#new tag alert whoop whoop | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tarajenkins · 5 months

Text

It's that time again

Time to make a massive post for my thoughts on the Lord Vauthry side of the new Encyclopaedia 3! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ Spoiler alert: they aren't positive at all, lmao As it turns out, there is a convenient cover-our-ass disclaimer right off that this book is diegetic. The information in it is supposed to have been gleaned from the Scions. The Scions who, especially in the case of Eulmore's ~dark secrets~, would know jack shit about fuck all.

Admittedly, Hydaelyn should've known at least some of this through the death of her last Oracle, but for whatever reason it slipped her mind to tell us any of it in-game. Whoops!

Or maybe she was relying on that child to be the stopgap against the Rejoining happening too soon, like Selch. She could've at least given credit where it was due, if so. >:T

Twitter had a huge pearl-clutching shitfit the other day about that Oracle's death, which boiled down to "EW GROSS FATTY BEAT A CHILD TO DEATH OMG". The OP showed a screenshot of the page which mentions that Vauthry attacked the Oracle after having a nightmare that she would kill him. But they chose not to link the FIRST part for whatever reason, where it stated the Oracle in question had been fighting Sin Eaters alongside Ran'jit before Vauthry was even born. So unless this Oracle was an infant slayer of Sin Eaters, Vauthry was the child in that scenario--at age TWELVE. A twelve-year-old somehow defeated Hydaelyn's avatar, who was a skilled fighter trained by Ran'jit himself. (Ran'jit was a Master Assassin at five years old, btw. No, really.)

That said, the fanbase in that post naturally bought the OP's failure to math the way Estinien buys his hair ties: like suckers. Players were parroting the misinformation via solo posts and showing their entire ass on fatphobia in this character's tag all day. And, of course, where the fandom forgives and forgets the atrocities of almost every other character, people suddenly seemed very invested in making Vauthry enjoyers EXPLAIN THEMSELVES because this character did THIS.

When that was called out for the glaring hypocrisy, one poster replied it's just that "people are shocked at child abuse suddenly being mentioned and relevant."

Except child abuse has ALWAYS been mentioned and relevant in this game. It also applies to Vauthry himself. Emet-Selch essentially killed Vauthry before he was even born, dooming an infant to a life of madness and violence by fusing the baby with a Lightwarden. His father groomed him on lies for a power grab, Ascians further manipulated him in his madness to raise the Virtues, Ascend Gaia's parents, and who knows what else. What would you call that, if not abuse? Thank Emet-Selch for the previous Oracle being murdered. That wasn't going to happen with a 12-year-old who wasn't corrupted by a Lightwarden.

But, let's be real. All the derision of the character's weight during that Twitstorm made it extra obvious what makes him ~problematic~ to them. For their faves, it's "it's just fiction uwu" or the classic ~moral relativism~. For Vauthry, it's rabid foaming because it's clearly a Moral Failing to enjoy THAT character, and we who do must be harassed for it! Case in point, the Twitter OP even pulled out the old uwu ~at least I'm not a ~Vauthry shipper uwu" chestnut, I kid you not. At least, rabid foaming on behalf of vidya game children everywhere until I asked if it was finally time to discuss how many pixel children were murdered by the Rejoinings or Garlean occupation, for a start. Kids freezing in the Brume, etc. Kids made monsters by corrupting them in the womb. You know. A Tuesday. Crickets, then.

"I can't imagine Vauthry ever being a child", someone else posted.

They showed him as a baby in his mother's arms, in the Echo flashback. It's not hard. But I guess it's easier to dehumanize a fat character than it is to think a little.

If anyone else wants to be pissed at me saying all this as they were years ago, I really, really can't be arsed to care. It's rare NOT to see this character's fatness derided in just about any discussion of him. It sure was in his Twitter tags the other day. And, well. Every day. If you want to prove me wrong, though, confront that behavior when you see it, make shutting it down the norm, instead of whining how I'm "too rude" and so that invalidates my points somehow. No shit I'm rude when this "great community" has all the wit of bullies on a playground. Go tone police them instead, maybe.

ANYWAY

On the plus side, some of this new sorta-lore does seem to still back up some of my original in-game theories, but he was already twisted by the corruption from birth. There's no denying that anymore at least, no more hearing stuff from the fanbase like "uwu Emet-Selch gave him a GIFT, Vauthry just abused it uwu". (Who am I kidding, the last part will still happen.) Also, since the actual writers of this book don't stand behind anything written in it, I can still give him the happy ending in AUville that he should have had canonly. ⸜( ˙˘˙)⸝ ♡

What the purpose of this book is when nothing in it is concrete, I have no idea. But if Square can't back off their unimaginative fatphobia, can they at LEAST make Eulmore make sense?

NOPE ( ᐛ )b

Vauthry's father was named Veronth Mudthane, and in this retcon they imply he took more than a minute to decide that allowing a rando to corrupt his baby without asking his wife first was a swell deal. "The Scions" should've at least known the Echo shown in-game just…completely refutes that. But this book also has a blurb for Anogg but shows a portrait of her brother Konogg, so I honestly have to wonder if "The Scions" even played this game.

Vauthry's mother, as per usual, is not given a name or otherwise addressed at all. Because reasons.

"A euphoric Veronth went on to spoil his offspring in extravagant fashion, showering this "new god" with adoration bordering on worship. Such treatment would warp any child's mind, and Vauthry was no exception: he grew up willful, wanton, and possessed of an awful temper."

No exceptions except: Alphinaud, Alisaie, Nanamo, the fandom darlings of Ishgard (arguably excluding Emmanellain but for some reason he always gets a free pass), Hildibrand, Sark Malark, I'm sure I am forgetting some but you get the idea! There's only one difference, I wonder what it could be--

reads book's description of Vauthry's "corpulent chest"

--ah, right. The shitty tropes barely disguised as storytelling. Double standards! It's not just for jackasses in the fanbase anymore! "The Scions" are trying to lay this on "spoiling", when the child was fused with a Lightwarden. Ask Titania how that went for them.

The book goes on to say Vauthry murdered both of his parents at age nine in a fit of temper. You read that right: age nine. With witnesses. Somehow. They go on to mention the witnesses may have been okay with it perhaps because of "a growing mastery over his Lightwarden powers of domination". You know, those powers of domination that didn't exist in-game when Alphinaud chastised the Eulmorans for willfully ignoring the plight of the rest of the world. Those powers of domination that, when they finally were exerted in-game, resulted in the Eulmorans staggering around like drunks, muttering and supremely useless.

In-game, Vauthry wasn't "dominating" anything until he sprouted meatwings and fled to Gulg. Otherwise, Tristol would never have been able to ask to leave? Alphinaud would've been affected, even if the WoL was shielded by the Blessing of Light. Kai-Shirr would have chopped his arm off gladly. The Eulmorans would be blameless for everything Alphinaud and the narrative blamed them for.

In any case, both in this book and in-game, the writers completely gutted their own narrative of Vauthry and/or Eulmore being symbolic of All Things Bad. It's pretty impressive. Vauthry was corrupted by a Lightwarden, like Titania; his mind and behavior were compromised by this from birth. And if he DID control the Eulmorans the whole time, then they had no free will, either.

The book claims Vauthry used Ascension as a cruel game and delighted in ~revealing the truth~ to his victims as they became Sin Eaters. But they never explained why there would be a need to hide any truth with this latest spin on the dumpster fire that is the Eulmore arc.

In-game, there were rules to even request Ascension of him, and it was limited to and at the discretion of the formerly rich free citizenry. Workers could be granted it, but only if their patron vouched for them. The free citizens apparently had to wait until they were at their natural end, as per the Warbler's patron. The random disappearance of so many people from the stagnant population of that tower over the years would cause a panic by any stretch of the imagination. Word would get out, because workers on the inside were shown to be able to visit loved ones in Gate Town. Only allowing Ascension at the natural end of life would cover all that part up, except Vauthry was only 29 years old. The opportunities for Ascension: The Game would've been about as often as Minfilias spawned in that one century. (Which, according to the game, was totally hundreds on hundreds of Minfilias!) Either way makes zero good sense. The convoluted lengths they went through for the sake of these cheap fatphobic tropes is staggering, I s2g.

Meol still doesn't make sense, either. They doubled down on the "fat character eats people" trope in the book, but tbh I've come to expect unoriginality from anything directed by Naoki "Diversity would be unrealistic in my giant magic summon fantasy game" Yoshida.

Sin Eaters are said to have been found in cages next to a butcher table sort of setup, even though in-game, Sin Eaters have no bones, blood, or meat. In fact, the sparklies they dissapate into upon death are rather important to the narrative, as that is what turns people into new Sin Eaters. Meol, you know, that dish which was still entirely optional, and so really contradictory to using it as some master plan to MC the populace.

TL;DR: This is what happens when you phone in lazy tropes instead of a story for a last-minute arc and call it a day. Imagine what we could've had if they'd done some actual thoughtful writing. Also TL;DR:

Mood, Your Lordship

#ffxiv #vauthry #long post #eulmore #character analysis #encyclopaedia eorzea #encyclopaedia eorzea 3

28 notes · View notes

she-posts-nerdy-stuff · 6 months

Text

Thanks for all the love on the episode one intro for my fan-written Six of Crows Spin Off script! I’ve decided to post each episode broken down into parts since they’re looking pretty long when they’re all strung together, so welcome to episode one part 2! If anyone hasn’t seen the intro yet and wants to then let me know and I can tag you, and I have been wondering whether I should make an AO3 account so I can put my fics up and it’s easier to find all the chapters so if anyone thinks that would be better then let me know (it wouldn’t stop me from putting them up here too) ❤️

Be warned I've taken a little artisitc licence (eg inserting a reference to my personal Anya headcanon in the previous part) but most of this is direct quotes/takes on direct quotes - and also I've never written a script before so my formatting is my own made up method I hope it makes sense. This section more than the previous is one where I’ve had to start making strides away from the book in order to match Show!canon but I’m trying to remain as true as possible. Hope you enjoy! ❤️

Episode One Part 2

[TITLE CARDS]

[Open on the Barrel. The camera moves into the city from the harbours, through shadows across the rooftops of East and West Stave. We are seeing the city through someone's eyes. We travel past several pleasure houses, but we do not see the Menagerie. West Stave is alive and kicking; the streets are overflowing with the colourful Komedie Brute costumes of pleasure seekers, girls in silks wave from high windows to prospective clients on the street below, acrobats hang from swings over the canal as people watch them whooping and cheering. As we leave West Stave behind and head south, we pass the Crow Club with heavy crowds outside it, and arrive on the rooftop of the Slat. The camera pans down to the street below, and the clacking of a cane is heard against the cobbles. The camera switches to street level to watch KAZ BREKKER enter the Slat, heads in the busy building quickly turning towards him. The room seems to come more alert as he walks through it.

A group of people - ROTTY, ANNIKA, PIM, and ROETTER - stand near the stairs talking. The room is still loud and they don't appear to have noticed KAZ]

ROTTY: I'm just sayin', Wraith's been scarce. Worth a mention, innit?

ROETTER: So he can set that shark's glare on me? Sign me up to the gallows first

ANNIKA: C'mon, he knows your gunning to be his new spider. Everyone knows. You actually mention it, maybe you'll get jobs comin' your way.

[Someone begins to reply but the conversation dies quickly and nervously as KAZ approaches. He clearly knows what they're talking about, but he does not acknowledge it.]

KAZ: Annika, fetch Jesper and Big Bolliger. I want them as my seconds tonight

ANNIKA: Big Bol? You sure you just want a bouncer tonight Kaz? Could be tr-

[KAZ glares at ANNIKA and she quiets, before turning to leave. The group disperses and Kaz marches up the stairs to the attic. Behind him, ROTTY can be heard expressing agreement on ROETER's point about the shark's glare. KAZ opens his window and wafts away a group of crows that have gathered there, then walks to the sink and removes his gloves. Behind him, the crows return to their perch. The camera focuses on KAZ's hands as he begins to wash them, until he straightens and sighs]

KAZ: You shouldn't feed crows

[Kaz turns and the camera follows his gaze. INEJ GHAFA sits on the window sill, reaching out to the birds]

INEJ: Why not?

[INEJ closes her eyes to feel the last of the evening sun on her cheeks. KAZ watches her intently, whatever he was going to say dying on his lips. His jaw ticks]

INEJ: Why not, Kaz?

[KAZ hesitates, breath catching]

KAZ: They have no manners

[INEJ laughs. The sun is soft and glowing on her face, her eyes are still closed. KAZ cannot stop watching her, and it terrifies him]

INEJ: Neither do you, Kaz. You didn't even say hello

KAZ: You didn't say goodbye

[There is a brief pause. INEJ looks at KAZ, then out the window]

INEJ, softly: I should have KAZ: Why are you here?

[INEJ looks out the window]

KAZ: You still hear things

INEJ: You can’t train a falcon and expect it not to hunt.

[She looks up at him]

INEJ: Heleen Van Houden.

[KAZ nods]

INEJ: Wandering into the Barrel like she wasn’t the victim in a murder investigation that nearly tore the city to shreds. And what? Having immediate claim to the house she left in the hands of Pekka Rollins?

KAZ: He’s out. When your supposed victim’s sticking her fingers back into the pocket of every magistrate in city, you find your murder charges dropping pretty quickly.

INEJ: So that’s that?

KAZ: That’s that. Everything we did, for nothing:

[INEJ runs her fingers across the scar from her Menagerie tattoo]

INEJ: For everything.

[For a moment, the silence is fraught. The pair cannot quite bring themselves to make eye contact. By the time KAZ speaks, it seems as though he is forcing himself to say it aloud]

KAZ: I have a job tonight

[INEJ looks up at KAZ, expectantly]

KAZ: We need you. I... I need you

[INEJ smiles as she climbs through the window and into the room]

INEJ: What are we doing?

KAZ: Parely, with the Black Tips. I'll need anything you can tell me on Geels' seconds - Oomen and []

[As KAZ speaks the scene dissolves into him, JESPER FAHEY, ANNIKA, PIM, ROTTY, BIG BOLLIGER, MUZZEN, and several other Dregs members standing outside the wall of the exchange later that night. KAZ's explanation of the plan continues on voiceover as we see the group arrive, talking to each other loudly]

KAZ: They've been eating away at my business on Fifth Harbour for weeks, and now they've intercepted a jurda shipment. Tonight, we discuss. And tonight, someone pays.

[INEJ stands on the roof of the exchange, looking down at the group below. As she slips down through the shadows, touching her hands to her knives and silently mouthing their names, she looks at the carvings in the stone arch entrance to the exchange: Industry, Integrity, Prosperity. She frowns. She slips to the ground a little farther down the street so she can approach the group at ground level, pausing for a moment to watch them from a darkened storefront. KAZ stands a little back from the others, leaning against his cane in the shadow of the arch. His eyes find Inej, then keep moving.]

