#Yeah um I don't think you get how infections work...

[nsharks]

bleeding blue | apocalypse au

part nine —other parts

pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x fem!reader words: 3.2k tags: death. blood. zombies of course. reader menstruates. single dad ghost. there will be sex but it isn't here yet. slow burn!!! enemies to lovers. summary: After losing your companions, you run into a skull-masked man and his daughter. They are your last hope for survival. a/n: no comment

The beam gave a nasty cut to your hand.

Tetanus, blood, infections— more threats.

You sit on a rock by the river to fix it up. Before you can dab on the hydrogen peroxide from your new med kit, Blue insists on doing it for you— soft fingertips against your broken skin. She is by far a gentler nurse than her father. You focus on her pink cheeks and scrunched nose as she concentrates. It helps you ignore the sting.

"You scared the shit out of me for a second there, Twix.”

"Sorry. I guess I need to work on my balance."

She gives a stilted laugh. The gauze comes next, just a thin layer since the bleeding has already stopped.

"Thanks for asking him to help me," you add in a whisper. You smile. "I don't think I've ever had a friend save my life so many times."

Blue cuts the gauze and begins tying it off. "I didn't actually have to ask him this time, you know. Like I said, he doesn’t hate you.”

You glance to where Ghost has taken the short break to lean against a tree and drink some water, pale jaw and pink lips exposed. An actual human hides under all that gear and horrifying mask. It annoys you that he doesn't just take it off.

You look back at her, eyes rolling. “You're lying."

She closes the med kit and shrugs. “Friends don't lie."

The afternoon sun bleeds white light over your cheeks as the three of you keep walking. Just meters away from the river, Ghost points out a small cabin. One that hunters used back in the day, you bet. He says it could be a good place to stay for the night. The scent of the rushing water nearby should do some to mask your human scent.

Rolling hills take place of the trees. To the west, you can see the faint outline of mountains dipped in white snow. Well, as much of mountains as you can find in England. They are not nearly as tall as the ones your parents used to take you skiing to in France.

You grow quiet and let Blue do all the talking. Maybe you are embarrassed after almost falling into the river.

Just when she asks - How much further? - something strange pops up in the distance. White medical tents— well, you assume they were once white. They are now torn and grey, with some blue crates beneath them. Confusion swells in your chest and you can't help but speak up.

"Why is this all here?" you ask, your boots stepping over some stray medical tools. Scalpels, tweezers, and syringes. Pressed into the rich earth like fossils. You would pick them up if they weren't rusted past the point of being useful.

"I don't know," Blue answers. "Ghost?"

"Emergency medical camp the military set up," he says. 

"After shit happened?" she asks.

He gives a curt nod as he looks around at the remnants. "Those that were left were tryin' to help survivors in the first few days. Didn't last long, though."

"Is that what your friends were doing after you ditched them?"

"Told you, kid. They weren't my friends."

"Alright, teammates. Whatever. Were they helping with injured people here?" she asks curiously.

"A few of them were.”

Blue looks at you. "Twix, did I ever tell you about that?"

"Um. About what?"

"Well, Ghost was supposed to be working when shit happened," she raises her brows and juts a thumb at him. "But he snuck away from his post to get all our stuff and come find me and my mum."

You swallow at the mention of her mom and avoid looking at Ghost. "Snuck away?"

"Yeah," she nods, "It's called dessert."

"Desertion," he gruffly corrects her.

"What?" you ask.

"He abandoned his assignment," she explains. "But he always says he would do it again if he had to. Anyway, he used to talk to his teammates on his radio to see how they were and stuff— what was happening. But then they got too far away for it to work."

Of course Ghost had a radio.

Paul had one, too. You can remember huddling around that radio like it was a mouthpiece for some god. The static grew choppier and choppier over the first few days. The channels dwindled. Eventually, it stopped working altogether and you didn't learn much about what happened in the outside world. You did learn that London was one of the quickest cities to succumb to the infection. Then, Paris, Bangkok, and Chicago.

Everywhere.

You process the new information as you keep walking through the tents, peering into some opened crates to see if anything is left— nothing is.

Now you know Ghost left his post when he found out about the virus. He stocked up on supplies and then got Blue and her mom. By the way Blue mentions her, it must be an old loss. How long did her mother survive with them, then? Did she use to live in the cabin with them?

You don’t know why your stomach grows tight, but the questions in your brain fade once the military base comes into view.

"Finally," Blue sighs rather dramatically.

A high, chain-link fence surrounds the place. There are a few buildings and some abandoned vehicles that look like jeeps. The fence has multiple gaps cut into it so climbing is unnecessary. Ghost leads the way. You continue sniffing the air. With your bandaged hand, you keep your bow poised and subconsciously walk closer to their footsteps. 

Ghost takes you to the main building in the center. The British flag flutters beside it on a pole, faded and as meaningless as the one sewn on Ghost’s bicep.

"Are we going through the barracks again this time?" Blue perks up.

"We have to go through 'em to get to the armory,” he says.

"Cool. There might be some good shit left behind."

There isn't much good shit, actually.

You don't know what the other military base they went to was like, but this one is unsettling and seems to be ransacked. Sunlight pours in through the shattered windows. Scattered papers and strewn bones decorate the tile floors. Thick cobwebs hang in the corners.

As you walk through the hallway of old dorms, Blue and Ghost stop looking in them after the first four turn out to contain only tipped-over cots, walls smeared with old blood, and even a few scampering vermin that make her yelp and grab hold of Ghost's arm.

He grows stiffer than usual. You don’t have to pry off the skull mask to know what he is thinking. Ghost is not the only person who thought of coming here. If these rooms are mostly empty, then what is left in the armory?

Still, you check out a few more of them on your own as they walk up ahead. You rummage through closets and drawers. You find three pairs of men's socks. More useful than one might think.

In one room, you kneel down by the unkempt cot to dig a black backpack out from under it. You can’t believe that Ghost, as big as he is, ever slept on these things. The backpack’s zipper catches as you try to open it, the metal teeth rusted, so you cut a hole in the fabric with your knife. Inside, you find another military-grade knife to add to your arsenal and some wrapped ready-to-eats.

When you check the closet, the sight of a full skeleton causes you to jump back in a startled step, a few rats running out between your boots.

"Oh, fuck," you mutter, noticing a bullet hole in the skull. A handgun lies beside the body, but you discover the magazine to be empty. Whatever bullet it once had was likely spent on this person's suicide. You stick it in your bag, anyway. A preserved uniform hangs loose on the bones. There is a mouth-sized tear in the forearm of the right sleeve, fitting for a bite. In the breast pocket, a silver chain spills out. Curiously, you grab it. A dog tag with an engraved name catches the light. John MacTavish. You run a thumb over the letters.

“Sorry, John.”

You decide to respectfully put it back in the pocket, and head out, satisfied enough with your modest finds. It’s not like you own as much as Ghost does. You leave the room and run to catch back up with them.

"You okay? Find anything?" Blue asks.

"Not much," you quietly admit. "A knife and some new socks."

"Finally. Your old ones are starting to stink," she remarks with a playful smirk.

You scrunch your nose at her, making a face. “Gee, thanks."

She returns the teasing gesture just before Ghost’s arm ushers her behind him.

The moment he does, your guard rises back up. You slap an arrow onto your bow. You smell them before you see them. Four - no, five - drag out of opened doorways up ahead along with a cacophony of whistled moans. Most are still dressed in the same military uniforms as the skeleton you found. One isn't wearing anything at all. It’s disgusting.

Ghost doesn't bother to let Blue practice this time.

He shoots the faster, fresher one first as it runs up to them. For the slower ones, he saves his ammo and opts for the axe. The sight of him effortlessly striking their skulls is almost enough to distract you. Almost. Your fingers release the string and send a headshot to the last one. It is a perfect shot. An arrow straight through the milky-white eye. One of your best.

You meet his eyes just as he slips the axe back to his waist, shooting him a raised brow. The two of you hold an awkwardly long stare-off. Though you loathe to admit it, you hope for some type of approval - for once - but all he gives is a short nod.

Blue retrieves the arrow for you and you tuck it back into your quiver.

"Great aim, Twix," she quips. "Where did you learn how to use your bow?"

"My old friend taught me a bit," you say as the three of you step over the fallen corpses.

"What was his name again?"

"Paul."

"Oh, right." She pauses, and then: "Were you having sex with him?"

"Jesus Christ, kid," Ghost says.

"What?" She peers up at him.

Before he can say anything else, you answer with a light flush crawling up your neck, “No, I wasn’t. He was just my friend.”

The three of you make it to the armory.

The aluminum door is already parted open. Ghost clicks on a flashlight and gives the room a quick sweep of fluorescent light before entering.

A number of pried-open crates and olive-green cabinets litter the inside. Drawers hang open like a tornado ripped through. A few stray rifles lay scattered on the floor. Ghost picks up each one and checks for cartridges. Empty. Each rifle is thrown back on the floor with more force than the previous. He needs more ammo, not more guns.

Whatever was in this armory is gone. This truth hangs heavy in the air. The mood shifts. Blue doesn’t talk. Billows of growing frustration roll off Ghost's body as he continues to search through every crevice and every drawer for almost an hour.

You know what he is feeling, even if he half-expected this.

It is a feeling that made you cry in the empty pharmacy. For Ghost, it ends up driving a clenched fist into one of the cabinets, dented metal left in its wake. He swears explosively. Another shudder runs through your spine, stealing your breath, but it feels far different from the one his soft voice invited.

"Is there... is there anywhere else we can check, Dad?" Blue speaks up softly. “Maybe in all those cars outside?”

He takes a moment to breathe before answering. "We don't have time to check ‘em all.”

“Well, maybe we could come back in the morning and look a bit more?”

“Maybe,” he says, but you read the tone in his voice. It is unlikely there is ammo left in the vehicles, and even if there is, it is definitely not as much as he was hoping to have found in here.

Before leaving, he stuffs one of the rifles in his backpack. An uncomfortable silence consumes the journey back through the hall.

You make it outside again. The afternoon has aged. You need to get back to that hunting cabin by the river before the threat of dark.

Ghost guides you back towards the fence.

You hear Blue's soft humming. The flap of the old flag. Your own steady heartbeat.

And then, out of nowhere, he stops and grabs Blue's arm to bring her to a halt beside him. He looks around. Confused, you scan the view up ahead of you, but all that is there are a few of those military jeeps and the fence you entered through. You sniff the air. It doesn't smell particularly awful. 

