ENTANGLEMENT | Part I, Chapter I
A Portal/Half Life Universe Fic from Chell's Perspective
Rating: Explicit
Overall Word Count: 10,730
Chapters: 1/20
Where to Read:
AO3 | Google Drive | // ?UN?/KN@?#WN
SYNOPSIS
Location Unknown, Michigan, USA.
Aperture released her, set her free. That ought to have been the end of it. But cast out into a world rendered unrecognizable after a mass extinction level event, Chell is forced to fend for herself, navigating a war-torn world in the aftermath of the seven hour war that devastated the states in a bygone era.
Mere days into her newfound experience on the surface, Chell finds bizarre technology inside a Michigan radio tower, discovering that the same interdimensional forces that started the war were still around, scouring the area in search of technology from the facility she hoped to never see again — Aperture Science.
With no choice but to go back to the facility to deliver a dire warning, Chell tightropes on the cusp of two worlds, unaware of the consequences of pursuing the past and surviving an uncertain future alongside an unlikely ally.
It's finally here!! A former roleplay thread with @sarcasticgaypotato turned novel, this story follows the events of Half Life 2: Episode 2, and is an inspired continuation of the ending of Half Life: Alyx from the perspective of everyone's favorite Aperture-dwelling characters. Chell, whose mission is to protect Aperture technology from getting in the hands of the Combine, must also act as GLaDOS's protector and keep her safe. GLaDOS, on the other hand, has to figure out the complicated ways of the world from a new perspective - literally.
This story is friendly to those who don't know Half-Life lore, and a treat for those who do! This story is a close-to-canon survival novel fic with ChellDOS as a major focus. Full of survival, interactive elements, complicated feelings, and a beautiful slow burn robot/human love story. <3
38 notes
·
View notes
I'm curious Connor in you're au looks quite malnutritioned and tired what would Hank do if he became exceptionally sick or weak from kamskis experiments on him
He can tell that something’s off the minute he walks into the enclosure. Connor is lying half on the deck, half in the water, his tail hanging limply off the ledge. He barely lifts his head at the sound of Hank entering, eyes half-lidded and hazy.
Hank rushes forward, dropping his lunch bag on the deck and grabbing Connor by the shoulders. “Jesus — Connor! Hey, you okay?”
Connor looks worse than he ever has; purple shadows under his eyes dark as a bruise, skin sallow over protruding bones, grip weak as he reaches up to place a heavy hand on Hank’s arm. Hank feels anger simmer to life in his gut, the urge to storm straight into Kamski’s office and punch his teeth out for allowing Connor to wallow in this state (and likely causing it) rising like a maelstrom; but he manages to reign himself in for Connor’s sake, guiding him into a more comfortable position on the deck. “Hold on, kid,” he says urgently, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over the merman’s thin, pale frame. He turns to rummage quickly through his bag. “Here, what do you need? Food? Water?”
He holds out his daily catch to Connor. Connor looks blearily at the fish, eyes cloudy, then drops his head back onto the deck, murmuring insensibly.
Hank raises his head back up. “C’mon, kid, you need to eat,” he says, trying to keep his voice low despite his rising panic. He palms the kid’s face gently, noting how it’s burning up as he sits cross-legged by the water’s edge, guiding Connor’s head into his lap.
Connor barely reacts to the change in position. His eyes are closed, and his bony ribs rise and fall quickly, shallow breaths puffing past cracked lips. Hank decides it’s probably best to start with water. He reaches back into his bag to retrieve his bottle, uncapping it and placing it against Connor’s lips. “Come on, come on,” he mutters.
Connor does respond to that, at least, throat bobbing with difficulty as he sips slowly at what’s offered. Hank’s relief is short-lived, however; Connor’s eyes slip shut when Hank pulls the bottle away, and he murmurs a low, wounded sound as he turns his head weakly into Hank’s lap.
Hank hisses a curse between his teeth. He puts a hand on Connor’s burning forehead, pushing his sweat-soaked locks out of the way. He’s just about to consider running to get help — Kamski’s wrath be damned — when the enclosure door opens.
Hank turns quickly, stiffening. One of the scientists, the small blonde one, is standing in the doorway, holding several objects in her hands — one of which looks like a syringe filled with a pale blue fluid. She gives him a strange, lingering look.
“Mr. Anderson.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Hank growls. He doesn’t give a damn that he’s been caught breaking the rules. He eyes the syringe in her hand suspiciously as she walks towards them, clutching Connor tighter. “The hell are you gonna do to him?”
She stops a short distance away from them. “My name is Chloe,” she says, soft and careful. She holds out her hands placatingly, showing Hank everything that she has in her grasp. “I work directly under Dr. Kamski. Connor is sick. I have medicine for him.”
Hank eyes the syringe suspiciously. The girl doesn’t seem all that aggressive, but he doesn’t trust anyone in this place, least of all the fuckers who put Connor in this situation in the first place. “Right. How do I know you’re not just gonna shoot him up with more weird shit?”
Chloe’s hesitates, looking away. “I understand your concern,” she murmurs finally. “But I want you to know that I really don’t mean Connor any harm. I — I don’t like seeing him suffer, either.”
Hank snorts darkly at that. “Then set him free.”
Chloe says nothing; just gives him another long, considering look. On top of feeling pissed, her light-eyed stare is starting to make him feel uncomfortable, like she’s staring into his soul and grasping at his deepest, most guarded thoughts. Weird girl.
Connor stirs in his lap, dark eyes flickering open to peer hazily beyond Hank’s hovering form. He seems to recognize Chloe; he doesn’t shy away as she approaches them, at least. Rather, he shifts, and — to Hank’s surprise — holds out one pale, scarred arm.
