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00-hawkboi-00 · 8 months

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War is Over (and what have we done?)

Part One

Paring; Graves x m!reader

Word Count; ~3.3k

Warnings; slight mention of s/h in beginning. For like 2 sentences. A side character is in a coma.

A/n; Another installment already? So soon? It's more likely than you'd think. (also the title was orig. something else, but it was too long so I changed it. So enjoy this ref to that one depressing Christmas song lol.)

--- "code orange" ---

You were the acting Commander of Shadow Company. After the retreat from Las Almas, you and the other Shadows had been left without a leader. So, seeing as you had been second in command since the company had begun, you were indirectly assigned the position. It wasn't exactly something the others gave much thought to; you just happened to be there, barking orders of retreat when the fire caught.

Eleven months later, and here you were. Sitting at a cold, metal desk in a chair that squealed with every movement.

Almost forty-seven weeks after that nightmare had landed you back at home base. A little duller than you remembered, but it was still standing and it wasn't born from the seeds of betrayal. It was yours, it had always belonged to you and the others. That's all that mattered, you told yourself. They were still standing, just like this old, dusty facility, and that is all that counted.

Three-hundred-thirty-four and a half days since you had dug a virgin blade into the back of someone almost considered a friend, and had withdrawn sin instead. You fiddled with that blade now. Between burnt fingertips, singed with the flames of betrayal. Your usual gloves were discarded for this.. ritual of sorts; balancing the knife from finger to finger, slipping it between webbing. Watching it, feeling that cool metal against your mutilated skin, seeing your hidden reflection thrown back at you. You should have left it buried in his flesh, left it back in a whole other country. You hadn't.

Over eight thousand hours have passed, and you hadn't gotten far. Lounging in your familiar yet foreign office, the sharp edge of a blade pressing much too close to scarred, unfeeling palms. The only evidence that it was even there was found in the crimson droplets landing in muted thud's on your desk.

Four hundred and eighty-one thousand, eight hundred and one minutes after the fact and you had an untouched stack of recruitment papers piling up somewhere to your left. Forms you had yet to even make a conscious effort to flip through, even though the choice to reopen enlistments had been your own. Just the mere sight of that new, friendly face smiling on top of the mountain of documents had you grimacing. The bright image plastered there, far too optimistic for your taste, only brought back memories. Memories of other faces. Other names. Names that are lost, but never forgotten. Not to you. One shiny-new recruit could never fill the void of dozens of expertly trained, heartbreakingly familiar war-hardened soldiers.

An ungodly amount of seconds later and here you sat, in all your unholy, defaced glory. With burn scars traveling from the tips of your fingers and along your forearms. Over time you had found that a particularly nasty scar covering parts of your throat and consuming the edges of your jaw often brought back memories you weren't too fond of. It wasn't unusual to wear a mask when on a mission, all the Shadows did, but these days you would never be caught alive without that secure piece of cloth. Concealed and buried deep under, just like your disfigured hands.

So much time had passed, but it never felt like enough.

The first call of a mourning dove is what kick-starts your morning. Sleep wasn't a thing you did often these days, so you would wait in your office after tossing and turning in your bed for who knows how long. Doing the same little ritual every day before daybreak, before that first sorrowful trill.

Then, now that it was socially acceptable for you to, you would exit your office. Chin held high and every inch of skin–apart from the, thankfully, untouched flesh of your upper face–covered, shrouded in black.

Now that your Shadows were beginning to stir, the first part of your morning routine started with you making rounds. Giving a light knock to each metallic door, rousing them from the lingering remnants of sleep.

Once you were finished with that, you'd swing by each place where an exhausted Shadow was stationed. And–with the knowledge that they'd be replaced pretty soon–you would quietly relieve them from their duties. Allowing them to get a few more hours of sleep before the liveliness of the facility was in full swing.

With a murmured; "thanks, Lt." They'd be on their way.

After that, you'd swing by the mess hall and grab a protein bar. Making your way down to medical you would try your damnedest to keep the paranoia-ridden thoughts at bay. Thoughts like he was probably dead. Had died while you were away and you weren't there to see him pass. You ignored them because, just like every other day, when you made it back to his bedside; he was still breathing.

Shadow 0-9. Or, to his friends, Viper. One of the few from your original squad who had made it out of that godforsaken city alive. Well, barely. He was hooked up to various beeping machines, numerous tubes running in and out of his body. You weren't well versed in the knowledge of medical terminology, but you knew the main tube stuck down his throat was hooked up to a ventilator. The main thing keeping him breathing. Assisting his weak lungs in the seemingly daunting task.

Other than the medical tools keeping him breathing and his body stable, there was the–in your humble opinion–excessive amount of medical tape and bandages wrapped around practically his entire body. A near-fatal concussion. Several broken bones. Including, but not limited to, ribs, a wrist, mandible, femur, and humerus. In other words; the entire left side of his body was a mangled mess. A light dusting of his own fair share of burn wounds littered his body, but they weren't extreme and most likely wouldn't scar too badly. The same couldn't be said for you.

Some of the medics had joked that it was a miracle he was still alive. You hadn't laughed.

So there you sat. Watching his comatose sleeping form, nibbling at the protein bar you'd taken from mess. You'd sit there watching waiting for a few hours, guarding him from nothing in particular. There was nothing here that could hurt him. You trusted your medical staff, and they knew how important he was. How important all of your Shadows were. So, really, there was no reason for you to worry. No reason for you to sit here, watching over a man who barely even thought of you as a friend anymore.

But there was a tiny portion of your brain that told you as long as you were here, protecting him, he was untouchable. As if your mere presence was enough to keep the hands of death from reaching out and claiming his already half-dead body.

You could only sit there for so long before the intrusive thoughts became too much and your backside grew numb from sitting in that, frankly hard as hell, metal chair. With one last glance at him, you'd stand, turn around, throw your half-eaten protein bar away, and leave. Not even uttering a goodbye to the fresh morning staff before you were halfway through the door.

Next on your daily schedule was supervising afternoon drills. There had been a prolonged period of time after you all's return that these fields had been empty, the shooting range void of any life, and even the well-frequented gym was dead silent. With over half of the crew injured and the other half too shell-shocked to pick up a weapon or throw a punch, training had come to a standstill. But now, several grueling months later, the grounds were filled with bodies once more.

You didn't join in on the activities much these days. Preferring to train alone, usually when everyone else was asleep and under the blanket of night. But you found a bit of reprieve in watching. A small part of you settled at the sight of your Shadows performing their old drills, laughing and joking around with each other during breaks. It felt almost like old times. It reminded you that–while you'd lost more soldiers than you could sanely count–there was still good here. That they were alive and well, and not attached to an ungodly amount of life-stabilizing medical equipment.

You preferred them laughing without restraint–even if that meant you were a little lax on the rules he had put in place–over the sight of them bed bound to a thin, uncomfortable cot.

When afternoon training lulled to an end, you would silently take your leave. Not even glancing at the now-crowded mess hall–you should probably hire more staff, especially if there would soon be fresh recruits joining in soon–you would head straight for your office once more. Head up in the clouds–rainy, dark grey clouds.

You hated how familiar these walls were. How you could still hear the laughter of long-since dead soldiers lingering behind every corner. Their voices haunted you. It's what kept you up at night. Well, that and the unrelenting burn of your otherwise dead flesh.

The med team had said it should stop soon. They had even sent you on your way with a tube of burn cream. Something about nerve endings needing to scar over. That, besides an itching now and again, your marred skin should heal over pretty well over the course of a few months.

That had been a week after your return to base, and the tube had long since been used months ago. It still burned, still felt like you were surrounded by that scalding metal. Like you could still feel those flames melting your skin, even through your uniform, that acrid smoke scorching your heaving lungs.

You didn't think to mention this to the med staff. They had enough on their hands as it was, they didn't need you taking up their valuable time on top of it.

They had had to peel the cloth off your body. The mixture of nylon and cotton had melted, welding itself to your burning flesh. You'd been bed-bound for weeks. After that, though it was strongly encouraged you stayed still, you had had enough and we're walking around the base with the top half of your body wrapped in an excessive amount of gauze. It's not like they could stop you, after all.

Since you and the others had returned, missing a large chunk of the team that had gone with–including a certain someone no one had dared to mention–, not a single person had said a word against you. None of them questioned your authority. Not even the most hard-headed, he-who-shall-not-be-named loyal soldiers had opened their mouths. You had that going for you at least.

Now, pushing open your office door, it was time for the most dreadful time of your day. You had spent months getting your team back together and making sure everyone was at an acceptable level of okay before you made the company's presence known again. You had begun reasserting your credibility with other organizations, strengthening ties with old allies. No one else was going to do it, so it may as well have been you.

It was several, several more months after that when you had taken the step to reopen communications with the very team you had backstabbed. More time after that for their leader, the Captain himself, to even acknowledge your attempts at lending an olive branch.

After all of that, he had finally agreed to speak to you. And only you. His only prerequisites were that you were only to communicate with him directly and that you had no connections with the supposed dead man and the General. The Captain had required proof that the old commander was no longer in your ranks–you couldn't offer confirmed death, but several invasive questions later were enough for him. Failure to comply with these demands–and on the impossible chance he was alive–was followed by an unspoken threat of your untimely death.

Insurance. He'd called it.

So, here you were. Sitting in front of your laptop and waiting for that god-awful video call, hoping you would be able to salvage the shredded remains that were your allyship with task force 141. A bond that had been clawed apart and mutilated by your own sinful hands.

The ringtone pierced through the deafening silence of the room, ice-cold dread clutches at your chest and your body seizes. It takes you far too long to uncurl your clenched fist–a blank icon along with the phrase Capt. Price blinking on the screen–and urge a gloved finger to press that button and accept the call.

The fuzzy, pixelated screen eventually smoothes out and suddenly you have lost the ability to talk. You had never spoken to this man before, outside of encrypted emails.

"Evening, Lieutenant." His graveled, British voice echoes through the speaker. You had never even directly traded words with him in person, a silent shadow–hah–behind that arrogant man. An observer. Not much of a talker.

"You alright there?" He's obviously sitting in his own office. That wooden desk and warm-toned background is a high contrast to your own metal desk and dull, grey theme. "Lieutenant?"

"Jus'-" your accent had a habit of sneaking out of that latched box of professionalism when anxiety flooded your veins. You cleared your throat with a small cough to correct it. "Just peachy, Captain."

An awkward silence lulls on. This is why you didn't do this. You had always been a trusted soldier, well-versed in various strategies of combat. You could clear a room of unfriendlies with only your favorite blade without breaking a sweat. But this? You didn't do this. Communication. The very idea of it sent your mind reeling, all coherent thoughts scrambling.

"Good." Ohthankgod. "Now, are you ready to begin?"

"Affirmative, sir." Ew. Why did you sound like that? All… strained and unnatural. As if you were a robot imitating a human, or an alien occupying a body for the first time.

"Very well." The sound of some papers shuffling and a chair adjusting emit from his side of the call. "So we have already established that Gra-"

"The old commander." You quickly, and unthinkingly, interject. You internally cringe at your reflex reaction and you're about to apologize when the Captain says;

"Right. The old commander. The hopefully deceased commander."

"I cannot say for sure that he is, Captain." You really can't. There was a lot of fire. A lot of blood. "But I can confirm he does not reside with us any longer."

"And where would that be?"

"I'd rather not discuss this topic, sir." Ah, yes. Tell him the location of you and your Shadows. That sounded like a perfectly safe and wise decision.

"Of course." A beat of silence. "On to other matters then. Would you say your team has-"

A frantic knock at your door halts his question. You don't mute the call, but you do give a slight raise of your hand. For professionalism's sake, you wouldn't typically answer the door. But this sounded urgent. Hardly anyone ever knocked.

Looking up from your laptop, you call out a clipped; "Come in."

Venn opens the door quickly, barely catching it from slamming against the wall behind it. Her eyes are wide with panic, breathing slightly labored. Fear grips your heart and your already tense body goes eerily rigid.

She's about to open her mouth when you give a pointed look back down at your laptop and the in-progress video call. Venn nods slightly in acknowledgment and takes a moment to calm herself.

"Lieutenant." She says, voice level and stiff.

"Is there something wrong, 2-1?" You do your best to keep your own tone even but damnit it's taking everything in you not to launch to your feet and into action. You don't even know the problem yet.

"There's…" Venn takes a second to think, breathing deeply through her nose. "We've got a.. we've got ourselves a code orange, sir."

You inhale sharply through clenched teeth.

"A code orange. Are you certain, 2-1?"

"Yes." Her quick reply. You nod and look back down to the waiting man on the screen.

"Sorry, Captain." You grit out. "But I'm 'fraid we'll have to reschedule."

"Tomorrow then?" He looks suspicious of your behavior, even more, concerned with the words you and your Shadow had shared. You couldn't worry about that right now. Not with a fucking code orange.

"Sure." You slam the end call button with a little more pressure than necessary. Poor keyboard. It was a surprise the damned thing was still running.

When the Captain's image closes and disappears from your screen, you jump to your feet.

"Are you sure?" You ask again as you stalk around your desk. Venn moves out of the way to allow you to exit your office, hurrying to catch up to you as you don't stop. You don't even know where you're heading.

"Where?"

Those implemented codes had never actually been used before. This was a first. No one knew what to do with themselves.

"The front gate, sir." Her voice trembles–hell, her whole body is shaking–and there's obviously something she's not telling you. You don't press for more. You will find out soon enough.

"The front gate?"

A fucking code orange.

"Yes."

An intruder.

You both more or less start jogging after that. She doesn't expand further. Simply half walk-half running by your side.

It takes a few minutes to make your way down to the first level of the facility–and that's far too much in your opinion. Every second that went by was a second you didn't know what was happening. A second out of your control. What if someone was hurt? Dead? Was the intruder attacking? Was it someone you knew? An outsider? Maybe just a lost tourist. This far away from the city made that last one very unlikely.

You push through the final door that leads to the front lawn and slow your pace to an assertive walk. It wouldn't do you well to let the unknown subject know their presence was a major concern for you. You didn't want to give them that pleasure.

Venn leaves your side to join–when the hell did they all get outside??–the alarmingly large grouping of your Shadows at the gate.

When she gets there and announces your arrival to the first Shadow she sees, they all turn to look at you. It takes you being a couple of feet from the group for the man she had whispered to to speak.

"Lieutenant." Kip sighs, raising both hands out in a placating manner. There's a certain wariness in his tone you aren't too fond of. "Don't panic. Lemme just preface this by saying-"

"Show me." You had no time for pleasantries.

Another sigh. "As you wish."

The sea of soldiers parts, giving you a front-row seat to the person standing in the middle of the opened gate.

A person you had never thought you'd see again. Never wanted to see again. Especially not smiling.

"Hey, there, Pha-"

"Detain him." It's a simple command. And your Shadows follow without a second thought. As you had mentioned; no one questioned your authority.

He lets himself be grabbed. Excessive ties around his wrists, strained a little more roughly behind his back than necessary. They herd him away quickly and silently, not uttering a word.

"What are you gonna do, sir?" Venn, very hesitantly–shifting her weight from side to side–asks.

"Whatever is necessary."

So much time had passed,

Midnight laughs, shared glances, desperate touches, breathy gasps, skin on skin-

But it was never enough.

___

Masterlist | Next

___

@cptg00s3 @ruthgrimxiao @20nerd04-blog @gloma08 @mikahrh @in-down @hauntedapplefarm

If you want to be added to the tag list, let me know in the comments!

I figured I'd tag y'all just in case. I know it's probably not the fic you were expecting, but it's a part of the same AU and their paths with eventually cross. If you don't wanna be tagged for this fic in particular let me know! ^-^

#call of duty #cod x male reader #male reader #call of duty x male reader #call of duty x reader #reader insert #graves x male reader #phillip graves

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concert-bflat · 1 year

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I need to rant about Ivan guys guys I neeed to rant about Ivan (<--- keeps trying to write fics of him but Never finishes him) like God this man is so gay and so in love it genuinely hurts it Hurts and I am Injured by it and the imagrey is Sooo Good (and Yes this is probably me just parroting stuff Everyone has already said before but shut up it's my turn now!! (aka please I've been holding in these thoughts for Months now I must let them out of their cage before one of them Dies)) [Edit I am Not fucking proofreading this I spent 2 hours on it if there is a mistake you Imagined it </3]

Just like,

You can see it in the way he sees the stars in Till. His own hopes for freedom and the only real light in this world that he lost sight of in Till. He is the hope and wish for freedom that he has shut away and repressed and it makes him fall So Hard

Or how you only really see that red in his eyes (after. Almost Dying) when he's with or singing/thinking about how Till has Inspired him, like a fire has been lit inside him. A fire lit in the darkness. . hmm...

even at the end of the song, where he knows full well that he absolutely Crushed his opponent and also knows full well that Till is his next one. I'm sick. I'm so sick.

Or like. When he frees Till and everything is just Engulfed in that red now. How Till has that same fire in his eyes, he and Ivan are on the same page now. They see that same hope for freedom and they both share it. They're running towards the light (like the sky's lighter there, more on that in a sec), hell, the corners of the right side of the screen are literally tinted in LIGHT GREEN. Till's color. God dammit the whole scene is tinted in red and green. They are literally Complementary Colors. I'mmm soooooooo (God these scenes are soo pretty too I was genuinely Stunned when I first saw this)

DID YOU EVEN NOTICE I ONLY NOTICED NOW the Stars are fucking green. You can see it better in some of the Later Images but they are Literally Green because Ivan sees the stars in Till and uuuughsdfbshb

OR LIKE WHEN TILL TURNS BACK?? AND. And that red is no longer in his eyes and before The Realization hits Ivan his eyes are just Glowing with red. Because he was just Filled with that hope. Freedom was, potentially, Right There

Did you guys even notice in that like. 5 frames in the half-second animation of Till turning away he's totally engulfed in his shade of green. Like of Course. That's such a Till thing to do because of Course he's running back he never actually liked Ivan that way in the first place.