Then, the cause for Ghost's unease arrives loud in your ears.

A single gunshot sounds from a direction you can't discern. Your heart stutters. The suddenness freezes you for a moment. In your peripheral, you think you catch a brush of movement in some bushes to your right.

Ghost quickly pulls Blue behind one of the vehicles for cover. Only when you feel the rush of another bullet whizzing past your shoulder do your legs finally move— so fast that your feet catch on the ground and you stumble down beside them. Your knees dig into the earth as you land on your hands, but you quickly lift up and press your shoulder against the side of the car. 

You choke. "Ghost… people."

People are fucking shooting at us, is what you mean to say. Panic steals your voice.

Who? How many?

Another bullet ricochets off the other side of the car, clanking against the metal. And then another. Glass shatters. 

Ghost doesn't respond to you. Underneath the loud sounds, a soft voice whimpers. You finally look to where Blue is propped up against the large tire, Ghost kneeling at her front. His hand is tightly clamped over the side of her right thigh, and it is now that you notice the blood soaking through her jeans and his glove.

Blue's blood.

Crimson and glistening.

She whimpers again and her fingers twist the fabric of his coat.

"Dad, it— it feels like it's burning," she cries out, her cheeks turning wet from a sudden onslaught of tears.

"Fuck. I know, baby. I know."

She flinches when another gunshot rings out. "W-What do we do?"

You try to form a proper thought— try to make sense of everything. Before you can, Ghost grabs your hand, firmly replacing his hold on her wound with yours. The warm liquid immediately drenches your palm and you swallow, pressing as hard as you can, attempting to pack it crudely.

He speaks decisively. "Stay here with her. Wrap it up.”

"Ghost, you don't know how many fucking people there are," you say, panic turning your voice into something unrecognizable as you place your other hand on his arm. The muscles tense and leap.

“I didn't fucking ask you. I am telling you. Now do it."

He doesn’t give you the opportunity to protest again, but you wouldn’t even if he did because you fully realize that this is the best course of action. He needs to get rid of them. You need to tend to her wound. A strangled cry leaves Blue's lips when he departs. You coax her with soft hushes.

"It’s okay. He'll be right back.”

Urgently, you sling the bag off your shoulder and take out your own med kit. You don’t think twice about it. Not for a second. Not when all you can think about is making sure her soft, blue eyes stay open. When you move your hand from her thigh, the sight worries and relieves you at the same time.

You don't know much about bullet wounds, but you know where the femoral artery runs, and by the looks of it, it was missed. Still, a nice chunk of her flesh has been torn, revealing obliterated muscle. You don't see any bone or bits of metal, but it is hard to see much of anything with all the blood.

With fingers that shake, you use the same gauze she nursed your hand with to begin tightly dressing her thigh. As you do, your eyes flash up and around in a feeble search for where Ghost could be, but you can’t see him from behind the vehicle.

"Is it bad?" she asks, voice laced with a tremor. When your gaze returns to her, you notice that pale lips replace her usual rosy-pink ones. Her forehead is sheened with sweat.

"It looks worse than it is," you say.

"Are you... are you telling me the truth?"

"I am. Promise," you whisper. "Friends don't lie, right?"

Sporadic gunfire continues to pierce your ears. It sounds more distant now. You have no idea if it belongs to Ghost or whoever these people are. You push the uncertainties away, assuring yourself that he can handle however many of them there are, and focus on tying off the gauze, desperate to keep her blood in.

Blue suddenly blurts out, “Twix.”

You look up and meet her eyes. They are pointed at something behind you.

#simon riley #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley x you #simon riley x reader #simon ghost riley #zombies

[pablitogavii]

Hii!! I don't know if you have done something like this, but can you please do one where the reader shows Gavi how a tampon works?? Your writing is amazing, btw!!! 💗💗💗

Pablito will be mortified after this HAHAHA

Some things are better unknown!

You were on your period and have sent your boyfriend to get you some tampons. He of course agreed asking you to send him a picture of the box so he can get it on his way back from training.

Pablo was home now and you thanked him for the box with a sweet kiss. It was really warming your heart that Pablo didn't care about being seen in the isle of "girl products" if they were for you. You knew how weird boys are about that!

You took out one tampon about to go to the bathroom and Pablo called your name so you turned around.

"Um..amor? H..how is that going to help?" he asked looking at it like it's some foreign object form another planet. You giggled walking up to him as the idea sparked into your head.

"Do you want me to show you?" you ask and he was unsure but you reassured his you were going to use bottle of water so he agreed.

You put some red color into it to make it more believable which made Pablo scrunch his face realizing what that represented. (ahh poor boy!)

"Why did you have to make it red and gross like that amor!!?" he whined and you shut him up giggling and giving him to hold one of the tampons.

"Alright, so open it up" you say and he looks at it only holding an edge like it was going to eat him which made you giggle.

"How do I?" he said and you tell him it's like opening a bag of chips so he slowly peels it off opening his eyes wide when he saw the plastic around the tampon.

"Wait..wait..wait! This goes inside of you every time!?" he said and you burst out in laugher while he blushed shrugging his shoulders confused touching all over it.

"So amor.. you don't want to touch there cause that can give you infection. You hold it right here see?" you show him and he mimicked your action nodding his head still looking confused.

"Aii it had little grippy area! Why is there a rope amor!??" he says and you kept laughing telling him he will see eventually and he listened as you brought the bottle in front of him.

"So what do you think you do now??" you ask and he just moves the tampon into the opening as you nodded but he still didn't put it inside.

"So he also gets inside of you like once a month!?" he says and you just had to laugh and stop the demonstration when you looked at his face and the fact that he just called your tampon a "he". 😂😂😂

"Pablo be serious now! You put that inside but only up to the grippy area" you say laughing internally that you were using his vocabulary now and he did as you asked.

"Why is there rope tho!?" he asks again and you just tell him to wait and push which he did a lot faster than it's supposed to be yelling when he saw the tampon expand while sucking in the liquid.

"No..no..no!! This is inside of you!?" he said and you nodded giggling and holding it when he let go which was also very funny. His face was mortified.

"Yeah" you say like it was nothing while he looked at it from all sides absolutely mortified.

"So then you have to pull it out..and you use the rope for that" you say and he stares at you shaking his head stepping away from the bottle like it was going to eat him.

"You do it amor! I can't! No way!" he says as you shrug letting him watch as you pull it all the way out showing him what it looks like when it's used up.

"How does that not hurt you amor!?" he says when you threw it away and you giggle walking up to him and hugging his shoulders. He kissed your forehead and then all over your face before capturing your lips.

"I need to go to the bathroom now cariño.." you say grabbing another tampon but he pulls you back into his arms looking down at you with worried eyes.

"Does it hurt you??" he asks and you hold his face kissing his lips and then shaking your head.

"Don't worry cariño, I promise I'm fine" you reassure him and he smiled nodding his head and kissing your lips before letting you go finally.

"Good luck princesa!" he said and you laughed at the way he was exaggerating this whole thing when it's something you do every single month.

"I deserve extra cuddles now!" you say getting inside the bathroom hearing him say to himself "some things are better unknown.." which made you giggle to yourself. He was so freaking adorable!

#pablo gavi x you #fc barca #fc barcelona #fc barça #gavi #gavigif #pablo gavi x y/n #pablo gavi x reader #pablo gavi #pablo gavi icons #pablogavixreadersmut #pablogavixreaderfluff #gavi x vini #gavi x you #gavi x yn #gavi x reader #gavira #pablo gavira #pablo martín páez gavira

[baldursyourgate]

Transcript: Adam Smith interview on Minthara

"…we're writing this for a very small audience and when they get to it, they're going to get something special..."

Note: This is an excerpt that mentions Minthara from a PC Gamer interview with Adam Smith, the lead writer at Larian Studios.

Adam: I got um one note from uh... You've probably seen Amelia's video outtakes as the narrator... I got one note from Emma who plays Minthara and she was just like "Thanks for all the drow words, they're really good fun to say!" and I was like, that's sarcastic isn't it! They're really hard to say, she nailed them, but my God!

Interviewer: I love that, but I was wondering if you had a specific favourite or if there's a favourite quest line or just like a specific like; or just a quotable line of dialogue that you really love?

Adam: Ah so... Oh the stuff I want to say... Okay fine, I can say stuff that's from... it's fine, block your ears if you don't want to hear. They're not story spoilers...

So, I actually write less dialogue than you might think. My job is mostly to edit everyone else's work, so I know other people's lines better than my own, because those ones I kind of write them and then say somebody else can deal with that now... Whereas everyone else's lines I'm like you know, "okay, how do we make this as brilliant as it can be" but...

I spent a lot of time on Minthara. And we knew from the beginning Minthara is a character that most people will kill. She's a villain you meet her; you can recruit her, but most people kill her. We know that from the stats and we knew that putting the effort into writing lots and lots of dialogue for this character was going to be appreciated by very few people, but we're like hell it's good... I nearly swore don't if I'm allowed to swear...

And I put in one line which I don't know how many people will ever see it, so I'm going to just say it now.

So Minthara's story, she's been infected with tadpole, she's working for the cult and when you recruit her essentially, she comes under your protection and she can no longer hear the voice of God, of the Absolute; and you deprogram her. And she doesn't become a nice person, she's just like "Okay, let's do evil for ourselves now. Let's not do it for anyone else, let's take control."

And there's a moment when she gets very close to you, if she does, she has a crisis of confidence and she said, "I don't know if I can do this" and you can say "Look you're stronger than anyone I've ever met" and she says "If I'd never met you then I would have been... I would have still been a maniac doing things at the will of a God that doesn't exist" and you say "But you did meet me" and she says "Yeah and 9 times out of 10 I would just one more corpse in your crusade" and it's a little sad moment, but, it's also a little tap on the forth wall that says "Yes, in all your other playthroughs you piece of crap".

[laughs]

She's a horrible person it should be said, but the ones that I love are the moments where we're like, "we're writing this for a very small audience and when they get to it, they're going to get something special" and that, that stuff I love. I love our villains as well.

Interviewer: As a Dark Urge monk are you going to recruit Minthara on that playthrough?

Adam: yeah, I have her already. I usually take her along just because I spent so much time with (writing) her.

Interviewer: Yeah definitely.

