#there’s so many pretty survivors and people don’t play em | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

greatpestilenz · 9 months

Text

Alluring - Ekko x Reader Smut

As you sit on the floor next to Caitlyn, Ekko's intense gaze fixates on you, piercing into your very soul, while you try to avoid meeting his eyes. The words spoken by your blue-haired friend fall on deaf ears, as he rises from his seated position by the door and crouches down to unshackle your hands from the bar behind you. Stepping back, he carefully maintains a distance between you two. The scent of your perfume overwhelms him, causing his heart to skip a beat, which he conceals behind a frosty glare.

"I'm putting my trust in you, but don't make me regret it. Vi vouches for you, claiming you're one of the good ones. Let's hope she's right."

"There's no such thing as 'one of the good ones.' It's just people trying to survive," You assert, meeting his glare with determination. "I understand you don't trust me because I come from up there, and I don't expect you to," You add firmly. "Your name is?"

Ekko raises an eyebrow at your defiance, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. He crosses his arms, the leather of his gloves creaking softly. "Is that so? You think you're just another survivor, huh?"

He takes a step closer, letting the tension thicken in the air between you. "Well, I've seen plenty of survivors in the undercity. But not many like you." His eyes roam over your figure, taking in every detail, before locking onto yours again. "There's something... different about you. Something... enticing."

"The name's Ekko," He replies, his voice laced with confidence. "And you are?"

"Pft. You're weird. Name’s Mc." You say and brush past him, looking around and taking in the sights around you.

Ekko chuckles, following closely behind you as you explore the hideout. "Weird, huh? Well, I've been called worse," he replies, his playful tone dancing in the air. As you glance around, you notice the flickering candles, the makeshift furniture, and the worn-out posters adorning the walls. "This place may not be much, but we've managed to make it our own." He leans against a nearby table, his white hair falling lazily over his forehead "So, what do you think? Not too shabby, right?"

"I'll leave you to it," Vi declares as she departs with Caitlyn, casting a playful smirk in Ekko's direction.

"Mm... pretty good," you comment, nodding approvingly. "Certainly nothing like what I've seen in Piltover."

Ekko nods, his eyes following Vi as she leaves with a mischievous smirk. "Well, she's always got some tricks up her sleeves," he comments with a playful smirk of his own. He then turns his attention back to you, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. "And yeah, I figured this place would be a far cry from the polished streets of Piltover. But hey, sometimes a bit of grit and chaos can be refreshing, right?" He walks closer to you, his voice lowering to a husky whisper. "Besides, there are some things you can only find down here in the undercity."

"I can tell." You say without sparing him a glance. "What else you got here in the undercity?"

Ekko smirks, enjoying your curiosity. "Oh, plenty of things," he replies, leaning against a nearby wall. "There's the Black Market, where you can find just about anything you can't get your hands on legally. Need some rare chemical components? They've got 'em. Looking for some experimental tech? They've got that too." He pauses, as if considering something. "And then there's the Underground Fight Club. Raw, brutal, and definitely not for the faint-hearted. But if you're looking for a rush, that's the place to be." His voice drops slightly, his eyes glinting with excitement. "Of course, I can always give you a personal tour if you're interested."

"I'd love a tour. It's my first time setting foot in the undercity," You admit, finally mustering the courage to meet his gaze, causing his heart to skip a beat.

Ekko's eyes widen slightly as you finally turn to face him, a twinkle of surprise in his gaze. He quickly recovers, his cocky smile returning as he meets your gaze. "Well, consider yourself lucky to have me as your guide," he says, his voice filled with playful confidence. "I'll show you all the hidden spots, the best places to eat, and maybe even a few secrets that only the true residents of the undercity know about." He takes a step closer, his hand lightly brushing against yours. "But beware, once you experience the undercity, it's hard to resist its allure."

"Secrets that only the true residents of the undercity know about?" You quip with a playful huff. "I thought you didn't trust me," You add with a smirk, teasingly reminding him of your earlier encounter.

Ekko chuckles, his smirk widening. "Oh, I still don't fully trust you," he admits, his voice laced with playful suspicion. "But that doesn't mean I can't have a bit of fun with you, does it?" He takes a step closer, his eyes locked onto yours. "Besides, there's something about you that's... intriguing. Maybe I'm willing to take a risk this time." His hand trails up your arm, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake. "So, are you ready to explore the secrets of the undercity?"

You clear your throat, trying to conceal your blush. "You're a funny one, Ekko," you say, emphasizing his name playfully. "So, about that tour?

Ekko chuckles, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, don't worry," he says, his voice husky. "I'm definitely not all talk. The tour starts now." Taking your hand in his, he leads you through the winding streets of the undercity, guiding you through the hidden alleyways and lesser-known paths. You can feel the excitement building in your chest as the atmosphere of the undercity envelopes you.

As you walk, Ekko points out various landmarks, sharing stories and legends about each one. He leads you to a hidden rooftop with a breathtaking view of the glowing lights of Piltover above, a stark contrast to the darkness of the undercity below. "This," he says, his voice softening, "is my favourite spot. The perfect place to escape and forget about the world above."

His hand slips around your waist, pulling you close against him. The electricity between you is palpable as the cool night air brushes against your skin. Ekko's lips graze your ear as he whispers, "But the best view isn't up there, it's right in front of me." With that, he leans in, capturing your lips in a heated, passionate kiss, his body pressing against yours in an intoxicating embrace.

"Mm-" You immediately snake your arms around Ekko's neck and kiss back, shutting your eyes tightly.

Ekko's arms tighten around you, his kiss deepening as he responds eagerly to your embrace. His tongue gently brushes against your lips, seeking entrance as the kiss grows more heated. The taste of him is a heady mix of sweet and spice, igniting a fire within you. The sound of your lips meeting fills the air, mingling with the soft symphony of the city below.

His hands roam over your body, exploring every curve and contour, sending shivers of desire coursing through your veins. The touch of his warm, calloused hands against your skin sets you ablaze, heightening your senses with each caress.

As the kiss lingers, the intensity between you only grows, the heat of the moment enveloping both of you. The world around you fades away, leaving only the electric connection between your bodies. Lost in the moment, you allow yourself to be consumed by the fire of desire, trusting in Ekko to guide you through the depths of pleasure and ecstasy.

"Ekko," you pant between breaths as he pulls away, needing to catch your breath. "Oh my god, you're insane," you exclaim with a grin. "Do you pull stunts like this with everyone you meet?" You ask, half in awe and half teasingly curious about his daring nature.

Ekko's chest rises and falls rapidly as he catches his breath, a satisfied grin playing on his lips. He looks into your eyes, his gaze intense and filled with a mixture of desire and amusement. "No, not everyone," he replies, his voice husky and filled with a hint of mischief. "Only with those who manage to catch my attention." He leans in, his lips brushing against yours in a teasing manner. "And let me tell you, Mc, you've definitely got my attention."

His hand caresses your cheek, his touch gentle yet possessive. "But don't get me wrong," he continues, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "I may be passionate and spontaneous, but I also know how to listen and understand. I want to get to know you on a deeper level, beyond just physical attraction." His gaze softens, and he brushes a strand of hair behind your ear. "If you'll let me, that is."

"So, you've done this with plenty of people?" you remark with a smirk, raising an eyebrow playfully to continue the banter with Ekko.

Ekko chuckles, his smirk matching yours. "Well, I won't deny that I've had my fair share of encounters," he admits playfully. "I've always believed in living life to the fullest, embracing passion and pleasure whenever the opportunity arises." He leans in, his voice dropping to a low, seductive tone. "But here's the thing, Mc. None of those encounters have ever felt quite like this. There's something about you, an irresistible allure that draws me in." His fingers trail lightly along your jawline. "So, yes, I've had my adventures, but with you, it feels different. Special. And I want to explore that."

"Really now?" You say, locking eyes with him and sporting a mischievous smirk. "Adventurous, huh?" Without hesitation, you lean in, capturing his lips in another passionate kiss, embracing the thrill of the moment.

Ekko's eyes widen in surprise, but he quickly recovers, a delighted grin spreading across his face. He eagerly meets your lips, his own kiss filled with hunger and desire. His hands slide down your body, pulling you closer against him, as if wanting to merge your bodies into one.

The kiss is filled with a raw intensity, fuelled by the electric chemistry between you. Lips and tongues dance together in a lustful rhythm, exploring and tasting each other with a hunger that grows with each passing second. The world around you fades away as the heat between you intensifies, leaving only the intoxicating embrace of the moment.

The sensation of his touch, the taste of his lips, and the press of his body against yours send waves of pleasure coursing through your veins. Every kiss, every caress, ignites a fire within you that threatens to consume your very being. In this passionate exchange, the boundaries between pleasure and desire blur, leaving only a craving for more.

"Fuck.. Ekko..." You moan out from his touch as you pull away from the kiss.

A deep, guttural growl escapes Ekko's throat as he hears your moan, his eyes darkening with desire. He looks at you with a hungry gaze, his hands still lingering on your body, craving for more. "Mmm, did I make you moan already?" he teases, his voice dripping with a mix of amusement and desire. "Baby, we're just getting started."

He leans in again, his lips hovering just inches away from your ear. "I want to touch every inch of you," he whispers, his breath hot against your skin. "I want to taste you, make you scream my name." His words are filled with a primal hunger as he trails kisses along your neck, leaving a trail of fiery sensations in their wake.

Ekko's hands roam boldly over your body, his touch becoming more urgent and demanding. He revels in the softness and curves of your skin, exploring every intimate corner with fervour. The passion between you intensifies, the air thick with desire and longing, as you surrender to the intoxicating tension that courses through both of you.

In this hidden corner of the undercity, you give in to the intoxicating dance of pleasure and desire, indulging in each other's bodies and losing yourselves in a realm of blissful sensations.

"I can't help myself when you're so irresistible," you whisper softly. "Consider this my permission," you smirk, giving in to the moment as you kiss him once more, succumbing to the allure of the intense connection between you.

Ekko's eyes darken with a mix of desire and satisfaction as he hears your words. He reciprocates the kiss with equal intensity, his lips melding with yours in a fervent dance of passion and longing. His hands roam freely over your body, exploring every curve and contour, as if memorizing every inch.

He breaks the kiss, his breath hot against your skin as he gazes into your eyes with a mix of reverence and hunger. "Thank you," he whispers, his voice filled with genuine appreciation. "I promise to make this an experience you won't forget."

With that, Ekko leads you to a secluded corner of the hideout, where a soft blanket lays waiting. He gently guides you down onto it, his movements filled with a tender yet unrelenting passion. The weight of his body presses against yours, and the heat of his touch ignites a fire within you.

As your bodies intertwine, he explores every inch of you, his hands tracing patterns of pleasure along your skin. His kisses trail passionately down your neck and collarbone, leaving a trail of electric sensations in their wake. With each touch, each caress, he sends waves of ecstasy crashing over you, taking you to new heights of pleasure.

In this intimate connection, time seems to stand still as you bask in the sensuality and vulnerability of the moment. The room is filled with the sound of whispers, moans, and the rhythmic symphony of your bodies moving together. The flickering candlelight casts shadows across your entwined figures, adding an air of mystique to the passionate encounter.

Driven by an unbridled desire to please you, Ekko guides you to the zenith of pleasure, unleashing a symphony of shared ecstasy that resonates deep within your soul. And as you succumb to the overwhelming waves of pleasure that wash over you, you can't help but feel a deep and profound connection with Ekko, knowing that this is just the beginning of a journey filled with unspoken desires and unforgettable moments.

As your hands explore Ekko's body, feeling the smooth contours of his stomach and the defined muscles beneath his skin, a low groan escapes his lips. He arches his back, allowing you better access, revelling in the sensation of your touch.

With a playful smirk, you help him remove his shirt and muffler, exposing his bare chest to the flickering candlelight. His skin is warm and toned, adorned with intricate tattoos that tell the story of his life in Zaun. The scars on his body speak of battles fought and survived, adding an air of rugged masculinity to his appearance.

Ekko watches you with hungry eyes, his anticipation evident in the way his breath quickens. He reaches out to touch you, his fingers lightly tracing along the contours of your own exposed skin, mirroring the desire and intensity that courses through both of you.

The room is filled with the scent of anticipation and the soft touch of skin against skin. The flickering candlelight highlights the passion that swirls within the air, intensifying the connection between you.

Without words, your bodies move in perfect synchronization, driven by desire and a hunger for one another. The dance of exploration and pleasure continues, as you dive deeper into the depths of intimate ecstasy.

As Ekko removes your shirt, exposing your bare chest, he wastes no time in lavishing attention on your breasts. His lips descend upon the supple skin, leaving trails of hot kisses and delicate nips along your curves. He explores every inch, taking each nipple into his mouth to suckle and tease, alternating between gentle licks and fervent sucking.

His hands caress your sides, tracing patterns of desire, his touch both tender and possessive. He revels in the softness and warmth of your skin, his fingers gliding sensually over your curves, igniting a fire within you.

The sensations send electrifying waves of pleasure coursing through your body, intensifying the connection between you. Your back arches instinctively, seeking more of his touch, giving him unrestricted access to your most sensitive areas.

Ekko's lips and tongue continue their sensual assault, exploring every contour and crevice, his mouth creating a symphony of pleasure upon your breasts. The combination of his skillful touch and the flickering lights of Piltover above creates an intoxicating atmosphere of sensuality and desire.

Driven by a primal hunger, Ekko seeks to please you. His every action is filled with an intense focus, as if he exists only to elicit pleasure from your body. The blend of his passion and expertise brings you to the edge of ecstasy, leaving you longing for more as the flames of desire continue to burn between you.

With a swift movement, Ekko pins your hands above your head, holding them with one hand as his other hand fervently pulls your shorts down. The atmosphere crackles with raw desire as the anticipation builds, leaving you breathless and eager for what's to come.

His touch is both commanding and gentle as his fingers trail along your exposed skin, sending shivers of excitement down your spine. With each caress, he stokes the flames of your desire, heightening the intensity of the moment. The feeling of being restrained fuels the sense of vulnerability and surrender, as you yield to his control.

As your shorts are discarded, leaving you bare and exposed, Ekko's gaze darkens with a mix of hunger and admiration. He takes a moment to soak in the sight of you, revelling in your naked form, before his lips find yours once again, claiming you in a searing kiss.

His body presses against yours, his heat and strength a physical manifestation of his desire. He explores the contours of your body, tracing the curves with his fingertips, leaving a trail of electrifying sensations in their wake. His touch ignites a fire within you, awakening a primal need that demands to be satisfied.

The air is thick with anticipation as Ekko continues to kiss and caress you, his movements becoming more urgent and intense. Time seems to slow down as the world fades away, leaving only the two of you entwined in this moment of passionate surrender.

With a hungry urgency, Ekko breaks the kiss for a moment, his gaze filled with lust and desire as he swiftly removes his own pants. His body, muscular and defined, is now completely exposed to the flickering lights, revealing his own vulnerability and need.

As he returns to capture your lips once more, his hands roam freely over your body, exploring every inch with a fervent touch. The warmth of his skin against yours sends waves of pleasure cascading through your body as the intensity between you heightens.

His erection brushes against your thigh, a tantalizing reminder of the mutual desire that envelopes both of you. Moans and soft gasps fill the air as the anticipation builds, each touch and caress deepening the connection between your bodies.

With your hands still restrained above your head, Ekko presses his body against yours, aligning himself with your heated core. His lips leave a trail of fiery kisses along your neck and collarbone, his hot breath intermingling with your own ragged breaths.

Driven by an insatiable hunger, he enters you slowly, guiding himself into your wetness with a deliberate, measured thrust. The sensation of him filling you completely sends waves of pleasure crashing over you, overwhelming all senses and shattering any remaining restraint.

Ekko's movements become a rhythmic dance of passion, as he sets a steady pace, his thrusts growing more intense with each passing moment. The room fills with the symphony of your shared pleasure, the soft moans and breathless whispers echoing in harmony.

In this intimate union, time seems to lose its meaning as you surrender to the intoxicating embrace of pleasure. The intimate friction, the raw power of his thrusts, and the exchange of heat and desire between you create a symphony of sensations that radiate through your body.

"Ekko-!" You moan out loud, feeling your climax nearing.

Ekko's movements quicken, matching the rising tide of pleasure that cascades through your body. He captures your lips in a passionate kiss, deepening the connection between you as you both chase the elusive peak of ecstasy.

He groans against your mouth, his own desire driving him to the edge as well. His thrusts become more urgent, more desperate, as he skillfuly navigates your body, each movement bringing you closer to the brink of release.

The air is thick with the sounds of skin slapping against skin, of shared moans and heavy breathing, as the symphony of pleasure reaches its crescendo. Sensation builds within you, a coiling tension that threatens to unravel at any moment.

Then, with a powerful surge of pleasure, your climax crashes over you like a tidal wave. The world dissolves into a blur of pure sensation as your body convulses in ecstasy, every nerve ending overwhelmed by the intense pleasure that courses through you.

Ekko continues to move within you, prolonging your pleasure, until he too succumbs to the depths of his own release. His body tenses, his movements falter for a fraction of a second, before he finds his own release, his breathless moans mingling with yours in a cacophony of shared bliss.

In the aftermath, your bodies remain intertwined, the intensity of the moment slowly ebbing away, leaving behind a sense of profound satisfaction and connection. The rooftop is filled with a hushed calm, the fading candlelight casting a comforting glow upon your entangled forms, as you bask in the afterglow of your shared passion.

Breathing heavily as you come down from the intense moment, a grin forms on your lips. "So, how about those secrets that only the true residents of the undercity know?"

#fanfic #fanfic writing #smut #ekko #x reader #ekko x reader #arcane #league of legends #i dont know what im doing with my life

239 notes · View notes

alynnl · 1 year

Text

Live A Live Remake: Thoughts

It’s been roughly three weeks since I played through all of the Live A Live remake for the Switch. It was a fun little game, just way shorter than what I’m used to. I’m going to give my thoughts on all the different eras, as well as the final area. Spoilers ahead, as I will be talking about all chapters and endgame! I will be talking about every era in terms of gameplay and story.

Prehistory: Out of all of them, this one plays the most like a standard fantasy RPG. You fight monsters to get healing items and materials to forge better weapons. You have a party with their strengths and weaknesses, and of course a final boss showdown at the end of the chapter.

Story-wise it’s also pretty typical of RPGs. Boy meets girl, girl has problems, boy tries helping girl and also gets into problems, girl gets captured, boy saves her, boy and his friends fight big monster, and they live happily ever after. The twist to prehistory is that all of this is told without words and dialogue, so the story is instead told by emotes and gestures. I thought that was a great creative decision, and it makes me believe that this is a time before words as we know them. Pogo as a character is kind of endearing, but not gonna lie, he’s also thirsty if ya know what I mean.

Imperial China: Gameplay wise, this one also has more of a JRPG flavor. You have your main character, you have three others who can join your party at first, and then you have encounters that you can avoid, and items to gather. It also plays on the “duel” mechanic some RPGs have, where there are one-on-one fights against opponents.

This one plays on a lot of kung fu movie tropes from what I can see. You have the wise mentor and then the promising disciples, and the whole idea of what it means to be a martial artist. There are people who use their kung fu for good reasons and bad, it all depends on the heart of the person. The plot twist of only one disciple surviving an attack from a rival dojo (really, a gang if you think about it) was handled really well, and it’s interesting that the player has a choice and the survivor is not scripted for later replays. The Earthen Heart Shifu himself is not portrayed as perfect and he makes mistakes, but overall he is a man who just wants his style of martial arts to live on.

The Twilight of Edo Japan: The gameplay mechanics in this one are very interesting. It’s a mix between RPG combat and stealth, and you really have the option to pick your battles, so to say. Then there’s a counter showing how many lives you’ve taken in battle, and even when you’re forced into a fight, there’s the option to run away. One can do a “kill ‘em all” run, a pacifist run, or a neutral run.

Story-wise we’re given all the trappings of any Japanese fantasy. There’s clans fighting one another, ninjas, and samurai. (Although it’s pretty cool that the playable samurai in this one also has a gun, which is accurate for the time period!) It’s a story about shaping Japan’s future. Whether it’s a new dawn or storm clouds are on the horizon is up to you. Either way, Oboromaru takes his role as a shinobi seriously and he’s determined to see his mission through.

The Wild West: I wanted to like this chapter. I wanted to love this chapter. But gameplay wise it was very difficult for a first-time player. Because right after you see the cutscenes and you're introduced to the characters and the town, you have a timed mission. That’s right, a timed mission to set traps before the boss and his cronies come, and if you don’t set enough traps correctly, you will have a monster of a boss fight on your hands. I will be up front and say I used a guide because sometimes, that’s how you have to get things done.

Story-wise I did like this chapter though. That’s what it’s got going for it, despite the difficulty curve. Sundown doesn’t know any of the people in the town of Success, but he’s still willing to stop there and lend a hand and help them deal with a band of outlaws that have been terrorizing them. There’s some back and forth between him and his rival, Mad Dog that I really enjoy, and there’s a choice you can make in the ending (to flee the last duel and spare Mad Dog) that makes it just worth it to replay at least one more time.

Present Day: Gameplay wise, Present day is like a fighting game. Think Street Fighter, or Tekken but with the twist that you get to learn your opponents’ techniques if they use them on you. I like how you get unlimited tries to do this, so that you can learn every skill your rivals have to offer (I know I wanted to get them all.) The boss at the end is challenging enough to make it interesting, but if you picked up all the skills, he’s not unbeatable.

Story-wise, it’s fairly simple. Masaru wants to be the strongest warrior, so he challenges masters of various martial arts to learn from them and use their techniques. It’s implied that he’s always going to be fighting for this title of The Strongest, as he faces another challenger immediately after the boss. I think I get what the story was going for. Being the best is a constant struggle, and sooner or later, someone else is going to rise to the top.

The Near Future: This one reminded me a bit of modern day Golden Sun! You have different elemental powers that you use in battle, and you’re also able to read others’ minds and find out different flavor text from them. There’s also a hint of Magitek gameplay when you get control of the Steel Titan later on. All around solid, easy to pick up gameplay that sometimes makes you feel really powerful.

Plot-wise, I really enjoyed this story. But that’s only because I love mecha in general and it fills me with a lot of nostalgia. At first Akira isn’t sure what to do with his life and he’s sort of an outcast for the whole “reading minds” deal, but then he’s able to prove himself a hero when he finally takes control of the Steel Titan and goes to smack a corrupted God back into oblivion. Imagine conspiring to bring back a mad god, only to have a mouthy mind-reading punk pound it with mecha. Amazing.

The Distant Future: Gameplay wise it’s a lot of dialogue, looking for clues, and later, running. Essentially it plays like a futuristic survival horror. There’s a conspiracy and it’s up to you to find clues to uncover it, all while being chased by a monster that will meet you with instant death if it touches you. You have no weapons, just places to hide.

Story wise I swear it felt like Space Odyssey: 2001 the video game. You have a crew who go in and out of cryo-sleep, you have inventors and you have an AI gone rogue. There is discord among the crew and a sort of whodunit plot, and it all culminates in a confrontation with the computer OD-10, that decides it was going to murder people because they weren’t working in perfect harmony. Cube has to fight for their life, and the lives of the two remaining survivors: their creator Kato and the soldier Darthe (who despised Cube at first but opens up to them later.) Ultimately Cube’s story values the robot’s kindness over any physical strength or violence.

The Medieval Era: Gameplay wise you couldn’t get more standard of an RPG at first. You’re in a fantasy medieval setting, with your main character Oersted being a knight who goes on a quest to rescue the princess Alethea from a demon lord that was defeated by a great hero in the past. There is the “epic quest” aspect of the gameplay, traveling the world, finding party members and fighting random encounters. Even after the plot happens and the party members dwindle, the swords and sorcery gameplay remains.

Story wise, I got spoiled. But I was still in awe to actually see it on screen. What I expected was a happy Dragon Quest like fantasy, where the hero saved the princess with the help of his friends and everyone lived happily ever after. What I got instead was a Shakespearean tragedy. In the course of the story, everyone important to Oersted either betrays him or dies, sometimes both at the same time. All of the loss, hatred and pain leads Oersted, once champion of his realm into becoming the Lord of Dark himself, lashing out against everyone who wronged him with newfound dark power. It is heartbreaking to see his attempts to do the right thing at every turn just backfire against him, making it almost understandable that he is driven to villainy (although hermit life could’ve also been an option and I’ll stand by that as an AU possibility.)

