, yeah, I think you guys are really cool too. And... anyone who's willing to drop everything to help my daughter is good in my book." 

I'd love to spend more time together in a less stressful situation, JJ says. 

Jackie whoops. "I mean--how often do you meet people from other universes?! That's fu-fricking amazing! And you guys are, too!" 

Dr. Anti nods. "...I wouldn't mind," he says quietly. 

"Oooo, that's a ringing endorsement from the doc, trust me," Jackie laughs. 

Alt blinks and then grins. Bro does too, pumping his fist into the air, “Heck yeah! New friends let’s goooo!!” 

Alt laughs and then smiles at Skyler, “Then it sounds like we’ll be back someday! Maybe soon- we just gotta finish up this important thing okay?”

Anti speaks up from Alt's phone. "Time can be inconsistent between worlds, but I doubt it will vary more than a year between worlds this similar. So... make a note of that. I probably won't be here next time." 

"Honestly, I keep forgetting about you," Jackie comments. 

"I've been busy recharging." 

"You can come too, of course," JJ says, typing into his brace. "We could meet properly." 

"I have a lot of stuff to do back home, but thanks." Anti's voice softens just a bit. 

"So, within a year, maybe," Chase nods. "I'll make a note of that!"

Alt looks a bit sad about that but he smiles and nods, “Okay- that’s at least good to keep in mind.” He leans down and pokes Skyler’s nose cheekily, “Don’t get too big before we can visit again, okay? Maybe we can even bring some of our other friends who are your age!” He grins. 

“Oh god yeah, Kelsie and Alice would love you!” Bro beams.

Skyler grabs her nose, giggling. "Really?" 

"Multi-dimensional playdate." Marvin chuckles. "That would be fun." 

Skyler smiles shyly. "O-okay! That would be fun!" 

Alt smiles warmly, “Okay- then sometime in the future, we’ll see you all again.” 

"So... when you're ready to go, I suggest getting out of the car," Anti says. "Opening a rift in a place this cramped might not be good."

Alt opens the car door then glitches out right outside. He looks at JJ, Jackie and Dr. Anti. He nods to them and smiles. “…thanks guys.” 

No, thank YOU, JJ says, smiling. But... you're welcome, too. 

Bro laughs and climbs out, ruffling up Skyler’s hair as he goes. Then he waves wildly, “Thanks for helping us guys! Get Skyler home safe, okay?” 

"We will," Marvin promises. 

Alt then takes out his phone and nods to Anti, “okay… ready.”

Anti nods back. The screen becomes colorful static, and then green lightning unzips a rift in midair next to them. 

"Whoa..." Jackie leans out to look at it. 

"That's crazy," Dr. Anti mutters. 

"Bye guys!" Chase waves. "See you again!"

Alt grins and waves. Bro waves wildly with a big smile. Then they both hop into the rift- heading off to the next world.

The whole group waves at them as they go. Skyler smiles excitedly, waving the hardest.

[miquella-everywhere]

Miquella Hunt Part 2: Limgrave

So this is where we get into the meat of this Miquella hunt; I've marked on the map where I found Lilys, or any other relation to Miquella with colored markers and numbered labels!

1. A St. Trina's Lily is right beneath the spirit guiding statue that leads to the Stormfront Catacombs (on an entirely separate note, I believe these statues are called Rosus because later on you can get the Rosus’ Axe which looks strikingly similar to the statues. I could be wrong tho lol)

2. At Agheel Lake in the Dragon-Burnt Ruins.

3. This one is on the cliff just below the sight of grace right next to a sleeping Warg which is really cute lol But I can't help but wonder if this was one of the locations where you could collect Dream Mist, before it was ultimately cut from the game?

4. These St. Trina's Lilys can be found on a cliff just below the Hound Evergaol overlooking the Weeping Peninsula

5. Once again, in the same location but a little to the left lol

6. Found overlooking the field before Fort Haight, and after the shooting star hits the earth when Radahn is defeated.

7. At the Mistwood Ruins where you meet Blaidd you can find 5 St. Trina's Lily’s here along with a sleeping runebear. You can also find the Axe Talisman depicting Godfrey in the underground chamber

8. On the cliff below the path to Caelid guarded by more sleeping wolves/wargs. I’ve noticed that these guys really like taking naps/guarding the St. Trina’s Lily’s 🤔

9. These ones are tucked away in the ravine before the Fourth Church of Marika and are guarded by a Runebear. The waterfall from above is actually coming from Stillwater Village.

10. Hidden amongst the graves in the back of Stillwater Village.

11. Nestled beneath the fallen ruins right before you reach Stillwater Village. These guys are not happy that I’m near this Lily lol protective godwyn mayhaps????🤔

12. This Lily has an excellent view of the Divine Tower lol

13. Now these two areas are interesting: These St. Trina's Lilys are in the ravine that leads to the Highroad Cave where you pick up the Blue Dancer charm that depicts Malenia’s sword master! Makes me wonder if Miquella ever met them? 🤔

14. On Stormhill next to a pond. Not pictured the Land Octopus that I killed lol

15. Located right next to this giant-ass hole at the front of Stormveil.

16. If you go through the front gate of Stormveil and make your way past all the enemies and ballistas, you'll find the Lily's in the order of the pictures from left-to-right. Although the middle St. Trina's Lily's, next to the tree, are a little more complicated to get to, they are on top of the cliff where the ballistas fire at you as you make your way up the steps to the courtyard.

Interestingly enough, even though there are so many St. Trina's Lily's in Limgrave, there isn’t a single Miquella’s Lily anywhere to be found. My mutual made a joke that Godrick ripped out all of the Miquella’s Lilys cause he’s petty and insecure, which is both on brand and fucking hilarious 😂

[rainbowbobatea]

A night under the stars✨🥂

“I'm not opening my eyes."

"Shar—"

"No, nope. I won't. I refuse."

Shar grips the helicopter's seat, knuckles white, as the machine soars over the vast expanse of Sydney. The wind whips through her hair, and her heart pounds in her ears. She shoots a glance at Hugh, who's sitting with casual confidence.

"This is crazy!" she yells over the roar of the engine. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Hugh flashes a devilish smile, his hazel eyes sparkling with mischief. "You said you wanted the grand tour. So, I'm giving you the grand tour, mate."