And also the lighting of the sky Flips. Because the light has always been with Till. And Ivan's left in the darkness. In the. Haha. Ha. Black Sorrow. Aha *sits down cries*

And Again with this mf's stupid eyes how they revert to just black because that hope's been stripped away again, how it's even reflected in his present self singing as he reminisces on it. Fucking. Ivan's Expression when Till runs away.T here's so fucking much like the irony. Like did he even see Till hesitate or did he just see him turn and run away.

Like the irony that the guy who's always breaking the rules and fighting and defying and clearly hating living in a world like this won't run away with him, who has always been passive and obeying the rules and just accepting captivity and has been repressing his desire for freedom is so Bitter and Awful but also he always Knew this would happen what the Hell was he thinking this was such a stupid idea like

this man gets No Breaks No Breaks Ever oh yeah btw they're facing off against each other in a literal Death Match. That they might've had a Chance of avoiding if they ran away. Ahah. Hh *sob*

Also this art brings me so much Joy as much as it hurts me on a visceral level like. Ivan Always has his eyes on Till but it goes from a fond smile. Like So Fond flat out lovestruck affectionate gaze because he loves this man and loves spending time with him to a grimace once they're on stage. How Till never really changes or really Has Changed, and that's why Ivan loves him as much as he is resentful towards him. How that's what brought them here, to the stage. How Ivan changed for Till and Because of Till but still Till is like a god damn immovable object with how he stubbornly sticks to his ways. There's such resentment but isn't he himself also stubborn for always sticking to Till anyways? Hell, he's singing all about him in Round 3 and loses control over his own emotions and expressions during it I'mmm Guhhh

Also the first image is titled Observation while the second one is titled Decision(? I think). Like mf What are you deciding. What happened Last Time you decided to do something I'm going to punt you into the next planet

Speaking of observing,

Just. How Ivan's Always Observing. I saw one person point out he's like a background character and it's like he sees himself as one too. He is a passive observer in his Own Life. How he watches all the other children in Anakt garden play. How his childhood leading him to Anakt Garden just kind of. Happens around him while he watches indifferently.

How he's always trailing behind Till. Or how he tends to just. Observe quietly and is portrayed as such.

Not to mention how he doesn't appear in the memories of Anyone else's rounds, not even Till's, even when he literally (temporarily) freed him from the city. He doesn't even appear At All in Luka's round even though we get a clear shot of Till getting his hopes and dreams shattered (though it Does parallel another shot of him from Round 2)

And then the One Times he tries to take action. Or start something. It gets rejected and he's resigned to just. Trailing behind again. Because of Course he'll always follow after Till. And of Course he's fucking bitter about it and bitter about himself because he Knew this would happen and Till is Always looking at someone else and that Never Changes but. He just thought for a moment that he could change something. Man.

Oh I forgot to talk about the competitions themselves huh? Wellll, (and I'll Attempt to keep it brief because I've been writing this post for Much too long but)

Till spends his first round singing completely devotedly to Mizi. Hell, his song wasn't even in the program, it's likely- no, almost definitely something he wrote entirely for her, and Ivan has no part in it, just watches bitterly as he passes out after his, er, stunt at the end

And continues to be passed out for almost the entirety of Ivan's song

Oh but he woke up for the emotional/musical climax at least, going over Ivan's most important memory of them together, that's cool at least right?! Surely Till felt something from that

Maybe they can talk something out, or at least acknowledge their relationship in Some way. Maybe Ivan could at least be seen by Till-

Aaand Till's Actual love interest Supposedly gets shot and now he probably thinks she's dead. His attention is turned to her once again, like it's always been from the start. He never really changes huh?

Better luck next time Ivan--

Just. This mf Never Wins and it makes me Laugh as much as it makes me So Sad

Gets hopes and dreams and future crushed by aliens (standard stuff). Sold off in an auction. Put in prestigious singing school and up to that point he hasn't really cared about Anything and has simply been going through the motions.

Meets boy that basically embodies the freedom and hope he used to have. Falls badly in love. Boy loves someone else. Tries to free him and give him the thing he'd surely want most. Rejected. Back to school you go loser.

Oh btw this school is to train you for a competition to the death. Btw you're facing off against that boy you love in the semi-finals of said death competition. And you might kill him or he'll kill you. Because you didn't run away when you had the chance.

Also he didn't sing or think about you at all during his round. In fact I'm pretty sure he wrote a whole ass song that wasn't even registered in the Alien Queue or whatever for someone else. Also he probably has hardly looked at you. Also he was unconscious for almost the entirety of your song. Except for the part where you lost control of your emotions.

Oh but that doesn't matter now because now he thinks the person He likes was just killed. So he's kiiinda gonna be distracted by that. And that might fuck up your round with him. Sorry man

This was Originally a rant about how much I love Black Sorrow's imagery and the portrayal of Ivan's love because this man clearly has Complex Emotions and then Kinda derailed into me just ranting about how many L's he's being handed before getting the executioner's blade. Uhhhhh oops. Congrats on sticking to the end though?

I just love Ivan very much. He is So Bitter and so Horribly In Love and looks up to and is inspired by Till So Much and I wish people explored him on a deeper level/more personally.

I wish I saw more deep looks at Ivan/Till, there's clearly Complicated Things going on there. Hell, we don't even know what Till's pov on the whole thing is aside from that One scene of him hesitating before running away from Ivan. As much as I love fluffy interpretations of them, I (did I mention that I'm an angst addict btw. Could You Tell) wish all their Complexities could be acknowledged. Like how Ivan Clearly puts Till on such a spotlight and it is Such a downfall for him through and through and he Kinda knows it but also What Else does he Have and he really looks up to him Sooo Much (just. Look at them in that official art of them in Anakt Garden !!!) and deep down just wants to run away from this horrible place and wants to run with Till, the Light of his life the fire in the darkness the fucking stars the universe his black sorrow just. Oh My God I need to end this post already I was supposed to be studying but spent those 2 hours Writing instead

But anyways yeah uuhhh long story short? This guy is a gay loser. He tries to look sooo cool and smooth but he is suuuch a gay lovestruck loser and his rose tinted glasses are so thick he can't see shit (I'm pretty sure I quoted that from something (but also no genuinely when I first got into alnst after just watching the first 3 rounds videos and saw Ivan in official art I was So Surprised like "Oh he's actually That kind of mf that tries to look Cool and Hot but is actually just Pathetic and Sad and Gay I thought he was Just Sad and Gay")) he's probably also touchstarved as hell idk and his love is doomed by the narrative (unless Hyuna saves his and Till's asses. Buuut we'll see </333)

Love ya Ivan keep taking L's <3333 mwah

#alien stage #alnst #ivan alien stage #till alien stage #ivantill #tillvan #character analysis #oh my god i spent like 2 hours onthis #i was supposed to be studyinnnggg #and now i need to go to sleep like asap #god damn you ivan #this is karma. but fr this guy just Keeps Losing it's so sad and funny #number 1 homosexual loser <3 #i love this stupid little gay man with his dumb red eyes and his stupid tiny fang #dumbass /affectionate #touchstarved dumbass #okay i need to shut up now #thank you for humoring me alnst fandom

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tj-dragonblade · 2 months

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[FLUFFBRUARY FICLET] Before I Go

Rated: G Word Count: 849 Tags: Fluffbruary, Fluffbruary 2024, fluff, sap, established relationship, Hob Gadling loves Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Dream of the Endless | Morpheus loves Hob Gadling, kisses, parting is such sweet sorrow, flower symbolism

Fluffbruary Prompts: Day 16 neighbor desire horse Day 17 magazine tactile curtains Alt prompts: evening, caress

Additional inspiration taken from a couple of these kisses

Title credit and musical accompaniment: Before I Go by Yanni (Spotify link)

Summary: Season-of-Mists-style visit, some time later in their relationship

On AO3

It is a lush and expansive garden where Hob finds himself on a beautiful summer evening—flowers climbing the trees and blooming in every direction, nocturnal birds twittering their songs in the branches overhead, crickets chirping accompaniment in the undergrowth. The stars twinkle brightly in the blue-velvet sky and the moon shines full and brilliant, a silvery wash of illumination over the landscape. The path under Hob's feet winds between flower beds and lovely stone borders, toward a burbling stream running musically beneath the trailing branches of a willow tree. He follows along to a little wooden bridge arching over the stream and across, to a decadent little bower of trellises wreathed in climbing ivy and dripping with twilight-purple wisteria.

There's a familiar figure waiting there for him, and he smiles as he draws near. "Hello, love."

"Hello, Hob." Dream's eyes glitter softly like the stars, just as dark and depthless as the sky, just as beautiful. The moonlight illuminates him like a work of art, pearlescent skin and raven-feather hair, smoke-shadow robes draping him in regal refinement. He looks ready to hold court, to receive an audience, and Hob is awestruck all over again that this unfathomably powerful otherworldly creature deigns to be his friend, to be so much more; to accept his affections, to return them. He is so very lucky, and he knows it.

He looks up at Dream, who is currently half a head taller than him, and he can feel the fondness shining in his own eyes. "I'm not awake, am I."

"No." Dream's tiny little smile is both affectionate and regretful. "I apologize for usurping your dream; there is something I must attend to that will keep me away for some time. I did not wish to leave without making you aware."

Hob furrows his brow. "It's not Hell again, is it?"

"No. Nor do I anticipate any danger or risk to myself, my realm, but there may be. Delays. In resolving the matter."

Hob knows better than to ask for specifics in this sort of thing when Dream has not given them, regardless of how curious he may be. "Will Matthew be with you?"

"Yes."

"Then I know you're in good company and I'll hear from you if needed." He wishes, in some deep fundamental part of himself, that he could accompany Dream on these sorts of errands, but in this also he knows better. There are so many things in existence that are far beyond what his immortal-but-still-mundane mind can comprehend.

Dream steps forward, closer. "Dearest Hob. I would bring you with me, were it advisable. But as it is not—" he lifts a hand to Hob's face, touches him in the gentlest caress "—I will bid you farewell, and promise to return as soon as is feasible."

Hob places his own hand over Dream's, holds it there as he leans into it. "I'll be waiting, dove. Be safe."

Dream makes no reply, just gazes at him tenderly, leans in until his forehead rests against Hob's. He tangles his fingers with Hob's, splays them behind his neck and tilts in slowly until their lips meet.

It is soft, sweet, short, this kiss; and then another, a gentle farewell before Dream draws back. His hand drops from Hob's face but Hob can't quite let go, following it down, clinging; he is full to the brim with a dozen different emotions and all he wants to do is kiss Dream again, so deeply and so thoroughly that Dream will still taste him long after they've parted, will carry his love with him on whatever this errand is and know that Hob is waiting faithfully for his return.

He's leaning back in already, helpless in the face of this desire, but redirects at the last second, planting a soft kiss on Dream's cheek instead. He won't demand more than was given, not when Dream has duty weighing heavy on his mind, not when Dream has shown such consideration in making sure to take his leave. He is respectful of Dream's time and Dream's responsibilities and he will not do anything to make Dream think otherwise.

But Dream's eyes flash as Hob draws back, and then Dream has seized Hob's bicep and yanked him back in, is kissing him soundly. Hob can't help a delighted smile, at that, but it's quickly lost in the fierce parting of Dream's lips, the yearning wanting lament of his fervent mouth, and Hob loses himself in returning the sentiment.

That. That is a proper kiss goodbye, Hob very carefully does not say aloud, blinking as Dream lets him go.

"Until I return, devoted mine," Dream breathes, the stars in his eyes blazing, and steps back.

"I'll be waiting," Hob says again, the 'as long as it takes' and 'I'll miss you' and 'I love you' unspoken.

Dream smiles, the tiny kitten-soft smile that Hob knows is just for him, and takes his leave.

Hob stays, beneath the twining ivy and the curtains of clinging wisteria, and watches him go, the music of the crickets rising gently in his wake.

= Drafted: 2/17/24 Posted: 2/17/24

Why did I pick wisteria? Gosh I'm so glad you asked! Because it's pretty, and it made for lovely visuals. BUT then I looked up meanings also, and serendipitously I found:

1. Purple wisteria symbolizes royalty and undying devotion or love that transcends time 2. Victorians would include a cluster of delicate purple blossoms in their bouquets when they wanted to send a message of overwhelming desire and passion. In particular, the Wisteria was considered to say “I cling to you” as it would cling to the branches of other trees. Wisteria sends such a strong message of romance in most cultures that they’re usually best used for declarations of devotion or for wedding arrangements. 3. Wisteria—Welcome; Meeting you means so much to me 4. Wisteria gives a symbolic representation of beauty, love, long life and immortality, grace, bliss, honour, patience, endurance, longevity, releasing burdens, victory over hardships.

(There are relevant meanings to the the ivy (fidelity, everlasting life) and the willow (flexibility, adaptation) as well)

Sources: 1 2 3 4

#TJs Fics #TJs Fluffbruary #Fluffbruary 2024 #Sandman #Dreamling

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writella · 9 months

Text

Moments Behind His Eyes

A moment of adoration, pain, release, then acceptance, and many expressions of love between Rick x reader.

Based upon the events of 8x02/03, reader is afab, lots of internal admiration and worry about Rick from the reader, and there is smut in a few different areas. 18+

“Have you ever had one of those moments…” Your voice trailed off wistfully as you gazed at how the sun gleamed gently off the water. Yet, you also noticed how deep and heavy it looked too, mirroring the weight of thoughts. You let your hands rest on the grass and started up again, “Have you ever had one of those moments that you wished lasted forever?”

Rick had already turned to you, watching as you finished your question, taking in the sight of your profile, admiring how the light touched your skin, similar to the way you looked at the lake. Although his eyes felt weak and tired, he watched you with fondness and a bit of sorrow. It felt like such a relief to have something, someone, so bright and glistening like starlight yellow that was all his among this wreckage of the world. It gave him some semblance of peace, like an exhale in this time when he sucked in so much hate and rage and… shame.

He tried to push it back down as he quietly listened to you, “And not because it was one of those ‘best day’ moments, but a moment where you knew that after it was over, everything would go back to grey, or black, or nothing.” There was a sadness Rick sensed in that ending. Almost as if you knew what was going on in his mind, of that said shame, the grey and black and nothingness of it. The everything of it. Another weight on the falling side of the scale that made all the other bad deeds resting there tip down further. He wondered what would finally be the last straw; the point of no return; scale shattered.

Rick felt like he was there a long time ago, like those first weeks in Alexandria, but there was always Carl, and Michonne, and Daryl, and the group, and of course, you who still looked at him the way you’re doing right now. With a kind light as if your face mirrored what you saw in him— the future. He knew the world he wanted Carl and Judith to grow up in, but it was getting to the point where he didn’t see that world within himself. Yet your trusting eyes seemed to say you still did.

And you were no optimist, of course. At least not completely. How could you be in a world like this, in a war like this? But since you’ve been by Rick’s side, the wonder emerged from you more naturally— to be the anchor, the ever-returning light that never ceased to come out at dawn. Unknowingly, he taught it to you, or just being around him inspired you to be so and you embraced that role. Even after another never-ending day of taking down walkers or gathering supplies for the Saviors, you were the one that smiled with blood stripes on your face and clothes and all. He knew that was your deposition, that’s why he wondered why your words ended so bleakly today, and why nonetheless, you still had a slight, albeit sad smile on your face despite it. What was truly on your mind? Were you keeping something inside too?

You continue, “Like when I ask for one more look before you leave-“

“Or when you say my name like you’ve got to ask a question, but you really have none?” He interrupts with his natural, gentle charm. His head tilted to the right, chin up and eyes squinting from the sun, those crinkles forming by the corners. His lips look so rosy, the sides curve a little bit, it’s not a smile yet, but he’s being smug. You’ve got his attention, the fond memory musing him.

“And you say it’s-”

“Because you / I just like being around me.” You both say in imperfect unison.

He laughs softly. There it is. It’s just three light titters that turn into a closed-mouth smile, mellow and faded, but you saw it. It was there. You made it happen.

This was one of the first times he had smiled genuinely from the start of Alexandria, the Hilltop, and the Kingdom’s first attack on Negan and the Saviors. Not one of the ones he put on when he tried to put up a righteous front toward the others, giving one of his infamously rousing speeches to bring everyone together. You knew a lot of what was underneath.

Similar to the slanted plain of grass you two sat on, you felt yourself slowly inching towards a downward fall. In a world infested with the dead, you found it so heartbreaking that it was other humans who could make it grimmer. And you felt Rick falling in that same direction, faster than you and probably anyone else, in fact. You knew you shouldn’t worry, he is always able to make it back. Allow his ‘mercy to prevail over his wrath,’ but it was a wax and wane. His anger, his violence, his undying persistence to go to any lengths to protect, reaching out again, making him commit acts others cannot, or maybe believe they cannot. The ones that make you look differently at a man. The killing, and the sometimes forgetting sympathy because of how many times you have killed.

But as strong as that side of him is, you believe it comes from the side of himself that loves so deeply and earnestly. It’s the stronger side, you know it. It’s what makes him different from the Saviors. It’s what makes various groups stand by him. It’s the side you make sure to remind him of.