The Final Chapter: Plot-wise and gameplay wise, it feels very open world. The protagonists from the different eras are brought together in the Dominion of Hate, which is just Oersted’s former kingdom brought to ruin. Technically the only place you have to go is the dark mountain to face off against Odio (who’s completely taken over Oersted by now.) But the different areas of the ruined kingdom and all the different trials your seven protagonists can take on really put me in mind of Ocarina of time and the Sages’ temples. Every trial you take on gives you an ultimate weapon for that character, which is crucial to the ending. And whoever you choose to lead the finale will personally confront Oersted after you do the true final boss battle. There are so many different ways the final chapter could go, and each one is worth exploring.

#Live a Live #spoilers #thoughts #Lynn Plays Video Games #Lynn rambles about video games #Live A Live gets a solid 8/10 from me #good music #interesting story #but some mechanics are hard to pick up if you're new #I still recommend it #I think about Oersted's story the normal amount #And Sundown's story too

5 notes · View notes

stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 3 years

Text

Top 5 Brotps

Ahh... to be a pair of bros trying to survive the dreadful world of the apocalypse together...to have a bro who watches your back so that walkers don’t get the drop on you, and to have a bro who is willing to actually listen to you when things are extra rough and you need support.... to probably watch your bro die a super shitty death because it’s twdg and you have no control over the situation...

Good times.

So yeah, I wanna talk about some of my favorite brotps across this series. We tend to put more focus on romantic duos rather than friendships, so why not shine a spotlight on some platonic love, y’know?

Also wanna note that I’m more talking canon brotps... as in I’m using what the actual games gave us rather than going off of headcanon... if that makes sense. So like, as much as I could like to put something like brotp Clementine and Mitch on the list since they’re one of my favorites to write, there isn’t enough in the actual text to justify putting them in a top 5. Understand? Cool? Cool.

5. AJ and Tenn

I have such a soft spot for these two... which is super unfortunate since Tenn always ends up dead whenever I replay TFS because I refuse to have a dead or tongueless Louis by the end..... but that doesn’t mean I don’t love the friendship between these two before tragedy strikes.

If you’re brave enough to not trust AJ, therefore sacrificing Louis or Violet, Tenn survives to the end of the season where he and AJ have a really nice heart to heart. If you haven’t at least watched how the scene plays out, I recommend it.

I love the idea of AJ having someone closer to his age that he can have as a buddy, and I love the idea of Tenn learning how to be a better survivor from AJ. They can teach each other how to be better, y’know?

Plus, it’s cute to hear AJ say that he likes Tenn the most, that he’s his first real friend. Somethin’ real wholesome about that.

...Which again, adds to the tragedy of trusting AJ. Sigh.

4. Javi and Tripp

I know I’ve said in the past that I wish these two could’ve had an actual romance, but y’know, we gotta accept that it’s never gonna happen in canon.... sigh.

However, it’d be a sin to overlook the bromance these two have.

Sure, they got off to a rocky start after Clementine kinda murdered that dude, but that doesn’t stop them from developing a friendship over the course of the season.

One of my favorite moments between the two is when Tripp confides in Javi about his feelings for Eleanor, and in turn, Javi can explain what’s going on with him and Kate. While I disagree with the love interests actually being talked about, it’s still a quiet, real moment between them. Tripp isn’t afraid to be a bit of a poet when talking about his feelings, and Javi is supportive of that. Two bros who listen to each other? Love that.

Also there’s something so damn tragic about Javi wanting to save his bro when Joan decides to be a proper antagonist and does the ol’ switcheroo on him.

All in all, love this bro dynamic and will be forever salty that Tripp has two unpreventable deaths.

3. Lee and Doug

I won’t talk too much about this one because I already covered it in my Top 5 Reasons Doug's Pretty Great, but I gotta put them on the list. So, to summarize:

Lee and Doug are the real bros of S1. Y’all thought it was Lee and Kenny? Nah man. When you’re friendship is so fragile that it could totally break with one single disagreement, then I can’t say it’s all that great. And yeah, you could argue that Doug is only Lee’s bro is you save him, and that’s true because otherwise, he’s super dead.

But after saving him, if you disagree with Doug on anything, he doesn’t immediately get all “Ya saved me ONE time, Lee! What have ya done fer me lately?? >:(” In fact, I’d argue that even if things went down differently, Doug would still be a good bro to Lee.

So Doug wins the bro award.

The two of them care about each other, from Lee worrying about Doug’s mental health, to Doug going out of his way to save Lee’s life at the dairy, to them having genuine feeling conversations.

Again, want more details then go read the previous T5F. Just know that they’re best bros and I’ll die on this hill.

2. Michonne and Pete

The Michonne mini-series gets a bad rap and that’s not okay. If you're one of many who skip this one when going through the series then shame because you’re missing out on one of the best pair of bros in this series-- Michonne and Pete.

Listen, Michonne and Pete are great. They’re a couple of bros who have each others backs at all times, Pete cares so deeply about Michonne’s mental health and making she she has what she needs, Michonne feeling comfortable enough with Pete in confide in him about her daughters and the visions she has of them, and they’re more than willing to fight and sacrifice themselves for the other if necessary.

Sure, they disagree on things, but their friendship isn’t built on “you have to agree with me” so they can actually work things out and be better for it.

I just love them, okay? Pete wants her to feel like part of the crew and give her a safe space, and Michonne wants to help him in anyway she can, I just.... no one talks about them and it’s not okay.

Go play Michonne, even if just for these two. They’re worth it.

1. Clementine and AJ

Surprise.... but not really.

C’mon, I think we all know that Clementine and AJ are the ultimate bros. Do I even need to explain? Probably not, but I will anyway.

Clementine has know AJ since he was born, she has cared for him and did everything she could to get him back-- good and bad things. She could’ve said, “A baby? Fuck that.” but she didn’t, she took little baby AJ and protected and raised him. And we already know that AJ would do whatever he had to in order to protect Clementine back.

True, the relationship isn’t perfect and miscommunication is, uh... a thing sometimes, but together they grow and become better. Even AJ makes terrible mistakes [y’know... like murder] she promises to help him atone... unless you’re one of the ones who tells him he’s justified which like no judgement or anything but..... y’know. Maybe a little side eye.

Anyway, more than that, they play off each other well and feel like two people who have know each other for years, they feel like a pair of siblings trying to survive in this shitty world and find a home together.

And can’t forget to mention the cave scene. Not the one with James, but the one where AJ gets upset and the two of them talk some shit out. Don’t get me wrong, I love the James cave scene for how wild it is, but there’s something about the cave scene where it’s just Clementine and AJ, and the choice to trust him or not.

Oh, and the barn scene? I mean.... c’mon.

Over all, as far as platonic relationships and brotps go, Clementine and AJ are my favorite. Could write an essay on them and why their dynamic is one of the best parts of TFS but that’s not what we’re here to do.

Clementine and AJ.... bros for life.

---

Honorable Mentions

- AJ and Louis.... bros even after everything that went down with Marlon and Tenn. -Clementine and Rosie. Rosie is best girl. -Lee and Omid. Two history nerds who should’ve have more bro-time. -Kenny and his mustache. -Lee and Ben. Yeah, I stand by it. I won’t shut up until someone gives me my Lee and Ben buddy cop dramedy. -Mitch and Willy until the dumb thing happened. -Clementine and Lee would count, too, but only really the second half of s1. -Nick and Luke but only for two episodes. -Louis and Violet’s friendship routes are pretty good, too.

---

What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree with my picks? What are some of your favorite brotps? Lemme know!

Have any suggestions for future T5F’s? Feel free to send ‘em in! :D

—

Next week’s T5F Top 5 Best Executed Deaths

#twdg t5f #twdg clementine #twdg aj #twdg louis #twdg violet #twdg mitch #twdg willy #twdg lee #twdg kenny #twdg doug #twdg javi #twdg tripp #twdg eleanor #twdg kate #twdg tenn #twdg michonne #twdg pete

30 notes · View notes

forever--darling · 4 years

Text

the frat boy’s boxers - s.m.

college frat au: part five

warnings: 12.9k words of cursing, flirting hockey players, and being a stealth ninja

College was no joke. It was impending, heavy, and made you question everything about your worth. Stressed and unsure of every decision, balancing your time seemed impossible. You had figured that out quickly as your four other classes started and within two weeks the homework started to pile up. The lectures were long and your notes were messy and barely legible. You had no extra time to redo them and it drove you mad. It was all starting to get to your head and you hadn’t even been accepted as a sister yet or moved forward on the black op. mission. If you were already falling apart now, how were you supposed to survive midterms or finals? It might kill you, you were convinced.

From studying to talking strategies with Maggie about Becca’s next planned moves and being an ear for Emily to talk for hours about Geoff, you were easily fried. Maggie wouldn’t tolerate any of Emily’s boyfriend talk, which meant you had to, as your roommate seems too consumed in other things. All having to do with Becca Bradley. You hadn’t heard from her in two weeks. Those fourteen days gave Maggie time to prepare as much as she could, listing any possibilities or conjuring ideas of what to do to Becca once you all got in. She was so sure of the fact that she got used to ditching her usual leather ensemble for sweaters and ripped jeans, but she swore as soon as this was all over she was dying her hair again and putting her lip piercing back in.

On another note, Emily seemed consumed in her newfound fling with the hockey player. After their first date to a drive-in movie, your friend had easily become smitten. Though you all had been warned about the wandering ways of a Washington hockey player, Deja and Kiara agreed that if she were to be involved with any of them, Geoff was the best option. This was deemed true as he seemed to fall just as fast as she did and they had quickly become the news across campus. “Hockey player Geoff Warburton has a thing for freshman sorority pledge” was the gossip. He hadn’t officially asked her out but it was safe to say he would be soon with how much time they had spent together in the last few weeks. In other words, Geoff Warburton was basically a taken man.

The others continued with their fuck boyish ways waving off any idea of a monogamous relationship. As the season was a mere week and a half away, their focus was shifting slightly away from their typical bullshit. They were focused more on early workouts and captain practices. You hadn’t even thought about Shawn or seen him in weeks. Only slight glimpses across campus and the looming meeting of the two of you was still up and coming. As for the other jock, you hadn’t spoken since the scavenger hunt.

Henry seemed uninterested in you at this point and it was like the two of you were stuck in a silent fight, though there was nothing neither of you should be mad about. So he was a part of the hockey team. It wasn’t like he was entitled to tell you or needed to mention that he also was in the douchiest fraternity on campus. You weren’t even that mad about it. It was more about how he seemed to be angry at you for wanting to rush to become a member of ADPi. Was the idea of you being in a sorority that bad? You weren’t sure but you couldn’t waste time thinking about that or his lingering stares during the one class you shared.

As for Becca herself, after the scavenger hunt, initiation had become stone silent. Becca had not sprung on any of you about the next step of rushing and it left you unsettled and waiting for it every second of every day. Until now…. That impending call had come. Finally, the next stage of rushing was going to commence and you were just as nervous as the first. Make any sudden movements and you might be kicked out, killing all of your chances of becoming a sister of ADPi which meant kissing those pretty plans of yours goodbye.

This morning, you had woken up to find a pretty pink envelope slipped under your door inviting you, Emily, Maggie, and the rest of the pledges to a brunch styled meeting. Set in between two of your classes, your mind was a jumbled mess from the moment you left your dorm all the way to the end of your Psychology class that was well forgotten as you couldn’t pay attention.

It was set in the middle of campus at the courtyard near the cherry blossom trees and you had never felt so out of place, more so than the pledges dinner and the scavenger hunt. As always the few sorority sisters present were pressed and perfect without a single hair out of place and like a set of copy cats most of the pledges appeared the same. Which as you scanned the few tables was only six, including you. Your teammates from the scavenger hunt all sat among the few chairs, with combed hair and neat makeup, plates filled with food. Deja and Kiara huddled close together and waved once they saw you appear. Hana was basically in her own little world as she stared at her freshly turquoise painted nails.

Maggie and Emily sat at another table nearby, whispering with their heads bowed low, still oblivious that you finally were there. The sisters themselves stood off to the side of the two tables in a small huddle, all surrounding Becca, the ruler of all evil, herself. You couldn’t help but glance down at your leggings and a three-quarter zip-up hoodie as you saw the Chanel purse in her hand and her blush ruffled skirt. Even Maggie was dressed in a pair of nice jeans and a silk tank top. You sighed, running your fingers through your hair and adjusting any loose pieces before you sneaked over and slipped into the third chair by your friends.

Quickly their conversation died as they noticed you and offered smiles but both disappeared as they noticed what you were wearing. “What’s going on?”

“Dude, what are you wearing?” Maggie gasped, completely ignoring your question, “You couldn’t have changed?”

“I didn’t have time.”

Emily patted your arm softly as over your shoulder she found the huddle of sorority gremlins starting to disperse, “I’m sure it’s fine just act natural. You’ll blend right in.”

“Em, there are six of us, they are bound to notice,” Maggie mumbled just as Becca stepped forward, her eyes trained on the six of you, the final pledges.

“Wait,” you spoke softly, “What do you mean there are only six of us? Where are the rest of the pledges?”

“No idea, but my guess is we are about to find out,” Maggie replied through gritted teeth ending all further comments to form around the table.

You were chewing on your lip at this point, fear making itself comfortable in your stomach. Even as you tucked yourself under the table as far as you could, it didn’t hide you away from their stares. The hawk-like eyes of the power-hungry and malicious girls that you never had to deal with in high school but instead had the pleasure of meeting now. Who knew after high school, girls couldn’t get a pair and grow up. Turns out college was a lot more like high school than you could ever expect, just a much bigger playing field.

Becca clapped her hands together gaining not only the attention of the six of you, the pledges, but anyone close enough to eavesdrop. You nervously gulped too as her gaze scanned over the remaining survivors and did a double-take when they found you. She smirked slightly before clearing her throat which only made the tension so much thicker and unbearable.

“Ladies,” she spoke, putting on that overly fake tone, she only used when she wanted to impress, “It’s so nice to see all of you again. It was longer than I expected our time apart to be but there are reasons for it.”

Pausing, briefly, she snapped her fingers and like a path formed, out from the back of the group, Amanda appeared. Her hair was just as red and bright as it had been weeks ago. She handed a bottle of water over to Becca and silence washed over the courtyard as she unscrewed the cap and went to take a sip. No one else spoke and she didn’t continue until the lid was put back on the bottle and she had handed it back to Amanda.

“I wanted to congratulate you all on being the final six pledges and making it to the last step of rushing. There was one more thing we had for you to do after the scavenger hunt but since the other six pledges were disqualified we didn’t think it would be necessary for you to have to do it.”

Deja suddenly raised her hand, like a student to a teacher, and it was a surprise that anyone would dare interrupt Becca, “If you don’t mind me asking why were the other girls disqualified?”

You noticed at the simple question, Becca’s jaw lock as she took in a deep breath and answered, “They cheated their way through the scavenger hunt. Someone from outside of rushing was following you all around and repeating your answers through a walkie-talkie to the other team. I do not tolerate people who take shortcuts to win.”

The answer alone made your fear and worry disappear for a second. And within that second it gave you a chance to bask in all the glory that was Lindsey getting exactly what was coming to her. You weren’t even in the sorority yet but already Emily’s side of the plan was almost complete. She beat out her roommate and now she was only one step away from locking the deal and making Lindsey go clinically insane. There was a chance. A very slim chance that this all could work out in the end. You had doubts, many doubts but it was already headed in the right direction.

“As for the rest of you, your final challenge is here. Individually over the course of this week, randomly and at any point or time each of you will be given one task. They will all be different and something you must complete on your own. If you decide to pussy out and refuse to do it, then clearly you just aren’t Alpha Delta Pi material. But if you do do it, then you will have successfully made it through initiation.”

Chloe, Becca’s most trusted sidekick who stood proudly attached to her hip, leaned forward a playful look on her face, “From there we will move you into the house and you can start getting comfortable with how things work and the tasks we as a sorority are in charge of.”

The other girls stood silently behind Becca and Chloe, probably too having gone through such a lengthy and crazy process. You wondered if rushing was like this every year for the pledges or if they came up with new ways to torture the initiates so it was always different. Suddenly though the question seemed irrelevant as your questioning was replaced with hoping above all things that you wouldn’t be the first pledge to be given a task. You didn’t know if you could handle that especially when you had no ideas of what they could ask. They could make you do anything and it would be less nerve-wracking to have another girl or two go before you.

“Okay, so I think that’s everything,” Becca announced, pulling her purse higher up on her shoulder, “I will be seeing all of you at one point this week.”

“Good luck,” Chloe added.

“Yeah, they’ll need it,” you heard another sorority sister whisper towards Chloe or tried as it came out far louder than a whisper.

You sighed loudly, hand wiping at the sudden sweat across your forehead as one by one in a line behind Becca they began to leave, not even daring to sit down and eat some of the food. They were all laughing as they left too and you were beginning to think that this was all a scam. That maybe they weren’t trying to find new members at all but a group of freshman girls to force into doing stupid stuff to only make fun of them. It was an idea but it wouldn’t be proven true until you did such a stupid thing and find out if you were accepted into the sorority or not.

Your thoughts and silent worrying quickly came to an abrupt stop as a buzz from a phone on the table filled your ears. Eyes locked onto it, you watched as Emily picked it up with a soft smile on her face not the slightest bit affected by the sisters or Becca. But as fast as the smile appeared it was gone. Her brows furrowed and her lip found a place in between her teeth as she thought deeply. Both you and Maggie had picked up on this and shared a look before your attention solely was put on Emily.

“Em, what is it?” you asked.

“It’s me,” she responded, it coming out like a mumble but enough to get the three other girls at the next table to lean closer in anticipation, “I have the first task.”

“Woah, they work fast,” Maggie commented as she leaned over to read the text message over the blonde’s shoulder.

“What do you have to do?”

She took in a deep breath before releasing it slowly, “I have to set up a car wash on the edge of campus by myself in only a bikini.”

Maggie chuckled but covered it quickly with a cough, “Well, I can already tell that Geoff is not going to be very happy about that.”

“How’s she doing?”

“Oh, Emily, she’s fine. Geoff on the other hand not doing so well,” your roommate said as she took the extra cup of coffee you handed to her.

It was two o’clock in the afternoon and Emily had started the car wash at eleven. She couldn’t be done until four. For five hours, she was supposed to be giving out free car washes while dressed in a hot pink triangle bikini. You remembered earlier this morning the look on the girl’s face after the brunch as she was given the ensemble. She had been on the brink of having a small panic attack, but now as you looked at her across the street it seemed she didn’t even acknowledge it anymore. After three hours of wearing it, she didn’t even notice it or the creepy stares she got from the random old dad’s that stopped as they saw the sign.

As soon as it was eleven, Maggie had claimed a picnic table at the edge of campus, close enough that you could see the show from across the street. For the past couple of hours, people have been filtering in and out, between their classes, checking in to see how she was doing. In the morning it had been Maggie and Kiara. Then Deja and Hana stopped while you were stuck in your back to back classes. Now you finally had been able to stop, only to find Geoff and Marcus there as well. Maggie had mentioned that among all the chaos, Becca had stopped earlier.

She was with a few of the other girls and at the sight alone she couldn’t stop laughing. It took her minutes to calm down before she subtly raised a single eyebrow and gave a nod of approval. The action alone led Maggie to believe that Emily was in and had passed her individual test. Which meant one down, two to go. You weren’t going to lie, you gave Emily credit. You didn’t know if you would have been able to do that which only worried you. If you were scared about the first task, there was a chance they were only going to get worse from here and your’s, the one Becca decides to bestow on you, could be ten times worse than doing a car wash by yourself half-naked. There was that greater chance and it left you completely terrified.

Geoff sat on top of the picnic table, hands folded over his face like he couldn’t even watch. Though he and Em weren’t official official, you had noticed in the last few weeks how he felt just by looking at her. He seemed so much different than most of the other hockey players, even his best friend who stood on the other side of him.

“Geoff, will you take a fucking breath she is fine,” Maggie snorted as she took a long sip from her iced drink.

He shook his head as he sent the smallest glare, like a child who was being scolded, over at Maggie, “I can’t, knowing that some of those guys have already gone through the line twice.”

You laughed underneath your breath, it mixing within the sound of Marcus’s. You were only talking to the pair of frat guys because of one sole purpose, Emily. Since she and Geoff got together, the friend groups were mixing more since they hated to be apart for too long. Which was another thing Maggie was not used to… sharing Emily. She had become slightly overprotective of both her and you. After hearing everything from both Deja and Kiara, she wasn’t ready to trust all of Geoff’s intentions which only led to them bickering like siblings.

“Well, do you blame them? Look at her,” Marcus slapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder, ready to push his buttons further, “She do be lookin’ fine.”

Geoff’s glare shifted away from Maggie towards Marcus, except this time it deepened. Then all at once, he raised his fist and punched the other boy hard into the shoulder. Marcus flinched grabbing at the sore arm as a loud groan escaped from his lips, “Oww. What the fuck?”

“Don’t talk about her like that… EVER. You got it?”

Marcus backed down, his smile wiped clean from his face, “Okay, okay. I was just kidding anyway. Blame Becca man, not me, and if you’re going to act like this why don’t you just ask her out already?”

“Yeah, Geoff,” you perked up, sending your own smile over at the guy your friend was crushing on, “Why don’t you ask her out already?”

He shrugged, suddenly becoming a fumbling blushing teenager, “We’re taking things slow. We’re just trying to get to know each other first.”

“Taking things slow, mhmm okay. I didn’t know we were back in middle school! What, are you going to ask her dad’s permission first too before you take her out on another date?” Marcus mumbled underneath his breath, causing a giggle to slip from your mouth

Across the street, Emily was spraying down a soapy Honda civic with a hose, while soaked from head to toe. Her hair was slicked back into a ponytail and though she was no doubt uncomfortable, she smiled at the customer, who was a man, definitely in his early fifties, like she was having a good time.

“I think it’s fine that you guys want to take it slow,” Maggie announced getting a surprised look from Geoff, “But let’s make one thing clear. If you do anything to hurt her, I will fucking kill you.”

“I would never hurt her. Why would you think that?”

“Oh, no reason at all,” she mumbled, not bothering to meet his eye.

“No, what? Because that’s another thing, why do you always make comments like that? Like I’m bad news or something?”

At his question alone, both you and Maggie shared a look, long enough that the two other boys saw it and understood that you two had a mutual understanding. Clearing your throat, you leaned against the picnic table in between your roommate and Geoff, your gaze moving back to the car wash. Marcus and Geoff shared a look of their own before zoning in on you and you alone.

“What was that look about?”

“None of your business, Marcus,” Maggie barked.

Geoff leaned closer towards you, “Y/N?”

You sighed, giving in, “Well... you’re in a fraternity and an athlete. You are pretty popular on campus, and we’ve heard some stuff.”

“Stuff what kind of stuff? From who?” his eyes narrowed and his mouth dropped as his tone was nothing short of offended.

Maggie raised her head high, stopping you from slipping anything else to the pair of hockey players, “We’re not allowed to reveal our resources.”

Marcus rolled his eyes, “That’s code word for my sister and her friends.”

“Pfft, is not.”

“Y/N, you are a shitty liar,” he grinned, leaning over Geoff to get closer to you.

“I am not.”

“You are though,” Geoff said, agreeing.

“I am not a shitty liar,” you replied, jaw tensing.

Marcus smirked, “Okay, whatever you say, but answer me this. Has anything that they’ve said about me ruined all chances of us going out?”

“Oh, yeah,” you replied, laughter laced into your response. It seemed with Marcus the more you talked, the more flirty he got, and you weren’t the only girl he was talking to. It was flattering but you would never go down that road especially with Marcus who you loved turning down daily.

“Point proven,” Maggie pointed over at Marcus as he was shoved off of Geoff back to the other side of the picnic table and away from you.

“What do you mean by point proven?”

“Marcus, you flirt with every girl you meet like you’ll get a prize for each one you can charm into your bed.”

“Okay true,” he admitted, his smirk stretching at his own words, “But we didn’t have to acknowledge it.”

Before Maggie could say anything else to argue because it turned out she liked to argue with both of them and not just Geoff, she bit her tongue as both of your eyes fell back to the boy with long hair. His hands were once again folded in his lap and his icy orbs were focused back on the girl across the street. There was a crinkle in between his eyebrows and his lips were curled up into a pouty look. He was such a puppy dog, you had realized.

“Are you sure she is okay? Maybe, I should go over there and make sure everything is fine,” he announced, moving to stand from the table.

