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metalhoops · 1 year

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Steve and Eddie: Alternative ‘First’ meeting part 2.

Read Part 1 Here

Eddie Munson never expected Steve to be his friend. He kept waiting for the former king to realise how different their two worlds were. When that day came, he hoped Steve could look back on his time spent with the strange Metalhead with affection.

Several months had passed since the two had their first encounter in the woods outside the trailer park, and he hadn’t scared Steve away yet. Eddie found the boy following at his side every other day when he wasn’t at work. He was loyal as a golden retriever and strangely, almost as happy. When he and Steve run into each other for the first time since Steve’s graduation, one thing was clear: Steve wasn’t happy.

Now, most days, he appeared more happy than not. Yet, he was still distant. There were things he was keeping close to his chest, but Eddie didn’t feel like he was close enough to push.

Eddie kept waiting for the moment he’d chase Steve away. He talked the guy’s ear off about Hellfire, now that the school year was back in full swing. They’d both agreed to keep Steve’s flock of wayward children in the dark about their friendship, lest they think Steve was using Eddie to keep an eye on them, ever the babysitter. Steve listened attentively.

He invited Steve around to watch obscure B-grade, horror schlockfests. There was no way he enjoyed it, but Steve stayed. He jumped at all the right times and laughed at all the wrong ones, just like Eddie. Steve was too good to be true. One day, something had to give.

When they drove together, Eddie played the music too loud and performed air guitar solos at stoplights. He’d even gone so far as to serenade Steve with KISS songs as the guy helped him put together a dinner that wasn’t from a microwave container.

He’d expected Steve to roll his eyes and call him a nerd, which admittedly he did. However, right after, he’d equipped himself with a wooden spoon and performed an equally cheesy rendition of a Bob Seger song.

Hell, once his parents were out of town and they’d stayed the night at Steve’s he’d shown Eddie his best impression of Tom Cruise in Risky Business, complete with high socks, a poorly buttoned button-down, and too-short, shorts. Eddie was so gone for Steve Harrington, and it was horrible because he knew something was going to go wrong.

He was sick of waiting for it to happen. The two had been friends for months, and Eddie was sick of holding his breath, with each passing day knowing that the hurt would be all the greater as his attachment to Steve grew.

Steve’s parents were out of town, which always made for a more relaxed Steve. He’d invited Eddie to stay the night at his place for the first time. Eddie realised what had to happen next as Steve invited him to crash with him in his bed.

This was the thing that would finally scare Steve away. This was the thing that would get Steve to finally give up his reformed jock status and call him a freak. He couldn’t share a bed with Steve without him knowing, it wasn’t fair.

“I kinda like taking the side next to the door. You mind taking the window side?” Steve asked so casually it made Eddie’s heart ache.

He found it hard to swallow as he bit the bullet and told Steve the thing he’d been dancing around for months.

“I’m gay, Steve.” He wished he’d been more eloquent, but he hadn’t. He spoke to the shitty plaid wallpaper, his words running together.

When he finally looked, he found Steve sitting on the bed, his wide eyes looking equal parts alarmed and confused. He wasn’t cursing at Eddie or chasing the guy out of his house, so far, it was going better than he’d expected.

“Uh... thanks for telling me, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you steal my side of the bed,” Steve finally replied. Eddie was goddamn floored.

“You heard me, right?” Eddie repeated. There was no way in hell this wasn’t the thing that chased Steve away.

“Roger Dodger. Loud and clear. You don’t like boobs,” Steve paraphrased as he wriggled under the covers. Eddie let out a sound between a snort and a sob because, holy shit, Steve didn’t care. He was also an absolute idiot, but that was expected.

“And you’re still cool with me sleeping with you?” Eddie asked.

“I don’t like to sleep alone much, anymore,” Steve spoke with a vague shrug of his shoulders. There it was again, the uneasy sense he got that Steve wasn’t telling him something important.

Eddie didn’t pry, because Steve hadn’t pushed when he’d just goddamn come out to him. Eddie slipped beneath the covers, closest to the window and lay beside Steve until the man fell asleep. Eddie couldn’t sleep, his head still reeling.��

After an hour, he felt Steve twitch at his side and mumble something incoherent. Eddie stayed still, thinking the moment would pass, quick and painless as a sun shower. Instead, Steve started to thrash. Eddie sat up in bed, flicked on the lights, and gazed down at the former king’s pinched brows. It was hard to believe this was the same boy who’d stalked the halls of Hawkins High, looking seemingly untouchable from Eddie’s ranks amongst the outcasts and common folk.

“Stevie?” Eddie breathed, placing a hand on Steve’s shoulder in an attempt to wake him.

The other man’s body stilled beneath his hand, and his face remained contorted. In his sleep, he crept closer to Eddie, curling his body around him. He had no idea what the hell to do. Steve hating to sleep alone made more sense.

“It’s okay, Harrington. I got you. You’re okay,” Eddie mumbled, taking a risk and leaning down to card his hands through the man’s hair.

Eddie sat there for another half-hour, muttering quiet nothings until he stilled and slept peacefully.

When morning finally came and the two found themselves dancing around each other in the Harrington’s oversized kitchen, Eddie decided to broach the subject. Steve kept setting off alarm bells in his head, and he had no idea how to quiet them on his own.

“Steve, I know I’m a shitty listener because I love to hear the sound of my own voice, but you know, if you ever need to talk about anything, I’m here, right?”

Steve stepped back from the kitchen cabinet to get a better look at Eddie, his face the picture of conflict. He kept looking as though he were seconds from telling Eddie something before going dead quiet. Finally, he spoke.

“I don’t think I’m entirely straight.”

That hadn’t been what he was fishing for, but holy shit.

To make matters worse, Steve was sending him all the right goddamn cues. His eyes flickered to Eddie’s lips, then back to his face. He chewed on his bottom lip and ran his fingers through his carefully styled hair. Screw it.

Eddie crossed the space between them and smash their lips together, pushing Steve’s back against the cabinet. It was a car crash kind of desperation. Limbs and lips everywhere. Steve ended up on the countertop, his legs wrapped around Eddie’s hips, hands in his hair. Eddie’s head was a chorus of holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.

Eddie Munson never expected Steve to be his friend, but the one thing he’d never expected to ruin their friendship was a kiss.

Tags

@rhyswritesreadsandcries @lightwoodbanethings @beeing-stuupid @chaoticvictorianspirit @korixae @ihaveahordingproblem @lyriclight @exyvey @ashwinmeird @breealtair @eviltwistedpixie @adelicioustragedy @theoncelee @bubblegum192 @aceflavouredyougurt @pluto-pepsi @occasionallyifailtoart @didntwant2come @catboybadankrivervalleynearyou

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie drabble #steddie ficlet #ficlet #my ficlet #stranger things #drabble #alternative 'first' meeting #multipost fic #long post #back by popular demand #this wasn't going to be a two parter but people wanted it #now I'm tempted to write a part three #hopefully I got everyone how asked to be tagged #I did my best #angst and fluff #Metalhoops writes

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cherryjuiceblues · 4 months

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new idea just body slammed me. boyfriend harry finding y/n’s open phone and seeing she’s reading poly / threesome smut and then he gets a dildo involved whilst he’s fucking her 🫢 with alllll the dirty talk 🤕

#one shot maybe #or a two parter with a second party involved #we’ll see #fic idea

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dragonsdendoodles · 2 months

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Hey look I wrote another thing! And this one comes with a whole page of sketches from like December!!! Because that’s not even CLOSE to how long I sit on these things before I actually finish them!