“Rick,” you start, finally gathering up the courage to bring up what you truly wanted to talk about, “What happened the other day? You know, when you went off with Daryl.”

You saw his eyes leave you, looking down the small hill. “You’ve been quiet,” you say with faint humor. “You’re never quiet. You leaders never shut up.”

He shakes his head, the light laugh returning but leaving just as fast.

You let your fingers bristle over his ever-growing beard. It was short for now. Not just a fade, but definitely not hovering well under his chin yet. Nonetheless, it was the one you had cleaned the blood out of in the shower two days prior.

Before stepping in, you had seen him rip up the shirt he was wearing. No knife, but with his bare hands. Popping buttons and tearing the sleeves when he thought no one was looking. It soaked of sweat and was stained red for sure, but you had seen Carol and those on cleaning duty fix and repair much worse. Something was wrong, different from the hundreds of other things wrong, but he wouldn’t say.

You had been Rick’s companion long before the both of you slept in the same bed, and because of this, the slight shifts in mood and varying inflections on his face were easier to spot. You knew Rick had trauma he has yet to tell you, you only know the larger details about what happened to his old partner, or his late wife, and you knew it still hurt him but he wasn’t feeling this down before the first attack. What was this new hurt? It was almost as if you were sitting with Daryl now, Rick’s eyes were so solemn and sad, his mouth pressed into stoicism.

Even now as his eyes trail your fingers that caress his jaw, you see no answers. His blue eyes looked so dark now, merely mirroring the water he was just looking down upon. You wondered if he wanted to drown in it; be submerged, even just for a second, to forget, or maybe… to be absolved. But for what? Rick always felt pained about the things he did. But you and Carl and everyone in the group know the reasons why, or at least you’re starting to learn more about the fury and charge he took upon himself after his friend’s death. You knew it took sacrifices to one’s mind and soul to make it in this world and that was exactly the cost Rick took up to pave the way to get you all here.

Of course, everyone worked hard and was useful and skilled and powerful in their own right, but you all had an unspoken understanding that none other than Rick has stepped up to take the load and burden of actions you never come back from. All of that work to have a home like Alexandria was exactly why it’s so important that you all beat the Saviors now. Part of you couldn’t understand why Rick still hasn’t gotten to the point of knowing that their love and belief in him is limitless, but the other part of you empathized with how hard it could be to believe so when each day that passes, and the more that humans become like the walkers you were surviving and fighting against, it becomes harder to see yourself as anything other than monstrous for the things you must do to continue on.

That’s why as you quickly stepped into the shower before Rick saw you watching, you allowed him to touch you, to do as he pleased, let him avoid your knowing eyes and askings of his day, and submit to refraining from saying anything unless it had to do with the way his hands and mouth made you feel, and how he felt inside you.

Oh, he made it hard to concentrate. And with never knowing when and what time will be your last moment together, it was always hard to say no. The heat of the shower was synonymous to the feeling within your heart. The drumming, the fire, the explosions that happened whenever Rick kissed and kissed and pumped and went deeper as he pressed your back against the wall.

And just like that, the act happens again. No words about that day, just your loving touch being replaced by his avoidant lips. Avoidant to answer questions, but readily kissing into your hand until he moves it to his own and then over his shoulder as he connects his lips to yours, nuzzling his nose against your own before doing so. Breathing in the warmth of your close proximity.

Everything within you melts. The sun and him and everything within your body just warms. It’s not heat, though you felt that familiar sensation below start to fire, it’s just the fact that Rick feels just so perfect against you in any capacity. The notion in your mind that it always feels like you two belong that makes you feel warm inside. It’s like he knows, and he probably does if last night was any indicator, that you can’t think when he strikes you with any touch, any kiss, any act of love. That’s why you never got to find out what happened the other day.

His now free hands reach toward your jeans, undoing the button, teasing you with his fingers above your underwear. Circling until comfortably slotting his pointer and middle finger between your folds, he hummed contently at the feeling, knowing your wetness was seconds behind if not already there.

“Rick,” you meant for it to sound like a signal to stop, you really wanted him to talk, but it just ended up sounding like a wined sigh. You loved him and it was intoxicating, he was intoxicating. His slow and gentle, but rhythmic movements matched the feeling of peace similar to the meadow you were in, and the soft warming of your cheek that was ever touched by the sun at this moment. It just felt so good.

His fingers go beneath the band and there is a smile on his face that you can’t see as the side of your forehead nestles in his hair, reeling at the feeling of his fingers touching without the cloth in between. Rick goes lower, gathering your wetness to your clit and going faster with the ease of your slick. Then slowly, his fingers slide down again, his palm now covering your folds. Feeling up against your clit, rubbing up and down against the bone while his fingers push inside you, circling, then curling up, and pushing.

Your hands and arms move from cupping his shoulders to hanging entirely over his upper back, arms squeezing against his neck. “Rick,” you plead, but again your attempt comes out wrong, it’s a sigh as your eyes roll back at the feeling of his hand everywhere you hate to admit you needed it. “Mm, Rick, please,” you feel embarrassed knowing that was just another response to how good he was making you feel than a demand to get back to what you were supposed to be talking about and yet you let his other hand go under your shirt.

Your eyes open for a second to see a bunny hopping along over by the trees. The oddity and the fact that you were doing terribly at making him stop or making yourself want him to truly stop made you chuckle lightly, the three giggles just turning into “mms” and a single “ah” afterward.

“You don’t want me to stop,” he chided, you could now hear the smug smile he must have had on. He was right, you couldn’t help it. You laughed, a bit desperately, along with him.

Rick started pumping deeper, thumb now in the area where his palm was. Then, with his free hand, he guided you to help him put your jeans down a little farther and then pushed you slightly by the shoulder, your back now flat on the diagonal grass. Your knees went up instantly but he moved the left one down, moving closer in between. His right hand fingers now solely work on taking you to the edge as his left focuses on your clit.

It felt so good. You hated how much. How could he create this much pleasure if it was just built from trying to keep something from within him down? It wasn’t right, but god, what he was doing felt so, so right anyway. “UGH,” your frustration snapped both for his wellness and otherwise. “Rick,” you moan once more. You were close. You knew it and so did he. You couldn’t believe you were about to do this to yourself: you got up on both your hands, looked him in his eyes, and said sharply, “Rick.”

He stopped.

“Wait,” you reached out for him, but he walked downward to the water, balancing on his toes, cleaning his hands, feeling a bit embarrassed. You watched as he got up and just stared into the lake. He was probably looking at his reflection. Was it light from the sun, or dark from the depth?

You fixed your clothes as your face filled with worry once more. This was just the start of your war with the Saviors. Right at the beginning wasn’t the time to hold things down, especially between you and him. You wanted to set that precedent starting now.

But you also didn’t want to push him too hard. Maybe you just ruined one of those yellow moments before the grey. But it seemed the clouds were already in his eyes anyway. You look down, defeated until you suddenly hear Rick’s footsteps walking upwards. His boots meet your eye-line. But before you can look up to face him he finally admits, “I killed somebody’s father.”

You meet his gaze and immediately get up, noticing his watery ones, a tear on the right side so close to falling.

You didn’t understand, “Everyone is a someone to somebody, Rick.” You were sympathetic, you knew some kills affected a person more than others, but it didn’t make sense. “I’m sure you did it because you had to.”

“I don’t know if I did. I could have asked more questions.” He shook his head, his thumb and pointer turning his head down as they rested on either side of his brows.

“Did he give you a chance to ask questions or was he trying to kill you first?” you reason.

“Of course, he was trying to kill me, he was a Savior. We were trying to find guns and I think we came into his home.” He breathes out harshly and then he’s quiet for a moment, but his eyes and head look loud and sad and angry.

You allow him to take a minute until you break the silence. “What are you thinking,” you softly urge, delicately placing your hands in his. “You can say it. There had to be more to this. I’m not going to judge you.”

He doesn’t follow your gaze, his eyes are low and to the side. One hand lets go of yours to wipe the water heavy on his eyelids, a few tears already having rolled down.

“There was a baby… I- I didn’t know.”

“Gracie?” You say solemnly, but not without a slight gasp of realization, remembering the baby Rick told you he brought back from the failed gun gathering, the little girl he entrusted to Aaron.

He nods, eyes still following the downward plain. “I killed that little girl’s dad. I killed her only family and now she’s going to grow up in this world alone.” His eyes were at level with the trees now, but still not reaching you. “Imagine if that was me? I would never get to know who Judith would end up to be. I’d never get to see Carl become an adult.” He stops for a beat, “I’d destroy,” his voice sinister, “whoever tried to take me away from my children,” then it dropped mournfully, “and I was the one who ended up doing that to some other guy.”

You tried to find the right words, but his last sentence left you speechless. You couldn't blame him and you weren’t afraid, but Rick’s anger was one that could sometimes leave a person in shock and his sadness was one that could break your heart.

“And not to mention Daryl killed Morales.”

Even though he didn’t look at you, he answered your questioning eyes. “He was a guy we were in Atlanta with for a short time. And he killed him for me.” His hand goes to his chest for a second, touching his heart before falling down to his side, “Daryl would never do that to people who were on his team.”

“Daryl wouldn’t do that to the people he loves,” you correct him, ready to speak on behalf of Daryl. “And if that guy was there doesn’t that mean he’s with the Saviors now?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“This technicality does matter.”

“Well just like that other guy, maybe there was more to it.”

“Was there? Or did this happen fast?”

“Me with Morales? No. Daryl killing him, yes.”

“Well, when you were with him was there more?”

“He was trying to kill me or take me in to Negan. He wants me. And Maggie. And Ezekiel. They’ve got some plot going on.”

“Daryl must have done it because he thought he was going to lose you. And that guy must have had a gun to your head. And like you said you’re not the only one wanted, it’s not all on you.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he repeats dismissively. “All these things we have to do. All the killing everyone is doing. It’s all my fault.” His accent seems to come out more clearly the more upset he gets, the louder he gets.

“Negan was terrorizing communities before we got involved,” you argue.

“But I’m the reason we are involved!” He’s basically shouting, but then, his voice gets low and angry and bitter, “If only I didn't kneel to that motherfucker.”

“Our friends just died in front of us, we were heartbroken and scared to be next! What could you do, Rick? But you didn’t ask it like a question, there was nothing he could’ve done that he didn’t do. “We were all on our knees. Not just you.”

“Well if I didn’t decide that we should kill his people in that outpost. If I wasn’t so fucking stupid to think the Saviors were that small and that it was all that easy.”

“The world was smaller then. We know more now.”

“Stop reasoning with me,” he almost sobs. His elbows are on his knees now, closer to the ground, and his hands go on his head. You go down to him right after, hands around his arms. This was your hero and he practically hated himself.

“Rick,” you pause for a second trying to choose your words wisely. You didn’t want to say the same old thing, that it’s okay. It wasn’t. You understood that.

Going deep into yourself you try to find something he might actually listen to. When you find it, you’re worried about how it might come out, but you start before thinking, “You know what? Yes. You have done awful and dangerous things.” You make sure to continue with solemnity in your voice, you wanted your words to sound firm

but not mean, “You did kill a child’s father, and if the record tracks, I think that was actually the second time, or who knows how many. You put a bullet in your best friend. You never got to tell your wife you loved her one last time; you never got to make those final amends. You couldn’t save Hershel, or Glenn, or Abraham… Your final call for us to help the Hilltop and take down that outpost solidified us in this mess, yes. That’s true.”

He looked up at you, frightened and confused. Did you hate him now too?

“But,” you look into his eyes for a moment, seeing his fear. It was heartbreaking, but you were hoping that start would make him listen to this: “You are among two other leaders who built up an army to take down a man and his group who planned on taking us all as his own, like his property.” Your voice rises, “Do you understand how inhumane that sounds? He’s worse than a dictator, living like this has felt like some wild cult! And I think about the girls who he calls his wives every day. Wondering what would happen if he picked me or Rosita or someone else instead of wanting Maggie. Or those children that live in that compound.” Your voice lowers, “I think about when Carl went there. He’s never told either of us about it… What if he never came back to us? What if Daryl never came back to us?” You push away the thought, “We’re doing this and making the mistakes we, unfortunately, make in the process for them. And all the dads and moms and kids and friends who are like us in there— the workers. The ones who are still alive but can’t actually live because of the hell they must go through living in a place like that.”

You continue as he looks down, “And it’s the fact that you are basically on your knees right now, being real and human and hurting that shows you are not Negan or whatever your head is telling you you are.” You’re holding his head now, “I can take your worst.” The fire in your voice forces him to look up at you, “And I won’t stand for anyone else who doesn’t believe in our cause. Who doesn’t believe in you.”

His eyes try to hold onto your own, but they falter again. “Rick,” you plead. “Your mistakes don't change your heart. Today is a new day. You can be better. I’ve seen you do better.”

“I know I can do better.” He finally answers, his voice matching your own, angry.

“So do it.” He nods lightly, mouth agape. “Do better, but don’t let that stop you from forgiving yourself sometimes. We’re going to fuck up. There’s still so much more to do. More battles. More fights.”

“I know.”

“But you can try. And sometimes you’ll fail, but you can try and then try again.”

Rick’s nods continue, though his eyes are still watery and elusive, some tears slowly escaping. Your thumbs touch his lower eyelids, making the tears spill so you can wipe them away. This tilt of his lowered head makes your palm touch the corner of his lips. “Look at me, Rick,” you whisper, “and keep looking,” his eyes shift upward. “I can take your worst.”

And then, you kiss him. It’s immersive and safe, passionate but soothing. The warm light transmitted from the sun transfers to your skin, your lips, then his. All the love and hope and belief you had to give, you tried to instill in him like this in this moment.

Both your heads tilt upwards. He’s giving you the same effort but you can tell he’s following you right now; he’s given in. As you both sit down on the plain again, you put your left hand on the ground over his legs. Your right hand is still on his cheek and he leans back slightly but as your forehead nudges against his, he allows it to slowly push him onto his back allowing you to sit on top of him. Absent-mindedly, you start unbuttoning his shirt, smiling into the kiss now, hands feeling down his chest and then to his abdomen. His hands fall instinctively on your hips, rocking you against him down and up and down and deep, deep, deep.

You look up at him then, hands on his neck reaching toward his jaw. His eyes look into yours. “Are we-”

“We are,” you start. “But I just want to look at you for a moment first.” Your words are endearing and true. You’re seriously your own bloc but it’s that your worry still lingers.

“I’m not going anywhere right now.”

“I know.” You kiss him softly one more time before laying flat against him, holding him tightly, breathing into his neck.

His arms wrap around your back, one hand going into your hair, embracing you just as tightly.

You both stay there, it could have been for minutes. Both of you are quiet. Your eyes tilt to the side now feeling the sun on your closed eyelids as Rick stared at the light blue sky.

Finally, Rick decides to speak, “Sometimes I don’t know how much more I can live with myself.” You hear the pain in his voice, it almost cracks. “I don’t know if I can see myself the way you see me. I look in the mirror, even in the water, and there are times that I don’t know what I’m looking at. Or I can tell that it’s me and that I’ve just become everything that I thought I was fighting against.”

“It’s like I told you, Rick. It’s about how we try moving forward. It’s not about what happened yesterday.”

“Well, can’t you say that for Negan then?”

“Is Negan trying to change? With all the power he has, how many times has he had the opportunity to?” Your anger rises at the thought of him but you digress, “But this is about you right now. You lift so many people up.” Your eyes urge him to truly take in your words this time. “I didn’t know how to believe in people anymore before you came along. You showed me that community is real and that it can still exist. That I could have a family again. You inspired me to believe.”

“Then why can’t I inspire myself right now.”

“Because when we try to be everything to everyone, we fall short for ourselves. Those who inspire need someone to inspire them.” You pause, and ask quietly, “Do you believe in me?”

“Of course I do.” He said it unhesitatingly.

“Well, I believe in you, so if you trust me, you’re going to have to give yourself some credit then.” You look at him lovingly, and then he returns the expression. “You are the most extraordinary person I’ve ever met. And I will believe it for both of us until you find it in yourself. You can even hate yourself right now if you want to, but I’m not going down without a fight for you. You’re not failing and I’m not letting you fall.”

His eyes meet yours in the way you’ve been hoping for— the tears are gone, you see bits of the sun in his eyes now, and there is finally some hope.

Seconds pass, possibly a minute and then, Rick is ready to move on: “I’m not okay,” he states plainly, but there is a strange, half-rousing look that slowly comes after it. “And I don’t mean to come off wrong after what we just spoke about, but are you ever going to let me do something? For real?” He smiles now, wide and full, and teasingly.

“Yes, right now,” you answer with a wild giggling grin. “We’ll do something right now.”

You and Rick move to the more leveled plain of grass. You take off your shirt and head straight to unbutton his pants. “I’ve got you. For this moment, I’ve got you.”

#rick grimes fic #rick grimes x reader #rick grimes smut #rick grimes fanfiction #rick grimes imagine #the walking dead #the walking dead fanfiction #twd fanfiction

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amber-sekio · 2 months

Text

Oneshot -Killing Butterflies

Fandom: Genshin Impact

Ships: Aether x reader ; Childe x reader ; Childe x Zhongli

TW: Aether x reader ; reader x Tartaglia ; Tartaglia x Zhongli (if you squint) ; Major angst ; character death ; hurt no comfort ; Aether loves reader, reader loves Tartaglia, Tartaglia loves Zhongli ; reader dies ; implied death ; gn reader-no gender is given to reader

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This is a whole bucket full of angst so have fun lol. Also, for context i would recommend reading this post of mine. Anyways enjoy reading! (*^▽^*)

Aether couldn't bear to see you like this. To watch you through yourself at him when he no longer loved you. It was pitiful really. How you begged for him to stay. You were attached to him while he moved on. Tartaglia didn't hate you, he simply didn't love you anymore. Tartaglia moved on and fell in love with someone else; his best friend. You couldn't do anything about it but simply accept what had happened. Though you could never move on from him as he had done.