Instantly, as fast as he tried to stand, your arm stretched out across his chest halting all sudden movements. Your eyes were wide as you stared at him, practically begging as Maggie turned with another threatening look forming on her sharp features. “Don’t you dare move!”

“What?” his voice shook and his eyebrows rose to his forehead.

“Becca has eyes everywhere,” Maggie hissed.

“Geoff, if you go over there someone will report back to Becca and they’ll think you tried to help her. Which will kill Emily’s chances of getting in,” you explained, softly and calmly.

Slowly, he relaxed back into his previous position and you retracted your arm that was acting as a seat belt. His shoulders dropped and he went straight back to pouting. You watched his every move carefully, in case he decided to get up and make a run for it. You were prepared to go after him and tackle him to the ground if it meant Emily got a spot in the sorority. Nothing was going to get in the way, especially a love-struck hockey player.

“Look on the bright-side there, Warburton,” Marcus said as he patted his friend on the shoulder, “She’s the first one to go out of the other pledges.”

Geoff sent a cold glare over to his friend, “How is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“It’s only going to get worse from here. You know how Becca is which means that these two are going to get it far worse than Emily did.”

At his words alone, Geoff’s glare softened and was replaced by the largest grin. He laughed and covered it poorly with a fake cough. You and Maggie’s head’s slowly turned away from your friend to Marcus, the guy who had been testing your patience all day. Your mouth fell open slightly and your brows furrowed, wanting nothing more than to punch him in that moment.

His chocolate orbs looked past everyone else once again to you and he smirked proudly, “I’m not making my chances with you any better am I?”

“No, not in the slightest,” you replied, scrunching your nose at him as your glare only deepened.

“Shit! Well, I guess there is always tomorrow. Right, sweetheart?” he winked.

You were not amused in the slightest, though some days you didn’t mind the flirting and on occasion found it funny but right now it was nothing short of annoying. He was entitled and had the biggest ego just because of his athleticism and six pack. Because god forbid, girls actually wanted better for themselves than a fuckboy fraternity brother. You were starting to think finding a boy with an actual personality and a decent bone in his body wasn’t possible. Henry was the single exception but now, you were starting to think that the exception didn’t exist.

Maggie shook her head as she huffed loudly underneath her breath, “Marcus, you are such a fucking dick.”

“Thanks,” he smacked his lips as if he were chewing gum, “Right back at ya, Mags.”

“Okay, I should not be associated with him,” Geoff announced raising both of his hands for it to be noted among everyone else, “I am not like my friends when it comes to girls.”

“Alright, you keep telling yourself that man,” Marcus, cackled only for it to fall silent at the buzzing coming from his phone in his pocket. Pulling it out, he let out a noise of approval at what he saw, “Well, look at that. Okay, we gotta go.”

Geoff’s brows furrowed and annoyance dripped from his words, “What? Why?”

“Shawn’s at the rink and he wants us to come work on some drills with him.”

“Again why?” his tone deepened with both irritation and sass, “He has been on our ass nonstop lately. Coach isn’t starting official practices until next week and the home opener is still two weeks out.”

Marcus took in a deep breath before letting it out, “Dude, chill, you know how he is. He just wants us to do well this season especially since everyone is convinced we are going to win the conference and the Frozen Four tournament again.”

“Yeah, fine, whatever,” Geoff grumbled as he peeled himself from the picnic table. He looked over at you and Maggie expectantly, a single brow raised high in the air, “You’ll keep any eye on her until she’s done?”

You nodded, “Yeah, we got her.”

“In case, you forgot, we’ve been taking care of her longer than you have, Warburton,” Maggie waved, fake sweetness sounding almost too sarcastic coming from her tongue.

He just rolled his eyes at her comment as he was used to her attitude towards him at this point, “Yeah, okay, we'll see you guys later.”

“Bye Geoff.”

Expectantly, Marcus turns towards you, his arms raised as if waiting. Sighing, you send him a soft smile, “Bye Marcus.”

“See you, sweetheart, don’t miss me too much while I’m gone.”

“Oh, I won’t,” you reassured one last time, knowing it wasn’t going to make your feelings any clearer to him. He was a verified flirt and to confirm every thought you have about him, he sent one more wink before he went jogging after his friend and teammate.

Once the two of them were finally gone leaving you and your roommate in peace, you visibly relaxed back into the picnic table, elbows leaning against the table top and a sigh left from your parted lips. Maggie’s actions mirrored yours. She shook her head, drawing your attention as she frustratingly ran her fingers through her dark black hair.

“What did Emily get herself into?” she whispered, eyes once again back on the blonde across the street who herself looked to be getting tired, “You know we were warned about the hockey players and what does she do? Decides to date one. Then she drags us into having to hang around them.”

You chuckled, now knowing Maggie better than almost anyone else as you had spent the last how many weeks together straight. You knew when she was genuinely pissed off or actually bothered. Though her words were nothing short of being annoyed and angry at Emily, her tone gave away that it was not as serious as it seemed. “To be fair, I was the one who pushed her on that date with Geoff and let’s be reminded that all of this is only happening because you wanted us to rush.”

“You’re right,” she groaned, “This whole thing is on us and we are the sole cause of having to deal with Geoff Warburton and Marcus Jackson.”

“It’s not all that bad. Geoff’s kind of nice and I mean Deja and Kiara said he is the best choice if she were to be with someone from the team.”

“Yeah, except I don’t trust him. Look, we can’t deal with Em getting hurt right now. We have to stay focused on the plan,” Maggie explained.

“Yeah, I know,” you mumbled out, looking over at Emily to find her waving off the last car in the line. As soon as it was gone, her welcoming over cheery smile was gone and her exhaustion came out for anyone close enough to see.

“Fuck!”

Your head snapped back over to Maggie as you heard her cuss loudly. She stared down at her phone clutched tightly into her palms. You peered curiously over her shoulder, “What? What is it?”

“Becca texted me, I’m next,” she said as she turned her phone for you to read the text.

“Tonight at 1, teepee the Gamma Gamma Sigma sorority house.”

It was Thursday, the weekend was looming and things were closing in on you. Every single pledge had gotten their task and went through with it. Every single one of the six pledges had gotten a text, gotten through what they were being forced to do and were accepted into the sorority with open arms, except for you. You were the last one standing, the one left waiting for her task. Waiting and worrying about the humiliation that would come with that text and whatever it would say. They only did get worse just like Marcus had said and by Wednesday when you were officially deemed the last pledge he laughed in your face.

On the first day, Emily set up a car wash in nothing but a bikini. That night, Maggie tee-peed another less popular sorority house. The next night Deja egged the least liked professor’s car. Then on Wednesday, Hana had to set up a kissing booth. Hours later that night while at a football game, Kiara had to run out on the field and moon the quarterback.

It only got worse, which meant what were you going to be made to do. It was Thursday and you were the last one. The week played in your head over and over, all of your friend’s humiliation or almost getting into trouble flying around your mind. How they felt and how they all got in and now were a part of the sorority. It was all bringing anxiety into your life, in a way you hadn’t felt in years. You were terrified and beyond scared about a one sentence text you were waiting to get from a college girl.

All of this happened to be on your mind as you sat in your Cellular and Molecular Biology class that morning. You needed above all to pay attention if you had any hope of passing the next lab but all you could think about was hockey players, roommates, and horrifying sorority sisters. You were thinking about how stressful it was which only made you more stressed the more you thought about it. It didn’t help that you got a text from Kiara in the group chat saying that there were videos and pictures of her pulling her pants down at the game floating around online. Your class no longer was of as importance as your worry trumped it easily.

Finally, as the time seemed to pass the professor dismissed the class. Jumping from your seat, you desperately weaved your way through the crowd towards the door. You were running on three hours of sleep and one cup of coffee and were sure that whatever Becca had planned you wouldn’t be ready. A jumbled mess, more texts began to flood in. Emily. Maggie. Kiara. Deja. Hana. You needed to get to your dorm room, as it had become your safe haven from the campus and the world. You would calm down as soon as you were in that room and you could unplug from this college massacre.

As another text came in from Hana complaining about how her bottom lip had gotten cut from kissing the president of the chess club, you began to pick up your pace into a fast walk. The sun was lingering through the clouds and the wind was hitting you in the face which eased the slight panic attack building in your chest. You were glancing up and down from the sidewalk to your phone as you tried to respond to the texts with your notebooks slipped between your side and elbow.

You were not paying attention as your mind was locked onto the phone screen in your hand and each terrifying sentence sent in from your friends. Each getting worse by the second. Suddenly, walking with your phone out seemed just as damaging as out of nowhere you collided straight into someone else like an intersection crash.

Notebooks went flying in the air, loose pieces of paper flew out. They floated slowly down, raining over you as your notebooks slapped against the sidewalk at your feet. Sighing, sadly, you shoved your phone into your pocket and dropped to your knees. Hands dancing for all of your stuff, you were trying desperately to catch your breath.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry,” you sputtered out as you reached for your scattered notes.

The vibrating from your phone had quickly became ignored and every text disappeared from your head-space as the sound of a bag dropping to the ground let out a loud thud, startling you. Glancing over at the black duffel bag, you felt a sudden intake of breath as the person crouched to help pick up your mess. “Don’t worry about it. It’s all good.”

Just like that, other things were thrusted in your line of sight, making your head spin and shake with all new thoughts. You were no longer worried and on the verge of having an all out panic attack. Your breath was cut short for a whole different ray of reasons and as he spoke, it felt like you would never be able to release the breath you were holding.

You were frozen, unable to move, or think as he continued to pick up your jumbled and barely legible written notes. His head was tilted down, focused on the task at hand but would spare you a glance here and there which only made your stomach lurch up into your chest. You were already a mess way before and he was not making things better in the slightest. Your head was a mess itself so trying to talk or have a conversation at this point was borderline impossible.

The hockey player was dressed in the same white hoodie that he wore weeks ago, his name and number printed on the back. That familiar red flush to his skin was nowhere to be seen like you had seen it at the rink and up close you had to agree with Kiara that he was completely gorgeous. She wasn’t wrong and after so long not wanting to admit it, you knew she was right. It was the way, his hair even when it didn’t look brushed seemed styled and didn’t have a stray of hair out of place. Or how he had a small scar on his cheek that seemed less like a flaw and more like a perfection. Or how the gold chain he wore around his neck and tucked into his shirts was now revealed to be a St. Christopher pendant.

There were so many more things you could name in your dizzy state but you were having an issue focusing on saying them as his eyes, his warm almost golden eyes flicker up at you. His long eyelashes brushed his cheeks with each time he looked back down to his hands where he continued to pick up your shit, that you had dropped upon you running into him because you weren’t paying attention where you were going… again. That single ‘S’ shaped curl fell across his forehead. Except this time, it appeared a little shorter making you wonder if he got a haircut.

You were staring and it was evident as he had picked up the last of your notebooks and met your gaze. He wasn’t even surprised to find you already looking at him and as his warm brown orbs found yours, that aching knee-weakening smile appeared on his face. The kind that will make your body tingle every single time and your brain to malfunction and turn to mush. As you saw that smile, up close, in person, and directed at you, it snapped you back into reality. This was Shawn Mendes.

He wasn’t just some cute guy on campus you stumbled across. He wasn’t a nobody. He was the guy. A somebody. His face was littered across campus on every poster and sign you saw. He was the star who scored the winning goal at the Frozen Four last year. His figure alone demanded attention. He was the frat boy at the party who had all the girls’ attention and usually took one home at the end of the night. He was known as Becca Bradley’s main hookup and forever dream man. He wasn’t just a normal guy as much as you wished he was. And above all things, he was the only man on campus you wished and dreaded to eventually meet because you knew like everyone else you would fall for him and that damn smile.

Blinking, you snapped yourself out of the impending staring contest and lingering silence. You stood up from the ground, clearing your throat and wiping the dirt from your leggings. At the sight, you internally groaned because on this certain day you wore a pair of leggings and an oversized hoodie. Your hair was tangled and falling out of the makeshift bun you made quickly this morning at the back of your head. You couldn’t bother with makeup or a mint after your coffee and knowing that the guy was in front of you, you felt very self-conscious.

Shawn grabbed a pen that had fallen out from your notebook and handed you the materials as he stood up. You visibly gulped as you noticed him now looming over you. He was tall, so much taller than you expected, now that he was in front of you.

“Thanks,” you mumbled, glancing around the two of you to see so many people staring at the interaction.

All of a sudden you became very aware of how many eyes were on you. As Shawn Mendes, captain of the hockey team, was seen talking to some girl who wasn’t either Becca or anyone remotely known around here. A freshman instead. It seemed whatever these people were doing, whether it was walking, or sitting and studying or just minding their own business became a thing of the past. They were focused on you, now. Waiting and watching to see if anything happens because god forbid they miss Shawn have a conversation with any girl on campus.

“Yeah, you okay?”

He looked you over carefully from your scattered appearance to your wandering gaze at everyone around you. The anxiety in your eyes had heightened to a whole other level and he could see it. Taking a step forward, he bent forward enough until your gaze snapped back into his direction. Once his golden orbs became what you focused on, you relaxed slightly but not enough to ignore the scratching stares on your back.

You cleared your throat, your next sentence coming out small and quiet, “Uh, yeah. I’m okay.”

He was still smiling as he bent over and picked up the duffel bag from the ground. He swung it over his shoulder, eyes never leaving you. Hugging the books to your chest, you were squeezing them so tight, your knuckles were turning white. Your head was pulsing and it suddenly felt like two worlds colliding that shouldn’t be.

“I’m Shawn, by the way,” he grinned as he scratched at the back of his neck, that pink tint returning to his cheeks suddenly, taking you by surprise, “I didn’t know if you knew that or not but uh yeah.”

For once, since the week had started a giggle had slipped from your lips and from all of the people it was because of him. It still couldn’t process in your mind that after weeks you were finally talking to him and that you were officially meeting him. It just seemed so weird because he had always been in arms length but you could never reach each other. The timing was never right and now by chance you had just ran into him. The world worked mysteriously and quietly and you weren’t entirely sure with how you felt about this action they pulled.

“I knew,” you nodded, that smile seeming to be permanently imprinted on your lips in front of him, “I’m Y/N.”

“You’re a pledge right? For ADPi? I’ve seen you around,” as soon as he began he became a stuttering mess and you were confused if this was actually the legendary hockey golden boy of campus or someone else, “Not that I’ve been actively looking for you or anything. That would just be creepy.”

You laughed again, “Right, uh yeah I am a pledge.”

“How’s that going? I mean it’s Becca so…” he trailed off, shrugging and careful of his words because if you knew who he was, he knew you were probably aware of his involvement with the president of your hopefully soon to be sorority.

“Yeah, it’s uhhh…” just as you went to answer with whatever came to your mind first, your words stopped altogether at the vibrating from your phone in your pocket. It had gone quiet for a while but now it was picking up again as the girls never knew to shut up. You sent him an apologetic smile as you reached into your pocket and took it out.

How the universe liked to pick their moments, you thought. As you stared at that screen, you realized that your bad luck and not been all dished out yet and that God was still saving some to give to you at random. It was convenient that was the only thing you could think as you stared at that text message. Your demeanor had gone back to worried and anxious and a physical mess. That smile, that soft smile you had been unable to get rid of and suddenly seemed reserved for the frat boy in front of you was gone. Your reality had been kicked straight back into your face and you wished that you could go back to sleep in a place where Shawn Mendes was nervous around you and Becca Bradley did not exist.

“Y/N?”

You couldn’t look away from the message and your throat had suddenly become very dry. Your mouth parted slightly and you were convinced the world was ending and that there was no way you could pull this off. “I uh, I’m sorry but I have to go.”

Even as you were on the verge from running away from him, he still smiled that damn large beautiful smile and it made your stomach clench all at once with one look. Suddenly, that shy college guy had turned back into, with the flick of a magic wand, what you expected him to be. He smirked that signature arrogant look and he casually slipped his hands into his pockets. “No, you go. I get it. Becca calls and you run. It’s the drill.”

Silently, you sent him a look of gratitude though you didn’t appreciate his cocky response whatsoever but you couldn’t worry about it at that moment. Just as you slipped past him though, your name once again echoed into your ears, and it was coming from his lips. “Y/N!”

You looked shyly over your shoulder, still consumed with worry and doubt to face that smirk and those gorgeous eyes. He nodded softly and in a single look that smirk dropped into the softest smile you had ever seen, “I’ll see you around.”

The only thing you could muster was your own smile as your heart had been pushed from your chest into your throat making you unable to speak. You shared one more look before you turned and continued to make your way to your destination; your dorm. Even though you could barely fathom that you had finally met Shawn Mendes it did not compare to what you were feeling now as that one sentence alone was now going through your head on repeat.

STEAL sophomore hockey captain Shawn Mendes’ boxers without getting caught…

“Y/N, just take a few deep breaths for me, okay. Everything is going to be fine. Right Mags?”

Emily looked desperately to Maggie for help as they stood in the doorway of the closet to find you sat underneath the clothing rack, your head put in between your legs. Your breathing was scattered and uneven and they weren’t sure how long you had been in there as they had found you when they walked in.

“Y/N, you’re going to be fine. This is nothing we can’t handle,” Maggie said, staring down at you intently.

You sniffled and lifted your head to face your two friends. Emily’s eyes screamed worry as Maggie waited patiently. Tears filled your waterline as finally after weeks from being away from home, everything was finally setting in and you were beyond overwhelmed. You shook your head wiping the water from your eyes before they could fall down your face.

“Nothing, we can’t handle, you’re joking right?” you laughed sadly, “How am I supposed to steal his boxers? Anyone have any ideas because I am the clumsiest and loudest person. Nothing about me screams stealth ninja. Which means, I’ll get caught and he is going to think I am some weirdo and tell all of his friends. I will then become the laughing stock of the whole school.”

“At least, we’ll all be getting laughed at together,” Maggie shrugged.

You stared at her silently, a small glare evident in your eyes. Emily glanced between the two of you before she dropped to her knees and rubbed your arm softly and comfortingly, “What she is trying to say is that none of what any of us had to do was easy. We were all forced to do these things we didn’t want to do and we all are getting made fun of because of it.”

“Yeah, in case, you forgot Emily was basically naked and cleaning strangers cars. And Kiara showed her butt to the quarterback in front of most of the school and Hana kissed all the guys from the chess team twice. We’re all embarrassed and we’re all getting laughed at,” Maggie tried again, sinking down to sit on your other side, her back leaning against the closet door, “And this is all because of Becca which means we haven’t gone this far for you to back out and ruin everything. I almost got in serious trouble for this so let’s stand up and pull ourselves together and do this because I know that you can.”

Taking in a deep breath, you closed your eyes and sniffled one more time, letting for the first time all day your anxiety slip away. When your eyes fluttered back open, you nodded with a soft smile which brought one on each of your friends’ faces. Maggie’s quickly grew into a huge grin, one where her eyes squinted and her dimples showed. You had yet to have seen one so big.

Sending you a wink, she clapped her hands together, “Okay, so now that we have that settled we need to get you ready. If you are going to be going on a black op. mission, that means you also need to dress the part.”

“Oh god, what do you have in mind?”

She didn’t respond but only wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

Hours later, at dark, the three of you found yourself making your way back over to the sorority house as Becca demanded to see you beforehand which was different from what she had done with the other five pledges. After all, you were the last one though. You were feeling better since earlier that day when you previously had gotten the text. Once Maggie and Emily had given you a pep talk, you realized that you couldn’t go into this thinking you couldn’t do it or that you weren’t going to be able to do it. You had to go into this being positive and doing everything you can to make it possible to steal those boxers.

Your confidence had come on quickly and as promised Maggie wanted you to look the part. Putting on a pair of black leggings and black long sleeve shirt, you suddenly felt like you looked the part. Your hair was pulled tightly into a sleek high ponytail and there were two smeared lines of eye black under your eyes, reminding you of the softball days. At first you protested, knowing that Becca was going to make fun of you but as you left you decided to not give a shit because all that mattered was that you proved her wrong and got through this final task of initiation.

Entering into the house, you found the girls littered out into the living room, no doubt waiting for you. Stepping in, you stiffened up. You crossed your arms over your chest and stood with your head held high. Maggie and Emily stood off to the side from you grinning like two proud parents. As for the other three pledges, they were busy getting their stuff ready to move into the house and once you told Maggie that Becca had texted you, it was getting sent out into the group chat ASAP. They were sending wishes of luck and love your way from across campus.

The sorority girls’ attention finally fell to you and their phones and boring conversations had quickly been forgotten. Some of them laughed, unable to control themselves while others whispered. Becca appeared from down the hallway, dressed in her typical attire. Short skirt and cropped shirt. Heels on her feet, clicking against the tiled floor, though there was no one there besides her sisters to judge on what shoes were on her feet.

As soon as her eyes fell on you though, a loud laugh bursted from her mouth, “Oh wow, this is too good. I knew I had given you the right task. Love the outfit.”

Taking in a deep breath, you let it out as your arms fall slowly to your sides, “Okay, so what else is there?”

Her head tilted to the side innocently as her manicured fingers folded together over her stomach, “What do you mean?”

“Well, you called me here so I have to believe there is more to this than just having to steal Shawn Mendes’ boxers. So what is it?”

“Oh, honey, no,” she waved you off as another icy giggle made its way from her lips into the air, “I just wanted to come with and watch. Each pledge gave me some sort of show and secretly this has been the one I have been waiting for. I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss it.”

It was late, dark, and the sun was no longer looming over campus. Your pulse quickened and your palms were dripping in sweat as you stared up at the three story house. The window was left cracked open and you watched as the breeze swayed the white curtains from side to side. This was insane and beyond anything you had ever done but you knew it was unavoidable. If you wanted to get into Alpha Delta Pi, it had to be done.

You could feel the lingering eyes of the sorority girls as they crouched behind a line of bushes and you internally cursed. Emily had to set up a car wash by herself, Maggie had to teepee another sorority house, and those both sounded better than this; standing in front of frat boy central, forced to steal sophomore and hockey player Shawn Mendes’ boxers

You almost couldn’t breathe properly and everything was hitting you at once as you finally had a minute to process the whole thing. Even then as you stared up at the brick house and the lights that illuminated from inside, you knew you could do this. You weren’t sure but you were pretty sure. After all, what was this? Really? How much of this was going to decide your future or even matter in the next five years. The answer was nothing. It would mean nothing. Instead, it all just felt like a game, a shrivel in time that seemed completely irrelevant against the bigger and more important moments in life.

There was no way you weren’t going to do it. You knew it as you stared up at the slightly cracked window and were aware of your two friends behind you. It was maybe not going to matter in a year or maybe even now but that wasn’t going to stop you. Not even the exhaustion or the emotional wreckage would keep you from getting inside that house. Almost a month into the semester and you were drowning yourself.

Shaking your head to rid all of your thundering thoughts, you squeezed your fists together and decided to say fuck it! Taking a deep breath, you darted forward without so much as looking behind you at the girls hidden in the bushes. Tiptoeing forward along the side of the house, you hopped up and over the short fencing that led to the backyard. You landed softly in the grass on the other side and suddenly, you were on high alert. Hugging the wall as you walked, your eyes were darting everywhere from the backyard to behind you as you now felt like you were on the verge of being caught.

The large backyard was empty besides the trash cans full of beer cans, the white fold out table used for ping pong, and the bonfire pit. No, Pi Kappa Alpha boy was in sight and it eased your worries somewhat. Sliding around the corner, the back of the house came in view exactly with one sliding door and three possibly unlocked windows. You took a risk and headed for the glass sliding door and peered in. The basement was carpeted with leather couches, a bar, and a pool table. As for the large room, there wasn’t a person in sight. Grabbing at the outside handle, you sighed with relief as it gave away when you pulled and it opened slowly. Once the opening was large enough, you slid in and pulled it shut behind you as quietly as you could.

You looked left and right before you began to make your way slowly across the lit room to the staircase and walked up them. The door at the top of the steps was left open and ajared. Leaning forward, you stuck your head out to again be met with a silent hallway, lights all on and not a voice or other person heard.

Your nerves had returned and the hair was sticking up straight on the back of your neck as you stepped into the hallway. It was short as on one side led to a kitchen where there were uncleaned counters and the sink was full with dirty plates. On the other side there was a bathroom and a bedroom or two. Checking once more that those rooms were clear and didn’t appear to be the hockey captain’s, you walked forward and the hallway brought you straight out into the front living room which was the first thing seen when you entered through the front door.

