#you don't need defense when you have speed and sharp

[bethanythebogwitch]

So a while back I made this post

And it became very popular. While many people already knew, I did get some asking why humboldt squids are scary. So for this Wet Beast Wednesday I'm going to teach you why you should be afraid, or at least respectful, of molluscoid menace that is the humboldt squid.

(image: a humboldt squid)

Known to scientists as Dosidicus gigas and to many others as the jumbo squid, pota, jibia, and diablo rojo, the humboldt squid is the 5th largest squid in the world and the largest of the flying squids. Don't worry, it can't actually fly. They reach an average mantle length (tat's excluding the head and arms) of 1.5 meters, with some specimens reaching up to 2 meters (6.5 ft) in mantle length. The arms can reach up to another meter in length. Adults can weigh up to 50 kg (150 lbs), with females generally being larger than males. They live in the Pacific along the cost of the Americas, from the tip of South America up to California in North America. Some individuals have been known to travel farther north, up to Alaska, which is outside of their historical range. It is possible that as the ocean warms, their native range will continue to expand north.

(image: a humboldt squid releasing ink as a defense mechanism)

Humboldt squids reproduce in deep waters, and as a result we don't know much about their courtship. Males use a modified arm called the heterocotylus to transfer sperm into the female's mantle. She then lays a transparent, gelatinous egg mass that is left to float in the water column. These masses can range between 1 and 4 meters in diameter can can contain up to 4 million eggs. Hatchlings receive no parental care and most will die before adulthood. They grow extremely rapidly, likely as a self-defense against cannibalism by larger squids. Like many squid, humboldts only live for a year and die shortly after mating.

(image: a humboldt squid next to a much braver diver than I will ever be)

As with most cephalopods, the humboldt squid has cells called chromatophores that allow it to change color. Cameras attached to captured and released specimens have show two types of color-changing behavior: flashing and flickering. Flashing is when the animal changes rapidly between red and white. This is done in the presence of other squid and is likely a means of communication, possibly a form of courtship or warning to stay away. Flickering is when waves of red and white travel down the body. This is likely a form of camouflage to blend in with light flickering through the water. In addition to flashing and flickering, cameras have seen multiple forms of color changes and communication behaviors, indicating that they have a rich social life. The red color the squid turns when hunting contributes to its nickname amongst Mexican fishermen: "diablo rojo", the "red devil".

(gif: humboldts changing color)

So all that sounds pretty normal, why are they scary? Well that comes down to their feeding behavior and aggression. Humboldt squids hunt in shoals that can include thousands of members and go into feeding frenzies that can make shark feeding frenzies look like a child's tea party. They are infamous for their aggression and there are many stories of them attacking divers and fishermen. Not even they are immune to their predation, as multiple studies have found between a half and a quarter of all dissected specimens have recently fed on others of their species. Cannibalism may make up a major portion of their diet, though cannibalistic behavior seems to increase in response to stress. Their typical diet consists of fish, crustaceans, and other squids. Humboldts typically keep their two long tentacles coiled up between their arms, only for them to suddenly lash out and grab prey. These tentacles have multiple sharp hooks that have been reported to cause severe cuts in humans. Captured prey is then pulled in toward the beak and consumed. Feeding happens so fast that scientists need to us high-speed cameras to record the capture as the tentacles move so fast they prey can be caught and reeled in between frames. Eating is also fast enough that they can grab a hooked fish and skeletonize it in the time it takes a frustrated angler to pull their catch in. And if that wren't enough, they also engage in cooperative hunting, working together to catch prey. When not feeding or being hunted, they have been described as curious, though they often react to unfamiliar stimuli with aggression. Some divers have reported that humboldts will come investigate them and even act friendly, though I can't say I'd be willing to try it.

(gif: a squid attacking a camera)

(gif: hunting squid)

Numerous fishermen's tales and news stories tell of attacks on humans, but the squid do have a reason to not like us. They are fished heavily, especially off the coat of Mexico and are the most important squid for commercial fisheries. Humboldt squids make up about a third of all squid fished every year and are the most popular food squid. Squid meat is saturated with ammonium chloride, which they use for buoyancy, and must be prepared to remove the taste before eating. Not much is known about threats to conservation, though some speculate that overfishing and global warming disrupting their food supply could threaten the population. They are listed as data deficient by the IUCN. As scary as they might be, humboldt squids serve a very important ecological role in their territories, both as primary predators and as prey to sharks and toothed whales, and more research on their sustainability and conservation needs is important.

(image: a scientist attaching a crittercam to a humboldt squid)

[secretblog1222]

"Grasp of Death" - Alastor x Reader (NSFW)

Once Adam and his army broke the demonic shield that Alastor had placed around the hotel, he knew that the group stood no chance. Even with Lucifer’s daughter on their side, the first man was just too strong. You were panicking in your room, trying to build defense devices when you heard the forcefield shatter.

Alastor then burst in through your door, wasting no time in pinning you against the wall and forcefully making out with you. “Darling, there isn't much time. I promise I would have made this more meaningful if i just had more time. I just need to show you how much you mean to me. Please allow me to love you.” You quickly nodded, and sooner than you could say “Damn!” your shirt was flying off of your head and your bra was being unclipped with the help of Alastor’s shadows. He picked you up and you wrapped your legs around his waist as he pushed you against the wall, hands roaming every inch of skin that was available to him. The second he felt your hips bucking against his, begging for any kind of sensation, he literally snapped your pants off of your body and kissed every inch of your breasts before forcefully shoving himself into you. He wasn't too big, but filled you up in a way that you had never experienced before. Within a few messy and slow thrusts, you could hear one wing of the hotel crumble to the ground as somebody (could it be Vaggie?) screamed in pain. Fuck. You didn't have much time. His eyes looked panicked as he continued thrusting into you at a speed that you didn't even know was possible. Your moans grew louder, but still could not be heard in the absolute chaos of war happening outside. As he neared his climax, his sharp nails dug into the flesh of your hips and he let out a light groan, his thrusts becoming sloppier and more desperate. You could feel his cock twitching inside of you, and soon his warm fluids were released inside of you. Your climax was delivered not long after, the pleasure somehow intensified by the sheer knowledge that this would never happen again. Alastor lays you down on the floor, his dick softening inside of you, and for the first time, the Radio Demon isn’t smiling. As he grips you tighter to him, you feel a warm tear roll down your back. “Darling, will you please sing with me?” “Yes, baby.” You reply. Alastor starts rocking the two of you, enclosed in an embrace that only two people in the grasp of death can share. His voice soothes your last thoughts as you hear him sing:

“We’ll meet again,

Don't know where,

Don't know when,

But I know we'll meet again,

Some sunny day.”

[courtforshort15]

Chapter 8

Pairing: Matt Murdock x FemReader

Word Count: 7,600

Summary: It's a Wednesday when the sky quite literally opens up above you. The Battle of New York rages around you, and the only thing that gets you through is the stranger standing next to you. Matthew Murdock is more than he seems, keeping you safe in a city that is literally crumbling around you, and even once the dust settles, his hand is the only thing you don't want to let go of.

Trigger warning: This chapter is a little dark and features the death of an un-named character. Read with caution if that might be triggering.

Chapter Index: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

You speed up so that you’re at a jog, trying to move as fast as possible while keeping yourself upright, and though you can barely see him, you follow the blurred gray figure up ahead of you that’s moving swiftly. He takes a sharp left and disappears out of sight, so you push your legs as fast as they can go, hoping you don’t fall too far behind and lose track of him altogether. Your legs burn, the muscles straining and aching, but what’s a sore muscle in the grand scheme of things?

If you survive this, you won’t remember the sore legs, the blisters, the cut across your hand; you’ll remember the crumbled buildings, the ruined city blocks, and the fear that was so thick that it was a struggle to breathe.

Will you ever breathe the same again, secure in the knowledge that you’re safe? You’re not sure.

The smoke and dust in the city creates a brown haze, and it settles through the streets like a hot and suffocating blanket. Dodging this way and that, you keep to the side of the buildings as closely as possible, hoping that you’ll avoid being seen by the things still flying overhead, still unable to keep yourself from flinching with every crash and siren that pierces the city. 

You take the same corner Matt had taken, and it doesn’t take perfect vision to see the spilled concrete and rising flames of twisting oranges and reds that crackle and pop from where they burn just half a block down. Stumbling to a stop in the eye of a burning building, your breath hitches on a gasp. Even from the corner, you’re able to feel the heat brushing across your face, and each millisecond you stand still, it only grows in intensity.

It’s not long before you force your feet to take you closer, but you still hesitate longer than you would have liked. You’d been raised with the knowledge that fires were to be left to the professionals, to those with heavy gear and helmets and oxygen masks, but in a city that seems to be consumed by nothing but open flames, the people inside don’t have the luxury to wait for a team of firefighters to show up.

They’ll have to settle for the likes of you; vulnerable, insignificant, and completely overwhelmed.

Your spine does its best to turn to steel even as your fists clench at your side, shoving your panic down ruthlessly, and your tentative steps forward speed up back into a jog. There’s already a few people surrounding the building, digging frantically through the rubble and moving stone, wood, and brick aside to get to those who are trapped inside. It’s subtle, especially with your eyes the way they are, but you notice the second Matt becomes fully aware of your presence, his head shifting to angle towards yours ever so slightly as he helps another man pull away a large piece of stone.

You’re not sure where the other people came from - the streets had seemed deserted as you made your way to the subway station - but you marvel at every single person who has thrown their own fear and caution to the wind and jumped in at the prospect of someone else needing help. Time and time again, the people of New York have risen to another’s defense, banding together in the face of tragedy and destruction.

The scene is horrendous, something out of a twisted nightmare, blurry as it is in your limited eyesight. Brick and stone have toppled off of the building, leaving behind a large, mangled mound to sort through and push away in an effort to have access to pull people out. The front door is hardly visible with too many things blocked up against it for it to be usable. Most startling, however, is the large hole that sits around the second floor of the four story building, leaving an aching wound that surely must look worse from the inside than it does from the street.

Bloodied skin and frantic looks of terror and urgency decorate the faces of those helping to pull the chunks of debris away from the building, throwing their full weight into digging and shoving through the damage. Flames twist and pull, scorch and dance, as they burn the building from the inside out, heedless and apathetic to the sensitive skin and lungs of its occupants.

The horror of the destruction is only outmatched by the screaming.

Each cry scalds across your skin in a blaze hotter than the flames and causes you to flinch backwards, overwhelmed by the devastation and pain that oozes sharply from the wounded street, and for a split second, you consider turning on your heel and running away. You’re not brave, not entirely selfless when it comes to easing someone’s pain at the cost of your own sanity and safety, and you hate the way you hesitate when people are so clearly in need of help.

But one glance of the determination and grit on Matt’s face changes something in you, pulls you into a space that allows you to acknowledge your fear without sacrificing your desire to do good, and your feet are suddenly moving faster towards the rubble before you’ve had a chance to fully think about it.

The city may forgive your cowardice in the face of such dread and horror, but you never would.

Twenty feet in front of you, a small group of men and women shove away more debris, their faces dark with soot, and you immediately run to assist them, wordlessly jumping in and pulling brick and stone away from the door. Someone attempts to scale the large mound of debris, but he only manages to get so far up before his weight shakes some of the stone loose, sending them tumbling down. The person next to you pulls you sharply to the side as a brick flies down in your direction, and you send a brief but startled grimace their way. 

“Help me lift this,” says the woman to your right, her voice strained as she struggles to pull up a large clump of bricks that have stayed together through the strength of the concrete. You don’t hesitate this time, leaning down and sliding your hands underneath the object of ruin. The large cut on your hand protests loudly, but you ignore it, even as it feels like the newly-formed scab has ripped open under the pressure.

“One, two, three, lift,” the woman directs, words changing into a hiss as she begins to rise. The weight in your hands aches, but you struggle through it, putting all your effort into lifting it and walking a few feet to the side before dropping it. It hits the concrete with a crash, the brick finally breaking apart, but you pay it hardly any attention, following the woman back to the small section of the pile she’d been working at.

“This piece next,” you tell her, pointing at another collection of bricks, wiping a drop of sweat off of your forehead with your other arm. It seems the scab had indeed torn quite a bit, as you’d predicted, because blood is trickling down your arm from underneath Matt’s tie that is still wrapped tightly around it. The red stands out, even through the dust that lingers upon your skin, and you’re close enough to see the other woman wince.

“Are you–”

“Doesn’t matter,” you brush her off, already bending down to lift another piece. “Gotta keep going.” She drops the topic quickly, joining you at a crouch, and grunts as the clump slowly raises from the pile.

One by one, the two of you wordlessly move large pieces of brick and concrete to the side, trying to clear a path for people to get to the shattered window of the building where they can help people escape. It’s slow going for the pair of you, your efforts taxing and seemingly little in comparison to the group of men who are able to move faster. The heat around you builds, as do the cries of the people trapped inside, and it only makes you push harder.

“It feels like this isn’t going anywhere,” you remark with a gasp of air. You feel more and more discouraged by the second, the task at hand feeling far too large for your tiny hands. You hated this feeling of helplessness, even as you did everything in your power to help. The two of you shove a large piece to the side, and it falls with a groan and crack as it breaks apart slightly. The woman turns away from you, eyeing the small clearing you’ve made. 

“They’re close to clearing the door, I think,” she says. She bends over and rests her hands on her knees for a split second as she takes in a large gulp of air, but quickly straightens back up and follows you back to the side of the doorway urgently. “It’s helping, the people will be out soon. Hopefully.”

“Hopefully.”

The panic mixed with grit and determination on her face is only matched by yours, and you let it drive you forward.

As if on cue, there’s a sharp cry of relief as the top of the front door is revealed, about a foot of wood paneling finally visible behind the stone that had blocked the exit. The digging continues frantically, and the sight of it refuels you with renewed speed and strength as you move back to another piece of stone the two of you will be able to lift. 

The woman continues to look exhausted during the next two pieces you lift, face drenched with sweat and red with exertion. She’s just above middle-aged, with frail arms and wrinkles exaggerated as she frowns and groans under the weight, and her strength seems to be waning even as she does her best to work through. She’s clearly struggling even as she puts one foot slowly in front of another, and a warning bell sounds in your head. You watch with clouded vision as her form begins to lose its shape, hunching over the slab of concrete you’re moving to the side, and a flash of fear suddenly rips through you.

Her arms shake under the weight, face twisting in pain. “I can’t–”

“Don’t drop it,” you wheeze, walking backwards more quickly. Sweat continues to pour down your face, the heat of the intense labor creating a burn that slides upon your skin as it joins forces with the flames from the building. “We’re almost there.”

She wheezes, her red face rapidly increasing its shade. “I’m gonna–”

“No–” Your eyes widen with horror as her hands begin to slip, her face shifting into one of panic. Your foot is directly below the slab of brick, and instinctively you know there’s no way you can move your foot quickly enough to get out from under the brick, not without jostling her and causing her to drop it quicker. It all seems to go in slow motion, the sliding of the slab through her fingers, the beginning of its descent, and your body freezes in anticipation of the pain, one that will likely bloom viciously from the breaking of your foot.

Your eyes slam quickly shut as you tense up for the impact.

But suddenly, the brick is rising back up, the weight taken on by another force, one that even lessens its own load on you.

Eyes flying open with a gasp, you’re surprised to see Matt’s sweaty face in front of yours, mouth twisted in a frown as he lifts the brick, a quick groan slipping out. His eyes are wide open, the sun hitting them and highlighting them hazel, blindly aimed to the left of your ear as he holds up the brick. 

“Keep walking,” he tells you gruffly, pushing you gently but urgently along as he steps forward and off to the side. The woman steps out of the way quickly, and you catch the look of relief on her face. Your legs, still tense from the fear that had pierced through you, protest with every step, even as he takes the brunt of the weight. It feels like forever, but Matt finally indicates to place the slab down and out of the way, and you follow without question, grateful to let the heaviness of it go, rolling your shoulders as you stand up.

He’s directly in front of you a second later, steadying you and matching your grimace.

“You’re bleeding again,” he says, grabbing your arm and lifting it slightly, seemingly examining the blood he can’t see. “It’s as bad as before.”

You try to bring your hand back to your body, but his grasp slides to your wrist as he all but cradles your palm in his. A loud sigh escapes your lips, though you imagine it could almost be considered a hiss when he puts the slightest bit of pressure over the wound. “Can’t be helped, Matt.”

“No, maybe not,” he responds with a deep frown. His face has a few smudges of dirt on it, and his shirt can hardly be considered white at this point. “But maybe you should think about finding shelter again. I don’t want–”

You hate how tempting it sounds. “Absolutely not.”

He runs an aggravated hand through his hair. “I don’t want you getting hurt any worse.”

The smile on your mouth is as bitter as it tastes. “Everyone here is hurt, too. Including you. It’s not going to stop any of us. There’s still people who need help.”

“Fine,” he says with another frown, this one bordering on a wince, rolling his stiff shoulders before pulling slowly away. “But…just watch it, okay? You’re not helping anyone if you get yourself hurt. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.”

“Why do I feel like that’s advice you never follow yourself?”

He snorts, the sound of it abrupt and out of place in a city that’s hardly standing, already moving back towards the entrance of the building that still blazes. “I hardly–”

“Hey buddy!” someone calls out a few feet away, waving in Matt’s direction. It’s the group of men Matt had been working with when you’d arrived, and it catches his attention as soon as the first syllable is out. Matt’s head turns swiftly towards them, tilting in question. “Can you come back over here? We need help with this one.”

Matt’s nodding before the man’s already finished. He throws you one last glance, reaches out to squeeze your uninjured in a subtle goodbye, before running back to the group. His touch is missed the second it’s gone, something about the warmth of his hand acting as soothing heat that almost overpowers the flames behind you. You watch him go, his form tense and seemingly ready for whatever challenge could come his way, choosing to focus on the task at hand rather than the unfamiliar ache in your chest that he leaves behind.

That’s…not something I can focus on right now.

You eye another piece that needs moving. Its removal will help clear an easy path for those trapped to get to the end of the sidewalk and out of the way, so you grit your teeth and look up at the woman to see if she’ll be able to help. She wipes her forehead briskly and pushes a lock of red hair behind her ear, head nodding at the unasked question.

She’s ready to move again after a small breather, and you ground your teeth together to prepare for the same. You turn your back to her as you make your way over, stepping quickly around the littered debris and squaring your shoulders.

But out of nowhere, there’s a loud, piercing cry behind you, the sound nothing but a sheer whine of terror, and you whip your head around just in time to watch a quick flash of color shoot straight into the woman’s chest before she falls to the ground, the scent of burning flesh and sight of a blurred hiss of smoke rising up. 

You stare at her in horror, your own scream bubbling up and leaving your lips before you can help it.

But before you can step towards her, before you can even fully process that she’s gone, the sound of heavy footsteps behind you catch your ear, and an ice-cold chill runs down your spine. Your breath stops in your lungs, your heart beats painfully in your chest, and your skin prickles in dread.

Slowly, you turn around, unable to help yourself.

Its purple, mottled skin stands out amongst the black of the road and the white sidewalk behind it, its posture stiff as it holds the large weapon. From where you are standing just ten away, you can barely see its features beyond the sharp beak-like structure and glowing eyes that observe the group of you with unrestrained hatred and a disturbing amount of glee. 

You wish you hadn’t looked.

All efforts to clear the door have temporarily stopped, each person staring at the alien with blood-drained faces. It holds its weapon close to its chest, claw-like hands wrapped tightly around something that looks like a trigger, and it’s almost like it's deciding who to kill first. 

Swiftly turning your head away from the sight, your eyes land on the remains of the woman that lay carelessly to your side, nothing more than an empty, beaten shell that had once housed a person, and the contents of your stomach roll and speed up through your throat. You barely keep it in as tears blur your vision, a hand rising up to cover your mouth as a scream, this one silent, parts your lips viciously.

While you stare in horror at the broken body to your left, another boom of the weapon rocks the city block, and it's quickly followed by the nightmarish sound of another person falling to the ground. It’s suddenly mass chaos as people begin running and diving behind the rubble, doing their best to protect their bodies as the thing advances. Someone makes a run for it, sprinting across the street in hope of reaching shelter, but there’s another flash of light, a startled scream, and a suddenly lifeless form that slams against the pavement. 

“Oh God, oh God, oh God,” you chant under your breath, making a split decision to run and duck behind a large pile of bricks to your left. It’s futile, you know, but it’s your best shot.

Sure enough, before you can make it, before you can throw yourself down to the ground, an ear-splitting blast sounds from behind you. Your body tenses up, all too aware of what’s coming, waiting for something to tear through your body, and a scream leaves your mouth before you know you’ve opened it.

But the blast doesn’t hit you, it hits the pile of bricks you’d been about to duck behind, as if the being had miscalculated slightly and expected you to be diving to the ground a split second before you actually had. You had been too slow, or him too fast, and it had temporarily saved your life. 

The brick explodes next to you, and you let out the most piercing shriek you’ve ever had slip past your lips as you do your best to cover your face. In your terror and pain you quickly lose your balance, and it’s as if the force of the blast might as well have knocked you down itself. Your head smacks crudely against the concrete, the sound of your skull crashing down nothing but a solid crack, and the sound of your scream rattles your head and ears in a way that’ll haunt you for days to come.

Brick falls down over you as you lie there, each piece nicking you on its way down, and you can do nothing but huddle in on yourself and cry until the dust seems to finally settle. 

Your vision is hazy when your eyes manage to open, and you’re not quite sure if it’s solely because of the eyes that have needed glasses for years, or if it’s because your head had slammed to the concrete with the force of a bat slamming into a baseball thrown by a major league pitcher. You’re facing upwards, and despite the heat of the raging flames around you, there’s a slight chill that brushes your skin as you lay in the shadow of the skyscrapers surrounding you.  

A large form, gleaming from the strange shine of its blotchy skin hanging from solid angles that make up its inhuman frame, steps into your limited field of vision, weapon raised with fingers still on the alien trigger. Your heart stutters, your breathing stops, and dread curls down your spine as you watch it lift its gun again. It seems to relish the look of terror on your face, finding enjoyment in your panic, and there’s nothing human about the way it looks down on you.