Seriously I have like 20 drafts I haven’t posted and I honest to god started this fic last May. When I say I have a backlog I mean some of these are from 2022 please help I have so many drafts and not nearly enough time

#mphfpc #enoch o'connor #horace somnusson #enorace #it’s a two parter that’s why it’s chapters #if i actually write that second chapter #spinning news soon other fic news soon i promise #dragon’s doodles #dragon’s fics

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kaidanalenkosprmanager · 12 days

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THE BEST OF PRIORITY: MARS (PART 1)

Featuring: Cmdr. Sophie Shepard, Maj. Kaidan Alenko, Lt. James Vega, and Dr. Liara T'Soni Sophie, I don't know what you are- or who. Not since Cerberus rebuilt you. For all I know, you could be their puppet- controlled by The Illusive Man himself. Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition (2021)

#mira makes gifs ✨#shenko #james vega #kaidan alenko #sophie shepard #liara t’soni #mass effect #mass effect 3 #me3 #mass effect legendary edition #dailygaming #priority mars? more like priority shenko!#she’s a 2-parter bc there were too many good scenes to gif i literally couldn’t not gif all of them tbh #like mars is just peak shenko content even if it’s not canon to me #the expressions the conversations the glances the PINING it’s everything to me #the way shep looks at kaidan when they talk about what they’d lose if they fail 🥺#bioware i am in your WALLS over that scene in particular #‘is this what they did to you?’ sends me to ANOTHER DIMENSION and i need to write a whole ass fic off that line alone #bc it’s so good and there’s so many emotions tied to it #like the entire conversation between the two of them there is literally emotional damage for me and even if it’s not my canon it’s so GOOD #also PV with the see through visors saving my life on the elevator ride too?? like the expressions are so good #and cleric’s gorgeous shadow broker guardian set too like???#the fashion is just top notch for all these emotional moments #on a side note s/o to james for literally being in the middle of the most awkward couple’s spat in existence and being so casual about it #he’s everything to me tbh #him and kaidan are my loves #james vega and kaidan alenko men that you are #i’ll stop ranting in the part 1 tags now ✨

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denalidear · 11 months

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Soft

a/n: here to feed your delusions once again. this one could be a two parter if anyone is interested. let me know :)

summary: drunk words are sober thoughts

word count: 1032

warnings: drunk will, mention of girlfriend and drinking, an appropriate amount of angst

- - -

It was hard; being his best friend right now. Every night for the past month or so around 12:30 am you’d get a call. Most of the time he just wanted to talk about his stream, how many viewers he had that night, what he’d done. Other times he asked you to come over. Those were the nights he hadn’t streamed. The ones he reserved to go out with Tommy and you. He’d always cancel plans about an hour before you’d meet - give some lame excuse about how his girlfriend wanted to stay in or he had to edit a video. Those were the calls you were dreading because you knew how you’d find him when you went to visit.

It was 2:49 am, this night. Your phone lit up with a photo of you two in central London you’d taken months ago, before he started dating this girl, but just after he broke up with the last one. Your eyes barely opened to make sure it was a call worth answering, but since it was him, you rolled onto your side and tapped the green button.

“Will, are you alright? It’s late.”

“She left me.” He mumbled, the wine or beer he had certainly been drinking almost seeped through the phone screen. “She left angry and texted me to say we were done.”

“Can I come over?” You were already slipping on shoes. A blurry ‘yes’ came through the speakers and you left your flat. Thankfully he was only around the block, and you kept him talking as you sped to him. “I’m here, come let me in.”

“It’s open. I’m up in the bedroom.” He spoke through the phone, sounding a little more aware than he had only ten minutes ago. It calmed the worry in your gut a bit, but the fact he’d left his doors unlocked while he was inebriated kept the knot in your stomach tight. Once you were inside you hung up the phone and shouted up to him.

“I’m just taking off my shoes!” carefully lining them up next to his - where her’s would normally be. You could hear a little shuffling upstairs but nothing that added to your concern. That is until you heard glass hit and shatter on the floor. You almost slipped as you raced up - soft socks and hardwood stairs not a good mix. “Will?”

“I’m ok.” He shouted from his room. “-is just my glass.” He was sprawled across his bed, arm outstretched to reach the table that had an open bottle of wine and now cup-less coaster. At least he cared for his furniture. His hair stuck to his forehead and you could tell he hadn’t gotten up in at least 8 hours, the blankets around him flattened from his long stay in bed.

“You’re not hurt?”

“Physically, no. Emotionally?” He smashed his face further into his pillows instead of answering.

“How much have you had to drink tonight?” You ask, carefully picking up the largest pieces of glass shards that had scattered across the floor. You grimaced at the small spots of red that had spattered on the light walls, making a mental note to clean it up when he was feeling better.

“We were drinking a bit at dinner. Something red that she’d wanted.” He curled his long body into himself as he recounted the evening's events. Wilbur was a sad drunk, but also a chatty one, so his story went on for a few minutes while you finished cleaning the glass. His eyes followed you as you moved about the room and he pulled his head up a bit once his story was finished.

Once the mess was cleaned, or at least the sharp shards put into the trash, you sat yourself by the edge of his bed and leaned your head in close to his. “How can I help you, Will?” You whispered to the man. He shrugged so you offered a few options. “Do you want me to make you something to eat? Maybe while you shower and sober up a bit?”

“I’ll shower but will you just sit outside? I don’t think I wanna be alone right now.” He whispered the last bit. You nodded and helped him up. Once he was sitting on the edge of the bed, you standing in front of him, he wrapped his long arms around your waist and tucked his head into your stomach. Your hand pulled his head in, running your fingers through his hair.

“We’ll get through it. I know we will.” You spoke as he clung to you. “And hey, this means Lovejoy will get some really good songs after this, huh?” You teased as he pulled away. That put a smile on his face as he stood and lumbered to the bathroom. You took your place on the floor near the bathroom door and listened as Will rambled about whatever had happened on his last stream. You could hear the water hitting the floor as he washed his hair. Soon enough he was out and changed, pulling you into another hug.

“Better?” You asked him and he let out a deep breath.

“Yeah. Definitely still drunk though.” He mumbled into your hair. “Will you stay with me?”

“Do you think I have anything better to do at three in the morning?”

“Maybe.” He shrugged and pulled you into the bed with him. Once you got comfy he arranged his long limbs over you, resembling a starfish. A longboard sigh left his lungs as he nuzzled a little into his pillow. You realized at this moment this isn’t what best friends do. Best friends don’t cuddle or wait for the other to get out of the shower. Will’s breath steadied next to you as your mind began to swirl with thoughts as to what could cause that girl to leave such a soft and sweet man.