JESPER: Three ships! The Shu sent them. Just sitting in the harbour - cannons out, red flags flying. And stuffed to the sails with gold.

BIG BOLLIGER: Would've liked to see that

JESPER: Would've like to steal that. Half the Merchant Council was down there flapping and squawking, trying to figure out what to do

BIG BOLLIGER: Don't they want the Shu paying their debts?

[KAZ steps forward into the slice of light where the others are standing, cane hitting the cobble stones loudly]

KAZ: Yes and no. It's always nice to have a country in debt to you. Makes for... friendlier negotiations

[KAZ looks specifically at BIG BOLLIGER as he speaks, wearing a crocodile's smile. JESPER shrugs]

JESPER: Maybe the Shu are done being friendly. They didn't have to send all that treasure at once. You reckon they stuck that trade ambassador?

[KAZ lifts his gaze again and this time his and INEJ's eyes meet directly. They are both thinking the same thing; brief flashback to KAZ's office. INEJ sits cross-legged on the window sill as KAZ paces slowly, and they list theories for each other about how the Trade Ambassador was murdered]

INEJ: We have to be missing something. Men don’t just walk into washrooms and find knives in their backs.

KAZ: Broad daylight, no windows, no vents. No-one in or out. Not even you could've squeezed through the plumbing

INEJ: So what? Ghosts?

[KAZ raises an eyebrow]

KAZ: Don't tell me you believe in ghosts now

INEJ: I believe in lots of things, Kaz. But perhaps wraiths aren't one of them

[The challenge is clear in her eyes and it makes KAZ uncomfortable. Return to the present]

KAZ: It won't matter what actually happened, just what everyone thinks did. The Zemeni blame the Kerch, the Kerch suspect the Shu, and no-one gets their satisfying answer before all the guns come out. It's nearly time

[KAZ gestures for JESPER and BIG BOLLIGER to remove their weapons. JESPER unslings his gun belt unhappily, and bestows a kiss on each revolver before handing them to ROTTY]

JESPER: Take good care of my babies. If I see a single scratch on them, I'll spell 'forgive me' across your chest in bullets

ROTTY: You wouldn't waste the ammo

BIG BOLLIGER: And he'd die before you finished 'forgive'

JESPER: It's about sending a message - what's the point of a dead guy with 'FORG' written on his chest?

KAZ: So, compromise. 'SORRY' does the trick - and uses fewer bullets.

[BIG BOLLIGER hands over all of his weapons, and KAZ hands over three knives]

JESPER, pointing to Kaz's cane: What about that?

KAZ: Who'd deny a poor cripple his cane?

JESPER: If it's you, any man with sense

KAZ: Then it's a good job we're meeting Geels tonight. Neutral territory, Jesper, give up the rifle

INEJ: This is a mistake

[INEJ is suddenly visible from the shadows. BIG BOLLIGER flinches away from her as the others all jump in surprise, except KAZ, and a whisper of 'the Wraith' goes through the crowd.]

INEJ: This doesn't feel neutral. Geels is up to something

KAZ: Of course he is.

INEJ: Then why come here tonight?

KAZ: Street law is street law, Inej. There's a way to do things

INEJ: You’re going to get us all killed

[JESPER smiles, stretching]

JESPER: Statistically, Inej, he's probably only going to get some of us killed

INEJ: It's not a joke

KAZ: He's not joking - he's playing the odds.

BIG BOLLIGER: Well I have a pint of lager waiting for me at the Couperron, so I can’t be the one to die tonight.

JESPER, grinning: Care to place a wager?

BIG BOLLIGER: I'm not going to bet on my own death

KAZ, running his fingers over the rim of his hat: Why not, Bolliger? We do it every day

[The church bell chimes for midnight]

KAZ: Remember: No matter what you hear, you don’t whether the fray without my say so. Stay sharp, and stay hidden

[There is a murmur of acknowledgment and agreement from the Dregs. INEJ turns towards the shadows and Kaz catches her arm to stop her. The camera focuses on her gloves and her sleeve]

KAZ: Keep an eye on the rooftop guards. Geels may have them in his pocket

[INEJ frowns but nods. She backs away slightly as Kaz releases her arm. There is tension in coming so close to touch and neither of them have missed it]

JESPER: No mourners

ALL: No funerals

[The trio enter the exchange. INEJ climbs the canal-facing wall]

INEJ, muttering to self: Street law. A relic. How would you fair if I obeyed street law, Kaz?

[She swings herself up capably and smiles]

INEJ, to self: How would you fair if I obeyed the law of gravity?

[As she climbs and the first look at the scene unfolds, KAZ and INEJ discuss the plan on voiceover; the conversation they had earlier this evening continued]

KAZ, voiceover: They’re sure precaution against you

[INEJ finds the drainpipe she reaches for slick with oil and a rim she runs her fingers over to test covered in ground glass. She smiles with grim pleasure at the knowledge she is expected]

INEJ, voiceover: They’re sure to try

[She picks the lock of a window and sneaks inside, crossing to a balcony to stand over the exchange. She watches KAZ, JESPER, and BIG BOLLIGER enter from the Eastern side of the exchange as the Black Tips - GEELS, OOMEN, and ELSINGER - enter from the Western. INEJ’s voiceover returns to tell KAZ the information she gathered about the Black Tips, and the camera focuses on each of them as she speaks]

INEJ, voiceover: Geels and Elsinger came up the ranks of the Black Tips together. There’s trust there, not exploitable. There’s little to say about Elsinger that you can’t tell by looking at him. He’s a bruiser, and he’s good at it

KAZ, voiceover: At least with Bolliger there one of us will be tall enough to look him in the eye

INEJ, voicover: If there’s any potential problem, it’s Oomen.

KAZ: Oomen, Really? He’s built like a scarecrow

INEJ: He might not look so much of a threat, but he makes me nervous. He’s violent, and he’s unafraid. They say he once crushed a man’s skull with his bare hands, wiped the blood off on his shirt, and went on drinking

[The opposing gang members pat each other down to check for weapons. JESPER finds a small knife on ELSINGER and tosses it to the corner of the Exchange]

JESPER: Naughty, naughty

[BIG BOLLIGER finishes patting down GEELS]

BIG BOLLIGER: He’s clean

[GEELS spreads his arms to indicate the start of the negotiations. He is noticeably older than KAZ and the others, but it doesn’t look like he’s weaker. He seems more confident, possibly even more commanding]

GEELS: Let’s be fair, eh? It’s not fair for you to cull every spend-happy tourist stepping off a boat in fifth harbour. We all got bills to pay

KAZ: Fifth harbour is ours. We get first crack at all the pigeons we want

GEELS: You’re young, lad, you’re fresh. Maybe you don’t know how these things work yet. Harbours belong to the city, we all have as much right to them as anyone else

KAZ: Not fifth. Maybe you don’t know how these things work, but I own majority shares in that harbour. It was all but useless to this city until I had it dredged, and built out the docks. Fifth harbour is mine.

[GEELS sniffs in disagreement, but has no counterargument]

KAZ: You’ve been interrupting our traffic, and you intercepted a jurda shipment that should have docked two nights ago

GEELS: I don’t know what you’re talking about

KAZ: I know it comes easy, Geels, but try not to play dumb with me

[GEELS steps forwards but KAZ stands his ground]

GEELS: Quit flexing, boy. We all know Per Haskell doesn’t have the stomach for a real brawl

[KAZ laughs roughly]

KAZ: But I’m the one at your table. Haskell’s out of the game - has been for a while now. Maybe you should start second guessing your sources of information

[GEELS shifts uncomfortably]

KAZ: The Dregs are my operation, and I’m not here for a taste. You want a war? I’ll make sure you eat your fill

GEELS: And if you vanish, Brekker? We all know you’re the spine of the operation - whether it’s Haskell behind the scenes or someone else. Snap it, and the Dregs collapse.

[JESPER laughs and incurs glares from everyone else]

JESPER: Stomach, spine. What’s next - spleen?

ELSINGER: Shut it

KAZ: Follow the damn rules, Jesper.

[JESPER mouths “sorry” and pantomimes locking his lips. KAZ rolls his eyes before turning back to his conversation]

KAZ: I’m fairly sure you’re threatening me, Geels. But I want to be certain before I decide what time do about it

GEELS: Then what if I told you there are two guards with city issue rifles pointed at you right now?

[INEJ tenses, eyes quickly searching the roof for the guards’ silhouettes. KAZ glances casually upwards]

KAZ: Hiring city guards to do your killing? I’d say that’s an expensive proposition for a gang like the Black Tips

[INEJ climbs up to the roof and hurries across it, ignoring the walkway that is clearly there to be used by the guards. She hides behind the gables to watch for the guards and listen to the conversation]

KAZ: I’m flattered you’d do so much just for me

GEELS: The Dregs won’t last a week without you

KAZ: I’d give them a month on sheer momentum

GEELS: Should we find out, you smug little slum rat?

KAZ: Do it

[INEJ cannot find the guards and she is panicking. KAZ is very calm]

GEELS: Should I have them shoot you in the good leg?

KAZ: Stop talking and do it. Shoot

Jesper: … Kaz?

KAZ: Go on

INEJ, to self: What game are you playing, Kaz?

GEELS: Fire!

[There’s a loud gunshot and a sudden flash. BIG BOLLIGER screams as he collapses to the floor of the exchange and JESPER runs towards him and applied pressure to the wound. KAZ raises an eyebrow]

JESPER: You worthless podge, Geels! You’ve violated neutral territory

GEELS, hiding the panic in his voice: Nothing to say you didn’t shoot first. And anyway, who’s going to know? None of you are walking out of here

KAZ: You don’t look well, Geels. Things aren’t going quite to plan, are they?

JESPER: Kaz, Bolliger’s bleeding bad

KAZ: Good.

JESPER: He needs a Medik

KAZ: He needs to stop his bellyaching and be glad I didn’t have Holst take him down with a headshot.

[GEELS flinches]

KAZ: That’s the guard’s name, right? Willem Holst and Bert Van Daal. The guards you emptied the Black Tips’ coffers to bribe. Holst likes to gamble almost as much as Jesper does, so your money held a lot of appeal. But he has bigger problems. Let’s call them… urges. I won’t go into detail - secrets aren’t like coin. They don’t keep their value in the spending. You’ll just have to take my word for it when I say that this one would turn even your rotten stomach.

[Another shot is fired, springing against the cobbles near GEELS’ feet. He jumps back in panic. INEJ tracks the source of the shot with her eyes, and heads in the opposite direction to find the other guard - VAN DAAL.]

GEELS: Just shoot him, Holst! Your secret dies with him

KAZ, snorting: You think I’m that foolish? Go on Holst, put a bullet in my skull! My messengers will reach your wife and your watch captain before I hit the ground. Are you worrying about the other guard, Geels? Maybe I got to him too. Maybe he’s getting ready to blow a hole in your chest.

[INEJ is hurrying across the rooftops towards VAN DAAL at top speed. It’s unclear if she’s going to make it in time]

KAZ: Why not give Van Daal the order and find out?

[GEELS hesitates for a moment]

GEELS: Van Daal?

[VAN DAAL opens his mouth but before he can reply a blade appears at his throat and he is forced backwards. INEJ stands behind him.]

INEJ: Hush, now

[She jabs him gently in the side; he knows there is another knife at his kidney.]

VAN DAAL: Please

INEJ: I like it when men beg. But this isn’t the time for it

42 notes · View notes

winged-mammal · 8 months

Text

Chapters: 1/1

Word Count: 12049

Fandom: The Expanse

Rating: T

Relationships: Chrisjen Avasarala/Bobbie Draper

Characters: Chrisjen Avasarala, Bobbie Draper, Arjun

Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Missing Scenes, Angst with a happy ending, some supporting Chrisjen/Arjun

Summary:

Bobbie and Chrisjen go through a lot of shit between the end of the Io Campaign and their reunion on Luna after the Bombardment. So does their relationship. Or: twelve thousand words of an excuse to work the "I love and adore you" scene from the books into show canon.

New fic alert! Yes, this is also set in the same universe as the accidental marriage fic, because that's basically my canon for these two now, whoops. This one fills in the gaps between episode 306 and 510, angst and all.

#I really fukkin hate that the new post editor makes it impossible to only have single line breaks between lines #I don't need or want all that white space up there!!!!#ugh #the expanse #bobbie x chrisjen #bobbiechrisjen #chrisjen x bobbie #fic

27 notes · View notes

bippot · 2 years

Text

Summary: Kevin's niece shakes up Jake's little peanut head, in the best way possible. For the first time in his life, he's nervous to even flirt with a girl cause, like, what if he fucks up? That would suck.

Despite how hard he tries, it takes Jake a while to get out of the dreaded friendzone because of overbearing Uncles, pigeons, drunken nights out and the famous Jake Martin reputation.

Tags: Idiots in Love, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Himbo, Slow Burn, Co-workers, Friends to Lovers

The Crew, Jake Martin Masterlist - here

Chapter 9: A Whole New World

Frankly, work was the last thing they wanted to do today. But Catherine may have murdered them if that happened. Alas, they arrived a little later than usual, decked out in sunglasses and highly caffeinated.

Who knew that the sun was so bright? Way too bright. And loud. Everything was so goddamn loud.

The moment they walked in, Beth immediately clocked something. She followed Y/N into her office and exclaimed, "Is that Jake's shirt?", making Y/N wince at the volume at which she'd screeched.

"No."

"It says Martin on the back."

Not wanting to get into the fact that yes, it does say Martin on the back, and yes, it was Jake's, and yes, she had slept at his house last night. But, no. Nothing had happened. Well, he had offered to be her sugar daddy, but she brushed past that thought. "I'm borrowing it," Y/N finally admitted, causing Beth to squeal with excitement. Sheseemed more giddy over this than she did about any other thing.

And she couldn't deny her happiness when Beth hugged her tightly and said happily, "It's happening. It's actually happening!" Honestly, Beth's squealing and squeezing was the last thing that would help Y/N deal with her hangover, so she was a tiny bit relieved when the phone went off, meaning that this conversation had to be over.

Grabbing the phone, she saw the caller ID and frowned as she answered. Oh shit. It was Catherine. Catherine must know about last night. She must. Well, Y/N raised the receiver to her ear and waited for a bollocking.

It never came. Or, it didn't come over the phone. "Y/N, can you come up to my office? We have some things to discuss. Bring loverboy too."

"Of course," she replied, without hesitation, wondering why she felt slightly panicked by the question.

Finding Jake was easy. He was in the gym like always. It seemed as if he was yet to do anything and was sat on the sim seat, playing on his phone. As she approached, he looked up and smiled at her. Then, she realised that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Also, like usual, "How have you stripped already? We've been here for less than five minutes."

"I got warm."