#interview #minthara

[buckyandgeraltsupremacy]

Not Alone Part 2 (Joel Miller x Fem!Reader)

joel miller x fem!reader

when you find yourself completely alone, you might just have to look up to realize you aren't.

warnings: mentioned death of family members; injuries; joel being mean (soft); probably typos lol

author: sj

masterlist

part one / part three

another part in the works :)

---

After your painful wonderful shower for the first time in forever, you found new clothes on the bed and went down to the kitchen to try to find something to eat. And as Maria promised, there was some food that looked like it would last you the day sitting on the counter. Your self control was ripped from you and you ended up eating the whole thing sitting on the floor.

Once the last bite of food was gone, it was then realized how utterly alone you were. You tried to take a deep breath, but couldn't seem to get your lungs to be able to work. You let yourself think about your brother for the first time. Luke wasn't supposed to go like that. Your baby brother. The only one you had left. You weren't a spring chicken any more, but you still felt like he was still a kid. You were five years older than him and he was your best friend. Not once, did you ever think he would leave your side. Much less, get bit. It all happened so fast. And all you could think about was having to shoot him with your last two bullets.

The tears streamed down your face and you got up and stumbled through the back door to get outside. The walls were closing in and you needed to get out. Ironic that the past few weeks, all you wanted was real shelter, and now that you had it, you couldn't stand it. You burst out of the back door and quickly stumble down the steps to the grass. The sobs racking your body as you mourn your life long best friend.

You don't know how long you laid there. All you know is that when the sun went down, your cheeks were dry and tight with the dried tears. You couldn't move but as you watched the sunset and the stars start to shine, you felt your lungs start to rise up and down again. You would be okay. You would have to be. You'd have to pull your weight. Even if it meant with a broken arm. It was okay that you were all alone. Others had done it, and if it was Luke, you would've wanted him to go on. He deserved to live a normal life and you would live it for him if you had to.

You sighed and rolled to your side to get up, freezing when you saw the little girl from next door sitting in a chair at the back of her house yards away from you. You mustered a smile, cheeks heating with the thought of her witnessing your grief. You waved and she waved you over. You swallowed your pride and slowly walked towards her and sat in the chair that she pointed to. What you didn't see was the man in the kitchen a few feet from the open back door that was one hundred percent eavesdropping.

"I don't think I've ever seen so many tears from one person." She said quietly, obviously trying to lighten the awkwardness.

"Well. I've been holding it in for a while, guess it was bound to come out at some point." You shrugged with one shoulder.

"What really happened to your arm?"

"Um... My brother broke it. He got infected and... yeah, just got broken in the struggle." You said, voice scratchy from your crying.

"Oh shit. Sorry. Thats... tough." Ellie said, earnestly trying to give you comfort. You nodded, grateful for her comfort, but not wanting to say it was okay, because truthfully, it wasn't.

"Ellie. Come eat." Joel yelled as he stuck his head out the back door. You jumped at the loud voice, his eyes latching onto the jumpy form.

"You can eat with us. Right Joel?" Ellie looked to Joel and she asked again, more forcefully this time. "Right Joel?"

"Yes." He said, softer, tone still hard as a rock.

"He's not as much of an asshole as he sounds. He just genuinely has an assholey voice." You smiled at her side comment to you and looked to Joel.

"If you're sure. I've already ran out of food. I won't each much I promise. Ate plenty for lunch, for the first time in... a long time." You said to him, getting up out of your chair and following Ellie into the kitchen.

Dinner went quietly, mostly filled with the sounds of silverware and Ellie asking you if you knew any puns. You quickly went home after dinner and Joel went to bed thinking about how your sobs sounded as you laid in the grass.

---

The next morning, Joel went to the stables to see if there was anything he could do around the barn. He wasn't scheduled for patrol until the next day, but needed something to do. He didn't like being home alone when Ellie was off at school learning god knows what. He knew he had to stay busy to keep his thoughts from spiraling.

As he walked into the stables and passed some of the stalls, he heard soft grunting. He slowed to a stop and peeked into the open stall the someone seemed to be in. Only to find you shoveling or attempting to shovel horse shit into a wheelbarrow. He watched as you tried to pick up the shovel that was loaded with one arm as you guided to help yourself pick it up with the arm that was not supposed to be in use. You grunted and then huffed out a frustrated sigh when it tipped and you dumped it, missing the wheelbarrow. The wheel barrowthat you wouldn't be able to carry with one arm. He wasn't quite sure why but it made him angry.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He asked sharply. He watched you jump and then sigh a small smile gracing your face as a greeting.

"Shoveling horse poop." You replied with a tired smile, immediately going back to trying to pick up the pile that you dumped.

"No shit sherlock." No pun intended. My god he was becoming Ellie. "I mean, why the hell are you shoveling with a broken arm? You're going to hurt yourself more." He said, walking in the stall and grabbing the shovel from your hands quickly.

"I'm trying to pull my weight. There weren't any shifts left any where and I have to get food some how. I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of starving." You said, the smile leaving your face, and being replaced by a frown, looking at the shovel in his hands. He sighed and brushed a hand down his face in what seemed like frustration.

"Look. I'll finish up for you and then we can go to the hall and grab you some breakfast, yeah? If Ellie hears that I didn't feed ya, she'll feed me my hands for dinner. And don't worry about this shit until you're better. You're not gonna get better if you don't rest it." He demanded, not looking at your face as he finished shoveling the horse feces in the stall. Your wrist giving a nice dull throb that sent you grabbing your sling from your bag and putting it back on.

You watched as he lifted up the wheelbarrow and drove it past you towards the pile, muttering to himself about how you 'couldn't even fucking lift it if ya tried'.

The next thing you knew, you were sitting in the hall with a meal in front of you, eating like you were starved. Cause you basically were. After this mornings out burst, he hadn't said much to you and had just watched you with his brown eyes studying you, creases deep on his face.

"Don't worry about meals until your wrist heals up. You come to us for it, yeah? Ellie likes you and she doesn't get many older women in her life." You nodded, a smile returning to your face. Joel's chest did that weird cracking and blew out a breath. He didn't think he had any room left in there and he had a bad feeling you were going to squeeze in any how.

#joel miller x reader #joel miller #joel miller hurt/comfort #joel miller the last of us #joel miller x reader fluff #joel miller hbo #joel miller x you #the last of us

[kimpossibly]

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 -> e. williams

PAIRING: ellie williams x fem!reader WARNINGS: mentions of past trauma, head injuries, amnesia, underage drinking SUMMARY: the reader is ellie's best friend from FEDRA school who, after a run-in with an infected, suffers from a bout of amnesia, after years apart, ellie and y/n are handed over to joel to bring to the fireflies. their reunion is bittersweet due to y/n's condition, leading them to play a game of ellie's imagination in order to piece together the past.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So I may or may not have taken the concept of "Real or not real?" from the Hunger Games, but LET ME BE OBSESSEDDDDD. Once I had this idea, I couldn't get it out of my head. My little creativity monkey wouldn't shut up, thus this fic was born. I don't know, I think it's adorable! Enjoy! also, mild spoiler because i just thought of it and it's funny: ...and they were roommates.

"And then you punched her right in the jaw! I'm not kidding, she had a bruise for the next couple of weeks. Couple stitches in her lip too," Ellie said, excitedly recounting a story from the past. "Obviously, Captain Kwong threw you in the hole for another two weeks, but it was worth it. At least, that's what you said."

You almost laughed at the story, forgetting momentarily that you were the star of it. At least the old you had the balls to do all the things you wish you could do now. "I sound pretty badass."

"You were," Ellie said without a beat. Then, more confidently, "You are."

You paused, sobering up a bit at the reminder. Sometimes when you heard these things about your past, you couldn't believe it. You were like some mythological legend you heard about but never imagined you could be ― and yet it was you. Nothing changed between the two versions other than time. Well, time and a traumatic brain injury. You couldn't really leave that bit out.

Ellie seemed to notice your sudden solemnity and was quick to change the subject. "You know, you were the one who introduced me to Pearl Jam?"

You looked up, interested.

"Yeah, yeah you did. You smuggled all these cassettes in and we'd listen to them on my Walkman. God, we'd be up until two, three in the morning just playing that shit on repeat. Our dorm guard hated us because we'd talk over it, too. Woke everybody up. We made a loooot of enemies back then."

"Seems like it. But, to be fair, you seem like kind of a difficult person to be around."

Ellie's jaw dropped as she feigned offense, throwing the pebble at her. "I'm very pleasant company, thank you very much."

Y/n rolled her eyes, muttering something sarcastic under her breath. There was a bottle of some amber liquid, hidden from Joel, closed in her fist. It burned when she swallowed it, but enough sips made her head heavy. It was nice. Warm. Almost fuzzy, even. She set it down, sighing deeply. "Sometimes I get these...these glimmers of the past, but I'm not sure if they're real or if I just made them up."

Ellie stopped. Contemplated. She leaned over, taking the bottle from Y/n's grip, and looking down the barrel to see how much was left. She wanted to help Y/n. She did. In fact, there was nothing in the fucking world she wanted more. It just so happened that what she suffered from was the most unhelpable problem in the fucking universe.

There was only one thing she could think to do to try and unravel the enigmatic fucking past.

"How about we play a game?" she asked, taking a swig from the bottle. "You tell me something you think you remember ― something from your glimmers ― " she added with a grin, "and I'll tell you if it's real or not real."

Y/n paused, thinking. "Real or not real. That could work," she mumbled. "Okay, um...I'll start with the first thing I remembered: my favorite FEDRA food was beans on toast."

"Easy. Real," Ellie said without a beat. "Every Wednesday you were so excited for that shit. It was fucking disgusting, too. I didn't get it. Still don't."

Y/n felt a pang of excitement in her chest. Something she remembered had been real. Not an illusion, but fact. That meant that maybe, maybe, she could recover.

"Gimme that," she muttered, taking the bottle from Ellie and taking a celebratory sip. The other girl laughed as Y/n swallowed, grasping for some other memory to recount. "Okay, um, there was a girl. We both hated her. Her name was...oh fuck, what was it? It started with a B."

"Bethany?"

"Yes! Bethany."

"She was the one you sent to the infirmary! Real." Ellie said, bubbling with excitement too. She could see how happy Y/n was now, knowing that she was slowly but surely grasping bits of her past. And that, if anything, made her a little happy too.