There’s a voice somewhere in the distance screaming your name, getting closer and closer with every millisecond, but you’re well aware that the speed of the anguished sound isn’t going to make a difference, the person still too far away to change how your story is about to end.

There’s only one person who could be screaming your name, and you’re grateful that his lack of sight will keep him from the image of your mangled and burned skin.

You look past the being in your face, choosing that your last moments be that of the blue sky behind him. It doesn’t give you any sense of peace, not really, but the blue has inspired poets and musicians and artists for thousands of years, and will do just fine for the last image you’ll ever see.

The monster in front of you lets out a warbled sound that’s both grating and groaning, no doubt communicating to whatever part of his army can hear him, and you brace for the impact. But before it can follow through, before a flash of light can penetrate your body and leave behind a shredded hole of blood and flesh, it just….

…drops.

It crumbles just to your left, the mottled gray form falling to the ground bonelessly, eyes open and mouth still twisted in a snarl. For a second, all you can do is continue to stare at the sky, far too confused to know what’s just happened. The lack of a weapon in your face does not yet ease the fear, bone and muscle immobilized from terror, and your lungs still struggle to push air in and out of your body.

The site is silent for a split second as the group of people stare in disbelief at the fallen alien, but it’s not long before the screaming and sobbing starts again, though it seems to slip past you as your brain threatens to shut off. You feel numb all over, and just for a second, you give into it.

You must drift shortly into unconsciousness because the next thing you know, Matt’s face is hovering directly over yours, his mouth opening on words that take you a few seconds to process.

“--ey, hey, you’re okay,” he says hurriedly when you shift with a groan, and you’re relieved that sound has finally come back to you. He frowns as he runs a hand lightly down the side of your face, fingers grazing over something on your left cheek that burns at the contact. The contact is jarring, and you can’t help the way you flinch as you try to sit up. 

Matt’s face is alarmed at the movement, pressing gently at your shoulder until you lay back down reluctantly. “Woah, hey. Don’t move. You need to stay down for a few.”

“They’ll be back,” you respond with a cough, struggling against the hand that presses lightly into your chest. “We should–”

“I think they’re gone,” he tells you, and you notice the new cut that’s been added to his jawline, “all of them just…it’s like they’re dead.” His voice is absolutely bewildered, his eyes wide, head shifting from side to side as if struggling to comprehend the way the street had suddenly changed. “Whatever they were, they just fell to the ground. It’s the same with the other ones in the area.” 

You don’t ask him how he knows.

The wailing and crying in the background has continued, but you pay it no mind. Your energy is draining rapidly, and you don’t have the ability to focus on much more than the man on his knees next to you.

“I–” you’re unsure of what to say at first, just as perplexed at the sudden death of the aliens. You turn your head slowly to the side, jumping when you remember the being that had fallen next to you, its blank face not seven feet from yours, mouth hanging open lifelessly. From up close you can see every ridge in its armor, every line and splotch in its face, and it’s even more terrifying up close. 

You find it hard to think even as a shudder wracks your body. “Are you sure? I don’t–”

“I’m sure.”

“Ok.” A deep breath surges through your body, the first full gulp of fresh air since you’d fallen, but you cough harshly as the air leaves, barely managing to cover your mouth with your trembling hand. “But I should still-”

A shaky hand gently pushes down on your chest again, the one that had touched you on your cheek just a few seconds ago, and your eyes widen at the bright flash of red that stains his palm. 

Blood. 

His?

No. Yours. 

“Don’t move,” he says, voice a little more firm than last time. It’s got a thin veil of steel behind it, the same one that’s been present the past few hours, something that hints at a far more forceful interior that he perhaps doesn’t let others see. The tone doesn’t startle you, doesn’t stop you, as you’re far too focused on the fact that there’s another reason to get up on your feet. How had you forgotten about the people who needed rescuing? “Just lay here for a second.”

Your tone is incessant. “Let me up. The people in the fire need–”

Matt shakes his head, and the motion is suddenly more fuzzy than it had been just seconds ago. “Everyone got out, everyone’s fine.”

Your eyebrows raise in confusion. “How–”

His blank eyes rake over your face. “You were out of it for a few minutes. I–you hit your head really hard.” He shudders briefly. “I heard it from all the way over there.”

“But–”

“You’ve lost a lot of blood,” he says as gently as he can, though he’s still incredibly blunt, “and you need to go to a hospital.”

For the third time, you move to sit up, but he stops you with a firm shake of your head.

“I’m going to pick you up. You shouldn’t be walking.” An arm reaches underneath your knees, pulling your weight closer to him, and it takes all of two seconds before you’re struggling against him.

“I’m fine,” you argue, pushing him lightly away, though he easily overpowers you. Your head continues to pound, the throb as forceful and abrupt as a loud snare drum, and it takes a second to gather your thoughts. “It’s just my cheek, it’s fine.”

“It’s not just your cheek,” Matt grunts as he finally snakes his arm again under your knees, holding a little tighter this time. He floats in and out of your vision, not because he’s moving, but because you suddenly feel like you’re swaying despite his jerky movements. “You’ve…the crown of your head. You have a gash, it needs stitches. As soon as possible.”

Oh. 

Your mouth parts in immediate shock, and without a word, your hand lifts and runs over your head, the wince on your face sharp and dramatic as the pain that suddenly flares out. Between the sting of the wound and the pounding in your head, it quickly becomes too much, and you’re very suddenly overwhelmed and having even more trouble focusing. 

“Yeah,” Matt mumbles, correctly assuming that the pain’s finally hit with full force. He lifts your arms before helping tie them loosely around his neck. You allow the movement easily as if your body has lost its ability to function with the new knowledge of just how hard you must have hit your head. 

Well…that makes sense.

“Maybe,” you begin slowly, your tongue feeling heavy in your mouth, “m-maybe that’s why I feel so…so dizzy?”

Matt hisses in displeasure, something about the slurring of your words triggering his need to move faster. You let an undignified squeak as he pulls you up and straightens his back, and though before you might have wrapped your arms around his neck tighter in a split second of panic, you find your arms suddenly too heavy to move. They flop uselessly to the side as if the muscle is no longer attached to the bone, just a dead weight of torn skin and fingers that tingle.

“Where–where are you t-taking me?” you slur out, and you don’t have the energy to make your voice louder or more clear. He picks up a swift pace, and you’re unable to tell which way he is going, only that he’s walking away from the people he’d helped save from the building. No one calls out to him to return, though the tears and cries left behind are present and haunting, and Matt seems to be single minded as he takes you away from the fire that still burns behind him. “Where–”

“There’s a hospital a few blocks away,” Matt responds immediately, his body randomly jerking you to the side as steps around something. “We can…we should be able to make it there safely now that there’s nothing to stop us.”

You try to wiggle out of his hold in protest, but your body refuses to work with you, especially once Matt seemingly strengthens his hold on you. All semblance of a fight leaves you as exhaustion suddenly hits you heavier this time. “Matt, no. You can’t carry me that far, it’s not–”

“Don’t argue,” he says tightly. “Your head…you’re losing too much blood. And you’ve probably got a concussion. You need a doctor.”

Your eyes flutter shut before snapping open again. “There’s…there’s people who are w-worse off. They-they need to be h-helped fir–” Something inside you abruptly cuts off your ability to speak, tongue feeling too heavy in your mouth before you’re able to finish your sentence. Your head falls backwards, strength rapidly draining from your bruised and tired body, and you hear Matt grunt when he adjusts slightly so that your head is resting on his shoulder as best as it can. Your eyes grow heavy, the lids making a valiant effort to stay lifted even as a sense of darkness beckons you below.

“Don’t close your eyes,” he tells you urgently as he continues to pick up his pace, his steps feeling more and more jarring as he quickly turns a corner. “Stay awake for me.”

You don’t answer, you can’t, and your body continues to do nothing but sag into his. He mumbles something, something you can’t hear, the blurred lines of his lips tilting into a deep frown. 

It’s a lovely mouth, now that you think about it. You wish you’d seen a smile such as his in the life that had existed before today.

Matt continues to move, his voice soft and almost warbled in your ear, and with every step, you feel yourself floating outside of your body, whatever string that ties your spirit to your physical form attempting to snap and separate. It’s nice, almost. The feeling of dread and terror slides away, the throbbing of every inch of your body beginning to dissipate. You’re aware that bells should be ringing in your head, some alarm that tells you that your sudden emotional and physical numbness isn’t a good thing, but you’re too far gone to care.

“Sweetheart,” Matt says with a shake of his arms, trying in vain to wake you up even as you continue to slip away, “you gotta stay with me. Don’t close your eyes, stay with me. I need you to–”

But you don’t hear what he needs. The black catches up to you, forces your eyes shut, and leaves you with nothing more to cling to.

—----

Matt’s heart falls into his stomach when you lose consciousness again, though he had known this was a possibility long before your words started slurring. The thump of your heart is growing weaker by the second, fading with every drop of blood that leaves your body and soaks his shirt, and every step he takes towards the hospital feels far too slow, far too unsteady. 

Despite his fear, despite the way he trembles as your head lulls back and over his arm, Matt’s navigation is on point. He knows exactly what block he’s on, knows exactly how many steps are needed until he’ll get to the corner he’ll turn at, and even while screams and sirens tear through the bruised and beaten city, his sole focus is your safety.

His sole focus is you.

You, who had run in the opposite direction of the crowd to help him, even while people ignored him standing there by himself on that apartment stoop, nothing more than a liability in the face of death. He could have found a way to find shelter on his own, he knows that, but he hadn’t needed to, not with you there, a beacon so bright that he didn’t know how he could have missed it before.

You’d been terrified, blood circulating viciously through your system with every uneven breath and pounding of your heart, but all he could think in that moment was that he had never met someone so selfless, so…fearless.

Matt isn’t fearless now, though. He’s in agony as distress and panic roll through his system relentlessly, a deep and abrasive flaying of his nerves with every second that slips by.

He’s a city boy, born and raised in the underbelly of New York City, a place that lives and breathes tension and apprehension, so in an awful way, the anxiety he’s feeling is familiar. He’s used to it crawling up and down his spine, long before he gained and familiarized himself with his abilities, but nothing could have prepared him for this. 

Matt vaguely recalls Stick talking about the war and wonders briefly if this was what he’d been talking about, but he quickly dismisses the idea entirely. Stick’s stories had always seemed so human, and there had been no mentions of aliens tearing through the sky and beating the city, his city, into the ground.

The brick of the wall next to him suddenly disappears, indicating that the building has ended and he’s reached the end of the block, and he takes a sharp turn, feet expertly avoiding the stone and brick that lies broken over the sidewalk, no doubt from a building close by that had been devastated by the force of an explosion. The smell of fire still lingers in the air, but he’s all but numb to the world, nothing existing but his feet, his path, and you cradled in his straining arms.

He takes a second to adjust again, hoisting you closer and further up his body, ignoring the slight burn as his arms accept the weight of you in a slightly different position. Like this, your head is now closer up by his, your silken hair brushing lightly his chin, and he can’t help shudder at the feeling. 

His adjustment jostles you enough that it startles out a low moan, one that is filled with a sense of pain that he wishes he could take from you.

“I know,” he mumbles into your hair as his pace picks back up again, following the path that his head has laid out for him, filled with the angles and pressures and temperatures that only his mind is able to process. It’s a clean shot down to the hospital, just three blocks down, and Matt can’t help but press a soft and short kiss to the crown of your head in relief. “I know, sweetheart. We’re almost there.”

He walks as fast as he can with you in his arms, and each step is filled with as much relief as fear, because what if…what if he gets you there in one piece, but there’s nothing they can do?

Your heart has slightly evened out, though it’s still weak and slow, and Matt admits that he has done little more than monitor it the whole journey to the hospital, hell, the whole journey since he grabbed your hand. Two hours with you and the sound has been seared into his memory, its pattern just as familiar as the back of his own hand.

It’s only a few more minutes before Matt’s walking briskly through the automatic doors, somehow managing to focus even as the sound of broken cries swarm around him on all sides. He’s walked in through the ambulance bay, he thinks, judging by the lack of furniture for waiting friends and family and a check-in desk. The lights are fluorescent, and he can hear their loud humming, so different from the soft lighting and calmness of a waiting room. There’s so much going on around him, so many people shifting and rushing past him, the wheels of gurneys screeching across the linoleum floor, and he can’t help but be temporarily overwhelmed. 

The scent of blood is so strong it’s sickening, and Matt has to swallow down the taste of copper that floods his senses ruthlessly.

He finds himself floundering for a second, unsure of which way to walk as chaos swells around him on all sides. Your blood is soaking his shirt with every second he wastes stalling there, and it’s finally enough to push forward. He’s hardly taken a step before a man is standing in front of him, his hand outstretched to stop his movement. Matt opens his mouth to protest, unsure of the man’s reasoning and instinctively wanting to keep going, but the man cuts him off.

“I need a gurney over here,” the man calls out sharply, turning his head to the left. He sounds frayed at the edges, too, and Matt can’t help but shudder. “Now!”

Relief floods through his system, and it’s only a brief few seconds before a gurney is wheeled his way. 

“Here, put her down,” says the man urgently, lowering the rails down so that it’s easier for Matt to lean down. He hesitates for just a moment, something in him suddenly unwilling to remove you from his body, and even though he knows he needs to place you on the padding, his heart protests so sharply that it startles him.

I don’t want to let her go.

But Matt pushes the thought aside, finally placing her gently on the gurney, pulling back as the man raises the railings back up and wheels her up against a wall a few yards away. He immediately begins hooking you up to various machines, one monitoring your heart rate, the other your blood pressure. Matt is moved lightly to the side by another pair of hands as a second nurse or doctor steps up, placing an oxygen mask on a face that feels like it’s been permanently scarred with the remains of blood and tears from the day.

“What happened?” the man asks as he begins a quick exam, watching as your stats begin to populate on a screen to the left of your head.

“They…she…” Matt struggles to find the words at first, language failing him for a second as the sound of your body slamming against the pavement echoes through his head. His fists clench uselessly at his side as he tries to focus on the facts of what happened instead of the way it had caused a panic so abrupt that he wasn’t sure if he’d ever recover from it. “She…she fell as she was running. One of those things–it shot at her and missed, but she lost her balance. She must have hit her head on something because she started losing blood and eventually lost consciousness.”

The man continues his exam, not bothering to look up, which causes a strange sense of relief. Matt’s not wearing his glasses, he’s pretty sure he lost them around the time he sprinted to your side when all thought and reason left him, and while it’s the least of his concerns at the moment, he’s still grateful the man has yet to notice that he’s not making eye contact.

He’d promised to tell you everything if the pair of you survived, and he’d stand by that promise gladly, but the idea of someone else questioning his sight made his skin crawl. This was a secret meant only for him and you, now. 

“When was this?” The man pulls Matt out of his head with the question, moving your head from one side to the other to determine the level of damage. He is thorough and almost detached in his examination, brusque and to the point, but Matt detects the tremble in his hand, notes the skin that is likely too pale, and knows the man is trying to remove himself from his own fear in order to focus on those who need him. 

It’s a trait that Matt will become achingly familiar with in years to come.

“How long ago did this happen?”  

“I, uh…probably about ten minutes ago. We were a few blocks away and I had to carry her here,” Matt responds, licking his lips with a nervous tick. “Is she–is she going to be okay?”

“We’re going to have to take her up for a CT,” he responds, pulling out a chart and writing on it, his chicken scratch sliding abrasively on the paper. “I have someone who can do that for her in a few minutes. Can I get her name and date of birth for her paperwork?”

Matt freezes briefly, because of course he doesn’t know your date of birth, and he never got your last name, but to admit that he doesn’t know either implies that he doesn’t know you, and it causes him to lurch in place.

He does know you. He does. 

Maybe the day hadn’t started out that way, but he knows you in a way he doesn’t know anybody else, because what else is there to know about a person other than how they’ll react when push literally comes to shove? He knows that about you now, already knows the kind of person you are, and he hopes he’s shown you equally the kind of man he is and wants to be.

On paper you are a stranger, but his heart knows differently.

So instead, he lies about the information the doctor is requesting and gives the doctor his father’s birthday as her own, simply changing the year so that it’s only a few years younger than himself. The doctor doesn’t notice the lie and simply nods, writing it down quickly.

“First name?”

Matt gives it swiftly. It’s a name that he’ll never be able to forget.

“And last name?”

It’s out his mouth before he can hold it back. “Murdock.” 

He doesn’t know why he says it, but it’s too late to pull it back, so he adjusts his form and does his best to not give away the false statement that had poured from him so easily like wine from a barrel.

“And you are?”

Matt clears his throat. “Matt Murdock.”

“Relation?”

“She’s my wife.” The lie comes out just as smoothly this time because Matt quickly realizes the advantage of the situation. He won’t have to leave you, he’ll be able to stay by your side as you heal, and no one will question it. Watching over you has become his sole focus since the sky first opened up, your strength in the face of your fear nothing short of addicting, like you were a flame that burned only for him, and he isn’t about to leave you now.

Your blood matted hair rests lifelessly on the padding he assumes is white, and something in him is glad he can’t see the red of it staining the sheets, knowing that it’s life leaching out from the gash on your crown.

You’re still as a nurse begins stitching up the back of your head, a thin needle expertly swaying in and out of your flesh as the wound gradually begins to close. His hands hold on to the railing tightly, ears catching the beat of your heart faster than the screen can count it, and he keeps track of every stitch that’s tied off. Slowly, the blood seeping out begins to lessen as the nurse continues her work, and when she walks away, Matt’s overcome with the sudden need to touch you. His hands are dirty with blood and sweat and ash, but he reaches down anyway and pushes a lock of hair behind your ear, resting his forehead against yours in a brief attempt to assure himself of your warmth, before placing a gentle kiss and pulling away.

He’s barely standing up straight before the nurse comes up and informs him they’re ready to take you up for the head scan, and there’s nothing Matt can do except pray while the wheels of the gurney disappear down the hall.

-

[goblinpuppy35]

Paw Prints in Fresh Soil

(Previous Chapter) - Part 2 - (Next Chapter)

Professor Remus x Male Reader

Summary: While teaching at Hogwarts Professor Lupin tries his best to conceal his strong crush for the green fingered grounds keeper Y/N but soon a strong friendship blooms into something more.

------------------------------------------

A week of teaching flashed past Remus at an expectational speed and he loved every moment of it. Everyday was slightly different with what he taught and he was beginning to see a genuine improvement in the students Defense Against the Dark Art skills. He felt a place of pride for them all in his heart. The connection he had built with his students did help to combat the consistently delicate relationship he held with most other teachers.

They would exchange polite nods with Remus down the hallway yet this was always accompanied with a swift step to the furthest wall to increase their distance between themselves and the Proffesor. It was an agonising staff meeting when it had been made aware to the rest of the teachers about Remus being a werewolf, several protested intensely, with Professor Snape being the biggest. During this discussion Remus had kept closest to the door with his head hung staring at his scuffed shoes. He felt a constant sense of anxiety that this whole opportunity would be whipped away from him any second.

Each day Remus considered it a blessing he was still at Hogwarts. At this point he had become accustomed to doing his scheduled night patrols alone. His eyes adjusted well to the dark night surroundings, personally Remus would have been happy to wonder without a light but to not startle any potential wandering members of the castle, he illuminated his path by the tip of his wand as he strolled down the hallway, passing sleeping paintings. 

The night had a cold but peaceful atmosphere to it which Remus took solis in, enjoying a few squares of his nighttime supply of chocolate. As Remus used his sharp back teeth to press down on a particular hard piece he froze in the middle of the hallway and observed a dull warm light grow in intensity around the corner. It was the glow of a lantern and Remus prepared himself to give a wandering student a stern yet measured reminder of Hogwarts after dark curfew rules, but the figure's size threw his focus. Taller than a student yet not as tall as the Professor himself. With Remus remaining stagnant and figure not fully looking where they were going the two almost collided.

With only a few steps to spare the lamp and the head of its carrier whipped forward in Remus' direction, their two light sources highlighting the other. "Y/N!" Remus said in surprise, "Oh Christ! " was the groundskeeper's response followed by him stepping back, clinching his chest and letting out a small nervous laugh "You really need to stop sneaking up on me Professor Lupin". Despite the shock Remus found himself pleased to see the young man again "forgive me, I didn't expect to see you of all people on my patrol, what are you doing up and about?". By now Y/N had caught his breath back, "Same as you actually" he explained "Hagrid wasn't feeling so well so asked me to do his night patrol for him. I don't spend much time in this castle, I'm honestly amazed you all don't get lost in this maze more often!". There already seemed to be an element of comfortable familiarity between the two men which Remus enjoyed, "Well we all get lost in our first year but soon you start to know Hogwarts as a second home along with all its strange passageways" he beamed towards Y/N, however this shared experience seemed to be lost on the groundskeeper who looked back at Remus with a polite but confused smile.

Remus wasn't able to speak again before the conversation was deliberately interrupted by a slow cough echoing down the hall, it's perpetrator made themselves viable from their own wands light. "Interrupting something am I?" each word was more drawn more then the last and Remus brow dropped as Proffesor Snape approached them. "The fact your granted the responsibility of night patrols is truly beyond me, especially since it seems you'd rather spend your time gossiping" Snape's dark eyes lookee between Y/N and Remus who then looked towards each other. "With all due respect Proffesor Snape" Y/N carefully began "Professor Lupin is an incredibly capable member of staff and takes his role with absolute seriousness" Remus' mouth dropped open slightly, it was rare he was ever stood up for. "In fact I was just about to ask Professor Lupin if he would accompany me on my petrol for the rest of the night since I don't know these halls as well as him." Y/N finished with an air of confidence though alas this began to diminished as Proffesor Snape came closer.

"This is NOT the kind of individual anyone in this school should be conspiring with" hissed Snape towards Y/N, "If it was put to me he would be on the first train out of here" as the ghoulish positions teacher paused he leaned in closer to Y/N making him visible nervous. "And you would be a close second Mr Y/L/N. You have no business being here, the only small positive in your gross act of misjudgement is the only person your endangering is yourself of course". Y/N's face showed he was certainly upset by these comments yet he stood his ground, gripping onto the handle of his lantern tightly.