“It wasn’t ‘cause of me, was it? The argument I mean.” You asked into the dark room, expecting an answer. Instead, you heard a quiet snore and realized that Will had fallen asleep, head tucked into your neck. Guess that conversation will have to happen tomorrow.

#wilbur x reader #Wilbur soot #blurb #fic #two parter #wilbur soot x fem!reader #wilbur x y/n

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teecupangel · 10 months

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I'm just here to stir drama, so here goes: Temple makes timelines go wroom, so a kid Desmond ends up in Renaissance Italy and gets mistaken for Ezio's bastard. Ends up being raised with Ezio as his father. Fast forward to journey to Constantinople, and using the disks drops both Ezio and Desmond into Crusades era, just after Altaїr becomes a Mentor. Now, the usual Altaїr/Desmond shenanigans start... But Ezio is being an overprotective dad.

Okay, say we have Desmond booted into Renaissance Italy around 10-ish years old. That would make him old enough to understand that he can’t return home and also give us a little leeway as this is a Desmond who probably don’t like training all that much yet still believed that the Templars are out to get them and is doing his best to make Bill go “good job son” at him which would make Ezio being a good father to him crush our hearts. Now, you didn’t specify which time in Ezio’s life we’re going to make him a surprise dad, I will assume we are going for Brotherhood as that is the most stable time of Ezio’s life. He won’t be too focused on his path to vengeance, and he has a good support system with his recruits, Claudia, Machiavelli, and La Volpe. Also, this way, Maria would be more ‘responsive’ than if we kick Desmond in AC2 timeline.

Also, also, making it set during Ezio’s time as a mentor in Rome would ensure that he gets to be with Desmond a lot. If we set this in AC2, Desmond would be left in Monteriggioni for his own protection and, while that would give us more angst moments, we want Desmond and Ezio to ‘grow’ together as father and son. Maybe even make Ezio be an overly protective father because he still sees Desmond as his baby boy no matter how old Desmond gets.

And now!

Here come the maths! (yey, math)

Now, since we want Ezio to have a stable-ish life so he would have time for Desmond, I propose we have them meet in 1503, specifically a few weeks or so after Ezio retrieved the Apple from the Borgias and has been a mentor for a month or so (maybe September-ish?). Anyway, this would mean that, by the time they get to Constantinople, it will be 1511.

If Desmond is 10 years old in 1503, that would make him, 18ish years old by the time they reach 1511 which means we’re safe!

AND! You did specify you want an Altaïr who just became the mentor so we’re placing this right smack in the middle of Bloodlines!

Yeah, let’s give 26-year-old Altaïr a bisexual crisis in a middle of a Templar occupied Cyprus. That sounds fun!

Also, since this is an Altaïr who hasn’t studied the Apple yet, he would be skeptical of Desmond and Ezio explaining to him that they had been transported by a power of an artifact similar to his Apple but he does believe they’re Assassins from another place, especially after seeing how they did not lose their finger even though they could use a Hidden Blade with such mastery (and Ezio DEFINITELY saw the way he held his son’s hand a litttlleee too long just to check the Hidden Blade). Also, since this is set in Bloodlines, Altaïr has no idea where the memory seals that supposedly transported them are from (since Altaïr only learned of them during his exile in Alamut) which means we have an excuse for them not to find the memory seals!

And now the Bloodline storyline gets shaken up because, let’s face it, Ezio would definitely push Altaïr into making a branch in Cyprus and there’s also the budding romance between Altaïr and Desmond that Ezio… Ezio has complicated feelings for.

Unorganized Notes:

Ezio thinks Altaïr is a good man and he can’t help but try to support him (and sometimes gets carried away and act like he’s mentoring his successor) BUT Desmond is his son, his baby, the apple of his eyes… He promised himself that he would be supportive of whoever Desmond wants to be with but, but, but… him? Really? Him? O dio mio, give him strength.

Altaïr starts as a bit cold to them. He’s trying not to be rude since this is an Altaïr that had went thru his AC1 character development but he’s used to working alone so it’s easier for him to lose his cool when Ezio questions his decisions. He also loses his cool whenever Desmond is nearby but for a very different reason.

Also, Altaïr is a bit jealous of Desmond because he sees how easy and happy his father-son relationship is with Ezio and he can’t help but wonder if he and Umar would have had such a relationship if Umar had lived. He can’t hate Desmond though because… it’s Desmond. Altaïr can’t explain it any other way.

Let’s remember that we are going for kid!Desmond so he doesn’t have any memories of the Animus or who Altaïr is. To him, Altaïr is the cool statue back in Villa Auditore. Seeing him in the flesh was pretty cool. Realizing he can be quite adorable is what made Desmond like him.

The first time Ezio heard Desmond call Altaïr adorable, he had to do a doubletake because… what.

Maria is in Cyprus too and she takes one look at Altaïr and Desmond and went “Oh.” When she learned Ezio is Desmond’s father, she looked at him with pitying eyes. Ezio just smiles.

Okay, Ezio isn’t totally against the whole thing (and it is pretty funny seeing Altaïr being incapable of standing against Desmond’s smile) but… well, he also knows how Altaïr’s life goes thanks to the Codex. He knows Altaïr is meant to fall in love with Maria Thorpe (who they’ve met) and he’s worried about how this entire thing would hurt Desmond. At the same time, he couldn’t help but support Desmond because this makes him happy. He’s giving Altaïr a hard time because of that fear and also because, as Desmond’s father, that is his right.

Desmond also knows about the Codex, btw. He’s just been raised with the Auditore audacity and doesn’t give a fuck about it. He’s been raised by Ezio and her Zia Claudia still has a lot of close courtesan friends so Desmond is putting all that ‘observation’ to use to… well… seduce Altaïr. Yeeeaaahhhh. Ezio thinks he’s pure and innocent, nope. Desmond is definitely trying to seduce Altaïr with the subtlety of a high-class courtesan.

Have I talked about how Desmond is Altaïr’s bidisaster awakening? Yeah? Altaïr gets the memo earlier on and, really, it’s more on the side of how he’s unsure how to act around dudes (or, in this specific situation, a specific dude) he likes.

Oh, the tragedy of not having Malik in this one. No one has to suffer thru Altaïr’s bidisaster awakening rambling. I mean, I guess we can go for Maria instead, and Maria’s just “??? Why are you telling me all this??? We’re enemies???” and Altaïr is just “Are we though?”, unintentionally making Maria question if she is even a Templar anymore which Altaïr sorta ignores because he’s having his own crisis at the moment, thanks.

Anyway, AltDes happens, Maria kinda joins the group as more of the reluctant ally, Ezio accidentally starts an Assassin branch in Cyprus and…

Malik gets a headache when he read Altaïr’s report.

Oh! And Ezio gets his retirement as the father of the mentor's lover. Happy ending!