Finding his tank top, she slid it back over his head and waited for him to put his arms through the holes. She explained that, "We've been summoned," as she took his phone so he'd follow her (which he would've done anyway) as she walked towards Catherine's office.

Catherine was sitting behind her desk, looking at her laptop screen and tapping away at the keyboard. She didn't look up when they entered the room or acknowledge them until they were both seated opposite her. It was so eerily quiet that they didn't even notice Kevin sitting on the couch behind them. They were all staring at each other, waiting for Catherine to start speaking. She eventually did, looking between them before saying, "You two look like shit."

That was definitely not an exaggeration. The dark circles under their eyes were practically identical, their faces paler than usual, and they both looked as if they were about to puke. Yeah, they clearly weren't feeling at the top of their game.

Making them jump, Kevin scoffed from his seat, alerting them to his presence. Y/N couldn't help but mutter, "What's up your ass?"

"Maybe it's because we're a week away from the biggest race of the season and our driver calls me at 4 a.m. from a club bathroom."

Whoops. Jake had forgotten that he did that. It was when he took a little breather from Y/N's dancing that he realised that he was going to completely make a fool of himself if he accidentally got noticeably aroused and she freaked out. If that happened, he'd not only lose his best friend but his sexy teacher, favourite colleague, movie buddy, and occasional nurse. There was no way he was risking that.

So, he hid out in the bathroom for a bit.

The reason why he called Kevin was a strange one. At first, he was just trying to send him an awful meme, but then he accidentally called him. "Kevvy. Uncle Kevvy. Not my uncle, of course," he slurred. "You're Y/N's uncle."

There was silence on the other end before Kevin grunted, "Jake, for once you are correct. Where are you? Are you peeing right now?"

His voice sounded weirdly muffled, like he was holding the phone between his cheek and collarbone. That was the first clue. His second clue was the fact that there was another person in the background who had a very loud piss stream. "No. But the guy next to me is," he retorted, nodding at the pissing man. "We're at Cabriolet."

"We?" he inquired.

Daytona was coming up and Jake was getting wasted. That was irresponsible. Wait, did he say we? Was Jessie there too? There was a small possibility that both of their drivers were out on the town. No, no, no, no. Jessie and Jake willingly spending time together out of work? That was impossible.

Now that left Kevin's other suspicion.

"Yeah, me and Y/N." That was more reasonable. Jessie was nineteen, so it would be pretty illegal and that would be a problem. Her not being there was great. That avoided commiting a crime, so that was a relief. Bobby Spencer Racing didn't need a teenager drinking scandal to deal with.

However, Y/N being there? That was still not favourable to Kevin. His sweet little niece joining in on the fuckboy's extra-curricular activities could spell trouble. She willingly went out with Jake? Out of hours? That, for sure, would end in some sort of dumbass seduction technique on Jake's part. The office would become awkward. Her job was literally to handle him, and if he 'handled' her then moved on (as he did with most women), their relationship would become more like Catherine and Jake's, which was tension-filled and horrible to be around.

As much as Kevin loved Jake, he knew that he could break Y/N's heart like a twig. Not that he thought Jake would do it on purpose. God no. There wasn't a mean bone in that boy's body. He wasn't smart enough to be purposely malicious. But the fact remained: Jake was an idiot, a charming idiot who liked to play with girls. Girls like his niece.

"What's that emotion called when you look at a girl and your heart goes all vroom vroom?" Jake asked innocently.

Kevin closed his eyes and let out a long sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. When did he sign up to give 24/7 advice? "Horniness," he said. Then he realised what that could imply and pleaded, "Please don't fuck my niece."

But apparently, that's not what Jake meant as he whined, "No, no. It's not like that." At that moment, he remembered why he'd hurried off to the bathroom in the first place and added, "Well, it is. But no, not just that, like, the other things too, but I don't really know how to describe them."

Giving up on trying to pee, Jake zipped himself up and took the phone into his hands. Despite saying that he 'didn't know how to describe' what he felt, he tried, "Like, when I look at Y/N, my brain gets all mushy. Like, when I think of her, my mind goes all fuzzy and I can hardly think of anything else except for her."

Jesus Christ. This kid was hopeless.

"Okay. Now tell me what's wrong with her."

"Nothing, really. I mean, she is lovely, isn't she?" And with that said, he proceeded to list everything about Y/N. From how beautiful she looked, to the fact that she was funny, to how kind she was, and then to how she made him feel... safe.

The peeing guy next to him zipped up his trousers and explained, "That's love, dude," and patted Jake on the shoulder, which resulted in a disgusted look passing across his face. That man had used that hand to hold his penis when he peed. Gross.

After taking a deep breath and deciding that his friend was serious and not joking, Kevin took a breath and was about to say something, but the line went dead. Jake had hung up. With a confused mind, he mumbled, "Damn it," and tried to get back to sleep.

Finally, breaking into a smile, Catherine announced, "Lightning Brews are now our biggest sponsor. Whatever you did last night Y/N, it worked."

"Way to go, kiddo. Hope that was the only thing you did last night," Kevin praised with so much bitterness in his voice. The 'Martin' on her back had been right in his face as she walked, so it was impossible for him to miss. He looked between his niece and his surrogate son suspiciously.

Taking all the praise was something she could've done. But, if the night had gone as she had planned, Grant would've been bored and wouldn't have snogged multiple people in one night. Without the tag along, he wouldn't have had a good time. "Thank you. I'm not going to lie; without Jake's help, it would've been a bust. Ever been to Fabber?"

Without missing a beat, Catherine responded, "Oh, yeah. That place sucks."

"Yeah. I had never been, so I didn't know that," she explained, "Jake did. He's the one who won Grant over. He managed to charm him."

"Did he now?" Kevin remarked sarcastically as he raised an eyebrow, making eye contact with Jake. It was easy to read the silent exchange between the two of them, especially since Kevin wasn't trying to hide his annoyance anymore. Jake shrugged innocently, while Kevin groaned in response.

Under the scrutiny of Kevin's gaze, Jake felt super uncomfortable. That, coupled with how shitty he was already feeling, caused him to rear forward and puke everything they had eaten last night into Catherine's rubbish bin. He heard her gag a little and say, "Ugh, gross," as she quickly put a hand over her mouth.

Y/N got up from her chair to rub circles on his back as she spoke softly, "You were fine on the ride here. What happened?"

Between batches of vomit, he managed to reply, "I was hanging by a thread."

After clearing his stomach, he sat back and took a few breaths to ease his anxiety. It helped, but only slightly. Still, the nausea subsided and, although it was still a bit of a struggle to keep himself from vomiting again, he was now able to function normally again. Y/N helped him to his feet and said, "It's probably best if we get you cleaned up, huh?"

"Please get him out of my office!" Catherine held out the bin for Y/N to take with her as she left. "You made this problem; you clean it up."

"Totally fair."

Slowly guiding Jake to the bathroom, Y/N opened the door and gently nudged him inside. Once inside, she turned to face him and asked, "Are you okay? Actually okay? Don't pretend that you feel better than you do. Tell me straight up."

Strangely, "I feel a lot better now that I've thrown up." Y/N chuckled softly before grabbing some paper towels and wiping away any remnants of vomit from his mouth. She placed her thumb under his chin and lifted his head upwards towards her face as she inspected his face carefully. "I'm actually really hungry now."

He wasn't kidding. His stomach was growling louder now. Probably because all the contents had been violently expelled like a misbehaved schoolchild.

"Okay, I'll get you something." Y/N removed her hands from his face and moved towards the exit, turning around to order him, "Take your top off and wash it in the sink. I'll get you another one."

All he needed to hear was 'take your top off' and it was done. The door behind her hadn't even closed yet, and he was shirtless again. As he started cleaning the puke off, the door opened again.

Wow. That was fast.

Nope. It wasn't Y/N. It was Kevin, who stood in front of Jake and crossed his arms as he demanded, "Were you serious about what we spoke about on the phone?"

"Um, I was," Jake answered honestly, hoping that Kevin wouldn't make a big fuss. Even though he couldn't understand exactly what it was that Kevin wanted to talk about, he was certain that it was nothing good. He hoped that whatever happened didn't involve the words 'You've got to stop trying to get with Y/N,' because that would be awful. He'd just gathered enough confidence to try, and Kevin may take that all away from him. "Yeah, one hundred percent drunken truth."

Luckily for him, Kevin looked slightly relieved that Jake was being honest. After checking to see that Y/N wasn't anywhere nearby, he leaned closer and whispered harshly, "Look, I don't like this, but I can't stop you. The moment when you mess up, and it's when and not if because it's you, I will not hesitate to tell her." He paused for a brief second, looking at Jake as if to make sure he understood. Finally, he gave him a hard look and added seriously, "And I mean it, Jake. The moment."

With those ominous words, he disappeared into the hallway, and Jake sighed in relief. Well, that was easier than expected. Yet, he had no idea Kevin could be so territorial. Sure, the garage was a family, but the Gibson's were really family. By blood. And Jake was not blood.

When Y/N returned, she had a plastic bag filled with food, water, and a fresh t-shirt in hand. Seeing Jake shirtless was just part of the job. A good part. A really good part. But, at this point, she was used to it. In fact, she had become accustomed to it. The sight of his bare chest seemed almost as normal to her as her own naked body. But that was beside the point. She gave his muscles a quick scan and then handed over the goods with a "There you go, princess."

Not wasting any time, Jake put the clothes on as fast as humanly possible and thanked her for the food, taking the bag from her hand to rifle through it. It wasn't until he began to stuff his face with the food that he finally noticed that Y/N was standing in front of him, her hands resting on either side of the sink.

Shit. He forgot that she was feeling just as awful as he was. So, with one hand he ate the healthy granola bar that Catherine always stocked the kitchen with, and with the other he rubbed circles against Y/N's back. When she stopped staring vacantly, and finally met his eyes, he said, "Hey. Thanks for helping me out."

Smiling weakly, she replied, "Anytime."

"What would I do without you?" He mumbled through a full mouth and continued eating. His question earned a soft chuckle from Y/N, which he loved hearing more than anything. He liked the sound of her laugh. It reminded him of home, like the feeling of home, not his actual house. Her laughter didn't resemble his architecture at all.

"Well, you would not have puked in your boss's office."

"After all she's put me through, it was bound to happen at some point. Now all I need is an excuse to do it again," he joked, causing her to snort and pull him back outside.

Due to his explosive performance, Jake was given the day off to recover. It was strange. Y/N's first workday without him was quiet. Boring. She got her duties done lightning-fast because there were no distractions. By lunch, she had completed her daily tasks. Kevin saw this and allowed her the afternoon off.

Clocking off, she soon made it back to Jake's and took care of him. She was his handler, after all.

Unsurprisingly, the pair lounged on the couch and got around to finishing the Transformers franchise. While watching the movie, Jake's arm wound itself around Y/N's waist and pulled her close to him. She smiled and rested her head on his chest, which smelt as good as it usually did to her. It was as intoxicating as ever.

Chapter 11: Just Friends

#jake martin x reader #jake martin #the crew

17 notes · View notes

evcrlasting · 1 year

Text

◈ TAG NINE PEOPLE YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW BETTER!

favourite colour(s): all shades of blue but mostly pastel light blues

favourite flavour(s): sweet & salty, or anything spicy

favourite genre(s): comedy, crime, sometimes romance

favourite music: i listen to the same thing most days lmfao so afrobeats and late 90s/early 2000s but recently i’ve been listening to korean cafe music to study

favourite movie(s): i honestly don’t think i have one.... whoops

favourite series: persons of interest and living single are my top and then new girl comes in a close second

last song: unfolding by luca fogale, it’s such a good song

last series: the rookie: feds

last movie: i’m not a movie person sooo black panther 2, don’t come for me okay

currently reading: honey & spice by bolu babalola, i randomly picked it up when i went to the library this week

currently watching: the rookie, alert, and one piece... slowly but eventually i’ll finish it I think

currently working on: surviving, barely but alive... and homework

tagged by: @wintcrstcrfall <3

tagging: @hollowedstreets , @lesceriises , @autumnwritcs , @overnightheartbeats , @ssvperboy , @saavcns , @herhighnessrps , @mocnlighted and anyone else because bold of y’all to think i talk to up to 9 people

#does avoiding homework count as working on it?d

4 notes · View notes

anythingstephenking · 2 years

Text

Firestarter for a New Generation

The Institute is a big hug of King Classics (tm) in the best way possible. Kids with special psychic abilities? Check. Nefarious government organizations? Check. Battle of good vs. evil? Check.

It’s been 8 years since I last visited Firestarter, but my mind kept drifting to the themes of Charlie McGee’s adventures as I plowed through The Institute. Our hero, Luke Ellis is a 12-year-old boy swept away into some massively secret government organization. Unlike Charlie, he’s forced to navigate without his parents, but that’s ok cause he’s like, really smart.

Let’s back up a bit. On the surface (or summary from the book’s dust jacket) we’re stepping into The Institute - a secluded building in rural Maine (duh) where kids with special powers are experimented on for unknown reasons. An interesting premise for sure, but not one that King hasn’t explored before.

(Side Note: with all the references to rural Maine, I feel like I really understand the TR system for naming unincorporated townships and wonder how many exciting things can happen in the middle of nowhere??)

We don’t start at The Institute tho, we start with Tim Jamieson, a rugged a lost man wandering the southern United States before settling in small town SC. Tim’s not even kinda sorta close to Maine, how dare he?? We spend a hundred or so pages getting on Tim’s side as he settles his nomadic self, and we’re cozy and not really even thinking about kids with telekinesis.

Boom, we leave Tim without so much as a farewell, and the story jumps us to Minnesota. ALSO NOT MAINE! What is happening? Here we meet Luke, who at 12 is ready to double enroll in Emerson and MIT. These colleges are in Boston. Getting warmer but still not there quite yet.

Luke’s got a big brain, and can also sometimes move things with his mind. It’s pretty inconsequential to Luke, he’s more worried about being like wicked smaht. But The Institute cares that he can push shit around without his hands, so he’s kidnapped in the middle of the night and flown to, finally… Maine.

Like any story with kids being abused (this sure does happen a lot with King) we love the kids of this story. Tiny little peanut people being slapped and tased by adults? Fuck right off adults, y’all suck. The Institute kids are endearing and delightful and unless you’re a total monster, you root for them.

I was worried The Institute would turn into a “been there, done that”; having read 69 King novels thus far, none of the themes of this book seemed remotely new. But the story manages to remain a fresh page turner, cheering on Luke’s crew of rag-tag kiddos, waiting for Tim to return and whooping with excitement when you realize how the two storylines will merge.

Spoiler alert: good mostly wins, with some heartbreaking losses. King Classic (tm) through and through.

It’s super weird to be in relative real-time after so many years in the past. Cultural references to Trump and American partisan politics pepper the story and I have to remind myself I am reading a book that was released in the third year of Trumps term. I only have 5 novels left.