Once Snape was satisfied with his torment he adjusted his robes and started to walk down the eery corridor "Of course, it's in my best interest for you to not get yourself harmed. I will need your help collecting the herbs I need for a certain Someone's medicine" with the word someone being emphasised as Snape briefly turned back to glare directly as Remus. It wasn't until Remus was satisfied that Snape was out of ear stop he could relax and turn back to Y/N "he's as insufferable as when he was child. I'm sorry about him Y/N please don't take his words to heart. You have a right to be here as much as anyone" in a moment of rare forwardness Remus places his hand gently on Y/N's shoulder.

This gesture was met with tender eyes and a small warm smile from Y/N which was enough to make Remus draw him in closer but by force he controlled his impulses. "Thank you Lupin" Y/N said genuinely "But Professor Snape is right, I don't exactly belong here" as Y/N contemplated he began to walk down the hallway and Remus swiftly followed. "You know originally I withdrew my application to come and work here at the school but it was Dumbeldore who found me and encouraged me to reconsider." as they walked Y/N seemed to be talking to the sleeping paintings as much as he was to Remus, nevertheless he was happy to just listen. "I knew the risks coming here and I knew it wasn't going to be easy yet at the same time I was hopeful, if that makes any sense". "Completely" Remus said earnestly suddenly finding himself connecting even more with the gentleman next to him. Was it possible they were more alike then he had originally thought?

"Well" Y/N said with a sudden chuckle "that's what I get for being a Muggle living under Hogwarts roof". Remus instantly scrapped his previous thoughts. "I'm sorry what? .. your a Muggle?" Y/N seemed shocked by Remus' own level of disbelief, "had you not noticed" he asked lifting up his hand  to Remus "no wand". This was true, Remus had never noticed a wand on Y/N's person and it would explain why he was walking at night by latten light and yet Remus was still struggling to grasp this new information. Y/N had stopped walking forward, folding his arms he leans against the stone wall, allowing Remus to remain dumbfounded "if it helps you reacting as well as most people do" there was a hint of sarcasm in Y/N's voice. This was not the first time he'd had this conversation. In this moment Remus recognised the familiar emotions of uneasiness and panic he had often bared witness from others now being expressed outwardly from himself. He took a moment to recenter himself and rejoin the conversation with Y/N, the last thing Remus wanted to do was make him feel more isolated.

Without being prompted Y/N began to talk, "I'm sure you've got questions so I'll give you the basic run down . My parents went to Hogwarts, they met each other, fell in love and had a child. A healthy baby boy who grew up to be a very capable wizard in the ministry. Then they had a second child .. a child who showed no signs of magical spell casting abilities. And before you ask they did numerous tests on me. Some just said I was a late bloomer and needed more time but nothing happened. No wand chose me and that was that". They had reached the end of the hallway which had an enormous decorative arched window looking out towards the still lake and Y/N watched the clouds reflection dance in the water ripples as he continued. "So my parents decided to send me to a Muggle school, not that I really fit in there either. But I still had such an interest in the magic world, I read all my parents books on wizard history and creatures. I got particularly fascinated by magical herbology hence why I help out in the greenhouses so much. So yes, I may be a Muggle technically but I know a lot about this world and I feel more connected to be in it then the one out there." Despair was hidden behind Y/N's eyes though he did a good job holding it from rising to the surface.

Remus said nothing at first, he simply looked at Y/N in awe, processing every word he'd said. Finally as the full murky colours of dawn began to creep into the sky and morning birds tweeted in the dark trees, Remus reached out and took Y/N's hand. It was Y/N's turn to now stand silently, in shock of Remus' sudden action. "You may not be a magic caster Y/N .. but you have me spellbound" even within the dark Y/N cheeks clearly turned a warm pink and he almost tried to wiggle out of Remus' grasp. "You are proving everyone who ever doubted you wrong by being here and that is immensely courageous, I implore you to believe in your own capabilities, or at least let me believe in them until you can" when Remus had said 'let me' he could feel Y/N's own grip in his palm get tighter for a moment. "That's .. that's quite a romantic statement Proffesor Lupin" Y/N couldn't meet Remus' eye contact until he said his name and in a heart beat both men were the same shape of pink and exchange nervous chuckles.

"Please, call me Remus" he noticed the warm colour coming back to Y/N's face which caused Remus to gaze out of the window and see that the morning sun was swiftly approaching. "And I'm just speaking honestly...Looks like our patrol together is almost done. Would you like to watch the sun rise with me?". Y/N nodded and their hands parted as they sat down of the stone window ledge and enjoyed the steady glow of the horizon. "What did Professor Snape mean when he said that you shouldn't be here either" Y/N ask and looked at Remus with curious eyes. Remus kept his eyes forward at the lake and his jaw tightened. "Oh nothing really. Just old school boy grudges really." Y/N continued to stare at Remus and then eventually turned back to face the sunshine "oh. okay then."

'Honestly my arse' thought Remus with a sigh.

[frostgears]

distant world

this is how your dates go: she takes you out to a diner, and, at some point during dinner, she slips something in your drink.

sometimes she's brazen, like the first time: she stares you dead in the face as she squirts an eyedropper of something into your root beer, daring you to deviate from the plan. this what you want?, her eyebrows ask. this is how it's gonna go.

sometimes you don't even see her do it. you'll be nibbling the final corner of your diagonally sliced grilled cheese, about to ask if she actually dosed you. then the texture of the diner noise changes, as if sound could be wrapped in soft silk. the question dies on your lips.

however she does it, whatever she uses, she keeps getting your defenses down enough so that you can fuck her. it's not your fault that you can't manage at baseline. it's not her fault either. dysphoria is just a bitch like that.

it's so much easier to let yourself get that close, let her guide your girlcock into her neovag, when you're halfway out of your head. when your brain is busy elsewhere and you don't have to think about how artificial you both are.

this time you're fucking on the cold stone floor of her bathroom. she's under you. you're avoiding her eyes, instead watching the floor over her shoulder. the rippled patterns of the marble extrude themselves into peaks and canyons, the topography of a distant world.

an alien war machine crawls down one valley, beam cannons in its forward section glowing electric blue. as the far-away meat part of you thrusts again into her, you're down there in the metal oxide dust, watching turning joints, feeling the thump of its footfalls.

you don't know this model well enough to distinguish loaded artillery rocket tubes in its thorax from empties. is it repositioning for battle, or fleeing it?

"huh? don't stop, not now!"

you must have said that out loud. you try to explain. the words come out all at once, so you point.

she turns her head, hair fanning out a little further across the marble. then she stretches out a hand, a finger, locking her legs around your hips as she does.

the alien war machine hunkers low as a sudden dust storm bears down on it. then it leaps over your viewpoint, tracing a high arc in the low gravity. it hits the ground and picks up speed, dashing to cover further away than your optics can pick up.

"fuck, it's just a jumping spider, ignore it," she orders, reinforcing her demand with a squeeze of her legs.

a minute later, the signal breaks up. you're back in yourself, and sticky, and the marble tiles are just marble tiles again.

she holds you after, but not gently. fingernails sharp against your skin.

"not using this stuff again. it's no fun. i just need you nice and fuzzed, not totally out there."

"you could take it too," you mumble.

"why? let's not make this more complicated than it has to be. i'll get lonely," she says, "with you going so far away that i can't find you." □

[echo-of-sounds]

pay attention to me (pt.4 in the 'your first creampie' series)

-Present Mic x f!reader-

smut drabble of hizashi giving you your first creampie

The merchant handed the last of the items over. Both swords were done. And now, with the proper plates and monster parts, you could craft the highest-ranking light-armor set. The scavenging and fighting and money were a bit costly in terms of resources, but it wouldn’t matter once you finally completed the-

“Babe!” Hizashi called, coming out of the backroom to bother you once again. "Let's do something tonight."

"I'd rather not."

"Why?"

"Busy."

He plopped down beside you on the couch. Too focused on getting to the armorer, you missed his words and asked him to repeat himself. He did with a grumble, "You've been playing that game all day. Let's go out."

"I'm almost done with this armor set. We can do something tomorrow."

He nuzzled into your neck, trying to convince you with kisses and tiny bites. 

"Hizashi." You shrugged him off.

With an overexaggerated moan, he fell onto your lap, not holding back with the physical dramatics either for sympathy points. He took the pillow your arms were resting on, so you just laid your forearms on his back. Skin touched skin. You looked at him and saw he wasn't wearing a shirt, unbothered by the slight chill in the room.

Green eyes peeked at you, probably trying to see if you were caving. When they saw you weren't, they pouted. "You've been neglecting me."

"No, I haven't." Your eyes snapped back to the game upon hearing the Armorer's voice. You handed over the armor, hide, plates, and monster livers and hearts. At long last, a short cutscene played before getting the Grandmaster chest plate, the final part of the Grandmaster set you’ve been desperately trying to complete. Other sets offered more defense, but they hindered your speed and stamina. Plus, this set was just more pleasing to look at, especially once you gathered enough dye to change the color to a nice- 

Hizashi pulled at your attention again, dramatizing a whine. He was worse than a puppy. "Pay attention to me."

“I have.”

“No, you haven’t. You've only looked at that game since you got it."

You sighed his name. 

He sighed your’s back. "Can I convince you to do anything?"

"Dunno. I'm kinda on a roll right now." You lowered the game console to meet his eyes. They were awfully sad. And his hair fanned out in a very graceful way; some lower strands were still wet from his earlier shower, slightly sticking to the handsome indent of his spine and ridges of his shoulder blades. "What's your convincing entail?"

That got him to smile. "Depends. What'll it take for you to pay attention to me?"

You rolled your eyes at his eyebrow wiggle and went back to the game. "I don't know."

Weight shifted as he moved around. You tried to pay it no mind, but you couldn't stop a smile from forming as balmed lips found your lower thigh. Breath heated your skin. A familiar glow shot up the nerves to under your clothing. 

Giving your leg a relaxing squeeze, Hizashi droned against your skin through his kissing. "You used my body wash?"

You hummed, still preoccupied on the game and finding your next task. There were so many side quests and contracts to work through. 

"It smells so good."

"It smells the same."

"Well, it's better on you." He kissed upwards, moving the edge of your nightgown up as he went. It quickly turned into wet kissing and sucking, and the closer he got to your underwear, the more they evolved into bites. A few lovebites peppered before teeth sunk into your inner thigh.

You jerked and gasped. It wasn't painful painful; rather a sharp, amusing painful. You didn't want to look away from the game, needing to focus on steering the stupidly difficult horse, but another sting right outside your panties jolted your muscles, yanking your eyes downward. 

Flashing a playful grin, Hizashi’s hands snuck up to remove the obstructing garment, bending and spreading your legs wide after. The nightgown’s bottom crumpled to your hips. A blotch marked your inner left thigh. His mouth reattached to it, trying to nurse it to a darker color like he often did, straining the skin a bit too thin with enthusiasm.

You whined his name. He didn’t listen, slicking two fingers inside, instantly curling up to spoil you. As their pace and pressure increased, you gave up on the next quest and fumbled to save the game through increasingly trembling thighs and hastening pleasure. Lips fastened to your clit, granting it his indulgence, with his soft sucking offsetting his finger’s avid tempo.

But he pulled away.

“Hizashi.”

“What?” He blinked up at you, smirking too much for your current state. He obviously had your attention and was just teasing for teasing's sake.

When he didn't move, you moaned, half-heartedly humping the air. "Hizashi, c'mon." 

He shrugged. No words. Giving in to what he wanted, you discarded the gamepad — the new quest was stupid anyway — and reached for the back of his head, drawing him close. 

To your mercy, he didn't toy with you, resuming with deep, luring licking. Once locked, you couldn't look away from his bright eyes, so beautifully nestled against you. One hand snaked under your nightgown to palm your breast, making sure to pinch your nipple plenty. The other grabbed your ass, kneading and spreading it in time with his tongue's movement. 

"God, I-" A moan cut off your intended praising of his mouth, so you stuck to sighing and gasping. Your hips fell into a pleasing rhythm with his lips. Long fingers stopped their kneading to slide inside, relapsing into their curling pressure. Feeling the tension flaring, you breathed, "Deeper." 

And he knew right where you wanted him to fondle; rubbing against your front wall as his mouth coddled your swelling clit until all the pull and pressure released. Your chest pushed up as muscles tightened and contracted. 

Amid the calming high and not letting you relax in the afterglow, Hizashi stood, pressing his clothed yet growing erection against you. Wetness brushed onto his sweatpants but was just pushed back into you with his excited grinding.  

His forehead nudged yours. His heavy groan and grinding heightened your already high reactivity. You whispered his name just before your lips met, surprising you with how dry your mouth was from all the gasping. 

He pulled away just so, holding your arms against the couch and keeping your eyes on his. The gruffness of his voice made you shiver, but it was nothing compared to what he said: “I want to cum in you.”

Words stuck in your throat, leaving you awkwardly humping and sighing, unable to swallow, in time with the rock of his hips. Kisses trailed to your neck, giving it the same love and attention he gave to your thighs. 

He knew it was something you've never had after embarrassingly admitting it. It didn't matter to him, and he never pushed you into doing anything uncomfortable or beyond your limits. But fuck. You'd be lying if you said you didn't think about it more routinely the farther your relationship made it; how it'd feel inside, how it'd trickle out, or how it'd stay deep inside for some time, how closer, more intimate, more bonded you'd feel once you've experienced it for the first time, especially with him.

"Would you let me? I wanna watch it drip out of your pussy." He kissed you. Teeth clinked. Tongues messily played against the other. The grinding hurried as his erection fought against the tight underwear. “Fuck. I wanna fuck you.” Lips weighed into yours again, his nose flattening to your cheek as he hastily mumbled, "I just wanna fuck you raw. Let me be the first to cum in you, baby. You deserve it."

"I-" You laughed at the nipping teeth. "Bedroom."

Hizashi yanked you to your feet with a giant smile. The crotch of his sweatpants had a wet mark from your arousal. He didn’t give you much time to react, choosing to shove his lips and chest against you, guiding you backward. Hands grappled at your nightgown, removing and casting it away in the bedroom's doorway. 

And he wasted no time with his clothing: he stripped off his sweatpants and underwear before plopping on the edge of the bed, thighs agape, stiff cock jouncing between them.

Impatience and enthusiasm dropped you to your knees before he was fully situated, swiftly taking him into your mouth. Your tongue brushed along his two frenum piercings. Their smoothness cooled your taste buds, urging you to suck sharper. 

A groan came as fingers tucked into your hair to press your head down. "Take me more."

You did, drool leaking from your lower lips. Thighs opened wider as you did, and you settled close. Your tongue swirled around him each sink, trying to keep the wetness in your mouth and put plenty of pressure on his underside with each slow pull out.

"Just a little more."

You did, again, hitting the back of your mouth. You pushed away the slight gag to keep going down. And his handsome moans spurred you further. You cupped his balls as you reached your limit and bobbed, only moving a little each way, loving how tight he tensed in your hand and mouth. 

His other hand held your neck to keep you down. He let out a lengthy moan as you strained for breath; the longer you choked on him, the lower his groans dropped. 

You tapped his leg and when we released you, you did the same to his cock, trying to drink all the saliva as you did. You pumped him a little, watching his foreskin roll on and off his glans, before kissing his shaft, wondering how the semen you've tasted so many times would actually feel. You've read things, watched things, heard others talk about it, and they were never really the same. Would it be warm? Could you physically feel the wetness? Or the actual spurt? Or was it mostly an emotional reaction? Maybe it wouldn't be any different.

"Come here." Hizashi helped you up and to sit on his lap. Your mouth became preoccupied with his again. You both clumsily moved up to the pillows, too horny to stop kissing. Palms cupped your ass. Fingers dug into your skin. Just as the tip of his penis skimmed along you, a thought of a condom briefly flashed before remembering why you were here again, and you sunk onto his cock. 

You swore at the same time. Your torso sloped forward, hands steadying yourself on his pecs, to savor how he shaped to your front wall. Each jerk of your hips tempted his to hump back, your bodies eagerly finding a rhythm together. He kissed and flattered you, especially your breasts, making sure to bite them a few times as well. 

But Hizashi didn't let you stay on top for long. He flipped you onto your back and, before you could move much, grabbed your legs and pushed them together, laying your calves against his chest. His heft weighed your shoulders into the bed. Your lower back lifted, letting him sink further. You clawed the thighs smacking into yours at an increasing pace. 

"God, Hizashi," you moaned between thrusts. "A little deeper."

He straightened, keeping your thighs on his chest. A snap forward, still lovingly brushing your front wall, curved your spine off the bed to seek the deeper angle. Hands clamped your hips, holding them in the elevated position. Each thrust coiled your back higher till the tilt was fucking perfect, fostering dripping arousal and dry-throated moans mixing into gasping praises.

“Just- Fuck- There,” you pleaded, clenching his forearms. The lean muscles tensed in time with his thrusts as they held you up. Sweat slicked under your palms. Ardor and pleasure fluttered in your chest, nestling deep in your stomach, waiting for the smallest change to send it over. 

Before you could reach down, Hizashi beat you to it, just not in the way you had been planning. His hands still gripped your hips, kneading and pulling, except one moved towards the other, gently yet firmly sliding a finger along your ass. With the trickled-down arousal, it just barely slicked in. The mixing thrill and pang lurched your hips. You grappled at the sheets as your muscles strained. 

Your rigid body bounced with his hastening one, hips and back aching at the workout. Nails pricked your thighs tightly, telling you he was at his end. Your pleasure went out the door as he bottomed out, and you watched his perfect mouth — his wet, florid, swollen mouth — hang open, low mumbles weaving into throaty groans. It latched onto your calf to silence the growing noises. 

You weren't sure if you felt it at first, too preoccupied with staring at his allure. But then the warmth slowly trickled in before quickly heating your lower stomach. It didn't feel wet, just really, really, remarkably warm. Your emotional excitement probably added to the growing, flushing fever, loving the different, carnal connectedness it gifted you with. 

You tried to wrap your legs around him, wanting to lock him close. When he didn't move, your hips wiggled closer, and he gave in, releasing your legs to lay chest to chest with you. Arms laid close to your temples. Balls flattened to your ass even as the erection gradually softened. Butterflies flittered in your stomach, just like the first few times you had together. Lips on your neck roused his name from your mouth. His lips were so light, eyes too green, too beautiful for anyone's health, cock lean but long, satisfying all the desires he promised to. 

He rasped right into your ear. "How does it feel?" 

You whined his name, turning into his arm, too embarrassed to look at him. But your hips and waist still rolled for the needed friction.

"Come on, how does it feel? How does it make your pussy feel?"

"Warm." 

"Just warm? Nothing else?" Flirty fingers drifted down your tummy. They snuck between your clammy bodies, rubbing and writhing together, to circle your swollen clit. You grit your teeth. Your neck rolled back, inviting teeth to continue playing with the thin skin. "C'mon, baby girl."

"Full," you half moaned at the pleasure, half fussed at the teasing. "God, just keep-" 

"I love you," he droned and rocked ever so slightly. You clawed at his back, maybe a little too much given his hiss, but you couldn't stop with the breadth and depth inside. "I love you so much."

Under his care and words, the pressure released so pleasantly, tenderly, thoroughly. The humidity swelled oddly into your chest and neck as you clinched around him. You moaned into salted skin, lips and tongue lazily sweeping along him, riding out the ebbing tension and flowing relief.

In the wake of your body settling and the heat abating, you realized you couldn't feel much. It was definitely slicker, sorta sticky. When he moved and some seeped out, wetness dribbled over your bottom and onto the sheets. It didn't really matter whether it was more physical or emotional, though. It was just satisfying and rewarding to feel it with him. 

You eventually repeated the sentiment back: "I love you, too."

[call-me-copycat]

I'm so mad! I saved the ask sent to me, but it disappeared when I went to check on it! I do hope they know that I finished it, but now I'll make sure to screenshot every ask when I get them so this doesn't happen again!

Hello and thank you for your request! Please don't ever worry about being too much, I love writing complex stories, they're my favorite!

I'm very sorry this is so late, I've been rather busy for awhile, but lately I've been cranking out as much writing as I can! I sat down and wrote for 4 straight hours, so I'm sorry if it feels a little rushed!

Also, I don't know if it's okay with you or not, but I made it a little horror themed, it's not the main theme, but it's still there in case you didn't want that (๑////๑)

Please feel free to pop by and request whenever you'd like! It makes my day! (ृ´͈ ᵕ `͈ ृ )

♡ ••┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈•• ♡°°°♡ ••┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈•• ♡

Declaration of Distortion

Welcome! - Introduction and request rules (if you want me to write for you, or if you want to know who I am)

▶ Characters: Mentor Aizawa & Gender-Neutral Reader (platonic) + Shinso & GN Reader (platonic)

▶Genre: A little bit of horror+ some fluff sprinkled around

▶ Summary: A courageous reader with striking white wings and a powerful quirk falls victim to a malicious mushroom spore quirk. Along with many others, they are ruthlessly mind controlled and forced to battle numerous heroes, and their own mentor Aizawa, a formidable hero in his own right.

▶ Warnings:

- Some body horror if you think about it

- Unconsented Mind Control (Not Shinso)

- Decay/Rotting flesh (for a moment at the end)

- Blood/Wounds (Not too graphic)

- Paranoia/Mental Instability

- Infection due to process of a quirk

- Per the request, the reader has wings

- While there is no romance, there is still platonic love

▶ Word Count: 15,420

(The Mother of all my stories. My phone/Tumblr crashed a total of 13 times while trying to post this. In case you didn't know I only have a budget phone that works similar to a brick)

"Ready... Start!"

Upon hearing Eraserhead's signal, both you and Shinso lunged forward at the same time, fully content with the goal to bring the other down.

It was a muggy day, the clouds always filling the sky and casting their shadows over the little seaside town. Wet droplets of the previous night's rain still clung to the blades of grass that you all were training on.

Aizawa had recently taken you under his wing alongside Shinso, and had been training the both of you excessively for the past few weeks in order to prepare the two of you to join alongside him during patrol. He was being extra cautious, as he knew that underground hero work was much more hazardous and unpredictable compared to regular hero work, and he wasn't going to lose either of his students.