The helicopter banks sharply, and Shar's stomach drops as they descend. "Oh, hell naw. Please tell me this thing isn't going to crash!"

"Relax, love. The pilot has everything under control." Hugh's voice is calm, but the thrill in his eyes matches Shar's panic.

The helicopter lowers, the city spreading out below them like a breathtaking panorama. "Check it out. There's the Opera House." He points to the iconic white sails glowing in the afternoon sun.

Shar's fear momentarily forgotten, she leans forward, transfixed by the view. "Woah…”

"Bloody beautiful, it is," Hugh finishes for her, his accent warm and familiar.

As they continue flying through the sky, the wind becomes a symphony, howling through the open door. The city's vibrant pulse beats below, a contrast to the quiet comfort of the helicopter's interior. Shar's fear ebbs, replaced by a heady mix of adrenaline and awe.

"Alright, enough of the touristy stuff." Hugh says. "Now I'll show you something really special."

He points towards the emerald expanse of the Royal National Park; the lush greens and blues stretch before them like a painter's palette, untouched by the concrete and steel of the city.

"This is my favorite place to escape the madness of Hollywood. It's like another world down there."

"It's incredible." Shar's breathes, awestruck. "It doesn't even look real."

Hugh chuckles, his eyes never leaving the horizon. "Wait till you see it from the ground. We can go hiking, just the two of us. It's secluded, and—" His words trail off as he glances at her, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

Shar would've laughed if she wasn't so freaking terrified.

Seriously.

This helicopter ride with him is amazing, but the stomach-churning drops and gut-wrenching turns kept reminding her that this was very real…

"Look up, darling." Hugh's voice is warm and inviting as he interrupts her racing thoughts.

Shar's eyes follow his instruction, and she's greeted by a breathtaking sight. The night sky above is littered with stars, each twinkling like a diamond. It's like they've entered another galaxy, far away from the bustling city below.

"It's beautiful," she breathes, her voice a whisper of awe.

As if responding to her words, Hugh leans closer, his breath warm on her ear. "All the shine of a thousand spotlights," he sings softly, his deep voice wrapping around her like a velvet hug, "All the stars we steal from the night sky..."

Recognition hits Shar like a bolt of lightning. The Greatest Showman. She's heard this song a million times, but never like this.

"Will never be enough," he continues, his voice growing more passionate, "Never be enough, this endless sky..."

Shar's heart flutters as Hugh's voice trails off, the last notes of hanging in the air like stardust. She opens her mouth to speak, but Hugh's next words catch her off guard.

"We're back at the hotel, love," he says, his voice returning to its normal, conversational tone.

Shar blinks, disoriented. She glances out the window, and sure enough, the familiar shape of their hotel looms before them. The realization hits her like a ton of bricks – Hugh had been singing to distract her from the flight.

"You sneaky bastard," she says, nudging his shoulder with her own.

“Hey," he laughs, his accent thicker with amusement, "you were the one that wanted a helicopter ride."

Shar freezes, her witty comeback dying on her lips. He's right. She did ask for this. The memory comes flooding back – their conversation at the theatre, her offhand comment about never having been in a helicopter, Hugh's eyes lighting up with that mischievous gleam...

"I can't believe you remembered that," she says, lowering her hands.

Hugh shrugs, nudging her nose. "I like to spoil my girl."

"Even if it scares her?"

"Yup."

Shar's legs wobble as she steps onto the helipad, her heart still racing from the exhilarating flight. Hugh's steady hand on her lower back guides her, his touch both comforting and electrifying.

"Easy there, love," he murmurs, his voice low and warm against her ear. "You did brilliantly."

She shoots him a look that's half-grateful, half-exasperated. "You're lucky I didn't hurl all over your fancy chopper."

His laugh rumbles through her, rich and deep. "Ah, but you didn't. And it’s a good thing you didn’t, or else I wouldn’t be able to accompany you tonight.

Shar raises an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued despite her lingering nervousness. "Huh?"

Hugh's eyes twinkle with mischief. "Dinner, darling. Get ready to be wined and dined in true Aussie style."

They step into the elevator, and Shar lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. The adrenaline from the helicopter ride is slowly fading, replaced by a giddy anticipation.

The elevator dings, and the doors slide open to reveal a luxurious suite. Shar's jaw drops as she takes in the opulent decor, the floor-to-ceiling windows offering a breathtaking view of Sydney's skyline.

"This is..." she trails off, at a loss for words.

"Your dressing room for the evening," Hugh finishes, gently nudging her forward. "Go on, then. Your team's waiting."

"My team?" Shar echoes, confused.

As if on cue, a group of women emerge from one of the adjoining rooms. They're all armed with makeup cases and hair tools.

"Miss Shar?" One of them steps forward, her smile warm and professional. "I'm Zoe. We're here to help you get ready for your evening with Mr. Jackman."

Shar blinks, overwhelmed. She turns to Hugh, but he's already backing towards the elevator, that infuriating smirk still on his face.

"Have fun, love," he calls out. "I'll see you in two hours."

And with that, he's gone, leaving Shar alone with her 'team'.

Before Shar can even say anything, she's whisked away into a whirlwind of activity. One woman guides her to a plush chair in front of a well-lit vanity, while another starts gently combing through her curly hair.

As the hairstylist gets to work, another woman approaches with a tray of nail polish. "For your nails, Miss. Any color preference?"

Shar glances at the array of colors, her eyes drawn to a deep, shimmering gold. "That one," she says, pointing.

As her nails are being painted, Zoe reappears, holding a garment bag. "Your dress for the evening, Miss Shar."

Shar's eyes widen as Zoe unzips the bag, revealing a stunning pink gown. The fabric shimmers in the light, looking both elegant and comfortable.

"It's beautiful," Shar breathes, reaching out to touch the silky material.

Zoe smiles. "Mr. Jackman picked it out himself. He said the color would bring out your eyes."

Slipping into the dress feels like stepping into a dream. The fabric hugs her curves in all the right places, the color a striking contrast against her dark skin. Shar turns to look in the full-length mirror and gasps.

The woman staring back at her is a vision. The dark pink dress shimmers with every movement, the cut accentuating her figure without being overly revealing. Her hair is a crown of intricate curls, and her makeup makes her look like she's glowing from within. Zoe gives a nod of approval.

"Wow, Miss Shar," Zoe says, in awe. "You look…you look-"

"Gorgeous."