They started passing the bottle back and forth. Question, drink. Answer, drink. Warmth hummed in both of their chests, tearing sobriety in half.

Y/n's cheeks burned pink in the moonlight. "Okay, I'm not super sure about this one, but were the walls of our dorm blue?"

"Mm, not real," Ellie replied with a shake of her head. "Maybe that's something else though? Like maybe your house had blue walls?"

"Yeah, maybe."

Y/n's face had fallen a bit ― whether it was because a glimmer had been wrong or from the mention of home, she wasn't sure. It occurred to Ellie then that she may have had memories of home that she wasn't telling her. Maybe because there wasn't a person alive that could confirm them.

Either way, something had upset her. And Ellie didn't like that.

"Hey, you're, like, 6 for 7. These glimmers are pretty fuckin' reliable."

"Yeah, I guess," Y/n said, her grin returning. "Okay, next one...oh, I remember this one. It's about you."

"Oh?"

"Indeed. You're the star, Ellie. So: there was a night that we went out on the roof and stared up at the sky for hours. You told me random shit about the moon and space ― cause you love that stuff. Real or not real."

"Real," Ellie confirmed. "It happened a couple times, actually. I think the last time was when we..." she trailed off, pausing briefly. "No. Never mind."

Y/n looked up, hastily cutting off her sip from the bottle. "Come on, what? You're withholding information from an amnesiac? That's, like, borderline illegal. Come on, I'm a big girl. I can take it."

But there were some things that Ellie, upon recognizing Y/n's condition, decided not to tell. There were some things you couldn't force on a person. And if history repeated itself, so be it. but if not, Ellie wouldn't be the one to force it.

"The last time we went up, I nearly pushed you off the roof, and you accused me of trying to murder you. Excuse me for trying to avoid a touchy subject."

She immediately regretted lying.

Y/n rolled her eyes, taking another sip. "Yeah, okay. Maybe it's better I don't remember that part. There's no stopping me from smothering you in your sleep."

Ellie laughed quietly, but Y/n sensed that she'd been slightly put out. Desperate to continue the game, she searched for any of the so-called glimmers she'd gotten recently. They'd all been fairly boring ― games of dodgeball, training at FEDRA school, and then...

Oh.

There had been one glimmer that had stopped Y/n in her tracks. One that had woken her up in the middle of the night, heart beating so violently she could feel it in her teeth.

That one, she hoped, was real. But if it wasn't ― if it was just her imagination playing tricks on her ― and she asked Ellie anyway? That had the potential to be catastrophic.

When she was silent for a little too long, Ellie cocked her head, trying to discern the calculating look on Y/n's face. "What?"

"Hm?" Y/n asked, eyes still frozen to the ground. "Oh, nothing. Boring glimmers, blah blah blah."

"No, hey ― I want the boring. If we're going to get your memory back in tip-top shape, that means leaving no stone unturned. Come on, lay it on me. Boring as hell. Go."

Y/n sighed, throwing her head back. "Fine. Boring it is, I guess. I sucked at math. Real or not real."

"Real. You sucked bad."

"Expected. I was a fast runner. Real or not real."

"Hell yeah you were. Put me to shame. Real."

"Ah, some good news, finally," she joked. "Um...you didn't like me when we first met. Real or not real."

"Jesus, you're really exposing me here. Real."

Y/n's jaw dropped. "What?"

"Yeah. You smiled a lot and talked nonstop. I couldn't get you to shut up."

That sent Y/n into a fit of laughter, throwing her head back so quickly she almost tipped over, sending herself sprawling against the forest floor. "So when did you realize I wasn't a pain in the ass?"

Ellie paused, thinking. "Our third day of training. This girl, Megan, made fun of me because I couldn't make it all the way up the rope. Before I could tell her to fuck off, you stepped in. You called her bleached hair tacky and told her to find a more original insult. And when she didn't back down, you swung. She beat your ass, of course ― you couldn't fight for shit back then. But that was when I realized you were a pretty damn good roommate. And I started to listen when you talked."

Y/n's brows had furrowed halfway through the story as a new glimmer rapidly began to reveal itself. "You'd sneak out after lights out to visit me in the infirmary. You brought the Walkman with you and gave it to me to keep throughout the day."

Ellie swallowed, nodding. "That's real."

Y/n nodded in response, staring down at her dirty sneakers to avoid looking at Ellie. The other glimmer ― the terrifying one ― burned hot on her tongue, begging to be recounted. It was a risk, of course it was. But the old Y/n seemed to live in peace with those, even if they left her with a black eye.

"There's one more," she said quietly, her throat constricting. "I loved you. Like, really loved you. And I think you loved me back. Real or not real."

The bottle swayed in Ellie's hand. Y/n tore her eyes away from the ground to look up at Ellie, her heart thumping. And in the pale moonlight, she saw a nod. "Real."

#the last of us #tlou #ellie williams #ellie williams x reader #tlou hbo #the last of us hbo #the last of us fanfiction #hbo the last of us #hbo tlou #ellie williams fluff #tlou show #tlou series

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Yang: Pyrrha? You okay? You're kinda limping.

Pyrrha, a minotaur: Yeah I'll be fine, I just think I've got a white-line lesion. It sucks, and I can't see my doctor until next week/ i can manage though.

Yang: Is it anything like working on a cow's hoof?

Pyrrha: I ... don't know.

Yang: Clear the loose horn, spray with cleaner, dry, Put some salicylic acid powder wrapping on it, put a pad on the clean part of the hoof so that each leg is still level.

Pyrrha: Oh, then yes. It is.

Yang: Cool! I can handle that for you if you need!

Pyrrha: Really?

Yang: Yep! I can grab my gear and take care of it.

Pyrrha: I'd be really thankful if you did that for me Yang.