8/10

First Line: Half an hour after Time Jamieson’s Delta flight was scheduled to leave Tampa for the bright lights and tall buildings of New York, it was still parked at the gate.

Last Line: Better to save some for later.

Adaptations:

David E. Kelley and Jack Bender announced mini-series plans in 2019 but it’s still in development. Not sure if that’s Hollywood code for “dead”.

0 notes

synthezcid · 3 years

Photo

Well this is awkward.

#this game doesn't have an easy 'turn off the UI' keybind and its driving me insane #;ooc tag #; nerdy games #I swear the voice actor they got for barry is the same dude who does the 'death of a game' videos because he sounds EXACTLY like the dude #anyway I did the new duo alert for it it was just recycled brainiac corridors whoops #anyway x2 I'm here to write some more hopefully

1 note · View note

imagine-darksiders · 2 years

Text

Security Breach - The Lost Boy

Chapter 1 - El Chips

Summary: “You worry too much,” is all he tells the animatronic.

Which is an unavoidable truth, isn't it?

Freddy is a worrier.

And if he could, Gregory would shake the hand of whichever engineer programmed that interface into a gigantic, metal robot.

Tags: Five nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach. Glamrock Freddy, Gregory, Fluff, Hurt/comfort, angst, homeless Gregory, Papabear, implied child abuse, homelessness.

---

The Mega Pizzaplex stands proud and prodigious, like a beacon in the centre of the city, sending its alluring, neon lights out to saturate darkened street corners and blacked-out alleyways where even the most reclusive of individuals can't hide away from its presence.

People flock to it - moths to a beautiful but deadly flame. Each day, they pass giddily through those doors that swing open to invite them inside like the maw of some great and terrible beast, eager to swallow them whole.

Families, teenagers looking to spend their pocket money in the arcade, parents with bored offspring.... The Pizzaplex caters to all tastes.

But first and foremost, it throws open its entrance for one demographic in particular.

Children.

Any age, any size, any shape, any temperament. Not one of them can resist the siren song of such exciting sounds and sights.

There are children who charge through the doors with excited whoops and shouts, and there are children who are more tentative in their approach, hesitant to leave their parents' sides until they're sent off with a guiding nudge.

And then, there's Gregory.

Gregory is not like the other children that walk into the Mega Pizzaplex.

Freddy's head tilts sideways on its axis, cerulean optics whirring softly as he focuses on the young boy, perhaps in the hopes that a fresh angle might give his central processing unit some new information.

He's only been here for a few hours, and already, he's proven to be exceptionally plucky and capable, though only because he's had no other choice, by his own, vague admission.

And yet, for as strong as Gregory seems in both character and wit, he is also unmistakably frail - smaller and slighter than most boys his age ought to be.

In too many ways, he's fragile, though he'd likely throw a fit if Freddy ever said as much out loud.

The animatronic suppresses the urge to lower his plastic brows into a frown.

Yes... Gregory is very different from the children he's accustomed to...

...For starters, he's never seen another child eat quite so ravenously.

Hunched over in a red, plastic chair at the back of El Chips, Gregory swipes a hand across his mouth and reaches across the table for the umpteenth time in a minute, snatching up another slice of hot, gooey pizza.

Hovering anxiously over the child’s shoulder, the animatronic watches him stuff it into his mouth before he's even swallowed his last bite.

If he hadn't already been snapped at twice for trying to tell the boy to slow down lest he choke himself, Freddy might have brought the matter up again and insisted on a gentler pace.

He's seen hungry children - the ones who have run themselves ragged through the arcade before collapsing into a chair and wolfing down their burgers and milkshakes, only to shoot up minutes later and try to start the whole process all over again.

That's what hunger looks like.

But this...?

The pneumatics in Freddy's jaw hiss softly as he forces himself to unclench his teeth.

...This is something else.

Gregory is scarfing food down as if he expects it to be taken away from him at any moment. The pizza disappears in a flash, barely touching the sides of his throat.

More pressingly though, Freddy can detect trace levels of moisture gathering at the corner of the boy's eyes.

Another alert pings onto the bear's HUD, reminding him that there's a distressed child in his vicinity, but he blinks away the notice with a slump of his shoulders.

He's already asked Gregory about the tears, to no avail.

The first time he asked, the boy had merely stopped chewing long enough to scrub his eyes with the heels of his palm and went right back to his pizza, ignoring the question entirely. The second time however, he'd abruptly and aggressively scooted his chair away from Freddy and grumbled, 'Your sensors must be faulty. I'm not crying.'

At the boy's suggestion, Freddy had checked his optical feedback, only to find nothing amiss, which begged the question... Why didn't Gregory want him to know he was crying?

Hiding anguish certainly isn't typical behaviour for a child his age, at least in Freddy's experience, and in his line of work, he's had a lot of experience. Crying children usually have no qualms about seeking comfort from an authority figure, be that their own parents or one of the animatronics themselves.

Freddy would be more than happy to offer comfort, if he knew that Gregory wanted it. But so far, any attempt at foisting care on the boy have been rebuffed. A gentle paw on his shoulder is swiftly shrugged off. Soft words and questions after his health are scoffed at and deflected, leaving the bear in a state of near-constant disquiet, fretting over a boy that needs help, but won’t accept it.

Puzzled, the animatronic regards the frantic way his little ward paws for crusts inside the pizza box, searching for any stragglers. After a moment though, his face crumples and he sullenly retrieves his empty hand.

“Are you still hungry?” Freddy pipes up, startling the boy halfway out of his chair, “There is plenty of food in the back, if you want it.” Any chance to be helpful and he’ll jump on it, all the child needs to do is ask.

Gregory's head whips around to face him, eyes narrow with fatigue and suspicion.

Patient as ever, Freddy waits for a response, and after a few seconds of watching the boy chew absently at his lip, he's rewarded with a sigh.

“Nah, I probably shouldn't,” Gregory reluctantly concedes, shaking his shaggy mop of brown hair and casting a doleful look at the pizza box, “We've already wasted enough time in here.”

Frankly, the animatronic would argue that time spent feeding a hungry child is never time wasted. Tapping his claws together, he asks, “Are you sure? You were very hungry!”

“No duh, I was hungry,” the boy scoffs, using his fingers to wipe the grease from his mouth, “I haven't eaten a hot meal in-!”

His mouth abruptly snaps shut, cutting himself off mid sentence as he casts his the bear a wary glance.

Freddy merely tilts his head to one side, a silent prompt.

Swallowing, Gregory pries his lips apart and carefully continues, “-in, like, hours... Not since my... er, my mom made me lunch.”

Of course, Freddy's sensitive audials pick up on the trepidation in his voice and he can see for himself the darting, brown eyes that suddenly refuse to meet his unwavering gaze.

But... he trusts Gregory. The boy is clearly very capable, and capable people are good at looking after themselves. They'd never let themselves forget to do something so important as eat.

The squeak of chair legs on linoleum grabs the animatronic's attention again and he instinctively leans back to allow Gregory room to stand up and brush crumbs off his shorts, scattering them all over the floor for a S.T.A.F.F bot to clean up when they come across the mess.

“All right,” the boy nods decisively, running a finger along the plaster on his cheek, “Let's get going. We've gotta keep moving before that security lady realises she hasn't checked here in a while.”

Then, with the authoritative gait of one trying desperately to act larger than he is, he heads towards the restaurant's doors, squinting down at the Fazwatch strapped around his wrist. “I think we're okay for now. I can't see anyone on the camera outside, but we should still- Wha-!? Hey!”

He stifles a yelp as enormous, metal fingers curl into the collar of his shirt and lift him backwards, setting him down again next to the animatronic bear.

“Slow down there, Superstar,” Freddy rumbles lightly, giving the boy a cheerful smile and earning himself a glare in return, “If the coast is clear, then we can afford to wait for that food to go down.”

Gregory's scowl grows even deeper until it hardly befits a soft-faced child at all.

“Freddy,” he huffs, “Quit joking around. If I'm gonna live to see morning, I've gotta move!”

It was one of the first and most important lessons he learned on the streets. If you wanted to avoid authorities, you didn't stay in one place for too long. Those rules apply in the Pizzaplex too, apparently.

“I would never joke about your wellbeing, Gregory,” the bear protests, his ears tilting down on their pivots as he straightens his back and clears the static from his voice, “It is imperative that one waits for at least thirty minutes after a large meal before partaking in strenuous exercise to avoid side stitches or tummy cramps.”

At once, Gregory's glare falls flat and he gives the animatronic a deadpan look. He knows the sound of an adult reading a script when he hears it. No doubt, the bear has had to repeat this same spiel to a lot of eager kids who just can't wait to get back to playing in the Pizzaplex. But Gregory isn't eager to play. He's eager to leave.

Crossing his arms defiantly, he pulls a face and echoes, “Tummy cramps?' Seriously? I'm not a baby, Freddy, I'm almost nine! Just say 'stomach ache' like a proper adult.”

“But.. I am a proper adult.”

Rolling his eyes at the bear's befuddled expression and the mismatched angle of his ears, Gregory blows out a rough sigh. How on Earth is he supposed to explain to a sentient animatronic that, no, he is not a proper adult. At least, not by Gregory's standards.

Proper adults are short-tempered, and they shout a lot, and they certainly don't worry about silly things like their son getting 'tummy cramps,' and-....

The boy swiftly slams a wall down around the thought before it can take root and fester. He's been successfully not thinking about them for weeks now, and here in this restaurant is hardly the place to start.

With a shake of his head, Gregory balls his hands into fists and whirls away from the bear, marching for the door again.

“Gregory!” Freddy anxiously calls to his retreating back, but the boy is quick to brush off his concern yet again.

“You worry too much,” is all he tells the animatronic.

Which is an unavoidable truth, isn't it?

Freddy is a worrier.

And if he could, Gregory would shake the hand of whichever engineer programmed that interface into a gigantic, metal robot.

He isn't used to being worried about. It's as foreign to him as the softly-spoken words and praises that Freddy seems all too keen to heap upon him. He supposes he can’t exactly blame the bear for doing what he’s designed to do.

But Gregory is supposed to be tough, he can take care of himself – and though he's definitely grateful to have an ally watching his back, he just doesn't know quite what to do with Freddy's unabashed concern for his wellbeing.

So, he does the only thing he can think to do.

He tries to ignore it.

Of course, ignoring a seven foot tall animatronic proves to be easier said than done.

Freddy only has to take a few steps and he's suddenly towering in Gregory's path, barring his way to the door, but before the boy can open his mouth to complain, the bear slowly lowers himself onto one knee and there's a click, followed by the familiar hiss of air as his chest cavity slides open invitingly.

“Gregory, please,” the old bear coaxes, his rumbling voice holding none of the anger or annoyance that the boy is so used to invoking in others, “If you will not remain here, then at least allow me to carry you.”

Gregory forces his tense shoulders to relax. Dumb bear... too soft for his own good sometimes... Still, the child knows how to spot an immoveable object when he sees one, being something of an unstoppable force himself, and every moment he spends fighting the bear’s insistent programming is a moment he isn’t finding a way to escape the Pizzaplex.

“Okay, okay, fine.” Heaving a dramatic sigh, he clambers forwards into the hollow of Freddy's chest. “If it'll stop you nagging...”

The animatronic's ensuing chuckle reverberates down from his speakers and travels through his metal body like the purr of a motor car’s engine, filling the space where Gregory is tucked into.

Freddy's chest clicks back into its slot as he pushes himself to his stabilisers and gently places one, enormous paw over the hatch.

Already, the alerts flagging up on his HUD are clearing.

“Thank you, Gregory,” he hums in contentment, turning to the door, “But I like to think that nagging is just caring repeatedly.”

He lets out another huff of laughter, whilst inside his chest, Gregory bunches his fists into the fabric of his shorts, his lips tugging down at their corners.

With his charge tucked safely away, Freddy points himself towards the arcade's escalators and sets off at a steady pace, unaware of a pair of crimson eyes trailing after him as he goes.

#fnaf #five nights at freddy's #glamrock freddy #gregory #fluff #hurt/comfort #fanfic #angst #homelessness #protective #papabear #security breach #security breach spoilers #Freddy can be overBEARing #ha! get it?#slow burn to father figure #Gregory refuses to be coddled at first

325 notes · View notes

hpsaffics · 2 years

Text

✨ WLW Wednesday: New to Narlily ✨

A biweekly HP femslash rec list made by the lovely members of the HP SAFFICS (18+) discord server. See all previous rec lists in the WLW Library.

Current focus: Narcissa Black Malfoy/Lily Evans Potter Want more?: The Black Sisters (see list)

💫 - highly recc’d | 🌹 - sweet | 🌶 - spicy |🩸- sharp (mind the tags)

—

LONG & LUSCIUS (>10k)

💫💫 how the flowers rise and open by @daphnedumaurigay [M, 40.4k] 🌹

Despite the sneaking around and the urgency that serve as constant reminders that this is forbidden, clandestine, there’s no denying the quiet domesticity that creeps in at the edges [...] making Lily want, and want, and WANT, refusing to let go no matter how hard she tries to dig it out.

MEDIUM & MAGNIFICENT (3-10k)

💫💫 Twilight Lovers by @ladonnaerrante [E, 7.0k] 🌶

When James Potter dies to save his son’s life, Lily is left a widow. She finds an unlikely source of support in a witch whose allegiance is questionable.

bend towards the sun by lastwingedthing [T, 5.3k]

One moment out of time.

💫 Watchers of the Skies by kelly_chambliss [M, 5.0k]

At the Three Broomsticks one day, Narcissa Black sits down to chat with Lily Evans. A story about roads taken and not taken.

green looks good on you by @humanveil-fic [T, 4.9k]

A prank war between Hogwarts houses can make friends and lovers of enemies.

💫 Burning Blooms by melody0606 [G, 4.7k] 🌹

Narcissa will not be outdone by Lucius. She will not burn to ash.

When Push Comes to Shove by @naralanis [M, 4.2k] 🌶

“It’s always push and shove with us, isn’t it?” Lily asked, seemingly transfixed by the slow and steady trickle of blood that oozed from Narcissa’s lip as she grazed her thumb around the cut. “Gryffindors and Slytherins? Mudbloods and Pure-Bloods?” Narcissa could only shrug.

💫 where dust was once a man by @slashmarks [T, 3.4k]🩸

Terrified of losing her son to the Dark Lord's plotting, Narcissa is haunted by the memory of another woman who faced the same threat.

auburn and ivory by herrlucifer [T, 3.3k]

She doesn't even get a chance to see Lily's green eyes or the way her smile changes her face, lights it up into something more beautiful and radiant than the sun. She just knows that this girl has something beautiful, and Narcissa wants to take it. (It isn't until much later that she realizes what this means.)