Just like the basement it was littered with a few nice but slightly torn up couches and a big screen TV. Empty cans and cups were left scattered across the coffee table and there were random articles of clothing tossed around the room. Your nose scrunched up in the air as you finally took notice of the musty and suffocating smell that appeared when a bunch of boys decided to live together in a barely cleaned house. Another staircase caught your eye right next to the front door that led upwards to not doubt the third and final floor of the house and where the remainder of the bedrooms were. You cracked out a smile as you made your move for them.

Before you could even make it to the first step though, the front door opened. Panic appeared on your face and your eyes widened like saucers as two voices filled the otherwise quiet room. Just as it swung open, you dropped to the floor behind a large L-shaped black couch.

“Dude, why did Mendes have to schedule another evening practice? We already had three this week,” the first guy said, the voice unrecognizable to you.

The other one responded quickly as the sound of two bags being dropped onto the hardwood floor echoed in the room, “I don’t know because whatever captain says it goes. At least it’s over and we’re the first one’s home because I want a shower.”

“I want a pizza, should I order one?” the first one asked.

“Fuck yeah.”

Crawling to the right end of the couch, you peeked from behind it to see the two hockey players' backs as they headed for the back hallway you had come from initially. They were sweaty and practically limping showing just how exhausted they were from being pushed day in and day out by their team captain a week before official practices were set to start. Once they disappeared from sight, you glanced back at the front door to see no other hockey players appear and knew this was your chance. Standing, you darted for the stairs and climbed them quickly and as you hit the top step you heard the door fly open again and a chorus of more voices filled the house.

A loud gasp ripped through your throat as you heard a few pairs of footsteps following you up the stairs. Your head began to snap back and forth at each doorway you saw on either side struggling to pick one to go through. You stumbled down the hallway until you grabbed at the knob of the last door on the left. With one push on the door, you were falling into the dark room so out of breath as the voices only seemed to get closer from the staircase. You couldn’t recognize who the players were and weren’t worried about it as you were solely focused on running and not getting caught.

Peering through the dark, you were able to piece together the room from the large queen sized unmade bed to the desk pushed against the opposite wall and an additional door to the room’s very own bathroom. Stepping forward your foot suddenly caught on something sending you tumbling to the ground. You mentally cursed as a loud thud sounded in the room meaning whoever stood on the other side of the door and in the hallway would have heard. Face smooshed into the carpet, your fingers touched lazily at the object you tripped over which happened to be a small pile of laundry. Through the dark, your fingers traced over what appeared to be a t-shirt and as you squinted, you were able to see the familiar number eight and Mendes written across the back of it.

By chance you had stumbled into the right room and then of course tripped and fell, but at least you were in the right room. Then with the amount of clothes scattered along the floor that meant there had to have been a pair of boxers somewhere. You freeze though as fast as you had fallen, the fabric of the t-shirt threaded in between your fingers as the sound of the door handle being turned set off an alarm in your head. Then when the light clicked on, you crawled and crawled for dear life until you were under the bed.

The shirt was still clutched tightly in your fist and you were holding your breath as the voice you had heard hours ago for the first time once again filled your ears. “I think that was a good practice. Do you think that was a good practice?”

The second voice turned out to be just as familiar as the first and you couldn’t help but smile knowing exactly who it was. Geoff. “Yeah, except for the fact half of the guys almost passed out on the ice.”

“Okay, my bad,” Shawn sighed as that duffel bag he had been carrying earlier was dropped onto the ground right next to the bed. Your eyes followed it before they went back to the two pairs of feet in the room. “Man, I just want to have a good season. I don’t mean to be THAT captain but I just-”

“No, no I get it. You don’t have to explain. I want to have a good season too.”

“Thanks, Geoff. So...” Shawn clapped his hands together before changing the subject all together, “How’s things going with Emily?”

You swear you could hear the smile in Geoff’s voice when he talked which gave away truly how crazy he was over your friend, “Great, amazing, I don’t know. Dude, she’s just... I don’t know. I really like her.”

“I’m happy for you, man! You deserve it.”

“Thanks, except I might have to have a word with Becca though. I mean what she made Em do was crazy and humiliating,” Geoff snapped his voice rising slightly at the end.

The hockey captain chuckled slightly, “Well what did you expect? It was the same way last year for the pledges and she will do it again to the ones next year. That’s just how she is.”

“Yeah, but still Emily just isn't like Becca or the other girls. Neither is Y/N or Maggie. I just don’t get why any of them wanted to rush.”

“Speaking of, I met Y/N today.”

At the mere mention of your name, your eyes widened and your hand clasped even tighter around the shirt. Your mouth parted slightly, waiting and completely on edge wanting to know what this drop dead gorgeous guy was about to say about you.

“Shawn!” Geoff warned.

“What?”

“I know that look on your face and don’t!”

“Don’t what,” Shawn said, laughter heard in the simple two words he said.

“Do what you always do. Okay, she’s not like every other girl you get involved with,” Geoff explained and in that moment there was nothing you wished more than to see the look on either of their faces as they spoke, “Y/N is nice and one of Emily’s best friends, so stay out of her pants.”

Was Geoff seriously being protective of you? It sounded like it and suddenly everything you had thought about him; being a hockey player and frat boy meant he couldn’t be boyfriend material. Or that he was just using Emily. Or that he was built like all of his friends. All of that disappeared because in that sole moment you knew that he was a good one. Geoff Warburton was a good guy and deep down more than anything you hoped that Shawn Mendes was too.

“Yeah, Geoff I know Y/N is different and you’re so right. Even with just meeting her I realized she isn’t anything like Becca or any of those other girls. I don’t know there is just something about her-”

Your breath was stolen and you knew this was a position you never expected to find yourself in; hiding under the hockey star’s bed as he gushed about you to his best friend and teammate.

“Which is why you should stay away from her. I have enough to deal with keeping Marcus away from her and I can’t be in charge of you either.”

“Okay, but honestly, we both know I would be a better option for her over Marcus any day,” he joked.

“Shawn!”

“Okay, fine, alright. I’ll stay away from her since you asked me too.”

Geoff’s feet stepped for the door and a moment of silence passed between them and you were starting to worry that maybe they saw you or they finally remembered the thud they had heard earlier. You were toast. That’s what you thought, but when you thought you were going to be pulled from under the bed with all chances of becoming a sorority member of ADPi being ripped from existence, it never did happen. “Okay, now that we are on the same page. I am going to shower because I need to meet Emily and she won’t like it if I’m late.”

“Have fun!” Shawn called out as Geoff stepped out of the room and into the hallway, “Do you need any condoms? It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Goodnight Mendes.”

Shawn laughed, one of those belly laughs that instantly could make anyone else in the room smile and happy. You were trying to hide your own smile from under the bed as his previous words about you were being repeated over and over in your mind. Suddenly, though the task at hand became your focus once again as you heard the door shut and then lock. He walked forward towards the bathroom and the sound of the shower being turned on made you tense up all over again. This was it, you decided as you found no pairs of boxers slipped under the bed or on the floor. Music filled the bathroom, Drake’s voice filing out into the next room. The hockey player spit the words of the song underneath his breath as he kicked off the shoes on his feet. Each one being placed at the bottom of the bed and then one by one his socks.

The process was painfully slow and you were close to sneezing from the amount of dust bunnies tickling at your nose. You also knew deep down that if you weren’t hidden underneath his bed and you were there able to watch the show, it would be less painful. Instead, you had to imagine what each sight was when a new article of clothing was stripped off. When the sight of his sweaty practice t-shirt hit the ground, you had to fight a groan from slipping out because of how much you wanted to peek your head out and look.

It became even harder as that shirt was joined by his sweatpants. You were starting to count the seconds of how long it took him just to slip off those boxers and by the time you got to five they were at his ankles. He kicked them off his feet and the black Calvin Klein boxers were left near the rest of his discarded clothes.

A small smile lifted at the corners of your mouth because of how close you were to pulling this off. That smile dropped quickly though and your jaw hit the floor as he moved away from the bed to the bathroom where you were able to see his full backside. His curls were fluffed up and at each step, you could see the way his back muscles rippled and tightened. Not to mention his ass, oh god, you swear you were close to drooling. Athletes and guys who worked out really did have the best butts.

As he pulled back the shower curtain and stepped in, you turned your eyes back to the prize sat right before you. Shawn Mendes’ boxers. This was it, you decided. Sliding out from beneath the bed, you hopped to your feet and snatched up the black thin fabric. Bunching it into your hands, you made a beeline for the partially cracked window in his room, knowing you wouldn’t be able to face trying to go back downstairs to the sliding door. Plus, you remembered seeing a ladder leaned up against the side of the house up to the roof. Your escape plan was now put into motion. Glancing back over your shoulder one more time to make sure he was still safely in the shower, you slowly pulled up the window enough for you to climb out.

You stepped out onto the roof and moved slowly towards the side where you remember where the ladder was sat. Except when you peered over to where it was initially standing you found it nowhere to be seen. You looked over to where the girls had been standing before behind the line of bushes to see they were no longer there. Not even Maggie or Emily was there. You knew that Becca must have taken the ladder because there was no way it had just disappeared. She wanted to make this as hard as possible for you and was set on you failing which only made you determined in the end.

Taking in a breath to resettle yourself, you began to move around the top of the roof to try and find a second escape route. You didn’t know how long you had been up there for but as you tried to sneak past Shawn’s window again, you jumped as you found him standing in his room, towel hung low around his hips and staring at his phone. You suddenly couldn’t move, unable to run as you stared at him, water dripping down his chest and curls pushed back out of his face. He was a daydream and a drop of heaven and you had his boxers in your hands.

You were snapped back into reality as he moved towards the window and he lifted his head. Without thinking you dropped to your stomach but as soon as you landed on the roof you began to roll. Unable to grab onto any of the shingles, you rolled right off the roof and in mere seconds of falling off the three story house into the yard, your hands caught the very edge.

You hissed as the material scratched at your fingers and your feet swung back and forth. Looking forward, you found yourself hanging right in front of a window on the second level of the kitchen. You peered down to see that ground still seemed so far away, but it became your best bet quickly as one of the boys moved past the window. It was Marcus, and just as he went to look out of it, you let go and dropped. It felt endless and like you were going to die for sure before out of nowhere your feet meet the ground. Your knees bent slightly and from the harsh pressure, your left ankle rolled from under you.

Collapsing to the ground, pain shot up from the area and you cursed loudly. Your hands reached at the skin feeling it pulsing and already starting to swell. Of course. Bad luck. This was stupid. Stupid. Why did you sign up for this and why would you go through with it?

Rolling your eyes, you took a minute or so before you picked up the pair of boxers on the ground next to you and slowly pulled yourself up. Walking was brutal and you had acquired a limp as pain shot up from your ankle with each step you took. You had risked something so much worse for a pair of boxers and what could only resemble a DARE. If you didn’t get in, you were going to kill Becca for sure.

The whole walk back to the house felt horrifying and like your foot was being ripped from it’s socket. As you limped up the front sidewalk, you found your two most trusted companions sat on the outside step completely silent. They waited for you, worry shown on their faces. Maggie tapped her foot against the concrete ground while Emily chewed relentlessly on her nails. Both of their heads lifted from their gaze on the ground at the sound of your dragging steps.

They jumped from their spots on the step as they quickly noticed you struggling to move. Rushing over, Maggie grabbed you by your arm while Emily stared down at your wrecked ankle. “Oh my god, what happened?”

“Em, I’m okay. I’m fine, I just took a small fall.”

“A small fall,” Maggie scoffed, “You can barely walk.”

“Okay,” you half smiled, “It was kind of a big fall.”

“Look,” Emily started her brows furrowed in that way they did when she was scared, “We wanted to stay until you came out but Becca forced us all to come back and when we tried to stay she said she would automatically just end your rushing process.”

“No, no, it’s all good, but I’m guessing she was the one who moved the ladder that was on the side of the house.”

“Uh, yeah,” Emily cringed, “We’re sorry.”

“No, seriously, Em it’s okay I understand.”

Maggie rolled her eyes and butted in once she knew you were alright, “Well?”

“Well,” you repeated her word, putting on your best poker face.

“Did you get them?”

A large smile tugged at your lips revealing your teeth as a small giggle slipped out, “Damn straight, I got them.”

Revealing the pair of boxers you were hiding from behind your back the other two girls squealed and pulled into a bone crushing hug. You had done it. All three of you had successfully faced and passed the god-awful tests that came with Becca Bradley and you were oozing with pride for yourself. High school you would have never been able to do something like that. You would have blushed, denied such an offer, and gone back to reading your books. Here you were though, even with a swollen ankle you were smiling and genuinely happy.

After a few minutes, Maggie and Emily pulled away from the hug and helped you up the front steps and into the house. Laughter echoed from the living room and as you slowly made your way into the full room, it all became silent. Becca was sitting in a white chair facing the doorway and when her eyes met yours, she quirked an eyebrow curiously. Her slow gaze scanned you from head to toe. From the grass sticking to your knees to the way your leg buckled from simply standing.

“Oh, you’re back,” she smiled, it was fake.

“Yeah, thanks for waiting by the way,” you replied, unable to hide your annoyance or glare.

“Well, we weren’t going to wait all night for you. Which reminds me so?”

Unfolding the black boxers in your hand, you held them up to her and sent a proud smirk her way, “I’ve got your boxers.”

Glancing to Maggie and then Emily on either side of you, you found them looking at you the same way. Excitement gnawing on them on the inside as they tried to hide it with their smiles aimed towards you. Your attention though was brought back to the sorority president though as she tutted softly.

“Mhmm, there’s just one thing though.”

“One thing?” you asked, a frown lacing over your lips.

“Where’s your proof?” she raised a hand and a few of the other sorority girls nodded in agreement as they found amusement in the current situation, “I mean, how do I know these aren’t from one of the other player’s? How do I know you didn’t just pick up a random pair once you walked in. Where’s your proof that these are actually Shawn Mendes’ boxers.”

You clicked your tongue along the roof of your mouth, trying to hide the feeling of wanting to run her over with a bus. Instead, you pulled a sickening grin on your face and aimed the back seam on the boxers towards her. You had her right where you wanted her and this time you were destined to win. It made it so much sweeter that her face screamed success.

Like she had outsmarted you as she had done to so many others but under all that confidence you knew she was scared. There was a crack seen behind her smirk and her entitlement. She was actually worried that you had come out on top of her. Letting a second pass as the tension prickled at your skin, you hummed and thrusted the piece of clothing in her direction. And at your next sentence, her facade crumpled to pieces.

“How about the fact that there is a number eight written on the back tag in sharpie.”

a/n: let me know if you wanted to be added or removed from the taglist.

taglist: @particularnarry @magicalmugshepherdpony @probablyshouldbesleeping @gamma-xi-delta @imbjapan @itrocksmysocks @thatkidwhodreams @fandomlolzor @wwyitm-mendes @brook1232 @fanstories @burkylover @badreputationlove @imsuperawkward @bubbashawn @shawnsreputation @littlebabymendes @avsensio @bluebellwoods

#shawn mendes #shawn #mendes #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes imagines #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes fanfic #my writing #shawn peter raul mendes #shawn mendes au #college au #sorotity #fraternity

98 notes · View notes

sleekervae · 3 years

Text

The Neighbour [0.3]

Something was irrevocably different with Remington; Emerson picked it off right away. On an early Tuesday afternoon, with the air thick and humid and the sun beating down like a plague (no pun intended), Remington was fussing over himself more than usual. He had changed out of four or five different outfits, playing with his hair, and was it appropriate for him to wear makeup? Eva hadn't seen him with it on, yet. No, it was probably best to keep it casual for now. Then again, he had a fantastic highlight that worked absolute magic under the sun...

It was around eleven thirty when Remington finally came down, dressed down but still presentable in a simple pair of ripped skinny jeans and a t-shirt. Emerson and Shy were sat on the couch as they watched Netflix, Pepper situated between them. Remington stopped short when he saw the pair cuddled up on the couch, he smiled deviously.

"Eugh! You guys are so flippin' cute it's gross!" he gushed, putting on his diva voice.

Shy chuckled softly, "Hi Rem,"

Emerson's attention diverted to his older brother, intrigued to see him all ready to go out somewhere.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Coffee with Eva," Remington replied simply.

"The neighbour with the cat?" Shy said.

"Yeah," Remington nodded, "Emerson tell you she gave us a loaf of bread last week?"

"He did," she smiled, "Poor thing, I felt for her. She looked so flustered at the pool,"

"Well, moving is a bitch already. Throw in Covid 19 and you got a real thorn in the ass," Emerson said, then turning back to his brother, "You gonna' be social distancing?"

"We're going to drink our coffee and walk around in the park," Remington replied, "She works from home anyway,"

"So, who asked who for the coffee?" Emerson asked.

Remington shrugged, stopping at the hallway mirror to fix his hair again, "She brought up how she hasn't had a chance to get around the neighbourhood, so I offered, she accepted. She has our vinyl too,"

"Which one?" Emerson asked.

"Boom Boom Room,"

"Side A or B?"

"A,"

"I'd approve either way,"

Shy couldn't help but subconsciouly squeeze Emerson's arm, a glimmer of excitement bursting behind her eyes, "So, she's a fan, too?"

"Took her a minute to figure it out. Didn't even bring up Em or Seb, so clearly she pays more attention to me," the blonde smirked.

Emerson glowered at his brother, "Yeah, yeah, go for your cup of fuck-off-ee," he grumbled.

Across the street, with her room strewn in discarded clothes that just didn't make the cut, Eva finally felt confident standing in her denim skirt and black tee. On any other day she'd have paired the ensemble with her pleather jacket, but it was too damn hot out. Even with the window letting in a cool breeze, the air was uncomfortably humid. What did she expect when moving from the Emerald City to Los Angeles?

Eva made sure to close and latch the window shut before she left, not eager for Pluto to go off on another reign of terror. Stopping to grab a fresh face mask, her phone suddenly began to vibrate in her purse. She figured it might have been Remington sending her a text, but the screen flashed to the Blocked Caller ID. Eva rolled her eyes and denied the call.

Stepping out into the humidity, Eva waved her hand over her face as she stepped out of the complex courtyard, just at the same time Remington was locking the door to his house. As soon as she caught his eye, he was all smiles.

She was glad to see him; a little relieved, even. He looked cool, cool enough to appear on some grungy magazine cover. All he needed to complete the look was a cigarette and maybe a skateboard, too. The messy blonde hair, the glimmer in his eyes brought back the warmth she associated with his presence and as she came to meet him at his car, his spicy cologne danced up her nose and imprinted itself in her olfactory memory.

Remington had never been more wary of how his hands shook, his left hand he stuffed into his jean pocket and the right he gripped his car keys with a vice-esque grip. He found himself mesmerized briefly by the fit of her skirt, her black t-shirt tucked in smoothly but not too tight to over expose her figure, but just enough to give Remington an idea. Her short brown hair fell delicately over her face, one side pushed back behind her ears and exposing her stormy blue eyes to the sunshine. She was the embodiment of innocence and grunge wrapped into a perfect five-foot-six package.

"Glad you didn't stand me up," he grinned.

"Well, I kind of happen to live right over there," she drawled, pointing to her balcony, "It'd be kind of awkward and hard to hide if I tried,"

"You look really nice," he nodded after a brief moment.

"So do you," she agreed with confidence, "Where we off to?"

There was a forested park not far from where they lived. Despite the pandemic, the fields were filled with older kids playing games of soccer and basketball, there were vendors out trying to sell their ice cream, a couple girls were scattered across the grass and sunbathing. It almost all seemed so normal, if not for the fact that the kid's jungle gym had been fenced off so no child could climb upon it.

The pair walked side-by-side, him with his iced black coffee and her with a green tea frapp -- no whipping cream. The gravel path they walked was shaded by a canopy of lush green trees, providing some relief from the hammering heat. Remington kept his gaze locked on her, worried to miss a moment where she'd crack a smile or briefly run her tongue over her lips. Her fingers appeared so dainty yet he could spot the small calluses at the middle joint of her thumb, and some paper cuts on her middle and index fingers.

"So, how does a ghostwriter get hired?" Remington asked, "Do you just openly advertise 'hey! If you're a lazy author, come hire me'?"

"No," Eva shook her head with a giggle, "I used to write articles for the newsletter at my college, and then a friend of mine forwarded me an email about a client who was looking for a ghostwriter. I didn't know much about it but the money was pretty good. It was a grant application for requesting financial aid for survivors of residential schools,"

"Sounds depressing," Remington said.

"It was pretty heavy shit," Eva admitted, "But, I did get fifteen-hundred for a six page application. Well worth it, I'd say,"

Remington blew an impressed whistle, "So you make pretty good money off of this?"

"Let's just say my student debt has decreased significantly since I took up the profession," and she took a brief sip of her drink.

"You ever publish anything under your own name?" he asked, "Eva Kuznetsov is a cute pen name. Evelina sounds more mature, though..."

Eva shrugged, "I think about it sometimes... but it's just easier to write under someone else's name and let them have all the glory. Say, if they happen to do something stupid to forever tarnish their career, that won't come back to bite me in the ass,"

Remington smirked, "Like a particular fantasy author who's made some pretty heavy comments concerning the trans community?"

"Let's not even talk about that, my heart still breaks when I think about it," Eva sighed, "To answer your question, however, if I got confident enough I may try to publish something in the future,"

"What else do you like to write?"

Eva opened her mouth but closed it quickly, pressing together her petunia pink lips as she visibly swallowed whatever words were about to pass through them. When she looked up at Remington again, his brown eyes dark like soaked coffee grinds that sent her into a caffeinated headrush. What would he think if she actually told him...

"I write poems, some short stories," she somewhat lied.

Remington's smile grew wider, mischief glimmering over his face like light beams reflecting over windchimes in a saturated dusk, "You hesitated just now," he spoke curiously, "What else do you write?"

Eva glanced down at the ground, a nervous giggle bubbling out and knocking the air out of her lungs, "Okay listen, don't judge me, it's just a hobby of mine,"

"Oh God!" Remington gasped, "Do you write porn?"

Eva laughed again, her pale cheeks flushing in red, "Well... I do happen write some naughty shit... in my fanfictions,"

Remington stopped dead in his tracks, taken aback by her answer. He totally thought she would say something along the lines of erotic fiction on a platform like Literotica. For understandable reasons, he had some mixed emotions about fanfictions.

"What kind of fanfiction?" he asked, somewhat bordering on the third degree.

"... Um..." she glanced at him again, the smirk on his lips compelling more giggles to burst from hers. She pressed her hands together over her nose and mouth, and Remington laughed as well.

"Okay listen, I promise," he put his right hand over his chest, "I promise I will not judge you for whatever smut you write for whoever," he assured her.

"It's not... yeah, I guess it kind of is," Eva chuckled nervously, "I usually write for stuff like Criminal Minds, but more lately I've gotten into writing for Euphoria..." she trailed off, timid as she waited for his response.

"Alright, that's actually not bad," he nodded, "I'll be honest, you didn't strike me as somebody who write fanfics,"

Eva glanced timidly at her scuffed sneakers, kicking up pebbles and dust, "Are fanfic writers supposed to look a certain way?"

"I don't know, actually," he simpered.

"I don't tell a lot of people that I do it, mainly because their first impression is either 'what the fuck' or 'OMG we should collaborate' and I'm just like," she hung her head back, "Nooo!"

"You're more of a soloist then a team player, then?" he teased.

"Let's just say I tend to work better alone," she replied, shrugging her shoulders as though the comment should mean nothing. But Remington found it odd that Eva was out here all on her own, never brought up her friends or family. He didn't see many personal effects in her apartment, neither.

"Is that why you're out here by yourself?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she replied.

"Well... don't take this the wrong way, but I haven't really seen you with anybody. You don't talk about your friends or your family,"

Eva shrugged again, "They're all back in Seattle. Besides, opportunity was drying up over there and I just wanted a fresh start," she said, "Besides, Pluto's my friend,"

"Well, that's a given," he replied, "Are your parents up in Seattle?"

"My dad is," she nodded, "I don't know what my mom's doing," Remington's silent was her cue to go on, "I um... we haven't really spoken, her and I,"

"You have a falling out?" he asked suddenly.

Eva glared down at the gravel again, "You can call it that. She's a pilot and she's always flying, and so you know, I never really got to see much of her growing up. And then, she suddenly shows up for my college graduation and expects us to be one big happy family, like she has it in her head that she can make up for all the birthdays and shit she's missed. And I just didn't know what to say to her. I don't know who she is, but she's my mom," she glanced up at Remington again, "And I don't know why I'm telling you all of this,"

Remington wasn't bothered by her unloading, it seemed as though Eva needed to get things off her chest more than she realized. Her smile was sardonic and her voice petty like a comedian on stage, putting on the brave 'I don't give a fuck anymore' face.