Worried for the both of your guy's safety, Aizawa wanted to implement extra training and taught you many techniques in case things were to ever go south, too filled with paranoia to recognize the signs of exhaustion the two of you were dealing with due to the extra work.

Watching the both of you train with stern eyes, Aizawa was beginning to notice large improvements, not just in one but in the both of you. Shinso no longer went straight ahead when fighting or throwing a punch, and you no longer tripped over your wings nearly as much as when you first began.

The wings were your entire quirk, and oddly enough you didn't really use them to fly (no matter how much you trained, you struggled to stay aloft), but they were rather a mix of offense and defense. Large and white, they had the ability to solidify into metal, creating a sort of shield to protect you and others if needed, and- in a similar manner to Hawk's quirk- the individual feathers had the ability to shoot off as projectiles. Although they weren't nearly as sharp at his, they still gave a nasty sting as they flew with the speed and force similar to that of a bullet.

Currently, Aizawa was having you both train on hand to hand combat without the use of quirks (although you didn't believe it was all that fair at Shinso was allowed to use his metal staff). The reason being Aizawa wanted to check up on the progress the two of you were making, wanting to determine the place you were at so he could adjust future training lessons accordingly.

As soon as Aizawa gave his order, Shinso lunged and swung his staff at you immediately, trying to catch you off guard. It was in vain however as you tilted your head to the side which made him miss, combined with the fact that you had to swerve your body to the side as well to dodge his additional kicks.

Frustrated, he swung his leg up at your head, and in an act of panic you grabbed onto his ankle to keep it from making contact. This in turn caused you to fall to the ground on your stomach as he lowered his foot, and you nearly got jabbed with his staff as he stabbed it down at you like he did earlier.

You went to attempt to stand up again, as it was commonly known that whoever was on the ground was most vulnerable. Shinso knew this as well, and fought to keep you down by putting his staff under your leg and flipping you over and onto your back so he could gain the upper hand, since if you were on your stomach then your wings would protect you and only serve to get in the way. Irritated, you tried jumping up onto your legs, only for your jump to be interrupted by him swinging his staff at your head, which kept your upper torso on the ground as you needed to dodge, while your legs were bent in a sort of crab-walk pose.

*Kind of like this (this is what I went off of)

Contorting your body so the staff wouldn't make contact (you knew from personal experiences that it hurt severely), you moved to the side as he lunged at you again with the staff, and this time you grabbed it to keep him from moving it. When he went to pull it out of your grasp, you clung on and used it to your avantage to get up from the ground again, the extra weight on the end of the staff causing Shinso to lose his grip. Throwing away the staff so Shinso couldn't get it, you looked directly at him (trying not to laugh at his exasperated expression), and the two of you went to lunge at each other again, but right before the either of you could get a hit in you both instantly halted as Aizawa blew his whistle, indicating he had seen enough and that the exercise was over.

You had both succeeded Aizawa's expectations, and so he decided that you two were ready to accompany him on his patrol. Although paranoia still clung to his thoughts, Aizawa knew that you were well trained enough to protect yourselves in case of an accident. He had seen the effort that you two put in when it came to surpassing his training checkpoints he made when it came to teaching the both of you, and he certainly wasn't going to turn a blind eye to the sheer exhaustion that you suffered since you were pushing yourselves.

On the walk back to the dorms, Aizawa began to explain what things you and Shinso should expect when it came time for the mission. As he listed off the numerous precautions and emergency procedures, you couldn't help but get lost inside your own mind, the beauty of the post-storm environment radiating a calm tone.

The sun was beginning to set as it was late in the evening, you all had been training together as soon as school was let out, and in a way you were grateful that the weekend was tomorrow (although you knew chances were you might end up training even more).

The golden rays of the lowering sun were making their way through the numerous plants and buildings that filled the UA campus, everything glittering with a lovely shine from surfaces that were still wet with drops that were caused from the recent storms that had been going on lately. Birds made their way overhead every now and then, and the air was quiet and calm, the only sounds filling the air being Eraserhead's monotonous voice and the light steps the each of you took.

You were currently balancing on the slightly higher edge of the sidewalk, hanging your arms out to the side in the shape of a "T" to help you balance further as you walked and listened intently to Aizawa speak. Shinso was walking beside you, grumbling to himself everytime your wings got in his face (you knew he didn't mean any harm- besides, you liked messing with the guy).

As Aizawa continued the mundane speech about hero safety and villain techniques to look out for, something he said caught your attention.

"- of course, a student isn't expected to completely fix the situation themselves, but it is worth noting that all student interns are given high expectations. Now that that's out of the way, let me explain the mission that we're going to be looking for."

Aizawa turned to look behind him at the two of you, face hardened and serious. The once light-hearted mood plummeted and took a more solemn face instead, and you hopped down from where you were standing, going beside Shinso.

"This case is more of a serious one compared to what the others are working on. Lately, I'm sure you've heard from the news about the numerous missing people, yes?"

Upon reviving two silent nods, Aizawa continued, arms crossed and fatigue pressuring him persistently.

"Now, we don't know anything about what these missing people have in common, only that they were by themselves and didn't arrive back where they were heading. Another thing they all had in common was the fact that they disappeared away from any witnesses and cameras, meaning that whoever is behind this knows what they're doing and is actively planning it out."

Shinso raised his hand, speaking right after Aizawa paused.

"When I saw that case on the news, didn't they say that all the victims had some kind of strong quirk? Maybe-"

Aizawa cut him off, shaking his head.

"Sorry, but that's just a rumor. Looking over each of their files showed that most had weak quirks, with only a small handful having semi-useful quirks. Some were even quirkless, so that crosses out that idea."

When you thought back on it, you realized that you had indeed saw a news report on this particular case, but it was so vaguely described that you didn't really see any difference in it from the other numerous cases that had happened in the past. Nothing really stood out to you, and you were surprised that Shinso had even paid attention enough to remember it.

"We thought it was a lost cause, with cases popping up randomly without pattern and without a targeted victim, it was nearly impossible to try and get close to solving it. But recently, a woman that had fallen victim to this mystery fortunately had a tracker implanted behind her ear since she was prone to wandering off because of her unstable mental state." Aizawa paused, letting you both take in the info since he was worried he was coming off too fast.

"So that means... We can track down the woman.." you began.

"And possibly find out where the others might be as well." Shinso finished for you.

"Bingo. Tomorrow, get plenty of rest during the day because we'll be starting as soon as the sun sets, and my work schedule is often unpredictable and can leave us working throughout the night and until the sun rises again. I'll explain what we'll be doing beforehand, and feel free to ask any questions if you have them. Better safe than sorry."

When you made you way back to the dorms, it finally hit you. You were finally going on your first mission tomorrow! Too filled with nerves and excitement, dinner was one of the last things crossing your mind as you went up to your room instead, politely greeting your classmates beforehand.

You stayed up most of the night contemplating on what might happen, and what things you might run into. Sleep was non-existent, and you wanted to make sure that you were mentally prepared and to especially make sure you wouldn't slow everyone down. Shinso and Aizawa were rather talented at keeping themselves hidden in the shadows, but you struggled to keep of up with their abilities at times, your wings that normally held you up high being the thing that slowed you down and limited your abilities.

With newfound determination, you took to the internet to look up how others in the world delt with their wings, as it was pretty common to run into someone with some type of them, always a little different from each other. You found a few online blogs that helped you understand the limits and anatomy of wings, but none that specifically stated how to sneak around with them. Regardless, you still were going to help in any way you could, and so all night you stayed up preparing.

It wasn't until an alarm went off on your phone that you realized it was morning, and when you went to open your curtains a bright stream of sunlight hit you directly in the eyes, cementing your realization. Since you spent all night awake, your body and mind were both exhausted from the intense training and lack of rest. After eating a quick meal and greeting your classmates once more, you finally succumbed to sleep, allowing yourself to fly away in the dark depths of your mind.

"Bzzt..."

"Bzzt..."

"Bzzt..."

Grumbling, you opened your eyes to be greeted with nothing but pitch black darkness. For a quick second, you almost went back to sleep as you thought you set your alarm incorrectly, only to immediately jump up at the realization.

A quick knock on your door further helped you remember what was planned, and Shinso's voice spoke up right after.

"Turn off your damn alarm, it's been going off for ages. Also Sensei said he wants you to get ready 'cause we're leaving in an hour."

And with that you concluded that he must have left, before scrambling for your phone to turn off the repeating tune coming out of it.

After getting into your hero outfit and grabbing your duffle bag full of supplies, you left your room and went down to the common room in search of Shinso. Once you made your way down there, you instantly saw Shinso and Aizawa both already there, Aizawa sitting on the couch and Shinso standing in front of him, both holding a conversation that came to a slow when you came into the picture.

Embarrassment rushed through you as you began to think that you were the last one finished and that they were both waiting on you this whole time.

"Sorry if I'm late, I didn't know we were supposed to get up earlier. It won't happen again."

Aizawa cocked an eyebrow, "You're not late? You and Shinso are both on time. That gives us enough time to prepare and possibly get some breakfast in the both of you since you're still children who don't just run on a stale cup of coffee like me."

Ah, that made a little more sense, Shinso must've just finished up a bit earlier than you did. You blamed your awkward conversation on your nerves, not knowing how to get them to calm down.

"I know a good shop around here that's still open, it's run by an old friend of mine, so he'd know why we're there since I've been going there before going on patrol or on a mission since I first started."

You and Shinso nodded again, and as you all walked out of the dorms Aizawa began to catch on to your nervousness. Leaning over so he could get closer to you, you noticed this and listened.

"You know, Shinso's just as nervous as you are. He just doesn't show it since he's worried about coming off as weak." Aizawa whispered to you in an attempt to reassure you. Your eyes widened at this and looked at Shinso who was walking ahead of you two, completely oblivious to the conversation.

"Don't worry about a thing, kid. I've seen you train, you'll be okay", Aizawa reassured, patting a firm hand on your shoulder before walking off to lead you all.

This news helped you understand that you weren't the odd one out, and your nervous thoughts calmed down a little upon realizing this.

After waking for a bit, you and Shinso were brought to a little food stand, being run by only a single elderly man. Upon noticing Aizawa and the two of you behind him, you noticed his face light up.

"Shota! How are you, my old friend?", Turning to look behind Aizawa, the man took a glance at you and Shinso standing behind him. "And who are these little ones that follow you like a duckling would to their mother?"

He had a warm, friendly smile, and didn't seem the slightest bit tired when compared to the dark night sky. Though he spoke with a bit of an accent, you found that he was still easy to understand.

"They're students of mine. We're going on a mission soon and they needed something to eat."

Once again, slight embarrassment caused you to warm as it sounded like Aizawa was referring to little children when speaking about the two of you even though he's seen the work you put in to train. Turning to Shinso, you noticed that he was unbothered, simply scanning the little sign that advertised all the foods that the man made with a look of disinterest.

"Oh, yes! Young ones need to eat, it's very important! I'll make something for them, know anything you'd like?"

"I'm good."

And with that, you followed Shinso and sat down next to him on a bench that was placed behind the food stand.

After getting some warm soup to fill your stomaches, Aizawa led you to his office at a special institute for underground heroes, seeing as he never bothered in getting an agency of his own even though he's been offered many times in the past.

Once you both arrived, Aizawa went over the plan with you and Shinso, trying to get you both as used to how things ran over there as a real underground hero as possible.

After about 20 minutes of going over the plan, the hour of prep time you had initially started with was almost up, and things had to be started soon.

The plan was set. Since missions normally don't get solved in a day (especially mystery ones such as the one you were assigned), the first day would typically be a simple search for any clues and witnesses, just gathering as much information on the topic as you can. The 2-5 days after will typically be when things start getting put together, and any days after that would be when direct action will take place.

This was a rough template to go off of as every mission is different than the other, but Aizawa needed to give you guys something to go off of for reference.

Aizawa had pinpointed the target's location of the lady that had the tracker implant, and found that she was in a cave of some sort, possibly since it would be a smart hiding place seeing as that cave in particular was deep and had been infamous in the past for getting people sick due to the mold and mushroom spores that filled it.

With this newfound information, you three geared up and trecked to the forest, minds sharp and clear, ready for anything that was thrown at you.

It was quite a walk there, and by the time you reached the forest your legs were starting to feel a bit sore, but nevertheless you continued on, pushing past overgrowth that tickled and scratched at your legs.

Aizawa was walking in front of you with the tracker in his hand and was focusing intently on it while his other hand pushed the meddlesome plants to the side as he walked. Shinso walked to the side of him, trying to do what he can and show off any skills of his, although all that the two of you could do at the moment was simply walk and follow.

Watching Aizawa for any signs of being near the location, you both came to a stop when he did, looking around for any signs of a cave. Despite looking around, all you saw was lots of plants and other undergrowth, and not the slightest sight of any cave nearby.

You saw Aizawa do the same thing, look around and shake his head in confusion. He turned around and walked back to see if he missed anything, you and Shinso following obediently. Aizawa shook his head again, muttering to himself as he turned around as walked back again, this time Shinso spoke up.

"What's the matter?"

Aizawa stopped and sighed, turning the tracker towards the two of you. Looking at the blinking dot and the one that indicated you three, it seemed as though you had already reached the cave. Looking up, you still didn't see any signs of a cave nearby, and now worry was starting to eat away at you.

Aizawa grumbled, "I don't know if it's bugged or if someone purposely messed with it. If we don't find anything then we'll have to go back."

Your stomach dropped when he said that. You had been looking forward for this mission for the longest time, and now there was a possibility for it to end before it even started?

Seeing the other two begin to make their way back, you panicked and tried catching up to them. However, your wings weren't fit for the forest as it was dense with growth from the recent storms that had been happening lately.

Your wing got caught up on a vine, and the thorns caught onto it further as you tried pulling it away. Tugging with all your might, you ripped your wing free, only to fall flat on your face, sliding a bit from the tugging.

Aizawa and Shinso heard the commotion and turned to see you fall, rushing to go help. Trying to stand up and not get any further entangled, you stepped back from a cluster of sticky plants, only to feel a dip behind you, sending you falling backwards as you were on the top of a slope.

A little like that ⁠(⁠･⁠◡⁠･⁠)⁠/

You heard Aizawa and Shinso shout your name, sliding down skillfully after you so they can help. You slid on your back, hardening your wings so they'd protect you as you continued down the slope. The ground was still damp, and the wet soil and plants made a perfect mixture for sliding a long ways down without stopping.

You finally slid all the way down into a sort of ditch that had stagnant water sitting on the bottom, but luckily for you the numerous plants that swallowed the bottom of it protected you from the water and provided a soft cushion for you to fall onto.

Landing upside down, you struggled to get back up onto your feet as your hardened wings stuck into the wall of the trench. Tugging them out, you finally managed to sit up into a crouch. You heard Aizawa and Shinso calling out to you, and just as you were about to call after them, something in the trench caught your eye.

There was an oddly shaped cluster of plants on the wall of dirt, and nowhere else. You would've brushed this away normally, but maybe since the adrenaline was still coursing through you it made you extra alert.

Standing up and patting the dirt and crushed plants off of you, the reached over and hesitantly pulled at the plants, only to see that they were purposely tied and braided together to create a net or mesh to cover something when you took a closer look.

Now confident that something was up, you pulled off the net cover, and found the entrance to a large opening in the wall. You had found the cave.

Looking behind you, you shouted to the other two, "Guys! I found it!". You wanted to run towards them, but stayed since you didn't want to lose track of the cave.

Aizawa was the first to shout, "Found what?!"

Behind him, Shinso was panting as he slid down the rest of the slope next to Aizawa, careful to not accidentally fall into the ditch like you.

They made their way to where you were, and Aizawa skidded into the ditch where you were without hesitation, immediately going over to you and checking you over for injury. Shinso slid in a little more hesitantly after Aizawa, and went over to you to flick you on the forehead.

"Idiot. Only you can slide down a hill and into a wet ditch."

You rubbed your forehead, then remembered and gestured to the opening you found.

"Look! "

"What is it?" Shinso asked jeeringly.

You huffed a bit, not in the mood to deal with his teasing.

"It's the cave! I found it, so we don't have to go back!"

Aizawa silently approached the entrance, and looked down at the tracker to see that the dots perfectly aligned this time. He rubbed the back of his neck, still a little apprehensive due to the glitch out that happened earlier.

"I don't know... How would we know that this is the right cave? We don't have any proof..."

You picked up the tied plant mesh and gestured for Aizawa to take it from you.

"I found this covering the front so it would be better hidden.."

Aizawa looked closer at the plants, and found truth in your words. He handed it to Shinso so he could learn from it, to which he just muttered "Huh, you did find it".

Aizawa grabbed the small bag he had brought along with him, and pulled out three different sized respiratory masks that had facial guards, as well as three headlights that went on the top of the masks.

You each took a mask and put it on, along with attaching the flashlight to your heads and walkie talkies to your waists. Gloves were also given to protect your hands anything dangerous in the cave, and so if the police needed evidence then your DNA wouldn't be on the scene.

Taking a deep breath to calm your nerves, you looked at the entrance of the cave, dark and menacing, as though it was an open mouth waiting to swallow you down it's throat.

Aizawa patted your shoulder, and when he saw that it didn't calm you down very much he did something he normally wouldn't do; he held out his hand and let you hold it for comfort. He didn't want to baby the either of you, but something about the look of fear and panic across your face made him feel a little bad and made him worry that he was starting you both off a little fast.

With Shinso on one side and you on the other, the three of you turned on your lights and began to descend into the open cave.

As you delved deeper into the cave, you noticed your worry went away bit by bit as you began to see how pretty the cave looked on the inside. Glowing bugs sat across the roof of the cave and shimmered as each bug would flicker their light, and you took notice of the numerous glowing mushrooms that lit up the cave in a hazy purple glow.

You tried letting go of Aizawa's hand as you felt a little more confident, only to immediately grab it back as you worried you had lost them for a second. He squeezed your hand in response to let you know you were okay, and you tried your best to be as useful as you could, just like you wanted to earlier yesterday.

You all eventually walked into a rather open area of the cave, filled with the glowing purple mushrooms that made it nearly useless to have your flashlights. With the light helping him see everyone, Aizawa let you and Shinso walk around to look for any clues you could find. Unbeknownst to the two of you, he was on high alert as he sensed something felt extremely off. He couldn't scrape away the feeling from his mind that something wasn't right, and so he wanted to make sure you were safe.

You walked around, marvelling at the little puddles of water and stalactites, making sure not to touch anything that wasn't a clue. You walked around and looked behind the edge of another opening in the open area, trying not to walk too far off so Aizawa could still see you.

You looked around and shined your flashlight wherever you could, and upon seeing a ripped green sweater your blood ran cold. Shaking, you ran the flashlight up the sweater and saw other pieces of ripped clothing and small drops of glowing purple liquid surrounding the whole thing.

You felt nothing but fear as you stood there, chilled to the bone as the thought of an actual threat made its presence. With trembling arms and frozen blood, you still moved the light further over the scene, and what you saw made your breath hitch and every thought in your mind stilled. For a split second, time was non-existent, frozen just like the blood that ran through your veins. You felt weak, like a small child. You forgot everything. Where you were. Your quirk. Your training.

Everything was forgotten in the frozen second as true fear hit you for the first time. Because what you saw was the woman, unconscious and bruised, but alive. And next to her, a man with glowing purple mushrooms clinging to his skull, eyes devoid of emotion and pupils, instead the only thing in his eyes was a bright glowing purple that seemed like nothing but two empty holes that sat on his face. His clothes were tattered, much more than the lady's, and he stood with a crouch, like a beast of sorts. His mouth was agape, constantly in motion of slight opening and closing, as if an internal hunger always gnawed at his mind, even when he was resting.

And when you made eye contact with him (it?), that seemingly empty head of his bursted with action as he lunged at you with a likeness of that of a loaded spring, as if he was waiting for his next victim to come across his territory. He had moved faster than your mind could comprehend, and still it didn't help that your legs were frozen and your mind was full of fog.

It was only when his chilled fingers scraped against your mask that you began to move. You threw yourself back and tried to scream for help, only for the man to grab your throat and throw your head against the wall, letting go only to let you slide down as warm pulsing pain shot throughout your head.

You clutched your head in pain, and the man lunged for you again, grabbing your ankle and sliding you towards him, hungry mouth still moving and empty purple eyes looking for another pair to join his. Fear moved you this time, and although you were too panicked to think properly, you still had the energy to try to move yourself back and away from the thing antagonizing you.

Everytime you tried to get up he would just try to grab your mask, so you stayed on the ground and tried scooting back to where Aizawa and Shinso were. You couldn't use your wings on the ground, as that was one major downsides of your quirk.

Deciding that you needed to get out of there, you tried to throw yourself up and run out, but as you attempted to jump up the man threw his weight at you, slamming you down again, this time coming at you with a large rock in his hands.

Seeing his empty eyes and dead emotions, you looked up in pure terror as tears ran down your face, the thought of death consuming you. He slammed down the rock on your mask, cracking and breaking it, and you snapped. If you were going to die, then you'd take the risk. You screamed out as loud as you could, screaming with your throat until it was raw and sore, begging for help with all you had in your lungs.

Aizawa and Shinso weren't too far away, and so when they heard you scream they immediately thought of nothing else but getting to where you were. Every part in their bodies was on high alert, and Aizawa noticed you weren't in the same open area anymore, cursing himself out for not paying better attention to you. Every thought coursing through his mind was only you, you, you.

He thought back to earlier, about the scared student who had to hold his hand in order to make it into the cave, about the student he had been training and worrying about for so long.. Now, all his fears and worries were coming to life, much to his horror.

Aizawa heard you scream again and followed where it was coming from, giving a quick signal to Shinso to follow. He ran behind one of the turns and came across a sight that would most likely burn into his head for a long time.

He saw a man crushing a large rock into your mask, and knew that once the mask was gone then that would be your skull. Rage filled his mind, and he saw nothing but red as he lunged his scarf at the man with more violence than needed.