💫💫 i hope you make it to the day you're 28 years old by Anonymous [G, 3.0k]

“Run,” Lily hisses. “Run!” And the woman is coming after them, fast, and they have, like, ten shopping bags, and Narcissa is grabbing her arm and they’re running, because they’re not going to die, not yet. (Zombie apocalypse AU)

(Short & Spectacular under the cut!)

SHORT & SPECTACULAR (<3k)

High Alert by @hazellepotter [M, 2.5k]

Lily pretended to be asleep in her own bed when Narcissa came out of the shower, but her senses were on high alert. The worst part about it was, she realized she had wanted to know who Narcissa was deep down for a long time. She just didn't want to admit it to herself. (University AU)

Girlfriend from Canada by IceLynx [T, 2.0k]

Narcissa introduces her (definitely a pureblood) girlfriend to her parents.

Midnight Intruder by @darkwingsdarkwords48 [M, 1.8k] 🌶

Lily Evans had no idea of the beautiful danger that crept under the moonlight of her room.

she has green eyes (and just a bunch of trouble, mother said) by cruciao [T, 1.6k]

So maybe Narcissa had expected for Severus’ friend to also be a boy.

💫 our kiss is as the moon to draw by @blackkatmagic [T, 1.5k] 🌹

“Problems, cousin?” Narcissa calls to Sirius, cool and sugar-sweet. She’s smirking, braid of pale hair coming loose, and Lily should absolutely be cheering for Gryffindor, but she can't help herself. As Narcissa turns into a sharp dive, snatching the Quaffle right out of James's hands as she passes, she whoops, clapping her hands together.

This Distraction is Okay by @galacticcoyote [E, 1.1k] 🌶

Narcissa's intention is to possess Lily.

—

Where can I find more Narlily?

🌙 - Narlily: Tag on Tumblr | Tag on AO3 🌙 - WLW Library: Tumblr | Tag | AO3

#hp femaslash #hp saffics #wlw wednesday #wlw library #narlily #narcissa x lily

70 notes · View notes

wind-becomes-lightning · 2 years

Text

Together.

(Cover art done by @kankuroplease)

I’M OFFERING FANFICS IN EXCHANGE FOR A DONATION THAT HELPS THE PEOPLE IN UKRAINE. MORE INFO HERE

This is another commissioned fic, this time by @kakashiswilloffire!! I enjoyed writing this one a lot, it was very interesting to dive into the dynamic of these characters. Also thank you so so much for the donation!! <3

I want to also thank the NB1 Kabuto understanding person @mamasboysasuke, who not only helped me get the timeline for this together (Ages and whatnot) but also beta read! Whoop, thank you Des.

Characters: Kabuto & Tayuya

5551 words.

Other tags: Siblings, growing up together, a little angst, Hurt without comfort.

The first time Kabuto saw the little girl she seemed so fragile and tiny that she barely registered as a person to him. Red hair almost as dark as the blood smears on face and arms.

One of the younger children said she should be called Tayuya, so she is.

___________________________________________

The first time Kabuto saw the little girl she seemed so fragile and tiny that she barely registered as a person to him. Red hair almost as dark as the blood smears on face and arms. He hurried to heal her, running all across the darkened field outside the orphanage he lived in to pick her up.

One of the other kids had alerted him to the staggering child, all alone and injured and Kabuto had run to help, as he always did.

After she had been healed at least well enough to walk again, Kabuto picked her up, the body so thin and small that it seemed like no more weight than a sack of potatoes, and carried her back inside. One of the younger children said she should be called Tayuya, so she is.

The girl stayed in bed for a week, only visited by Kabuto or his mother. She seemed as lost as he felt when he was new in this place that was now his home, so he decided to sit with her for many hours of the day, even when she was sleeping. They had guessed her age at about two, maybe less, a child that could just about speak and not walk that well. He didn’t want to imagine the horrors that she’d seen and endured to get here.

When she was fit enough to walk they asked her to come out of her room to join the general assembly of children. Tayuya seemed shy, hiding behind pillars and bars, barely talking more than two sentences if not prompted. Kabuto took her hand sometimes to bring her places and she followed, big eyes aimed at the back of his head.

She did not eat with others around. Kabuto needed only a day to notice it. While she did come into the main hall for meal time, she barely touched the stew or soup that was prepared for her. The food at this place was not the most stellar, as they couldn’t afford many good ingredients for so many children, but it was not too bad either. He worried almost immediately. Her figure was already so slim, so hungered down, that she needed to eat to get back to full health.

To combat her adversity to crowds Kabuto started leaving food standing around “accidentally.” It started with a “forgotten” bowl of soup, then it was sweets that he happened to leave in her room and sometimes the little fruit they could get. Each time he checked the spot an hour or so later it was gone. Kabuto was pleased with himself about this, sometimes as a healer you needed to try unconventional methods to treat your patients.

One day all children played outside in one of the many moments of tranquillity they all experienced as long as they lived together under Nonous patronage. Kabuto had seen Tayuya hesitate about following the crowds, her red hair covering most of her face and had just walked over to her to take her hand. “We play outside, okay?” he had asked and without waiting for a reply walked her out. She had followed without a complaint.

Now they were sitting side by side on a sunny day, Tayuya watching the children toss a ball around and chase each other with big eyes and a smile on her face. Kabuto couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d soon come out of her shell to also join in. “You have to eat, you know”, he said finally, his eyes moving over the fields. “Not only when you find hidden food. Real food. To grow, to heal, to become strong.” Tayuya looked up to him with an embarrassed face. “I understand, nii-san,” she replied in a quiet voice. Kabuto only flinched for a millisecond before he accepted the way she addressed him.

From that moment on Tayuya never skipped out on a meal, she started talking with others too, and she never stopped calling Kabuto “big brother.”

Quickly her walking and speaking ability increased and soon she overcame her general fear to engage with the children around her. Kabuto watched her with a proud smile on his face, excited to watch the growth first hand. Maybe he had already kind of accepted the big brother role and felt himself comfortable in it.

One day when they were all chasing each other outside in the rising sun, Kabuto found a piece of fabric, maybe once belonging to a very large soldier who’s uniform got ripped. He called for Tayuya, who ran to him right away. “To keep your hair out of your face”, he said and bound the fabric to the top of her head. Her red hair had long since grown out and the bangs often took her vision from her. She looked up to her forehead, but then smiled: “Thank you, nii-san.” Kabuto’s chest swelled momentarily.

Not long after that they both were acquainted with Orochimaru for the first time, the man who would quite literally change the course of both of their lives in just a few more years to come. He was injured, running from the battlefield of the 3rd shinobi war, not unlike Tayuya had been just a few months prior.

Tayuya was clearly scared of him, hiding behind Kabuto’s small frame as if he was some kind of shield. Kabuto was cordial and friendly as he always was, eager to please, and tried to fix Orochimaru up as much as he could. The snake-eyed man seemed to be interested in him. “How old are you, child?” he hissed and Kabuto diligently replied: “Eight.” Orochimaru furrowed a brow, but seemed content with that knowledge. For now at least.

Eventually he was healthy enough to leave the orphanage behind, but not without asking Nonou about Kabuto’s healing abilities. “Truthfully, the boy has just always shown an inclination for it. He picked it up quickly”, she replied proudly and Orochimaru's yellow eyes flickered to Kabuto. The boy held his gaze, but he could hear Tayuya squeak and run away from behind him.

The visit by the snake was soon forgotten and Tayuya returned to her carefree, happy self, always by Kabuto’s side. She had started playing the flute, an old wooden instrument she found one day in some old box in the storage of the orphanage. They had looked for a specific toy to give a newer, younger child, but had no luck. Tayuya had fished the flute out of an old box however and kept it. Now she was terrorizing everyone by trying to learn it.

She played a lot for Kabuto, tiny fingers falling over the little holes in the instrument trying to produce cohesive sounds and melodies. It was arguably terrible, at least at the start, since she didn’t quite know how it worked and nobody could really teach her, but Kabuto would never discourage her. It was something she was interested in, something she sank her time into and he was more than excited for each step of improvement he noticed.

Soon she could play songs for all of them, brightening up their evenings together in the dining hall by playing one or two on the flute. Tayuya had a good ear for soundscapes, bringing them together easily to form the most beautiful or haunting melodies. It was a well welcomed change for Kabuto and the other children. Their facility was slowly running out of money. It was an open secret that they might be closed down in the not so distant future.

Kabuto sometimes felt like an adult supervisor instead of a child hoping for adoption. He tried to help out the sisters and especially his mother as much as he could, assist with healing and food and babysitting. Tayuya followed him on each step, likewise learning from him how to serve and serve well. She was not that talented at healing jutsu, not like she was with the flute, but loved watching her brother do it.

“Maybe one day we can be adopted together and live at the same place!” Tayuya said one evening when Kabuto put a blanket over her to get her to sleep. It was the hopeless wish of all of them, to be adopted. But the world was not kind to children without parents and relocation before coming of age was almost impossible. Still, he didn’t want to discourage her, so he said: “Yes, maybe together.”

They did live together eventually, but not because they had been adopted and it took a few years apart to get there.

Tayuya was just four when Kabuto and her were separated. An older man had entered the orphanage, stomping, growling, like many old men do when they think they have things of importance to say. He had required a child from the nuns, requesting someone who would do missions for him while staying a complete unknown. The sisters had obviously refused at first, caring too deeply about all of the children, but the old man then threatened to cut funding and to close their little refuge down.

Kabuto stepped in, shouldering the burden as he did so many times since he’d been found by his mother. He knew he could be of service, had adjusted to being exactly like he needed to be. So he offered himself up to be taken away and learned that the man’s name was “Danzo” and that he had come from Konohagakure.

Before he could leave he needed to tell Tayuya personally, needing her to know that he was not abandoning her specifically, that he would be back eventually. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as he woke her and sat up immediately when she saw the look in his eyes. “Nii-san?” she asked, a little panicked.

“I have to go”, he explained, “I will do something for the betterment of this place. I promise that I will be back as soon as I can and when I come back I will bring you a much better, newer flute for you to play with, okay?” The girl grabbed him by the shirt: “No. I don’t want a new flute, I want you to stay.” Kabuto’s lips curled, but he hardened his heart. Without saying another word he got up and, after pulling her little fingers off his shirt, walked out of the room.

As Kabuto left with Danzo-sama, he could hear the cry of the girl behind him. He did not turn around to see her, but the yelps and sobs shook him right to his heart. Tayuya was apparently held back by someone somehow, struggling to break free to get to him, calling for him, but he just walked on. He would be back soon enough, he told himself, see her again soon enough.

Later he’d hate himself for the false optimism of that evening. That he’d thought he could help the orphanage by leaving, that he’d thought he could come back soon. That he had thought any of his actions were for the betterment of the world. But Kabuto did find his way back to Tayuya eventually, it just took a little detour.

The first time Kabuto laid eyes on the desolate village of Otogakure it seemed like nothing but a makeshift township. Few houses were scattered around a round marketplace and there was a training facility that served as a school tucked into the back. It was clearly the newest building in the bunch.

Orochimaru had told him to come here and settle, that he himself would follow soon to be the overseer of the little village he helped stomp out of the ground. Kabuto didn’t rebell or question the order. He was too eager to go into hiding, becoming a nobody.

He could have returned to the orphanage if he wanted to, left to choose his own path by Danzo, who had decided to abandon him like a pet he didn’t need anymore, but Kabuto hadn’t wanted to return. He didn’t feel like he belonged there, or anywhere in fact. That was when he met Orochimaru, who offered him a place to be, someone to be and Kabuto had latched on to it without much of a thought.

By now he was thoroughly trained as a healer, but also knew how to put his experience as a spy to use. As soon as he settled in the village, he started chatting with others, introducing himself, and building goodwill. There was no job for him here yet, but what wasn’t yet could still be in the future. Better to start early.

Kabuto stayed cordially with others, but mostly on his own until Orochimaru arrived just a few weeks later. It was baffling to Kabuto how the villagers reacted, cheering and clapping when Orochimaru walked by. It must have been a very desolate place before he had come along.

Orochimaru gave him work immediately. There was a body transformation to study, a curse mark to perfect and the entire thing about the edo-tensei jutsu. Kabuto worked without much words, addressing his superior respectfully and memorising as much of what he read as he could. Maybe it would come handy someday.

Children with curse marks were brought in frequently. Kabuto soon learned that they studied at the local training academy that had just recently been built. The effects of its power were different from child to child and some of them had health issues relating to it. Kabuto was kind to them, as much as he could, ever so the caretaker, but he did not weep for them when they died. He was too burned now.

One day a girl was brought in, maybe around 10. She wore her red hair under a fabric like hairband and still streaks of it were hanging into her face. They both looked at each other and Kabuto dropped what he had been holding: “Tayuya!” He leapt forward to hug her and for a moment he remembered who he used to be.

The girl had grown, but so had he and he was still almost two heads taller than her. “I did not think I’d ever see you again, nii-san!” Tayuya said excitedly, as Kabuto moved around her to check the curse mark on her neck. He didn’t like that she had gotten one and equally disliked that it seemed to work on her. “Neither did I if I’m honest,” he replied. The effects of the mark on her were outstanding. She was clearly the most compatible candidate they’d had so far. Kabuto hated what prospects this posed.

They didn’t have much time to talk with each other during her examination so Kabuto tried to find her after his work was done. Tayuya was training with three other children around her age, now fast on her feet and quick in her thinking. He was a little proud at seeing her like this, even if the image of her tiny, fragile self never really left his mind.

“Why are you here?” he asked, “You’re too young to have left the orphanage behind.” Tayuya moved her head to the side, her headdress like glue sticking to it. “We got fucking shut down”, she said, “ Damned funding cuts.”

Kabuto took in a sharp breath to force himself to stay calm. They had promised him to keep the facility in funding if he’d leave with them. They had promised him everybody would be well taken care of. “I see”, he said, trying to sound as calm as he could.

“Orochimaru-sama came to pick us orphans up. Said he had a place for us to go”, Tayuya continued. “We all came here together. Some have since left.” Left. Kabuto had a good idea what she meant with that, even if she maybe didn’t.

She threw her head back a little, bumping into Kabuto from the side: “And you? How did you end up here? Still doing the shit healer thing?” He frowned a little. When did she become so brazen? “Yes, still doing the “shit healer” thing. Currently working to help Orochimaru-sama as you noticed.” She grinned. “I’m glad we are both here together, nii-san.”

Kabuto soon learned that Tayuya had gotten a little more confident with age. She teased him relentlessly when she could. Asked about his big glasses and the grown out hair. When she sat in a chair for examinations she’d often laugh at him for the way his eyes narrowed or his back hunched. He couldn’t help but be glad at it. She was a healthy 11 year old girl, just like she was supposed to be.

The curse mark experiment continued to take the lives of others and so Kabuto never really stopped worrying about Tayuya. One day she sat once again in his little lab, blood being pumped in and out of her. “I can play the flute really well now”, Tayuya said. “Yeah?” Kabuto replied, looking over her results. “I remember you were terrible as a kid.”