"I find sometimes it's easier to unload to new people then it is to your friends," he said, "What does your dad do?"

"Chem professor. Which is ironic because I seriously sucked at chemistry," she replied.

"Show me a kid who didn't struggle in chem, honestly," he said, "But do you get along with your dad?"

"For the most part," she chuckled, "He's still confused as to why I choose to write anonymously, but that's his problem. What do your parents do?"

Remington chewed on the inside of his cheek, "My mom's kind of like our manager. Does a lot of production and behind the scenes stuff. And I haven't seen my dad for nearly twenty years,"

Eva was silent for a moment, studying him. He spoke with a firm grin, yet still trying to shadow that flicker of sadness within his face.

"So we both have parental issues... that's nice to know," she put on a teasing grin, "Maybe that's why we make such good friends?"

Remington swallowed thickly, "So, you are indeed confirming we are friends?"

"I am," she smiled, "It'd be nice to have whatever few I can scrape up,"

"That fact that you also live across the street means that you're now stuck with me," Remington grinned with pride.

"True," Eva hummed appreciatively, taking another sip of her drink, "Somehow, I don't think I'll mind, though,"

When Remington drove her home she gave him a sweet and polite goodbye, a hug which made his confident exterior falter for a second long enough for her to witness it through the flush in his cheeks and his lack of response. His words tripped over the length of his tongue when he tried to flush out a proper goodbye and he felt his hands began to quiver again.

And when he went to open his door, he took one last glance. The small brunette turned at the same time and met his gaze, but he was too far away to hear her sharp inhale. And when he finally went inside he fall back against the door, staring into space with the biggest grin he'd had on since... well, he couldn't remember when he last felt so excited.

#remington leith #Remington Leith imagine #palaye royale #Palaye Royale imagine #Palaye Royale fic #sebastian danzig #emerson barrett #boy bands #band imagines #band imagine blog #original story #original female character

33 notes · View notes

hermitcraftheadcanons · 4 years

Text

Zombie Apocalypse AU Masterpost

"There are a few groups that aren't aware of each other's existence. (Architechs, NHO, Convex, ect.) The NHO are made up of all men from millitaries across the globe. Cleo isn't a zombie either, she is a zombie whisperer. She can communicate slightly with zombies and they aren't usually negotiable."

(Paraphrased,) from @creator0fchaos' Zombie Apocalypse AU entry for The Follower Input AU.

Headcanons to start us off:

-Convex were two men from a small buisness. Jellie is also around but she's injured and is mostly carried around by Scar.

-Etho got bit pretty early on and everyone in the NHO knows they're gonna have to do something about it but they're putting it off. Etho seems fine.

-Bdubs is slowly going completely feral. (Possible reference to season 5's jungle feral?) DocM joked he had rabies and the two got into a fight.

-Iskall lost his eye after Mumbo accidentally slashed him with a knife while trying to protect Grian from a hoarde. Iskall ended up getting lumped in with the Architech group because Mumbo feels super guilty about it.

-Xisuma and Keralis came into contact with the NHO for a bit. Keralis and Bdubs nearly became friends but Beef and Doc scared em away. Angst.

-The zombies fear False.

-XB originally planned to just stay in his house and not go out. He was prepared, okay? He had tinned food to last him at least a decade, zombie proof armour and god knows what else supplies. His friend, Hypnotizd, is fleeing to there because he knows XB knows what he's doing.

-Wels wears armour because it's the best he had. Same with Biffa and Xisuma. In this AU, they probably wouldn't be wearing armour if not given the circumstances.

-Jevin has turned this into a game to kill as many zombies as possible.

-Impulse, Tango and Zedaph are all just having a good time trying to survive in the woods. Their main goal is to open a tin of beans Zed has but they don't have a tin opener.

-Rendog found a tin of dog food while scavenging. He was hungry and ate it. He now has an addiction to tinned dog food.

-Wels wears medieval armour in the zombie au because at one point he was trapped in a museum by a horde and like, the armour was technically there. On display. No one was using it.

-Etho wears the mask as kind of a mental reminder not to bite his friends.

-Joe and Stress are hanging with Cleo and even if the small group isn’t the best equipped or prepared, they have thrived thanks to Cleo’s ability to whisper to zombies. It might not stop the zombies but it buys the group time to escape.

–Zombie!Etho is hiding the fact that he’s turning, if not already turned into a zombie, from the rest of the NHO because he loves being with his friends. The problem is that it’s getting harder every day to control himself and he’s constantly fighting between telling the rest of them about it, and having them put him out of his misery to keep them safe, or just keep hiding it, afraid that one day it’ll be too late he won’t be able to control himself and bite them all.

-Someone gets like a really bad case of the flu, this is problem because usually survivors have to stay in the move consistently to survive and that’s hard when someone is really sick, it also bad because all pharmacies have been raided and there’s no medicine.

-Grian originally came from Sam and Taurtis's group but due to Sam's insanity, Grian pulls away and went surviving on his own. That when Mumbo came to photo and knowing that he won't survive the zombie wasteland alone, Grian took it as his task to convince Mumbo make a partnership with him.

-Joe was playing D&D when the outbreak started, and Cleo was in his group. They treat it as a game sometimes, though they toned it down a bit when Stress joined because she was still grieving Iskall. Stress makes them stay around where she lost Iskall, but Joe and Cleo don't mind because she has a base set up there.

-For no fault of his own, the nHo crumbles while doc is in control. They had been losing members for a while but when beef, Bdubs, etho, and doc part ways it’s the draw the broke the camels back, so doc is the only one left of the nho, the rest of them, having either left or died. Doc blames himself for everything going so wrong.

-For the zombie AU because nobody's representing my boy X: Xisuma is known as a master at evading the zombies (he can fight them well if needed but he is best at avoiding incidents altogether). He claims to wear the mask for practical reasons, but what the others don't know is that it hides how terrified he is. He hides his fear because he doesn't want people to lose confidence in him, but getting turned and losing control of his mind is his worst nightmare.

-TFC’s gone for a bunker theme for s6+s7, so maybe, he finds a nHo member, and just drags them down into his bunker, probably chewing them out for walking around alone?

-For the zombie au is ethos mask like a medical one, or was he in a kakashi cosplay for some reason and kept it because all the pockets were practical and then started wearing the mask because he got infected.

-After Stress and Iskall reunite, Joe and Cleo join the Architechs. False joins them after seeing Cleo whisper to the zombies and realizing that the group severely lacks fighters. I need the hermits to (at least mostly) get together!

-TFC is obviously a disaster prepper who has a fully furnished bunker that can house a lot of people. He has been broadcasting this to other survivors using a radio. Unfortunately, he lives in the middle of nowhere and it is a trek to get there, but the Vault (as he calls it) is self-sustaining. (I know this is obvious, but nobody has done anything with TFC yet, and that's a shame)

-Even though he’s scared about not being alert enough to protect his team, Xisuma hides his sickness, which is easy with the helmet, because he’s the leader and he can’t be weak. Due to the pain of the flu and the heat of fever staying trapped inside his helmeted eventually falls to his knees and breaks down.

-Mumbo is wearing a suit because he was on his way to a job interview when the outbreak started, he just never bothered to change clothes.

-Etho used to love making up little tunes, and that hasn't changed since he was bitten. Nevertheless, the others in his group haven't heard him make music since. He blames a lack of instruments because of being on the run from zombies. The morning after he left, though, they find an old recorder where his sleeping bag was, and once they hit play they're greeted with songs in a familiar style, backed by improvised instruments.

Even without saying anything they *know* what had happened, and the recorder is taken along on their journey to a safe haven. Sometimes, when the feeling of missing their friend gets too much, they put on the music in the evening and just allow themselves to cry.

-Well, i was thinking maybe stress was a loner, but like, not completely alone, she was with someone else, probably Cleo or Iskall, but they got bit, she felt too bad to kill them so she wanders around with a zombie friend on a madeup leash, sorry if it sounds sad but i like angst and it seemed like a good headcanon -🐿️

-TFC is the one to get to Beef and break down the wall he had built up after a while of wandering alone after breaking off from the nHo. He finds Beef fighting a group of zombies and after observing how violently Beef was hacking down the zombies, TFC did not see a hardened fighter, but a broken man and went to talk with him.

-Alternate timeline idea when grian was still traveling with Sam and tortoise. Sam end up doing something that results in grian and tortoise getting bitten, because of that Sam leaves them. Now grian is not a normal zombie he doesn’t crave human flesh but rabbit flesh because he’s so hell-bent on getting revenge for what Sam did to him and tortoise, tortoise ends up tagging along. Cleo ends up finding them and discover their not normal zombies and inviting them to stay with her group.

-For the zombie apocalypse AU, RE: Cleo and Joe's DND game - imagine them going into a fight and just screaming "ROLL INITIATIVE!"

-Ok but imagine if like that one anon said, grian was already a zombie but like, one that only wants animals. I imagine they could probably get him to behave normally and imagine the mumbo turning angst but grian is already a zombie and just helps him not loose himself.

-For the Zombie Au, instead of killing Mumbo before he turns, the group locks him in a room and leave him there in hopes that they can bring him back once theres a cure. Whether or not, Mumbo wants to be saved is up to you. If Cleo's still in the group then you could have her "talk" to Zombie Mumbo for bonus angst.

-After finding out that Etho's still out there, Beef becomes more determined than ever to help find a cure. In the bunker he often ends up buzzing around Scar and Cub, desperate for something to do to help. It can get a bit awkward but they understand he's just desperate to see his friend again and are usually able to provide small tasks to help him keep his mind busy (with something other than worrying for Etho) while they continue working toward a cure.

(All those above in red are from our community's lovely Anons!)

-Vintagebeef was the first to notice something was off about Etho. He asked Etho about it but Etho assured him he was fine. Beef asked, 'what if you spread it to the other people in group?' Etho claimed that 'if it was contagious without physical contact, everyone would have caught it by now.'

-Speaking of Vintage Beef, he feels the most lonely and hopeless out of all the NHO members. Etho is probably gonna die from being a zombie soon. Bdubs and Doc are always at each other's throats and Beef fears one of them may accidentally kill the other. He's terrified that he may be the only one left.

-Hypnotizd is the most likely to be bit next. Dude’s running to XB’s house basically defenseless until he gets there, we have no clue how far he has to travel.

(-@tomcatacaphe.)

-You could very easily bring s5 nho angst into this au... Etho leaves to protect his friends from himself, Beef leaves because he can't bare to see his friends fight so much, Bdubs and Doc get in a fight and Bdubs storms off, and Doc is left to try and lead the nho by himself (since you said it's a kind of paramilitary thing here). Ouch.

-Knowing Mumbo's love for bunkers and the dragon bro bunker from s6, the architechs have probably settled somewhere underground to have a somewhat normal life. And, given the combined tech prowess of Iskall and Mumbo, they could easily rig up defence systems to help.

-in regards to that ask about X getting ill, maybe that's where Keralis joins him! He's totally the type to stay with you when sick! :D

-Continuing from that anon, if I may. So far we have Griam, Mumbo, Iskall, Stress, Joe, Cleo, and False all living together... The chaos xD ! You could even bring in hermit challenges as smth they make to, y'know, lighten the mood :D

(-@rebloging-extravaganza.)

-OOF I never thought about Taurtis wandering alone but that's sad. Iskall was also originally with Stress. They are wandering together until a snow storm separates them. Iskall finds Mumbo and Grian and then Mumbo thought he was a zombie cause this man just came out of nowhere. Grian and Mumbo took him in. When Iskall came back to the place where him and Stress gets separated, they saw each other again. What's the first thing he did? He hugged the hell outta her.

-Stress was tired cause the next thing she knew after the storm is that she’s alone. So, she thought for the worst, she thought Iskall was dead. She made a small shelter in the place, tamed a lot of dogs and even made a gravestone for Iskall.

When Stress saw him, her first thought was to get the weapon from the sheath and attack but Iskall started talking. The next thing she knew was she is crying and hugging him tight.

(-@penumbra-rui.)

-After Beef leaves the nHo, he becomes quite a loner. He gets a nickname from other groups even though they don’t know who he is: the Butcher. He gets the name because when groups are being seized down by dozens of zombies, Beef comes in and kills the zombies - every single one - with only his token bloodied apron left behind, waving on a stick. He has hundreds of those aprons and is never seen killing the zombies by the besieged groups.

-When Impulse runs away, he runs into BDubs while in a run down brick building with part of it having been blown up in what looks like a plane bomb. The building seems to have been a local demolition business known simply as ‘Boomers.’

-Before the apocalypse began, Scar was an upper level agent of the FBI tasked with protecting top level cancer researchers across the United States. One of those top cancer researchers was patient 0 and was the original discoverer of the zombie infection (patient 0 was not a Hermit). However, Scar believes it’s his fault for not having intervened when he could have. It’s now his mission to find a way to fix it. He comes across business mogul Cub, who may have the funds to help.

-https://hermitcraftheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/618407386827423744/hypno-has-been-living-with-xb-for-the-last-two XB and Hypno meet: A post too long to copy paste here.

(-@creator0fchaos.)

-After Tango explodes the beans Impulse claims he’s leaving. Z and T think he just kidding but when they wake up the next morning Inpulse is gone. Now Zed and Tango are on a mission to find impulse while also terrified that he’s been bit.

-Continuation of the impulse leaves thing, tango and Zed find and save him just in time. They all reunite and are happy. The problem is that Zed was bit in the process, for now he’s binding it, because tango and impulse were so happy to be reunited and zed didn’t want to ruin it.

-Zed never ends up telling his friends that he was bit, the figure out themselves a few days after it happens. At first they’re mad that zed hid it from them, telling him how he could have turned and hurt them. But a minute late they break down in tears realizing what the bit means for them all. They will discuss what to do in the morning but for now they will grieve.

-Even more of the zit story: In the morning they decide to keep zed around until he really starts turning, they will then kill him so he’s not a zombie, zed protests this wanting them to kill him now, fearing for the other’s safety, but he’s actually really happy to have a bit longer with his friends. Impulse feels guilty because this never would have happened if he hadn’t left, tango also feels guilty because if he never exploded the beans, then impulse wouldn’t have left and zed would be fine.

(-@lookitsspacekween.)

-Xisuma is known as a master at evading the zombies (he can fight them well if needed but he is best at avoiding incidents altogether). He claims to wear the mask for practical reasons, but what the others don't know is that it hides how terrified he is. He hides his fear because he doesn't want people to lose confidence in him, but getting turned and losing control of his mind is his worst nightmare.

-Xisuma could be that person who gets the flu from an earlier submission! It would really scare him because of not being as alert or functional to avoid the zombies. I feel like he doesn't have a set group of people he stays with, so someone would probably find him holed up somewhere with a bad fever and decide to stay with him.

-If Mumbo ever gets bitten his zombie form is his cursed skin from after he sold his bits, it NEEDS to be lol.

-I came here to post immune!Rendog only to find that someone already did! Anyway, Ren is immune, which is good because the man gets bitten A LOT (the diggity dawg is not the best fighter). I feel like he gets lost and comes across the NHO base, and Doc won't let him in at first because he's covered in bites. He probably puts him in a containment cell out of typical Doc paranoia but eventually figures it out.

-Doc tried his hardest to be distant with Ren (because he thought he was going to turn/die soon and didn't want to get attached) but Ren just asks questions and talks 24/7 until Doc gives in and talks to him out of loneliness. Doc probably keeps him in containment for a really long time, first for fear of him turning and then because he's afraid Ren will leave (like everyone else left him.)

-Ren is very calm and cheery through the whole containment thing because he FULLY believes this is all a dream. Like, okay, this German robot man says I'm going to die in a week? Cool! Have to remember to write this one down when I wake up. Doc cannot convince him otherwise and it frustrates him to no end (when he does realize it's real though he's going to have a full breakdown.)

-Mumbo focuses in way too hard when he's working and blocks out everything else. If he gets bitten it will be because he was too absorbed in a redstone project and forgot to check his surroundings.

-When Mumbo gets bitten, Grian makes it his duty to comfort him and keep him calm until the end. Iskall, however, is overcome by guilt. He had been out for supplies when it happened; usually it was his job to watch Mumbo's back while he worked, alternating between fighting zombies and giving jokingly snarky commentary on Mumbo's redstone. He definitely blames himself and won't let the others out of his sight afterward.

-A break from angst! Zombie whisperer!Cleo's talents work by communicating with the infection in the zombies' bodies. Immune!Rendog has the infection, it just doesn't affect him in a dangerous way. Therefore, Cleo is now a Ren whisperer. Hilarity ensues.

-Once Xisuma starts feeling a bit better, he organizes his group to dig underground tunnels for people to travel with less chance of zombie attack (construction Keralis is a big help!) The leadership comes naturally to him, and the hard work is a good way of building up his strength again. Working late into the night on the tunnels is also the perfect excuse not to sleep....

-(post-cure). It takes several weeks, but Doc finally manages to find Etho. When he receives the cure his first words are "Thank you" and "I'm so sorry" (like a true Canadian). While his mind is returned to him, some parts of his body are too decayed to be salvaged, but that's no obstacle for Doc. He builds custom cybernetics and eagerly welcomes his old friend back to the land of the living.

(-@shadeswiftdraws.)

-Mumbo, being really good with redstone, obviously has anti-zombie weapons he made himself. One day he goes out scavenging to find Grian fighting zombies armed with only a large hunting knife, a sledgehammer (probably from whatever build he was working on at the time of the outbreak), and his tiny gremlin speed and agility. (-@my-cat-is-a-bastard.)

-One of the Hermits (up to you which one) is somehow immune to the zombie virus. The catch: they don't know until they get bit. Them and the rest of their group is scared and prepares to kill them when the transformation is complete, but it never happens. The scientist of their group does a couple of tests and discovers their immunity!

-I was thinking about it for a bit, and I doesn’t seem like there’s been much done with Ren... (besides eating dog food lol)

-Happy ending time 'cause I can't stand seeing them all turn! Once Doc realizes Ren is immune, they venture out trying to find another group to create a cure. After gathering some/most of the other Hermits, they come across Scar, and they work on and create a cure/vaccine. The rest of the Hermits take it, and maybe they're even able to cure Etho and the other zombified Hermits! (Sorry if this is too cheesy/happy; I just want everything to be okay, y'know?)

-All everyone speaks of are the physical changes, but one must set the record straight: No matter how horrifying the outward changes are, the mental and emotional ones are far worse. Your friend’s behavior will take a turn for the worse. They’ll become more aggressive, more impulsive, less cautious. They’ll start fights for a laugh, they’ll yell and thrash and scream at the mildest inconvenience, their mind will devolve and fade away. By the time you must say your goodbyes, they will no longer be the friend you knew. They will be childish, angry, insane, and horrible in every way. Even if they fight the illness and outer changes, their behavior will still be impacted and subject to change.

Be wary of this if you choose to let your friend live, and prepare not only your body, but your mind, for the worst.

-Patient Zero could be GenerikB.

(-@12u3ie.)

-I feel like team ZIT keeps putting off taking care of Impulse. Like Etho, Impulse just keeps fighting the changes. They all expect him to wither away, fall down and die one day, isn't that how it always goes?, but that's not how the infection works. They don't get sicker and weaker, in fact most of the people who die from one bite actually die from gangrene and/or septic shock. (Human mouths are GROSS.) But our boys don't know this. They've taken good care of his bite, even if it felt pointless at first, and avoided infection, and as a result he's physically completely healed now. So they end up never NEEDING to kill Impulse, but at what cost? He's constantly anxious about losing control. He can barely even sleep, what if it makes him sleepwalk and he bites his friends then? Tango and Zedaph see him changing still. They see his skin getting pale and dull, his eyes growing hollow, even see he's losing a lot of weight, but they put it up to his sleeplessness, to how they have to remind him, almost force him to eat real food. What sort of life does Impulse really have now? Is it really better to just end it? (What if he and Etho meet?)

Sorry, I've just seen the way this subversion of the Zombie Bite = Zombie Dead trope is going with Etho, and I HAD to get bitten!Impulse in on it as well. Now I can't stop thinking about exactly how this virus works, so I'm gonna hit post before I get WAY too into it and make a text wall.

-https://hermitcraftheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/618456845293633536/the-first-thing-you-notice-is-the-bite-it-stings How the virus works. (Tw gore, worms.)

(-@basaltdragon.)

-Bdubs definitely slept through the beginning of the apocalypse and had no idea what was going on for a while. He just kept doing his normal thing until someone told him what was happening. (-@miss-oleum.)

-I saw a post that mentioned Taurtis in the zombie apocalypse au, so I think this idea would be cool? I think from context clues Etho and Beef are kinda traveling together, but what if they run into Pause! Pause is super stoked to finally be around people in this mess (Team Canada, no less!!) but the dread kicks in when he notices the look in Etho's eyes, and how much paler he is than usual. Maybe he even notices the signs before Beef (who prolly def. noticed but is in severe denial about it). (-@853dragons.)

-https://hermitcraftheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/618477192694939648/you-know-what-im-just-going-to-add-my-2-cents-on

-To the surprise (and delight) of everyone in the Bunker, Beef is a deasent Redstoner. He's still a bit rusty at it tho. But he Knows how to work around those dust if he put his mind it. And after the... Insident with Mumbo, they need all the help they can get with the Redstone. And the first time he fix a redstone contraption on his own he said to his spectators (any Hermit of your choice), "What? You thought I was all Beef but no Brains?"

(-@tearosepedall.)

And now, Writing!

-It's the hunger that's the worst. Gnawing and ever-present, no matter what he eats, he can't escape the emptiness that's settled into his stomach. Etho stares dully down at the can someone - probably Beef - had pushed into his hands, before spearing a handful of syrupy fruit and swallowing it. It does little to satiate the hunger crawling through his every being. And why would it? It's not fruit he's hungry for anymore. (Anon.)

-Fear curls around him like an unwanted friend, a fiend of mist and smoke that blankets his nerves and quickens his heart. He stares dully at the scene before him, at the massacre his group had just barely avoided, as an awful storm of what-ifs swirl through his mind. His hands shake. "X?" Someone asks, "Are you okay?" Xisuma sucks in a deep breath, curls his hands into fists, and turns towards Keralis. "I'm fine," he lies. (Anon.)

-"Hello there. If you are listening to this, we are gone and long forgotten. This base of ours is yours to use now. I'm sure there'll still be some supplies and cans of food left-" "Not if I eat them first!" "Gr- Grian! I'm recording!" "I know that, you spoon." Grian took a few steps forward and stuck his face up to the camera lens. "Hi there!" "Grian! This is serious work." "C'mon, we're always serious! What's wrong with a little bit of fun during the zombie apocalypse?" (12u3ie.)

-(Biffa's POV) I met Xisuma a couple weeks ago. He saved my life, and I joined his crew. We're good friends now, and I hope he trusts me. It just seems like there's something off about him, but not in a zombie way. The way he hesitates before saying he's fine, how his eyes widen for just a moment before battle... the way he mumbles in his sleep about an evil counterpart... (12u3ie.)

-Hands corral him, pushing him forward. Mumbo twists and writhes, trying to escape from the iron grip pulling him forward. Where his tongue still capable of forming complex sounds, he would be protesting vehemently. Nowadays, words are harder to come by, too clunky and heavy for his tongue to try. As it is, he can barely even manage the word no. 'I don't want this!' He screams, but only Cleo spares him a glance. Her eyes shine, wet with tears and pity that turns his stomach.

"We'll find a cure," Someone else promises. From a haze of shattered memories, a face forms. It takes another moment for him to remember a name. Grian. His voice is flat, toneless, but edged with iron and a promise. With one final pull, he's dragged into the windowless room, lined with lockers and benches. Mumbo's breath rattles heavily in his chest, as the iron door swings shut behind him. "I'm so sorry." Whispers seep through the thin walls. "I can't believe he bit Ren." (Anon.)

More to be added!

188 notes · View notes

crystal-soba · 4 years

Text

Dbd and others x child reader

How they found you

Survivors----------------------------------------

Before you meet them (flashback)

.It was Halloween, you and your mother were trick or treating. Mom had made you a Magician costume and she was your rabbit in a hat. Your pillow case was half full already, you held your mom's hand as you both walked down the street.

When you looked back towards your mom she looked stressed. Her eyes were big and she was sweating. "Money are you okay?" You asked concerned. She gulped "Mommy's fine sweetheart. Just a bit tired." You nodded. She whispered "Sweetie, I need you to listen carefully. Hide. And don't look back." She was serious you nodded getting nervous. Your mom started running and you parted, hiding behind a trash can.