And so Aether watched as you fell deeper into despair. He tried to lift you up, to show you how much you were loved and that you didn't need Tartaglia to feel loved, that there was someone else who loved you dearly. You were too blinded by your sorrow to notice how Aether thought of you.

As much as Aether wanted to do more for you he couldn't and so he let himself be a shoulder to cry on for you. Hoping. Praying. That one day you would see how much he cared for you.

You had been going to Aether nearly every day for about a week just to cry. He was your dearest friend after all. Until one day you stopped.

Aether thought you simply needed a bit of space to get over your heartache.

That was a week ago though.

It had been two weeks since he last saw you, and he was getting worried.

He stood outside your home, knocked, telling you it was only him and that he was worried because he hadn't saw you in two weeks.

Silence

He knocked again.

Nothing

He wasn't fond of entering without your permission but he had to make sure you were alright. He needed to make sure.

He went to open the door to find it was unlocked already, though it wasn't uncommon for you, it seemed to unnerve him for some reason. Your home was dark, the curtains were all closed and no light was on. The lack of light only made him worry more. You always had light in your home whether from open curtains or candles lit at night so for your house to be so dark in the middle of the day was worrisome. He walked around your house looking for you until he came to your room.

The door was closed and at first it seemed deadly silent from within your room as it was in the rest of your house. He stood there silently until he heard what sounded like a sob come from within your room. He opened the door to find you curled in on yourself in the corner of the room on your bed.

"Y/n are you-"

However you were surrounded by butterflies.

Red butterflies.

Blood Red butterflies

"Aether?"

He knew what was happening. He had seen this before. A friend from another world had died the exact same way, but he hadn't heard of it happening on Teyvat. He didn’t think it was possible here. He didn't want to believe it.

"How long has this been going on for y/n?" Aether inquired while walking over to your side.

"A-about two weeks now," you paused, taking a breath. "Aether do you know what's wrong with me?"

The look in Aether's eyes told you the answer to your question. It hurt Aether to see you like this, to hear you sound broken. It seemed that at the very least the disease wasn't well known in Teyvat if at all.

You didn't have much longer. It was obvious with how pale you were and the number of butterflies around you. Most people barely survived a month with the disease. Typically the victim died within three to four weeks of obtaining it. So it was easy to tell you would be dead soon.

He stayed by your side, tending to you as you slowly grew weaker and couldn't perform simple tasks let alone even walk. The only time he left your side was to inform Tartaglia of your condition and what was going to happen as well as ask Albedo if he knew anything of the disease.

Aether was told that while it did exist in Teyvat, it was extremely rare.

The moment Aether got back he was immediately by your side again.

You died in his arms five days later.

He laid you down on your bed as the butterflies landed on and around you to rest peacefully alongside with you.

Aether sat on the ground next to your bed, closing his eyes only to start coughing. He looked at his hand only to be met with flowers.

Red flowers.

Blood Red flowers.

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I've come to realize that while I'm not the biggest fan of reading angst, I sure do love writing it.

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keicordelle · 3 months

Text

Some estimeric tragedy because I'm feeling spicy like that again: Estinien dies far from home, in Garlemald maybe, or Thavnair. He dies alone, in the field of battle, on a solo mission. The very kind he was so fond of undertaking. The very kind the scions had tried to school out of him.

And Aymeric just.. doesn't know. He goes in with his life as normal, for days, weeks. Months. He still writes his letters, and Estinien's always been irregular about writing back. He can only ever send them to Radz-at-Han anyway and hope Estinien would stop by to receive them.

Surely, he consoles himself, surely he's just been away for a time. Surely his messages have just gotten lost at sea. Surely.

Until one day, he just has to accept it. Estinien is missing. The scions haven't heard from him either. Even Vrtra, when Aymeric invents an excuse to travel there himself, has no knowledge of his whereabouts -- or his safety.

Still, he holds to his hope that he'll return. Stranger things have happened, and this era is rife with miracles. Surely he'll come home. He's fine. He's fine.

He's dead.

Slowly, the certainty sets in. As months become years, what little hope Aymeric clings to fades. Withers into dust. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.

The government of Ishgard must make a statement. Renounced title or no, he was the last Azure Dragoon. A hero. A savior.

There will be a funeral. A grand affair, held by the state. Ishgardians will line the streets to pay their respects. There's talk of erecting a statue in his honor.

He would have hated it.

And all the while, Aymeric mourns in silence. He stands before the crowds and makes his moving speeches, as is expected of him. But none know the that it is more to him than the loss of a prominent hero. None know the way his heart screams in his chest, and how every morning he drags himself from a cold bed wet with his tears to face another day. Alone. He's forced to hide his sorrow, to mourn with his countrymen the legend of a hero, not a man. Not a love.

After all, the Lord Commander and the Azure Dragoon were only friends.

#ffxiv #estimeric #estinien #aymeric #cw character death #mourning #estinien wyrmblood #aymeric de borel #whump #my writing #~k

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iloveassandweed · 11 months

Text

Chaewon x Y/N: Echoes of Separation

The stage was set, the crowd buzzing with anticipation as the lights dimmed, illuminating Chaewon in all her glory. As a member of LE SSERAFIM, she was adored by thousands, but amidst the applause and cheers, her heart felt heavy with an unspoken truth.

Y/N, her confidant and source of solace, stood at the edge of the stage, your eyes locked in a bittersweet gaze. Chaewon had fallen deeply in love with you, but the demands of her career and the weight of her responsibilities as Leader of the group gnawed at her soul. She couldn't bear the thought of dragging you down this tumultuous path.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, as Chaewon wrestled with her emotions, keeping them locked away. She watched from afar as you navigated life's challenges, your bond slowly fraying at the edges. It became clear that in order to protect you, she had to let you go.

On a quiet evening, with tears streaming down her face, Chaewon mustered the strength to confront you. The park, their sacred haven, provided solace amidst the chaos.

"Y/N, we need to talk," Chaewon said softly, her voice laced with pain.

Your heart skipped a beat, sensing the gravity of her words. "Chaewon, what's wrong? You look so broken."

A somber smile graced her lips as she reached out to hold your hand. "Y/N, I've come to a difficult decision. As much as it pains me to say, I think it's time we go our separate ways."

Panic washed over you as you struggled to comprehend her words. "Chaewon, please, don't do this. We can find a way to make it work."

She shook her head, her eyes filled with both sorrow and determination. "You deserve a life filled with stability and love, Y/N. My world is unpredictable, with fleeting moments of happiness amidst endless sacrifices. I don't want to hold you back or subject you to that."

Tears cascaded down your cheeks as you fought against the inevitable. "Chaewon, stop talking about this nonsense I love you. I'm willing to face any challenge as long as we're together."

Her grip on your hand tightened, her voice trembling. "And I love you, Y/N, more than words can express. But sometimes, love isn't enough. I want you to have a life where you can thrive, where you can find the peace and stability you deserve."

In that moment, the weight of her decision settled upon your shoulders, and the tears continued to fall. Silently, you both knew that this was the only way you will fond happiness, even if it tore your hearts apart.

Months passed, the emptiness echoing in the absence of each other's presence. Yet, as time healed the wounds, Chaewon and you found peace in knowing that the path they chose was for the best. Their love, though unfulfilled, had shaped them into better versions of themselves.

On a serene afternoon, you crossed paths again, this time with a glimmer of peace in your eyes. The connection, though changed, remained unbreakable.

"Chaewon," you whispered softly, a wistful smile gracing your lips. "I hope you've found your happiness."

Her gaze met yours, a sense of contentment emanating from within. "And I hope the same for you, Y/N. We may have gone our separate ways, but the memories we shared will forever be saved in my heart.

After a final, embrace, you both walked away, carrying the memories of your time together like precious treasures. Though the pain of separation lingered, a sense of acceptance settled within your hearts.

In the years that followed, Chaewon continued to flourish as a K-pop idol, captivating audiences with her talent and beauty. Meanwhile, you pursued your own dreams, carving out a path that brought you joy and fulfillment.

Occasionally, life would intersect your paths once more, whether through chance encounters or shared memories. Each meeting was a reminder of the deep connection you once shared, but also a testament to the resilience and growth you had achieved on separate journeys.

Though the love you had for each other remained a constant presence in your hearts, it transformed into a bittersweet melody, reminding you of the beauty that once was.

And in the midst of life's ebb and flow, you found solace in the knowledge that sometimes, the most peaceful ending is the one where two souls, deeply entwined yet destined to walk separate paths, can still appreciate the impact they had on each other's lives.

The echoes of your separation served as a reminder of the depth of your love and the courage it took to let go. With time, you both discovered that even without a conventional happy ending, you could find happiness and fulfillment in your individual pursuits.

And as you gazed at the stars, you knew that the peaceful ending you had found was a testament to the strength of your bond, the resilience of your hearts, and the profound understanding that true love isn't always meant to last forever, but it forever leaves an indelible mark.

#chaewon #le sserafim #chaewon x reader

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alearicci · 9 months

Text

“two tickets to the Taylor Swift show, please” – CL16 || part 1.

pairings: charles leclerc x girlfriend!reader(but named Ann)

summary: just a little thought about how wonderful Taylor is and Charles's suggesting go to her concert.

warning: taylor swift world domination

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ♡ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Ann Ocean was very fond of singer Taylor Swift and her work. Throughout her life, she has always had one constant source of comfort and inspiration, a beautiful woman named Taylor.

Her melodious voice and soulful lyrics were a guiding star for her, a source of comfort both in joy and in sorrow. It is impossible to express in words how much she loves and appreciates Taylor Swift and her work.

From the moment she first heard her angelic voice, Ann felt an instant connection. Taylor seemed to be speaking directly to her soul, telling about her deepest emotions and experiences. Every text she wrote resonated with Ann in a way no other artist could. Taylor's ability to capture the raw and vulnerable moments of life in her music was truly impressive.

From the moment Ann first heard her debut single "Tim McGraw", she was immediately attracted to Taylor's music. Her lyrics had a special and authentic quality that resonated with her on a deep level.

As the years passed, Taylor Swift continued to release new music, and her songs became the soundtrack to Ann's life. Whenever she felt joyful, songs like "Shake It Off" and "22" were there to cheer her up and remind her to embrace happiness in life. These songs became anthems of positivity and self-acceptance, they gave Ann the opportunity to accept her individuality and dance as if no one was watching.

But even in the darkest moments, Taylor's music really became a lifeline for her. When she found herself in the depths of a broken heart, her ballads like "All Too Well" and "Clean" were there to comfort her and remind her that she is not alone in her pain. Her ability to capture the complex emotions of love and loss with such honesty and vulnerability was a rare gift, and she couldn't help but feel a little healed with each verse.

As she navigated the choppy waters of adolescence and adolescence, Taylor's songs were her constant companions. With her soulful ballads, she lifted her spirits in the darkest moments of her life, reminding Ann that she was not alone in her struggle. Whether she was facing a broken heart, a failed friendship, or the endless confusion of growing up, her music was there to heal wounds and offer a special solace that no one else could offer.

Listening to Taylor's songs was not just a form of escape from reality, but also a source of empowerment. Her ability to express her emotions unabashedly and fearlessly inspired Ann to do the same. Her music inspired Ann to accept her true self and live for real. Through her experience, she taught her that vulnerability is not a weakness, but a strength.

In addition to her music, Taylor herself was an incredible source of inspiration for Ann. Her steadfastness, determination and unwavering commitment to her work have left an indelible mark on her heart. She showed her that success does not come without hard work and self-sacrifice, and that even in the face of adversity it is possible to rise above and achieve greatness.

Taylor's willingness to use her fame to defend important cases and defend justice further strengthened admiration for her. She has used her fame and influence to support numerous charities, advocate for equal rights, and speak out against injustice. Her desire to make the world a better place reflects her sincere character and unwavering desire to have a positive impact.

Over the years, Taylor's music has evolved along with her own growth. From the country tunes of her early years to the sophisticated pop anthems of today, her artistic evolution has never ceased to amaze Ann. With each new album, she pushes boundaries, experiments with new sounds and tells stories that resonate with people from all walks of life.

It's impossible to mention Taylor Swift without acknowledging the incredible connection she has made with her fans. The loyalty and dedication of the Swiftie community is a testament to the genuine connection she has established with her audience. Through meetings and greetings, unexpected visits and personal communication, she made her fans feel that they were seen, heard and loved. This interaction has created a sense of belonging and community unparalleled in the music industry.

She was a constant presence, a guiding star in times of darkness and an inspiration to fearlessly pursue dreams. Her music was the soundtrack to life, giving comfort, strength and hope in both the best and the worst times. Ann has often wondered how infinitely grateful I am to her for her artistry, sincerity and the immeasurable influence she has had on her life.

And now, with a smile on her face, Ann was running all over the big apartment, shouting lines from Taylor's songs. This apartment was located in Monaco and was the temporary home of her and her boyfriend, F1 racer Charles Leclerc, when he was in his homeland.

For a moment, Ann felt like the girl she was ten years ago. To this day, she remains a devoted fan of Taylor Swift and dreamed of attending her concert. As a child, her parents did not have enough money to provide their daughter with a ticket to her dream, and so Ann gathered with her friends in the house and they watched videos of concerts and imagined themselves right there. Right in the midst of a beautiful crowd, among people who are connected by a strong thread with Miss Taylor's music.

Unable to contain her euphoria, Ann found herself overwhelmed with energy. She began to move almost in a dance rhythm, running from room to room, looking around the apartment with childish enthusiasm. Walking through the marble corridors, she couldn't help but hum lines from one of her favorite songs, Taylor Swift's hit "Shake it Off".

"Hey, hey, hey," Ann sang playfully, and her voice echoed in the walls, "just think, while you've been gettin' down and out about the liars and the dirty, dirty cheats of the world, you could've been gettin' down to this sick bit."

A smile danced on Ann's lips as she continued her impromptu performance. She whirled around the spacious living room, the light reflecting off the polished floor, creating an ethereal glow. With each turn, she displayed a carefree demeanor, reflecting the lyrics of a song that glorified getting rid of negativity and accepting positivity.

Heading into the kitchen, Ann playfully grabbed a wooden spoon, using it as an imaginary microphone. "My ex-man brought his new girlfriend, she's like, "Oh my God!" but I'm just gonna shake and to the fella over there with the hella good hair won't you come on over, baby? we can shake, shake, shake," she sang passionately, imitating Taylor Swift's infectious charm. The melody and words perfectly combined with the infectious energy flowing through her veins.

With each room she passed, Ann's enthusiasm seemed to grow exponentially. The bright lyrics of "Shake it Off" filled the apartment, her voice echoing off the elegant walls. It was as if the very essence of the song merged with the wealth and beauty of Charles' home in Monaco. It was a moment of complete freedom when Ann showed her true self without any inhibitions.

Minutes turned into hours, and eventually Ann found herself in the master bedroom, where she completed her impromptu performance. Standing at the open doors of the balcony overlooking the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea, she sang the last lines of the chorus, there was a sense of triumph in her voice: "Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, I shake it off, I shake it off hoo-hoo-hoo"

As the last notes of Ann floated away into the blissful air, she felt a pair of arms hug her from behind. Charles, her beloved boyfriend, was standing there with a big smile, his eyes full of adoration. He calmly watched her exciting manifestation of joy and freedom, his heart was overflowing with love for the woman who brought bright colors to his world.

With a gentle kiss on the cheek, Charles joined Ann, appreciating the moment. Together they stood on the balcony, admiring the breathtaking view, secretly hoping that life would always be as harmonious and joyful as Ann's impromptu serenade in the heart of Monaco. Charles slowly put his hands on Anne's waist and pulled her closer to him.

"How would you like to go to Taylor's concert in the near future? I've seen the announcement of her new tour on Instagram and I'm sure she'll be glad to see such a devoted and such a beautiful fan."

Charles smiled sweetly and waited for his girlfriend's answer.

Anne's eyes widened in surprise and she turned to face Charles.

"What? Are you serious?"

"Absolutely. We'll buy you some sequinned dress, make bracelets and break your voice on the show. What do you think about it?"

#charles leclerc #lec16 #leclerc supremacy #f1 #f1 fandom #f1 imagine #formula one #ferrari #forza ferrari #16 #oneshot #drabble #taylor swift #shake it off #monaco

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cranetreegang · 9 months

Text

In the Light of Death - Part 5 - Final

Sebastian x FemReader with former Ominis x FemReader

Summary: She has to make a decision - but will she make it in time.

Music to Listen to

🎶 Never Goodbye 🎶 (whole train scene like my god does this slap and make me teary eye listening to) 🎶 Earth 🎶 (at the very end - this one slaps hard too)

Word Count: ~2,800 words

Warnings... can't think of any besides mentions of death

Read Part 4 Here - Find Whole Light of Death Series Here

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

Sebastian caresses her cheek with a gentle hand, admiring the beauty laying next to him. He traces under her closed eyes, noting how the dark circles have faded and her skin has returned some of its vibrancy. As he tucks her tangled hair behind her ear, a smile splays across her face. He wonders - who is she smiling for?