#ngl #loving the sudden influx of altdes asks XD #i feel that this would be best if it was a two-parter #first half is ezio and desmond becoming father and son with desmond growing up with a loving family #second half has all the fun-hilarious altdes with ezio suffering in the background #let’s be honest #a plot is the altdes #b plot is the ezio-desmond father-son relationship #c plot is ezio creating a bureau in cyprus #and the whole templars in cyprus thing is d plot XD #ask and answer #no usual tag because #altdes #teecup writes/has a plot #fic idea: assassin's creed

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bellaxgiornata · 26 days

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Me to me nearing the end of writing Acquaintances: It's only a one shot. Don't think about adding anymore to it. It's just a one shot. Only one part. That's it. I'm just going to end it how I planned to end it. We're almost done as it is here.

My writing brain: *proceeds to play a very detailed scene of how things could go for a second part in my head*

Me:

#im feeling personally victimized by my own self right now #why does this keep happening?#torn between one shot or two parter now #ugghhhh #im 100% blaming you right now matthew #fanfic writer problems #fic writing

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autisticlancemcclain · 8 months

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hey y’all know the barbie billie eilish song

#are u prepared for me to make a two parter langst fic based on it

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radioactivepeasant · 5 months

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Snippets Wednesday Part 2: Blackmail au

(In which Jak is significantly calmer)

First

The two years since leaving Sandover felt like an eternity to Jak. A lifetime without clean air, blue skies, and an endless, unpolluted sea. For all the anguish and anger of the last 24 hours, Jak could almost find it within himself to be grateful that Krew had figured out what not even Jak knew. If he hadn't blackmailed Damas, Jak might never have known there were places outside Haven that were still free. That the entire world hadn't been ruined.

Jak watched the waves foam against the bottom of the rocky spire, again and again until he thought he could pinpoint where the water was deepest. Casually, he slipped out of his boots, lined them up against the wall of the spire, and used them to weigh down his little bag of rations. Then he backed up a few steps, got a running start, and leaped.

Free fall was as exhilarating as ever, and the chill of the water drove his breath from him. He ignored it and pushed further, deeper, until his fingers touched sand. Pure white sand, just like Sandover, fine-grained and soft. With a kick, Jak righted himself and swam back up. He broke the surface with a gasp and treaded water a moment, soaking in the early morning chill with relish.

Something brushed against his leg, and with a start, he stuck his head back into the water to find a bemused lizard of some kind. It flapped ear-like fins on the sides of its head at him, then placidly continued on towards the rocks to search for crustaceans. Jak followed it, watching it pluck a crab up with razor sharp teeth, shell and all. It spit out pieces of shell as it went, then nosed around the rocks looking for more. Jak took another break for air, then went back to following the creature, even reaching out to trail a finger along what appeared to be a small sail on the lizard's back. Annoyed, the animal flicked the sail upright and it flashed a bright orange.

Heh. Sorry, little guy, Jak thought, pulling his hands away. But he stayed several more seconds to watch, even prying a crab free of the rock himself as a kind of apology for startling the lizard.

Jak spent the rest of the morning swimming to and from the rocks, marveling at the feeling of open water with neither gun turrets nor angry Lurker Sharks hunting him down. Even if the rest of the place was a desert, Jak decided he could get used to this.

By the time he'd finally come out of the water, the sun was several hours in the sky. It had been some time since Jak had swum simply for the pleasure of swimming, and his muscles had a satisfying burn to them as he climbed back up the footpath, wringing out his scarf. So there was a new hole in it where he'd tried to scrub out some grime against a barnacle covered rock, so what? Nobody would care.

The majority of the Wastelanders had left when Jak stepped back into the temple, and a few of the creepy monks looked annoyed as he brushed past them. He found Damas and Sig speaking in hushed tones with Kleiver, while Daxter periodically stole their rations.

Of course Daxter immediately noticed the rip.

"Jak!" He clasped a dramatic paw to his chest as though he were about to faint. "You took a bath! Unprompted! I'm so proud of you! Sure, your clothes came out a bit worse for wear, and you're gonna smell like pickled glub, but the point is, you washed!"

Jak flipped him off.

He didn't stink that bad. Usually.

Jak stepped over the three men, ignoring them as if they were Underground members, and settled back on the ledge of the alcove with the ration bag Damas had given him. It was more comforting than he'd expected, being able to carry his own food and know nobody was going to take it away. He wasn't sure what most of the mix of dried vegetables and meats was, but it tasted alright. A little salty, but then, salt was doubtless in abundance on the coast.

"You have to take me back to Haven," he said, boldly interrupting the conversation.

Sig puffed out his cheeks and rubbed his brow. "I'll be honest, cherry, I'd feel better if you stayed here."

He held up a hand before Jak could protest.

"I know, I know. You're still hellbent on killin' Praxis with your bare hands. But it might be worth it to play a longer game. Wait until he's exhausted his options."

"He and the Underground are both looking for the Tomb of Mar," Jak cut in. "They want the Precursor Stone. And if I'm not there, they'll try to make my brother get it for them."

Damas stiffened. He raised his head very slowly, and Jak actually drew back an inch, intimidated.

"They want to send children into the Tomb?" he asked in a soft, dangerous, voice.

"Well. Praxis definitely does." Jak took a handful of a dried green bean of some kind from the satchel and popped them into his mouth. "Underground? I dunno for sure, but I wouldn't put it past them."

Jak swallowed hard, and, sensing his unease, Daxter put a paw on his leg for comfort. After everything, the words didn't come easy to him. Harder now when it was a matter of pride. But for Mar's sake, Jak had to swallow his pride -- and his fear.

"Look," he said, a little uneasily, "I don't, um, I still don't know you. I mean, yeah, that's not your fault or whatever, but we're strangers. You don't know what I'm capable of. S- so you're gonna have to just trust that I can handle myself, and I-"

He swallowed again and pushed through his better judgment.

"...I'm gonna trust you, okay? You say you just want to protect Mar, I'm gonna let you prove it. But if you turn on us, you won't live to tell; I'm just sayin'."

Damas looked at him for a long time and said nothing. Then he rose and held out his arm. Jak stared at it for several seconds before realizing it was that wrist-grab thing Sig sometimes did. He reached back and clasped forearms with the Wasteland king: a silent formation of an alliance.

"Very well." Damas frowned and withdrew his hand. "I am as reluctant as Sig, but it cannot be helped. Kleiver and Sig will go with you -- they have business with Krew as it is."

"Krew?!" Daxter sputtered, leaping to his feet, "What do you want with that shark?"

Sig snorted humorlessly. "Jak was worth the ransom, Chili Pepper, but we can't go letting Krew think he can get away with shaking down the king of Spargus."

"He's going for a long walk down a short plank," Kleiver added bluntly. "Well. Unless we can give 'im acute cirrhosis in under ten hours. I’m pretty sure I got ‘im halfway to that point when I was the heavy."

"Dibs on the bar," said Daxter immediately. "And the booze. Don't give a crap about the artifacts, but the cash register's mine, too."

Jak raised his eyebrows. "What do you want with a bar, Dax?"

"Um, to run it? Duh?" The ottsel rolled his eyes. "Think big picture, Jak! Wars don't last forever and last I checked, "heroes" don't get paid! I wanna job I'll actually like!"