Yang: Then let's get to it!

~~~~~

Yang: *Doing her thing* You know, Ive always wondered how this felt.

Pyrrha: It's like getting your nails trimmed, but more? Does that make sense?

Yang: I guess- Oh! There it is!

Pyrrha: Oh! That felt good!

Yang: M-hm. That's a good bit of fluid. Either you've been hiding it really well, or it's not as painful as I thought it would be.

Pyrrha: Well, since there wasn't anything in my hoof, it was just some seperation, It's just uncomfortable, like any other infection.

Yang: *Spraying out the area* Well, you've been one of my best patients, and not too bad of company either.

Pyrrha: This has been one of the better experiences I've had.

Yang: Does this happen a lot?

Pyrrha: Most cows don't find themselves in combat on the daily, and even more rarely in gravel or on concrete, the best places to get these things.

Yang: *Wrappin her hoof up* And we're done. Thanks.

Pyrrha: No, thank you for doing this! Another week would've drove me mad.

Yang: Well, you can pay me back over dinner. how about tonight at eight?

Pyrrha: Sure! I'll be happy to see you then! I'll pay.

Yang: Sound's like a date!

Pyrrha: *Blushing* Um- yep! Cool!

Yang: *Oblivious* Just let me know if anything feels off. I'm sure it won't, but just in case.

Pyrrha: A date~! *Fist Pumps*

#rwby #yang xiao long #pyrrha nikos #rwby shitpost #greek fire #minotaur!pyrrha #Ranch hand Yang FTW!

[son1c]

hello!!! first off, i know you probably hear this a lot, but your sonic story ideas and art are AMAZING. Secondly: i know you made the post a while ago, but I completely agree with your opinion that the metal virus arc would have been cooler if shadow and sonic had switched places. the angst with the hero falling victim to the virus would have been so cool. Did you have any specific ideas for that scenario that you could share?

omg brother that post must be like a year old at this point minimum... i don't even think i made that post on this blog... U COULD HAVE ASKED SOONER I WOULD'VE OBLIGED U

i kinda thought it'd be interesting if zombot sonic was unique from other zombots because ofc his protagonist syndrome is just that prevalent. like, he held off the virus for a really long time. no one else was able to do that. so, what if the virus mutated? it would have had to get more aggressive, at least, in order to overcome his speed. and that's kind of just how viruses work. over time, they mutate...

so, what if he mainly just attacks other zombots? his desire to end the virus and protect people so strong that the aggression induced by the virus is channelled towards becoming the mr x alpha zombot out of them all. ofc his friends can't rely on him anymore because he would also attack THEM if they got anywhere near him, but unlike the shambling lot, he's always active, always hunting, and he seems to be a lot smarter than the other zombots too. he can set up traps. he can take on multiple opponents at once. etc.

i'd imagine this would make him really scary for his friends because while regular zombots are easy enough to escape (circumstantial), i don't think it'd be possible to escape sonic. like, he still has his super speed, and i feel like once he targeted you, he goes full on persistence predator until you're caught. like mr x <3 ghfghfghf sorry for the resident evil reference, but the intimidation level would be exactly that.

as for shadow... NOT infected... that motherfucker has a really big role to fill. of course he can't replace sonic, but i feel like a lot of sonic's friends would kind of... expect him to step up. especially if sonic ended up sacrificing himself for shadow like, sonic burns away the virus by running, but if he was able to throw shadow out of harms way at the cost of being trapped by a hoard, well, he'd do it. um. anyways yeah idw shadow would definitely struggle with that. mr "cowards run - i win" would have to start thinking a little better than that. he'd have to gain some tangible teamwork skills.

because people would see shadow as Their Last Hope. literally. he CAN'T be infected. even if everyone else falls, he could still turn the tide. and that means he's included in everything now whether he wants to be or not. tails talks to him more about potential failsafes and all his plans and etc. it would lead to a lot of interesting character interactions that we don't really get to see very often

#anonymous #text heavy #hi #ALSO THANK U

[bwobgames]

Previous First

"Remember what Owen told us? What we saw on the death certificate?

Mr. Díaz was so stricken with grief for the death of his wife that he asked, with all his heart, for one more chance

In doing so, the house was granted a purpose

Every time someone dies, they'll get another chance by going back in time

At some point, the doctor must've figured out the time loop mechanic and used it to his advantage in helping the patients and keeping himself alive past 100 years"

"This also must be why this house feels so... loved and warm. It was made as a way to protect people, to help them.

And then that bacteria of a man came and infected it"

"Wait, is there paper around here anywhere? And pencils?"

"There's a whiteboard around here, I think. Let me get it"

He finds one, possibly made for bets, or pool point counting. It has 2 markers.

Beebo grabs them and starts drawing

"So, Doctor Díaz, accidentally gives this house the ability to turn back time.

This house is now a 'Haunted House'

And who knows about Haunted Houses? Coli and his daughter.

Coli is obsessed with the concept. He investigates day and night trying to find one.

He wants to put his own purpose in one of them. He thinks he might be able to change the original purpose, but Nadia says it is not possible.

Still, after much effort, he finds one"

Beebo takes a deep breath

"An old... half house half art exposition.

The owner wanted the people who got in to ... never leave

Um. Not maliciously, i think! The owner just wanted his art to be appreciated!

But, um, the house took it differently"

"Are you okay?"

Ángel hold his hand

"Remember how much I told you about my recent phobia of big houses?"

"I... I got trapped in that house"

"I couldn't get out

The rooms. The rooms kept changing I couldn't- I was there for 3 days and- "

"Hey, hey, it's okay, I don't need details if it hurts you to tell me"

He grabs both of his hands and kisses his knuckles

"You are here now, okay? I'm by your side"

"We are okay"

They wait for a moment, just breathing.

Slowly, Oliver picks up the marker again

"I. I killed that house

I made it stop working

Then I asked for it to be demolished.

So now, the house Coli searched for so long is gone.

This why he invited me

And why he wants to kill me"

"After this, he tries to do his own Haunted House in his own factory, using the heightened emotions of the distressed workers.

Once the kids found out, they exposed him and put him in jail

"Due to Marigold not helping him with his projects, Nina being on her side, and the kids doing this, he believes they are all traitors

And wants to kill them

Then, he finds out about Vivi and you, the unrelenting reporter and the guy who bought the company. And puts you two on his 'to kill' list"

"Then proceeds to repeatedly fail in doing so. Skill issue, really"

"... I have been meaning to ask you about that.

Why did you buy his company? At first, I thought you were also a businessman, and that's how you got the money, but I'm guessing you got it from your illegal jewel business"

"Why a company?"

"Well, I've told you, haven't I? I quit heists and wanted to start a more quiet life, so why not become CEO? Those guys do nothing and get a lot of money. Sounds perfect!

But, ah, I don't think I'll keep it"

"Is the business life harder than expected?"

"It's definitely not my vibe, but mostly, I want to give it to Marigold. She's the one who should've had it since the start"

"Yeah, you're right.

I'm glad a life of crime has not skewed your sense of justice"

"And if I don't, I fear that a certain teenager capable of murder puts me in her 'to kill' list"

"Also, I wouldn't call it a 'life of crime', I used to be a normal man with a normal job and a pitiable salary. You can see how that makes someone like me want to get in a cool outfit and fuck around for a bit"

"Really? What did you work as?"

"Head of security in jewelry exhibitions"

"... you sly bastard"

"And never been caught"

"I could've caught you"

"Sure, sure, if it helps you sleep at night"

"If you ever try any heist again, I can and will catch you"

"Scandalous Detective Beebo! Do you want me to go steal things again??"

"Wh- That's not what I said!"

"Well, what a shame! I'm committed to a life of peace now.

I've found the prettiest gem already, and I get to keep it all to myself"

"What gem?"

"... You'll figure it out, come on, keep going over the investigation"

#part one of two #because i hit the maximum of pictures allowed #this man was just a normal guy who said I need more money and excitement in my life #time to steal in a silly outfit. Crime is all about having fun and being yourself actually #detective beebo #deleted scene of beebo being Oh wow that means hes strong. Oh wow

[quitedisastrous]

@fallingstarsau since i mention dewcall a few times in here and i could use feedback on how she would actually act :3c

ok ok. milkwail plot progression between being hit by a car and tallshadow's clan introduction (unbeknownst to most of them). i didn't proofread this whatsoever. adding a read more for the slightly long post. i realistically shouldn't be manifesting this much lore with how much of everything is still grounding itself but if i don't let things out of the microwave it will eventually blow up

so, milkwail gets hit by the car, ends up in the medicine den, you know how it goes. so she's stuck in there, alive (i have faith in at least two of the mommyclan healers) but not exactly doing super hot. it takes a little bit, but things seem to look like they might get better. she's at least conscious and semi-lucid at this point. (<- probably a couple of explanations and rejections at this point. stuff milkwail thinks about but would never mention while fully up and aware. not enough to admit anything to condorscratch though, but enough to ask for her)

things are good until they aren't. infection sets in in her injured wrist--badly. fever sets in and she spends most of her time awake rambling and ranting, especially at her shadow. the healers can't seem to find anything that works and she gets worse, much, much worse. she looks like she's a whisker away from dying, too weak to ramble, too weak to do anything but lay there, really. and then--she gets better.

no one's sure what happened, but something must have worked. she's left with a still blown pupil, healing wounds that will eventually be covered by long fur, and a wrist that will probably never be the same, but she's alive, even if she still has quite some time to spend in the medicine den. but . . . something's wrong. things LOOK like they're healing, but the reek of infection does nothing but get worse. she's lucid but just so . . . nonchalant about everything. she doesn't talk like she used to, just the occasional few lines as opposed to the typical rambling or awkward one word responses based upon who she was with. she ignores cats that she would often greet and gift things to before, with little reason to do so. (aside from dewcall . . . probably. assuming the rejection was during the previously mentioned semi-lucid state, though i'm sure she would be aware of how milkwail wasn't exactly entirely lucid) she looks like she'll be physically okay but things are just so off. milkwail was the kind of guy to constantly be eating or drinking. now, she just takes a few bites of freshkill and occasionally drinks when reminded. she won't even look at her old favorite foods.

(of course, i'm sure most of you guys have guessed that it's just tallshadow. he decided to be a little silly when she was on the brink of death and just evict her from her own body. milkwail, unsurprisingly, panics and leaves (she assumes she just straight up fully died), running away aimlessly (she'll return soon enough. she just needs to be gone for the time since i'm sure someone would notice her spirit just. hanging around). i think i will simply be a little silly and say tallshadow is able to affect how he (and by extension, milkwail's body) is percieved, given how he is, hence the supposedly healing wounds still reeking. and um. yeah)

(i also don't know how well this would actually blend into canon, but this does give me the mental image of dewcall coming to the (correct) conclusion of milkwail being possessed, but immediately being hit with "i think you're having trouble accepting the accident, dewcall." everytime she mentions it) // me: hehe does anyone have any cats that would want to be friends with my silly little [grips your silly animals and forces them to experience things by virtue of me repeatedly hitting milkwail with a metaphorical metal pipe]

#queued's lore #this one's a bit long huh #milkwail #mommyclan

[theycallme-thejackal]

Snowflakes melting on your skin

Pairing: Lenny Bruce & Midge Maisel Rated T

As she looks up at the billboard showing Gordon Ford's face, she feels a jacket being draped over her shoulders, a familiar scent flooding her senses.

"Jesus, Miriam, you'll catch your death out here."

She laughs softly and turns to look up at her ex-fiancé. "What on earth are you doing out here?" She asks, her voice raised over the howling of the blizzard around them.

Benjamin shrugs. "I liked Lenny Bruce’s act so much when we saw him on our first date, I thought I'd get tickets to see him tonight. And since I'm a donor..."