“Fuck you, glasses, I’m excellent,” she pulled the wooden flute out and Kabuto recognised it immediately. “It’s still this old thing”, he said and she smiled: “You said you’d come back and bring me a new one, but you didn't.” Suddenly the air felt heavy with unspoken anger and resentment and Kabuto turned to face her.

“I couldn't,” he said truthfully. “I was not allowed to come back.” Tayuya’s eyes darkened a little. “You lied”, she said calmly, her flute spinning between her fingers. “You fucking abandoned me.” Kabuto wanted to say something, defend himself somehow, but the machines started beeping and he had no choice but to check them. It seemed like the curse mark had increased in power through her anger. Well, Kabuto thought, this at least made sense when you considered where the mark came from.

He bought her a new flute the next day. A little longer, a little thinner, a real beautiful instrument. It was a miracle that something like that was available in Otogakure. He went over to the place all the children lived in and asked for her. He found Tayuya sitting on her own bed.

“Promise kept,” he said, putting the present next to her, “We are together again and I have brought you a better flute.” Tayuya frowned a little, pouting like children so often do, but then she picked up the instrument. “It’s beautiful”, she whispered and before she said anything else she started playing on it.

It was a lovely sound, a haunting, longing melody. Kabuto could feel the effect it had on him, the memories of the orphanage that it brought back. For a moment again he thought he understood who he was, but then she stopped and it slipped from his grasp again. “How was that?” Tayuya asked excitedly.

“I guess it was passable”, he said with a wink. She punched him in the arm: “Shut up, you mean old man.” Kabuto didn’t even feel that old yet. How unfair of an assessment. They sat next to each other for a bit, just bumping into each other with playful force, then Kabuto said: “I’m sorry I couldn’t come see you sooner. I swear I wanted to.” Tayuya hummed a little and he took it as forgiveness.

The only time Kabuto now felt like a human, someone who had a personality, was when he was spending time with Tayuya. Not in the laboratory, because the identity he had carved out for himself as a ruthless scientist took over in these situations, no, it was the times when he was alone with her outside. Training or watching her train or talking or doing mundane stuff like buying food.

Tayuya was good at the facility she trained at, much better in abilities than Kabuto. Maybe this was related to the curse mark, maybe she would have always been talented even without it, but Kabuto soon learned that sparring with her mostly ended with him on his back on the hard, wet ground.

“And you buy food again, nii-san” she sang a litte, a foot on his chest triumphantly. Kabuto narrowed his eyes, having lost his glasses somewhere in the process. “Little girls like you should know how to behave in front of older boys. Zigzag” he said and wriggled himself out beneath her. He loved the light teasing they’d often bounce between each other, but in reality he was very proud of her growth. She was only 12 and already so much better than him.

Healing still wasn’t her strong suit however. No amount of loud mouth could get her wounds to heal up on their own. “You still can’t heal? A five year old could probably do it better than you”, Kabuto joked one time as he healed a nasty cut on her hand. She pouted: “Shut up, idiot.”

She had been tiny and cute and shy the first time he had met her, Kabuto reminisced one day, when Tayuya slightly kicked him with her feet as they sat together on his bed. “And now you are a little brat. I miss that old version of you”, he concluded, a grin on his face. “I’m not a damn baby anymore! I am 13 now. Also you need to have a foul mouth if you want to survive in this place. All the other children have one:” Kabuto too had noticed that children here were fighting a lot more regularly, be it with words or kunai.

The curse mark continued to get stronger, by now there were a handful of children left who still had it, Tayuya being one of them. She had mastered one of the forms that it could bring if she was emotional enough and mixed it neatly into her fighting style. Kabuto the big brother saw this development with further worry, but Kabuto the scientist was satisfied with the results. Soon Orochimaru-sama would be able to use it the way he intended to and he already had a victim in his eyes.

Kabuto was just 19 when he was summoned to the snake privately. A Jonin from Sunagakure was there too, looking sternly ahead. The room smelled like conspiracy from the moment Kabuto stepped in and his hunch proved to be exactly correct. They were planning to infiltrate Konohagakure very soon. But first Orochimaru-sama needed a new body.

So Kabuto did what he was told and headed out for his first undercover mission since he was 14. It was time to test all the things they had researched.

The ease in which he could fit back into the role of infiltrator was surprising even to Kabuto. After all, he’d spend years doing nothing but lab work, increasing his healing ability and researching whatever Orochimaru asked of him. Now he got to be “himself” again, in the field, posing like a good for nothing shinobi to get close to Sasuke Uchiha, the child Orochimaru wanted as a new host. It worked without much issue. The boy was marked just like he was supposed to be.

Kabuto had done his job, put snake and mouse together and according to the plan left the village of Konoha behind just as the invasion was starting. He knew that this was the moment Tayuya and her classmates were brought in, but he knew her abilities, knew his master very well by this point, so he did not worry for her safety. This particular plan did not go off as easily as all involved parties had hoped, however.

Tayuya returned, sweat gleaming on her forehead, and collapsed on his bed next to him. She had come to seek out Kabuto immediately when back in Otogakure to update him on things he’d probably eventually hear from the source anyway. Still he appreciated her checking in, so that he could be sure she was fine and healthy. “The old man died”, she said, hair falling into her eyes again. “You mean Lord Third”, Kabuto corrected her, which she expertly ignored.

“He tried to take Orochimaru- sama with him”, she continued, “but could only get his hands.” Kabuto blinked: “His hands?” Tayuya looked up at him, eyes heavy and tired: “He can’t weave signs anymore. That's a pretty fucking big blow to his strength.” Kabuto already knew that this would probably mean that he’d be summoned soon, that he’d have to take the blunt form of Orochimaru's anger. He sighed and went with his hand over Tayuya’s head brotherly. “Get some sleep”, he advised and left her. She fell asleep the moment her door closed.

He had been right of course, Orochimaru did summon him. Kabuto watched him move up and down, his hands hanging to both his sides like they were nothing but empty weight and listened to the curses. “I can’t heal you”, Kabuto interjected at some point and because he was feeling especially brazen: “So I don’t know why you are telling me all of this. I did my job excellently.”

The snake hissed, yellow eyes falling on Kabuto sharply, offended. “I know”, Orochimaru said coldly, “You are not talented enough to heal me.But I know someone who can heal me, and I require your assistance to go and find her, you hear me?” Orochimaru ordered, which pissed Kabuto off more than the insult had, but he didn’t have a choice but to agree to go along. Following Orochimaru was, after all, the path he had chosen for himself long ago.

“Do not take too many risks”, Tayuya grinned, watching him pack up little things he needed for his trip. “You are not that good at anything besides healing, you should stay out of fighting.” Kabuto knew she was joking with him, just the usual sibling banter, but having his talent insulted twice in a day felt a little too much. “Shut up, brat”, he said coldly and shouldered his bag. He glanced at her which made her furrow a brow defiantly. “Tss, I don’t have to take your attitude, nii-san. Go and fucking die for all I care”, she said and left.

Kabuto didn’t die, though in a moment of weakness he did think of Tayuya’s parting words to him. There was so much blood on his clothes and hands, the hands of a healer who should only ever have blood on them when it was to save someone. But Kabuto had used them offensively and lost, against a child nonetheless. There had been this second he’d thought of Tayuya, that he’d not said goodbye, that if he died she’d have nobody, but he did not die. Eventually, he did return.

The mission had been another big failure however. While Orochimaru and Kabuto had found Tsunade Senju, the best healer alive, she had refused to heal the arms. Even when they’d battled each other it had led to no positive outcome for them, and they had to return to their base in shame. Kabuto was injured and tired, he wondered what good hanging around a legendary Sannin would give him if that legendary Sannin could not even eat food on his own.

Tayuya healed him, her hands hovering over his injuries with weak healing jutsu, which for a moment gave Kabuto an unwelcome flashback to his childhood. Back then, when he’d taught her how to do it, she also had been the one to take care of him when he had minor injuries. Kabuto healed everybody else, but Tayuya healed Kabuto. That was just how it was, how it had been.

She’d come to visit him, crouched together like a sorry little cat, tail between her legs and apologised for the last thing she’d said. Kabuto apologised too. “My anger back then was not aimed at you”, he explained truthfully, “I should have kept it together.” Tayuya had thrown her head back and grinned: “I guess we are both damned idiots together.” Together. At least that.

Orochimaru smashed glasses and vials in the laboratory, steam sizzling at all ends of it. His anger roared hot and destructive and Kabuto took it upon himself to become the calming presence, cleaning up behind him, taking care of daily business. An angry snake was more ready to strike, to bite, so he stayed as unseen as possible until the mood faded, which wasn’t very long after they’d come back to base.

“Sasuke is ready”, he hissed, eyes sharp and excited on Kabuto. The other man had no particular interest in the Uchiha boy, he was not more than a vessel for Orochimaru- sama’s future body. So Kabuto nodded and faked a smile, because he knew his master wanted to see him share the optimism. “He will come to me soon, but I think we should send someone to help guide him here.” Kabuto agreed. The 13 year old would never make it so far out of the land of fire if not for other people’s help.

The Sound Four, to which Tayuya belonged, were assembled and set up in a straight line in front of Orochimaru. “Your mission is vital for me,” he explained, neck stretched out to tower over the teenagers, “So you can not fail at any cost!” Tayuya, in a moment of not being watched, winked at Kabuto who looked away. In front of Orochimaru they were never openly familiar with each other. “Die if you have to, but bring that boy to me”, Orochimaru concluded and the four bowed.

“Don’t die”, Kabuto said, walking alongside Tayuya to the gates of their tiny village. “Disobey him. If it gets too difficult just run.” Tayuya grinned her usual bratty grin: “Oh, little scaredy cat, do you not believe in my abilities?” He grabbed her arm: “I do, you know I do. You’re smart and talented and strong. I have seen you grow since you were two years old. What I am saying is that you do not need to sacrifice your life for a Master that does not care for yours. Promise me you will run if you have to. I can run too. We will start somewhere new. Together.”

Tayuya put a hand on top of his. “Kabuto”, she looked at him closely. “I’m flattered that you worry about me, but I’m not a fucking child and I won’t fail.” He let go of her, breathing in a few times to collect himself. “I know that. Just- be careful”, he said finally. She laughed and waved: “When I’m back I will thoroughly make fun of you for that entire speech just now, you’ll see, nii-san!”

The image of her leaving and smiling at him, red hair under her usual headdress, threatening him with further teasing in the near future would not leave his mind until he died. A scene playing over and over in his head as if it was burned into the back of his retina.

They should have just run away.

Sasuke Uchiha returned to the village alone.

Battered, bruised and exhausted he made his way in, generally suspicious of everyone, barking orders and demands like he had made himself prince of the place. Sasuke had been in a fight before he got here, the injuries told Kabuto as much even without asking. The escort line must have failed somehow. Kabuto didn’t dare think. Not at first, not in front of his master.

His fingers shook when he healed the boy, trying to hold back the question that was on his mind. The floor below his feet was waving like a boat, but Kabuto kept himself in reality. Sasuke had arrived alone, yes, but that could mean a myriad of things.

Finally, after bandaging up the child as well as he could, Kabuto leaned against the opposite wall and asked, as casually as his voice provided: “What happened to the guys that were sent to pick you up.” Sasuke looked up, the look in his eyes clearly indicating that he couldn't care less. “I think they all died,” he spat out, as if they were worthless insects in his way.

Kabuto could feel the floor beneath him shift, head spinning, eyes blurring. “I see, poor them”, he said calmly, coldly, as if this meant nothing to him. He nodded at the boy and walked out of the room, hands held tight to the side of his body to appear normal, unfaced. As soon as he was out of earshot he ran, breath rugged and broken, hands formed into fists.

He rammed the door to Tayuya’s room open and collapsed on her empty bed. She hadn’t made it before she left, had kept her clothes scattered around like she was going to come back any second now. Kabuto’s eyes fell to the little wooden flute that she’d still kept in her room, even after he had bought her a new, better one. He thought of how small and fragile she had been when he’d seen her first, how she had started to call him big brother, their reunion after years apart and playful back and forth. Curling his fingers into the sheets he let out a scream and then he ripped them all off the bed.

Later, years later, when he had much time for soul searching and finding, Kabuto circled back to this moment to pinpoint when he had lost the last piece of himself that had been left.

#fanfiction things #kabuto yakushi #tayuya #naruto

37 notes · View notes

illneverrecover · 3 years

Text

forever young pt 1(m) | ot7 bts

➛pairing: zombie!BTS x scientist!reader // side focus Seokjin x reader ➛genre: zombie!AU, apocalypse!AU, technically idolverse!AU, loosely inspired by Warm Bodies. Humor, action, eventual smut ➛word count: 3785 ➛rating: M ➛warnings: graphic descriptions of violence, descriptions of gore (hopefully not too graphic), mentions of death, brain eating (it is a zombie AU, after all), brief mention of lab rats, cursing, dubious science, poorly timed jokes. will add to warnings as additional chapters come out. ➛summary: Creating the world’s first immortality serum has been your greatest scientific feat - until it was stolen and sold on the black market. Oh, and also it turned whomever injected with it into the living undead. Whoops. ➛notes: It’s alive! I know it’s been forever, but I’m happy to present to you my fic for the @thebtswritersclub fic exchange! I was paired with the lovely @erotikkook who requested a zombie AU, but with BTS as the zombies. He basically gave me free reign from there (the first mistake) but I really had a lot of fun with this and creating this world. Per usual, the story took off and y’all know I can never just shut up, so I’ve decided to make this a multi-chaptered fic. I hope you enjoy, and if you do, please let me know! Feedback keeps the wheels turning for the next installment. 😉 Thank you to @jimins-ass-eater for being a sounding board and beta reading this for me, you’re the best noodle. Also thank you to @quinnkoo for making this banner way cooler than it was, listening to me ramble about this fic for approximately 6 hours while road tripping, and providing me excellent advice. I’d be a mess without you both, per usual. 🖤 ➛tagging: @ditttiii (because she asked me to and I can never say no to her😘) ➛song: Artificial Love - EXO & Epilogue: Young Forever - BTS Ch.1 | Ch. 2

They say that a memory that’s tied to one of the five senses makes it more powerful. That the minute you experience the trigger - whether it be a song, the softness of grass beneath your feet, or the taste of a strong coffee - it will all come flooding back, thrusting you back into that exact moment.

Maybe that's why the smell of burnt popcorn always reminded you of the start of the zombie apocalypse.

It wasn’t your fault, not really. At least not the burnt popcorn. You had asked your lab manager more times than you could count to replace the shitty microwave circa 1990 in the breakroom, considering all it did was overcook items until they were unrecognizable while sparking like a firecracker, but he never listened.