He’s no fool. He knows the love she has for Ominis will never fade - never diminish. He only wishes to help that love, which had given her such joy, not be her ruin. Yet, despite knowing that she loves Ominis so fiercely still, he can’t get rid of the look in her eyes she had for him last night. It warms him - makes his chest tight and his heart flutter. He never imagined receiving such a thing from her, having accepted his place as her friend long ago. It’s something he never minded, for as long as he was able to be by her side - he would be happy.

Yet now…,

A smile comes over him as he strokes her hair - enjoying how it wraps around his fingers as he does. It’s foolish, selfish even, of him to hope that a new love would blossom within her - just for him. But, he hopes all the same. His eyes drift over her tranquil features and he lets out a soft sigh. Her spark had been reignited - that he won’t deny. The kindling of her spirit is nearly back to its full inferno. She just needs to take flight once again. And the time to spread her wings is rapidly approaching.

She shifts, her eyes slowly opening. His breath catches in his throat at watching her smile diminish. Disappointment… no, melancholy weighs her eyes for a moment. He’s not the face she longs to see, but her smile slowly forms again. The brief sorrow blossoms to fondness. His breath catches in his throat for a different reason now. She’s always held a certain affection - warmth - for him, but now it’s deeper. It’s something more.

“Morning, sunshine,” he whispers with a grin.

She lets out a soft laugh then whispers, “Morning, handsome.”

“Sleep well?” He manages to ask with nary a hitch in his voice even though his heart is all but frantic in his chest at her simple greeting.

She closes her eyes and hums in thought.

“Yes… I had the best, yet strangest dream.”

“About?” he wonders.

“You’ll think it’s silly,” she murmurs with a sad smile. “But, since Ominis… I dream of him every night. He’s always facing away from me, and he’s never in my reach. And last night… Ominis was there. Facing me. Waiting for me by the tree line.”

She meets Sebastian’s gaze with a bittersweet expression, “He smiled at me. It was… nice. Perfect.”

Sebastian wipes away a stray tear rolling down her cheek and she lets out a slight laugh.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, “I know it’s silly to think of it as anything more than just a dream. But… something about it…,”

“I don’t think it’s silly at all,” he replies.

Appreciation and warmth floods her teary eyes, and he can’t resist placing a tender kiss on her forehead.

Her features contort into a grimace as she says, “I wish I could talk to him. One last time.”

“What would you want to say to him?”

She smiles, “That I love him. And how much I appreciate all the things he’s done. How much he means to me,” a sigh escapes her and she shuts her eyes to keep more tears from forming. “I thought we had more time. I miss him so much. I miss his voice. I worry I won’t be able to remember what he sounded like. What he felt like. He’ll be nothing more than a memory.”

Sebastian kisses her cheek, “He lives on in you, sweetheart. He’ll always be with you.”

She lets out a shuddering breath as she nuzzles into his warm embrace. His lips press softly along her hairline and the gentle gesture eases the sorrow into something manageable. It’s strange how their relationship has evolved into something more intimate. More precious. Familiar yet wholly new.

“I was thinking,” Sebastian says after some time.

She giggles, “That’s never good.”

He squeezes her with a scoff, “I have good ideas on occasion,” he releases her from his tight hold so he can look at her. “Would you say that you enjoyed yesterday? Roaming about in an old castle.”

“I would,” she grins.

“Well,” he begins with a growing mischievous smirk, “what would you say to more jaunts like that? You and I - explorers of the forgotten and unknown!”

His enthusiasm is contagious - filling her with a similar sort of excitement. The more she thinks about exploring the Highlands, finding more buildings or artifacts just like that castle, the more excited she gets. They could leave every morning and go exploring then return in the evenings to document their findings.

She nods, “I would like that. I would like it very much.”

His lips crash onto hers, pressing several smothering kisses onto her as he smiles.

“That’s my girl! I knew you couldn’t resist forever,” he trails his lips down to her neck, holding her tightly. “I can see us now. We’ll be infamous.”

She giggles as he nips and teases her neck.

“This is cause for a hearty breakfast,” he’s suddenly out of bed, throwing on a pair of pants, then practically skipping out of the room.

She lays in bed, a warm smile unable to leave her lips. She looks out the window - towards the towering tree line by the lake - and she whispers in a teasing tone,

“What have I gotten myself into now, Ominis?”

They share a late breakfast together, enjoying the quiet comfort of one another. Although, Sebastian does a poor job of keeping his jittering giddiness at bay. A smile hasn’t left his freckled face for a moment, and she chuckles at how overjoyed he is.

She’s cleaning the dishes when his strong arms wrap around her. He places several kisses on her neck, making her giggle, before he holds out a piece of paper in front of her.

“What’s this?” She wonders, staring at the ticket.

“It’s what I wanted to tell you the other night,” he whispers into her ear. “My research is taking me halfway across the country.”

“Oh,” she says, her brows furrowing the longer she stares at the ticket. “Does that mean you’re leaving?” The disappointment is hard to miss in her voice, earning herself a reassuring squeeze around her waist from him.

“It does,” he shifts the ticket to reveal a second one, “And I want you to come with me.”

Her eyes widen as she takes the second ticket from him, noticing that the departure is for this afternoon. She turns to him and his face is bright with a beaming grin.

“We’ll go on an adventure - just like we talked about. We can discover ruins like yesterday. Find lost artifacts - cause a bit of mischief as we go. Come on, what’d’ya say?”

No… this isn’t how she imagined this going. They were supposed to stay here… discover new things here. Not leave… not now.

She frowns, “Sebastian… you’re asking me to just… leave?”

He firmly takes both of her hands with a sure nod, “I am. The train leaves today. We can be packed and on our way within the hour.”

Her mouth parts in shock and she looks around her house, her home, with pinched brows.

“I-I can’t leave.”

“You can,” he insists, releasing her hands to hold either side of her face. “You can’t stay locked away here forever, sweetheart. You must start living again. It’s what he would’ve wanted. Not for you to waste away here.”

His dark brown eyes plead with her. The sight makes her head whirl and her heart rip in two. She shuts her eyes and grips his wrists, slowly removing his hands from her face.

“I’m sorry… but I can’t go with you,” she says in a near whisper.

Sebastian’s eyes widen and he shakes his head.

“It’s not like you’ll be gone forever. We can come back,” Sebastian implores. “It’ll only be for a month. Perhaps two at the most. Think of it as a holiday - if that helps.”

It’s like a vice has been placed around her chest with how shallow her breathing has become. Placing the ticket back into his hand, she whispers,

“I can’t leave. This is all I have left of him. I-I can’t leave him.”

Sebastian wants to argue, but she hurries out of the kitchen before he can stop her. She locks herself in her room, sliding down against the door until she sinks on the floor. Drawing her knees to her chest, she digs her fingers into her scalp with a whimper. She shuts her eyes, hiding behind her legs while she listens to him packing his things. Then his footsteps make their way up the stairs to just outside her door.

“Please, come with me,” he begs. “I don’t want to leave you… but we can’t stay here. I can’t stay here any longer. I can’t watch you waste away,” his voice cracks and he lets out a heavy breath.

She opens her mouth to reply, but nothing comes out.

“Sweetheart,” his head is pressed right against the door and it’s almost like he’s whispering in her ear, “I know it’s scary. I know you’re feeling like it’s impossible. But, take this chance with me. Take a leap - and I think you’ll find that you’re more than ready for this. Staying here will only keep you trapped, and you don’t belong in a cage. You need to free yourself. Be free again.”

Her heart feels like it’s about to pound out of her chest. She can’t breathe - her eyes swimming with black dots.

“Please,” he whispers.

There’s a long silence before the ticket slides under the door. She hugs her knees closer to her chest as his footsteps descend down the stairs. When the front door shuts, she rushes to the window.

He’s walking along the path and towards the village, pausing once he reaches the top of the hill. He turns back towards her with a pleading expression written upon his face. But she remains where she is, and he eventually walks away - leaving her.

She clings to the windowsill, pressing her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob. Turning back towards her room, she expects to be met with the destruction of the other night. Instead, it’s as if it never happened. Another sharp pang rips through her. He… must have fixed it all at some point. Shuddering breaths leave her as she shuffles towards the picture frame on her bedside table. As she stares at their smiling faces, it feels like she’s looking at two strangers - a totally different life.

She runs her finger along Ominis’ smiling face before bringing it to her chest with a sigh. She returns to the window with the frame in hand. Staring at the photo under the sunlight, she notices something. It’s faint, but it looks like something is written on the back. She quickly flips the picture over and takes it out of the frame. There, written in Ominis’ elegant handwriting, is a note.

My love,

Despite never seeing your face, I know your smile. I hope to always make you happy.

I love you. Now and forever.

Always yours,

Ominis

She stares at the message then she looks back out at where Sebastian was standing mere moments ago.

Isn’t that what Sebastian told her?

That Ominis asked Sebastian to come here, to her, to make her happy. Even in death, he still wanted her to be happy. And right now, that’s with Sebastian. Her mind whirls then settles just as quickly. Sebastian. She has to get to him. Before it’s too late. Before he’s gone too.

She tucks the picture into her pocket, snatches the ticket from the ground, and rushes out the door. Sprinting through the town, and shoving through the crowded streets, she arrives at the station with patrons already boarding the train. She scans the sea of people until her eyes land on Sebastian. She runs to him as he heads towards the train.

“Sebastian!”

There’s so many people talking, and the train’s steam exhausts over her cries. He’s in line to board, and the crowd seems to conspire against her as she struggles to get to him.

“Sebastian!”

He boards the train while she desperately wrestles through the droves of people. The train’s signaling horn rattles her chest and makes her ears ring.

“Sebastian!” She cries, but not even herself can hear over the train roaring to life.

By the time she frees herself, the train is already pulling out of the station. She stares at the departing train with a gut wrenching feeling, and the pain of grief clawing at her heart anew. She missed him. And now he’s gone too. Her hand clutches over her aching heart - like someone had pierced a knife right through her. It takes everything in her to not collapse to the ground.

“You came,” his voice calls.

She whips around to find him standing at the end of the platform, his face adorned with a wide smile. Her lip trembles, her feet moving her towards him on their own accord. They slowly approach each other, as if in a trance, until she stops just in front of him.

“I won’t stop loving him,” she states in a wavering voice. “I will always love him.”

“And I’m not asking you to stop,” he reaches out and grabs her hand with a soft smile. “I’m only asking you to live with me.”

Tears well in her eyes, a shuddering breath leaving her, as she wraps her arms around his neck in a suffocating embrace. He holds her close, sighing in relief while he strokes her tangled hair.

“I thought I lost you, too,” she whispers.

He squeezes her against him as he whispers, “Never.”

They hold each other until she’s calm once more. She looks into his earthy brown eyes - finding them filled with warmth.

“I… you’re right,” she states. “I can’t stay here forever. And I am scared. I’m terrified that if I go with you - then I’ll be abandoning him.”

Sebastian shakes his head, “You won’t be abandoning him. He would want you to go wherever your heart decided.”

She lets out a pained gasp then lowers her head. Closing her eyes, she slowly nods then looks back up to Sebastian with newfound resolve.

“There’s something I would like to do first. Before we leave,” she says.

He nods, “Anything.”

They head down to the lake - towards the tree line - and to where his headstone stands between the towering trees. Ominis, wanting something simple, has only his name engraved on the polished white marble followed by: Beloved Husband to a Beloved Wife

She kneels before Ominis, while Sebastian stands at a distance, giving her this moment alone. Placing her hand on the stone warmed by the sun, she smiles softly.

“I know I haven’t been down to talk to you, and I deeply apologize,” she frowns. “It made it too real… even though it’s just your name on a slab of stone.” A bitter laugh escapes her for a moment.

She shuts her eyes with a sigh, “I see now. You always knew, didn’t you? You knew the only way I could survive without you, was if he and I were together. You were always so clever, my love,” she whispers, her tears starting to well in her eyes. “And now, I’m living once again. I’m… happy. It’s not the same. I don’t think anything will ever be the same. But, that’s okay. Because this is something new, and I’ll make the most of it.”

She runs her fingers over his engraved name with a smile, “I’m not leaving you. You’re with me everywhere I go. You’ve made a home within me. And I can’t wait to tell you all about it when I see you again. Even though I’m sure you’ll be giving me quite the lecture about how dangerous this all is, and how reckless we’re about to be. But I look forward to it.”

She places a kiss onto the headstone and takes a deep breath, “I love you. My sweet Ominis. Now, and forever.”

Rising to her feet, she looks towards Sebastian, who smiles back at her. Casting one last glance at Ominis, she strides forward - taking Sebastian’s outstretched hand.

“Ready for this?” He asks with a grin.

She looks at the serene lake, the breeze ruffling her hair, then back to Sebastian’s bright face. Squeezing his hand, she returns his warm smile.

“What’re we waiting for?”

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

AN: annnnnndddd that's a wrap folks!

Hopefully you enjoyed. I had the idea a while back and decided to go ahead with posting it in celebration for reaching 400 followers.

I go hard for Ominis - and the only way I could envision MC and Sebastian getting together was in the aftermath of Ominis' death, and Sebastian being a bit older/more mature.

I probs could have done a better job in building up MC and Seb's romance -> but who has time for that am i right?

Thanks for reading and feedback is always welcomed <3

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chloe-caulfield94 · 6 months

Note

Do you think they will have another LIS with Max and Chloe? If they do, I hope they continue with the "Save Bae" ending. Do you have any ideas for an "After The Storm" game? Thanks for all the likes on my Pricefieldizcanon page btw!

I don't think we will get another Life is Strange with Max and Chloe as main characters. But I do think that they will continue the trend started in S2 and Wavelenghts, where the player is asked at the very beginning what they chose in S1 and depending on your answer there will be cameos/mentions of Max and Chloe.

I think it's likely that non-game LiS content (comic books, novels) will continue to follow the "save Chloe" ending, no matter if it's content specifically about them (like the comics) or about other characters (Steph's Story, which mentions them at one point).

It's no wonder that they chose to follow the "save Chloe" ending in the non-game content so far. It simply creates much better opportunities for storytelling than the aftermath of Chloe's murder.

Such opportunitiues include: Max once again finding herself in a situation where she has to use her powers or to let someone die (this was already explored in the LiS comics, with Max's rescue of Tristan). Chloe finally realizing that she does in fact deserve to live, deserves love and deserves a fresh start (this was also explored in the comics). Chloe being reconciled with David and David finally becoming the father figure he promised Chloe to become in BtS (this was briefly touched upon in S2, but it deserves a story of its own). Steph, Mikey and other survivors of the Storm grieving their loved ones (this was explored in Wavelengths and Steph's Story). We could even imagine a confrontation between Max and Steph, if Steph were to ever find out about the events of Storm week (I highly recommend great short fanfic by AO3 user Shisumo about Max telling Steph why she has no right to judge her for choosing Chloe: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37099903 . I also wrote a short fanfic which touches upon a Max/Steph meeting, but I imagined it in a less confrontational manner: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50505817 ).

None of those storytelling opportunites exist after Chloe is murdered. Bay Max would never use her power again, not even to save someone's life. Bay Max would just watch Tristan being murdered, just like she did with Chloe. Chloe would never receive the love and care she so desperately needed, let alone accept that she deserved it. Nobody would be reconciled. Steph and Mikey would go about their lives, not aware that Bay Max is carrying on her shoulders the grief and sorrow of an entire town, like a modern day sin-eater.

Death is final. It solves all problems, but in the least satisfying way possible. It cuts all loose threads short. It's a sudden stop to any and all stories. I don't see an opportunity for any meaningful stories following Chloe's murder. Unless it would be some morbid story about Bay Max stumbling through life, crushed with remorse. Regretting every day that she took her love and friendship back, erased it so that it never happened. That she nipped something beautiful in the bud. Hating herself and finally learning to hate Chloe for making her feel that way.

I am very fond of the LiS comics. So even if we never get another story with Max and Chloe as main characters, I am content with the comics as the "canon" conclusion to their story.

As for my personal idea for a post-Storm game: I would love to see the "other Max/nightmare Max" return as an antagonist. Some time after the Storm, Max would start having visions, similar to her nightmare in E5, where her evil twin would try to once again drive a wedge between Max and Chloe by spewing lies and hate. Max would then be sucked into multiple alternate timelines (like in the first issue of the comics). But they would all be very dark timelines, where "other Max" chose wrong, chose to hurt people. Max would have to work to undo the wrong choices made by her evil twin. Of course, in the end Max would right all the wrongs, rebuke her evil twin and find a way back to her own timeline.

The character of "other Max" could be played in two ways - either as a manifestation of Max's internal struggle or as an entirely separate person - a version of Max who instead of love, friendship, courage and trust chose fear, doubt, resentment and guilt.

I love the confrontation between our Max and "other Max" in E5. It represents a struggle with a dark part of her own mind. And if she tears the butterfly photograph, Max achieves a victory over her own fears and doubts, which is the greatest victory one could possibly achieve.

So I would love to see that struggle of Max against her inner demon (or a version of herself shaped by wrong choices) turned into an entire game.

#max caulfield #chloe price #pricefield #life is strange #lis

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zarinthel · 1 year

Text

a small look at inevitability

a friend of mine @tshirt3000 did a “small” zine about whatever ‘yaoi’ means, and it turns out that at over 80 pages total, it means a lot of things to a lot of people. but this isn’t about them, this is about me. this is my entry.

I’ve always been fond of people with miserable endings. They tried their best, and it wasn’t enough. They didn’t try their best, and regretted it too late. They only realize the flaws in their plan when it’s staring at them through a mirror, they die still hopelessly confused by what could possibly have gone wrong.