It's Hugh. He's dressed in a sharp black suit that fits him perfectly, his slightly wavy brown hair styled in that effortlessly handsome way that seems uniquely his—but it's the look on his face when he sees her that takes Shar's breath away.

"Shar," he finally says, his voice soft with awe, "you look absolutely breathtaking."

For a moment, he seems at a loss for words, his gaze traveling from her face to her dress and back again. Shar feels a blush creeping up her cheeks, but she holds his gaze, drinking in the admiration in his eyes.

"You clean up pretty well yourself, Jackman," she says, aiming for casual but hearing the breathlessness in her own voice.

Hugh chuckles, the sound sending a shiver down her spine. He steps forward, offering his arm. "Shall we, my lady?"

Shar places her hand on his arm, feeling the solid warmth of him through his suit jacket.

"Lead the way, good sir," she says, matching his playful tone.

~~~~

As Hugh leads Shar through the dimly lit restaurant, she can't help but feel like she's floating. The dress swishes around her legs, and the warmth of Hugh's arm under her hand grounds her in the moment.

They're guided to a secluded booth in a dark corner, away from prying eyes.

"So," Hugh says, as he gently guides her into the booth, "favorite Mariah Carey album?"

Shar blinks, caught off guard by the sudden question. "Um, 'Butterfly,' obviously. It's a classic."

Hugh shakes his head, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Nah, love. 'Daydream' is clearly superior."

"What?" Shar scoffs, turning to face him fully. "No way. 'Butterfly' has 'Honey' and 'My All.' It's iconic."

"But 'Daydream' has 'Fantasy' and 'Always Be My Baby,'" Hugh counters, leaning in closer. "You can't beat that."

Shar feels a surge of competitiveness. "Please. 'Butterfly' was her artistic breakthrough. It's when she really came into her own as a songwriter."

"But Daydream-"

"Okay, they're both amazing," Shar retorts, jabbing a finger at his chest.

Hugh chuckles. "Ah, can't argue with that."

Their playful argument is interrupted by the arrival of their waitress, a young woman with wide eyes and a starstruck expression.

"Good evening," she says, her voice slightly breathless. "Can I get you started with some drinks?" Her gaze is fixed solely on Hugh, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "...what would you like, Sexiest Man alive?"

Bitch. Shar feels a twinge of annoyance at the waitress's blatant flirting. She knows Hugh is used to this kind of attention, but it still stings to be so thoroughly ignored.

Hugh, seeming to sense Shar's discomfort, smoothly wraps an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. "Thank you," he says to the waitress, his tone polite but dismissive. "We'll have a bottle of your best soju, please."

The waitress's smile falters slightly as she finally notices Shar. "Of course. I'll be right back with that."

The waitress quickly returns with their soju and two small glasses. As she pours, Hugh leans in close to Shar, his breath tickling her ear.

"Order anything you want, love. Even the most expensive dishes. This is your night."

Shar glances at the menu, her eyes widening at the prices. "Are you sure? Some of these are pretty pricey."

"I'm sure. Get whatever your heart desires."

"Okay," she says, feeling a bit daring. "We'll start with the premium wagyu beef platter, the combo, and... oh, the black truffle bibimbap sounds amazing.” Shar hands the menu back to the waiter, who takes it and leaves. “Ugh, I’m starving.”

Hugh's eyes soften, crinkling at the corners in that way that makes her heart skip. "Ah, same."

"You're hungry too?"

"Yep, I'm hungry…" Hugh leans in, his wavy hair tickling her neck as he leaned in close. "Hungry…for you."

“Oh please.” Despite the corny line, a giggle escapes her throat. But when she feels his rough palm slide up her dress, caressing her bare skin, she stopped laughing.

Oh, he's serious now…

"Mmmm, watcha got down there, babygirl?" Hugh asks, playing with her lace panties underneath.

"Australia."

A pause. A soft chuckle rings into her ear, his warm breath against her neck. "Ah, is that so?"

Shar nods, squeezing her legs together. Her voice goes high. "Yeah…"

She sucks in a sharp breath, her gaze darting around the restaurant, but no one seems to notice what they’re doing underneath the table. The waitress walks by, but her attention is focused on her notepad, and she doesn't glance their way.

Shar's heart is pounding in her ears as she squeezes her legs together, trapping Hugh's hand between her thighs. His fingers tease the sensitive skin high on her inner thigh, his touch feather-light and deliberate.

"You're so cute when you squirm like this."

He gives her earlobe a gentle nibble. She tilts her head to give him better access, her breath coming in short gasps. "I-"

His fingers slip beneath the elastic of her lace panties, and he groans softly as he finds her wet and ready for him. "Fucking hell, you little minx," he growls, his voice husky with desire. "Feels like you're hungry for me too."

One of his fingers found her clit with such practiced ease, she yelped at how unexpected it was to be touched by someone that wasn’t her own unskilled, shaky fingers. Hugh didn’t slowly work her into a frenzy; he robbed her of her senses with aggressive strokes that were so quick she could barely make sense of the movements until she was dripping down her own thighs.

"Oh, some water please?"

Shar snaps her head up, brown eyes widening as she realizes that Hugh is ordering something while still touching her under the table. Bastard. She tightens around his girthy fingers, biting back a moan as she nods at the waiter too. Two can play at this game.

"And more Soju, please?" Shar innocently asks, squirming.

Hugh smiles, winking. "Yeah, two more of those too, please…"

The oblivious waiter leaves, coming back a few minutes later with a stray of yummy goodness—juicy galbi, its caramelized edges glistening; thick slices of samgyeopsal, fat rendering temptingly; bulgogi, the tender beef slices swimming in a pool of savory marinade.

Just in time.

Flushed face and pulled taunt, Shar had already grinded against his fingers into a flashing white orgasm, giving herself enough time to calm down before the meal. Hugh slips his fingers away, giving it a quick lick before nodding at the food. A cheeky grin paints his face.

"Let's dig in."

Shar nods, catching her breath. "Y-yeah."

Shar's heart was still racing as she watched Hugh expertly flip a piece of galbi on the tabletop grill. The sizzle and aroma of the marinated meat filled the air, making her mouth water.

"This smells amazing," she said, leaning in closer to inhale the savory scent.

Hugh grinned, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Wait until you taste it, love." He picked up a perfectly grilled piece with his chopsticks and held it out to her. "Open wide."

Shar felt a flutter in her stomach as she parted her lips. Hugh gently placed the morsel in her mouth, his fingers brushing against her bottom lip. The meat was tender and bursting with flavor, the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

"Mmm," she hummed appreciatively, closing her eyes to savor the taste.

As they finished their meal, Hugh leaned back, patting his stomach contentedly. "That was delicious. What do you say we walk it off a bit?"

"Sounds good to me."

Hugh's eyes lit up. "Actually, I just remembered. There's a shopping center downstairs. We could explore a bit, maybe find you a new dress for the Australia premiere tomorrow."

Shar's eyes widened. "The premiere? I... I didn't realize I was going to that."

Hugh chuckled, reaching across the table to take her hand. "Of course you are, love. Can't have my date missing out on the red carpet, can I?"

“Oh-oh, right. Of course not.”

Hand in hand, they slowly made their way down to the shopping center, Hugh's hand resting comfortably on the small of Shar's back as they walked. The mall was bustling with activity, shops lining either side of the wide corridors.

As they strolled, something caught Shar's eye. In the center of the mall stood a beautiful carousel, its painted horses gleaming under the lights. Shar felt a childlike excitement bubble up inside her.

"Oh, Hugh, look!" she exclaimed, pointing at the carousel. "Can we ride it? Please?"

Hugh looked at her, amusement dancing in his eyes. "The carousel?“

Shar pouted playfully. "Can we go on it? Pretty please? Come on, it'll be fun!"

Hugh's expression softened, and he shook his head with a fond smile. "Anything for my babygirl," he said, his voice low and affectionate.

"And you have to ride too," she insisted, tugging on his hand.

Hugh's eyebrows shot up. "Me? On a carousel horse? Aren’t I too tall…?”

"Yes, you," Shar laughed. “C’mon!”

With a dramatic sigh that was belied by the twinkle in his eye, Hugh allowed himself to be led to the carousel. They paid for their tickets and waited for the current ride to finish.

As the carousel slowed to a stop, Shar bounded forward, choosing a white horse with a flowing mane. She looked expectantly at Hugh, who was eyeing the mechanical steeds with...fear?

"Your turn," she said, grinning.

With an exaggerated groan, Hugh swung his leg over a black horse next to Shar's. He looked comically large on the small horse, his long legs dangling awkwardly.

"I feel ridiculous," he muttered, but he was smiling.