However, you were responsible for the lab that day, and you had abandoned your post. Jess, your lab partner, had been stressing over the deadline for the new strain of Ebola she was supposed to create a vaccine for, and since you had finished initial testing on your most recent project, you offered to provide her some sustenance. It didn’t cross your mind to lock the door to your private workspace, considering the only people who were ever in the building were your trusted coworkers, and the vaccine storage itself had a passcode.

Turns out, a passcode that thieves had no issue figuring out.

Sure, you should have been on higher alert. Once the CEO of HYBE Laboratories had gone on the news announcing that they had discovered the ‘cure’ for aging by creating the first immortality serum, the buzz that kicked up around the place had you on edge. HYBE Laboratories was already one of the largest research labs in Seoul, it’s prestige on the rise ever since it helped the first vaccine for COVID-19, back in 2020. The spotlight was already on, the pressure growing daily to create the next big thing. You knew the CEO was trying to keep interest alive, but it was a premature announcement; you had only finished up the first round of trials on IM04-Alpha, and while the numbers and reactions in the study rats looked good, it was still too early to tell. Two more rounds would be needed to ensure there were no side effects, and under strict orders you had pushed ahead sooner than you normally felt comfortable with. Kihyun, your dedicated lab assistant, had just finished helping you set up the second round, and while the virus was incubating in your test subjects, you had instructed him to lock up any excess serum just in case.

Not that it mattered.

While airing out the smoky microwave, shouting to Jess that she should be appreciative at your attempts to feed her, you heard something you hadn’t experienced in your time at the lab - a loud staccato bang, echoing off the pristine white walls until it made your ears ring.

A gunshot.

It took a moment to place it, like your brain couldn’t understand the juxtaposition of that sound in a place like this.

After that, it was over before it really began, honestly. Three men donned in all black had broken in, went straight to your incubator, and disabled the code before stealing every last sample of IM04-Beta that you had left. Someone had pressed one of the silent alarms, but it was too late - they were gone in a flash, leaving nothing behind but the lingering smell of burnt popcorn.

It turned out your hunch of it being ‘too soon’ to tell was a correct one. Over the next day, while the lab was scrambling to figure out how to move forward, you watched the beta group of the rats. You saw when the infected rats started to act strange; how they began to almost hunt the control group, cornering them one by one within the labyrinth of their tank. You noted how they started becoming aggressive towards them, teaming up if need be to get the unvaccinated ones to bend to their wills. And finally, your eyes widened with fear when they began to attack, sharp teeth aiming for the skulls of the unsuspecting rodents.

You were breathing heavy, your pulse an audible metronome as you continued to watch, body frozen at the brutal scene. You thought about pressing the ‘kill switch’ which would immediately gas the tank and end the experiment swiftly, but you couldn’t will your hand. The consequences of not seeing this through to the end paralyzed your movements, the scientist within rationalizing the importance of finishing what you started.

Which then gave you time to see the previously deceased rats start to twitch, their small bodies jerking before staggering on unsteady feet, coming back to life.

It was like watching a puzzle form in slow motion, the pieces sliding into place as you realized what you had actually created. What those rats were doing, what their goal was. The brain. They were going for the brain. Not a cure for aging, not a fountain of youth - but instead, a zombie virus. One that had been stolen.

Okay, maybe the start of the zombie apocalypse was partially your fault.

Seokjin was so tired of walking.

His feet had been aching for what felt like days, his knees barely lifting to put one foot in front of the other. It was like he’d been dredging through a thick swamp despite the cityscape laid before him, and all he could think about was sitting down for an hour or five and kicking them up for a proper relaxation.

Which was a bit strange, considering he was undead.

Should he even be able to feel discomfort? He pondered it for a bit, before the thought drifted. Maybe Namjoon would know. This whole thing was still so new to them - to the world - that maybe it was asking for too much. Bang PD’s crazy ass certainly hadn’t known anything about the “immortality vaccine” he had paid to have stolen, blindly thrusting it upon Seokjin and the others after a board meeting a few days ago.

All the CEO had cared about was the optics, the idea of idols that could ‘live forever’. The marketing campaign he could run, the merch that would be dropped. Promising fans that they could enjoy their favorites for generations to come. “We would be writing history,” he had promised the group, seemingly skirting around any questions involving the validity of this vaccine.

Forever young.

Which made sense after it was already too late, when the entirety of the boy band formerly known as Bangtan were now flesh hungry zombies.

They only learned the truth once they had devoured Bang PDs brain - his memories and thoughts rushing through their synapses, satiating their hunger. It wasn’t like they had wanted to eat their boss - truly, they didn’t - but some of the others had already turned, attacking him and the few remaining humans in the room before anyone could understand what was happening. Seokjin felt like he was in a fog, the phrase ‘no harm no foul’ barely registering before he was reaching for what was left inside of the man’s skull, shoving it into his mouth before promptly passing more to his brothers.

It was only once their bellies were full that the haze over their thoughts started to lift, a sudden clarity coming into focus. One second, all they could think about was eating, flesh, hungry, more - and then there was a flash of light, a pounding behind their eyes. Thoughts started to flow as if they had stepped into Bang PD’s shoes, seeing the world from his eyes. It was then that Seokjin realized what had happened, remembered who he was, and a quick scan of his bandmate’s faces told him he wasn’t the only one.

Their eyes were all wide, showing off the almost glowing red vessels that had taken over the once pristine white, snaking around the irises as if in pursuit. In his peripherals, Seokjin saw the other zombies coming to, realizing what they’d done before racing out of the room, leaving just his brothers and the corpses of those too far gone.

After the initial shock wore off, it was then they tried to share what they knew - their speech still limited, but better than before. Namjoon was the one who had put it all together; that the serum was not what they thought it was, what their bodies now craved, how they could continue to gain more of their humanity back.

Ironically, by eating more brains.

They’ve been wandering in a mindless state since, unsure of where to go. It had only been a few hours, hadn’t it? Time seemed to move differently now, a concept that slid through Seokjin’s fingertips. The world was in between the stages of grief, locked in somewhere in the middle of shock and denial. As they staggered from the disarray of the HYBE entertainment building, the coexistence of some people screaming and running with the others milling about like it was a normal workday had made Seokjin feel queasy.

Despite the lack of direction, they knew it was best to keep their heads down and keep moving. It had been Taehyung who pointed out the glaring news reports blaring from every screen, warning others of the rapidly spreading virus, how to protect themselves from the undead assailants. Regardless of the public announcements, it had been an unspoken agreement that they wouldn’t kill to live, instead searching for those who were already incapacitated to feed from. The brain of their former boss seemed to have satiated them for the time being, so instead they focused on finding shelter - wherever that may be.

“So, where are we going?” Yoongi drawled, voice rough with misuse. Despite the tone falling a bit flat in his new undead state, Seokjin could feel the scorn coming from the shorter man.

“Somewhere safe,” a voice up ahead grunted. Namjoon turned slightly to eye them all. “Somewhere quiet.”

A heavy silence befell the group as they continued their shuffling, trying their best not to stand out. How ironic; they had spent most of their lives ensuring that they would always be known by the world, and now they were trying to slink into the unknown of the same streets they had come from.

It had taken hours to put distance between them and the entertainment building, with only a few breaks to hide when there were too many people around. It was draining to be on such high alert, Seokjin’s shoulders dropping their tension when the group reached a series of back streets. They were trailing down a dark alley somewhere in the heart of Seoul, and Seokjin started to notice the familiarity of the buildings around them. Why did it look so familiar? Had he been here before?

He racked his brain, trying to remember anything from before. It felt like he was trudging through quicksand within his mind, each memory slightly out of reach before he was swept away, sinking deeper.

Shuffling up towards Namjoon, Seokjin bumped his shoulder, groaning a semblance of his name to get his attention. Dropping his voice low, he raised a brow. “Where?”

Luckily, Namjoon seemed to understand what he was asking, eyeing the others before turning back towards the eldest. “Not sure, not yet anyway.”

Seokjin could feel the unease in his brother's voice, but he recognized the steely look in his reddened eyes. He was determined; willing to stop at nothing to make sure that they were safe and taken care of, even in this new and terrifying reality.

He nodded in acknowledgement, gaze scanning their surroundings. Seokjin knew he recognized the signs they were walking underneath, the words passing through his brain before taking flight yet again. Jaw tightening in frustration, he took a shaky breath to steady himself, stubbornness burning in his veins. He knew this area, that much was clear. It could be the key to getting them all to a safe haven, so it was important to remember. He needed to remember.

Lost in thought, Seokjin didn’t notice that Namjoon had stopped, body fixed with a singular hand raised. They all stilled, barely breathing when they finally realized what had unsettled their leader - a few male voices, up ahead and to the right.

It was disturbing how easily he could smell them, how his ears seemingly perked up at the sound of fresh blood pumping through their veins. Seokjin briefly wondered if the others could all sense the life force of the strangers, if they could also practically taste the bottom shelf whiskey that was coating their breath.

Disgust roiled in his stomach - not only for his new found senses, but also for the lack of taste in the strange men. Bottom shelf whiskey? In the apocalypse? The least they could do was spring for a mid shelf, though he’d recommend the Glenlivet on the rocks, like his brother served at his restaurant-

The restaurant. That’s what was tickling at the back of his brain, what this alley was reminding him of. His brother’s steakhouse was in this district, just right around the corner if his memory was to be trusted.

Which, it wasn’t. But what did he have to lose?

Leaning towards Namjoon, he whispered his realization, quiet enough that the drunken men were still none the wiser of their presence. “My brothers restaurant,” he hissed, inclining his head. “Few blocks that way. It’ll be safe.”

Namjoon curled his lip into a small smile. “Good,” he murmured, turning back to the others to share the plan. They all nod their agreement before slinking down the alley past the men, pausing before turning onto the sidewalk. They will have to walk near the main road in order to cross to the right side of the street, but it should be a quick escape as long as they keep moving. Seokjin can practically feel his feet vibrate in the promise of relief.

Before they can continue, Jungkook reached out, grabbing at the elder’s shoulder. “Hyung,” he murmured through gravel, his voice practically unrecognizable. “I think… I’m hungry, again.”

He blinked at Seokjin, his doe eyes still wide and innocent, despite the current hell. His other hand clutched at his stomach, as if he could hold the need into place if only he pressed hard enough.

It’s the fear that is evident in the way Jungkook knitted his brow together, how he gasped to breathe through the craving that spurred Seokjin to speak. “It’s okay, we’ll find something.” He paused to glance around, eyes drawn to a cacophony of yells and chaos a few buildings down. Swallowing thickly, he grasped the younger man's shoulder assuredly. “We’ll find someone, over there.”

Seokjin’s reassuring words soothed Jungkook, the latter grinning widely in silent approval. Another game of zombie telephone has the others in agreement of the planned pit stop, and Seokjin squares his shoulders back as best he can as they continued forward.

As the world continues to fall apart around them, Seokjin finds himself surprisingly unbothered by anything other than keeping him and his brothers alive - well, undead, technically - and wondered about the last time he had felt this free.

It’s Jimin who spots the young man slumped up against the side of the coffee shop, eyes closed in permanent rest. From his scent it was clear that he was recently deceased, the deep crack in the side of his skull lightly trickling blood and confirming the likely cause of death.

Hoseok was serving as look out, eyes scanning around them but only finding more bodies in worse shape than the one in front of them. “All clear,” he grunts, turning back towards the group.

Jungkook is hovering, clearly hesitant despite the obvious hunger raging in his gaze.

“He looks young,” he mumbles, eyeing the others. It was a strange sensation, to have his brain fighting so hard against the new instincts that have taken root within his new body. He can tell that the others are having similar thoughts, everyone completely silent as they contemplate over the person that will be their next meal.

“Handsome, too,” Jimin adds, licking his lips.

Scoffing, Seokjin rolls his eyes, nudging Jungkook out of the way to crouch in front of the dead man. “I look better, and I’m undead.”

A chorus of groans echo behind him, and he grins before reaching for the body. Their victim had been sharply dressed; a pinstripe button up was expertly tucked into form fitting black slacks, shiny walnut oxfords still tightly laced on each foot. Seokjin appraised him with interest, deciding he must have been someone pretty important or well off to be dressed in this manner, especially during a zombie outbreak. Curiosity has him reaching for the man’s pockets, sliding his wallet snugly into his own dark trousers before reaching for the corpse’s head.

“Now’s time to look away if you need,” he throws over his shoulder, eyes now focused on the task at hand. It was surprisingly easy for Seokjin to tap into his more feral side, his vision pulsing as he made quick work to extract the brain of the poor soul in front of them. It was completely intact, untouched by whatever had ravaged the humans in this vicinity, and he admired it with interest before holding it out in offering to his brothers.

For a breath, no one moves, instead all staring at the pink organ cradled in Seokjin’s palms like it was holy, a thing of reverence. In some ways, it was - it was the thing that kept their undead hearts beating, the only sustenance they’ll require from this point forward.

Finally, Namjoon outstretched his arm, reaching for a fistful. “Everyone should take some,” he orders, swallowing thickly. “We can save the rest for later.”

Without hesitation, five more hands join the others, each grabbing a piece before tossing it back without ceremony. Seokjin waits for the others before plucking out some for himself, chewing thoughtfully as he pondered what the best way to transport a human brain would be in an apocalyptic setting.

A few feet from their latest meal a hard plastic cooler rested on it’s side, the contents long torn from it and leaving it empty - and a perfect vessel. Dropping the remaining goods inside, he makes quick work of securing the lid before handing it over to Yoongi, who takes it without question.

Before he could turn to address the group, a sharp pain throbbed in his skull, Seokjin cursing as he clutched at his temple. A bright light was suddenly burning behind his eyes, and he squeezed them shut in an useless defense against the images that flashed before him, disjointed and foreign. He’s felt this before, right after he ate a chunk of Bang PD, and the realization dawns as he forces himself to stop struggling against the movie in his mind.

His memories.

Forcing himself to focus, he tries to make sense of what he’s seeing - a blink of an apartment, well designed and clean; a brush of shoulders as he makes way into a glass enclosed room, white adorning all the walls and tables and the coats of those around him. Hands that were not his own, but felt like they could be reaching for vials, placing them in machines Seokjin had never seen before; diligently taking notes on a state of the art computer.

There was so much - a whole life, all in a breath, in a single bite - but there was one thing that showed up repeatedly, constantly, making Seokjin’s undead heart race and threaten to burst within his chest.

A woman, achingly beautiful, her smile contagious but not in the way that causes monstrosities like him - but in that peaceful way that feels like coming home. If the memories being shown were a movie of this man's life, then she was the main star; snapshots of her flipping through his vision so quickly he could barely catch his breath. She was everywhere - in the sterile white of the glass room, handing him things with a gentle smirk on her painted lips. Smoothing her dress while waiting for him at a bar, eyes lighting when she catches him staring. Hair messy and eyes drooping with exhaustion, draped haphazardly over a worn out couch arm.