To me, this is ‘romance’.

Romance being about commitment, and these people, above all else, have married themselves to a bad idea, have fallen in love with a concept above a person. Then, that concept eats them alive.

This is the plot of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. It is also the plot of XXXholic, which while less yaoi centric to me also gave me an everlasting disorder. You win some and you lose some.

The main point of TRC is that many wishes cannot be fulfilled because if you pay the price to get them, then you’d become someone who didn’t want them anymore. And then there are some wishes that can never be granted, no matter what. This is Hitzusen.

T/N: ‘Hitsuzen’ means inevitable.

What TCR and XXXholic have in common is a perpetual loop of the Gift of the Magi-- people who sacrifice something for someone else, only for that person to sacrifice in turn, rendering both gifts pointless in giving, and only meaningful in what they had meant when they were sacrificed.

So you have to be thankful for what you’ve been given, or everyone will have paid their prices for nothing.

This is why Fai drinks Kurogane’s blood. Even though it would be easier for him to die, he can’t give up on his own fear: the blood is the proof that he still has more to lose. As long as he lives, people will make sacrifices to save him.

How scary is that?

It’s like Kurogane said. He’s a coward who can neither live nor let go. And now he is dead and still holding on.

An important tenet of the Grail Wars is that you can’t win them, and any wish the Grail would grant is poisoned with blood and hatred. Nothing good can come. There is no ‘greater good’ to hope for.

Nevertheless, people cannot give up hope.

Gilgamesh proclaims immunity from the call of the Grail because he is the greatest of all heroes. There is nothing he does not already have. There is nothing he cannot grasp. He looks down on Artoria for having regrets.

Fate as a series is completely dependent on the regrets of its heroes. They can be forced to fight only rarely: mostly they must act as they will. They must long for the grail. They must desire to serve. They must be haunted by the mistakes that made them legends. They must die to the same flaws that followed them into the War.

Diarmuid is also immune to a desire for the Grail. What he wants cannot come from the chalice. What he wants is redemption, to serve a master and not be forced away by his inhuman charm that taints his own honor.

A simple wish, but it is beyond his grasp as surely as Enkidu’s soul lies beyond Gilgamesh’s sight. He can no more receive honor in a Grail war than a madened Lancelot can convey his sorrow to his only king. Each and every one of them can only be further tarnished.

Because Diarmuid’s master’s lover desires him, a command seal changes hands. A duel between warriors becomes a cold farce as Diarmuid is forced to turn his lance on himself. He curses the world as he dies. He curses Artoria. He curses her master. He curses his own master. He weeps tears of blood.

Have you no shame?

And Artoria only commits harder. You have to accept stains for the Grail. Otherwise, what will you have given up your principles for?

You will have cut your hair and sold it for a guitar pic for nothing.

In Yugioh GX, one of the protagonist’s rival’s kills himself.

Zane Trusedale, e.g, Ryo Marufuji, goes through a lot of things that aren't very important. All you need to know is that he went from a gifted kid to someone who’s notorious post graduation characteristic is that his heart has been weakened from the fact that he duels with shock collars in order to get a darker more ‘real’ edge to his duels, and he thinks being stuck in a life or death duel dimension isn’t, on its own, hardcore enough.

Aware that he’s pushing it, Zane challenges our main character to duel at possibly the lowest, more depressed point of his entire life. He wants to die in battle and he wants to communicate to Jaden that people can die in battle and have it not really be your fault-- that, to a certain extent, people make their own choices. That responsibility lands on them, and not all on our main character’s shaking shoulders.

His little brother watches this duel, by the way. And Begs him not to do it. But Zane and Jaden understand each other, so they go for it.

Jaden also wins against the boss of this season by committing to a mutual loss meaning death. He lives, of course, and so does Zane after the season ends. but he never really recovers from this. Zane is wheelchair bound. Jaden is possessed. And both of them are softer. Quiet. And tired.

The power of friendship wasn’t enough. Jaden beat season three through the power of incredible violence.

Childhood innocence sacrificed to keep his friends alive. And now he is more distant from them, in an unbridgeable gap.

I think it’s kind of gay to kill yourself. Or, in Han Suyeong’s case, I think it’s kind of gay to write a story about a man who kills himself for the sake of another man who kills himself. You see?

I know I’ve literally written Kim Dokja and Yoo Jonghyuk having sex. But I think they're in an ace relationship, personally. Them and Han Suyeong. A throuple of indeterminate intimacy.

What’s important is that Kim Dokja has theorized his way into creating a happy ending-- a utopia even greater than what Kiritsugu Emiya dared to dream of. He’s even got the price worked out-- the only sacrifice required is himself. The world cannot exist if he is not outside of it.

The opposite crime of sacrifice is longing. Inability to accept an imperfect world.

Another way of looking at it is that Han Suyeong, despite her nature, is the type of person who would have walked away from Omelas. She wouldn’t have accepted the pain of a single child as a necessary grease on the wheels of her ferrari.

Or she’s the type of person who was willing to make everyone in the world suffer endless torments because it’s the type of world that would save one person. Isn’t she so kind?

Even though Yoo Jongyuk doesn’t know it, he chose to do this. He wanted to meet someone he could only meet if he suffered and splintered and lost everything.

How brave of him.

He’s standing over the corpses of every one else who cringed away from the price of their desires. Even if he loses everything, there’s one person who will never look away from him, and one person who will always know him, her ink bleeding down his cheek.

That’s ‘romance’. To me.

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dreamcorechild · 8 months

Text

Mission part 4. [Fem!Reader x Hantengu clones]

"Muzan...?"

Urogi looks up and turns his attention towards the doctors as they walk over to them with an update on Sekido. He seems interested in what they have to say about Sekido's condition and injury and listens intently for the doctors' report.

"The good news is that He is in a stable condition and will be well and fit enough in the next few days"

Y/N looks at the doctors with a sense of relief upon hearing the good news that Sekido is in a stable condition and will make a full recovery soon. She turns her attention back to Sekido who still seems to be recovering from his injuries and enjoying his time with the small child, seeming to show no signs of wanting to move away from or put down the child he's still holding. She looks at her happily, feeling joy and gratitude towards the child for having shown Sekido kindness and love instead of fear and avoidance.

Sekido is still recovering and laying in bed, surrounded and watched over by the 4 of them who are seated next to him, as well as the child that he's still holding. He's starting to gain back his strength and mobility little by little, and is starting to look better than he was previously. He seems to be very content and comfortable in this situation, still enjoying and soaking up the love, affection, and tenderness being displayed towards him by the child, Karaku, and Urogi. He still seems attached to the child, as he's not wanting to let go of her.

Y/N continues to hold onto the child, not wanting to put her down or have the child go away. She gently strokes the child's head and looks down on Sekido with a gentle and loving expression, showing no fear towards him, but only a sense of concern and care towards his wellbeing as he recovers. She's also very intrigued with how this small child managed to tame the demon of anger, as it seemed like it was something that could only happen in a fairy tale or legend.

Karaku walks over to Sekido and takes a seat near the bed, looking at him and checking in on how he's doing. He then starts to speak to him with a voice of concern, as if he's worried and concerned about his well-being. He starts to address him directly and ask how he's doing.

"Are you doing better now, Sekido? Are your injuries recovering properly and are you feeling in good health now?" he asks him in a concerned and worried tone, showing genuine care for him and interested in his wellbeing. He still looks and sounds quite worried for him.

Sekido nods in approval. He still seems happy and content, even with his injuries. He continues to hold the child close to him, not wanting to let her go. He seems to be grateful towards Karaku and Urogi for how they've taken care of him and how much they've helped him. He turns his eyes towards the little human child and gently stroke her hair, giving her a loving and grateful look.

Aizetsu walks over to Sekido and hands the demon of anger a cup of blood, as if feeding him to make sure he stays hydrated and healthy while he recovers. Sekido continues to hold the small human child he's still fond of, but he thanks Aizetsu with a grateful look for giving him the cup of blood, accepting and drinking it quickly as he seems to appreciate the kindness and thoughtfulness shown towards him.

Urogi watches intently as Aizetsu gives Sekido a cup of blood and he drinks it to aid in his recovery. He seems pleased and delighted as he looks over at Sekido and the small human child he's still holding, seeing how Sekido's eyes are still filled with joy and love when looking at the little girl, and how it seems this small act of kindness and thoughtfulness from Aizetsu has made an impression on him.

Y/N walks over to Sekido and talks to him, telling him about what happened and how he got injured and chained up. She sounds a little sad and regretful as she's explaining to him how he got injured. She looks at him with slight sorrow due to how upset she is about the circumstances of his injury, but she also seems quite relieved and happy that he's now safe and recovering from his injuries. She doesn't speak loudly as if to be considerate to him and his recovering state, and so she's talking to him in a rather calming and quiet tone.

Sekido sighs and starts to talk about the story, looking up and speaking to Karaku, Urogi, and Aizetsu, all while still holding the small human child he's grown quite fond of tightly in his arms. His tone and expression show he's a bit sad and regretful at having been injured and captured by these humans. He seems to be trying to tell the story of what happened in as much detail as he can, despite his injuries and weakened state. He's trying his best to recount everything clearly and concisely even though his voice sounds a bit strained and weakened due to his injuries and recovering state.

Sekido speaks in a rather hoarse tone and strained voice, sounding weak and feeble as if the injuries he sustained while captured by the humans are taking a toll on him and making it harder for him to speak properly or clearly. He has visible wounds and scabs on his body and face, indicating that he's still in the process of healing and recovering, but he soldiering on from all of that to try and tell the group what happened to him.

Sekido starts to tell the others about what happened after he stormed out of school. He explains how he took a stroll to try and calm himself down and relieve his anger, and how he accidentally bumped into the demon lord, Muzan.

— "I was taking a walk alone to try and calm myself down, and that's when I encountered the Demon Lord, Muzan. He was extremely upset with how I had disobeyed his orders and he tortured me in a painful, harsh, and brutal way, injuring me further and leaving me in that state…"

Aizetsu nods in understanding as Sekido explains what happened. He seems to be both sympathizing with the demon of anger and feeling a bit upset at how his fellow Upper Moon was treated by Muzan.

— "That sounds terrible.. Why on earth would he do such a thing to you, Sekido..?"

Aizetsu asks Sekido, his tone sounding quite concerned and his expression showing sympathy towards the fellow demon who had suffered such a cruel fate.

— "Muzan was furious that I had failed to meet his expectations, and he was especially angered by my lack of respect for his orders and the fact that I dared to disobey him. He punished me with a harsh punishment in order to make me learn my lesson and understand how serious he is when he gives me orders." Sekido then sighs in a somewhat disappointed and frustrated way, clearly still not having taken it well that he got injured and punished by Muzan.

Urogi seems quite sympathetic and concerned towards Sekido for the way he was treated and punished by Muzan. He looks at him with a look of understanding and regret that he had to go through something so cruel and terrible. He also notices that the little girl he's holding has fallen asleep or is trying to sleep as she hugs his arm tightly, and so Urogi gently strokes her hair and wraps a wing around her in an effort to keep her comfortable as he listens to the story being told. He also listens intently to hear what else would happen.

Y/N continues to hold the child as she looks at Sekido with a kind look on her face, listening intently to his story and feeling concerned at the way he was badly treated and punished by Muzan. She seems to still be a bit upset at how her fellow demon suffered through such cruel actions, but she's very thankful that he was able to find and meet with the small human child, who he seems to be grateful towards. She looks down at the sleeping child and smiles softly, gently stroking her head and wrapping a arm around her to keep her warm as well.

Karaku looks over at Sekido and listens to him with slight concern and sadness on his face. While the demon of anger seems to have been able to make peace with his situation, Karaku is still a bit concerned and worried for Sekido and how he was treated and punished by Muzan, finding it unacceptable for any demon to receive such cruel punishment.

— "Muzan is so strict with his orders, and he especially hates disobedience and disrespect. Especially towards him. While I understand that you may have caused his anger, he could have at least treated you nicer, Sekido…"

Y/N looks over at Karaku and nods in agreement with him. She feels the same way, having expected that a demon as powerful and feared as Muzan would have treated one of his own demon subordinates in a much more reasonable and understanding way. She thought one might expect that Muzan would have showed more consideration and care towards one of his own upper moon demons, rather than treat him and punish him in such a cruel and brutal manner.

— "I agree. Muzan was being way too harsh for even the demon of anger. I'm concerned about you, Sekido…"

Aizetsu also listens to Sekido as he retells how he was treated by the demon lord, Muzan.

— "I concur as well.. Muzan was incredibly harsh and cruel towards you, Sekido. Such brutal punishment is not fitting for an Upper Moon demon."

Aizetsu agrees with Y/N as she states that the demon of anger was treated too harshly, and shares her concern for him. He looks at Sekido with a slightly sad and worried expression on his face, seeming genuinely concerned for the demon of anger and his wellbeing.

Sekido looks over at Aizetsu with a slight sad smile, nodding in agreement with him.

— "Muzan always has this unreasonable, excessive, and harsh treatment every time I make a mistake or even just a small slip up."

He sighs solemnly, remembering his past with Muzan and how severe his punishments were when he made any small mistake or slipup. He seems to be a bit regretful and sorrowful at how he was treated by the Demon Lord and how many times he was punished severely.

Sekido glances at the small human child who starts to let out a sad cry and begin to get upset at how he was badly treated. He looks over at her as he tries to reassure her and calm her down, rubbing her hair with his free hand and trying to comfort her.

— "Shh, it's okay now, little one.. I've already recovered, so please don't be upset…"

He tries to talk to her in a soothing and calming voice to try and reassure her that it's alright, and he's trying to keep her from becoming too upset.

Y/N smiles softly and looks at Sekido and the little human child he's trying to comfort. She seems happy that Sekido is still in a good enough mood to act so lovingly and caring towards his little human friend. She listens closely to his attempts to calm and reassure the girl, looking over at her with a worried expression and a bit of pity as she sees how sad and upset she is over him having gotten hurt and mistreated. She looks back at Sekido with genuine affection and thankfulness that he's trying so hard to be nice to the child in spite of his recent injuries and hardships.

Sekido continues to gently stroke the small human child's hair with his free hand and tries to calm her down and comfort her as he sees how upset she's becoming over him having gotten hurt and mistreated. He gently speaks to her again in a calm and reassuring voice.

— "My, my, you seem to be really worried about me… I'm here now, little one… I'm fine now… please don't cry anymore.."

He continues to try and calm her and reassure her while he holds her tightly in his arms.

Y/N smiles at the sight of the child letting out a yawn and raising her arms towards her, wanting to be held. She gladly takes the child on her lap and carefully and gently holds her, making sure to keep the girl in her arms as she yawns, as Y/N herself is also becoming a bit sleepy after spending the entire day with Sekido and being awake for long periods of time to ensure he was recovering properly. She begins to rest a bit, leaning her back against the wall and closing her eyes to relax as she still comfortably holds the child in her arms.

Karaku, whose been watching over the three of them while Sekido recounts his story, gently pats Y/N on her left shoulder to get her attention. He then speaks to her in an upbeat and lighthearted tone, seemingly in a good mood.

— "You look a bit sleepy, there. Mind if I ask you to rest on my shoulder for some time, Y/N? You seem rather tired, I wouldn't mind lending you my shoulder for a bit."

He speaks to her with a smile on his face and a happy gesture, offering her the opportunity to rest on his shoulder.

Y/N looks over at Karaku with a sleepy expression on her face, seeming grateful for the kind gesture that he's offering to lend her his shoulder for her to rest on. She nods her head and accepts the offer, and leans her torso against his shoulder, resting her head on him and closing her eyes as she begins to relax and feel sleepy.

— "Do you think this demon lord, Muzan, should be a little more considerate and understanding towards his own demons? Such severe and cruel punishment for a minor mistake is quite excessive and unnecessary."

Urogi poses the question to Sekido, as he seems quite concerned and worried for him and wonders why Muzan wouldn't be kinder and more considerate towards him as an Upper Moon demon.

"Of course he should.. I'm an Upper Moon too, just like him, and he should understand that. Instead of being harsh and punishing us for our small mistakes, he should take it easy, and understand that we demons are prone to make them because we're not perfect. Why can't he just calm down and be more reasonable and understanding towards his own inner circle of demons, instead of being so harsh and cruel to us..? What has he got against us demons of the upper moons..?"

Sekido asks Urogi's question back, clearly disagreeing with Muzan's harsh punishments and treatment towards the Upper moon demons.

— "I concur. It seems to be a bit unreasonable and unjustifiable for a demon lord to be that harsh and cruel towards his own demons, especially his Upper Moon demons. Surely Muzan would know better by now, and yet he still has this excessive need to be so strict and severe towards his demons. He needs to recognize that he can't possibly expect all his demons to perfectly follow his orders, but the least he could do is be more considerate and understanding to us."

Urogi agrees with Sekido and expresses his feelings of disappointment and sadness on behalf of the demon of anger.

Karaku then chimes in with his own thoughts and opinions on Muzan's harsh and cruel treatment towards his fellow Upper Moons.

— "It's ridiculous, that's for sure. He needs to calm down and show more consideration for his own demons. He should know that as demons we still have our own thoughts and feelings, we can still have our own opinions and personalities. It's only natural for demons like us to not always do exactly as he wants, he needs to learn that and be understanding of us. Such severe and cruel treatment of his own demons is completely outrageous and unreasonable."