The ride started with a jolt, and Shar laughed with delight as her horse began to move up and down. She turned to share her joy with Hugh, only to see him wobbling precariously on his mount.

"Hugh, are you okay?" she asked, trying to stifle a giggle.

"I'm fine, I'm fi-" His words were cut short as the horse dipped suddenly, and Hugh, caught off guard, slid sideways off the saddle.

Shar watched in disbelief as Hugh Jackman, the Wolverine himself, tumbled ungracefully onto the carousel platform.

For a moment, there was silence, and then Shar burst into laughter.

Hugh sat up, his hair mussed and a look of utter bewilderment on his face. This only made Shar laugh harder, tears streaming down her face.

"I hate carousels," Hugh declared, but there was no real heat in his words. He climbed to his feet, brushing off his pants with as much dignity as he could muster.

Shar was still giggling as the ride came to an end. She stumbled off her horse, weak-kneed from laughter, and Hugh caught her in his arms.

"Oh man," she gasped between giggles. "That was... that was..."

Hugh shook his head, chuckling. "Let's keep that between us, eh? I have a reputation to maintain."

Still giggling, Shar allowed Hugh to lead her towards the first clothing store they saw.

Shar steps into the boutique, her eyes widening as she takes in the sea of elegant dresses before her. The store is a kaleidoscope of colors and fabrics, each gown more stunning than the last. Sequins sparkle under the soft lighting, silks shimmer invitingly, and delicate lace patterns catch her eye at every turn.

"Wow," she breathes, running her hand along a rack of dresses as she passes. The fabrics feel luxurious under her fingertips, so different from the cheap polyester blends she's used to.

Hugh follows close behind, a gentle smile on his face as he watches her reaction. "See anything you like?"

Shar nods, a bit overwhelmed. "They're all so beautiful."

She moves deeper into the store, drawn to a display of flowing gowns in jewel tones. A sapphire blue dress catches her eye, and she reaches for the price tag, curious.

$1,400

Her heart sinks as she reads the number. That’s way too many zeroes for her. Swallowing hard, she lets the tag fall from her fingers.

"Everything okay?" Hugh asks, noticing her change in demeanor.

"Yeah, just..." Shar trails off, not wanting to admit how out of place she feels. "These are all so fancy."

Hugh's brow furrows slightly, but before he can respond, something else catches Shar's attention. Her eyes lock onto a dress hanging near the back of the store, and she feels her breath catch in her throat.

It's pink. Not just any pink, but the softest, most delicate shade of blush she's ever seen. The dress is a confection of tulle and chiffon, with a sweetheart neckline and a full, flowing skirt. Tiny crystals are scattered across the bodice, catching the light like morning dew.

Shar moves towards it as if in a trance, her fingers trembling slightly as she reaches out to touch the fabric. It's even softer than it looks, like a cloud given form.

"My babygirl would look so pretty in that."

Shar nods, already knowing who the voice is behind her. "Really? You think so?"

"I know so." Hugh's smile widened, creasing the corners of his eyes, as he reached out to pluck the pink dress from the rack, holding it up against her. "It is. In fact, I insist you get it." 

Shar's eyes widened, her breath catching at his words. "Ugh, I don't know, Hugh. It's kinda expensive, and I wasn't planning—" 

But before she could finish, he was already making his way to the counter, the dress draped casually over his arm. "Consider it my treat. I want you to have it, Shar."

She watched, a mixture of surprise and delight coursing through her, as he approached the sales assistant, his presence filling the small space. 

"Hello, how can I help you, sir?" The assistant's tone was a touch too warm, her heart eyes fixed on Hugh as she ignored Shar's presence entirely. 

Without missing a beat, Hugh laid the dress on the counter, his movements confident and assured. Shar felt a rush of anticipation, her heart fluttering as she watched him reach for his wallet. 

Producing a sleek, black credit card, he said, his voice deep and authoritative, "I'd like to purchase this dress, and anything else my girlfriend here wishes to choose. Expense is no object."

Shar's eyes widened at his words. She opened her mouth to protest, but Hugh was already turning to her with a boyish grin.

"Come on, love. Let's find you a whole new wardrobe."

Before she knew it, Shar was being whisked through the store, Hugh pulling dresses, skirts, and blouses off the racks with enthusiasm.

The sales assistant trailed behind them, her earlier warmth cooling as she watched Hugh shower Shar with attention.

"Oh, this would look lovely on you," Hugh said, holding up a sleek black cocktail dress.

Shar fingered the material, feeling overwhelmed. "Hugh, this is too much-"

"No," he interrupted, adding it to the growing pile in the assistant's arms. "You deserve it all."

As they moved through the store, Shar couldn't help but notice the assistant's increasingly annoyed expression. Every time Hugh complimented Shar or suggested another item, the woman's lips tightened a little more.

Good. Serves that bitch right.

After what felt like hours, Hugh finally declared they had enough options. He guided Shar towards the dressing rooms, the assistant struggling under the weight of their selections.

"Try this one on first," Hugh said, plucking a deep emerald green dress from the pile. He held it up against Shar, his eyes sparkling. "It'll look stunning. Trust me, I've worked in broadway—I know a thing or two about fashion."

Shar took the dress, her cheeks warming under his appreciative gaze. "Okay, I'll just be a minute."

She slipped into the dressing room, hanging the dress on the hook provided. As she began to undress, she heard Hugh's voice from the other side of the curtain.

"Can't wait to see how beautiful you look, love."

Shar She stepped into the dress, zipping it up with ease. When she finally looked in the mirror, her breath caught. The dress hugged her curves perfectly, the rich color making her skin glow.

She was about to step out to show Hugh when she heard the curtain rustle behind her. Before she could turn, she felt his presence, his warm breath on her neck.

"Hugh, what are you-"

Her words cut off in a gasp as Hugh dropped to his knees, his hands sliding up her legs under the dress. Shar's heart raced, a mix of excitement and panic flooding her system.

"Hugh, we can't-" she started, but her protest turned into a moan as his mouth found her center. His tongue teases her sensitive skin, lapping at her with soft, slow strokes. Her dress is pushed up, bunched around her waist, baring her to his hungry gaze and seeking mouth.

Well, let’s hope there isn’t any cameras in the dressing room…

"Mmm," he hums, his breath hot against her core. "You taste so sweet, babygirl." His tongue ventures deeper, delving into her folds, lapping at her essence. He sucks gently on her clit, his tongue flicking and circling it, the wet sounds of his mouth on her filling the changing room.

Her legs tremble, bracketing his shoulders as she grips his hair, urging him on without a word. His hands grip her thighs, pulling her closer, his tongue never ceasing its dance. He mouths her, drinking her in, the noises of his appetite spurring her on.

Her breath comes in shallow gasps, her back arching as the pleasure coils tighter within her.

"Oh," she pants, her voice thick with desire. "I–I–"

And then his mouth is gone, leaving her bereft and wanting.

"Sorry for wrinkling it, love," he said, his voice low and husky.

The sound of him brings her back, and she realizes she's standing before him, legs shaky and dress slightly askew. Shar swatted at him playfully, her cheeks flushed and her breath coming in short gasps.

"Die. Just die."

"Not until I give you one last surprise. Close your eyes for me, love."

Shar blinks, still a bit out of breath. "Alright, but you better not eat me out again…though, I wouldn’t mind.”

Confused but curious, Shar obeys. She feels Hugh move behind her, then something cool against her skin.

"Okay, open them."

Hugh stood behind Shar, his strong, warm presence filling the space as she admired her reflection in the mirror. The necklace—a delicate gold chain adorned with a cancer zodiac sign pendant—sparkled against her skin, a thoughtful gift from him. 

"It's perfect, Hugh. I love it." Shar's voice was filled with sincerity as she reached up to touch the necklace, the small gesture conveying her heartfelt gratitude.

But Hugh, always wanting more, always pushing the boundaries of their dynamic, inclined his head, his gaze holding hers captive. "Thank you...Daddy." 

The words slipped from her lips, thick with desire, and Shar bit her lip, a flush rising to her cheeks as she acknowledged his power over her. 

"That's my girl." His voice was a low growl as he pulled her close, his lips claiming hers in a kiss that was equal parts possession and passion.

Shar giggles, the cute laugh she always does, but then sobers up quickly. "Babe…I feel bad. Shouldn't I pay you back?"

A pause. Hugh laughs at first, but then seeing that she was serious, slowly reaches behind himself and produces a large wad of cash from his back pocket. He hands it to, chuckling at her surprised face.

"Every time you say some bullshit like that, I'm gonna give you $100 to spend, okay?”

"But Hugh—"

He hands her another stash, smirking.

"Don't spend it all on one place, love."