Aizawa completely wrapped the man in his scarf and swung him into the cave walls with crushing force, before tugging the man towards him and landing a solid punch directly to his face then harshly kneeing him in the gut. The man was beyond unconscious after this, and the largest glowing mushrooms atop his head had fallen off in combat while the smaller ones were still clinging to him. His nose was definitely broken, and Aizawa was sure he might've accidentally broken his ankle when swinging him, but he didn't care as he believed it was well deserved.

Wasting no time, Shinso ran over to you after the man was taken down, and Aizawa joined him. Aizawa pulled out his first-aid kit, wiping down and bandaging a deep gash across your arm, and pulled out a smaller temporary respiratory mask, replacing the mangled one immediately.

You were conscious at least, but you were still stuck in a state of shock, not comprehending what was happening. Shinso laid your head in his lap as Aizawa cleaned a cut on your head, wiping some tears as the medicine stung.

"You did good, kid. You did so very good. Let's get you out of here, okay? "

Aizawa looked to you for a response, worry filling his mind as he mentally beat himself for taking his eyes off of you. It wouldn't happen again, ever.

"C'mon kid... I need a response.. something, even a nod.."

You were still trembling in Shinso's arms, but this time you attempted a nod, immediately regretting it as a burning pain shot through your head. Still, Aizawa got it and took it as a signal to get you two out of there. He wrapped the man up with extra rope that he had on hand so he could have his scarf back, and checked the lady for a pulse, relieved upon finding a steady one and minimal bruises.

He marked the coordinates of where the two were, and called the police so they can handle the rest. For now, Aizawa was only concerned about you, and carried you out with Shinso walking by his side.

The police quickly made their way to the coordinates given to them, and as Aizawa tended to you on the slope above the cave, Shinso let him know that he saw police officers arriving. They apprehended the man, and decided to send him to the hospital for treatment for his broken nose and ankle. As they were dragging him out of the cave, you noticed that his eyes weren't purple anymore, probably since he had a quirk cancelling bracelet on.

He was awake again, and this time he yelled in anger and desperation that he didn't do anything as the police tied him up for the hospital. It disgusted Aizawa, to have seen him try to murder his timid student right in front of him and then try to claim innocent.

Yes, Aizawa was used to villains and criminals doing this all the time, trying to say they didn't do something they very clearly did before, but this time was different since it was a direct attack on someone he cared about.

As you watched the man get taken away, you couldn't help but notice how heavy your eyelids seemed, as though they were weighted drapes trying to close. This was accompanied by a warm and painful throbbing that seemed to push against your skull, the adrenaline wearing off and letting all the pain you endured loose.

Eventually your world went dark, although you couldn't tell exactly when it did, as it just happened at some point in time. While asleep, you felt warm and fuzzy, as though the darkness surrounding you was a hug that enveloped you entirely in its kindness.

Simply drifting through the darkness, you let it's familiarity carry you wherever it wished without care. The edges of your sleep began to fade, and as your slumber began to deteriorate you heard an unknown voice ring out from the vast darkness.

"Please... p-please.. I w-want to go home..."

It was an unfamiliar voice, one that sounded timid and scared, and upon hearing you wanted nothing more than to help whoever was attached to it.

As you turned and tried to reach out your hand to help, the final borders of your sleep wore off and you woke up.

Blinking open your eyes, the first thing you noticed was the light. When you passed out it was still pitch black. The light was muted and soft on the eyes, coming from a single window to your left that was covered with curtains.

I hope that helps, I'll be using this setup a lot for future stories! (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

Your brain was still rather foggy from waking up, and your whole body ached from overwork and the attack.

Right... The attack...

You started remembering things little by little, struggling a bit extra for some reason as your mind was refusing to cooperate with you. Blinking a bit more, you looked around to distract yourself from the pain, nearly jumping out of bed upon seeing Aizawa's sleeping form sitting in an uncomfortable-looking chair that was placed right next to your bed.

Seeing all the machines in between you two and the white walls, you decided that you must be in a hospital or at least something similar. Looking down, you realized that you were in a hospital, as instead of seeing your hero outfit you saw it was replaced by mint green hospital gown.

Now that you knew you were in a hospital, you started to wonder why you were there. Was it the hit to the head you took? The gash on your arm? You hadn't the slightest clue.

"Oh, you're awake now?" Startled, you turned around upon hearing Aizawa's classic fatigued voice, and saw that he was awake- albeit looking a little tired (since when had Aizawa ever looked completely awake?).

"How're you feeling, kid? That was a nasty hit you took.." Aizawa gestured towards your head with his eyes, and you felt around your head in confusion, wincing when your hand came in contact with the bandages that were wrapped around your still sore wound.

"Maybe.. don't touch it.", Aizawa offered, gently grabbing your hand to lead it away from your wound. "It's still healing, but Recovery Girl can come over and speed it up for you."

Feeling a little nauseous and sore, you still asked "how long have I been asleep?"

"You passed out in my arms last night. You were brought over to this hospital by ambulance, and I rode with you to make sure you be okay. I guess I fell asleep alongside you."

Looking at nothing in particular, you squinted your eyes at the blank white sheets in front of you, pain beginning to rush through your system just as it had done the night before.

"You need me to get a nurse?"

You simply shook your head a little, the warm throbbing degrading your thought processing from taking place, the only thought in the head being that you wanted nothing but the pain to go away.

Soon enough, a nurse came by and administered you some pain medication and the pain was quickly soothed away, finally allowing you to rest.

Sighing in content, you leaned back in your bed, body and mind still exhausted from the weeks of intense training and the attack on the mission.

A knock brought both of your attention to the door, and a nurse opened the door to allow Shinso in, shutting it once he was fully in the room.

He walked over to where you were laying, you having went back to closing your eyes after seeing who it was due to the fatigue taking control of your worn-out body. You heard him sigh and some rustling as well.

Curious, you opened your eyes the best you could to see Shinso reaching into his backpack and bringing out a plastic bag that looked like the one you'd get from a convenience store, before wearily placing it on the table next to your bed.

It seemed that Shinso was just as tired as you were, the mission having taken up most of his energy and worry taking up his night as well, making it a fight just to get to the hospital to check up on you.

"I thought I told you to stay home for the day, why're you here?" Aizawa asked Shinso, with no real bite to his tone.

"I wanted to check up on them... Also got some snacks for while they're here.." Shinso replied while motioning to you laying in your hospital bed, fatigue and exhaustion resonating through his voice. As you looked at him it seemed as though he was struggling to purely stand up, swaying lightly from side to side.

Aizawa huffed out a bit, "you're exhausted, kid. You can talk a bit but I'm sending you home right after, okay?"

Upon receiving a curt nod from Shinso, Aizawa excused himself so he could go get a coffee from the vending machine down the hall, still tired himself.

So many worries flew across his mind, what was supposed to be a simple learning mission turned into an unpredicted attack and with one of his students ending up in the hospital, even though they were under his watch.

Aizawa had checked with the police to see if they got any info out of the suspect, but they just reported he was stubborn and denied everything that was asked of him. Regardless, he was put in prison after a quick trial deemed him guilty. Although... Aizawa couldn't help but believe that the mission went a little too fast, that it was almost a little too easy (minus your condition).

Upon making his way back to your hospital room, he noticed you and Shinso both fast asleep, with you slouching down from where you previously sat, and Shinso who was seated on the only chair that Aizawa had been sitting on earlier, resting his head in your lap on his crossed arms.

Chuckling to himself, Aizawa went over to the window and peeked out over the city for a second, just for the view, before going over the small couch that sat in front of your hospital bed, folding his arms and resting similar to the two of you.

• • • • •

After that, Recovery Girl made her way to the hospital that you were situated at and used her quirk on you to speed up your healing. After another day of rest, you were finally released from the hospital at the end of the same day you were healed.

Although it was the end of the weekend and school was to start the next day, Aizawa instructed you to stay at the dorms and rest until you felt fine enough to go back to school. With all the rest and recovery you had gotten to do in the hospital, you attempted to head to class as soon as the week started. However, you were promptly stopped by Shinso, who had been sent by Aizawa to make sure you stayed and rested for at least a day, especially since it'd be beneficial for Shinso to stay for a rest day as well to get his energy back up.

"Look, I don't want to be here, either."

Shinso had told you while you crossed your arms and refused to look at him, slightly bitter that your friend would go against you. You didn't mean anything serious as it was all mainly for show, and Shinso knew this, it showed by the smirk that he had on his face.

"Then why're you here? Why bother stopping me?" You rebutted.

He just smiled further, leaning back into the common room's couch cushions as he answered.

" 'Cause... First of all; I'm tired as hell, there's no way I'd make it through a school day, even if I wanted to or not."

Looking over at you this time, he continued.

"And second; free day. Even better that it's Aizawa Sensei that gave it to us, he rarely does stuff like that. "

You grumbled, but didn't argue back as you had nothing to state. You supposed he was right, but still, you wanted to be back in class.

After waiting patiently, your perseverance was rewarded with finally being able to go back to school again, and you were a little relived that things were finally getting back to normal.

You went through your day like normal, going to classes, doing your work, eating lunch, talking with your little friend group, and so on.

Only, something felt... Off.

You couldn't put your finger on it no matter how hard you tried to trace where the source of the feeling was coming from, but you knew it was there.

It started the same day you were allowed to go back to school, now at night, as you and Tokoyami did the dishes for your classmates, Mina trying out one of her "foolproof" dishes of hers in the background. It was a calm, quiet night, one that normally was something you'd look back on to calm yourself when doing something nerve-wracking.

That's when you heard it.

"ple-please... light... I can-cant't take it anymore..any-anymore.. "

Startled, you paused your washing and looked around at your friends to see if anyone had said anything. You just saw Mina whining over her spilled food, Iida helping out Ojiro with his notes, Denki and Sero playing a racing game in the common room... Everything looked fine, but you couldn't shake off what you had heard.

"Everything alright? You look a little pale.", Your friend, Tokoyami stated, now also having paused his washing to look at you with concern. He had seen you stop washing and swivel around without warning, eyes darting around your classmates rapidly- liked a crazed animal.

"O-oh, yeah, I'm just feeling a little tired. I-I think I should head to bed soon.", you lied. You didn't know how to tell Tokoyami your concerns without sounding like a maniac.

He looked at you once again, not fully believing you, still giving you a polite nod regardless as you caught on to his disbelief.

"Well... You had better rest up then. Have a nice night.."

You gave a nod of understanding as you caught on to his doubt, and went to the elevator to go up to your room. As you watched the doors close, you suddenly felt a chill going up your spine, and tremors shook your body. You couldn't for the life of you find out what was wrong. Cold chills wracked your body, climbing from your fingers and toes up to your torso and eventually claiming the rest of your body, and nausea made itself known even though you knew you hadn't eaten anything odd.

Paranoia began to claw at your thoughts. Was it an infection from the wound on your head? Or the one on your arm? Did you overwork yourself, should you have stayed at the dorms for another rest day?

As these thoughts and worries began to distract you and cause you extra anxiety, you were caught off guard by another voice again. This time it caused you to completely black out as it spoke, and your mind seemed to fill with fog.

"I... can't... breath... I-I don't... I can't... I n-need to... to..."

To?

"My-my... daughter... please...she's sick..."

You don't have a daughter though, so who is this?

"I'm sorry I ... couldn't help... I-I'm sorry I.. l-lost..."

Who lost? What'd they lose?

"I... I-I wanna... go home..."

...

So many crying, broken voices tore their way into your mind. Drilling through the little cracks they caused, they ripped apart your very being with their sorrow, all the voices blending together to create a somber harmony of the broken that cried for their freedom, that grieved for their losses, that worried for their loved ones.

It hurt, hearing these voices cry out and plead for help, just as you had done when you got caught up in the attack. These were the kind of voices that had nothing to offer, but everything to lose. The kind to cry out when pushed into something they didn't wish to be a part of. The kind that was actively losing their energy, but still begged in hopes of getting a response.

And you wanted to be that response. But you couldn't move, your body was frozen in place as the voices begged for action, and you were chained in place of you subconscious as they each bombarded you with their melancholy and pain.

You don't know when, eventually the voices stopped when you felt a tapping sensation on your head. Finally being able to open your eyes, you were relieved to be in control of your own body again. You met eyes with a worried Shinso who was standing in front of you, and you realized that you had at one point gotten off the elevator on your floor right before zoning out. He was shaking you slightly, left hand holding your shoulder, the right gently tapping your head.

Once you moved your eyes, Shinso let out a sigh, his panic alleviated now that you were back again. You turned to him, still a little foggy about what had just happened.

"Geez!... What on Earth were you daydreaming about?! You were standing there for like a solid 10 minutes, not moving an inch." He was exhausted and exasperated, confused as to why you weren't acting yourself.

You felt frozen all around, but still worked up enough energy to force yourself to muster a simple yet stiff "sorry.."

Shinso rubbed the back of his neck, still a bit freaked out, but now feeling a little guilty over his freakout once your pathetic response hit him. "It was kinda freaky if I'm being honest .. but I'm glad your back. Just, don't pull that again, okay?"

You attempted to give a nod, but seeing how stiff and frozen you felt it was barely noticable. Shinso noticed something off with you, and his suspicion rose again at your weird behavior.

"Something wrong? You're not really acting yourself.."

For some reason, the fog in your brain clouded the thought of telling Shinso about the weird event that had just taken place, and you only recited what you had told Tokoyami earlier, before stiffly walking off to your room.

He knew something was wrong, but Shinso decided to chalk it up to just you being anxious after the attack, as HoundDog had told him that students normally act odd for awhile after their first missions and attacks, as they're still preparing themselves and aren't used to the daily amounts of stress that heroes typically go through. As much as his inner conscious screamed at him to not ignore it, Shinso didn't want to make matters worse by trying to fix something he knew almost nothing about, so he decided to let you have your own space for some time.

That night you struggled to grasp even the tiniest threads of sleep, an intense battle between mind and body. Your head grew foggier with time, and you would constantly switch between feeling cold and numb to hot and burning. Not a single scrap of peace and recollection graced you with its presence, no matter how much you fought to collect it.

You were always in a state of motion, flipping and floundering in your bed, trying to make yourself comfortable enough so you could possibly go to sleep. As more time passed your mental state began to crumble, coherent thoughts and logical beliefs disappearing as the heavy fog claimed more and more of your mind. Until eventually you were just a cold, empty-headed version of yourself, still confused and now scared for what small remains of your mentality remained.

You made a silent promise to yourself that you would definitely get Aizawa's help in the morning, as you eventually passed out from sheer exhaustion.

The morning sunlight that hit your eyes and the singing of birds that met your ears seemed a little... too calm. At least when compared to what you went through last night. Speaking of, as much as you tried to remember everything that went on last night it just wouldn't come to you. You fought and struggled, eventually going out with a sigh before you went to get ready for the day. Bits and pieces still clung to your memory, but you could only recall tiny fragments at a time. Still, you held onto those pieces with as much mental strength as you held so you could reassure yourself in the future.

Sitting in bed, you braced yourself when you slid out and stood up, only to become confused in the process when nothing came at you. No dizziness, or numbness, or heat flashes. Nothing. Well, nothing but the mind fog that still gripped your mind with an iron fist. It felt odd, because on one hand you felt great, no random back pains or headaches or morning fatigue, nothing. But that's the other hand, as you didn't feel yourself in the process. You moved simply because your muscle memory of your morning routine kept you going, and you felt as though you couldn't force a single new thought to appear in your own head.

For once, your mind was silent. Empty and vast, with little bits of your personality desperately holding on to what they can.

Of course your classmates noticed something was wrong, as you wouldn't just go silent on them so abruptly and without a meaning behind it. But, they understood your kind nature, and they understood that you most likely needed some time to yourself after the attack. Shinso could only describe the situation to the best of his ability, and even then, that was enough to invoke a sense of horror to your normally upbeat classmates.

And so that's why nobody said a thing. That's why not a word was said when you didn't fill in your notes during class, that's why nobody went to check on you when you didn't grab your lunch and instead sat at a table zoning out, and that's why nobody tried to interfere with you when you hadn't spoken a single word all day.

Except for a few, that is.

Shinso had gone up to you during lunch, and attempted to get you to eat.

Gently pushing his lunch tray so it was a little closer to you, he motioned for you to take something.

"You not hungry?.."

You sat there, eyes wide and soulless, and gave him nothing but a simple shrug before letting your shoulders sag down again. You wanted to say something, but you didn't know what. You couldn't know, it was like trying to come up with an answer in math class to a problem you couldn't solve. You hadn't even the slightest clue as to what to say, mind too heavy and foggy.

"C'mon..." He nudged you with his elbow, trying to cheer you up with a little smile of his. It quickly fell from a lack of response.

Sighing, he just scooted closer to you and ate his lunch in silence, getting increasingly worried about your abstract behavior.

After that, Present Mic tried to entertain a smile onto you after English class, telling some of his favorite jokes and stories, often laughing at himself (though it was mostly to try to help crack a smile out of you).

He just smiled a with a saddened expression in his eyes and patted you on the shoulder as you walked off to your next class, his smile dropping and turning to a gloomy sigh when you were out of view. Truly, he was worried when any of his students were down in the dumps or just plain sad, and it was a natural instinct of his for him to try to get them to cheer up again.

The whole day seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye for you, going from waking up to hearing the last bell ring for the day. You felt even foggier than normal and now it seemed as if your head was actually the same weight at a chunk of lead, struggling to stay awake, let alone keep up with everything going on.

Everyone filed out of the class, calmly chattering to their friends, while you still sat calmly at your desk. That's when you felt it. A similar snap that felt like the one from earlier when you were about to lose everything in the attack.

You knew you couldn't go on like this, and so you forced your way through the thick and heavy fog, standing up on wobbly legs and stiffly made your way to Aizawa's desk. It felt almost as if you could collapse any second, but you weren't going down without a fight.

You knew it had something to do with the cave. It felt like a puzzle left uncompleted, the photo never making itself known. Something somewhere was screaming in the depths of your head with all its might to go back to the cave. That the answer was there.

Aizawa looked up from the papers he was grading, noticing you stop next to his desk and just look at him with large, blank eyes. Aizawa's an observant man, of course he knew you weren't acting yourself. He was actually going to question you about it at the end of the day when he was finished with everything just to make sure nothing behind the scenes was going on. He understood the difference between being sick, being in shock, and then being whatever it is you were dealing with. But, to his surprise, you beat him to it.

"I...", You started, voice timid and airy, a stark contrast to how it normally was. You grew frustrated, not realizing why it was so difficult to get your words out. It was like trying to run underwater, as if you were forcing yourself though something thick and vicious holding you back, forcing you to struggle against it. How did it get to this?

You met eyes with Aizawa, and instantly you knew that he somehow understood. He may not have known what was going on exactly, but somehow he understood you were struggling with your words, with your mind and so on.

"I... ", You started again. "I... feel.. funny. " After a quick pause, and a nod from Aizawa, you continued. "The... Cave. We need... To go again..." This time his eyes widened slightly, and you knew you probably caught him in surprise with that.

"The cave?" He asked, voice gentle on comparison to his stern monotonous tone that he normally uses with everyone that. "Why? To check again?"

"Yes... The... Cave. The cave. I can't- just... please..."

That's all you could muster, all the energy seemingly evaporating right from you. Nothing more would come out no matter how much you fought, and so you just hoped that he agreed.

Aizawa looked down to the ground at nothing in particular, seemingly thinking about his decision. He looked around, then back at you before sighing and leaning back in his chair. The cave... Why'd you have to want to go back to the cave? There had to be a reason, you were terrified of it...

After much mental deliberation, Aizawa nodded his head a bit, looking back at you again, deciding on just trusting your word. You were an honorable student, you got good grades, were kind to everyone, and never really went out of your way to break the rules.

"The cave... Alright. " As much as the fog consumed your mind, you still had enough energy to have your eyes widen in surprise. "We'll go back, check and do some inspections, but I can't promise we'll find anything, kid. If we don't then we'll just have to call it a day, alright?"

Giving a stiff nod, your hope grew.

Later that night, Aizawa couldn't help but feel that something for horribly off with the whole situation. Nothing seemed to add up, and if anything it just made him ask more questions rather than answering any of the ones he had beforehand. He was worried, not only for him and his students, but also for you. Especially for you. He almost had half a mind to send you back to the dorms for more rest, but he noticed that during training you were at the top of your game, just as you always had been. He just realized that you must've been stuck in your mind all day, noticing your dazed looks during class and empty eyes during training.

Something didn't add up... It was nothing but a mess he wanted to be done with. But when it involved the safety and sanity of one of his students, he knew he had to get dirty to clean it up.

It was impulsive, but at that moment he felt that he had to go now. When you asked to check the cave again, he saw something in your eyes. Something like a ticking clock, counting down the inevitable moment something happens. Something that certainly wasn't good. A timer of sorts, he supposed. No... Aizawa felt that he was going insane over the whole thing. There was nothing to read in between the lines of something that didn't exist.

He had told you and Shinso that you would be going to the cave again for a check over in two nights, but nevertheless he still decided to change it to that night instead. The confusion wouldn't stop until he knew he wasn't crazy and wasn't worth worrying over nothing, so moving it earlier wouldn't hurt anything but your sleep schedules.

And so, that's how you found yourself walking alongside Shinso and Aizawa through the same forest that you all had done earlier. The same chopped up plants were there, luckily they hadn't had much time to grow again and block the path so you ask could walk without stumbling, and this time the walk was easier as you all knew what to expect now. The same tree stumps that stuck out and tripped your feet earlier were now skillfully avoided, the rabbits that would dart out in a blur no longer spooked you, and you all walked with more confidence in each step.

It was darker this time though, as last time the full moon was out and lit everything up, it now having disappeared behind the thick layer of clouds that filled the chilly night sky. The ground was still damp, and the air was cool against your already chilled skin, but you didn't notice either, as your full focus was simply trying to put one foot in front of the other, mind still heavy and clouded.