"You got to come backstage and enjoy the party," she finishes. He guides her back toward the theater, leading her into the (thankfully still open) lobby.

The snow starts to melt on her skin, and she brushes the droplets from her face. "Figured I might see you here," he says. When she looks at him questioningly, he adds, "You’re friends, right?"

Midge nods. "I'm not so sure about that right now," she admits. "He, um...just spent a good amount of time yelling at me."

His face contorts in confusion. "Why?"

"I've been making some...questionable career choices lately. I got booted from the Shy Baldwin tour for...well suffice it to say, I deserved it."

Benjamin considers her for a moment. "You know, when I was doing my internship at the hospital, I had to perform an appendectomy for the first time. Everything was fine, but I failed to finish off the suture correctly," he explains.

"That sounds bad."

"It was. The patient got an infection, and my attending had to go back in and fix my work. For weeks, I couldn't even pick up a scalpel without my hands shaking - I was so scared of making another mistake."

"Well you do work in a life-or-death profession," she points out, lifting her brows.

"And one day I was sitting in the on call room, freaked out about another procedure I was scheduled to perform, and my attending comes in and hands me my ass."

She chuckles. "Really?"

"Oh, yeah. There was a lot of cursing - he smacked me upside the head at one point - and then he said, Man up. You made a mistake. Just don't do it again." Benjamin smiles softly and shakes his head. "And I went back in and performed the surgery exactly like I knew I should. I've never made that mistake since."

Midge exhales slowly as the weight of his anecdote hits her. "I hurt someone I really care about. And then I hurt someone else I care about even more. I just..." She feels herself starting to tear up. "I don't know how to stop."

He sighs, shaking his head. "I don't know how to say this without sounding like the bitter ex..."

"Give it to me straight," she replies. "I...I hurt you. And you've yelled at me already, but you are more than deserving of another shot," she reasons, bracing herself.

He considers her for a moment before finally saying, "Start thinking about other people. You can be an incredibly compassionate person, but you are also...so very selfish."

Midge worries her lip between her teeth. She knows he's right. All of the mistakes she's made in the last year were because of her own selfishness. Her pride. "That's absolutely fair."

"Stop making everything about you," he continues. "I don't know what mistakes you've made, but in all that time, have you considered how this affects Susie?"

That's what stops her heart. Because as much as she cares for Imogene, her parents, her kids...Lenny...the person she's fucked over the most in the last year is Susie. Her best friend. Her partner. "Shit," she mutters, burying her face in her hands. "I'm a fucking monster," she grumbles.

She feels Benjamin's hands grip her shoulders. "Just...start considering how your actions affect the people around you. You have good intentions, but you've gotta look at the end game."

His choice of words makes her choke out a mirthless laugh. "I've really fucked up," she says, dropping her hands and shaking her head.

“Then fix it,” he shrugs. “Make amends. I’d bet a year’s salary he’ll forgive you like that.” He snaps. Midge quirks a brow at him, and he chuckles. “All it took was one look at the guy to know he’s nuts about you.”

Midge sighs. “I was telling the truth when - ”

“I know you were,” he interrupts, waving his hand dismissively. “You didn’t handle things well, but I know you never lied to me.”

She looks up at him and cocks her head. “Why are you being so nice to me? I was awful to you.”

Benjamin smiles. “Because holding grudges isn’t healthy.” He leans in conspiratorially. “And I should know. I’m a doctor.”

It makes her laugh softly, and she looks toward the exit. “I should probably...”

“And I should go get the car. My girlfriend is waiting for me to bring it around.”

She raises her brows. “Girlfriend, huh?”

He nods in confirmation. “Her name is Beth. She’s beautiful and weird and a little mean.”

“Just how you like ‘em,” she replies easily.

“And you’ve got a friend to talk to, so...I’m gonna get out of your hair,” he says, jerking his thumb toward the doors.

She sighs with a grin and gives him his jacket. “Thank you, Benjamin. And...I really am sorry for how I treated you.”

He gives her a soft smile and a nod. “Thanks, Midge,” he says before heading out into the storm.

#midgelenny #midge x lenny #midgexlenny #tmmm fanfic #marvelous mrs. maisel fanfic #writing prompt #otp: more important than god #jackal fics #answers

[marshmallowprotection]

OCD anon here again;;; (sorry..)

I had a flare up today and was convinced that no matter how many times I washed my hands, I couldn't get my dog's 'germs' off - I'd been playing with her in the garden, throwing a little ball which of course got wet and slimy with her mouth - usually I'm okay with washing my hands a few times, then a few scrubs antibacterial wipes, all good!

But oh man, today

Mind you, things were no different to any other day, not at all

I must've just been feeling particularly anxious about something which I can't remember because as soon as the flare up hits everything else is nothing compared to it

Well

I basically thought everything in my house was infected with dog germs. If I touched anything, a sofa, tv remote, chair, kitchen counter - it was there.

I hadn't touched anything.

Everything was fine.

I had to call in my parents to tell me that everything was fine.

Many, many times.

Are you sure?

Are you sure?

But - but -

Eventually I calmed down about my entirely spotless surroundings and just ended up washing my hands at least three more times until I was satisfied

Until I thought that I was okay.

Which of course...I was the whole time.

The worst thing is hindsight, when you look back on yourself and are like I'm so stupid and dumb. Replaying even that in your head.

But - here I go again with a Saeran request ~

I'll never stop feeling guilty for putting my parents through my antics almost every single day.

I'm like a whining leech, I must be...infuriating.

Actually, I know that I am.

Well, I know that my parents won't ever fully understand what it's like. But it does hurt when they sigh and puff and get very visibly irritated, and even laugh sometimes at my checking, like '...really? Come on.'

Oh yeah! What I meant to say all along was Saeran -

Kait, you and your writings are such a great comfort to all of us here.

But the way you write Saeran is just...perfect. I wanted to thank you for that! <3

Especially because what you've written for me before - even though you don't even have to answer - really cheers me up when I'm feeling skittish.

So I...I um - I'd really love a little cuddle and squeeze from Saeran today...and just go and lie on my bed and with all the lights down or even just off, so nothing's too jarring or distracting...

And just kind of nuzzle into him and cuddle all nice and warm and cozy!

... >.< <3 <3

On the worst days, that's when you can count on GE Saeran to hold you. he knows what you must be feeling when you give him that look that says all he needs to know about it. He hates that there isn't very much he can do to help you feel comfortable with your fears. But, he knows that being there for you, being sympathetic and considerate... that's really what matters to your needs is what matters at the end of the day.

You need someone who gets it and doesn't question why you must do something a dozen times to feel comfortable. He doesn't want the pain to get so bad that you wind up hurting yourself through any of it. Compulsions are hard to combat, and he doesn't want you to think of how you might make things harder on yourself.

What's important is that you have a safe space to feel what you need to feel. It doesn't matter how horribly silly you think you sound when the germs are close, to him it's something that people need to take seriously. You're not comfortable. It doesn't take much to make some minor adjustments for your sake.

Sure, you'll also need to work on some of your habits. But, putting all the work on your shoulders now and nobody else will never improve things. There are ways everyone can pitch in to make you feel safe in your body. It doesn't take much to be considerate. That's how Saeran feels about it.

He won't judge you when you come to him in tears about how tough it was for you to deal with your compulsion today.

He has an open-arm policy ready for you when you need him to be there. What do you need him to do? He'll do whatever you ask so things feel cleaner and safe, and he'll even wait for you to run through your steps so you're not alone when you need to repeat something a few times.

Mainly, he's just there when you need to be compressed in a hug that doesn't feel like you're suffocating. Which, sometimes, that's the best medicine for you. You just want to have no stimuli but the rocking of his heartbeat. The feeling of his hand stroking down your back is the best thing you could ever ask for, right?

"No matter how alone you feel in your fears, I will never leave you to suffer alone in the darkness. I will always be here to lull you to peace until you feel ready to come back to the light," he will murmur against the sound of your heartbeat. "Even if we fall into the darkness on the bad days, there will always be time to find the warmth later. But, for now, let's find peace from the cold together... until you feel ready to talk about it."

#tw ocd #tw compulsion #tw germaphobia #ask #anon #mod kait #ge saeran #saeray #saeran choi #choi saeran #drabble

[flarebean]

sealed siblings ending

ghost is restrained

hollow is shattered

hornet is barely alive and subsisting on meager scraps of soul sieved from the air

it's hollow's turn to be a hero again

since only they can 'leave' - hollow can return to the Void Sea

(and then struggle out of it, if they're sufficiently determined)

but they're only a shade

it's tough being a shade they have to be so careful

the doors don't budge. they're not dreamer-sealed anymore but they're still pretty hefty. hollow doesn't know how to undo the simpler lock (relatively. it's still awfully complicated, given the pale king's... pale-king-ness)

hollow knows a Lot of spells. none of them are helpful either.

at least ghost is keeping the infection back pretty well. that's one less horde of reanimated, hostile corpses to think about

the white lady is blind, and she can't sense them because she senses the Life of their shell (which they aren't... wearing.)

fantastic news! quirrel is Not Dead

he got his ass kidnapped by relic seeker lemm to talk about hallownest

he's doing... ok. not interested in very much, fighting, adventuring, or scholarly pursuits

yeah sure he's talking to lemm but it's for lemm's uses. it's not like he's contributing his intellect much.

he never could shake the desire to be useful, anyway. and lemm has loads of questions.

(lemm deliberately has new questions every day. nobody mentions this.)

anyway hollow is like. heyyyyy my sister's tutor guy!

can you uh

can you help me open this... door,,, ahaha,,,,,

hornet is stuck in there and she's not supposed to be...

(it is all nervous void chirping. quirrel and lemm have no idea what they're trying to say, it's just a jabbering of anti-sounds.)

lemm: quirrel is that the

quirrel: the statue

lemm: yes that

quirrel:

quirrel: yeah id say so. probably. maybe.

hollow can hit things decently well as a shade, but not write, so

they teach hollow some kind of buggy morse code thing. inspired by deepnest but not made by deepnest, because while it's sometimes too dark in deepnest for sign, it's... also too noisy in deepnest for a click code because of all the garpedes rumbling around

quirrel can't open the door either, it turns out. it's um. it needs a LOT of soul power. the mask thing opened it for a while, but the resealing shut it again. it's only going to open if you can remove all radiance traces, which would be. kind of difficult if you can't get in to smack her.

anyway, hollow goes to flop despondently at dirtmou- what are those tents

grimm's not too pleased about his grimmchild charm being stuck in there either

what is UP fellow vessel can i interest you in moth tales of a nail-less nail

owo? what's that?

so hollow and grimm scoot out to get the dream nail

first they try using it on grimm to wayfind to radiance from rhe nightmare heart's bit of the dream realm

doesn't work. realm's huge. like, stupidly huge. infinitely huge.

???

they find godseeker somehow and hollow has to do a no-hit perfect run to kill abs rad

at least those 1001 spells come in handy for once

hyah

they don't have the shade lord to literally eat the moth whole but he's got ol grimmboy to assist in tearing her into teeny tiny little shreds (sorry sis my SON) and steal her fancy dream crown (here you take it i got nightmares and that's good enough for me)

so radiance is banished from the unshadow realm i guess

she has to hastily put together a Real Body because boy howdy her dream-existence has been shredded

seer picks up a caterpillar(angry) and starts rehab

door open! siblings unbound! son badge retrieved! wahoo!

#hollow knight au #hollow knight #hollow knight thk #thk #it's hollow's turn to be a hero again #player one; it's your turn

[arklay]

2, 11, 22, 33 and 45 for the ewskers >:)

2. how's their team work? do they share well?