She was everywhere, and it burned Seokjin from the inside out as the memories took root; spiraling and ensnaring the depths of his mind before sinking to his chest, smoldering embers just waiting for a gust of air to become a raging inferno once more.

“Hyung?” a voice called, fuzzy and distant at first as the ringing in Seokjin’s ears slowly dissipated.

Coming to, he found the others staring at him, pupils blown as they regarded him carefully. Taehyung reaches for his arm then, repeating his previous words. “Hyung, what did you see?”

It took Seokjin a beat to comprehend what he was being asked, and he scanned the dark eyes of the younger man. “How did you know I saw something?”

“We all did,” Jungkook replies, Taehyung nodding in assurance. Another slow blink had the words settling, and clarity came to him swiftly.

They all ate the same brain, which means they all had the same memories imposed into their heads, just like before. They saw everything that Seokjin had seen, which means that they-

“Did you see the woman too?” Jungkook whispers in awe, his face softening. “I’ve never seen anything like her.”

The others all murmur their confirmation, talking over each other with their new found vocabulary as they reminisce over the memories that now felt as real as their own. Excitement bubbled within the group, their expressions becoming more animated and light as they spoke - the first sparks of something more than dread on their faces since this ordeal began. Seokjin swallowed thickly around the lump forming at the base of his throat, his heart galloping painfully.

What does this mean? Were these images now securely his own, or just remnants of a previous life of a poor trodden man? Why did it feel like things had suddenly changed? And worst of all, why does the fact that his brothers experienced the same thoughts and feelings as he did cause a tiny seed of jealousy to bury itself dangerously low in his gut?

He wanted to tell them to settle down and let him speak, wanted to usher them into the safety net of the nearby restaurant as previously planned so that they could sit down and figure out their next steps, but instead, Seokjin said the only words that felt right in that moment.

“We need to find her.”

304 notes · View notes

angryschnauzer · 3 years

Text

Blackwater Lake - Chapter 1

Summary: There’s a little town high in the mountains where everyone has a secret, and every family has something that makes them unique. In Blackwater Lake those that are outcast by nature come together.

Characters: Werewolf!Captain Syverson, Werewolf!Female Reader, Vampire!Walter Marshall.

Warnings (for this chapter, all small mentions but warning just in case): Breastfeeding, Accidental Cutting Injury/Blood loss, blood transfusions. This chapter contains no sex scenes or scenes of a sexual nature.

A continuation of previous Werewolf!Sy stories Moonlight on the Sand and Castle Under The Stars. This will be a series of stand alone stories/2 parters, which will revolve around the residents of the town, with some recurring characters.

I do not run a tag list, but please follow @angryschnauzerwrites and put that blog onto notifications. You’ll then get an alert every time i post something new.

Blackwater Lake - Chapter 1

The late spring day brought pleasant scents and mouth watering flavours, Blackwater Lake’s town May day parade in full flow as you held two month old Luna in her carrier to your chest, turning to smile at your husband Sy as he balanced Mikey on his shoulders so your son could watch the floats whilst they slowly cruised past. You knew he would be most excited about the Fire Department bringing their trucks past. At the first whoop of the siren Mikey squealed with joy, the ice cream cone in his hand tipping slightly and setting a blob of blue bubblegum flavour gelato into Sy’s cheek;

“Hey, no wriggles! Its raining ice cream down here”

Pausing the consumption of your own cone you handed it to Sy as you reached into your bag and found a baby wipe, moving to wipe his cheek before stretching to wipe your son’s face. Finding a trash can to toss the wipe into, you smiled as you watched your two boys as they waved to the Fire Trucks, the crew making sure to honk their horns when they saw Sy.

Everyone in town loved Sy. You’d moved there together when you’d found out you were pregnant with Mikey, your army days behind you and wanting to seek somewhere quiet where you could live in the woods to allow for full moon runs whilst being close enough to civilisation to raise a family. The aging receptionist at the realtor had pulled you aside the second you’d arrived in their office when you’d visited the town, recognising one of her own as her nostrils had flared and she’d explained that there were ‘all sorts’ in the town. That was your first meeting with Edith, and you’d gone on to move in just up the mountain from her. Once Sy had finished in the Army and baby number two was on the way, he’d started working alongside retired detective Walter at his construction company where they specialised in commercial buildings. They were always on call for when businesses had emergencies, so had come to the aid of half the town after storms and accidents.

As the parade dragged on Luna woke, grumbling for a change and a feed. The two boys were transfixed with the parade and you’d lost your ice cream cone to Sy who was now mindlessly munching away on it. Tugging on his sleeve you caught his attention;

“Luna’s woken up, i’m gonna take her into Sue’s Coffee Shop to change her and give her a feed”

“Sure thing Darlin, we’ll come find you in a bit”

The coffee shop was quiet, its doors opened onto the sidewalk and as the radio played soft rock music, just one or two tables taken outside but the inside empty. Sue - the owner - smiled at you as you walked in;

“Hey Sue!”

“Hey there! What can I get'cha?”

“Can i get a decaf iced latte? I just need to change Luna if that’s ok?”

“Of course, no need to ask, the restroom is empty”

A couple of minutes later your little girl had a clean butt but was still grizzling, now hungry for your milk. Sue had set your drink onto a table in the corner, a soft window seat she knew you liked to sit at to feed. Settling in you pulled your cami top down and unhooked the strap of your nursing bra, helping Luna to latch on as she cried before a blissful quiet descended over you as she happily suckled on your breast. In the quiet of the coffee shop you reached for your drink and sipped on it, smiling down at your beautiful daughter as she gazed up at you;

“Hey there my little Luna, better now? Is that the good stuff? Yeah? Well that’s what your Daddy says it is…” you said with a whisper and a smirk.

“Hey”

The sudden greeting made you jump, looking up to see Walter standing near your table;

“Oh, Hi Walter”

“Sorry…” he glanced away, averting his eyes from where you were feeding; “I just asked if you wanted anything?”

“Oh no, i’m fine, i’ve got a coffee… but you’re welcome to join me if you like? Sy and Mikey will be along once the Parade’s over”

Nodding once the quiet man went to order before returning with what looked like a quad espresso but faltering when it came to taking a seat;

“Where did you want me to sit?”

“Oh anywhere you like” you shifted Luna as she had finished on one breast, hooking that side up before shifting and moving her to the other breast. You’d mastered the art of switching breasts without revealing anything, the baby's head blocking any view of a nipple, and you were a vehement supporter of breast feeding - in fact any feeding - and had been known to get into loud shouting matches with anyone that told you to cover up something that was completely natural.

“I mean, i don’t want Sy to think i’m here oggling his wife’s tits”

Laughing, you kicked out a soft chair with your foot;

“This is fairly low, take this one and here…” you moved the upright menu on the table in front of Luna’s head, knowing that she would now be shielded from view and with your breast, and saving Walter’s embarrassment.

Just as Walter sat down Sue brough over his sandwich, the scent of it hitting your nostrils and making your stomach audibly growl;

“Oh wow, what is that?”

“A steak wrap with chimichurri sauce” he lifted one half and offered it to you, but you shook your head.

“Thanks, but that’s just a little too rare for me… looks like a good veterinarian could bring it back to life”

Walter laughed as you called out to Sue, ordering one of the same.

“You want yours still mooing too?”

“Medium, please” you laughed as she nodded and walked away.

As she cooked your meal you turned back to Walter. You’d had a few conversations with him over the 11 months he and Sy had worked together, but knew very little about him apart from his reputation of being quiet and surly, generally sleep deprived and a little pale most of the time. He’d been medically retired from the Police Department after an accident where he’d lost a lot of blood and had never fully recovered.

As Luna happily fed and Walter devoured his sandwich you sipped on your drink, watching with curiosity as the man ate in silence, savouring each bloody bite. When he finally crumpled the napkin onto the plate and sat back he caught you watching him;

“What? Do i have something on my face?”

“No” you laughed softly; “Just watching how quickly you devoured that sandwich. Rachel not feeding you at home?”

Walter’s face dropped;

“She left”

“Oh fuck. I’m sorry Walter, i wouldn’t have said anything if i’d known”

“S’ok. She got fed up with the way i lived my life, but i can’t change who i am”

“True”

Just then Sy and Mikey came running into the coffee shop;

“Hi Darlin! Hi Sue! Hi Walt… be right back, Jnr has a bathroom emergency!”

The two Syverson boys disappeared into the restroom, and you could clearly hear Sy’s voice;

“Point! POINT IT AT THE TOILET! That’s it, stand on your tippy toes… there we go! Got here in time!”

You suppressed a laugh, Walter raising his eyebrows;

“Potty training?”

“Uh-huh… it's been a challenging few weeks to say the least, but Mikey wanted to give it a go”

The sound of the dryer could be heard as Sy and Mikey reappeared, Sy giving you double thumbs up from behind his son who ran to you;

“A perfect aim Darlin, no leaks. Think this deserves a cookie!”

As Mikey squealed with joy you groaned;

“Sy… not more sugar! He’ll be up all night. Mikey, honey, how about some fries?”

“And Eggies?” Mikey asked

“Sure thing honey, get Daddy to ask Sue”

As the afternoon wore on and the boys chatted, you listened as Sy and Walter discussed work stuff, Luna sleeping peacefully in your arms as you ate with Mikey. Finally glancing at your watch you motioned to Sy the time;

“Hun, i’ve gotta go collect our meat order from Walkers Meats”

“Oh yeah, sure. Here…” He opened his wallet and peeled off a bunch of $20’s as he turned to Walter; “She makes the best Steak Tartare… it's unbelievable”

“You make that?” Walter asked

Angling Luna into her carrier sling you adjusted the straps and nodded;

“Sure do! Hey, did you want to join us for dinner?”

“Yeah, join us!” Sy parroted; “And before you say anything, you wouldn’t be intruding”

With a weak smile Walter nodded;

“Sure, that’ll be nice. I gotta go to the lumber yard before though… pick out the stuff for next week's job”

You noticed that Mikey had finished his meal and was looking sleepy, holding your hand out to him he slid off the chair and stood next to you;

“How about I take the kids home, Sy you catch a ride with Walter?”

With everyone happy with the arrangements you made your way along main street to where Sy had parked his enormous truck, helping Mikey into his seat before unlatching Luna and settling her into her carrier. They were both fast asleep by the time you got to the drivers seat.

You managed to park directly outside the door to Walkers Meats, and Freya the weekend girl helpfully brought everything out to you when you called inside that the kids were asleep in the car and you didn’t want to leave them.

Dinner had been fun. The two kids were peacefully sleeping as the three adults chatted after the meal, before you finally stood to load the dishwasher and start hand washing the items that couldn’t go in there. Just as you were about to start you heard a cry from the kids, Sy standing;

“It’s Mikey, i’ll go”

As you started to handwash the various knives and delicate glasses, Walter stood at your side to dry items, the two of you talking casually before you let out a cry and pulled your hand from the soapy bowl of water. The dark crimson of your blood flowed from your finger, the knife you’d forgotten you’d put in the sink the cause;

“Fuck… hand me a towel…” you asked Walter, but were surprised when he sucked in a sharp intake of breath and turned, hunching over. Clutching your hand to your chest, you were surprised by his reaction, before he suddenly turned and you let out a shriek.

Sy appeared at the doorway in a panic before rushing to you, wrapping a napkin around your hand before he finally turned to look at Walter;

“What the fuck…”

Walter was pale, paler than usual, but that wasn’t what shocked the pair of you. No, it was the fact his eyes were pure white except for dark pools for his pupils, and as he opened his mouth to speak you saw his fangs;

“It’s… it’s the blood…” he gasped out; “It drives me…”

Sy wrapped his arm around your shoulders, but looked at his friend as he slumped onto the floor, shaking and sobbing;

“Think we need a chat Walt”

The three of you sat around the kitchen table, a hefty glass of scotch in front of each of you as Walter spoke;

“So umm yeah… this is why i left the Department. Went into a supposedly abandoned building, but it wasn’t empty. Two what we thought were junkies in there, looked like they were frail and would snap in a keen wind, but they had this strength and speed… They overpowered me, latched onto my neck. Drained my blood, and when the last drop was about to pass their lips one of my officers finally found me and shot them. They bled into me. The EMT’s took me to New Mercy and gave me a massive blood transfusion, and treated me for severe anemia… well guess what, the fangs and fucked up eyes were a surprise a few weeks after i was discharged”

You sat wide eyed and mouth agape, not touching your drink;

“I have so many questions...”

“Okay”

“Garlic. Crosses. Being invited in. Sunlight…”

Walter chuckled;

“Most a load of complete bollocks. Garlic? Well you put some in your steak tartare didn’t you? In fact it helps with the anemia. Crosses? No issue. Being invited in, again that’s just rubbish. Sunlight however… why do you think i’m so pale, huh? Have to wear factor 50 all the damn time otherwise i end up looking like a Maine Lobster at a cookout”

Both you and Sy were transfixed, Walter chatting away but his eyes hadn’t returned to normal and his fangs occasionally caught on his lip as he spoke.

“What ‘bout blood then?” Sy asked

Walter cleared his throat;

“Well, i’ve been making do with cows blood since Rachel left”

“You used to suck her blood?” you asked in a high pitched voice

Again Walter cleared his throat, this time just the faintest hint of a blush crept over his cheeks above his beard;

“Err yeah, about once a month… but she had enough in the end and left”

“I got another question” Sy interjected; “Why are your fangs still out?”

Although he answered Sy, Walter looked directly at you;

“Because she’s bleeding”

You looked down at your hand, puzzled as the wound had now sealed, before it hit you;

“Oh… I should go and sort that out”

Sy caught up quickly, glancing at the back of your dress;

“You’re fine Darlin, Walt caught it in time”

When you returned to the kitchen the two men had knocked back their drinks, Sy pouring another hefty glass for the pair of them. Pouring your drink into Sy’s you smiled at him;

“Luna won’t appreciate it”

Making yourself a herb tea you sat down next to Sy, leaning on his shoulder as you sipped your tea. Walter cleared this throat;

“You two have taken this a lot better than i envisioned anyone would… better than Rachel did…”

You looked up at Sy and smiled, his own grin crossing over his face before he nodded and you both turned to Walter as Sy spoke;

“Oh… we have a bit of understanding of this kinda thing”

With the full moon starting tomorrow night you knew that you could both force your eyes to turn orange, the bright ring of fire in your irises flaming like a pyre, shocking Walter so much he slipped back on his chair and fell to the floor. Greeted by both of you giggling, he pulled himself back up using the table as he righted his chair, knocking back the rest of his glass;

“What… the… FUCK?”

#blackwater lake #henry cavill #captain syverson #walter marshall #werewolf!sy #Vampire!Walter

226 notes · View notes