You were gripping onto Aizawa's jacket for support and so you wouldn't get lost, and he let you only under the fact that he was also concerned about you in your foggy state. As you walked through the forest, the you noticed that the voices head gotten louder. Each step lead to an increase in their cry, and as much as you hated hearing the horrible cruelty, it seemed to draw you in. Almost as if something was pulling you towards the direction... Each step made your mind foggier and your body colder despite the cool wind, and with each step it felt as though there was something tugging on your mind, trying to bring it down into something soft and warm.

It seemed so hard to resist, but you still continued your fight against the temptations through nothing but sheer will. The warmth was so kind and inviting to your frozen and stiff body, but you still attempted to tear away from the claws that tried to drag you down.

You don't know when, but during your internal battle you all had reached the cave in no time. What snapped you out was Aizawa placing a respiratory mask over your face for you, and you tried to reach your hand up to put it on yourself, only to panic as it didn't move despite your intentions.

This was unnoticed by both Aizawa and Shinso, and you didn't have much time to worry about it before the temptations came back and the struggle continued. Still fazed, you groggily grabbed Aizawa's hand before you all descended into the cave, and he looked over at you to make sure you were okay before you all stepped in, armed with your lights and masks.

"Listen because I'm not going to explain it twice; we're just here to double check everything. If something's wrong, let me know ASAP, and in case something really bad happens there's numerous of heroes patrolling around here that I can call for help"

Aizawa quickly explained as you all made your way through the dangerously familiar dark cave. The voices were practically screaming right next to your ears, so you missed what Aizawa said entirely. Nothing felt right. Everything spun in circles as you let go of Aizawa's hand, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"Alright, but is there anything specific we're looking for, or is it just anything at all?" Shinso questioned, also going alongside Aizawa when it came to wanting to find the reason behind your life behavior.

"No, nothing specific, just anything you happen to run into... " Aizawa answered, looking around to his side.

"Also, I want you to keep an eye on [Name], they've been really out of it lately, so we can't afford another attack."

Shinso's eyes widened. "I thought you were watching them.."

Aizawa's eyes shot open as he quickly spun around to where you were once standing behind him, now nowhere to be seen in the large, dark cave.

"Shit! I really am an idiot!" He exclaimed in worry as horrible memories of the first attack remained fresh in his mind.

Immediately turning back to Shinso, Aizawa shouted, "listen, you can look around but stay in the area! I'm going to look for her since she couldn't have gotten far. And please, for the love of god, don't wander off, and yell if you need anything!"

Aizawa was already running down the tunnels before he even finished his sentence, leaving Shinso to himself while Aizawa focused on finding you before you got you lost.

As he ran throughout the tunnels, something clicked on his head. Your hero in training tag. All students had one, and they all had trackers in case the student got lost or kidnapped during a mission. Perfect.

Thanking whatever higher beings that were out there, Aizawa practically ripped out his tracker from his pocket, seeing two different color dots on it, one for Shinso and one for you. He was so focused on finding you that Aizawa didn't notice Shinso's blinking dot rapidly chasing after him.

Looking up, Aizawa was initially relieved when it said you were just around the corner, but it quickly dropped and turned to alarm when he actually saw you.

Unconscious and mask ripped off and broken into pieces on the ground next to you, Aizawa couldn't help but panic and his senses all heightened as he looked you over. However, that was the least of his concerns. What he really was focusing on was the glowing purple mushrooms that clung to your head, glowing with a beat that seemed to match the pulse of your heart.

Nausea made its way to his system, but Aizawa remained stone faced as he tensed himself for attack.

Crack

A cracking of something behind him gave him all he needed before turning around only to come face-to-face with another person, glowing mushrooms also growing atop their head. It looked like an average man you'd see walking the streets, having on nothing but a tattered white T-shirt with blue basketball shorts and one sandal, the other seemingly missing. His eyes glowed a hazy purple, but Aizawa's heart dropped as he looked behind the man.

There were more of them. Lots of them, all average-looking people with glowing eyes and mushrooms on their head. His heart dropped even further and his blood ran cold as Aizawa realized that these were all the missing people, and that they couldn't have been coincidentally waiting there for him at that exact moment. Then it hit him.

It was a trap.

Mine fully alert and panic now fueling his legs, he promised himself that he'd come back for you as he side-jumped onto the wall and over the crowd that was grabbing and lunging at every bit of him. Aizawa cursed, as he had to leave his scarf back at the dorms due to the tight tunnels.

He dashed through the thin tunnels, throwing himself around as he searched for Shinso to make sure was was okay. Feeling a hand grab his shoulder, he ripped it off of him and swung them from behind, slamming them into the ground without as much force as Aizawa had liked due to his panic.

Shinso wheezed, hitting the ground hard with a thud, landing on his back.

"Kid! You know you can't surprise me like that! I thought I told you!" Aizawa growled a bit, although his tone didn't match his elated expression.

He pulled Shinso back up with ease, the boy in turn staggering a bit after the hard hit, but stabilizing quickly after from having taken many similar hits during training.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you or anything. It's just, I was looking for you because I think I found something." Shinso was still out of breath, but he breathed and then started again. "I think we fell for a trap!"

Aizawa turned behind him and Shinso followed, a look mixed of fear and surprise on his face as they both saw the huge crowd of mushroom people chasing after them.

Aizawa pushed Shinso in front of him, giving him the single command that beared the weight of their lives: run.

With that being said, the duo stormed out of there, there being just too many to fight. Swerving left and right to dodge the incoming attacks, they took turns with one leading and the other pushing back the hoard. The tunnels grew wider as they pushed on, and it seemed the entrance was coming up, but they were once again ambushed.

Coming from the other side of the cave, another hoard came barging in and blocked the way, crushing their hopes of getting out of there. But what shocked them most of all was seeing you among the group. Your eyes were a little lighter purple than the others, but you still had the all too common mushrooms clinging onto your head just as well.

Shinso could only look at in shock, refusing to look into your terrible empty eyes where there should've had their original shine to them. It was awful, really. The dead weight settling into their stomachs as they were blocked from all around. The absolute loss of any hope of escaping. The snuffed flame of their still disappearing predictions and being replaced with a sense of hopelessness as they realized that soon they'd be a part of that crowd.

Aizawa was still, a single thought in his head.

"Shinso... This is my fault. I should've done a better job at looking out for the both of you. Now, because of me one of you is gone and the other is soon to be the same.."

Shinso shook his head, tears of frustration growing in his eyes as he refused to admit defeat.

"It's not your fault! None of this is... It's someone else's doing! You did all you could, right?! You called for help and we still ended up like this! We tried, we got this far, we can't give-"

Aizawa cut him off, a heavy expression gnawing at his features as a shadow covered his face.

"No, I haven't done all I can yet. I'm going to get you out of here, whether that be at my expense or not."

Shinso shook his head at his teacher's words, still denying the fate that awaited them. In an act of desperation and anger, he looked to all the empty-eyed people, shouting at them while trying to use his quirk so he could have something, anything.

"You can hear me, right?!" The empty faces didn't flinch.

"What do you want from us?! What could you possibly gain from taking my friend away?!" He cried out, fear and desperation now beginning to settle on his mind as the crowd looked at him while getting closer, empty and stiff.

"GIVE THEM BACK!" Shinso yelled out one last time in a fit of rage while looking at your blank face, sparking you to lunge at him without warning.

It felt as though time was frozen again. The air felt thick and jellylike as your cold fingers grasped the edges of Shinso's mask, purple eyes mirroring his as he could only look in shock.

Without a single moment of hesitation, Aizawa launched himself in-between you and Shinso instead, and you took the bait, hands clawing at his face and tearing the mask off him instead, scratching him in the process.

It was over for Aizawa now. He knew that. He inhaled the spores, now he lost the game, and it was only a matter of time. A matter of time.

Time...That's right. The clock was still ticking, he had time.

Without sparring so much as a single second, he grabbed your collar and pushed you out of the way without any harm, and quickly did the same to all the grasping hands that ached to infect the fresh faces. Grabbing Shinso by the arm, Aizawa led him through the crowd without much care for himself now that his cards have been dealt. These were regular people, people who never trained a day in their life besides maybe going to the gym, people who never thought of fights and violence, but rather just living their lives. Aizawa was a trained and hardened pro, he understood he had a good hand dealt to him.

But there was power in numbers, that was certainly true. He never understood a saying more than that one as he struggled to guide Shinso out to safety, using himself as a human shield against the hands that aimed to infect. Time was ticking...

It was a sea of people, pushing and shoving at all sides around. Purple eyes and glowing mushrooms crowded the tunnels, and Aizawa could only hope the entrance was near. It was hard to tell because as he pushed through the people would only follow.

With Aizawa giving one last shove that ended with a couple people falling to the ground, Shinso pointed out an opening that Aizawa practically threw them both into. There was no sigh of relief, because the crowd surged forward, catching them both off guard with the unpredictable mass movements.

A million hungry hands reached in their direction, like a wave of flesh coming to crash down upon them. The constant loss of hope and fear of infection was beginning to get exhausting.

Aizawa's muscles were sore and burned with white hot agony, but he still needed to give his all while he still could. Before he eventually would join the crowd. It was the least he could do, ensure that at least one of you three made it out and spread the word.

Purple eyes, glowing mushrooms, a million hands... It all seemed inescapable...

"BANG!"

A sudden sound shot through the air, and the man closest to the two immediately crumpled to the ground as red flew through the air from his ankle. A few more shots were heard and an opening was made wide enough for the duo to pass through as several more people crumpled to the ground like the first.

Aizawa led Shinso, and they found standing at the entrance of the cave the hope that they had been losing all night. Because there stood a large group of a random assortment of heroes that came to their aid. And finally, the thought of loss was lifted from their minds.

They made their way out, still tense as the battle was far from over. The infected had followed Shinso and Aizawa all the way outside, and now in a grassy opening in the dimly lit forest, a battle was being held by the heroes in an attempt to restrain as many people as they could.

As Snipe ran over to check on Shinso (the only student there), Aizawa collapsed, weak and without any energy due to the fight and the spores that were quickly taking over from how long he was breathing them in.

He rushed to check on Aizawa after finding Shinso to be okay, but Snipe and Shinso both panicked when a hero next to them also collapsed, along with another further away, and then two more to the opposite side.

As more and more heroes collapsed, most having coughing fits, Aizawa came to a dreadful realization. Each hero that collapsed didn't have some kind of mask, while the few left to help did. And he understood.

That they were fighting a losing battle.

Because of his mistake. Again, he ruined more and more with his recklessness.

Hero after hero collapsed, some catching on to the pattern and masking early, others catching on too late and falling to the ground in a coughing fit while they attempted to protect themselves with pieces of cloth from their costumes or spare masks they had on hand.

It was an appalling sight, to see the empty eyed win so easily by simply existing, while the heroes that had trained for so long and hard lost while fighting with all they had in them.

So few were left standing as the sun's rays began to peak overhead, a painful irony that life kept going despite the losses and wins of those that lived it. Everyone that could move called in for more backup while trying to help the fallen and also attempted to restrain weak alongside all that. It was too much for too little people.

Things only kept getting messier as Aizawa had kept trying to fix it, and now he wasn't the only one paying the price, but also many, many others were as well. Aizawa refused to give in to the infection until he had fixed what he had done. It was the least he could do.

However, something took a turn. As the sun rose, everyone who was infected lost their mushrooms and thus they got their mind back once the sunlight reached them. This was only discovered as an infected woman who was pushing back a struggling and weak hero suddenly went still before falling to the floor, unconscious.

Once this was discovered, those that still had the energy and their abilities led or pushed the infected people into the spots where the sun shone, causing the tables to turn in the battle with the newfound information. Better yet, those that were fighting the infection had it removed from their system as soon as the sun met their head.

Aizawa attempted to stand after the sun sunlight reached his body, but he had to quickly catch himself as his knees almost buckled, and he found that although he was no longer infected, he was still dealing with the after effects such as what he was dealing with currently; all his energy seemed to have seeped straight out of him, leaving him weak and vulnerable.

Still, he fought the exhaustion and forced his legs to stand. He had to find you, wherever you were. He knew you were outside, and he knew Snipe was watching Shinso. Goodness, he just hoped you were okay. After looking around through the chaos and clumps of people, Aizawa finally spotted you, unfortunately hiding away under the shade of the trees and still very much infected.

There were almost no infected people left, and so most heroes turned to you upon noticing this. However, everything went still and silent upon noticing a large shadowy figure standing behind you. The figure stepped out and into the light, causing several gasps as people finally got a look at who was behind this whole thing.

It was a lady who had long dark hair and was covered all over in different kinds of mushrooms. She had a horrible expression on her rotting face, and it was discovered that the mushrooms were growing only where she was decaying. Aizawa felt no fear when he saw this lady, only pure, unadulterated, rage. He had no clue who this lady was, only that she was the one responsible for this whole mess, and that she currently was the one controlling you right in front of Aizawa.

It was quickly discovered that her control was stronger when there were less people being controlled, and as you were the last one, that meant you were at her bidding no matter what it was, sunlight or not.

She looked over to Shinso and scowled upon seeing him fine and untouched.

"I recall earlier... You were asking what I could possibly gain by taking your friend from you?... " She spoke to Shinso, who wasn't that far away from her. Her voice was deep and raspy, and as a result it barely understandable, but it still resonated with everyone around. All was still and everyone was silent and on edge as she was basically holding not only a student hostage, but also everyone around as she had complete control over you and now your quirk as well.

Shinso shot a sharp glare at the lady. Seeing an actual villain with a quirk similar to his... All the bullying and relentless stereotypes that were forced onto him growing up... It was all because of people like her...

And now she was holding his friend under her control. He couldn't stand the sight. Unheroic thoughts plagued his mind at the moment, as he couldn't help but feel a deep seated rage beginning to boil in him. But he was stuck. He couldn't move and risk you getting hurt, or anyone else either.

Aizawa watched the interaction, wondering if he could sneak in with using his quirk and end the whole thing. Some heroes around him caught on to this while still staying silent.

"I'd like to know!" A man, a new and young hero stated from far away, a telepath spreading the message.

"You're nothing but evil, using innocent people to your bidding! Doesn't it make you sick? To act in such a manner?" He declared confidently.

"Nice try. " She simply stated, eyes slanted and an expression that was tainted with an evil sense of joy and merriment. Everyone froze as she turned and looked Aizawa straight in the eye.

"I can hear all of your little friend's thoughts. Erasure? Sorry, but that won't stop my spores..."

She looked at Aizawa with a gloating expression that was mixed with her own rage.

"How does it feel?!" She exclaimed, causing the alert heroes to tense.

"To have lost control of those that you love?!" She asked, and at that moment Aizawa noticed that the victims weren't chosen at random. They each were related to a hero somehow, but weren't directly one themselves. This was an attack on the heroes the whole time. From the inside out...

All over, many heroes were still weak and recovering from the infection, and those that were masked had little energy left from being the sole protectors and fighters. She knew what she was doing this whole time.

"Lemme tell you this... When my friend was sick and dying from a burglar's quirk, did any hero come to save her day?" No one spoke a word.

"No. And so all was up to me... I didn't know... My quirk would just speed things up... I didn't know... " She looked down at her hands, trembling sightly as if she was still remembering the day she lost her closest friend.

"I know what it's like to lose control! To lose someone you love... But you heroes don't! You never did! You never attempted to help, you didn't even try to save her!" She shouted, voice growing more raspy with volume.

She grew quiet, and heroes all around looked at each other. No one had the energy left in them to fight anymore, and backup was still too far away. Aizawa looked up at you with worry, your eyes still empty and mushrooms still glowing atop your head. He needed to get you to safety.

"That's why...", She looked up, face now devoid of any earlier emotion, just like her puppets.

"I need to show you what it's like."

And with that, she raised her hand towards Aizawa, and in the blink of an eye, you were shooting forward at him.

His eyes grew in surprise, not predicting a direct attack being sent on him. He could barely stand, let alone fight. Shinso attempted to throw himself in your way, but you hardened you wings and closed them around yourself like a cocoon, before shooting them open again with enough force to send him flying.

Snipe, although reluctant to shoot one of his students, still knew what he had to do. Looking down, he saw he had two bullets left, enough for each ankle or arm if he could make it.

He aimed in between the crevice of your wings and shot once. The bullet sped through the air, but before it could reach you, it fell to the ground in between the two of you after a sharp "clink" was heard, and he realized it was your hardened feathers. He tried again but the same thing happened, and this time you sent a speeding feather at him, hitting his sleeve and pinning him to a tree with several more.

Following this, Aizawa could only attempt to use his quirk as you expanded your metal wings, them glowing a beautiful pure white that radiated a deadly beauty. It did nothing, but he stayed strong and held on as he watched you raise several fatal feathers in the air.

He closed his eyes awaiting a sharp pain, but never felt anything. Aizawa tensed, and opened his eyes upon hearing a vulgar curse coming from the mushroom lady who once stood triumphantly, now clutching her bleeding arm and abdomen.

He saw you, also clutching your bleeding head, standing tall and no longer infected.

You turned to him, eyes now their original color and mushrooms gone from your hair, and gave him a large, joyful smile. He could only stay frozen in surprise, but before he could say anything you turned back to the lady who was attempting to escape.

She brushed her hands on the trees in an attempt to colonize more of her mushrooms, but it was too bright for them to grow and they could only get to about a hair's width before shrivelling and dying. It was pointless for her to do, and you steeled your wings once again and sent out more feathers at her departing figure. She got hit in the backs of her knees, her Achilles tendons, and the back of the neck before getting pinned and retained by surrounding heroes after she crumpled.

While that was going on, Aizawa forced his burning muscles to cooperate and limped over to you, and when you noticed you ran over to him to meet him halfway. Shinso jogged over to the two of you as well, disappointed in himself for not configuring l contributing more, but relieved you were okay.

Aizawa grabbed you before your could speak and just held you in a tight hug for a solid second of silence, to which you didn't mind. After letting go, he had to ask, "how?"

You chuckled a bit, knowing exactly what he was asking.

"Your quirk helped snap me out for just enough time to send one my feathers at my head which helped to give me more time free from her control which I used to send at her ". You rubbed the back of your neck, not used to all the attention. "I guess her quirk lost control when I hit her. I can't explain it, though. I suppose I just got lucky.."

After that, several ambulances and an armored criminal hospital truck showed up, and everyone got a check up. Those in the worst conditions were given first treatment, and you were one of these people with the opened wound on your head. Shinso was alongside you, as he broke his right wrist when he got flung by your wings, but other than that, the two of you were okay. Aizawa didn't have any major injury, but was still given plenty of pain relief and sent on his way.

The whole event had involved so many people that it got put in the news. That's an understatement, it was all over the news. Your classmates thought it was the coolest thing, and were glad you ended up being okay.

The cave was inspected by a team of crime-scene containment and contamination experts, and they were able to remove every single trace of the lady's quirk, down to the smallest spore. Still, the cave was filled so no one would be able to go in it ever again.

The man accused earlier was apparently the first to be controlled, and he was sent as bait for the heroes so they'd lose track of her. He was given a formal apology of the court and proper payment for the whole incident. The innocent victims were also given payments as well, and they were hospitalized and sent under a strict quarantine for a month. This was too ensure that no missed spores had the chance to grow and spread.

Since you and Aizawa were infected at some point, you both were put under quarantine as well, although you simply weren't allowed to leave the dorms for a month, however your classmates happily entertained you (much to Aizawa's dismay).

During that month, you and Aizawa got to learn a lot about each other, and it drastically boosted your confidence when it came to fighting. Aizawa was glad for your successes, and he definitely looked forward to seeing you grow up.

Shinso wasn't placed under mandatory quarantine, so he was able to go back to school when he was finished resting (properly). Although he was a bit jealous that you got a whole month to yourself.

The mushroom lady was healed by prison doctors and sent over to Tartarus where she'd stay permanently with all the other villains. Since she had a powerful quirk if used right, she had to have a constant surveillance and checks to make sure her quirk cancelling bracelet was working properly.

• • • • •

Some time had passed since the incident, and before you knew it you were starting your second year of upper secondary school (highschool) with your classmates.

It was the first day of school, and waiting for you and Shinso at the gates was none other than Aizawa no himself. He saw your expression and chuckled a bit, asking "Nervous?".

You shrugged your shoulders. You weren't scared like you always were in the past, but you didn't know what the future was going to hold. It was out of your control.

And so Aizawa did something he had only done once before. He offered you his hand.

Smiling, you accepted it and all three of you walked together, beginning another year.

A/N:

Ahh! That took so long! But I enjoyed writing it very much!

(🎀ơ ᎑ ơ)

This is to make up for the small breaks I've been taking (I apologize for that, exams are here, I've been looking for a job, and my mental health hasn't been the best..)

NOTE: I don't think I specified this, but the voices reader heard was due to the mushroom lady's quirk, which created a sort of hive mind. That's also how she was able to read your mind when infected.

One last thing, please request if you want! I don't judge, and I promise I see them all! I just ask for patience is all ꒰˶ฅ̀•ᗜ•ฅ́˶꒱おけ〇

Thank you for being here, I hope you have a fantastic day!

年2023/月03/日08

Reblogs and any feedback are very much appreciated! (Seriously, it's the only thing keeping me going sometimes)

[lookbluesoup]

are miqo'te claws retractable?? how would they work biologically?? when would they be used anyway??

Thanks for the ask! I'm not aware of any lore on the subject of their claws (but as always, folks are welcome and encouraged to add sources if you know something!)

Personally, I headcanon that they are, but it's mostly for my own gratification.

It's not... super duper scientific. Usually I like to be able to back up my fantasy with some believable biology behind it. But Miqo'te having claws just feels right to me even if it wouldn't make a ton of sense.

Cat claws have several functions in their lives. Hunting and defense is the most obvious, and though Miqo'te make use of tools/weapons, claws could still be really useful in the event of being disarmed or caught off guard.

Cats have scent glands around their claws, too, and scratch to mark territory both visually and by scent. The scent relays information about the cat's health, sex, and breeding status. It's possible that kneading also is used for scent marking, to make a 'family member' smell like the cat and mark them as part of the same group.

Miqo'te are a little more beastlike than other races in many respects and their similarity to cats is a gag that's brought up frequently (at least in the English version of the game,) so it's reasonable to imagine these might be relevant uses for Miqo'te, too.