~~~~

Limos. A red carpet. Tons of celebrities and hundreds, upon hundreds of paparazzi lined the event, all the flashes of lights blinding. It's the Australia movie premiere, and she finds herself inadvertently stepping into a whirlwind of attention.

"Who's this beauty?" a reporter calls out, breaking the small talk and champagne-sipping rhythm of the red carpet event. 

The sudden shift of attention toward Shar makes her heart pound in her ears.

Unaccustomed to being the center of attraction, she feels a rush of heat to her cheeks. The question, she realizes, is aimed at Hugh, who stands confidently at her side, oozing charm.

His arm is snug around her waist, possessive yet protective, and he gives the reporter a charming smile. "This is Shar, a…friend I recently had the pleasure of meeting."

The introduction is smooth, and Shar feels a warm buzz from the compliment. Being described as a "friend" makes her insides flutter, and she's keenly aware of the intensity of his gaze.

"And where's Deb?" The reporter follows up, her tone implying that Shar is a mere stand-in. "Is she gonna join your side soon, Jackman?"

Shar's eyes narrow playfully, her sass coming to the forefront. Without missing a beat, she replies, "Probably off giving some director a blowjob so she can get cast. Again."

As soon as the words leave her mouth, she realizes her mistake. Her eyes widen, and she bites her lip, tasting the tang of lipstick as her brain catches up with her unfiltered mouth. 

Hugh's eyes widen, before letting out a loud laugh.