Aizetsu looks over at Karaku as he states all of his thoughts and opinions on how unreasonable and unnecessary Muzan's treatment towards his fellow Upper Moon demons is. He nods in agreement with Karaku's statements as he himself also felt quite saddened and disappointed by it.

— "I wholeheartedly agree. As fellow Upper Moon demons, we are not just mindless servants for him to order around and punish freely and as he pleases. We have our own personalities, our own will, and our own thoughts and feelings. It's only reasonable that we sometimes might not always follow all of his directions perfectly."

Urogi looks up at the nurse as she enters and walks in with a trolley of food for Sekido. He smiles and looks over at Sekido.

— "Eat up, Sekido! You better not let that food go to waste! Eat enough for you to recover and regain your energy. The nurses are doing their best to take care of you, so make good use of their hard work!"

Urogi glances at the nurse with a grateful look on his face, as he speaks to Sekido while gesturing towards the food on the trolley.

Karaku seems pleased to see the food trolley come in, smiling and nodding his head, agreeing with Urogi's comment.

— "Yeah, Sekido! You've recovered all the way until now, so don't let their hard work go to waste. Be thankful and enjoy your recovery! That means you should eat all that food, Sekido! Let's see it."

Karaku continues his words with a cheerful and lighthearted tone, while at the same time, also trying to push Sekido a little bit to eat all of that food so he can recover faster.

Sekido chuckles nervously at Urogi and Karaku's words, looking a bit embarrassed but also grateful and happy that they're encouraging him to eat the food and take care of himself.

— "Well, of course I'm going to eat the food! I'm not going to let anybody, including myself, get in the way of my recovery. I'm just a little bit nervous because I've never been in a situation where a couple demon lords and countless Upper Rank demons are taking care of me and caring for me, and… I hope I don't disappoint anyone here…" Sekido laughs nervously.

Urogi smiles and nods approvingly as he sees Sekido respond to his encouragement with a smile and an intention to take care of himself.

— "You're doing wonderful, Sekido! Even if you're currently injured and incapacitated, we as fellow demons would never look down on you or view you any differently than we already do. You're an Upper Moon just like us, so we hold you in high esteem and treat you with much respect. Please, do your best to rest and recover, and we'll be proud of you for doing so well."

Y/N looks over at Sekido with a soft and appreciative smile as she also sees him respond to Urogi's encouragement with a kind and thankful expression. She nods her head and agrees.

— "I fully agree with Urogi. We all see you as a fellow Upper Moon, and we won't look down on you or view you any differently for your injury. We always hold you in high esteem and respect, and will continue to do so while you recover and regain your strength. Please take your time recovering, and we'll be proud of you no matter what."

Karaku glances over at Sekido with that smug look on his face, as he also adds to Urogi and Y/N's supportive words and speaks to him in his typically relaxed and chilled tone.

— "Yeah, yeah! Exactly as what Urogi and Y/N said! Do your best to recuperate, Sekido! We're all proud of you as an Upper Moon demon, so don't stress over it too much and just chill out!"

He says in that same cheery and laid-back tone as he nods to Sekido and smiles at him.

The human child looks up at Sekido with wide, terrified eyes as he suddenly snatches a fork and consumes the large human flesh sitting on the plate in one bite without hesitation. She shrieks in horror and quickly presses her tiny, delicate hands against her mouth as she watches him devour the flesh, unable to hold back the bile in her stomach as she sees what he's done. Y/N gasps in shock and looks at Sekido with horrified eyes as the human child begins to cry and shiver.

Sekido glances over at the human child for a moment as she seems terrified at what he just did, feeling his heart tug a bit for her. He gently speaks to her with a reassuring and comforting tone.

— "No, no, don't be scared, little one… I already consumed the human flesh, there's nothing left… So, you don't have to be scared…"

He tries to calm the little human child down and assure her that there's nothing else for her to be scared of after that gruesome incident just now.

Urogi looks over at the little human child as she shrieks in horror and presses her hands over her mouth again. He notices how the child was now crying and trembling in fear and looked to Sekido with a bit of a worried expression. He walks up to them and gently looks at Sekido in a concerned tone.

— "Sekido, did you perhaps forget that you're not supposed to consume human flesh around human children? It seems that the child is quite disturbed by what you just did…"

Y/N also looks over at the little human child, now sitting on her lap while trembling and crying in fear. She was horrified by what she witnessed, but couldn't help but feel a bit guilty because she never mentioned to Sekido that they were caring for a human child. She sighs and looks at him with a sympathetic and understanding expression, feeling sad and concerned for the scared, little human girl now clinging onto her, but tries not to blame him for what he had done. She simply looks at him with a worried expression, feeling sorry for the child.

— "Sekido, dear, I think there is a good reason why you should not eat human flesh near human children that don't know any better. It is quite a bit disturbing to them, is it not? Please be careful and considerate to the way it affects others when you do these things."

Karaku simply looks over at the little human child, who's now sitting on Y/N's lap and trembling and crying in fear. He smiles a bit more at her worried expression and nods a bit.

— "Well, yeah… As an Upper Moon demon, I'm naturally fond of consuming human flesh from time to time. The flesh of a human child is quite good, too… Quite succulent, indeed~"

He says again, in a laid-back and cheerful tone as he looks over at the scared, little human child in Y/N's lap.

Y/N gives Karaku a forceful, playful slap on the face, feeling a bit amused by his comment about the child's flesh being succulent and good for consumption. She looks at him with a bit of a teasing and flirtatious expression, seemingly trying to mess with him a little, but at the same time, she also wanted to reassure him that it was okay for him to make such comments.

— "Why, you, young man~ You are so mean~"

She says in a taunting tone, with the intention of just kidding around with him.

Aizetsu looks up at Y/N and Karaku, hearing her playful taunting tone as well as her slap to Karaku's face. He tilts his head to the side, confused by the sudden playful atmosphere created. He frowns and looks at both of them, wondering what exactly Y/N was trying to do.

— "Huh? What's going on…? Why is the atmosphere of this room all different now…?"

He asks, still confused by their sudden playful and romantic atmosphere.

Y/N sees Aizetsu's confused expression and looks at him with a small smile before turning her attention back to Karaku.

— "Pay no attention to us, Aizetsu~ We were just playing around a little bit, that's all.."

She says softly and reassuringly in a soft, gentle tone, before looking at Karaku and continuing to mess around with him again.

Aizetsu looks at both of them for a moment, trying to understand the situation and the sudden playful mood Y/N and Karaku created all of a sudden. He shrugs his shoulders before looking away, seemingly not wanting to disturb them anymore.

— "Oh… I see… Well, I guess it's fine if you're guys are playing around a bit…"

He answers in a soft and gentle tone, before looking towards the scared child clinging to Y/N's lap and smiling a bit at her sweet and innocent expression.

Y/N looks back at Aizetsu and smiles back at him before looking back at the little girl on her lap, who was clearly still afraid and trembling. Her expression softens as she looks at the child and starts to gently and reassuringly rub her hair with her free hand.

— "Don't worry, little one.. Everything's alright…"

She tries her best to calm and comfort the scared human child, and her soothing tone seems to have a calming effect on the little girl, who doesn't seem quite as frightened and anxious anymore.

Sekido looked over at the time on a wall clock after noticing it was getting late. He wondered to himself if the others would be staying for the night or not, and just hoped they would. After all, he liked having the company of his Upper Moon brethren.

Karaku looked over his shoulder to see the time on a wall clock. He turned back and looked at Sekido.

— "Ah, it seems to be getting late… I guess it is true that time flies when we're having fun, Sekido~"

He said in a cheerful and laid-back tone, glancing back at the wall clock again.

Y/N looked over at the wall clock as well and nodded, agreeing that time surely did seem to fly very fast when they were having fun. She sighs and looks back at Sekido and his pleasant, relaxed expression before continuing her gentle and soothing strokes on the little girl's hair. Her tone becomes a bit more calm and soothing as well.

— "You're quite right, Karaku. Time surely has gone fast indeed. It seems that it's already getting quite late, and we've been having so much fun for so long. Should we be heading off soon?"

— "Oh my, it really is getting rather late… I guess we could head off soon, although it would be wonderful if we could all continue this pleasant atmosphere and company for a bit longer~"

Karaky spoke with a calm and laid-back tone, glancing towards the human child with a gentle smile again, while continuing to pet the little girl's hair with one of his hands.

"Mummy... Can I stay here with Sekido.. I dont want him to be all lonely.."

Y/N hears the little girl ask if she could stay with Sekido and her tone was truly adorable and sweet. She thinks it over for a second before answering the little one softly and sweetly.

— "Sure~.. As long as it's okay for you too, Sekido! But it would be wise to let your injuries heal for a while, too."

She continues petting the little girl's hair with one of her hands with a caring smile.

After seeing the little girl's sweet expression and her interest in wanting to stay with him to keep him company, Sekido's heart softened a bit. He looks over at her and nods his head, seemingly happy that she was so sweet and understanding towards him.

— "Awhh, you're such a sweet and adorable little thing, you know that..? Yes, you may stay with me and keep me company for as long as you like, little one. I think I'd enjoy that~"

A pleasant, bright smile spreads across his face as he says this.

Karaku glances over at Sekido's smile and delighted expression as he asks the little girl if she'll stay with him and caresses her hair. He watches them for a few seconds before smiling and speaking to them again with his typically laid-back tone.

— "Aww, how sweet! It seems the little girl is quite fond of you, Sekido! I guess that she must have been feeling sympathetic towards your injuries, which are currently preventing you from carrying out your normal duties~"

He chuckles a bit and pats the little girl's head happily.

Sekido looks up at Y/N as she stands up and then gently passes the human child over to him. He takes the little girl gently and then gives Y/N a look of appreciation and thanks, before turning her attention towards the little girl and caressing her hair again with a small smile on his face.

— "Thank you very much for doing this, Y/N.. I'll take care of her for you."

He smiles at Y/N as he thanks her with his soft tone before turning his attention back to the little girl smiling at him.

Y/N smiles back at Sekido and nods in response to his thanks. She looks down at the little girl and gently speaks to her in a soothing tone.

— "There you go, little one! Mama will be back soon, don't worry! Uncle Sekido will take care of you for now, since he's a sweet demon and a big, kind Upper Moon~"

She gently pats the little girl's hair and smiles at her reassuringly, hoping that the girl will feel safe with Sekido being with her for the time being.

Urogi looks back at Aizetsu, seeing that he was getting up and was now holding his spear.

— "It does seem that it is time to head back home soon. We have been spending more than enough time having fun together for now, after all."

He says calmly and looks at the wall clock, seeming to be in agreement with Aizetsu.

Karaku glances over at Aizetsu and Urogi preparing to leave and smiles faintly at them. As their conversation continues, he continues to pet and caress the little girl's hair with a soft tone.

— "Oh, it truly does seem that we've spent more than enough time having fun together, doesn't it… It was truly a good way to relax after a long, hard day of work and duties~"

He chuckles softly and smiles again, looking back at the little girl as he does this.

Urogi sees Y/N waving goodbye to Sekido and the little girl and decides to join in and wave back.

— "Goodbye, Sekido. Goodbye, little human girl. We'll see you soon."

He gives the two of them a gentle wave as Y/N takes him and Karaku by the arm and leads them outside.

Karaku continues to smile at Sekido and the little girl as he waves goodbye to them along with Urogi. After Y/N leads them both outside, he looks around at their surroundings.

— "Ahh, it's a fine day… It was quite pleasant hanging out with you all as well, Y/N. Though, it might be best to head home as well for the night, huh…~ "

He says with a slight chuckle.

As Karaku mentions going home, Aizetsu nods in agreement.

— "Indeed, it's best for us all to head home now… We had fun, but we need to rest our bodies now."

His tone was calm as he replied to Karaku, seeming to also want to head back and rest a bit.

Sekido looked down at the little human child smiling at him, as she drew some funny doodles on his casts. He looked at each of the little drawings she made, smiling warmly, and his tone became sweet and soft as he spoke to her.

— "Ahh, you seem to be a very talented artist, little one~ Your drawing skills are quite adorable~"

He spoke gently while looking at her and smiling softly, his tone becoming quite calming and soothing.

Sekido is now watching the little girl as she sat next to him, drawing on his casts. He was smiling at her and enjoying her drawings. As the sound of rain outside became more prominent in the background, Sekido notices this and turns his attention to the sound, seeming to be slightly distracted from the little girl for a moment.

A slight smile appears on his face.

— "Hmm, it seems it is starting to rain outside now…"

He speaks in a calm and soothing tone, still enjoying the calming sound of the rain.

The little girl was very excited to see Sekido enjoying her drawings on his casts and continued drawing more of her cute doodles on them. She looked up at him with a big, bright and cheerful smile on her face, her eyes glittering excitedly as she drew.

— "Do you like my drawings, Sekido..?"

She looked back down at her drawings and seemed to be very proud of her work, especially since Sekido liked them. She kept asking Sekido questions, but her voice was slowly being drowned by the sound of rain outside.

Sekido hears the little girl ask him if he liked her drawings and he nods his head, seemingly enjoying her drawings.

— "Yes, I like the drawings you made. They're all very cute and adorable~"

He speaks in a calm and soothing tone while looking at the little girl, his expression becoming softer as his tone of voice becomes gentler as well.

— "It's too bad that the sound of rain is drowning out your voice so much… Are you saying more things, Little One~?"

The little girl seems very happy to hear Sekido say that he likes the drawings she made. She smiles up at Sekido and nods her head gently while speaking up again with her slightly strained voice, her tone becoming louder since she was struggling to be heard over the rain.

— "I asked you how you liked my drawings.. But I know it's hard to hear my speaking.. So I'll yell as loud as I can~"

She yelled as loud as she could at that moment, her voice filled with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

Sekido looked very surprised by her sudden yelling, his eyes widening a bit as he does so.

— "Ohhh, you didn't have to yell that loudly..!"

He chuckles and speaks gently as he answers her, before glancing outside the window toward the rain.

— "I'm very happy hearing you say that I liked your drawings.. They're very cute and adorable~"

His tone continues to stay calm and soothing as he replies to the little girl.

The sounds of rain outside and the thunder striking continue, as the little human girl hides underneath the hospital bed. Sekido can feel the girl shivering in fear, not being ready for the sound of thunder striking. He looks down at her, still with a smile on his face, but seeming to show some concern for her.

— "It seems the thunder was too loud and frightening for you, little one. Don't worry, you are now very safe under the bed."

He smiles at her reassuringly, trying to comfort her as she hides under the bed.

The little girl continues to hide under the hospital bed as the sounds of rain and thunder continue, her eyes being wide and unblinking as she seemed extremely terrified by the noise coming from outside. Sekido can feel her shaking and trembling under the hospital bed, and she still seems like she is quite frightened. Her voice is still strained but soft, as she tries to speak up to Sekido again.

— "Are we still safe under here?"

She asks him softly, looking up at him with a nervous expression and seemingly needing confirmation from Sekido himself.

Sekido sees the little girl still looking up at him from under the bed with a nervous expression, and he smiles warmly at her.

— "Yes, don't worry, we are completely safe under here, little one. You can come out if you would like~"

He speaks in a gentle and soothing tone to the little girl as he continues to pet her head with his hand, trying to calm her by reassuring her.

The little girl still remains under the hospital bed, trying to hide from the thunder strikes she heard before. She listens to Sekido as he reassures her and speaks to her while she is under the bed. She nods her head slightly in response to him.

— "I am scared of thunder.. I prefer to stay under here for the time being, if it is okay.."

She speaks in a soft and gentle tone with a tinge of nervousness in her voice as her eyes look up at Sekido from under the bed.

Sekido takes a look at the little girl again and sees her nod slightly in response to him, meaning she wants to stay under the bed for a little longer. His expression becomes even more soothing and calming.

— "Of course, little one. You may stay under here for as long as you need, I understand how frightening the thunder can be. There's no need to be scared, you are safe here with me~"

He says this to her, speaking in a gentle and soothing tone to try to calm her further.

Sekido slowly gets off the hospital bed, sitting on a nearby chair while wearing a blue hospital gown. He continues to look over at the little human girl hiding under the bed. Suddenly, he notices that his butt and legs are exposed as he is wearing a hospital gown. He becomes slightly embarrassed by this and quickly puts his hands over his legs while slightly turning himself away from the little girl and hiding his exposed butt and legs.

— "Ehehe… I shall not show this side of me to you… It is inappropriate for me to expose this side of me to you…"

The little girl seems to pick up on Sekido's embarrassment, but she also seems to find it a bit amusing. Her eyes glisten with the reflection of light from her pupils and her smile becomes even wider. She looks at him while still hiding under the bed and her nose starts to twitch.

— "Sekido's little butt~.."

She whispers to herself and giggles a little bit, finding his embarrassment to be slightly cute and humorous. Her voice is still quite soft and gentle but filled with a bit of a mischievous tone as well.

Sekido hears the little girl whisper to herself and giggle, which catches him off guard.

— "Ahh?! What did you say!? Don't look at me like that… That is not proper, little one!"

He looks at her, still covering his exposed ass with his hands and seeming to be quite embarrassed by her comment and how she is looking at him. His tone becomes flustered and agitated.

The little girl looks at Sekido's shocked expression and begins to giggle and snicker, enjoying his reactions.

— "Sekido's butt is so cute~"

She whispers loudly, clearly enjoying how he is reacting while seeming to like how his butt looks.

Sekido takes a moment to search for some pants and finds a pair to put on. The little girl looks at him as he puts on his pants and smiles at him again, her eyes glittering and her face becoming more cheerful.