Chloe kneels down, keeping her eyes on Hank. “May I?”
Hank would honestly like nothing less, but he’s not stupid. Connor needs more help than he can provide, and for whatever reason he seems to trust her marginally more than the other scientists Hank’s seen him interact with. “Whatever,” he grunts, keeping a tight grip on the merman. If she got the smart notion to try anything, Hank would be there to swing his weight around, anyhow.
Connor watches her as she swabs his skin delicately with alcohol, and Hank watches him in turn. His face pinches when she inserts the needle, but he seems no less uncomfortable than he was before; no trace of the anger or fear that normally twists his expression when the scientists enter his tank. In fact, he seems almost…relieved. His eyes slip closed when Chloe retracts the needle, and he lets out a shaky sigh, curling into Hank’s warmth.
Hank strokes a hand through the kid’s hair, watching Chloe discard the needle into a little yellow container and tape a piece of gauze over the puncture site. “You done now?”
Chloe shakes her head, looking regretful. “I’m afraid we’ll have to move Connor to the sick tank. He’ll need more than a single shot to recover, and he’ll need specific environmental conditions to help him heal properly.”
Hank feels that familiar anger ignite in him again, raising his hackles and knotting dark and tight in his chest. “He wouldn’t be sick if you would just stop doing this to him,” he growls, fixing the girl with a hard, baleful stare. Whatever she’d done to help Connor just now, it didn’t make up for everything she’d helped enable up until this point. It didn’t make up for all the suffering she and her team had put Connor through.
Chloe doesn’t speak for a long moment. “I’ll pass that on to Elijah,” she says eventually, tone soft and unreadable.
119 notes
·
View notes
23:11 with xu minghao
"how are you feeling today?" he's peering at you from the other side of the room, having just finished his nightly routine.
you're fidgeting while you stand in the middle of your kitchen, waiting for the water to boil. it's always so hard to keep up a façade when your boyfriend is so attentive. part of you wants to tell him, but the other part of you just wishes to crawl in a hole and disappear. maybe it's easier that way.
"do i have to answer?" you chuckle, wanting to make light of the gloomy mood you had set between the both of you.
he hums with a slight shake of his head. and just like that, he has the answer he needs. "of course not, love" he ventures to your side, watching as you pour the now boiling water into two mugs.
somethings definitely on your mind. minghaos gaze follows you as you swiftly open the cupboard behind you, choosing your choice of tea for the night.
chamomile. ah, one to help aid in sleep and to ease anxiety.
"you know you can tell me anything, only whenever you're ready though," he adds, inching closer to your side as you stir your cup. "i'll be here no matter what" he reaches over you to grab the same choice of tea, hoping it brings you some sort of comfort that he too wants nothing more than to have you free of anxiety.
you're both quiet. no words need to be exchanged while he pulls you in a small hug. his arms make you feel at ease, and you're grateful in this moment that he doesn't press on the matter.
he sways the both of you, letting out a small giggle as you attempt to hide a smile in his chest. he can tell your mood is starting to lift ever so slightly, so you’re letting out a small sound as he lifts you up, ditching your tea and heads to your shared bedroom.
“you need to rest,” he softly bids, pulling at the sheets to allow you to lay down, “i’ll be here when you wake,”
“you probably need rest more than i do,” you’re shifting a bit to make room, patting the spot next to you. “i’m not the only one who’s tired. let’s sleep together,” you say, tone not suggestive in the slightest. “come here,”
he joins you with a nod, crawling beside you with a comfortable space between the two of you once he’s settled. he’s admiring you, watching as a small blush washes over your cheeks. that usually tends to happen whenever you catch him looking at you and he absolutely adores it. taking your hand in his, he lifts it to his lips to press it against your skin. whenever you’re ready, he’s happy to lend you his shoulder to cry on. but for now, he’s more than content with just the knowledge that you know that he’s there for you no matter what.
140 notes
·
View notes
the bastard son and the devil himself X hozier
to someone from a warm climate (uiscefhuaraithe) x nathan&gabriel&annalise
[ it's three months after the battle, it's winter. the three of them have been staying in a cabin in the woods. they have a somewhat poly rlshp.]
Nathan walks into the threshold so fast you'd think he was being chased. His teeth are chattering and his nose a shade of red. Annalise is lying half awake in bed while Gabriel is sound asleep. Gabriel loves his mornings in bed. He doesn't get the nightmares. Nathan glances in the overall direction of the bed, as if he is contemplating getting back in. The three of them share the small rickety bed. Sometimes Gabriel takes the floor but it only makes the nights colder.
Nathan rubs his palms rogether just as Annalise opens her arms for him and calls him to bed. He joins her with a small smile. The winter is proving it hard to survive alone in the woods. There is so much tension amongst them Nathan has to take daily morning walks so his power doesn't overwhelm him. His whole body is shaking so much he's afraid Gabriel will stir. That won't be good for sure. Gabriel is of the idea they can make it out alive, he can find a Cut and they'd escape to an island or something. Annalise is scared of existing in society. Her conscience won't let her, what with her powers. They are waiting on him to pick a side.
He loves the joy he gets from his body warming up. His breath evening out into steady deep breaths. As it all slows down, he hears the steady hearbeat of Gabriel and Annalise's quick one. He reasons it's the cold he brought along. He likes listening to the heartbeats of his companions. That's what home sounds like for him. A small smile creeps onto his lips. He knows they'll be fine. He looks up at Annalise who is slipping back to slumber. He pulls the blankets closer to his face and puts his leg around Annalise. "This is home." he thought.
6 notes
·
View notes