Well—who can blame her? This was the fourth time (no joke) someone had asked about Deb's absence, and it was starting to feel like a broken record. Seriously. But she can’t blame him—no one really knows about his secret separation from that elderly leech. And…no one really knows about her and Hugh’s secret relationship as well. So, of course, there’s gonna be questions.

Tons of them.

"My friend is, um... a comedian," Hugh said smoothly, addressing the stunned reporter. "Don't mind her words."

Sensing the need to make a hasty exit, Hugh guided Shar towards the entrance of the big dome venue. As they passed through the crowd, Shar caught sight of Deb who was walking along the carpet as well; the blond bombshell fixed her with a venomous glare.

Shar rolled her eyes in response. She hopes Deb’s blond wig falls off during the red carpet.

Once inside the dark comfort of the theatre, she let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "That was... intense," she muttered, more to herself than to Hugh.

Hugh chuckled softly. "You certainly know how to make an impression, love."

“Yeah…sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize. You weren’t wrong, anyways.”

They found their seats just as the lights began to dim. As the movie started, Shar tried to focus on the screen, but she could feel the lingering tension between them. She wondered if Hugh was upset about her outburst, or if he was just trying to maintain a professional facade.

Her worries were momentarily forgotten when an, um…very hot abs scene came on screen. Shar felt her cheeks flush as she watched Hugh's character, shirtless and glistening, wash himself with water….She shifted in her seat, suddenly very aware of the real Hugh sitting next to her. The one leaning in close breath tickling her ear.

"You can pour water on my abs anytime during a shower."

A jolt of surprise hits her. Then, Shar turned to him, her dark brown eyes sparkling with mischief. "And you can wash my tits anytime in the shower, too" she shot back, smirking in the way Hugh's eyebrows shot up in surprise. His mouth formed a perfect "o."

Ha. Got that freaky Australian back.

For a long time during the movie, they kept glancing at each other, the air between them crackling with tension. Then, as if drawn by an invisible force, they leaned in simultaneously.

Their lips met in a passionate kiss, just as the audience erupted into applause at the movie's conclusion.

[butter-pangcake]

so, here the translated fanfic of BO!Hiro

I tried my best!

DetCo OS #1

Pairing: HiroRei (kinda)

[First encounter]

-side ∅-

Shortly after the sound of gunfires; Furuya was able to pinpoint the location of the sniper. Hidden by an old iron door's shadow, he watches his target sweeping anything that might act as evidence conneted to them into a large bag.

The NPA police officer tightened silver gun in his hands before slowly sneak behide their back. As his arrival was expected, that mysterious figure turn quickly facing him with a rifle in hands ready to fire at any moment. If he responds a little too late by now, he probably got a bullet hole in his head as a souvenir to the next life.

They stood still for a long time. Furuya noticed that; though person in front of him didn't make any sound, they are in contact with someone. If they had friends around here, he had reinforcements prepared too. Examined the half hidden face under black cloth and hoodie, looking for any opportunity to use it to his advantage.

Suddenly, sound of running up steel stairs erupt. Its only draws their attention for a fraction of a second. Corner of his eyes, he saw the rifle's barrel move. Furuya shoot as a response. The bullet pierced trough the air bearly missed the sniper's head that ducked down. They turned over and drew their strong legs, kicks his ankle while he caught off guard, causing him to fall on the floor hard. Before carrying both rifle and the bag jumped off the building, quickly disappeared.

He hurriedly get up while suppress the pain. Hands grasp the edge of the wall for support, looking down at the street below, his eyes dart everywhere for that light-colored hoodie, but to no avail. They're gone.

'Damn...'

Furuya cursed, tried to remember their face. But only eyes weren't enough to identify someone.

He drops himself against the cold wall; shook his head to other officers whose followed him here, assure them that he was alright.

Even though he seens it with his own eyes that they had already cleaned the surrounding where they were. But he still ordered the forensic team to investicate the area just to be sure if anything comes up.

If we meet again, I swear; I won't let them escape again

-side ???-

When the sound of the triggers quiet down, Strong hands immediately grab the scattered equipments on the floor and began to pack into the bag. Because soon, the place where he is; will be the target instead.

Or get ready to deal with whoever hides behind that door.

.

FBI? CIA? Or will it be a Japanese police? Now he didn't care about that. If a person with vivid hair contrasts with the night, begins to move. His finger that resting on the trigger will not hesitate to shoot.

'My, are you having a hard time there?'

A sweet voice full of poison can be heard from the earpiece. That woman's watching them through a surveillance camera somewhere.

'I'm guessing, that young man hasn't seen your face yet?'

Silent, not saying anything for the officer to hear, and risk recognizing his voice. Despite frustrating sound at the end of the line

'Hurry up and get out'

The light-colored eyes slightly widened, confuesd. Why? Can't I just shoot him down? But he can only listen.

'I know, I know…but we have to use him to play his role'

Plans of the above again, It's useless to questions.

He wants to sigh all the air out of his lungs, but he must find a way to escape from this person in front of him first.

And it seems that luck is on his side. The sound of footsteps hitting the steel stairs broke the tension between them. When those ocean-blue eyes move, even so little as to be barely noticeable is enough.

He drew his weapon back. Dodge a handgun bullet that passes a few centimeters over his head, proceeds to kick opponent in his right ankle.

Dosen't cares how that person falls, arms lift rifle resting on his stiff shoulder. Ran to the bag that was prepared before hand; makes sure to collect it, then jump over the walls of the building onto the balcony from the rooftop to the ground. Before quickly moves and vanishes into the darkness without wasting time looking back at all.

.

'Vermouth'

When leaving the scene far enough. Black cloth that covering his lower face was pulled down. A sharp face adorned with thin beard on the chin and both jawlines appear.

He let out a deep, low-pitched roar at the other end of the line; irritated.

'Still kicking, as expected'

A carefree voice respones.

As she heard a heavy sigh, stopped then continued.

'Sorry, but you have to gently play with him for now.'

'…dying is the limit, then'

He makes a cold smile. At least next time they met, he would have other options besides escaping with empty hands.

Soft laughter as if looking at something entertaining can be heard.

'Have fun~'

[cardcaptorsakura96]

Taxes, Taxes, Taxes-Chapter 6

Fandom: Supergirl

Characters: Kara Danvers, Clark Kent, Samantha Arias, Lena Luthor, Lillian Luthor

Summary: What if superheroes had to pay a property damage tax every time they had a fight in the city?