— "Yay, Sekido has pants now! You look a little more proper now, although you still have a really cute little butt~!"

She looks at Sekido and giggles more, enjoying the funny face he's making as he puts on his pants and covering his butt.

After putting a pair of pants on, Sekido sighs a sigh of relief as he finally manages to cover his exposed butt. He looks down at the little girl, looking at her with a flushed and flustered expression as his cheeks seem to be turning slightly red, all while giggling.

— "Shhh… You shall not say those things. That is not proper to say… I am quite embarrassed by all of this, little one."

He speaks with a slightly red face while looking down at her with a serious and strict expression.

The little girl noticed how dark it was outside and started to feel a bit frightened. She clings onto Sekido quickly and looks up at him while speaking to him with a bit of an anxious tone in her voice.

— "It's still raining.. I feel scared.."

As she speaks to him, she seems to feel uneasy and scared due to how dark and rainy it is outside.

Sekido notices the little girl looking around the room and sounding a bit frightened. He looks at her and smiles gently.

— "It's okay, little one. If you are frightened, you can hide your head in my chest while I protect you with this"

He motions to his Khakkhara, before opening his arms and inviting her to come closer to him. His voice and his tone remain soothing and calming.

The little girl hears Sekido's invitation and clings onto him and hides in his chest while looking up at him, feeling very scared from the darkness and the rain outside.

— "Thank you, Sekido.. I am scared of the dark. I am glad I could hide in your chest"

She speaks softly and gently as she clings onto Sekido, her voice sounding a bit shaky, as well as her body trembling a little bit from her fear.

Sekido notices the little human girl clinging onto him and speaks to her with a gentle voice.

— "You are quite welcome, little one. This is what I am here to do, after all."

He looks down at her, seeming to enjoy her being on his chest, and he smiles at her in a comforting way. His arms are wrapped around her as he strokes her head, trying to calm her and make her feel safe.

Sekido notices the little human girl thinking and tilts his head to the side.

— "What is it, little one? Is there something else in your mind, perhaps~?"

He speaks in a way that exudes a sense of comfortability and peace as he looks down at her, still stroking her head.

The little girl looks up at Sekido with a confused expression, wondering where the nurses and doctors are too for some time. She lets out a small sigh.

— "Do you know where the nurses or doctors are, Sekido~?"

She speaks quietly and timidly as she continues to look up at him with a confused expression.

Sekido notices the little human girl looking at him with a confused expression and thinking about where the nurses and doctors are, and he tilts his head to the side slightly.

— "Hmm? Where the nurses or doctors are~? Unfortunately, I am unaware of that information, little one. However, it is strange to see them absent from the hospital… And the absence of doctors and nurses here makes this place feel quite eerie."

He speaks in a soothing and calming tone, and as he speaks, his hand strokes the girl's head, trying to comfort her.

Sekido then makes his way out of his recovery room and heads down the empty and quiet hallway, noticing that it is indeed really strange to have a completely empty hospital, not just the recovery room. His expression becomes slightly suspicious as he walks through the quiet hallways, trying to figure out where the doctors and nurses are.

She continues to look over at Sekido as they walk down the empty and quiet hallway, her face being consumed with fear and nervousness from the emptiness of the hospital.

— "Sekido.. I am scared of this place.. Where are the nurses or doctors?.."

She whispers softly and quietly, her face filled with tears as she asks him these questions, having been getting more and more afraid from the emptiness of the hospital lately.

Seikdo takes a look at her and sees that she clearly seems to be very frightened, with tears streaming down her face as she asks him about the medical staff's whereabouts.

— "There is no need to be afraid, little one. As for the medical staff not being here, I am as much in the dark as you, unfortunately~"

He speaks to her with a calm and soothing tone, trying to reassure her that she needs to not worry or be afraid. His voice continues to remain gentle.

Sekido walks with the little human girl by his side and takes note of her tear-filled face. He speaks reassuringly with a gentle voice.

— "Even when we don't know where the nurses or doctors are, we shall not fear what we don't know. There is no need to be afraid of the empty and quiet hospital, little one, I am here to protect you."

After speaking, his hand gently strokes her head again, trying to provide her with some comfort and support.

Sekido's ears twitch and he stops walking as he hears someone whistling and tries to focus on it, curious where the sound could be coming from and if he should check it out or not.

— "Shhh… Do you hear that, little one? It seems someone is whistling… Should we check it out, little one~?"

He asks her, tilting his head to the side slightly and staring in the direction from where the whistling is coming from with a confused expression.

The little girl looks over at Sekido, tilting her head to the side slightly as well, as she nods in agreement to investigate the source of this whistling she is hearing.

— "Of course, mister Sekido! I want to help~!"

Her curious and playful voice exudes excitement towards the prospect of checking out the whistling and finding out what's causing it.

— "Alright, little one! Let's go see what's causing it~!"

He says in a joyful, and playful tone, seeming to enjoy the thought of helping a little girl out while also satisfying his own curiosity. He starts to continue walking down the hallway, with the little girl by his side, as he tries to find out where the whistling is coming from. His ears remain twitched and his head slightly tilted to the side, trying to listen better for the whistling's location.

Sekido stops walking and looks over at the little girl as they see a man wearing a suit and a hat in the distance, and his ears twitch in surprise.

— "Hmm… Who is that man in the distance, little one..? He doesn't look like a nurse or a doctor…"

He looks at the little girl in the hopes that she might have some insight on who this man is and why he would be in this quiet and empty hospital.

The little girl looks over at Sekido and whispers to him curiously.

— "I don't know who he is, Sekido~… I have never seen him before.."

She speaks quietly and timidly, still looking in the direction of the strange man with a questioning expression. She tilts her head back and forth slightly and wonders about who he could be and what he could be here for.

Sekido starts to become more suspicious with the man's appearance and smell. He remembers who the person in front of them is and becomes startled, realizing that it is a person he doesn't want to ever encounter again. He turns to the little girl with a very scared and worried expression.

— "That is a person we do not want to meet…"

He whispers to her softly, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. But as he speaks, some fear and worry seems to be present in his voice.

Sekido's eyes widen slightly out of shock and fear, realizing that the man in front of them is the demon king himself.

— "…. It is.. Muzan…"

He says the demon king's name quietly and with a fearful undertone. He looks at the demon king, realizing that Muzan's presence means they are most certainly in a very dangerous situation.

As Muzan glares at Sekido and the little girl, Sekido becomes even more scared. He moves to protect the little girl, trying to hide her behind him and hide her behind his body from Muzan's sight.

— "This is why we didn't want to meet him… This is quite dangerous now…! I shall keep you safe, little one~"

He holds the little girl behind him and covers her with his body, trying to hide her from Muzan's sight and protect her from the demon king.

"Sekido.."

He looks up at Muzan, a scared expression on his face. He then hears him speak and tilts his head to the side.

— "Y-yes, Muzan…?"

He replies, seeming to be in a bit of shock, and still covering the little girl behind him with his body in an attempt to protect her from Muzan's presence.

"Why are you with a little wretched being.. I thought you had learned your lesson the last time you disobeyed my orders.. I guess I was proven wrong about that."

Sekido shivers with fear and nervousness as he stands in front of the little girl and covers her, staring at Muzan.

— "She is but an innocent little girl…. Muzan-sama… She must be left alone…."

His calm voice shakes with fear and nervousness, and is filled with anxiety as he tries to defend the innocent little girl from Muzan.

— "She has done nothing to warrant such harm… Please, Muzan-sama…. Show mercy to this innocent little girl…"

"Sparing a human is nothing a demon would tend to do.. Nor if their young or old.. They are our food supplies and what helps us stay strong and bold.. I am surprised that out of the upper moons.. You would be the one who would have quite the change of heart.. Yet your role as the Hantengu emotion of anger doesn't surprise me.. How foolish of you, Sekido."

Sekido's face is filled with shock and fear as he hears Muzan's words. He doesn't say anything in response to Muzan's words and just stares at him, seemingly too afraid to speak up. Instead, he just holds on to the little girl in a protective way, keeping her in front of him and covering her with his body, as if trying to protect her from Muzan.

— "…"

He's silent for a moment, as to whether or not he should speak up and say something against Muzan.

"What happened to all of that anger and rage in you.. Why have you become so soft.. It irritates me to even consider you the clone of anger if you dont put your game up right.. Now.. Hand me that child over.. And none of us shall get hurt..."

Sekido then hears Muzan demand that he hand over the little girl in front of him, as well as the threat of getting hurt if he doesn't do so. He stares at Muzan and seems to be scared and hesitant about handing over such an innocent and fragile little girl to such an evil demon, despite him being in his own domain, with only him and the demon king in the room.

— "Please, Muzan-sama… Please, show some mercy and spare the innocent little girl in front of me…"

"Showing Mercy towards a human is unacceptable.. I thought you would be proven as more as such... I am disappointed in you... And as for the exchange. It seems you are uncapable of lending such pests towards my offer.. I have no choice but to take it from you.. Whether you like it or not"

Sekido tries to shield the little girl from Muzan, trying to keep her out of his hands and protect her. He tries to grab onto the little girl, as Muzan attempts to take her away, and holds onto her tightly to protect her.

— "No, Muzan.. You can't do this… She's an innocent little girl, you can't just take her away…"

He tries to hold onto the little girl more tightly, as he looks down at her with a protective expression on his face.

Sekido starts to feel angry as he struggles against Muzan's grip, pulling on him to try and take the little girl away.

— "Let go… Muzan-sama…! You are a cruel demon… How could you take the girl away, when she has done nothing wrong… Leave her alone…"

His voice starts to shake as he speaks in a much louder tone.

— "Let… GO!!!!!"

He yells this at Muzan, seeming to get lost in his anger.

"I was right.. Humans can damage a demon's emotion just by being nice to them.. How cruel of this.. How infuriating that she cause you to change so drastically... Pathetic..."

Sekido is angry from the way Muzan calls his actions 'pathetic' but his eyes remain focused on trying to protect the innocent little girl, and get her away from Muzan. He still tries to pry her away from the demon king's grip, showing that he still wants to protect her and does not want to give her away.

— "Why can't you just leave her alone… She has done nothing wrong, to you or anyone else.. Please, let her go."

He stares up at Muzan with an angered expression.

"I would devour the two of you with ease. But because I'm in a good mood and to not cause any other blood splatter that would stain my new suit.. Ill let something else do my favor..."

He lets go...

The little girl hits the ground and seems hurt from the fall. But she stands up and backs away from Muzan.. She seems afraid of Muzan now, and starts to slowly approach Sekido in a fearful way.

— "Sekido..?"

She whispers quietly and timidly, seeming to want to hide under him, being afraid of Muzan. She seems to think that Sekido can protect her.

Muzan grins at Sekido's actions, enjoying the sight of him being filled with anger.

— "Ahh… How very nostalgic.. Is that the Sekido I know?"

His tone is filled with sarcasm and mockery as he looks down at Sekido, who is protecting the innocent little girl with his body and glaring up at the demon king.

He scowls up at Muzan, protecting the little girl in front of him with his body and ready to fight.

— "No demon can take the innocent little girl's life and walk away unharmed from this moment…"

He stares at Muzan and growls at him, as if daring the demon king to move. He seems to be very protective of the little girl and does not want to give her up to Muzan or let anything happen to her.

The little girl clings onto Sekido while shivering. Scared of Muzan and afraid of him. She looks up at Sekido with tears in her eyes.

— "Please.. Help me.."

She whimpers softly and nervously while looking at Sekido with an expression filled with fear, sadness and anxiety.

Sekido looks down at the little girl clinging onto him and stares at her with a protective expression on his face. He glances back at Muzan for a moment but then looks back down at the little girl.

— "Don't worry… I won't let anything happen to you, little one~"

His voice is gentle and kind as he speaks with soft tones.

— "I am here to protect you. I won't let anyone or anything hurt you, okay?"

The little girl hugs Sekido and looks up at him

— "I'm scared.."

She whimpers and speaks quietly with a trembling voice. As she looks up at Sekido with a desperate look in her eyes

As Muzan snaps his fingers, Nakime teleports him away. Sekido then looks back at the little girl with a protective expression on his face.

— "Don't be scared, little one, you are safe now.."

He speaks in a reassuring tone.

— "I am here to protect you, as you look precious and fragile, and I could never bear the thought of you being harmed by anyone. So, please do not worry, I will keep you safe and make you feel less afraid…"

Sekido and the little girl feel the ground rumble and they look around, trying to figure out what caused it. Sekido's eyes shift to look at the little girl, and he kneels down so that he's on her level.

— "Little one? What would cause such an earth-shaking rumble..?"

He asks, seeming confused and surprised by the sudden rumbling.

The hospital starts to fall apart, its structure and foundation crumbling and collapsing around them. Sekido grabs the little girl and holds her tightly, trying to protect her from the falling rubble and keep her safe as best as he could.

— "Hold on, little one.. I'm not letting go of you."

He says, sounding calm and collected despite the chaos happening all around them.

— "Little one? Are you okay..!?"

He calls out to the little girl, worried about her condition.

The human child was clinging onto some of the wall.. She was dangling over the edge as the earthquake created a large crater.

Sekido reaches forward in an attempt to grab onto her, but due to the rubble in the way he only manages to get a hold of her foot.

— "Stay calm, little one… I'll save you."

He takes a deep breath and puts all of his energy into trying to lift the little girl up by grasping at her leg and trying to pull her back over the edge onto solid ground.

She starts to scream out

— "Don't let go of me.. Pleaaaaaaase!!"

She clings onto Sekido for dear life.. And is hanging onto the rubble for support. She has managed to get her arms over the rubble.. She is afraid of falling.. Or rather than falling she is afraid of dying at such a young age by such a event

He grits his teeth and pulls with all his strength, trying to bring the little girl back over the edge and onto solid ground.

— "I won't let go of you.. Stay calm and stay strong, little one… I promise you will not die today."

He continues to pull and strain with everything he's got, and finally manages to pull her back over the rubble onto solid ground.

— "See, little one? I told you that you will not die today. You're perfectly safe now.."

He takes a deep breath and seems quite relieved and content as he speaks to the girl and pats her on the head like a little kid. He seems quite pleased and happy about her safety.

The floor underneath them breaks and they fall once again. The ground seems to be breaking and falling to pieces all around them. Sekido stares at the little girl as they fall and he holds her tightly in his arms.

— "Little one, please, just stay calm.. We'll be okay.. This is nothing bad.."

He says, while he himself also seems worried and anxious about them falling and falling down, but trying to keep his calm for the little girl. He holds her tightly and wraps his arms around her tightly.

The little girl screams, scared and nervous. Sekido looks to her as they fall through the air, seeing how scared and worried she is. He himself does not seem to know what will happen next, but at the moment, his worry seems to focus on comforting and calming down the little girl.

— "Please, don't worry, we will be okay.. Try to stay calm, okay..?"

His voice is gentle as he looks at the little girl and tries to comfort her.

Sekido spots the flying object approaching in a rapid speed, and he covers the girl with his body to protect her. He holds her tightly and covers her with his body, still trying to keep her safe and make sure that she does not get harmed by whatever is flying towards them. He stares up at the object and braces for the impact it might make.

Urogi dives down and catches them just in time, holding them tightly with his talons as he flies in the air. He smiles brightly at them and lets out a joyful sigh, now being with his friends.

— "Oh, hello there, Sekido and little one… It's nice to see you both after a while."

He says with a bright tone and a smile on his face, glad to see that he was able to rescue them both just in time.

Sekido and the little girl seem relieved that Urogi came to their rescue, and as they both see that they have been caught by him, Sekido relaxes his grip on the little girl and smiles at Urogi, clearly happy to see him.

— "Urogi…"

He speaks with a soft tone and looks up at Urogi.

— "…It's good to see you again. It's been a while."

Urogi lands on the ground safely, with the little girl and Sekido both still on his talons. He sets down the little girl and turns to look at Sekido.

— "And it is very good to see you too, Sekido my friend… Are you two okay?"

He stares at Sekido carefully, concerned for his health, before smiling brightly and turning his attention to the little girl and checking up on her as well.

Sekido slowly gets up as well, and seems worried about the little girl's well-being. He looks at the little girl and kneels down so that he can be on her level.

— "Little one, are you okay now? Did you get hurt at all..?"

He asks, with a concerned expression on his face as he looks at the little girl. He speaks softly and in a calming, almost soothing tone. His voice and demeanor seem to be quite different to how he usually behaves with others. It would seem that this little girl got to him.

The little girl got up.. She saw Y/N and ran to her.

"Mama!!!"

Y/N sighs softly and hugs the little girl back with a warm and kind smile on her face.

— "Hello, little one…"

Her tone of voice is calming and soothing, full of kindness and tenderness. She gives the little girl a reassuring pat on the head, comforting her.

— "Let's not cry, dear… No one is going to hurt you anymore…"

She speaks softly and in a calming way, trying to reassure the little girl that she is safe and protected.

Karaku walks over to Sekido and helps him up. His eyes are filled with worry and he seems a bit concerned for Sekido's health after all that happened.

— "Are you okay, Sekido? Do you have any injuries?"

His voice is filled with worry and concern as he helps him up and checks him for any potential injuries or wounds, seeming worried about his safety.

Sekido gets up quickly and shakes his head, reassuring his friend that he is completely okay.

— "I'm fine, Karaku, don't worry.. I'm quite resilient, so I've taken worse beatings before.."

His expression is calm and unbothered, as he doesn't seem to be bothered by any injuries or wounds he might have gotten from the earthquake and falling down.

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