Retractable claws are really useful for climbing and some groups like the Moonkeepers of the Shroud could definitely utilize that.

For expanded thoughts on the anatomy of claws, see below the cut:

Cats IRL have retractable claws because their claw is actually fused to their last fingerbone, and when retracted, that bone folds backwards:

(That's part of why declawing cats is so often considered cruel. To do so you have to amputate a fingerbone. It's not just taking a fingernail off, it would be like lopping off the first digit of your finger)

Catlike anatomy would look. Super weird on a human-esque hand. I imagine you'd get some super stubby digits with stretchy skin on the fingertips when they're sheathed, because those claws have to be kept somewhere:

As an additional note, Hrothgar appear to actually have very sharp fingernails or a killer acrylic job instead of claws. Though it's possible they're just non-retractable claws:

IRL, Cheetahs are the only species of cat that can't retract their claws. afaik this is because of their style of hunting which relies on speed and therefore using their claws for traction, to grip the earth and propel them forward, like cleats. They have a MASSIVE dew claw which is used to trip prey they're chasing by swiping at a leg.

Hroth's aren't really built for a high speed chase, and a lot of animals that utilize claws as a weapon have ones that are at least semi retractable to keep them out the way during other activities. Bear and lizard claws are mainly for climbing and digging, for example. Birds of prey hunt with talons, but also need them for 'climbing' on branches and haven't got much evolutionary pressure to retract them.

Add that humanoid races have opposable thumbs and use their hands for all kinds of other things besides hunting and traveling, and non-retractable claws or very long fingernails don't make much sense. They'd get in the way a lot and be vulnerable to damage when not in use.

So if you're wanting to be really technical... their claws/nails also aren't catlike at all or practical. It's Rule of Cool all the way.

So in my headcanon, I just take some creative liberty with it. Call it magic, or some leftover shape-changing ability from the world Unsundered:

[babyrdie]

Achaeans

Sketches of some Achaeans from the Trojan War. This is a mix of based on real sources and headcanons and all of these designs are certainly subject to change.

[The heights are in meters because I can't understand this system of feet and inches, not even if my life depended on me understanding it lol]

I'm still terrible at drawing fingers (whether feet or hands) and so these sketches don't have any of them well-defined. And yeah, avoiding drawing them makes my chances of progress worse, but in my defense, I just wanted to make a character reference sheet without stressing about it.

Anyway, now I start commenting on the design choices. This is the time for you to leave the post or continue if you wish. If you want to continue, prepare yourself for a long story.

Drawing Menelaus and Agamemnon first because I need them ready to get an idea of the genealogy of the Atreides, but the next ones will probably be Ajax (the greater) and Teucer because I also need them in the genealogy of the Aeacids. I intend to do Odysseus and Diomedes too, but I feel like they will be the last (Diomedes the lastest of all because I still need Odysseus to match Penelope and thus have an idea of how to draw Telemachus). And Antilochus is there simply because I like him, so I already designed him.

ABOUT SCARS: don't try to find a reason for all the scars. I admit: they were invented simply because I found it ???? to look at a bunch of warriors without a single scar on their bodies. These are designs supposed to take place before the events of The Iliad. It may still be in the tenth year of the war, but it is certainly before the events of the Iliad. So no scars were made with the intention of matching the wounds described in The Iliad. Maybe I'll even increase the amount of scars, but we'll see.

As for Achilles, I'm not taking into account the version of the myth where he's invulnerable, I just have the headcanon that some demigods have improved healing. So he was injured, probably had to stay away from some fights because of this like the others and everything, but his healing stopped him from leaving scars. But yeah, it can also be explained if you prefer to consider the version of the myth where he's invulnerable.

Characters (in order from tallest to shortest )

ACHILLES: muscular, agile type because he is very reaffirmed by speed above all else. The colors, shape of the eyes, and volume of the hair were to allude to a lion, as he is often compared to one. As for the face, I wanted to avoid making it too "masculine" so that it would be believable that a younger version of him (15 years old, probably) could pass for a girl if wearing body-covering clothes and probably a veil.

The sharp canines are not fangs, they are simply sharp canines like I saw an old classmate of mine having and I and I thought it was a cute feature of hers and I wanted to put it in some design (but yeah they are from Tethis!). I imagine that his hair, his nose and the shape of his body (including height) are reminiscent of Thetis (because I love her so much), while the rest is more on the side of Peleus. His hair is long in a very impractical way, so I imagine he has to tie it up before wearing the armor (hence why the obvious difference in hair between him and Patroclus doesn't get in the way of Patroclus pretending to be him)

He's among the youngest and that's important for his character (prophecy), so I wanted to make him look young (I imagine he was around 25 when he died?). He was also kind of inspired by this fresco. I would say that his design remains consistent, it's just the eyes that I change all the time to see if I like the format better.

PATROCLUS: He's older than Achilles, but not by much. So I still made him look young and I imagine he was about 27. His role as someone who was supposed to guide Achilles to take the right actions (which he tried…it just didn't work at the important moment) made me want him to still look at least older than Achilles. He's the same height as Achilles and not too different a body type for it to make sense for the armor to fit him. He has beard because of this iconic kylix. I was also inspired by the description "handsome and powerfully built. His eyes were gray. He was modest, dependable, wise, a man richly endowed" by Dares the Phrygian as it was the only description I remembered of him. He was also kind of inspired by this fresco. The only REAL changes from the previous design I made of him are that he now has a mole and scars (yes, he still tends to tie his hair low.)

MENELAUS: I personally think that Menelaus could benefit from red hair as I saw some people doing, but I decided to go with the traditional representation of him being blonde (but a little red). I like the idea of Helen and him being a tall couple (consequently, their daughter Hermione is too) and him being taller than Agamemnon (because I think the dynamic of the taller brother being the youngest, while the shorter one is the older and more protective brother is funny), that's why he's so tall. I imagine him taking after his mother, while Agamemnon takes after their father. From my calculations, what makes the most sense is that at the end of the Trojan War, he and Agamemnon were AT LEAST forty years old, so my design of the two was based on the idea of them being at least forty years old.

AGAMEMNON: His hair and beard came from here, his body came from here. Although in this mirror his representation shows him more as someone with belly fat, I decided to make it more balanced and make him simply a strong type without being ripped.

Also, considering how in every source I've read so far the guy has multiple kids, I wanted to make his design look somewhat like a father? Anyway, I haven't drawn Clytemnestra yet, but I'll probably follow the same line of reasoning in giving her mother-of-many vibes.

Furthermore, his height was chosen based on Priam saying that he is tall, but not that tall, but that he is taller than Odysseus. I purposely made Menelaus taller because I like the idea of Agamemnon being so protective of him when Menelaus doesn't look defenseless. I haven't drawn other Atreides besides them, but I imagine that Agamemnon looks a lot like Atreus and that Orestes has a face similar to Agamemnon's (hair and colors in general I imagine looking like Clytemnestra). He's AT LEAST 40 years old. I didn't have his design yet.

ANTILOCHUS: The body was the type that could be agile, as its speed is heavily emphasized in the Iliad. Honestly, his facial features were chosen because I didn't want to run the risk of him looking like Achilles, Patroclus, or Menelaus. They're the characters that I imagine Antilochus interacting with mainly and so I didn't want to take any risk in drawing two very similar characters in the same scene (when the characters in question are not related, of course). Menelaus mentions about him being younger, so I went with that for age.

The color choices for hair and eyes came from Nestor, who in turn inherited it from Neleus, who in turn inherited it from Poseidon. For this I have an extensive explanation about how divine genetics works in my drawings, but it's too long and the post is already long enough without it. His height was because I wanted some dynamics with a big height difference (apart from Teucer and Ajax) and considering how tall Patrochilles and Menelaus are, I simply made Antilochus smaller because of them. I didn't have his design yet.

[soylent-crocodile]

Animal Conversions- Wolf and Deer

So me and @thecreaturecodex both have Opinions on how some animals were translated to Pathfinder; a lot of them are weak, small, or just don't do a good job representing the animal they're supposed to be. And beyond that, they're kinda boring, typically lacking in unique abilities.

These are my own "if I ran the zoo" conversions, designed to make nature a bit more interesting and threatening, as well as to serve a good comparison for the spec evo animals I'm converting. You'll notice a few trends; first, I give most animals at least one unique ability to use in combat, but no more than two. Second, my description focuses on how these animals come into contact with humans, as well as one of my personal favorite things to add to monster blocks- a monetary or crafting use for their bodies.

I'm starting with wolves and deer, two common animals in both europe and north america who I especially think need an upgrade- why are wolves CR1? Have you ever been near a wolf? They're massive, gorgeous and terrifying. I have deer filling in the vacant "iconic CR1 animal" niche that wolves left, because as a citizen of NJ, I can tell you, don't fuck with deer.

(Artist unfortunately unknown)

Wolf

This powerful canine watches its prey with piercing yellow eyes, darting its tongue across sharp white teeth. Misc- CR2 TN Medium Animal HD3 Init:+3 Senses: Perception:+7, Low-Light Vision, Scent  Stats- Str:17(+3) Dex:17(+3) Con:16(+3) Int:2(-4) Wis:17(+3) Cha:13(+1) BAB:+2 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:22(3d8+9) AC:15(+3 Dex, +2 Natural) Fort:+6 Ref:+6 Will:+4 CMD:18 (+2 Racial bonus vs Trip) Offense- Bite +5(1d6+5 plus Trip) CMB:+6 (+2 Racial bonus to Trip) Speed:40ft  Feats- Endurance, Power Attack (-1/+2) Skills- Intimidate +6, Perception +7, Stealth +7 (+4 Racial bonus to Intimidate) Special Qualities- Howl, Pack Hunters Ecology- Environment- Forests, Plains (Any) Languages- None Organization- Pack (3-12) Treasure- None Special Abilities- Howl (Ex)- A wolf may howl as a full round action, making an intimidate check to demoralize against every hostile creature within 60ft. The wolf makes a single intimidate check, to which each affected creature must save against. Pack Hunters (Ex)- Wolves get a +3 flanking bonus instead of a +2 bonus when attacking a creature that is flanked by another wolf. Additionally, they deal +2 damage with their bite attack when doing so. 

Wolves are versatile and cunning hunters who can take down large prey. They tend to avoid settlements, but desperate or injured wolves often turn to livestock for prey, causing conflict with humanoids. 

Herd Animal, Deer

The elegant creature raises its head, revealing a majestic rack of antlers. It has a tawny brown hide and small black hooves. Misc- CR1 Medium TN Animal HD2 Init:+7 Senses: Perception:+6  Stats- Str:14(+2) Dex:16(+3) Con:14(+2) Int:1(-5) Wis:14(+2) Cha:8(-1) BAB:+1 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:11(2d8+2) AC:13(+3 Dexterity) Fort:+5 Ref:+6 Will:+2 CMD:16 (+2 Racial vs Trip)  Offense- Gore +3(1d6+2) CMB:+3 Speed:40ft  Feats- Improved Initiative Skills- Acrobatics +6, Perception +6 (+4 Racial bonus to Acrobatics) Ecology- Environment- Plains, Forest (Temperate) Languages- None Organization- Herd (4-16) Treasure- None

Deer are common herd animals in temperate regions of the world. They are seasonal breeders and flighty animals who will only attack when absolutely cornered, or ushered by some unnatural force or sickness. 

The antlers of a particularly impressive buck sell for 25gp in many markets, and their meat is worth an additional 25gp.

[pathfinderunlocked]

Psychopix - CR16 Fey

Penny for your thoughts? No refunds!

Artwork by TheAxael on Deviantart.

A psychopix is a genius fey creature made of animated intelligence. Psychopices steal knowledge from humanoids, and occasionally other intelligent creatures, by asking them questions and then taking the answers for themselves, erasing the knowledge from the victim's mind. Instead of the classic fey trick of "Can I have your name?" it's more like "Can I have your thoughts on the Vorsean-Laforian war of 902 to 908 R.T.?"

When a psychopix acquires enough duplicate knowledge, it extracts that knowledge from itself and shapes it into a new psychopix; this is how they reproduce.

This creature has abilities similar to my two-phase boss template, but not quite the same.

Unlike the standard advice for most bosses, I don't recommend giving this creature minions; if you do, make sure they have at least 10 points of force damage resistance. When engaged in combat, or perhaps beforehand, the first thing this creature should do is cast etheric shards across the entire battlefield except for its own space. Its strategy thereafter involves forcing enemies to move through the etheric shards while it stands still. If it needs to escape, it waits until it's at low hit points and then moves through the ceiling or floor after turning ethereal with its Ethereal Escape ability.

Psychopix - CR 16

Iridescent energy makes up the form of this human-sized fairy, whose sharp crystalline wings spread out from her back. She wields a circular blade made of the same mesmerizing crystals as her wings.

XP 76,800 CN Medium fey Init +9 Senses low-light vision, see invisibility; Perception +32 Aura mental static (DC 24, 30 ft.) (only during phase two)

DEFENSE

AC 25, touch 25, flat-footed 20 (+5 Dex, +10 insight); +5 deflection during phase two hp 304 (24d6+120+100) Fort +13, Ref +19, Will +19 DR 10/cold iron Immune sleep Weaknesses intelligence formed Resist cold 10, electricity 10, force 30

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (perfect) Melee +4 starknife +23/+18/+13 (1d4+6/×3) plus mindshock Ranged +4 starknife +23 (1d4+6/×3) plus mindshock Melee (Phase Two) +4 starknife +28/+23/+18 (1d4+11/19–20/×3) plus mindshock Ranged (Phase Two) +4 starknife +28 (1d4+11/19–20/×3) plus mindshock Special Attacks ethereal escape, phase two, psychic starknife, studied combat

Psychic Magic (CL 16th; concentration +26)     32 PE—dancing lights (0 PE), detect mindscape (2 PE), etheric shards (4 PE, DC 24), greater create mindscape (5 PE, DC 25), hypercognition (3 PE), message (0 PE), mindscape door (3 PE), mindwipe (4 PE, DC 24), psychic crush (5 PE, DC 25), thought shield IV (6 PE)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th; concentration +18)     Constant—detect thoughts (DC 15), mindshock, see invisibility

STATISTICS

Str 12, Dex 20, Con 20, Int 31, Wis 20, Cha 14 Base Atk +12; CMB +26; CMD 46 Feats Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Critical Focus (only during phase two), Deadly Aim, Improved Critical (starknife) (only during phase two), Improved Initiative, Piranha Strike, Point Blank Shot, Psychic Sensitivity, Spell Penetration, Staggering Critical (only during phase two), Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (starknife) Skills Appraise +22, Bluff +17, Craft (any 9 types) +15, Diplomacy +17, Fly +28, Knowledge (all) +34, Linguistics +26, Perception +32, Spellcraft +34, Stealth +16, Use Magic Device +29 Languages Aboleth, Aklo, Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Common, Cyclops, Dark Folk, Draconic, Druidic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Ignan, Infernal, Orc, Protean, Sylvan, Sphynx, Terran, Treant, Undercommon Gear +4 voidglass starknife

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Ethereal Escape (Su) Once per day as an immediate action, when subjected to an attack roll or forced to make a saving throw, a psychopix can evade the incoming attack or effect by escaping into the ethereal plane for 1 round.  This negates the incoming attack or effect unless it can hit ethereal creatures (such as a force effect).

Intelligence Formed (Ex) If a psychopix takes Intelligence damage, drain, or penalties, it also takes hit point damage equal to 10 times that amount. This hit point damage cannot be healed normally, but is healed if the Intelligence damage, drain, or penalty is removed.

Mental Static Aura (Su) While in phase two (see the Phase Two ability), a psychopix gains a mental static aura, described below.

A creature with the mental static aura ability creates a field around it that makes concentrating difficult for those without this ability. Living creatures within 30 feet must succeed at a concentration check (DC 24, Charisma-based) to cast a spell with a thought component. Failing this check causes the spell to be lost with no effect. In addition, all spellcasters within the aura must attempt this check at the start of their turns if they are concentrating on an active spell or effect. Failing it means that they cease concentrating on the spell or effect.

Creatures with the Mental Static Aura ability are immune to its effects and can cast spells normally.

Phase Two (Ex) A psychopix has 100 bonus hit points; this is already included in its statistics above.

Once per day, when a psychopix is reduced below half of its maximum hit points (usually 152), it can react by entering a mode called "phase two" for the next minute. When entering phase two, it automatically ends all negative conditions on itself that could be removed by the cleanse or heal spells, and attempts to end harmful magic effects on itself as if using the targeted dispel option of greater dispel magic with a caster level equal to its hit dice. This does not require an action, and can be done even while helpless.

When it enters phase two, the psychopix also releases a burst of energy that pushes enemies away and inhibits their spellcasting. Enemy creatures within 30 ft. of the psychopix are subjected to a cognitive block effect, as per the spell (caster level 16; DC 22 Will negates), and are pushed back 20 ft., to a maximum distance of 30 ft. from the psychopix, forcing them to release any grapples they are controlling. This counts as extremely violent motion for the purpose of concentration checks. A Fortitude save (DC 32) reduces the distance pushed to 10 ft. The save DCs are Intelligence-based.

While in phase two, a psychopix gains a +5 deflection bonus to AC, gains a +5 bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls (but not with its spiritual weapon), gains its Improved Critical, Critical Focus, and Staggering Critical feats, and gains the Mental Static Aura special ability.

Psychic Starknife (Su) After being used in a ranged attack, a psychopix's starknife turns into a spiritual weapon (as per the spell; caster level 16) and immediately continues to attack the same target (typically with a +22/+17/+12 bonus, dealing 1d8+5 force damage). A psychopix can teleport its starknife back to its hand as a move action, which ends this effect and negates the starknife's status as a spiritual weapon.

Slow-Homing Force Spike (Su) As a swift action, a psychopix can launch slow-moving spikes of force energy which slowly home in on up to three different targets within 20 ft.  If a target does not move at least 20 feet before the psychopix's next turn, the force spike hits that target unerringly, automatically dealing 4d4+4 force damage, causing the target to glow as if by faerie fire for 1 minute, confusing the target for 2d4 rounds unless it succeeds on a DC 24 Will save, and making a special trip check to knock the target prone, using its caster level plus Intelligence bonus in place of its CMB (typically +26).  Effects such as shield that block magic missile spells block a slow-homing force spike.  The save DC is Charisma-based.

[diinferi]

TIME AND PLACE

[HOGSMEADE, MAY 16, 1970.] This is a year before the Marauders, Lily, and Severus begin their school years at Hogwarts. This should give you plenty of time to acclimate to your new surrounds, derail some plots, and prepare for the first war against Voldemort.

ORIGIN

[SINGLE PARENT] You were raised in a single parent household, how that happened is up to you, but at least you've got someone to help you adjust.

HIDDEN MAGIC

[METAMORPHMAGUS] You've somehow inherited a rare magical trait allowing you to look like anyone and even change small features into more animalistic ones such as your human nose into a pig's snout, or slit your eyes like a cat, make funny faces with pointy ears, and creep people out with sharp teeth and a forked tongue. Want tattoos but hate needles? Or piercings without seeing a professional? Just morph them directly on your skin, no pain necessary.

[PARSELTONGUE] An equally rare magic as a multi-animagus is the ability to talk to serpents and it is one you possess now. But this version has been upgraded to allow you to talk to anything with scales as easily as you speak your native language. Share gossip with a mermaid, sit down to tea with a dragon, and listen to the nattering of fish at the local aquarium, you are now a friend to all things scaley.

[PSYCHONAUT] Your mind has always been more fortified than others and your magic has followed this pattern. Your mind is shut tighter than a clam, with a formidable occlumency shield to protect it, and within the structure of your thoughts is an organised and efficient psyche more well regulated than a modern military. You learn things at double the rate and can recall them faster, able to link ideas with breathtaking speed, have greater mental stamina as well as capacity, forming an inner sanctum inside your head is simple, and you know how to defend your thoughts from anyone who steps on your turf. With this achieving Legilimency will be a snap, it just takes a little practice, and when you do your skill in the mind arts doubles in potency. You're able to read surface thoughts, speak telepathically through eye contact, plant suggestions, and that's if you're just casual about it. Delving deeper lets you scan memories, put a damaged mind back together or restructure a healthy one, even blast an opponent back with psychic power. Just make sure you check for face tentacles, you don't want to get in the habit of eating brains do you?

PERKS

[SERE TRAINING] Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape. You are intimate with each and every one, Jumper. You can eke out a living roughing it in the wilderness, establish safe houses and caches in any city, and easily gather supplies from both to live out your days wandering a post apocalyptic future. You also know all the tricks for avoiding your antagonists from the classic 'lose them in crowds' to covering your tracks in a forest, laying false trails, and hiding in plain sight. Spotting when you're being followed is a simple affair and distracting or obstructing the one in pursuit as easy as a Sunday stroll. For times when you've been backed in a corner you can set up your defenses with the best of them and hold out for days if you need to before help arrives, but should you find yourself in the hands of the enemy you can withstand their interrogation to a point as you plan out how to resist them in other ways, giving out information that's of no use, being clumsy and slow if they make you work, among many other things. While you resist the villains, your mind is also hard at work on escape. If there is a tiny mistake on their part when they grab you, you can spot it and take advantage to enact your plan, break out of holds, use every dirty tactic in the book, and leave trails for someone to find you. You can also plan your escape in the event of long term scenarios with little to no chance of rescue, if your enemies keep you that long.

[FORTUNE SMILES]  Luck is a wonderful thing to have but so is success and you have an interesting relationship with both. On one hand, whatever you set your mind to you will be successful at so long as it is within human limits and capabilities. On the other hand, you tend to be very lucky to where it's not unusual for you to come across small change and bills on the street, or for enemies to miss hitting you a little more often, and even to be in the right place at the right time to capitalize on some opportunity. It's not exactly plot armor but a nice bit of security nonetheless.

[WORK ETHIC] Good things will come to those who wait but the best things in life come when you work for them and you work especially hard because you have nothing. Whether it's bookwork or physically demanding you get more gains out of the work you do than others who go at it twice as hard and the longer you stay at it the better those gains get. You can get up to a professional level in academics or from physical training within a few months and keep improving from there. Your mind is good at remembering what you need but it can be better, for an extra 100CP you can retain all you learn perfectly.