You peeked out from your hiding spot, swing Mommy and daddy. You watched them not knowing what they were saying. Daddy pushed mommy to the ground, you covered your eyes. When you opened them mommy was still on the ground, you ran into the forest with tears covering your vision. You blacked out while running.

You woke up in a foggy forest looking around you didn't recognize anything a giant tree surrounded by rocks. You sat under the giant willow tree waiting for mommy to come get you.

Dwight's pov:

I think I lost them. I looped the pretty good. I needed to find a place to hide. I'll go to the center of the map and look for a gen. I ran to the rest of the way there. As I got there I heard silent crying, as I went to check it out I didn't see anyone. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.

I did another look around, not finding anyone he shrugged but still head crying. As I did a gen to 50 percent of so the crying stopped, this put me on edge.

Back to you

I started crying, what if mommy can't find me? I should find help, you got up and walked around the strange forest. You heard a strange noise, like a machine noise. You followed the sound, there was a man with pizza delivery clothes on. You walked behind him and pulled on his shirt to get his attention.

The man screamed causing you to scream. He calmed down and adjusted his glasses. As you wiped away your tears. "Can you help me? Im lost and I need to find mommy.

would the entitey really have a kid around? He didn't really doubt it. What should he say to a kid?

He sighed and looked at you. "I'm Dwight what's your name?" He smiled. "Y/n, I need help finding mom." "How old are you y/n?" I'm turning 6 In a month." He nodded.

"Alright Y/n I'll try to help you but first we need to do a few things." You nodded. He had a tool box open, he'd ask for certain tools and you'd hand them to him. "Why are you doing this?" You asked while handing him a wrench. "well we need to do five before we can leave." "Why" you tilted your head. He shrugged.

The machine lit up and Dwight picked you up. And walked with you on his hip."how many do you have left?" He thought for a second. "Maybe two or three." You nodded. Dwight walked past one already, maybe he didn't see it or maybe he wants to do a different one. "are we going to do another?" You asked as he shifted you onto his other side. "First we are going to find one of my friends." "K".

Eventually Dwight found someone. You were standing behind him while he talked to a man taller than him, the man had a buzz cut with a tattoo of a flower on his head. "What do you mean there's a kid?" He had a funny accent. You peeked out from behind Dwight, the man had a shocked expression. He knelt down to you, "hello there little one. And your y/n?" You nodded. He stood up again and looked at Dwight "what do we do about em? We can't just leave them here alone." Dwight nodded, "well I suppose we'll take turns watching them. Maybe we should stick together?" The man nodded. Dwight picked you up and put you on the other man's shoulder. You were up high, you giggled and held onto him. "Names David." You nodded smiling.

You sat on the ground while David and Dwight worked on a machine together. You got up and David followed you "oi were are you goin?" There's another person nearby I heard them. "Hmm" he picked you up and carried you around. You looked around, you spotted an old man with a hat. "Look there they are!" David turned around as the old man looked around for the young voice. David walked towards him. Wen the old man looked up at the young child on David's shoulders he gave him a look. "It's a bit of a story. This is y/n, y/n meet Bill." "Hi." Bill shook his head, "this is no place for a child." David nodded "I agree. Or priority is to get them out of here." Bill walked behind you two , you slowed your pace to match his walk. "So y/n you have a family?" You sighed, "kind of. Mommy and Daddy fight, and Grandpa and Grandma don't talk to us anymore. Mommy told me to run away before daddy showed up." Bill put a hand on your shoulder, how about when we get ya out of here I'll be your new Grandpa?" You looked at him with hope. "Really?" He nodded.

When you got back to the machine Dwight worked on he was gone. "You think she found him?" Bill nodded. "only a matter of time before we see him or he gets caught." Caught? What does caught mean? Bill and David were working on the machine while keeping an eye on you. You heard a beautiful humming coming from the forest. You guessed Bill and David were busy with the machine, you started walking towards the music.

Anna's pov

This round was something. She found Dwight first but he got away. She at least killed one person. She found Dwight again in a gen, she hit him with an hatchet and walked off to get more. She could swear she heard the sound of small feet running.

Back to you

You looked for the singing lady, you thought you heard her getting close to you

She was watching you, almost unable to contain her excitement of find a child. The entitey had blessed her good work with an reward. A small yet strong healthy child. Now she just had to figure out how to get her to come to her.

The humming stoped earlier you looked around confused. Your head snapped when you heard twigs snap. "Hello?" You saw a tall woman infront of you with two axe's attached to her hip. As you looked up at her face you saw the white bunny mask. "Mommy!" You tackled her in a hug

Anna was taken aback. Every child cried and screamed at her. Maybe you are perfect for her. Meanwhile the other survivors jaws dropped as you called the ruthless killer "mom". "Mommy they helped me find you." You pointed towards there directions. They panicked. Anna was trying to figure out if she should kill them or not, when she looked at your face your eyes twinkled at them. She let out a sigh and headed to the gate. She snakes the gate, causing it to open automatically. She put you down. "You go with them. I will find you." Mom had a funny accent. She looked at David, Grandpa, and Dwight. "You bring her to me, or else." They nodded. While you all left.

Grandpa and uncle David and Dwight brought you to the edge of the camp where mom was. Grandpa hugged you and Uncle David and Uncle Dwight waved goodbye for now. Grandpa tipped his hat to you both before leaving.

After that mom took you inside and mad food for you.

During trials was weird. Weather the survivors or others got to you first. No one dared harm you, anna made sure of that. If any of your friends like grandpa found you he wod have you help him with things like gens or giving band-aids to people. If mom or her friends found you she would usually put you on a gen "If anyone tries to fix the machine, yell." You nodded, she would ruffle your hair and go off. If somebody came close to you you'd give them a warning, "mom says if you touch the machine I'll scream. They'd sigh and beg you to let them but you wouldn't budge.

Either way, you were happy by the end of the day, with your mom tucking you in and singing a lullaby.

46 notes · View notes

somedayonbroadway · 4 years

Note

PLEASE pretty p l e a s e write a nysm au scene PERHAPS possibly maybe a scene where jack finds out why race idolizes him so much so we get more insight on why he so protective ?? 🥴

So sorry this took so long, friend!

Now You See Me AU

TW: Mentions of child abuse

Jack looked stressed. They’d been holed up in this apartment for a week now. Race had started cleaning it up on instinct. Katherine has helped him, along with David, eventually. Jack never wanted to help. Katherine and him had fought about it before, but Race never cared. If Jack didn’t want to clean, Jack shouldn’t have to clean.

No one else seemed to understand but Race.

Right now, the boy was watching Jack go over the plans again, needing to know and memorize every detail.

He was on the couch, just sitting, having run out of things to do. David had tried to get him to read. Race had never been much of a reader. So, while Davey and Katherine were out at the store, he’d been timing himself while picking various locks he’d found and lifted from stores around town. And now, he was just bored. So he watched Jack analyze every detail, letting himself get a little bit lost in his own head.

“I can feel you starin’, kid. What d’ya wan’?” Jack groaned a little bit, gripping at his hair. He had bags under his eyes, like he hadn’t been sleeping.

Race rubbed at his eyes, shrugging just a little bit. “Just… thinkin’...” he sighed, not tearing his gaze away.

“Alright, well, could ya think in another direction? You’re startin’ ta make me think you wanna steak my soul ‘r somethin’,” Jack joked.

For a month now, Race had wondered. He supposed now was as good a time as any to bring it up. “Ya don’t remember me, do you?”

At this, Jack paused, turning to him with a curious look. He shrugged. “Should I?”

Ducking his head down, only slightly embarrassed, Race shrugged. “Um… no… I just… you… I always really looked up ta you,” he admitted, finding his hands very interesting all of the sudden.

Jack smirked a little. “Lots a’ people do. I guess I have that effect on folks,” he winked.

The younger boy nodded, smiling a bit at Jack’s smugness. Sometimes he wished he could be like that, brush off every insecurity he had and play to his strengths and never show fear. Not at anything. Scratching at the back of his neck, he bit his lip. “Yeah… I mean… I guess my fascination started when you basically saved my life,” the kid stated offhandedly, standing to his feet, planning on leaving. He was nervous all of the sudden, like Jack would be disappointed in how he turned out somehow.

But Jack’s voice stopped him, “Alright, I’ll bite. What are you talkin’ about?”

So Race sighed and turned back to him. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I was a foster kid growing’ up… in n’ outta homes all ova’,” he explained shyly, only glancing up at Jack who seemed to now be giving him his full attention. “No one wan’ed me so… I ended up in bad places… includin’ a boys home called—“

“The Refuge…” Jack finished for him, understanding coming over his voice. “Oh my God… you were that boy…” His shock was slow and quiet, but still very much there. It only occurred to Race now that Jack might’ve singled him out because he was very clearly the youngest most malnourished boy in that whole house.

Race fought to keep himself put together. He didn’t want to think about everything that had happened in that place. “Yeah… I was that boy…”

Race was freezing. It was always freezing in that room. Snyder never turned on the heater. Not even in November.

That boy was at the window again, passing food and blankets through the window. The young child didn’t even bother trying to fight for any of it. Every time the older boy came, he was shoved aside, forgotten and shoved away. He curled up on his spot on the ground, sniffling and trying to trap as much warmth in as he could.

All he could think was that he was grateful he wasn’t in the closet tonight. These other kids might be mean and defensive, but at least he could stretch his legs out.

“Alright, alright, ya vultures, go ta bed…” the voice of the guardian angel at the window whispered. It sounded like he was smiling, but Race didn’t look up to see. He waited for the window to click shut, just like it always did, so he could try to close his eyes and get some sleep.

The window did click shut. But footsteps were making their way towards him. Squeezing his eyes shut tight, the kid tried to ignore them, hoping they’d leave him alone if he didn’t react.

He didn’t expect a blanket to be pulled over his shivering shoulders. A hand pat his back gently as something that smelled amazing was placed just in front of him. Letting his eyes slide open, the boy realized he’d been crying. He hadn’t even noticed.

Kneeling before him was the boy from the window, holding out a piece of bread to him with a sad smile on his face. “Don’t be shy, kid… take it,” he breathed, nodding to the small bit of food that was more than Race had eaten in two days. Looking around fearfully, the ten year old waited for someone to snatch the small snack away without a second thought. Everyone was staring at him, almost like they were warning him against eating. “Hey, don’t worry about them. Just eat,” the mystery boy from the window coaxed.

It was all Race could do to comply. He slowly sat up, letting the blanket pool around him as he cautiously reached for the roll, his hands shaking all the way. When he brought the thing to his lips it was impossible to keep it away. He began devouring the thing, hardly even tasting it as it filled up his empty stomach.

A hand caught his wrists, pulling it away as the boy whimpered for more. “Hey, don’ make yourself sick. It ain’t goin’ nowhere,” the older boy promised, handing him a small bottle of water and giving him a wink before standing to his feet and glancing around. “Listen up!” he whispered to the room. Eyes were on him in an instant as Race eyed the bread in his hand. He didn’t want to disappoint the boy from the window who had shown kindness to him for no reason at all. “Anyone takes anythin’ away from my new friend n’ I’ll have ta soak ya,” he announced.

Race’s eyes shot up to him as the older boy turned back to him, squatting back down beside him. “There… now ya can take yer time, alright?” he whispered only to the scrawny ten year old on the ground beside him. “Ya can’t let ‘em beat ya.” With one click slip of Race’s chin, the boy from the window was leaving, the child watching him in awe as he slipped back out into the night as though nothing had happened.

When the little boy looked around, he found eyes staring at him in amazement. The boy from the window had never singled anyone out before. But he’d chosen Racer to talk to, of all people. He had tears in his eyes as he feared they’d pounce, not heeding the threat they’d just been given at all. But they just rolled over in their bed, letting out sighs as they all collectively agreed to leave him be, silently.

Glancing out the window again, Race broke off a piece of his roll, trying to savor this moment while he could.

He’d been given a single night of peace by his guardian angel. And he’d bask in every last minute of it.

By the end of his story, Race had resigned himself back to the couch, unable to look Jack in the eye. The young many probably saw him as pathetic now, a little kid who couldn’t fend for himself let alone keep up with three great magicians. “That piece a’ bread was all I had for the next week. Snyder… locked me in his office closet n’... h-he forgot about me. It was the first time I had ta pick a lock.”

The couch dipped beside him. Race didn’t look up. He fiddled his hands in his lap. Jack let out a long sigh beside him. It wasn’t until Jack began playing with some cards, shuffling them around expertly, that Race looked up. But Jack wasn’t looking at him. “You… you looked like my brother…” the man admitted sadly. It was clear that he was trying not to focus on his own words. The cards were the only thing that were going to get him through. “I saw you layin’ there on the floor… like you was givin’ up…” He paused, flicking some cards into the air and catching them perfectly. Not quite like how Race threw cards, but still very gracefully. “I remember how it felt ta be in there n’... the thought of a tiny kid like you givin’ up in the middle of a place like that… j’st didn’t sit right with me…”

Race watched those cards whirl around in Jack’s hand. There would never be a day that went by where it didn’t amaze him. Everything he’d learned, he’d learned because of this man. “Nothin’ about that place should sit right with anyone…” he muttered.

Letting himself fold his cards together, Jack blinked the memories away, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table in front of them. He turned to look at the kid beside him, extending out a hand to him. “Hey… survivors for the win?” he smiled.

The boy let out a breathy laugh and shook Jack’s hand. “Survivors for the win,” he agreed.

Together they sat there, messing with locks and cards and plans, forgetting about how they’d gotten there completely. But there was something a little bit lighter inside of both of them.

Survivors for the win.

#cluusheen #newsies #newsies live #newsies musical #newsies au #newsies fanfiction #now you see me #jack kelly #racetrack higgins #much love #angst #flashback #newsies rp #tw child abuse #modern au #modern era #katherine plumber #david jacobs #foster care

38 notes · View notes

surveys-at-your-service · 3 years

Text

Survey #387

“today i woke up, & i hate myself”

What common problem have you never experienced? The loss of a close family member (that doesn't include pets). Alternatively, what's an uncommon problem you have experienced? Homelessness. Do you know anyone who opposes marriage equality? I sure do. What was the last thing you got really emotional about? Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty premiering. What's the longest amount of time you've been ill for? I don't really know. I don't get sick a lot at all. Who is your closest male friend? Girt. Do you know anyone who hunts for meat? Sadly. I say "sadly" because it's not like they need it. Have you ever lived with a boyfriend/girlfriend? Yes, although I wasn't a technical resident. I was there all the time, though. What do you wash dishes with? Sponge, scrub brush, rag, something else? A sponge. Is there anything you prefer to do the old-fashioned way? There's probably something, but I can't think of anything. Do you put your glasses and mugs right side up or upside down on the cabinet shelf? Upside-down. What was the worst part of your childhood? My parents fighting. Have you ever seen a high school relationship last long-term? (like 10+yrs) Yeah. Do you know any cancer survivors? Quite a few. Leftover pizza for breakfast... yay or nay? Good shit, man. Do you personally know anyone who's a psychopath or sociopath? I don't think so. What is your most used kitchen appliance? Lately, it's been the apple slicer. I've been on a real apple slices + peanut butter kick lately. What is something that you would personally like to be remembered for? For being a caring person towards all living things. Have you ever been diagnosed as clinically depressed before? Yes. Do you like bowling? Yeah, it's fun. Do you own binoculars or nonoculars? What do you use them for? No. Do you ever wish you had a telescope on the roof or attic to stargaze? Yeah, that'd be cool. Have you ever had to deal with someone close to you going off to war? No, thankfully. Who do you feel you have the most in common with? Sara, easily. Who in your life causes you the most stress or negative feelings? My damn self lmao. Have you ever had a teacher that also taught your parents? No. My parents didn't grow up in NC. What’s one thing that people definitely CAN’T count on you for? To remember like... anything. What about something they definitely can count on you for? Someone to listen to encourage them. What’s one food that you want to try but haven’t yet? I've always thought macaroons look good. Do you have anything planned for the summer? No. Do you walk fast or slow? Slow. Would you consider yourself an adrenaline junkie? No. What is a common slang word from where you live? Plural "you" does not exist. It's "y'all," lol. What’s the scariest thing you’ve accidentally found on the internet? *shrug* Probably something as a kid, going on those sketchy websites with loads of games and stuff. Thinking of every Halloween costume you’ve had, which one was the most creative? I don't think I've had any creative costumes for Halloween. What’s one random city you want to visit? It's not exactly "random" as it's a popular location, but anyway, I would love to visit Venice. What subjects do you or did you get the worst grades in? Math. When was the last time you ate cake and what type of cake was it? That's a good question, actually. Maybe my niece's birthday in February? I don't remember what kind of cake it was. Do you have photos to go with all of the contacts in your phone? No; I don't have any. Do you like snowy winter days or do you prefer rainy days? SNOWY! Name 3 things you find most beautiful in nature: Mountains, large waterfalls, and desert dunes in the wind. If you could ask one person one questions and get a completely honest answer who would it be and what would you ask? Jason. I'd ask if he thought I was emotionally abusive. What is your favorite winter activity? Building snowmen. Who is the greatest singer who is no longer living? Freddie Mercury. What is your idea of heaven? I don't know, really... I have to ask myself IS there a heaven in eternity? Living forever just... doesn't appeal to me. "Living" is an odd word to use there, but hopefully you get it. Existing on and on and on and on seems like it'd just be a drag, but at the same time I do like the thought of feeling relentlessly happy and peaceful with my loved ones. I guess that would be my definition of it, if it does exist. What’s one of the scariest things you’ve ever done? ODed. Have you ever watched the Superbowl all the way through? Just once, on my 16th birthday because I was at Jason's place and all of his family was watching it. I had absolutely zero interest, but we wanted to hang with the family. If you had to move to another country, where would you move? Canada. Do you watch American Horror Story? I haven't in years. It was Jason's and my first "show," and the first season was excellent. I lost interest in the second one, honestly. I'd be up for watching other seasons, though. How many relationships have you been in this year? None. What's your favorite cereal? Probably Cinnamon Toast Crunch. That's also the only cereal where I can happily drink the milk afterwards. Twitter or Facebook? Facebook. Do you like to paint your nails? No. What's the coolest place you've ever been to? Disney World, probably. Have you ever punched anyone? No. What's something you wish you knew how to do? Cook. :/ I really need to make an effort to learn. It'd be great to not rely on a microwave for the rest of my life. What's a celebrity that everyone likes but you don't? *shrug* What food do you eat the most? Probably bread in some form or another. That really needs to stop. Green or purple grapes? Either one, but they have to be firm. I cannooooooot with soft grapes. Have you ever cried over a text? Yeah. What's the background of your phone of? My lock screen is this pretty, simplistic periwinkle color with "work on you for you" written on it. It's one I plan on keeping for probably a long time because I connect to it so deeply with my stupid damn head frequently demanding I have to improve "for Jason" to prove him wrong. Which is a very unhealthy mindset to have, I know. My home screen is a cute lil Mark edit someone made with a very similar pale blue background, so my phone is just currently an #aesthetic. Do you have a Snapchat? No. What's your favorite sports team? (if you like sports)? I don't like sports, but I'm biased towards the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team because of my dad. Last thing you ate? I had Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast. Do you take a lot of selfies? Definitely not. I just hate how I look so much; it takes way too much effort for me to get an "acceptable" one. Do you prefer strawberries or cherries? Strawberries. I hate cherries. How many hours of sleep did you get last night? Maybe like, three. -_- Our A/C is still out, and it was like, 87 in the house last night. It was impossible to sleep. Do you listen to music daily? Not EVERY day, but usually. Biggest insecurity? My weight. Do you play video games? Not as much as I used to. I'd probably play way more if I actually had a PS4 + the games I'm DYING to have. Do you consider yourself lazy? "Yes, but a lot of it is also health related for my lack of energy and motivation." <<<< This for me as well. What recently made you laugh? I was watching a bit of The Nanny with Mom yesterday. We love that show. Do you like gummy bears? Yep. What was the last song you listened to? I'm randomly hooked on "My Nocturnal Serenade" by YOHIO. Like, I've known the song for a long time, but NOW I'm bingeing it???? Describe your mom with one word. Selfless. What's the biggest turn-off? Probably being misogynistic. But being a cocky ass is definitely high up there, too. What fish scares you the most? Mfkng whale sharks terrify me. How do you feel about snails? They're cuties!!! What's your favorite app? Pokemon GO. Would you rather time travel into the past or future? The future, to see what's coming. I feel like you could come back with some pretty valuable information. What is the saddest song you've ever heard? I think "Terrible Things" by Mayday Parade has to come on top. What insect do you hate the most? I was reminded that stag beetles exist last night, and omfg those. Well, "hate" is the wrong word, really, I'm just terrified of them. Would you ever have a wild animal as a pet if possible? I 110% want to rescue an opossum, emphasis on "rescue." I'm not plucking one from the wild or anything like that. I would be in HEAVEN raising one of those angels. Are there any decorations that makes you happy? (lights, candles, plants..) I love those beds decorated with fairy lights, and just Christmas lights in general. Halloween and Christmas decor tend to give me sparks of happiness when I see 'em. Does race matter to you when it comes to dating? Not at all for me. When was the last time you painted something? Not since I was still in school and took a Painting course. When was the last time you really felt alive, and what were you doing? I have NO idea. What is one question you would like an answer to? Why the worst things tend to happen to good people. Name one favorite thing to do with kids while babysitting. I don't babysit, but if I was to be in charge of a kid, I'd love to teach them to play video games from my childhood. Playing Pokemon with my niece and nephew is always a blast, ahhhh. Name one flavor you like. Strawberry is pretty consistent. Name one thing you are hoping for. Venus' new terrarium soon... big sigh. I can't for the life of me find one that's a reasonable price and also adequately sized. I'm willing to put the rest of my cash into it, but Mom is helping, so I can't just buy the first one I see. Then I'd need more substrate, I seriously want a temperature gun and hygrometer, a cool hide, sticks and stuff for cover... It's going to be expensive, but I want Venus to have a truly proper environment she can thrive in. Write the name of one of your imaginary friends from when you were younger. Oddly enough, I can't remember the imaginary wolf that was my "friend." I say "oddly" because his whole idea was important to me as a weird-ass kid. Name one girl's name that starts with a "J" that you like. "Justine." Name one boy's name that starts with a "J" that you like. Maybe "Jaxson." Have you ever been kissed? Yeah. Have you ever feared that you would be killed? It's never been like, a fear I actively worry about. I just acknowledge it's always a possibility for anyone. What is the last great opportunity you missed? This was quite a while ago by now, but I'd say by dropping out of school, I really let photography opportunities slip since I became the newspaper photographer...

#survey #surveys #questions #lyrics: ''under the graveyard'' by ozzy osbourne

3 notes · View notes

thejakeformerlyknownasprince · 4 years

Note

Please, obligatory "hunger games au" please?

[Technically a Catching Fire AU, since I didn’t actually want to write all the protagonists killing each other, but the concept is the same.]

When the announcement of the Quarter Quell comes, past Hunger Games champions to be reaped all over again, Rachel thinks Oh. Thinks, they were always going to find a way to get rid of me.

She cheated, after all. Broke the Games, ensuring two winners instead of just one. The poison passing between her lips and Marco’s. The defiant dare: that the Capitol could have two survivors, or it could have none. She and Marco sobbed out their love as they clung to each other later that day, and it’s been enough to keep them alive until now. But it was never going to last.

When she tells Marco this, he laughs. “It’s not just us, though. Think about it.” He ticks them off on his fingers as he goes. “Erek sabotaged the Arena itself to win. James was one of the figureheads of the District 6 protest. Ax is too well-liked by too many important people. Even your boy Tobias smuggled all of those Avoxes out of the Capitol — no, don’t try to deny it, it’s not like I don’t know.”

“So it’s not just us people are rallying behind,” Rachel says. “We’re not the only troublemakers.”

Marco winks at her. “You are the rallying point, my dear. I’m just your adorable side piece.”

“If it had to happen again, better that it do so while you’re still young and strong and pretty,” Alloran intones. He’s looking over Ax and Estrid, unamused as always. “Better yet, Aximili, you could’ve kept your mouth shut and we wouldn’t be here at all.”

Ax shrugs. He’s one of dozen surviving male champions from District 4, so it’s just bad luck that he’s got an honorable streak he can’t seem to shake. Ax is pretty sure that if his own name had been called then Alloran would’ve volunteered in his place, which is why he’d volunteered for Alloran.