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

Kara entered the building through the service entrance on the roof and flew down the stairwell until she reached the bottom floor. She quietly walked down the hallway until she heard voices. She peeked through the door at the end of the hallway and saw that Grundy and Grodd were still inside. Grodd was busy still looking for something. However, Kara focused more on Grundy. He wasn’t doing anything. He was frozen in place with a blank expression on his face. Kara knew that he was the living dead, but normally he was more animated than this. She slowly approached as Grodd continued to do his search.

“Where is it? The device should be here!” exclaimed Grodd while throwing a table into the wall. 

“If you had asked nicely, maybe someone would have been willing to help you,” exclaimed Kara as she punched Grodd from behind, sending him flying into a wall. While Grodd was momentarily indisposed, Kara turned her attention back to Grundy expecting an attack. However, he was still standing in the same place when she first entered the room. She went towards him and waved her hands in his face. He didn’t even blink. Kara stared at him baffled. 

“What did he do to you?”

While she was lost in thought, Kara heard the Flash shout, “Kara, behind you!”

Kara looked behind her to see Grodd’s fist come close to her face. She ducked just in time causing Grodd to stumble forward. While he regained his balance, Supergirl saw a blur sped through from behind and punched him in the back which caused him to hit the floor hard. 

Kara turned to Flash and said, “Thanks for the save.”

The Flash smiled and said, “Anytime.”

Grodd gradually got back up and stared at the two heroes disgruntled. 

“I don’t have time for you fools. Grundy! Defend your Master!”

All of a sudden, a loud groaning noise filled the room. Kara turned around and was unsettled by what she saw. Grundy had turned to look at them but his eyes were rolled to the back of his head and his mouth was wide open. 

The Flash turned to Grodd startled and asked, “What did you do to him?”

Grodd smiled menacingly and said, “I did what I must to ensure my legacy. Grundy was initially resistant, but some fine-tuning helped him to see things my way.”

Grodd walked away as Grundy ran full speed at the two heroes. The Flash dodged to the side and Kara started to fly above. Kara thought that she had a good vantage point. However, Grundy jumped high enough to grab her by the foot and swing her to the side crashing into the Flash. The impact was great enough to cause them to both hit a wall. 

“Oww” groaned Kara, gradually sitting up. 

“That hurt,” muttered the Flash getting up.

Kara looked up and saw Grundy moving full speed ahead again. 

Kara turned to the speedster and said, “You take him from below and I will try to take him from above. “

“Will do.”

The Flash sped forward and circled around him multiple times generating enough energy to shoot off a lightning bolt. It hit Grundy squarely in the chest causing him to go backwards. Kara flew up above and blew her freeze breath on him and encased him in ice. 

Kara landed right in front of her ice sculpture and grimaced. The Flash came up behind her and stopped in front of Grundy.

Kara turned to the Flash and said, “How do you think Grundy was being controlled? I thought that Grodd can only mind control living things and Grundy is the undead.”

The Flash frowned and said, “I have two working theories. Either magic is involved which I don’t know if Grodd would really subscribe to that level of mysticism or there is some type of mechanical device embedded in Grundy that is forcing him to do these things.”

Kara used her X-ray vision to scan Grundy’s body. It took her a minute, but she finally found what she was looking for.”

“He has a small mechanical device underneath his right ear that seems to be emitting some type of electronic pulse,” murmured Kara. 

“Scary to have the control of your body taken away like that,” marveled the speedster. 

“It is,” said Kara softly.

The speedster turned to Kara and asked, “So, about earlier?”

“What about earlier?” asked Kara startled. 

The speedster sighed and said, “Superman radioing in that he wants to come in on the mission with us.”

Kara tried to keep her face passive but struggled. She hated that she let him get to her each and every time. She wanted to prove that she had what it takes. 

Read the rest on AO3

[not-orphaned-account]

Sort of a oneshot? Basically the type of thing I like to work on when I'm feeling like this. I'm probably gonna be expanding it later on, but for now have an unfinished blurb about Matt going through it.

-

He doesn’t know how long he’s been sitting here, the light above the kitchen island dimmed to almost nothing to keep the pressure behind his eyes at bay. His goggles lie discarded on the counter, cold fingers pressed against his closed eyes to try and soothe the ache. He’s dizzy again, but less so than before, more fuzzy-headed than anything else. A car honks outside, far below their apartment, and he winces as a bolt of pain shoots through his temple.

The sharp sound of keys in the lock would normally makes Matt’s head shoot up, but all he can manage is a stiff movement of his neck as the door swings open.

Mello doesn’t seem to notice him right away—likely due to the low light—unlacing his boots and leaving them lined up by the door, then slipping off his jacket and hanging it on the coat tree.

He flicks the lights on, and Matt can’t help the low groan of pain as his head throbs. Mello’s head shoots up, startled to see him sitting there.

“Matt? What are you doing in the dark?”

“Headache,” Matt mumbles weakly. Mello’s eyes soften, and he turns the lights low again.

“How long?”

“‘Bout an hour,” he says, watching as Mello steps into the kitchen and drops his bag on the stool. He presses a cool hand to Matt’s forehead, and the sensation makes his eyes flutter closed with a quiet, pleased hum.

“‘M not sick,” he mumbles, leaning into the touch. “It’s just another spell. I’m kinda dizzy, too.”

Mello hums, and Matt doesn’t need to open his eyes to know that he looks concerned.

“Not a lot,” he adds, hoping to ease Mello’s worry, “just a bit. It’s the headache more than anything.”

“Have you taken anything for it?”

“Yeah, when it first came on. I need to wait, like, three hours before I can take anything else.”

Mello pulls his hand away, and Matt can hear him move around the other side of the counter. He peeks one eye open, watching him start to move around the kitchen.

“What’re you doing?”

“Making dinner,” Mello replies, without looking. “I’m assuming you haven’t eaten?”

“I ate a little,” he mumbles half-heartedly. Mello gives him a look over his shoulder, and Matt shrinks a little. “...I had half a bag of popcorn for lunch.”

Mello tsks, frowning to himself as he turns back to pull ingredients out of the fridge.

“Your eating habits certainly aren’t helping,” he scolds softly.

“‘M sorry.”

Mello mutters something under his breath, but it doesn’t seem like he’s talking to Matt, so he just closes his eyes again and holds his head as another wave of dizziness hits him.