[SAFE HAVEN] Sometimes it's hard to find places of safety when you've been tossed into dangerous areas or situations but you have an easier time than others at it. You have a knack for finding safe hidey-holes around the world and in large buildings to sleep in as well as generous and kind people who are willing to feed you and put you up for a night. You won't be found for a whole night regardless of the resources or abilities geared to look for you and so long as you leave the next day no one will trace you to the place you previously stayed. However this only lasts so long as you don't visit the same place twice in one week exactly, if you do your adversaries will be able to track you down within hours without further protections. When the Curiosity drawback is in play you get an hour per day since your last visit before your enemies zero in on your location. Go carefully into the night, Jumper.

ITEMS

[WAND] A wand perfectly tailored for you, if you selected Drop-in it may even be made of some rather unusual materials making it many times more resistant to breakage.

[WALKING STORAGE TRUNK] Remember that Skyrim mod of the walking trunk? This is basically that. A loyal companion with infinite space to carry your things, guard them and you when the occasion calls for it, and enchanted to hell and back against thieves and especially elements that could destroy it and what it carries. You need not worry about losing your faithful wooden friend as it is spelled to appear by your side or nearest vicinity when you call its name and it can disguise itself as an ordinary trunk, wheels included, or turn invisible if necessary. It is also self-repairing, can be shrunk for ease of transport, and the space inside will be perfectly preserved with nothing lost even if the trunk is smashed to bits, with a dragon's resistance to most destructive spells included. It comes with multiple compartments for all your needs including a housing compartment with a three story home within the expanded space with all the necessary enchantments to maintain it, providing fresh air even underwater, utilities, food, etc.

[CLOAK OF THE SNEAK] A cloak that hides your presence completely from detection spells, devices, and even sharper noses. Also makes you camouflaged against any backdrop if you desire, muffles all sound from you so long as you wear it, and casts your face in shadow while distorting your voice. The cloak is tear and piercing resistant, proofed against the elements, and can resize itself to fit the person using it. It also won't snag on anything or get in the way nor block your hearing or vision. Truly a cloak of wonder.

[MARAUDER'S MAP] A self-updating, password protected GPS, to-scale-map of Hogwarts on parchment paper that shows anyone with a soul, as well as their name. This souped up version pierces through all illusion based magics, potions, and whatever people can come up with to hide their identity. It's highly resistant to damage from destructive elements and won't tear. When your jump concludes this will be updated to a full blown planetary map for any world you visit and include loads of useful map features such as height and depth. You'll never be lost again with this work of art!

[BLACK CAULDRON] No not that one, just a standard black cauldron for all your common potion brewing needs. Comes with a mid quality potions kit that has all the average and a few not so average ingredients and preparation tools to get you started as well as a potions index full of useful things like the properties and common reactions of the ingredients in your kit. Tools will remain sharp and in good condition, the ingredients also replenish over time. A set of fifteen unbreakable empty vials are included which when filled with a potion of your choice will continue to produce that potion ex nihilo, so pick your choices with care.

[ETCHING PEN]  A specialized etching tool that can carve stone, wood, metal, or other hardened surfaces like a hot knife through butter or switch to a regular pen that can write on any softer surfaces such as rice paper. The tool is capable of erasing any damages it causes, reversing inked mistakes, and even absorbing certain fluids like blood, acid, ink, or venom to write with. The tool will always be sharp and never run out of whatever fluid it has currently absorbed.

DRAWBACKS

[LOCKED] No warehouse access for you until this jump is finished. If you take this any companions you have from previous jumps won't be able to enter the world with you even with a teleporter but you can still talk to them if you have those options.

[GUARDIAN OF THE YEAR] It turns out your new guardian units aren't the best of people even downright creepy at times. Maybe the orphanage matron is a hag who eats children, your single parent works for the mafia, or your little family unit has a gambling problem and practices muggle baiting. Or maybe they're just neglectful, you can't tell, either way they are really sketchy. You might want to find out why before it works to your detriment. The Agape perk will not function with this drawback.

END

[PROCEED TO YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE]

[worlds-4th-best-dad]

He has a rash nature and his current move set is, Swords Dance, Drain Punch, Close Combat, and Psycho Cut. im kinda debating adding sacred sword. Sometimes I replace one of the moves with false swipe if im not gonna get into any important battles in case I want to catch a pokemon. He has the steadfast ability

I actually haven't checked. His ivs and evs and I don't really know how to read the chart but he has the highest ever in attack. Apparently I need to go to nurse joy to check the ivs which I can't because I can't really leave the area im in rn so I'll check when I get out.

And I basically bring out any of my pokwmon when I need them? For like type advantages and stuff . I mostly just try to hit as hard and fast as possible I guess? So basically I use him when he's the best Pokemon for whatever the fight demands or if I wanna use false swipe for catching purposes

Oh, neat!

His nature is rather bad. Gallades have great Special Defense, but awful Special Attack. They are more geared towards Attack. Since he has Swords Dance to boost attack, a speed boosting Jolly nature is more preferred.

As for abilities, Steadfast is objectively the worst. It only boosts Speed by one stage whenever the Pokemon flinches. It doesn't even protect the Pokemon from flinching, essentially making you lose a turn of action for one Speed boost. Out of the other two, Sharpness is the other regular ability and is easier to acquire than Justified, the hidden ability. Justified may be useful with Beat Up strategies in Double Battles, but in overall battles, Sharpness boosts a lot of moves that Gallades benefit from such as Psycho Cut, Leaf Blade, Night Slash, and Sacred Sword.

Speaking of Sacred Sword, although weaker than Close Combat, it bypasses all Defense boosts and, as said before, boosted by Sharpness. Since Sharpness boosts the damage of slicing moves by 50%, it makes Sacred Sword deal more damage than Close Combat without the drawback of decreasing Defense and Special Defense like CC. Drain Punch isn't bad. Recovery is always neat to have. Although, if you want some coverage, you can change Drain Punch for Night Slash for Ghost Types or Rock Slide for Flying types.

I'll skip the IVs and Evs. His role is not bad. If you are using him in the story, it's a good role since Gallades have high Attack and Speed. If you can manage to squeeze in a Swords Dance or two, then he can act as a Physical Wallbreaker, especially if he has a Shaprness boosted Sacred Sword.

Overall, he may need some work, but he's not bad.

[kkpaaw]

Linked Universe/Haikyuu AU

What positions would the chain take if they were a volleyball team like in Haikyuu!!? Well my curious ass couldn't help but think about it after watching the show yesterday and this is what I think, lemme know if you agree or think differently cuz I'm not perfect and even I'm not too sure about some of the decisions I've made here lol

It may not be very obvious but I gave them numbers that (roughly) correlates to their positions in the timeline(Excluding Time since he's the Coach)

_____

Time - Coach (Graduated)

Due to being the oldest of the chain I definitely think the Coach role would suit him the best. He definitely has the calm aura and critical thinking skills of a coach and he already leads the chain in their AU so I felt it suited

Sky - Manager (3rd Year)

After a debate i decided to switch Sky to be a Manger instead. His skills do remain sharp, but I imagine that after playing for a whiek he decided to switch to being a manager because of how tiring it is. He's a great manager that helps keep the team in line

Warriors - Captain (Middle Blocker) #10 (3rd Year)

His height mainly pushes him into Middle Blocker territory but he absolutely fits the role of captain of the chain. Like, cmon it's right there. He would absolutely be a terror on the court. He may be goofy at times but he can put in the work and pressure flawlessly, making him a great suit as a Middble Blocker imo

Twilight - Middle Blocker #6 (3rd Year)

Same as Warriors in which his height is what pushes him into Middle Blocker. I imagine that he is a scary Middle Blocker, his intimidating stare would paralyze anyone of the opposite team, making them flounder and tipping the scale in his team's favor

Legend - Libero #8 (2nd year)

I dunno. I thought about this and I just feel like he would be a scarily good libero. He's definitely the most skilled of the group (wanna include that good old veteran title in there) and has played volleyball the longest. When he Is on the court, he rarely let's balls hit the ground

Hyrule - Wing Spiker(Opposite Hitter) #9 (2nd year)

Hyrule and wild share the same position cuz I feel they have similar traits that suit the wing spiker. Hyrule has great support and defense capabilities,which definitely suit the position. Combined with Wild and I feel that are a terror duo

Wild - Wing Spiker(Opposite Hitter) #11 (2nd year)

Wild excels in his offensiveness and defensiveness. Combined with his speed makes him a scary Wing spiker I imagine. Scarily efficient

Vio - Setter #4 (1st year)

Vio definitely has the calmness and coordination skills to be a great setter. His observation skills and planning capabilities lead to him being a setter that strikes fear on the court. Despite his incredibly small size he is a great setter and is not to be underestimated

Green - Wing Spiker(Opposite Hitter)/Setter #2 (1st year)

Overall a well rounded guy so Wing spiker and setter seemed to suit him well. Can spike a good shot and can set really well when Vio cannot

Blue - Outside Hitter #3 (1st year)

Blue Is the headstrong one of the group who is always willing to fight. I decided to make him an Outside Hitter because of the offensiveness needed for the role. It definitely suites him best

Red - Opposite Hitter/Pinch Server #5 (1st year)

While less willing to fight as opposed to Blue, Red is still great at putting in the pressure. He would be wary and observant enough to make the right plays to ensure his team can win, which I think makes him a pretty good fit for the Opposite hitter

Wind - Outside Hitter #7 (1st year)

Winds small size allows him to be very speedy, Which is crucial as a Outside hitter. that combined with his ability to adapt quickly makes him a great fit for the Outside Hitter role

______

And that's it! Hope you enjoyed waking through this little idea with me! If you have better ideas of positiosn that would suit them better lemme know! I definitely don't think my choices are the end all be all, there can absolutely be changes that fit better but this what I came up with

My explanations for all of them also are not to the best but that's cuz I suck at translating my thoughts so bite me

[goosetrainer]

Mari's Tera Raid Guide #12 - Venusar

There are better options if you have been playing other games / been winning 7☆ raids for a while (Chesnaught and Hisuian Goodra, namely; you can find their sets elsewhere so I won't repeat them here) but in this blog we do it the cheap way.

Lawnmower Gallade build under the cut (edited after some experimence)

[Pic goes here once it's done]

Gallade lv.100

Tera type: Grass

Ability: Sharpness (evolves from Trace Ralts/Kirlia)

Nature: Careful (/Adamant if you really must)

Item: Shell Bell

IVs: all 31 except special attack, speed

EVs: 252 attack, 252 special defense, 4 HP

Moves:

- Leaf Blade (move reminder)

- Calm Mind (move reminder)

- Swords Dance (level up)

- Mystical Fire (egg move) (Gardevoir learns it by level up)

Usage:

Might need more than 1 try!

Recommended NPCs: Arboliva and/or Gardevoir (for the healing) (strongly recommended, if not necessary); Bellibolt (Light Screen for free); Intimidate users (again, not necessary, but they can help at the start); Sylveon (can lower Venusaur's special attack).

Don't spend too much time resetting, but I would at least reset for one between Bellibolt Arboliva and Gardevoir uu

The critical phase is at the start: you can't avoid the scripted Sunny Day + Growth + Petal Blizzard, but that alone shouldn't be enough to kill you; the following moves can, though.

Your chances are best when Venusaur spends one of the first turns using Amnesia, preferably the very first one (after Petal Blizzard); if he used another move you can still try, but be prepared to lose.

Regardless, your first turns will be spent bringing Venusaur back down to neutral - possibly negative - special attack, with Mystical Fire (at least twice, then a 3rd time to finish charging the tera orb). Do NOT terastallize now. You CAN go K.O. here, just once, and still win the battle, but it'll be harder. Just, don't bother wasting all your healing cheers now if you are at like 10HP, not worth it

After the 3 Mystical Fires you should use some Calm Minds (NEVER before the player stats&status wipe! Thankfully it happens quite soon and only once, and if you went KO you're probably skipping it). 6 is too much, too slow (will waste too much time, you won't win in time and the extra special defense doesn't really make much difference in terms of survivability); in theory 3 is enough, as long as you have a Careful nature. If you're using Adamant, make it 4, maybe more if your special defense got lowered by Earth Power. Use the healing cheer sparingly in this phase, but try not to be left with less than 1/3-1/4 of your max HP. Then, 3 Swords Dances.

Ideally you should have at least ~80/90 HP left before you terastallize, use another healing cheer if not. Terastallize and ignore anything Venusaur does, just keep Leaf Blading until victory. Should be 2 Leaf Blades to break the shield, then 2-3 more to win; no further setting up needed. In this phase you're weak to Sludge Bomb, but you should have enough special defense to only get around ~55-60HP in damage, plus whatever chip damage from eventual poisoning, so not really an issue save for crits.

TL;DR: [try to go with Arboliva and/or Gardevoir and/or Bellibolt NPCs if possible] 3x Mystical Fire (best if the first move after Petal Blizzard is Amnesia) (1 KO allowed here), 3-4x Calm Mind (+1 for each time your sp.def. got lowered by Earth Power) (heal as needed), 3x Swords Dance, make sure you have 80-90 HP left at the end of the turn, terastallize, Leaf Blade until victory

Pros:

-available in main game, both versions

-look, no TMs!

-regular ability

Cons:

-needs tera shards (unless you found a grass type in a tera raid)

-needs some luck

-we can't escape the NPC curse, huh

[mongrelcave]

Blood and Water - .ii

She wakes to the sound of wood creaking.

There are stars above her.

No. she realizes that they're not just above, but all around her. She's in space. She sits up and runs her palm over the cool wooden planks underneath her before actually scanning the perimeter. From what she can tell, she’s on a galleon ship right next to its shrouds, and everything's relatively clean for what she assumes is a pirate ship - judging by the jolly roger she sees tied to the ship's jibboom.

“…Where-“ she startles at the sight of a very strange creature that looks like a wad of pink chewing gum approaching her. What’s stranger is what follows: Ryan, grinning and clad in old-fashioned pirate gear while other people that look unfamiliar to her trail closely behind. He looked more leaderlike than usual, here. There's a twinkle in his eye - one he lost after the recent 'incident'. "Welcome aboard!" He holds out his arm, inviting her to let him help her up. Irene blinks and obliges. Somehow, he was able to pull her up with ease despite the differences in stature and weight between them. "Ryan--" Her eyes narrow when she 'receives a message'.

search his mind. find the truth.

"Hell," she facepalms. "I must be in your brain." "Into the brain…" He blinks and looks off. Irene follows his gaze to see a pink planet in the shape and color of a brain. "That's where we're going now!" "What? No, Ryan, you're dreaming. What is all this about, anyway?" "It's an epic tale of my journey to get the treasure from the Dread Pirate Roberts." He bowed and mocked a British accent. "'With Pride. What can I do you for?'" She frowns slightly at his ridiculousness, although what he said sounded quite familiar. "We need to get out… I do, anyway. Let's go." Irene takes a step toward Ryan, but his smile disappears as he takes a step back in return. He looks upset, which makes Irene panic. His emotions might make this a lot uglier than it should be. "You're not…" He grumbled and suddenly Irene was wearing a full pirate costume, hat and eye patch included. Now it's her turn to grumble. "Much better! Now we can travel to Teller Prime!" "Teller what?--" He turns and points firmly at the brain planet. "Full speed ahead!" Irene isn't given the time to react when the ship makes a sharp turn - which would have knocked her down, if she hadn't held onto the railing. As commanded, the ship sails toward the planet at full speed. The angle at which the ship is sailing doesn't help, either. She looks off to the side only to see that Ryan and his crew stood completely still on the slanted ship.

Irene blinks and suddenly, they're no longer on the ship. In fact, the ship is nowhere to be seen. An old western style took over, pink sand under their feet - although she, Ryan, and the other crewmates continued to wear pirate outfits. The citizens of the old city rushed around busily. Irene takes in the scenery for a moment before turning to face Ryan. "Fun's over," she puts her hands on his shoulders. "You're in a dream. I'm from the real world." He blinks and everything around them slows. "Woah… Okay, lucid dreaming." He follows that up by closing his eyes with a pinched expression as if focused on something. Irene's hold tightens and her eyebrows furrow in frustration over what to say. "This isn't lucid and I'm not from your imagination. Notice how I'm the only one talking to you directly?" He pushes her off and looks around. He flinches when he rubs his shoulders. "Ow… Manage your stress. I know a guy--" "Ryan!" She snaps. Ryan holds his hands up defensively. "Woah! Don't like therapists. I get it but--" he's cut off by a hard smack, leaving a stinging mark on his cheek. "You need to wake up!" He rubs his face with a shocked frown. "That felt real… Okay. Yeah. Easy." Ryan stares at the ground with a strained expression. "Wake up… Just… Wake up!" Irene stares at him expectantly. He looks like he'll pop a vein, but he gives up at some point. "I can't wake up…" He exhales deeply. "Is this…Is this some Bucket prank?" Irene tenses as her heart sinks. She fears what will happen if she lingered here any longer without fulfilling her duty. Although, she doesn't exactly know what Jackson meant when he wanted her to find the 'truth.' Is Ryan hiding something from her? She ceases the thought and replaces it with something else. "Can you contact Leach?" He blinks out of his disappointment and looks up at her. "True! Ahem. Leach! Hey buddy!" They both just stand there for a moment. Nothing. Ryan looks back at her with a shrug. "No luck. Huh… I never tried contacting Leach in a dream." Irene sighs. As expected, Jackson wouldn't make it that easy. How is this even possible, anyway? She doesn't recall Jackson having this ability - then again, he does have two gods in him. Perhaps one of them is the god of dreams. "Alas. I suppose this will continue until I fulfill my part of the contract," she says bitterly. Ryan makes a neutral hum. "What, so Jackson can send people into minds now?" He mutters. "I don't know. Doesn't matter much now, though. I'm supposed to be 'finding the truth'," she makes air-quotes with her fingers, "but I don't know what that even means." To that, Ryan huffs. "I'm an open book, Irene. We can just tell Jackson," he stood on his toes to get close to Irene's eyes like they were camera. "To fuck off!" She cracks a smile but immediately goes back to her serious composure. "As much as I'd love to, I think the messages are a one-way thing… Maybe if we just look through your memories? Your history?" "Yeah. Let's go into my repressed memories like this is Inside Job. Maybe there's a folder of all my traumas organized neatly. Like the time my superman undies got caught in my locker the first day of middle school," Ryan scowls. "Honestly Irene. I don't know why he sent you here." Irene stares at him.

he's hiding something. isn't willing to show it. he doesn’t trust her…but she doesn't need trust.

She shakes her head. "Shut up." He frowns. "Damn, okay." She looks back at Ryan apologetically. "No, not you… Just- Him. He's driving me nuts," He nods. "Maybe he can let us out?" She gives him a thin-lipped smile. "Well you know him. He's not one for charity." That comment was meant to be light-hearted, but it just makes her heart sink even deeper. Despite the fact that she's been bound to Jackson for only a day, this felt all too familiar. The contract pulled out memories she had buried deep within her psyche. She's known men like him, and he knows this. He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants.

There's an awkward silence. Maybe it was too soon to jest - she isn't quite used to doing that. She tries for another: "I can't believe I'm stuck in your head now." Maybe that was too rude-- "There are worse places to be," he hums, looking off at the middle of nowhere. Seems that time has stopped completely. This isn't working. Get to the point. "Look. I know this situation is…bizarre, but help us out here. It will be uncomfortable, but we've gone through worse together." Ryan scoffs, still not meeting her eyes. "Let's just find a way out." "Please, Ryan," she pleads as gently as she can. He needs to make this easier for her. For the both of them

Another beat of silence. She takes a deep breath.

"I'm sorry--"

he doesn't trust you. that's fine. you know when to use force.

Her voice is caught in her throat as all her nerves set off at once. Irene awaits a command.

command? she doesn’t need commands. he’s nothing but a pest - much like a mosquito, and mosquitos are better off squashed - but before that…

She steps forth. He doesn’t know why, but the act makes the hair on Ryan’s neck bristle. He takes a step back in response - but this proves to be futile when she grabs his wrist quicker than he could react. She closes their distance by yanking him toward her. “Did nobody-” he tries pulling away to no avail. “Did nobody teach you about personal space?” The silence that once surrounded them is filled with the grinding of wood from the western buildings and the whistles of wind as it kicks up sand beneath their feet. “Don't you want to wake up?” she snarls, grip tightening to a painful degree. He winces. "Irene- how are you-" Irene takes a deep breath, as if to calm herself. Then, she gives him a thin, eerie smile that doesn't meet her eyes. He doesn't like this. "Very well." She finally lets go and Ryan turns to rub his sore wrist. He looks around to see the barren, pink wasteland with broken planks of wood, furniture, and glass buried under the sand. Then, he barely hears Irene mutter: "I never liked using force…Given me no choice."

Everything warps. His heart sinks.

"Irene!" Ryan turned to face Irene, his eyes were filled with horror, tears caught on the base of his eyelids. The junk sinks into the sand, and his surroundings start to look foggy - like he was staring at a closeup of a Monet painting. His mind feels like it's being dissected as his dream shifts into a recent memory. The cave. He's struck with the stench of dried bodily excrement and mold. The memories of voices echoed around them as the new scene settled into place. Like a movie screen circling the two of them, they watched the scenery change again: his home, his brother - what he had and lost; a memory within a memory. Ryan stood frozen helplessly as the memory played. All of his emotions washed over him and Irene all over again as he stood paralyzed. Tears fell silently from his face, he dug his nails into his shaking arms. In the corner of his eye, he sees her flinch. His voice was shallow and full of resentment. "Is…is this what you wanted?" He didn't look at Irene. It wasn't entirely clear if he was talking to her or Jackson. She hesitates. He barely hears her muttering a quick apology before disappearing without a sound.

He sniffles, wiping away his tears, and he tries waking up - but he doesn't. He's pulled deeper into the graveyard of his buried memories, and he starts to panic.

He tries again,

Fuck.

The nightmare worsens. Memories mixed with horrific things he didn't even know he could imagine. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't wake up. Irene simply abandoned him.

She lied.

.iii