“We’re both out of practice,” Estrid says. “I’ve been in biotech labs for most of the last thirteen years, and Ax’s been getting fat entertaining the upper crust—”

“Do not speak about things you do not understand,” Alloran says flatly, and Estrid shuts up.

Ax keeps his expression pleasantly neutral. He’s very good at it, by now. “She has a point,” he says. “We’re both past our prime.”

“Not as far past as I am.” Alloran narrows his eyes at Ax, almost certainly still angry about Ax not letting him go die in the Games. Alloran might have been a butcher in the Arena in his own time, but he’s seventy-six years old.

Ax lifts his chin. “Tell us what you would have us do, mentor.”

“Go on, start making friends,” Nora says quietly, looking over the lunch room. “It’s high time you got to work on your strategy. Rachel’s no good at alliances — just look at that kid Karen she helped through half the last games. So it’s all on you.”

Marco makes no move to go join anyone. “We shouldn’t delude ourselves about my chances. Last time, I was up against mostly half-starved kids, and I still would’ve died if Rachel hadn’t carried me through, sometimes literally. Now?” he says. “Twenty-three warriors. Every single one of them a card-carrying baby-killer. My scintillating wit and charm aren’t going to be enough this time.”

“So you have no strategy at all, then.” Nora only says it because she knows it’s not true. She knows his mind; she sponsored him in his own Games, and then they co-sponsored eight other kids. Hell, after what happened to his parents, and hers, each of them is the closest thing the other one has left to family.

“Probably for the best if my strategy doesn’t depend on trusting any of these people,” Marco counters.

“Not even the District 10 girl?”

“What, Cassie? Just because she cries over ‘em after she kills them doesn’t mean she’s not still a killer. I don’t trust her any more than David.”

Nora smiles grimly. “In that case, you’re probably trusting David too much.” David won 10 years back by luring several tributes into deadly traps with promises of or requests for aid, and then ripping apart their bodies even after they were long dead. The first kill he’d made had been the 12-year-old girl from his own district, who’d given him some of her food and then been too weak to resist as he held her face-down in the mud until she’d stopped struggling.

“Maybe I’ll go cower behind one of the Careers, see if that’ll keep me alive,” Marco says. “Big Jake, for one.” Jake Berenson of District 2 is from a long bloodline of Career tributes, one that has turned out more champions per dead child than any other. He’s well-liked, well-fed, and strong enough to kill barehanded.

“Erek King,” Nora suggests. “You know, the District 3 boy? He doesn’t look like much, but he probably won’t turn on you.”

Marco snorts. “He’s only a pacifist until you back him into a corner. Just like the rest of us.”

“Hold the lift!” someone calls, and Cassie lunges forward to punch the door-open button. Both District 12 tributes slide into the elevator with her, panting slightly. They’re no longer on fire, she’s glad to see.

“Thanks,” Rachel says. She and Marco are still holding hands, as always, but up close it looks like Rachel is holding Marco upright by their shared grip.

Marco barely lets the doors close before leaning heavily into Rachel’s arm and kicking off one of his shoes. It clatters loudly across the floor, and Cassie realizes it has an almost eight-inch heel — their stylist’s trick to make Marco taller than Rachel. Marco lowers himself to the floor, standing on his own now, and yanks at the other shoe. It catches on the hem of his robe, and with a hiss of annoyance he rips that off too, revealing that he wears nothing underneath.

Cassie turns away, feeling her face flush.

“What, like you’ve never seen a naked man before?” Rachel asks, laughing. “You were at the opening ceremony, you saw what Ax was — and wasn’t — wearing.”

Yes, and Cassie had felt sick to her stomach watching the way the crowd ogled him, a piece of meat that they couldn’t wait to devour.

“Come now, my love, you know style’s all part of the strategy, for that one especially,” Marco says to Rachel. He’s not wrong: if Ax can play the crowd well enough, the sponsors might even be able to get him another version of that scythe-thing he favors.

“Doesn’t mean it’s not crass, sweetheart.” Rachel grins at him. “Kind of like stripping down in an elevator to try and shock the baby tribute.”

“Doubt I interest her, my darling,” Marco says, “seeing as I’m not a muttation.” He laughs and adds, “not yet, anyway.”

Cassie realizes she still hasn’t said a word. Not about the nudity, not about the taunting reference to her own victory, earned when she nursed an injured muttation back to life and taught it to kill for her. And what’s she supposed to say? One of these two will kill her, likely as not, before the week is out.

The best that Tobias can say about his own interview is that he manages not to let anything show on his face. He does his best to answer the questions — about District 11, about his feather-patterned costume, about what he thinks Crayak has planned for the games ahead — in ways that are unremarkable and inoffensive. He and Melissa both won, eight years apart, with the same strategy: they’re small and lithe and easily underestimated, but they’re also able to flit through the trees well overhead of their fellow tributes without being spotted until it’s too late. Now, the advantage of surprise is gone with the broadcast of his last Games, and the advantage of agility disappeared with the bottom half of his right leg after infection set in. He’s going to die. But he wants to die with dignity, he told Melissa last night, even though he knows that probably won’t be possible.

Rachel and Marco both have it easy during the interview process. All Marco has to do is tell the story of Rachel first trying on her flaming dress, and how beautiful she’d looked to his eyes even while waiting for her hair to catch on fire. The audience is eating it up, laughing and cheering even as many of them sob openly throughout. Rachel’s so stunning in her wedding dress, even as it crumbles to ash around her, that it’s easy to fall in love with her through Marco’s eyes. When she promises to protect what is hers, staring fiercely into the camera with clenched jaw and narrowed eyes, half the Capitol falls in love with Marco all over again.

Cassie’s interview is still the most interesting, in that she gets six words into a protest speech about the treatment of the outer districts before her mic cuts off and a “technical malfunction” shuts down the conversation. Jake’s is exactly what you’d expect from a Career, lots of shrugging and mumbling and letting his bulk speak for itself, while Ax’s causes no less than fourteen rapturous fainting spells as various audience members are overcome with the power of their love for him.

All in all, Tobias is pretty sure he fades into the mass of tributes — Collette in her wheelchair, Loren who smirks under opaque glasses, Taylor whose beauty remains undiminished by her three prosthetic limbs — whom everyone has written off as unlikely to win. It’s probably for the best, Tobias assumes. If it comes down to that, he’ll be just like the rebels and sponsors: fighting tooth and nail to keep Rachel alive.

Rachel buries her face against Marco’s neck, dark hair and blond tangling together. “I think…” she breathes against his skin, too soft for the microphones to detect. “I think maybe we can trust the Ellimist.”

She feels his jaw tighten where they’re pressed together. Marco’s the cynic who dances them away from the worst of the traps; she’s the optimist too stubborn to know when she’s been beat. They make a good team. She owes her life to his inspired decision to declare his love for her on live TV just as much as he owes her for the trick with the berries.

“He’s one of the Gamemakers,” Marco hisses. “Fuck that.”

Rachel shakes her head just a little. “He showed me… I can’t explain it, not here. Just— Do you think you can trust me?”

“Always.” Marco sounds like he means it, because he’s skilled like that. “Always.”

Ax does his best to breathe, in the seconds between their ascent into the Arena and the gong signifying the land mines’ deactivation that will release them from their pressure pads to begin the Games. He’s a warrior, the servant of his district and his family. He has volunteered twice now, once in Arbron’s place, once in Alloran’s. Let it be done.

Across the way, he sees that even as Rachel rises into position she’s already making some busy motion with both hands close to her chest. Ax can’t see clearly what she’s doing, but he sees Tobias’s eyes go wide in alarm.

Tobias frantically shakes his head, but Rachel ignores him. She scans the lines of tributes until she finds her target. When she does, her smile grows vicious. Her right hand flashes out as she throws an object full-force at David’s face.

It’s her belt buckle, Ax realizes. A nearly-useless weapon, small and blunt. But does the job. When it smacks David squarely in the cheek it throws him off balance. Enough that he staggers back two steps — straight off the pressure pad, ten seconds before the gong.

Wha-BOOM!

The concussion of the land mine triggering breezes against Ax’s face nearly twenty yards away. And just like that, the 75th Hunger Games begin.

The instant the gong sounds, Marco is off and running. Headed for Rachel. She whips around when she hears his approach, sliding into a defensive stance, but she relaxes by millimeters when she sees that it’s him.

Without any discussion, she and Marco and Tobias fall into a loose phalanx, facing outward with makeshift weapons in hand. All Marco’s managed to grab so far is a piece of the platform he was on, but improvised weapons have always been his specialty. He’s yanking and twisting sharp edges into place like this is yet another chunk of District 12 fence ripped from its posts, when something whistles over his head.

He ducks, almost too late. Taylor’s knife flies past, embedding itself in the backpack that Rachel holds up to shield herself. Rachel yanks the knife loose and flips it around in her hand. Beside her, Tobias holds a stick like a club, staring around wildly.

Taylor’s second knife never leaves her hand. Instead she dives forward, headed for Marco’s throat —

Shink.

Taylor coughs hot blood onto Marco’s face. The steel that killed her yanks loose from her body as Ax pulls his blade back into his hand.

It’s almost faster than Marco’s eyes can follow. The chain it’s on whips behind him, then snaps outward again. This time the scythe-thing takes a girl’s hand clean off at the wrist. Again Ax snaps it back to himself, coiled and at the ready faster than thought.

Marco sees Rachel go pale as she registers the kusarigama in Ax’s hand. It’s like a chain mace with a bladed head, a machete attached to the end of a bullwhip. Not the kind of thing that one finds at a corner store in Panem. The kind of thing that the Gamemakers must have placed here, after having seen the way that Ax wields one like it’s an extra limb. The kind of thing they must have put down deliberately, if they wanted him to win.

“We have to go!” Tobias shouts.

Marco gestures for him to lead the way. There’s no use sticking around to get slaughtered at the Cornucopia, and especially no use risking Rachel. The three of them take off at a steady run, leaving Ax’s graceful slaughter in their wake.

Jake kills a muttation just as it is sneaking up on Marco and Tobias. This makes no sense, Marco concludes, but there’s no time to question it.

Marco takes a thrown hatchet to the shoulder protecting Rachel, because that’s all he can do. He tells himself that he isn’t hurt when she hisses angrily that there’s no one left to impress so he can just stop with the lover-boy act now.

Ax kills the District 3 tribute who nearly killed Marco, but then refuses to kill Marco even as he’s lying wounded on the ground.

They don’t seem to understand, Marco wants to shout, that he’s not important. Rachel — beautiful Rachel, strong fierce tough Rachel, Rachel who can launch a thousand ships with the power of her bravery — is the important one. Marco’s just the clever little schemer who showed the Capitol who she is, just set dressing in her story.

The Games… don’t work the way they’re supposed to. Six tributes die of smoke inhalation. One drowns. There are four murders, and then no more. The remaining thirteen, and then twelve, and then eleven, keep allying with each other. Crayak’s direct intervention, or maybe the Ellimist’s, whittles their numbers, but the survivors keep drawing in tighter and helping one another. And if everyone is allied, no one is killing.

“So what’s it going to be, then?” Jake asks. He glances around at all of them, but his eyes meet Ax’s and hold there. Ax stares steadily back.

There’s a wary sort of camaraderie there, and Cassie knows its source. In a way, these two are just the same. Each one is his family’s second chance at a champion. They are seconds sons, both of whom watched older brothers volunteer and be shipped off to the Arena. Both of whom watched their brothers’ state-sponsored murder in full technicolor on 20-foot screens. Both of whom volunteered in their turn. Career tributes, yes, but the sort of Careers who lack all delusions of glory or honor.

“Let’s do it.” Rachel speaks first. She’s the first pick in her own family. First of three. And Cassie chills to think of the things that Rachel has already proven willing to do, in order to prevent her little sisters’ entering the Arena.

“You know I’m with you,” Tobias says, smiling sadly at Rachel. She smiles back, brushing the back of her hand over his.

Those two are cousins, if the Capitol propaganda is to be believed, but Cassie wasn’t born yesterday. Marco and Rachel are very good at playing the game behind the game — so good, in fact, that they’re engaged to be married and claim to have a kid on the way — but up close, they’re also very obviously playing, their flirtation only a game to them. It’s Tobias and Rachel who look at each other with real affection, with real desperation. But their story didn’t advance the cause, and so the Capitol took advantage of a passing resemblance — blond hair, long limbs — for its own ends.

“No offense,” Marco says, in a tone that guarantees he’s about to cause offense, “but why would we ever believe you people? Some of us who didn’t grow up on three servings of meat a day bought by past kids’ victories need proof that you Careers aren’t just going to turn on us.”

“You have no reason to trust us,” Jake says. “None of us has any reason to trust any of the others. But I will tell you this much: the Capitol needs us to hate and fear each other, or else this whole sick enterprise cannot continue. You can all do what you want, but I’m going to choose to believe that maybe, just maybe, everyone else here wants to go down defying the Capitol rather than continuing to play puppet for their entertainment.”

Ax plants the end of his kusarigama against the ground, expression hard with determination. “You tell us what to do, and I will follow.”

“Yeah.” Rachel laughs, tossing her head back. “What he said. Let’s start kicking the asses of some people whose asses actually deserve to be kicked for once.”

They’re hiding in District 13. Turns out that’s still a thing. Marco got away from the Gamemakers; Nora did not. Marco surprises himself with how much he misses her, like maybe he did care about her after all. It’s too late now, though. The next time he sees her, she’ll be brainwashed and mind-controlled, if she’s even still alive.

“Hi, there.” Cassie sits down next to Marco at one of the long cafeteria tables. She turns to follow the direction of his gaze.

Rachel’s sitting across the room, leaning close to talk to Tobias. The two of them hold hands across the table, able to be affectionate in front of witnesses for the first time in their lives. Rachel doesn’t seem to realize, caught up in conversation as she is, how easy she is to love. She doesn’t know the effect she has, and maybe that’s part of her power. She wasn’t lying when she said she only volunteered to save Jordan, and she’s not lying now when she promises to save all of Panem.

“For you it’s real, isn’t it?” Cassie asks quietly. “She has no idea, and neither did I at first… but you really are in love with her.”

Marco laughs, tempted to deny it. But what would be the point? “Isn’t everyone?”

297 notes · View notes

keplercryptids · 4 years

Text

nonfiction LGBTQ+ books i read this year

i read a lot this year, and a good chunk of it was LGBTQ+ nonfiction. so i thought it might be nice to list what i read. as a note, many of these books deal with LGBTQ history in the United States. too often, mainstream US-centric LGBTQ texts focus on white middle-class cisgender folks, though I’ve done my best to balance that as much as possible with other perspectives. (that being said, if you got ‘em, i would LOVE book recommendations that tackle worldwide/non-white LGBTQ issues!)

Accessibility notes: Given the nature of the genre, there’s a lot of intense discussion re: homophobia and transphobia. Basically every book listed covers those things to some extent, and I’ve specified where there’s additional potentially triggering content. (If you have specific questions about triggers, please let me know!) also, some of these books are on the academic side. I’ve done my best to note when a book was very academic or when I found it to be more readable. (full disclosure on that note: I’m a college grad and voracious reader without any reading-specific learning disabilities, so my opinion may be different than yours!) as a final note, I was able to access most of these as e-books/audiobooks through my local library. I live in a major metropolitan area, if that gives you any idea of how easy it’ll be for you to find these books. I’ve noted when a book was more difficult to get my hands on.

History

Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World 1890-1940 by George Chauncey. As the title suggests, this book focuses on gay male communities in NYC pre-World War 2. Even with that limited scope, this is an important read to better understand gay male history in the early 20th century. Gay communities thrived in the early 1900s and this snapshot of that is really wonderful. This is definitely more of an academic read, but I highly recommend it. while it definitely focuses on white middle-class gay men, there was more discussion of poor and/or gay men of color than i had actually expected, so that’s nice. (CW for rape and sexual assault, homophobic violence and medicalization of homosexuality.)

Queering the Color Line: Race and the Invention of Homosexuality in American Culture by Siobhan B. Somerville. Finally, a book about queer history that actually talks about black people! I was expecting more of a history book, whereas this was more of a critique of specific novels, plays and movies of the early 1900s and was way more focused than i was expecting. don’t get me wrong, I majored in English lit so i’m super into that kind of analysis as well, it just wasn’t as far-reaching as I would have liked. Also, it’s very academic. (Only the print version was available at my library.) (CW for racism, mentions of slavery.)

Transgender History by Susan Striker. This book describes itself as an “approachable introductory text” to transgender history in the US, which I agree with. It’s a pretty short read given the enormity of the topic, so it doesn’t go into much detail about specific groups or events, but imo it’s a good introduction. Especially interesting to me was the information about where and when TERF ideology began. Academic but on the easier-to-read side. (CW for transphobia, gross TERF rhetoric, brief mentions of the AIDS crisis, police violence.)

Gay Revolution by Lillian Faderman. okay so, I gave this 1 star. it’s probably a good book if you know absolutely nothing about US LGBTQ history and want an intro, but a review on goodreads said that it should be called Gay Assimilation instead and i completely agree. Faderman focuses on white middle-to-upper class gay and lesbian assimilationists, often at the expense of radical queer and trans people of color. The latter is hardly mentioned at all, which is ridiculous given trans folks’ contributions to the LGBTQ movement. When radical people ARE mentioned, it’s often in a disparaging way, or in a way that positions the radicals as too extreme. Faderman constantly repeats the refrain that the fight for LGBT rights was “just like what black people did for their rights” without any addendum about why that is...not a good take. There’s no meaningful discussion of race, class or intersectionality. She lauds Obama as a hero for the gays and there’s a ton (I mean a TON) of content about how military acceptance + gay marriage = we won, or whatever. anyway, i wasn’t a fan, although many of the events and organizations discussed in this book are important to know just from a factual basis. (CW for all the stuff I mentioned, plus police violence, medicalization of homosexuality. it’s also fucking LONG so i recommend the audiobook, lol.)

Queer (In)Justice: The Criminalization of LGBT People in the United States by Joey L. Mogul, Andrea J. Ritchie, and Kay Whitlock. This is “a searing examination of queer experiences--as ‘suspects,’ defendants, prisoners, and survivors of crime.” A frequently upsetting but super important read about how LGBTQ identities have been policed in the past, and currently are policed today. i wish there was more focus on trans folks, but other than that it’s a solid read. (CW for all the things you’d expect a book about policing and imprisoning LGBTQ folks to include: police and institutionalized violence, sexual assault, transphobia, homophobia.)

Stonewall by Martin Duberman. This book follows the lives and activism of six LGBTQ folks before, during and after the Stonewall riots. Note: Stonewall itself is only discussed in one chapter about 2/3 of the way through, the rest of the book dedicated to the six individuals’ lives and activism up to and after that point. It’s a history book with a strong narrative focus that I found to be a fairly accessible read. (CW for minors engaging in sex work and sexual predation by adults, sexual and domestic violence, police violence, drug and alcohol abuse, mentions of suicide.)

And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts. This is a HEAVY but really important read about the AIDS epidemic in the US, tracking the disease and the political/cultural response from about 1980-1985. It’s journalistic nonfiction, so although it’s a very long book I found it easier to read than more academic-y books. the only thing i really disliked was how the book demonized “Patient Zero” in quite unfair ways, but it was originally published in ‘87 so that explains part of it. I want to stress again that it’s heavy, as you’d expect a book about thousands of deaths to be. (CW: oh boy where to start. Graphic descriptions of disease/death, graphic descriptions of sex, medical neglect, republican nonsense.)

Memoirs, essays, etc

Persistence: All Ways Butch and Femme edited by Ivan E. Coyote. i felt mixed about this one! i appreciated the different perspectives regarding gender and desire, especially since this anthology contains a lot of essays by people who came of age in the 60s-80s (so there’s a historical bent too). but some of the essays feel dated, at best, and offensive at worst. there was more than one instance of TERF-y ideology thrown in. probably 1/4 of the essays were really really great, and i’d still recommend reading it in order to form your own opinions--also, imo it’s useful to see where TERF ideology comes from. this book was harder to find, and i had to order a print version through interlibrary loan. (CW for a few TERFy essays. i read this earlier in the year so it’s possible i’m forgetting some other triggers, sorry!)

Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by (editors) Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman. Serving as a follow-up of sorts to Bornstein’s Gender Outlaw, this is a collection of narratives by transgender and gender-nonconforming folks. While not “history” in a technical sense, many of the writers are 30+ and give a wide array of LGBTQ+ experiences, past and present, that are important. I didn’t agree with every single viewpoint, of course, duh! But some of the essays were really powerful and overall it’s a good read. (CW for one essay about eating disorders, some outdated language/reclaimed slurs as to be expected--language is one of the main themes of the collection actually so the “outdatedness” is important.)

S/He by Minnie Bruce Pratt. A memoir published in 1995, focusing on Minnie’s life, marriage, gender identity, eventual coming out and relationship with Leslie Feinberg. i really enjoyed this one. it was beautifully written. there are many erotic elements to this memoir so keep that in mind. also was a little harder to get, and i had to order a print version via interlibrary loan. (i read this awhile ago and can’t remember specific triggers, sorry! if anyone knows of some, please let me know.)

I’m Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya. A memoir by a trans woman ruminating on masculinity. it’s beautiful and very short (truly more of a longform essay), so it’s a good one if you don’t have the attention span/time for longer books. (CW for sexism, harassment, transphobia.)

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde. god, this memoir is gorgeous and is one of my favorite books of the year. it chronicles Audre’s childhood in Harlem and her coming-of-age in the 1950s as a lesbian. ultimately, this is a book about love and that resonates throughout every page. idk can you tell i loved this book so much??? (CW for child abuse, sexual assault, a friend’s suicide, racism.)

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib. suuuuch a good book! Samra writes about her life as she and her family arrive in Canada as refugees from Pakistan in her early childhood, onto her life today as a queer Muslim woman of color, photographer and activist. beautifully written and just such an important perspective. Only the print version was available at my library. (CW for child sexual assault, a suicide attempt and suicidal ideation, non-graphic mentions of domestic violence, racism and sexism.)

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kababe. this is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel memoir about the author’s journey of discovering eir identity as queer. i related to a lot of it, which was great on a personal level, but i also think it could be a great educational tool for those wanting to know more about gender queerness (especially for those who prefer graphic novels!) (CW for gender dysphoria, descriptions of gynecological exams, imagery of blood and a couple pages depicting being impaled, some nudity, vomit.)

#lgbtq history #lgbtq #book recs #lgbtq books #lgbtq nonfiction #booktalk #queer history #queer

213 notes · View notes

beesatthedisco · 4 years

Text

How does this even work...

Okay, so I’ve been on tumblr since before the first time they very slightly changed the shade of blue and I hope that in and of itself is enough to help y’all know... I’m ancient. (I’m 27, and will only rp with ppl 18+, sorry friendos)

Somehow, despite being on tumblr and despite having made about a million accounts for various things in my day, I’ve not made an RP account, and don’t really know how to get started. I guess I’m just gonna put down what I know about myself and what I’m looking for here and hope for the best, but I’d be open to any kind of protips from those of you who have been using tumblr to find rp for much longer.

RIP to your eyes ahead of time, this is a long post. If you want to skip to the part where I share my Original plots, pairings, and fandom cravings, please just scroll to the end and accept my humble apologies. (Highkey I copied this out of my google doc, don’t shoot me.)

I enjoy writing both original plots and fandom stuff. When RPing within a fandom setting, I'm open to playing as canons, as ocs, or any combination of both. I'm open to co-creating settings inspired but not based in fandoms, and open to playing AU or canon settings as well. When originals are involved, I prefer co-creating our worlds together, so we're both invested in the landscape that our characters inhabit. Speaking of characters- I'll play as any gender and in any pairing type- I hope that this is the same for you. I love writing a broad spectrum of characters to keep things interesting for myself and to practice viewing the world through different perspectives. I feel it's difficult to do this when being forced or pigeonholed into writing as a gender you DEMAND of me. However... I can be flexible, and if your ideas are interesting enough, I may just give you what you ask for anyways, haha. I'm perfectly open to playing multiple characters, whether it's a broad interactive cast of mains and background characters, a system of noninteracting or separate sets of doubles, triples, you name it, or whatever other configuration of multiple-character-playing you prefer.