-

“Matty.”

Matt lifts his head from his hands, the sound of his name bringing him back to awareness. He blinks the fuzziness from his vision the best he can and looks up, seeing Mello standing over him with a blank expression.

Blank, that is, to anyone but Matt. He can see the concern in his eyes, and it makes him lower his gaze in shame.

His eyes fall to the bowl in Mello’s hands, and part of him melts when he sees that Mello’s made his biggest comfort food. He sets it on the counter in front of Matt and gently pushes it closer to him.

“You need to eat something,” he says, softly but firmly. “If this is too much, I’ll get you some fruit and crackers, but you should try eating some protein. It’ll help.”

Matt catches his hand as he lifts it from the bowl and holds it, looking up at Mello and hoping he can see the sincerity in his eyes.

“You’re too good to me,” he mumbles, ignoring how his head throbs when he speaks. Mello sighs and shakes his head, though Matt’s heart flutters when he lifts their joint hands and kisses his knuckles, letting his lips rest there for a moment.

“You’re an idiot,” he murmurs, “who needs to take better care of himself.”

It’s not quite that simple, and Matt knows that Mello knows that. The frequency of the headaches and dizzy spells is becoming concerning, but he’d be lying if he said his poor eating and sleeping habits had nothing to do with it.

He’s so lucky to have Mello in his life, he thinks for the millionth time. It would be so easy for him to turn and walk out, to leave Matt to his own devices and go on with his life. But he stays. He stays, and he manes Matt dinner, and he holds him at night and kisses him so sweetly and loves him so deeply it makes his whole body sing.

Mello brushes his lips against Matt’s wrist before letting his hand go, dropping his own hand to Matt’s hair to slowly run his fingers through it.

“Eat,” he replies quietly. “But tell me if you need something different.”

“I will,” Matt promises, and it seems to be enough for Mello, who returns to the stove and dishes up his own food.

[wordborne]

All for Us

Jerome Valeska finds someone new to torment.

That someone is, unfortunately, you.

TAGS: Jerome Valeska/Reader, alternate universe, unhealthy relationships, bad decisions, canon-typical violence, major character death, eventual smut, Jerome can only be classified as nuisance to lover. CHAPTER: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 /8

It was weird making meals for two.

But there you were, in front of the stove, listening to music because you wanted to, buying plates because you needed them. And it was… nice.

Strange.

But oddly nice.

The doorknob jiggled to your right and in came Jerome, throwing something heavy and gray your way that you barely managed to catch before it hit the floor and you realized what it was.

A gun.

A loaded gun.

“Turn the stove off, sweet cheeks. We’re gonna play a game.”

You had a bad feeling about it.

The weather was ice-cold, seeping into your bones as you followed Jerome around, holding your jacket closer to your body. He strutted around, grinning, ignoring the city around him as if it was just the two of you on the streets, followed by a heatless sun. The gun felt heavy in your pocket, dread sitting just below the pit of your stomach as Jerome moved into a secluded forest area before suddenly turning around, holding his arms out as if that would give you a clue of what kind of game he wanted to play. He scoffed.

“You,” He said, taking a step forward and poking your chest. “Need to learn how to shoot.”

The dread was building higher as he took the gun out of your pocket, forcing your hand to close around the cold metal before stepping aside, lazily pointing to a nearby tree.

“Go on.”

“I don’t want to.”

“And I don’t want to come back to see your brains on the floor. So, shoot.”

He said it so simply. As if it was a guarantee that, one day, the doorknob would wiggle for someone other than him. That you weren’t as safe as you thought you were.

But it was true.

How many maniacs were running rampant in Gotham? How many more would come out after seeing just how easily Jerome turned it into his own little playground, bound by ever-shifting rules? It felt wrong. To hold something so dangerous in your hands. You could picture them in your head, covered in red and sweat after a home invasion just like the ones your neighbors had to withstand.

But you’ve held him, said the little voice at the back of your head. He was worse than a gun. He’d done so much damage. Killed so many for reasons that still eluded you. And you felt so secure around him. Warm. Whole. But he was cold. Oh so cold. It was in the dullness of his eyes, even if they had a fiery sparkle as he watched you carefully, flicking from the gun to your face. Waiting patiently, for once. Seeing how your face contorted when you realized how right he was. 

Those thoughts made the gun feel heavier and your head lighter as you held the weapon with shaking hands and squeezed your eyes shut as you pulled the trigger. The recoil caught you off-guard as the sound echoed through the forest, scaring off the birds and watching as they cawed away like an ominous black cloud above. Jerome let out an exasperated sigh and, once you opened your eyes, you noticed the mount of dirt on the ground far into the right, the tree standing proud and tall still. He got behind you, squaring your shoulders. Unlocking your elbows. Pushing your knees apart to a wider and sturdier stance. 

“Shoot.”

“No.”

It was useless and so fucking pointless. You did nothing when he first popped into your life, what made him think it would be any different with someone else? That you’d, magically, find the guts to end a life as easily as he did? 

What you didn’t expect was him getting right in front of you, cold gun pressed to his head as he stared at you with the most serious expression you’d seen in his life.

“Shoot me.”

“What?”

“Shoot. Me.”

His hands closed against yours, eyes boring into your soul. There was no amusement. No sparkle. Just a strange sense of pending doom as he repeated the same words over and over again. Drilling them into your skull. Forcing your fingers around the trigger just a little righter every time. Making your head spin. You said no a million times and, by now, you were screaming it, tears prickling your eyes. A haze fogging your brain.

And then you heard the bang.

It was deafening. Scorching hot as the tears that rolled down your face. The tree was hit, a branch hanging on by a thread. And, on Jerome’s face, a trace of red where the bullet had grazed his cheek. And he laughed, tossing the gun behind him and grabbing your cheeks, the sparkle returning, like embers brought back to life.

“That’s my girl.”

The praise felt hollow. Sickly sweet coming out of his lips. You felt breathless, still coming undone as he cooed and smeared them across your face. You wanted to slap him for doing that. To yell at him for everything he’d ever done to you up until now. But you couldn’t. All you did was find comfort in his arms. In the ‘there, there’ and half-assed way he held you as he patted your back.

“Don’t make me do that again.”

“I will.”

Maybe it was a promise. 

Maybe a threat.

Only time would tell.