"Sold. Bar's yours." Sig raised a flask in Daxter's direction in a joking toast.

_______________________________________

"Air train makes landings here every three days -- two, if you're willing to pay through the nose for it -- so that gives us about 48 hours to prep for this mission," Sig said brusquely. He swung himself into the driver's seat of one of the two remaining vehicles and turned over the engine. "Ammo, gun maintenance, anything you need before going back, now's the time to get it."

Damas shouldered his staff and paused to drink from the waterfall a moment before following Jak out of the courtyard.

"I think some armor is in order for them both," he remarked, "And some sturdier clothes."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Jak asked defensively.

"Well I know what's wrong with my clothes," Daxter interjected.

"Oh here we go-"

"That's right: I'M NOT WEARING ANY!"

"Indeed. Not ideal at this time of year," Damas smirked.

He ducked into the passenger side of the larger buggy and narrowed his eyes at Sig. "Don't scratch my car."

"Don't scratch your- when have I ever scratched the Dozer?" Sig rolled his eye. "If you wanted to drive, you shoulda walked faster."

"Yes yes, rules of the Pit," Damas grumbled. "But we both know I'm the better driver."

"If by "better" you mean "more destructive", then I agree."

"Destructive to everything but the vehicle and its occupants, which is the whole point."

Sig elbowed him. "Or you could sacrifice a chip of paint and not put the driver in danger to begin with?"

Jak climbed into the back of the buggy they called the Dozer and took a seat on the floor. As he began tying his hair back in a knot, Daxter leaned over and whispered, "You realize this is gonna be us in thirty years."

First

#jak and mar are separate people au #fic prompts #writing prompts #jak and daxter #dadmas #king damas #jak and daxter au #dad sig #damas and sig are platonic life partners but can also be read as ship #snippet wednesday #blackmail au #surprise! it's a two parter lol

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brenbrennn · 1 year

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ੈ✩‧₊˚ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴇ

Summary!!: As the cordyceps destroyed the world you used to know , you stayed alone for a good couple of years. You took a guess that any other civilization was hell on earth or tarnished to bits. Though at that point , hell seemed way better than any of this mess. With your travels as a smuggler , you met two people by the names of Joel Miller and Ellie Williams. Haven't have not seen really any living human beings in ages , you decided to join them on their mission to get to a certain fireflies base. Upon the time you spent with them , you grew to care for the two. Especially growing close to Joel. Even growing a sort of parent and daughter relationship with Ellie , you couldn’t expect ever leaving their sides. Settling into Jackson was a beyond good choice. The community was welcoming and nicely guarded. It allowed you to finally be at ease. But that comfortable feeling was going to be fractured sooner or later. After someone from your past turns up and finds you in Jackson , a lot of realities come to the forefront. Leading you and old man Miller having to actually talk about your relationship. Authors Note!!: WOOOO THE LAST OF USSS!! Ive been a huge fan of the game for a while , and the series already has me hooked. I wanna swarm this game with all my love. So I decided to write some good joel x reader. By all far he is one of the most intimidating characters I have written for. Mainly cause this is my first time writing for the game and I dont wanna fuck up any personalities. Strap in because this one is gonna be a long , angsty , fluffy ride. Content Warning!!: Canon typical game violence/gore (aka descriptions of violence and the reader getting their shit rocked) , deep diving into backstories (specifically the readers since I made up a whole faction) , child death , more game universe than show universe , allusions to a fem!reader (had a daughter before the outbreak - also gets called mom a couple times) , and brief mentions of suicide idealation , Spoilers for like the first and second TLOU game , Kind of edited? I am still going through some spelling mistake lol. I understand if some of you wanna sit this one out , love ya guys <3 ⋘══════∗ {•『 ♡ 』•} ∗══════ ⋙ For the longest time , Joel Miller was the one person to always plague your thoughts. After a while of getting to know him more , and getting close with Ellie the humanity you once berried so down inside sprawled awake. You got to know the two more , their dreams and fears. Especially Joel.... having a sort of alignment with him. In a weird way you two as a pair sort of clicked. If you still stayed stuck in your mindset before everything , you would have never realized you were in love with Joel. That word always racked your mind. Love... something you hadn’t felt for another person in such a long time. But it was true even if it was hard to explain , you loved that man. With every ounce of life in you. Though, Joel was like a rock. Even after he eased out when choosing to stay in Jackson with you and Ellie , his old habits always snuck up on him. One in particular was the denying of his own feelings. The ones towards you that made him feel like a teenager again. That made him feel whole , those ones he didnt know how to admit them. Which was a pest to your guy's budding relationship. It always floated around the both of you , almost like a warning. You hadn’t known what to describe your relationship. Were you only a companion? Was this something more than just a toughly bonded friendship? You knew about his struggles , at least some of them. Loosing his daughter and all of that. But couldn't you two finally live to be happy? Shrug away the burdens that had been haunting you? This had all spiraled out in a argument you both had. You were the one who started it , even though you were not proud of it at all. Something had been picking at you the weeks into winter. A harsh storm had swarmed Jackson , almost like the bubbling anxiety that was stirring inside you. The two of you were stern adults , stubborn with your opinions. Some less shared than others. What started as a question exploded into a mostly heated dispute. You tried not to be so loud , the two of you genuinely just tired from the day. You had gotten off of an overnight patrol shift together , but this question could not be avoided for much longer. Harsh words were met with other harsh words. He got defensive and so did you. Ellie had been off with Dina and Jesse so you knew it was just the two of you alone. “I’m not just that same stranger that came to help you Joel!” You were racked with tears. “I have stuck with you through thick and thin - an this is how you treat me?! Like some liability!” You were beyond pissed off , and Joel just looked at you in silence. He wanted to say so much but was held back. By his own fears and insecurities. It had only been a year since the firefly incident back in salt lake city. You two sharing an abundance of secrets between one another. He was still scared with being vulnerable with you , and couldn't mutter a word. Not even a sentence to ease your worry. God he felt like such a jackass. He never meant to hurt you this much. He never meant to hurt you at all. “Was this for nothing...?” Your tone filled with anguish. “If your gonna say it like that , I guess so.” He stared at you through gritted teeth. Your heart plummeted to the bottom of your stomach. Ripped out of your chest by the man you had trusted. Trusted with so much and so little. Maybe he was right about everything. You glared , it burned holes into Joel. He felt horrible , he was so worked up his brain was making stuff up on the spot. He had to keep you at an arms length. He didnt want to get you hurt. He had already let you in though , so genuinely there was no way he could rid his heart of you. Not that he even wanted to. The both of you shared a long , pained look. You broke the slowly growing stale silence. “Have it your way , I totally understand. We always said it was to the destination and than nothing else.” Sighing , you walked out of the main area to grab your bag. Your voice trembled , trying not to break out cry’s. You had to keep your cool for now. “I guess I was the only one who didnt keep my word.” That one really stung his heart. He was stunned , stuck in his stance. At this point anything else he would have said most likely wouldnt have helped it all. What was done is done , and he regretted every last second of it. You stuffed a couple things in your pack. “I’ll stay at Tommie's and Marias until then. I know you probably dont wanna see my face.” He nodded weakly , his expression nothing but blank. One more final look from you as you headed out the door. Joel couldn't help but let his sobs' spring free. Shameful tears plummeted down his cheeks. He had no idea what to do , was karma out to get him? After popping by to see Maria , you told her a majority of everything. She gave pity on you , offering the guest bedroom for you to stay in for a bit. Until yours and Joel’s disagreement died down. Tommy caught wind and reassured you that it was only Joel being Joel. He would come around soon. You tried your hardest to believe him. Patrol time came on once again , Tommy volunteered to head off with you. So going with Joel wouldnt make things more tricky than they already were. You had grown to become a good friend with Tommy along with a lot of the other residents in Jackson. The two of you began to set off around the perimeter , heading the route you had been assigned to. Even with the annoyance of the snow , it was nice that day out. Calm and quiet you made sure to keep your eyes open. Trying to not let your argument before with Joel cloud your thought process. Tommy could see how off you were , and as a friend he was gonna lend a helping hand obviously. “Alright over there? Seem stuck in your own world.” He chuckled , patting his sides as he rode along his horse. You took a breath , flinching your hands at the reins. “No if I am being completely honest , I cant shake the argument at all.” You grew a pained smiled over your face. Tommy took a second before responding. “Look its like I said , this is only Joel being Joel. He’s a protector , but sometimes a idiot when it comes to being out with what he feels. He was like that when we were younger , and now its only worse with what yall have gone through.” He went on , you couldn’t really disagree with what he was saying. He gestured his head over to you once Joel came back to subject again. “Besides , he really does care about you.” That made you paused big time. “Really? What do you mean?” You needed to know more. “Whenever he talks about you , he always compliments you in a way. Either on your smarts or how optimistic you are.” You sucked your teeth in when he brought that up. You could recognize the ‘awe’ growing inside you , reflecting in the warmness of your face. It had put everything into perspective. Maybe he wasn’t so rough and tough like he always exuded. You could never get through to the truth , always blocked off by him time and time again shutting down. “He’s only stubborn , he’ll realize his wrongs and apologize. If you wanna draw it out so much we can make a bet.” He flashed a sympathetic smile. You chuckled in response , “Thanks Tommy but I would rather not bet on my personal life.” He snickered “Fine , I’ll just do it with Maria.” You couldn’t help but giggle lightly. “Suree suree , you keep saying that.” Now your mood was a little better from before , less down in the dumps than earlier. Becoming more hopeful, you finished logging everything down that you spotted and started heading back to Jackson with Tommy. Surprisingly you guys hadn't ran into any infected. You two carried conversation for a good while , talking about life in the general sense. Mentally you were trying to think of ways to talk to Joel again. Scenarios went through your head with any possible conversation. Stuck in thought , something jolted you immediately into defense mode. That something was gun shots ringing at you and Tommy. Right away you both collectively tried to fight it off. But shots kept littering out , one even hitting you in the shoulder. You winced in pain and in a panic looked back at Tommy. “GO NOW!” You shouted , the snow fall getting heaver. “No I cant just leave you here!” He tried to shoot at the random sniper among the trees. “This could mean hunters or bandits , warn Jackson!” “No! We should both get fuckin going!” He continued to shoot at whatever was hitting you guys. “I have this under control , GO TOMMY!” You tried to plead with him. “I promise once I get this bozo I’ll follow right behind you.” Almost as if you were begging him to run of. •·.·''·.·• The storm was getting heavier and heavier as the two of you continued trying to communicate. Tommy gave you a conflicted expression but finally did as you said. “You better be on my ass as soon as you finish them off!” He shouted over the blizzard. He made his way the opposite direction , regretful of his decision. Not being able to look be he kept on going forward , hoping that you would come out unscathed. But you were gonna be okay. You had to be okay. He rode into the gates of Jackson in a hurry , the large wooden doors opening up. People quickly started to notice that you weren’t actually behind Tommy. Joel especially noticed and couldn’t stop thinking of what possibly could have happened. Everything got worse once they heard a horse , it was your horse. Pained neighs came as it trotted in , on its last leg. The poor baby had a fresh gun wound in its side. Quickly it was helped off to the stables for care. Immediately people got to questioning and Tommy tried his hardest to explain. Every ounce of what went down he told. Recalling the guilt he felt leaving you behind. But when he tried to reason you wouldnt let down at all. Ellie was oh so worried , begging to go out and try to find you. She couldn't lose a parental figure , thinking back to Colorado with Joel. Dina even offered to come along. Maria attempted to calm the overlapping voices but Joel again was quiet. The thumping of his pulse could be heard in his ears. What if you were dead? What if they pumped you full of led? He couldn’t stop imaging the sight. Multiple gun holes in your torso , the light drained from your eyes. Your blood was everywhere , the snow going from a pure white to a dark red. He wasn't gonna let some fuckup do who knows what to you. He was gonna make sure his fists were covered in their blood. He clung onto any possibilities , ones where your insides weren’t strung up. He knew you were a fighter , he just hoped they could find you in time. Along with Dina , Jesse , Ellie , Joel and Maria some other patrol men tagged along. Tommy wanted to go , feeling that he in some way caused this mess. But Maria told him to stay back , since you weren’t the only one wounded in the scuffle. He sighed in defeat but agreed. Wishing the rest of the others good luck. The search party looked out for you , same route you and Tommy headed on. But there were no signs of you. No backpack , no gun no nothing. Even when they found the specific spot where the sniper was spotted , it was almost like you up and left. Though something was uncovered , and it wasn’t something good. Bloody boot tracks were implanted in the snow , almost forming a trail. They could only follow so much and were led with nothing. Maria looked along the trail , realizing the cut off. Dina spoke up , “Thats weird... it doesnt lead to any direction of Jackson.” Ellie agreed , “Yeah they wouldn’t just up and leave. Thats not like them … this has to be something more?” The possibility of you running away swarmed Joel's thoughts. He never meant for you to think he didnt care for you in any way. You became so constant in his life he couldn’t fathom losing you. Maria sighed , contemplating on what to do. “Lets keep on looking , they could have went to get shelter.” Jesse commented along with the groups decision. “Yeah , doesnt seem so bad. Maybe we check the lodge? That place is pretty nice shelter from the snow.” Everyone else came to an agreement while Joel stayed quiet. Only letting out a murmur in return. Searching for you lead them into a typical wild goose chase. You weren’t stuck at any of the surrounding areas. It didnt help that the weather proceeded to get more rough. Maria ordered everyone to head back , they can continue this all later. Joel couldn’t stop beating himself up about what was going on. He caused this , he was the one to blame. He scared you off... and now fate was coming to give him a message. He couldn’t be frantic, he had to keep on a brave face at least for Ellie. Slowly you started to gain a sliver of consciousness. As your eyes began to focus around , your surroundings were unfamiliar. This wasn't the woods of Jacksonville , instead you were situated in a old house. Walls were in ruins , paint peeling off of them. Whole room was filled to the brim in dust. Trying to free your hands , you soon realized you were restrained. Both your wrists and ankles were tied. Your wrists were specifically tied to the railing of the homes stairs. You cursed , trying to get a look at what else surrounded you. Thankfully your gun was with you , but not so thankfully all of its ammo was emptied on the floor. Heavy foot falls followed your look around. You heard a gun rifle get cocked back as you met the face of the gun holder. Immediately you started to panic. Thrashing your brain around on how he could have found you. You thought you had lost him?! There in front of you stood the man Zachary Hale , someone of nightmares. His eyes traced over you , a crooked smile on his face. “Oh friend - how wonderful to see you!” He sounded like a full blown maniac. Which was not super far from the truth. “How ya been? The whole new set up treating you well?” He commented , proceeding to pull up a metal chair. “...How did you fucking find me?” You gritted out , clearly annoyed. Slowly blood from your nose trickled down your features. “Oh sweetheart you forget that you cant just lose me THAT easily?”, he snickered. “Its adorable how you think I’m such a dunce , seriously!” He threw his gun to the side , you watched it clank away. “Seems like you got your smarts knocked back into you.” He’d let out a wheezy chuckle , playing up the friendly tone a little too hard. But not for long was he gonna keep you like this. “So great Hale , whats your fucking plan? Did you just wanna have tea with me in this shithole?” You cracked , trying to hide your anxiousness with humoring him. Immediately you flinched your face back as his screwed up hand cupped your cheek. You could feel the dirt and grime laced into his palm. It also wasn’t hard to notice the nasty hole in the middle of his free hand. “Oh honey... my little angel , you know that Ive missed you.” He said with a sickly smile. “But you haven’t given me any introductions to your new friends.” Right away you realized what he wanted , you could feel your insides twist into knots. “Sooo... I am going to beat the life out of you until you tell me all of their names.” He was definitely amused seeing into in this state of pain , your gun wound from earlier still oozing with blood. Same went for your nose , as the butt of his gun met right with your face earlier. “I’m not gonna tell you anything , you jackass!” You barked , the tight rope of your wrists thrashing at your skin. “Now see , that's where your wrong.” His finger graced the lining of your jaw. You wanted to bite his finger off , shoot him dead and run off. But the thing was you had no idea where you were. You wouldn’t be surprised if he planned this all out meticulously. With how creepy he is , he wasn't the most stupid when it came to getting his way. “How so asshole , you know I wont ever answer to you.” His lips curved up in enjoyment. “Well your gonna have to or else I’ll let you bleed out in the snow.” You kept your cool , not wanting him to get inside your head. “Even you know I keep my promises!” He leaned back gleefully , retracting his arms and crossing them. “If you dont , then I’m just gonna have to do it myself. So I suggest you cooperate , I want to ruin you like you did to me.” He chuckled with teeth on full display. It was almost like you were starring right back at death itself. “ I wont stop until I get all.my.satisfaction from this.” He made sure to make his point clear. Again , his hand met your face. “I didn’t do anything! Your the monster here!” You squirmed around , hoping that luck would be by your side. “You wanna go into things you did , cause OH I can name a list.” Suddenly you stiffened up as soon as he said that. You had an idea of what he was gonna utter. His lips situated into the twisted like grin from before. “Shouldn’t you remember killing her in cold blood....?” He whispered into your ear , rage skyrocketing through you. “DONT YOU DARE MENTION HER!” You barked at him , getting a kick in. He stumbled but didnt change in demeanor at all. “Well if your gonna be a such a pain, I will. Maybe lets jog your memory since we’re gonna be cooped up for a while.” He went into a long explanation , dragging out details and making sure you were put to blame. He wanted to rip into you emotionally and it was working. When the outbreak started , you immediately wanted to get away from civilization. Luckily you were able to make it out of your town before military blocked off any roads. You could remember barreling home after finding out what was going on. Your first priority was your daughter. Barreling through your homes front door , your eyes panickily darted around. “Baby!? Baby where are you?! You called through the house. Right away your daughter let herself be known. She had hid inside her closet once she caught commotion outside. Originally you just wanted to get some errands done , but now you had a mission. Her eyes were teary as she met you with a hug. You calmed her down , needing to make sure you two got out with every ounce of you both intact. You ran out of your house with her , reminding her to leave anything else behind. She listened and you hightailed you guys out of there. Even if you couldn’t get out of your area right away , you needed somewhere to lay low.