I'm not too terribly concerned about post lengths and am open to writing with people who might be new to the RP scene. I'm pretty flexible about how much I'll write. A good rule of thumb for myself is that I tend to respond with more when I have more to work with. That doesn't always mean that there are more words on your post for me to respond to; instead, I mean that if your post has enough ideas, inspiration, and momentum, I can go buckwild with my posts. My comfort zone seems to be around 4-6 paragraphs per post, but I've been known to write either a lot more in particularly thrilling rps. If I'm writing a huge post- don't feel daunted or expected to match length. I love all sized posts!!! I'm just overly enthusiastic and get carried away sometimes. (This means you can also at any time tell me to chill out on how much I'm writing. ) When it comes to writing style, I only have a few hard expectations of you- I do not engage in roleplay featuring the 'would' style of writing. (For example: "She would pick up the rock and inspect it closely.") I don't exactly know why I dislike this tense so much, but it pulls me right out of the immersion of writing/reading and tends to entirely destroy my interest in the story. I'm sorry. Next, I care at least a little about punctuation and spellchecking. If you're roleplaying online, you have access to ways to make sure that you're not just submitting gibberish. If you need help finding those resources... feel free to ask!

I'm open to the idea of making profiles for our characters, but I'm okay without making them too. I'm also vaguely ambivalent to 'beautifying' our posts, should we do them somewhere that allows that sort of thing. I'm fine with any style of reference images, or with not using them at all. I can't promise I won't send you songs and images and memes that remind me of our story, though! Also- I'm super down for dice systems if we decide to go that route (and prefer dice systems if we include combat of any variety in our story.) I love romance, but it doesn't necessarily have to be the drive of our plot if that's not your style. My favorite genres to write in are science fiction, any variety of fantasy, horror, drama, historical settings, wild western settings, and mysteries.

Last but not least, I tend to like making friends with my writing partners. I prefer writing with people I actually get along with, so for me, the plotting phase is the most important. It helps me get to know your personality a bit more, and you mine, so we both know whether or not it's a good match to write long term! I'll write on most platforms, so let's discuss what makes the most sense for us. Finally, I generally only write with folks 18+, for the safety of everyone involved. Thanks for understanding.

Well, as I said, I've got a big ol list of ideas, if any of this strikes you as 'good writing friend' material, so send me a DM and I'll get back to you asap! Feel free to share your ideas too!!!

Original Ideas

- There's something dire down in the mines to the east of this old Western town. Folks keep goin' in to investigate, disappearin' for days at a time, then comin' back all different-like with the lights gone from their eyes. What could be happenin' out there, sheriff? (horror/western)

- A high-fantasy world's balance is shattered when the source of magic is destroyed. How will the people of this mystical land navigate a now mundane life, and how can they survive when so many magical devices go defunct and awry?

- A no-magic world is suddenly spun into chaos: an apocalyptic event leads to the sudden introduction of magic into a world that had previously never known it. In the post-apocalyptic (and mystically-charged) ashes of a world that once was, how do the survivors compete for resources and control?

- A star falls from the sky! They're rare, and it's dangerous to be one. Are you the star, hunted and lost? Or are you someone who finds a star?

- A lich (my character) is rumored to live in the castle at the foot of the mountains, only a mile or so from your town. It's said they're a true villain, the worst of the worst... but what is the truth?

-Arranged Marriages between physical embodiments of the seasons or planets

-A sailor, pirate, or other seafarer keeps noticing the same shape in the waters near their ship. After a terrible storm, the ship wrecks… now, one’s a mermaid, one’s a sailor, and they’re both idiots trying to find their way back home.

-Disaster has struck! A grisly assassination attempt leads a bodyguard to quickly usher their liege to safety. Drama ensues!

-Stowaways, and the people who catch 'em!

- Androids and more androids! Or... androids and non-androids!

-In a dwindling-magic world, those who cling to the olde magicks and the old way of living struggle against the new capitalist society and its nonmagic technology. In one still-magickal neighborhood where our story takes place, shopkeepers fight against nonmagickal gentrification in an effort to keep their businesses, communities, and traditions alive.

- A wandering traveler gets caught in a storm and chances upon an abandoned home, castle, or manor.... oh no!

- A train hopping crust punk encounters the ghost of a fellow train-hopper who fell under the rails and died.

- A living person's computer, gaming device, or phone is inhabited by a flirty ghost!

- There's a friendly but sad ghost living in a living person's new home! (Can you tell I like ghosts?)

Original (and corny) pairing ideas

fairy or elf / vampire or other dark creature

vampire / human

god / mortal

demon / angel or other dark/light archetypical pairings

dragon / humanoid

naval captain / stowaway

mob boss / citizen

superhero / supervillain

serial killer / investigator

serial killer / citizen

Bounty hunter/outlaw

outlaw/sherriff

outlaw/outlaw

farmhand/outlaw

Current Fandom Interests/Cravings

Pokemon - preferably with ocs and in a custom setting ft. all the ‘mons/us playing as humans

Elder Scrolls - pls, i’m craving this almost more than anything, and have been for years

Red Dead Redemption - it is cowboy time now

Legend of Zelda - i have a couple of cute ideas for this!

Avatar/Legend of Korra

Labyrinth - please please please someone play jareth for me, ill give you my firstborn in exchange

Star Wars - currently a little burned out on playing as kylo for everyone, so please don’t ask me to be him dlfkjdslfj

Game of Thrones

Lord of the Rings

Night in the Woods

Brutal Legend - does anyone but me remember this??? Omfg lets rp in this setting PLS

The Dragon Prince

18 notes · View notes

jbbuckybarnes · 4 years

Text

Zerfall - 9/14

Pairing: Bucky x named!Reader (Agent Andromeda) Summary: After Hydra drops virus bombs in 7 major American cities in the height of summer, the team is locked in their emergency bunker for weeks. The virus commonly called the Summer Poison successfully brought the infrastructure to a halt in all big cities. When the virus slowly starts burning itself out SHIELD Agents and Avengers are sent out to bring back order into the cities and the international relationships. Not without hurdles. Warnings for this chapter: Pandemic, crime, canon typical violence, flirting, angst. Not beta read. **Image credit goes to Ubisoft.

Zerfall Masterlist || M a s t e r l i s t

The day after your little movie night was spent with taking down bases in the Central Park Zoo and the Bethesda Fountain. Being on equal ground with the enemies was making it a little bit harder but the civilians actually were pretty good at that after patrolling for weeks now. Some of the animals were roaming free in the zoo, some were still happily in their areas and some starved to death. The moment you personally lost it was when you found a wild cat that was shot to death. “God, what does an almost extinct animal have to do with fucking humanity going down the drain. Bastards!” You growled before sitting down in front of it, petting the poor soul. “Eda? Can you send Helen a message asking what to do with this one? Burying or freezing for DNA?” You mumbled into the watch. “And find out its name.” Bucky said behind you before squatting next to you, watching your sad expression at the poor animal. “Her name was Sophia.” Came back after a short search of the device. “Hope you took some of them with you into the death, Sophia,” you said feeling the soft fur. “Dr. Cho answered with burying.” Eda answered to the earlier question. “Need my help moving the poor thing?” Captain Davis called out moving towards you two. “Yeah.” you mumbled. “‘cmere. Gonna give her a nice goodbye.” Bucky told you softly while helping you up again. Fueled by the hate of this incident you walked to the second base, taking it down and coming back to spend the rest of the day burying animals and decontaminating areas of the zoo.

With more than 5 places in the hands of the civilians, the liberation phase was finished. The civilian militia started planning their own missions without you and started taking over the Upper East Side themselves, followed by Yorkville. They were so fueled by the many wins since you showed up. The settlement even got a food update. They could finally grow their own food on the roofs of the surrounding areas. Their next goal was to get electricity going from the tower to the settlement and they were working day and night to secure Park Avenue. That night you come to the tower earlier than usual. The plan for the next day was to push forward through East Harlem to get to Randalls Island as you had planned with the others. You spend the evening playing Uno and Scrabble. The amount of common 40s words you learned from him that evening was insane. Some of them sounded so dumb that you didn’t believe him until he explained you scenarios to use them in. “C’mon, that’s just- That sounds ridiculous. How did nobody laugh at that?” You giggled. “Well, those were different times, darling.” He grinned at you over the table. “They surely were. Tony would love that word.” You shook your head. What you didn’t expect after falling asleep on the couch with him next to you was the mission to go wrong. Not completely south, but south enough for you to get hurt. You were about to jump to another cover with him right behind you when you were shot right into the outside of your thigh. Bullet going through. “Shit.” You groaned dragging yourself the rest of the way to the cover. “Stay right there, Ann.” You heard behind you before you saw his shadow get bigger and bullets hitting his arm. You turned yourself around to see him shoot with a frown and determination in his face. With your full trust into him you got off your backpack, got out antiseptic and a bandage. While you were pouring the fluid over the wound with a sharp inhale and a bite into the glove in your mouth, he squatted down next to you. “How bad is it?” He asked laying his metal hand onto your lower leg. “Hurts like a motherfucker.” You groaned. “Let me help you.” He held out his hand for the bandage and you looked at him surprised. “C’mon. Gimme the bandage,” He said in a soft voice and you obeyed. “Glad it wasn’t the big artery,” you said pained while he pressed the bandage around your thigh. In the back, you could hear the civilians cheering, looting and setting up their stations. “You had me worried there for a second, Meda,” he said with a little frown at the work of his hands. “I’m fine, James.” You smiled before inhaling deeply at the pressure again. “Well, you’re half fine. I’ll carry you back to the tower.” He smirked at your inability to admit that you were worse than you actually were. After putting your pants over the thigh again and packing your backpack, you were helped up by him. With ease he picked you up, putting you around his neck like you are a pillow. “That’s not medical best practice.” You giggled. “Well, medical best practice would be an ambulance, but here we are,” he japed back. “Please don’t make ambulance sounds,” you said, sensing what he was about to ask. “Too bad,” he said squeezing your healthy leg. “Doctor Cho. What the hell do I do with this gunshot wound?” You asked, recording the leg with EADA. “Get into my laboratory, the med-tech one,” she ordered you and Bucky immediately picked you up to bring you a few floors downstairs. He laid you down on the metal table and followed the instructions Helen gave over the hologram call. “Type the green button on the machine. And type it again when it beeps twice after scanning her body,” she told him and he did as he was told with an interested expression. “Is that the fake tissue thing you created a while back?” You asked. “Yeah. I have better ways developed but this is all you have and that should be enough. You’ll need to rest 2-4 days though,” she added. You grumbled, “Fine.” Bucky sent you a chuckle and a shit-eating grin, “Can’t stand still.”

You walked into the kitchen the next day, leg sore from rebuilding muscle and skin still a little irritated after the procedure. “Are you wearing my clothes?” Bucky asked with his brow raised after watching you enter the room. “C’mon. It’s comfy. I feel bad, give a girl a break.” You whined. “No no no, it’s fine. You look cute in ‘em.” He grinned before biting into his second breakfast bar that morning. “Do I really?” You held out your arms and looked down on you. The black hoodie was way too big for you and you had sweater paws. His sweatpants were more comfortable with the freshly healed thigh. “You look like the small person you are.” He chuckled. “Hey.” You looked at him pouting. “I won’t take that back, you’re small.” “Compared to YOU.” You crossed your arms. With a head shake he stood up and walked over to you for a bear hug, “You feelin’ better?” “Yeah, thanks for all the help, partner.” You looked up at him, he really was quite a bit taller than you. “Of course, always.” “Maybe not ALWAYS.” You frowned and he mirrored the expression in concern. “Why? What do you mean?” He asked. “Maybe don’t shield me from explosions or stuff like that. I don’t need the survivors guilt more than I already have it.” Your frown deepened. “What happened?” He immediately asked, cursing himself for not being as calming as he wanted to sound. “My old partner from before all of this and all of the SAID extra training and being with the Avengers. We were on a mission involving A.I.M. and…” You stopped yourself. “Go on, it’s okay.” His hand went over your back soothingly. “...well, if you’re aware of what the Centipede program was, you know that people injected with that stuff explode after not being stabilized for a while. One of them did and my partner shielded me. I was the only person to come out alive, my partner burned to death because he saved my life.” His right hand got rid of your tears that had started spilling, “You won’t keep me from protecting you but I can keep you away from exploding humans and objects as best as possible,” A soft smile was right in front of you. “Mhm.” You nodded your head slightly before being pulled into an even closer hug. “Good.” His face landed in your hair and he closed his eyes while swaying you a little.

The rest of the day was spent in the tower, eating some of the candy that was still left in perfect shape and watching a good show. The three other rest days were days you spent mostly alone while Bucky went out and helped the civilians to reinforce Park Avenue and went on a few smaller missions with Captain Davis. It was almost domestic how you cooked every evening when he was coming back to the tower and the way you both fell asleep on the big couch instead of the two bedrooms you occupied. There was a familiarity that you both couldn’t describe. Doing all of this made you feel like family. You were each other’s ride or die.

18 notes · View notes

kyberphilosopher · 4 years

Text

Chapter Eight

.✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.☆.*｡･ﾟ✫*.

The sniper meets Rex and I in the sand. Similar to the blonde man, he shares the same face.

Handsome, angular creases. His hair is dark and in a crew cut in contrast to Rex’s, but his most striking feature is the ghostly eye. White and milky, a long dark scar reaches from his cheek to his temple. The other eye- my right, his left- is as honey colored as his brother. He’s a Clone, through and through. Both of them are clad in black turtlenecks and brown scarfs and belts.

“This is Wolffe,” Rex introduces. The second soldier nods at me coldly as I bite the inside of my cheek.

Both sets of fingers tighten around the lightsaber bodies. I don’t like Clones. When I look at them, I see flashes of a helmet streaked with yellow markings. I can see the machine guns in their hands, aimed at me with malice and hate. Every word form Rex is like a word from the one back on Ilum. I don’t like it. I don’t want to stay around them.

I can feel my heart beating against my ribs, hammering, the longer I look at their identical faces. I can’t be here. I can’t look at them. They’re the ones that almost killed me.

“Numbers,” I’m able to order out, though my sweaty palms are beginning to betray me.

“What?” Rex fires back quickly. One of his eyebrows arch, and his bottom lip snarls with another layer of distrust.

“Your numbers,” I say. “What are they?”

Rex’s amber eyes flit from the Imperial sigil on my jacket, back to my face. They narrow, then widen back to normal. “CT-7567, and CC-3636. What is your rank?”

Through the anxiety, I’m just able to stutter out, “w-what-”

Rex raises his blasters again, now squinting both of his eyes in aggression. “What. Is. Your. Rank?”

I don’t have an answer for him. I am frozen in time, staring at the golden orbs of anger. This system, that once felt soft and calm, is now covered in layer after layer of anguish. It’s not just from me and my own memories. Rex feels it too.

“Answer,” he says lowly and slowly, “or I’ll shoot.”

Wolffe steps back, aiming the rifle at me again.

I can take both of them. I know this for certain. Blasters are no match for lightsabers, with or without training. Even so, I have the Force. But I can’t help the waves of fear that wash over at me from nothing more than knowing what they are. And I’m afraid of them, even through my pulsing anger.

“Last chance kid,” Rex grits.

In honesty, the fear had clouded my judgement far too much. I should’ve formulated a plan, been patient. But something in me was dying again and again, feeling rays of heat whiz past me as I flung myself into an abyss. I couldn’t take it.

Rex fired his blaster. I jumped backwards- into the air far higher than I had intended to. I flew higher than the AT-TE, perhaps as high as the Tie-fighter while I was flying it. It felt somewhat freeing for the second it lasted, before my feet hit the sand behind my ship. Using it as cover, I seal my sabers off and press my back flat against it.

What the kriff was that? My heart is hammering, breathing rapid as my chest rises and falls and I struggle to find a full breath.

The lack of planning didn’t end there.

First, I reach my palm straight into the air. I hear a click and a clang as the seal at the top of the ship opens up with a hiss. Within a second, my bag zips into my waiting grasp. I clumsily slip it over my shoulders before phase two of my nonexistent ploy ensues.

“Gregor!” one of them yells. It’s enough for me to suddenly thrust myself forward and turn towards the Tie-fighter. I throw my hands out as I bury my heels in the sand. The Force, coming to my aid quickly and gracefully, does not disappoint.

The fighter surges forward, skidding through the sand. It starts slowly and subtle until I curl my fingers, at which point it increases its speed tenfold until it’s flying through the air without actually flying. I have to squint my eyes from the light of the planet, from the sand that’s whizzing back into my eyes, and then the loud clang rings out.

The fighter crashes into one of the legs of the walker. My eyes widen as I watch the machine begin to tilt over with a long, low hum. I see Rex’s blonde hair as he watches up in bewilderment, taking steps back while his brother begins to yell some things I can’t make out.

I turn on my heel and begin pumping my arms back and forth as I run along. Maker, I’d forgotten how much I despise the sand. Running in it, especially. It doesn’t take long for my thighs begin to burn. After another two seconds, I hear the final boom as the AT-TE is completely absorbed in the ground. But I don’t stop sprinting across the plains.

The mountains. I have to get to the mountains. The lightsabers are growing heavy against my tight, sweaty palms. I’ll surely have callouses forming against the skin.

The dry air is merciless against my face. My pack is continuously slamming against the bottom of my spine. After a minute, sand has leaked through my boots and fallen under my soles. Like little knives, they burn against the tender flesh. My braid zips behind me, allowing the wind to pierce my ears with a subtle roar.

I don’t know how long I keep going for. I know for certain that I’ve never run like this in my life. Every time I want to stop and give my burning lungs a rest, I think I hear a gun cocking behind me, and I receive another dull burst of energy.

Everything inside of me feels intense and raw. My blood is pumping through me in frozen chords, filling my ears with a low rhythm. It’s all adrenaline, of course. But it feels far more amplified than any other time I can remember. I know my body is aching, practically begging me to stop, but I can’t. What if there’s a full battalion of Clones behind me right now? Following me, just waiting for me to slow down so that they can shoot me?

As if in response to my thoughts, my right ankle twists from under me. I spiral downwards like a corkscrew, rolling every muscle in my leg in the process. And then I’m laying in the sand like a weak little child, trying to steady my choked breathing.

I must have been running for a long time. The sky is much darker than it was before. It’s become a deep shade of lavender, dotted with little white stars and a layer of pink and gray clouds. The sand bites against my exposed fingers and bottoms of my feet. As I gaze up at the place above, my sticky fingers loosen from the sabers. In the process, my right thumb rubs against the nail of my ring finger, skidding along the black polish.

I’d almost forgotten about it. At the time that Talik had done it to me, I’d felt happy about it. Now it feels like a sad memory from a distant time, in a different life. There’s nothing to stop me from picking it off completely now, and in the end it might’ve been better for me to do so. But removing the paint would’ve been equivalent to removing the Twi’Lek from my life.

I think about her hands on me- a gentle reminder of something I didn’t want- and my eyes squint with wetness. I haven’t cried in a long time, but this time it’s hard to keep my eyes from welling up.

This makes me feel stupid. Emotions are useless, and having them is a fate worse than death. My heart breaks for anyone in the galaxy who has to live their life, day in and day out, worried or overjoyed, loved or paranoid. In contrast however, a life without as many downs as ups must be an incredibly boring one, because you already know you’re going to be lucky no matter what happens. Experience is what makes it all go around, though I damn the Maker for having to tie feelings to it.

The color of the sky reminds me of a rather outlandish memory from some years ago. It stood out to me for two reasons- the emotional weight to it, and the stained glass windows.

There are a lot of people in the galaxy. With people, comes races and breeds, genders and jobs. Everyone, no matter what, has some type of belief, which is quick to turn into a theory that stands radical in their mind. And, as much as I (don’t) hate to admit it, where belief is held, trouble is soon to follow.

This brings us to religion, and where I stand on it. I know there’s something out there. A long way away, past all the nonsense and deafening screaming in the void of our galaxy, I’d like to think that someone or something is watching. I don’t know if they’re watching because they exclusively get off on watching lesser beings run around trying to both solve and destroy, or because we’re their last segment of hope in this dark place, but I dream about them intervening someday. Even when I scoff at those big supporters of one, all powerful God, I know it can’t all be dung.

So I don’t know where I stand really. I believe in something, but I’m not sure what. I’m not exactly an optimistic person, so I don’t think I’m holding out faith in a savior of any kind. But something doesn’t seem completely truthful about a luminous lover looming over all of us, blinking softly before sending flaming meteors into our livers. I don’t even know where I stand on something happening after death. I mean… I sure hope something happens. I know, at least, that I still want to be allowed to see whatever happens. I want to have a spirit- even if it’s one that goes on to experience eternal damnation.

Alright, I’ve gotten sidetracked. Back to the stained glass windows.

On Bracca, the scrapper guild acquired so many members that it got difficult not to be overwhelmed with demands from the population. In response to so many outcries, the guild installed a little building that was used as a religious house. It was pretty ambiguous too, so anything could’ve been practiced depending on what the user saw. Eventually, the Empire would come through and begin putting up propaganda and posters, but this is quite some time before that.

I want to say I was thirteen still. Fourteen, maybe? Doesn’t matter. I went in, and the first thing I noticed was the three, giant windows. The glass seemed to be cracking, so each piece was a different shade- bordering differing colors. Still, the tone was all a purple. Sometimes it looked more gray, other times magenta. Pink, lavender, borderline white- but all a very distinguished purple. I know there was a picture within the image, but I was too mesmerized by the violet light to recognize it. I can’t explain it, really. I just wanted to memorize every one of the details in it.

Still, something pulled me away from it- a cough or something. I went to kneel before the windows, looking up at them as if I were going to pray. At my sides, my palms clenched nervously around my poncho, which was already slick and dripping from the previous rain. I remember feeling very much like a reprimanded child, fiddling as their mother looked down on them with disappointment.

I don’t remember what I said exactly, or if I even spoke. I just remember looking up, asking any higher power that may or may not have existed if they had any answers for me. I didn’t care if they were good or bad. I just wanted an explanation, and I would’ve been satisfied. But I waited for a few seconds, a moment even, until I realized that there was no voice booming in my mind. I had no feelings of insight or importance. I felt just as empty and unsatisfied as I was before.

I’d wanted to cry then, too. It would’ve been more acceptable, given my age, but I hadn’t. I had bitten my lip and taken it like a winner, even though I didn’t feel like one much at all. The next time I would ever go into the holy place would end in me brawling with another scrapper, which I imagine was very visually pleasing in front of the large, purple windows.

The tears evaporate into the air, and my skin feels as dry as the sand I lay on. I swallow, which burns my throat, staring at the stars for a few more seconds. I really wish I had glitteryll right about now, so I can watch them melt into each other.

I force myself to sit up then. I did some incredibly stupid things today. I’m in no position to continue making as crazy and stupid decisions much longer.

First things first: find shelter. At least a semi safe place for the night, because something in my gut is telling me it would be most unwise to sleep in the middle of the desert. I should continue to make for the mountains in front of me, but I don’t know how far I’ll be able to get with my ankle in this state. Good thing I brought those stims.

I reach around and take one from my bag. I flick it a few times to make sure it still works, as its neon green glow looks a little faded. It perks up after a second, and I stick the stim to my right ankle and hold it down until a cool feeling spreads through me.

I lock my sabers back onto my waist, and begin pushing myself to my feet. My ankle isn’t perfect, but it’s walkable. Both my legs feel sore, and my abdomen somewhat bruised, but it’s my own kriffing fault for messing with the abilities of my muscles in the way that I did.

The story would’ve been fairly boring from this point forward had he not come along. I suppose I should thank him for that, but I’d rather not boost his ego anymore than it exists.

The wind picks up as a signal of his presence. My braid whips in the air, and I squint my eyes and hold up a hand in an attempt to block the oncoming light. The Katooni appears in front of me in all its glory, causing me to bite my lip. I don’t have the energy or mental power to distinguish friend from foe at this point in time, and if it was the Empire I might’ve just told them to kill me.

But it wasn’t the Empire.

The ships ramp sizzles down, hovering above the dunes of sand I trek through. A figure appears as the door opens up. Blinded further, I lift a second hand.

“Well, well, well!” the gritty voice calls out, loud enough to hear over the roar of the thrusters. The first thing I observed about it was that the voice sounded like it was coming from the back of one’s throat. Rough and throaty, a bit like all the men I’ve encountered in my life that had some position over me.

“Didn’t think I’d find such a useful partner in a place like this!” Hondo Ohnaka cried. “My friend, you look like you’ve been straight to hell.”

#star wars #story #star wars fandom #star wars fanfiction #gray jedi #lightsaber #sith #red lightsaber #greenlightsaber #chapter 8

13 notes · View notes