i'm going to be honest, i am not sure what this means exactly, so bear with me. if we are talking in terms of working on something together and sharing the responsibilities, then it depends. they are both very domineering personalities who like to do things their own way and be in control, so as you can imagine, this can be difficult at times. they typically agree a lot on the ways things should be handled, but when they don't it will take a while of them discussing it to figure out a compromise lmao but it's rare that they'll argue over it, turning it into more of a standstill than anything until either one of them stops being stubborn, or they see the other's idea in a different perspective. that's why, in general, they don't work on the same project, and when they do, they split the responsibilities and work on them on their own

there's a lot to this question though with them i feel, because that's me just thinking mainly of them working together on scientific projects, which they don't usually do – the only time being when they work on a certain project and are employed by a certain organisation... lmao that's so vague but i'm sure you know what i'm talking about – but if we're talking about little things, they're usually good at communicating and getting it done. but i did mention in the linked ask below that they literally can't cook together or one of them (or both honestly) will get irritated, and this is just because of that whole aspect of them both being control freaks. but with things like that, they do just laugh it off immediately afterwards. so general rule of thumb is to break up the work between them and try not to overpower the other, which they've gotten better with over time

11. do they celebrate holidays? anniversaries?

short answer: no. long answer: in terms of holidays, they don't celebrate any, but funnily enough, their first Definitely Not A Date was on christmas lmao i want to write this one day because it's actually really cute, but i'm always willing to scream about it (and anything with them) if asked in dms heheh but usually they don't really do anything for any holidays because to them, it's just another day. but if one of them has an idea for plans to spend time together that don't necessarily relate to the celebrations, they will make use of the public holiday or long weekend to do that

they typically don't make a big fuss about anniversaries either, because once again, just another day, but they do try and leave work on time for once and have a nice dinner together. or if their wedding anniversary falls on a weekend that year then yeah... um, perhaps a little something in the morning before he makes her breakfast in bed <3 but they almost always celebrate at home, and i feel like they mostly just reminisce about the events over the years. i'd say he is the one who usually does more though. he has a shockingly good memory so he remembers the dates of literally everything: when they met, their first date, first kiss, the day she told him she loved him then the day he said it back, when he proposed, when they got married etc etc and will always just whisper a little 'happy [this little thing] anniversary' in her ear when they're waking up

22. does their work ever interfere with the relationship?

for the most part, not really. i think because they are both such workaholics and so focused on their ambitions, they both knew what they were getting into when their relationship took a turn towards the romantic. their work was always going to come first, and their relationship second... until it didn't. when their work keeps one of them away from home for a few more hours, the other is more interested in what's made them so focused rather than if they're okay or not, though he is more prone to worrying about her (pre-infection), only considering she's been targeted multiple times by the organisations they've worked with and she doesn't have the level of combat training he does, or the almost invincibility granted to him by the prototype virus. but time away from each other due to their work never makes them question the strength of their relationship

however, the good old uroboros project was a whole other story. that almost broke their marriage, or at least almost changed it beyond repair, because i doubt they would ever split up, probably just stay together even if it turned loveless. and funnily enough, they were working on it together. his obsession with perfecting the virus and this ideal of becoming a god in a new world made them bicker more than they ever had, and it led to arguments they never would've had beforehand, all because they were spending so much time on their work that they forgot to check in with each other. they didn't discuss their feelings much anymore, or confide in one another, and for diana, she bottled things up because she didn't want to bother him and that led to emotional outbursts. they learn from this in the future though, and go back to how they were before

33. what kind of presents do they get each other? do they only do it on special occasions?

already answered!

45. any special dreams or goals they have as a couple? any heartbreaks? regrets?

already answered!

send me a ship and a number and i'll tell you!

#tysm bones ily!! 💖💖 once again i'm so sorry for how long my answers are lmao i am incapable of shutting up about them!! #pair: ewskers #oc: diana #asks. #nuclearstorms

[mrs-luigi-vargas]

"Does this look infected to you?"

< Prev | Next >

[AO3] | @sicktember

Kamek snapped his head up. “Who said that?”

Everyone quieted. 

Kamek was overseeing construction near the island’s major river this time. It was the second-to-last place to be set up for Bowser’s plan because the construction here had been waylaid days prior by the native aquatic life getting upset with their improvements. That disruption had been...taken care of, but Kamek figured having someone breathing down the workers’ necks to hurry things up would ease Lord Bowser’s crabby mood about the whole ordeal.

Kamek scanned the crowd, focusing on one particular group of minions staring back at him rather guiltily. Kamek had seen the names to those faces in the incident report filed about the Giant Blooper attack (Lord Bowser had been impressed at how they rushed in and handled the situation, especially since they were fresh). They were circled around one of their own, a Koopa who had a bandage wrapped around their arm and clearly thought Kamek was going to eat them alive (although it was probably the fever making them sweat and tremble so much).

Kamek marched over, grabbing the Koopa’s arm hard enough for them to wince at his grip. He unwrapped the stained bandages, revealing a sizable gash that looked very red, very swollen, and very painful.

Kamek swore, twisting the arm to get a better view of the wound.  “Of course this is infected, are you daft?” he snapped, shaking the arm slightly. The Koopa swayed listlessly with the movement. “You must be if you didn't get medical attention. When did you even get this?”

One of the Koopa’s companions, a Paragoomba girl, swallowed nervously, bobbing in the air. “Um... it was probably during the fight with the Giant Blooper a few days ago, s-sir.”

And now it would take more than a simple mushroom to fix this, thanks to this minion’s idiocy. These new recruits were ridiculous. “Honestly,” Kamek muttered harshly, pushing a pain-relieving spell into the Koopa’s arm, “how stupid can you lot be; don't they teach you better at your union meetings?”

“We might, we might not.” An older Lakitu floated up to them, frowning. “I think I can take it from here, sir.”

“Please do.” Kamek pushed the Koopa towards the Lakitu. “I’d better not see you working for the next week, at least,” he told them, getting a hesitant noise of assent before they followed the Lakitu to the medical tent.

With a long, weary exhale, Kamek turned his attention to the gathered crowd. “Anyone else hiding major injuries?” he asked them, one reproachful brow raised.

“...”

“...I got a splinter in my foot yesterday...”

Kamek sighed again. “Is it properly bandaged and cared for?”

“...Yeah.”

“Then congratulations, you have more of a brain than that other idiot, good for you.” Everyone was still staring at Kamek. He glared back. “What are you all standing around for —  get back to work!”

#sicktember 2022 #smb #super mario #kamek #looking up infected wound symptoms was...fun... #anyway! #mlv.fic

[4byssalprinc3]

A Heart to Heart - Diluc x Reader

Note: Okay, while this is technically a self-insert, the reader is still one of the Travelers, so sorry? A lot of this is dialogue too which is probably why it's so short. That or I'm just bad at writing lol. Anyway, have fun ig

 

Diluc sighed, slightly annoyed after how sour his day went. They're never going to learn to be more careful, are they?, he thought as he glanced in your direction.

You were sitting on the Winery's porch railing after a day's work helping out around the vineyard. Your hair was tangled and you were covered in dirt. You looked a little roughed up although it was mostly scratches. Yet, despite how much of an exhausted mess you were, you still somehow managed to be calm and content even after how hard you worked.

Diluc quickly retrieved a damp cloth and some small bandages and made his way over to you. It seemed his mere presence was significant enough for you to know he was there without looking or hearing anything

"Hey, Diluc," you said before you turned to face him. 

"Hello, Traveler," Diluc greeted while he processed the state you were currently in, now close enough to be able to see it in detail. You were almost caked in dirt and your usually golden-tinted hair looked more brown than blond(e) and it was a rat's nest at this point.

"Um, Diluc?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you staring at me?"

"You're a mess," he said, blatantly. 

"Oh, yeah. I guess I am," you chuckled before patting the spot next to you, "Care to join me?"

Diluc sat next to you, and showed you the cloth and bandages he had, "Do you mind?"

You gave him a friendly smile, "Not at all. What's with the bandages though?"

"I'd think that would be rather apparent."

You rolled your eyes, as if he were being silly, "Trust me, I'm fine. It's just a few scratches. The bandages are a little overkill, don't you think?"

"Considering the amount of dirt on you, it's better to take precautions. Especially since some of these 'scratches' broke the skin. You don't want them to get infected, do you?" he scolded as he started bandaging the scratches and scrapes that seemed worse than the others. Fortunately, there were very few of them. 

"No."

"Then don't ask questions."

"Okay, then."

There was a brief silence before Diluc spoke again.

"...So, those slimes must've been tough to fight, according to all the scratches and scrapes you’ve acquired. You were really struggling there," he teased.

"Hey! For your information, the sun was in my eyes."

"Right."

"It was! I could've easily beaten them otherwise," you pouted which quickly turned into giggling.

"Stop moving." 

"Oh right, sorry," you said with one last giggle. 

Once again it was quiet. As Diluc finished bandaging a pretty nasty scrape on your arm, he looked up and his breath caught for a moment. You were sitting peacefully, eyes closed while you took in the warmth of the setting sun as its reddish-orange glow shone on your skin. The sight of your serene figure was absolutely captivating as Diluc watched breathlessly, a warm and dreamy feeling lightly plucking at his heartstrings . 

You opened your eyes, causing Diluc to quickly look away from you.

"What do you like about me?"

"Pardon?" he replied somewhat panicked, although he hid it well.

"What do you like about me?"

"Uh, well—"

You cut him off, "You don't have to answer. I know it was a little out of left field."

"No, it's fine. Let's see, what do I like about you…"

He knew exactly what he wanted to say, but he couldn't let you know that, so he waited for a few seconds, trying to appear as though he were contemplating, "Well, for one, you're incredibly reckless and impulsive. You tend to be somewhat of a troublemaker. You can also be stubborn and temperamental..."

"Gee, thanks for the compliments," you sassed, facetiously. 

He glanced at you while you tried to blow your hair out of your face, only for it to fall back down again. He reached over to tuck it behind your ear before he continued, "However, you're also kind and generous. You're friendly and optimistic, as well as smart, and you're always ready to drop what you're doing to protect and help others when you can. I admire your determination and compassionate disposition."

You stared at him, clearly shocked and a bit flustered, "Oh. Um, thank you. I could uh— I could say the same about you."

Diluc chuckled halfheartedly, "I appreciate the praise, Traveler, though I don't feel I deserve it."

"Why?"

"I'm blunt, cynical, and I'm not exactly the friendliest person. I'm also judgmental and generally unsociable. Those aren't exactly ideal traits to have. Most often they repel other people."

"Well, it might seem like that to you, but I think a lot of people admire you. At least, I do. To be honest, I actually admire you a lot. It's kind of awesome that you can take down multiple abyss mages at once and you make it look so easy. You protect Mondstadt without wanting anything in return. You're a good person, Diluc," you touched his hand in an act of comfort, smiling softly, "You deserve all of the praise given to you. Be proud of it." 

"...Thank you."

"Of course," you stretched and hopped off the railing, followed by himself,