Which is when you remembered your parents farm. It was deep in a woods area and was basically off the grid. You knew for a while your father had been always paranoid about something like this happening , so there had to be supplies. Passing through dirt roads and unpaved patches of land you finally arrived. It was the same as you could recall. Barbed wiring and large metal fences surrounded the area. Your father was a very guarded person. Always prepping for what sort of worst disaster. Guess this time he was right about it. Taking your daughter by the hand you rushed inside the fencing , blocking you off from the outside. By the time you got really inside the home , place was entirely empty. You always thought your parents would be here. Never hesitating to hide away when a storm came brewing. But no... no one was inside. A letter was placed on the fridge door , the hand writing looked frantic. It was your mother , her signature and all placed at the bottom left. "𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘏𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘞𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘻𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺. 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶." - 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 , 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 Thoughts overtook you completely. Why a quarantine zone? I mean this house is stocked up with all essentials. What if they were infected already? What if they were shot and killed? From day one of your existence you had always been prepared for this scenario , so it surprised you they were denying their own protections.

You had to keep on pushing through , for you daughter. You couldn’t get all emotional now. That would have to be saved for the inside of whatever mattress. What ripped you away from your stream of assumptions was your little girl speaking up. “Are we- are we sick?” She mumbled , still teary eyed.

You moved over to her and crouched down since she was sitting on the couch. “Sweetie no , you didn’t let anyone inside right?” You comfortably tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She’d quickly nod her head , she was paranoid out of her mind. A kid her age shouldn’t have to panic so much like this , so you tried to quell her fears.

“Look we’re gonna be safe , okay? Take this like a fun trip! We need to keep some rules in check though so me and you can be safe.” You explained , she clung to you with a fearful nod. Guilt was pouring through you but you couldn’t change the situation you two were in. So the best option was to find a solution , couldn’t be so hard...?

•·.·''·.·•

What continued was years of hiding. Through your scavenging you found ways to fortify the house so no one got out or in. You were able to somewhat supply your daughter with a stable childhood. With the occurrence of infected always prowling around , they were easily fought off with traps surrounding every corner of the farm. Even though you were guarded to the max , slip ups could potentially happen.

It was the middle of the night. Both you and your daughter were sleeping peacefully, her a couple rooms down from yours. A sawed off shotgun just within your reach. Oddly , you were taken out of your slumber by a loud banging coming from your front door. Which genuinely woke you up , your hand immediately went to your weapon.

You haven't been graced with the presence of any other living humans in years; the infected didnt have any manners of knocking. It led you befuddled , making your exit out of your room to check what was happening. Your daughter had rose from her room and found you. In which you quickly shushed her as you made your way to the cameras.