"Well, Mr. Darknight hero, it's getting pretty late and Paimon’s probably waiting for me, and she’s not exactly the patient type so I’d better get going. It was nice talking to you," you gave him a quick peck on the cheek, catching him off guard and waving goodbye as you ran back to Mondstadt.

Diluc blinked as he tried to process what just happened. A small smile sprouted on his face, I suppose this was a good day after all.

#diluc ragnivindr x reader #genshin self insert #genshin fanfic #oneshot #short oneshot #genshin impact

[under-sedationnn]

the arcana: main six reacting to injured! reader

anonymous: Could u do m6 reacting to mc coming home injured? I want some hurt/comfort >:))

Warnings: talk of being injured, blood. if that bothers you or tiggers you in anyway, please scroll away! i want this to be a safe place, only :)

thanks for the request anon!! i hope you enjoy!! <3 requests for the kissing prompts and physical affection prompts are STILL OPEN. please send them in with the character of your choice (which could be any character from any series i write for) and i will create an imagine!! thanks and happy reading!!

- tries his very very best to stay calm

- you can see panic bubbling under the surface

- faust is on high alert

- slithers around your shoulders and squeezes you for a hug

- "friend! hurt!"

- doesn't immediately ask what happened, just gets you to a comfortable place to be cleaned up

- then, and only then, will he brave to ask what happened to you

- or who did this to you

- wipes the blood from your skin with very gentle swipes

- winces when you wince, and apologizes profoundly

- "Y/n, how did this happen? i thought you were just taking a quick trip to the market."

- "i fell in the market, tripped over a stone"

- "and nobody helped you?"

- in this case he's disappointed with the bystanders, but does not become angry

- in a situation where someone hurt you?

- oh god

- "Y/n, how did this happen? i thought you were just taking a quick trip to the market."

- "yeah, well, somebody had their eye on the same apple i picked up. somehow, though, they managed to push me to the ground and steal it from my hands."

- i don't even think he would know what to say

- and asra is not really the type to march out into the streets of vesuvia and seek to challenge the one who hurt you

- but he would certainly hold a grudge against whoever it was if he did find out

- and would feel absolutely awful about letting you get hurt

- his mind would race about the possibility of losing you again

- because he simply can't handle it

- and what if that person had been particularly violent or malicious? what if you had been taken??

- you'd have to comfort the hell out of him to make sure he knows that you're okay

- "asra, hey, i'm fine! i can handle myself, you know that"

- "you're right, and i know you're right. it's just hard"

- "it's still hard for me, too. the market still makes me a little nervous and i got caught a little off guard, is all"

- that would make him feel better

- would finish patching up your wounds and would make sure to bring you to julian the next day if they were too bad for him to fix or needed stitches

- would also create a special brew to help with the pain and ease you to sleep

- "why don't i go down to the market tomorrow?"

- "why? so when you pick a fight over apples, i can pay you back for all of this high quality medical treatment?"

- "well of course, surely you didn't expect all this tender love and care to be free" *wink*

- panicked doctor mode enabled

- immediately begins checking you over, asking questions

- something tells me it would be a head injury of some sort

- "oh darling, what happe- you're bleeding!"

- "julian, i'm okay! it's just a little scratch"

- "no no no you might need stitches, come sit down. i'll go get my kit!"

- there's really no use in arguing

- he has cold ass hands, so he tries to warm them up before he begins suturing the wound

- tries to be gentle, and his expert hands move quickly without any snagging

- "so, how did this happen?"

- his voice is literally trembling

- "well, i was in the clinic grabbing the list of ingredients we need for our next grocery trip and there was a puddle of... something on the floor. i slipped and hit my head on the corner of your desk"

- immediately thinks it's his fault

- like "oh shit i should have cleaned better that could have killed y/n and then what would i have done-"

- doesn't necessarily voice this, but you can tell by the silence that follows that he's feeling really guilty

- would kneel for you, head on your knees

- "y/n, i am so sorry"

- "juli, it's really okay, i should have watched where i was going"

- "i'll make sure to clean better from now on, okay?"

- would guard you throughout the night in case of concussion

- nurse juli <3

- but let's say someone had put their hands on you

- would patch you up the same way, and apologize profusely for not being there with you

- tuck you into bed and fetch mazelinka to keep an eye on you throughout the night incase of a concussion

- would most definitely be self destructive and seek that mf out

- maybe not successfully, but would try his hardest

- "i'll be back in the morning, get some rest"

- "I can find them myself if I want to, you know"

- embarrassed blush

- because he KNOWS you can take care of yourself

- "of course, but right now you're hurt. as your partner, i will do what must be done on your behalf darling"

- probably shows up the following morning with battle scars of his own

- the guards found you in the garden, passed out in the maze

- blood trickled down your arm, a large gash marking your bicep

- ran you up to the palace and immediately to the medical wing

- them]n nadia gets word

- the calm, collected queen act disappears

- abandons anything she's doing, anybody she's talking to

- "we will finish this at a different time, i have more important matters to attend to"

- she is so worried and it's honestly adorable

- very much giving "where tf are they?" energy

- god i love her so much

- anyways um

- asks the nurses over and over what happened, if you're okay, etc.

- watches the physicians and nurses like a hawk as they clean the wound and suture the cut

- and they're so intimidated lmao they never come face to face with her literally ever

- brushes your hair back from your face as they do so

- holds your hands

- would demand that you be brought to her sleeping chamber

- so that's where you wake up! how cute

- she's laying beside you, her brows furrowed

- maybe even her eyes are a little hazy

- "y/n, sweetheart, do you remember what happened?"

- patiently waits for your answer, you're still a little groggy

- you were either attacked by an animal and passed out from the fright

- or you were attacked by an armed person and was knocked out

- either way, the guards are on it

- nadia isn't letting whoever or whatever did this get away without a fight

- the palace is meant to be a safe haven for you

- for the both of you

- "well, don't you worry, we'll take care of that"

- you try to sit up but she won't let you

- "oh no, you must stay down, y/n. you are possibly concussed from the fall"

- "oh okay, sorry"

- "is there anything i can get you?"

- the countess of vesuvia, serving you in your time of need

- "just some water would be nice"

- "of course, i'll have some brought up right away"

- i literally feel like he would just start crying straight up

- cause like he has some problems anyway

- he big sad boi

- and you coming home to the hut bleeding from a gash in the arch of your foot is not helping

- picks you and carries you to the bed without a word

- just starts examining the cut

- inanna is also very concerned

- she licks the blood from the cut, she's trying to be helpful

- meanwhile muriel is stumbling around the hut looking for anything to stop the bleeding, disinfect it, bandage it, anything

- but he's not the best about keeping that stuff in stock

- keeps looking back at you with worry in his eyes

- he doesn't know what to do

- "muriel, let me see if i can contact asra. maybe he or julian can bring me a salve. i'm pretty sure i'm gonna need stitches"

- low-key makes him feel worse

- cause he feels like he's unable to care for you and keep your safe

- even tho this was just an accident

- he's breathing really fast, his anxiety creeping

- agrees anyway, but goes to get them himself

- "i'll be back soon, just keep this piece of cloth pressed against it"

- cause you're bleeding like a lot

- inanna stays behind

- he returns very quickly with julian in tow, though he doesn't look happy about it

- leaves the hut without another word

- julian gets to work immediately

- "so, you cut your foot i see"

- smartass.

- "yeah, muriel always tells me to put on shoes when i walk in the woods but i love to feel the grass beneath my feet"

- julian chuckled at this

- "and i'm assuming you, what, stepped on a rock?"

- "...yeah, sliced it right open"

- after julian is done cleaning up the cut, he tells you to just stay off of it for a while and make sure it doesn't get infected

- once he's gone, muriel trudges back into the hut

- "muriel, baby, it was just a cut it's not a big deal"

- but his eyes look hurt, and you beckon him toward the bed

- "hey," your hands on his cheeks, "i'm okay, really"

- "sorry, i just got scared. blood is still a trigger for me and since you got hurt in my woods, i felt like it was my fault"

- "muriel, of course it wasn't your fault"

- he really needed a hug

- after this instance, he made sure to keep medical supplies in the hut and you promised to try and wear shoes in the woods more often than not

- "i'll try my best to be more careful. deal?"

- sweet lil smile

- "deal."

- "oh my god, y/n, what the hell happened??"

- you were tending the garden

- without her supervision

- and the garden sheers might have sliced into the palm of your hand

- deep

- brings you over to the sink and runs water over the cut, covering it with a towel when the dripping blood had been washed away

- girl is on the move

- cause she knows what to do! love that

- low-key a main reason why julian managed to live as long as he has

- pepi is curiously perched atop one of the counters, peering down

- finds her personal first aid kit she had stashed in the bathroom

- guides you over to sit on the counter while she tries to figure out what to do

- "damn, you really cut yourself, y/n"

- "sorry! i think i just got a little carried away"

- she giggles at that, though she is still worried about the fact that it won't stop bleeding

- gently wraps the cut in gauze and adheres it together

- places a kiss to your fingertips

- "all done! no more gardening for you!"

- "hey, why not?"

- "well you don't want that cut to open back up again and again, do you?"

- "no"

- "alright then," she smiled, moving to put away the first aid kit again, "and we're going up to the palace medical wing first thing tomorrow morning to make sure it's not infected"

- eye roll

- "yes ma'am" you mocked

- even though you know it's just because she loves you

- "but since you got hurt, you want me to bake you some cookies?"

- "only if you let me eat the dough!"

- good god do i love this man

- but he is so self-absorbed it's actually insane

- and I feel like he wouldn't even notice at first

- cause he's too focused on himself

- gazing into the mirror without a care in the world when you walked in

- "y/n, thank goodness you're home, how do you feel about these pants?"

- you just hobbled to the nearest seat, hand resting over the gash on your knee

- mercedes and melchior were lazing across a rug at the base of his mirror, their attention set on you

- "u-um, yeah, they look good"

- literally just trying not to bleed out, over here

- "good? oh really, now, y/n don't they look amazing?"

- "yes, they look ama- ow, damnit"

- then he turned around

- immediate shock and worry! oh no oh no y/n is hurt!

- mercedes and melchior walked over first, whining as they took in the cut, brushing around the edges

- lucio raced over, squatting down in front of you, and began examining the cut

- "hey, hey, what happened?"

- "i accidentally tripped on my walk in the garden and scraped my knee on the cobblestone"

- he was lightly touching around the cut, gauging how sensitive it was

- when you flinched he stopped, looking into your eyes with a soft "sorry"

- "i think i need to go to the palace infirmary"

- "oh there's no need, i can take care of you!"

- you were not convinced he could take care of you, at least not well

- "uh, lucio, are you sure?"

- he looked slightly offended, at that

- "you know, y/n, i did fight in battles at one point. i have not only tended to my own wounds, but the wounds of others, as well"

- you giggled at the thought

- "much to your protest, though, i'm sure"

- he moved to the small cabinet of medical supplies in the ensuite to your bedroom, returning to your side with it in hand

- "at points, but i don't mind helping you in the slightest"

- for all of his antics, his soft side was enough to make you fall in love all over again

- and although i know he would take care of you in literally any situation, i can't say for certainty that he would stick around and place nurse lucio for long if a person had hurt you

- attacked you

- much like nadia, the guards would be sent out without a second thought, lucio leading the pack in the search for you aggressor

#the arcana nadia #the arcana julian #the arcana #the arcana imagines #the arcana headcanons #the arcane game #the arcana lucio #nadia the arcana #the arcana asra #asra the arcana #lucio montag #count lucio #lucio #portia devorak #portia headcanons #muriel the mountain man #muriel x mc #the arcana muriel #muriel