Clicking through them , you found the source of the loud banging. A...family of three were sat at your front door step. It was a mother , father , and a little girl - she was maybe around the age of six. The man was the one who had been hammering at the front of the house , loudly announcing his presence. By what you could make out from the mother and girl , the mother was carefully holding up the young child. You couldn't observe much anything else , except the annoying persistent stranger.

The presence of your daughter stood behind you , she immediately wanted to know what was had to be done. Firmly , you told her to stay put in her room as you would go deal with this. She replied with an “okay.. be careful mom.” Before making her way back up the stairs. Pinching your nose , you cocked your gun and headed to your homes entrance. Immediately as sign of life was heard from inside , the raucous finally quelled. You unlocked the door and it swung in your way , meeting the father with the muzzle of your shotgun at his chest. Instantly he staggered back , so did the mother with her child. Clearly you were pissed off , and you were not gonna be so kind to strangers. “Who are you and what the fuck are you doing at my home?” You grunted out , adjusting you firearm to make sure it was up and shown. The mom and dad made panicked glancing looks before the father finally spoke up. “Look , we were part of a QZ before this. It got tarnished by a resistance group. We’re just trying to find shelter , and our daughter was injured in a scuffle.” The guy explained basically their whole entire story. You listened intently , trying to come up with what to do. “Please , we mean you no harm. Only thing I’m asking for is if you could maybe lend us some medical supplies,” Something else popped up in his head. “Or you could check out her leg wound , but that's all we need.” As the man rambled , your eye peeked over at the two behind him. The mothers eyes looked mortified , clearly this wasn't some ploy. You heart crumbled into tiny pieces as you saw the younger one. She was shaking , her small hands gripping onto her mother. You could recall the start of the outbreak , your mortified daughters expression as the new predicament shaped her childhood.

You sighed and moved your gun away from view. The mans more panicked attitude switched to somewhat awkward. You spoke up , looking at the three before you got to talking. “...Seeing as if your not some sort of trick , I will let you inside. On one condition - you only stay here for the night.” The father right away shook his head in agreement. Before he could say anything more , you cut him off. “We have rooms you can stay in , but you dont touch anything else. Do you hear me clear.” It was almost like a command. Again , the man shook his head into agreement. “Yes yes , thank you so much...!” You nodded in return and let them inside. The rest of the night was a majority of you showing them around. Examining the kids injury , it at first looked like just a couple scrapings. Which you in the end helped with some rubbing alcohol and a cloth. Your daughter came down , ease dropping for most of the confrontation. The parents collectively were thankful for your helpfulness , you only really replying with a gritting “No problem at all.” The threes stay expanded from one day to more. To be completely honest you weren’t mad about it. More people around wasn’t so terrible , and your daughter was getting nicely along with their youngest. But from your earlier predictions , you may have been wrong about it being some couple scratches. Oh would you be so regretful of what you did. Though the belittlement of your past actions was stopped; as you felt your face exit the piercingly cold lake water. You regained your breath , your shivering only getting worse by then. Hale had the ends of your hair balled into a fist , he had a rough grip on it. “What - you gonna budge now?” His hold only got tighter as you squirmed. Through gasps and blood coughing out of your mouth , “Fuck no you dipshit!” As the cold red liquid trailed down your lip from seemingly days of torture , he threw you to the side. You tumbled not too far , but felt stuck in your moment. Your odds of getting out of this were slim. You couldn't just think your way out of this like the many times before. He’d let out a coarse chuckle , making his way over to you. “God how I always loved your stubbornness.” Your rigid body was dragged back inside of the run down home , you were met with the cold wooden floor. He looked at you , something was ticking away. “Times running out but I’m a patient man. So I am gonna let you rest until tomorrows fun activities.” He gave you a solemn look before again , leaving your sights. Left to way there - you deep dived back into your past. Going through the mistakes you made to get here. The day your world view plummeted was a week after you’d let the young family stay with you. It was early morning at the farm , sun cupping up into the sky. Even though the sights outside looked so pretty , the inside of your home was not the same. What awoke you was the startled shrieks of your daughter. Garbled commotion was all you could hear , and right away you were on your feet. When you made your way downstairs you couldn’t be anymore shocked. The young girl was infected , trying to devour her parents. She was eating into her mothers neck , while the father was already out for the count. Right away your gun went off , but it missed the now infected kid. Your daughter was yelling for you , yelling to get her. Before you could make the perfect shot , the now turned child already got a swipe at your daughter. Fucking finally you were able to land a head shot right through the head of the monster. Briskly , two more shots rang out. You were frozen in your path , weapon dropping in your hand. Before your brain could clock what was going on , your daughter spoke. Her voice was chocked with tears as she held her arm. “Mama... I’m gonna become a monster.” That grabbed your attention as you saw what your idiotic decisions gave you. Your daughter was bit on her forearm , she couldn't stop crying. “Mama please dont let me become one of them!” She begged you , her frame wrapping around your torso. Cautiously you wrapped your arms around her , this would be your final hug. Your head looked back to your dropped gun , her daughters loud sobbs were muffled into you. You looked down at your baby girl and adjusted your view to look at her. “Honey lets head outside , I wanna show you something.” The two of you shared a look. Through a begrudging smile you ushered her outside. You took her to a nearby field , entirely empty with no civilization for miles. “Why dont you turn around for me and pick some of the flowers?” You mumbled as you gestured to the small patch of daisies. One last final look , she looked like she knew what was gonna happen. As she crouched down , she began to grab at the patch of flowers. “I love you baby... I hope you know that.” She turned back , again staring you right down. “I love you too mama.” She replied with a quivering smile. She began to hum as she went back to doing what you asked. Your eyes poured out so much tears , you reloaded your gun with ammo. “Remember our song baby? I want you to sing it as loud as you can.” You felt as if your knees were about to go weak. She listened and began with more volume , sing that same tune. As the words of “Make your own kind of music” came from her mouth , you counted down mentally. Backwards from three , the noise around you went quiet. Only being able to see what you did. Your daughter fell into the flowers , a gun shot to the back of her head. You finally fell to the grass , erupting into painful sobbing. You crawled over and cradled her in your arms. Repeating's of “I’m sorry” came from your lips as you rocked back and fourth. You never expected to be so alone , but now you were. You lost the only thing that kept you going in this cold world. You wanted to die with her that day but you couldn’t. A crack from a branch came from out of nowhere. You realized where you were , laying on a large tree. Your eyes opened , meeting the face of Joel Miller. Petrified seeing the state you were in. Bleeding out and gravely injured , you could only meet him with a breath of life and curve of your lips.

**END (part 2 coming soon)**

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oh-myluckystars · 5 months

Text

Disclaimer: This is a two-parter. Part Two will be on Day Five.

Persiens Week: Day Two: Poison | read on ao3

Nasiens hummed to himself, popping open a jar of crushed wisteria petals. He sprinkled them into the vial as he ignored the pleas of his captured guest. He watched the petals dissolve into the liquid with anticipation.

“Looks like this is ready to test,” Nasiens said, pouring the mixture into an empty vial. He glanced at the man tied up behind him. “Now it’s time for your job, Guinea Pig.”

The door bolted open. “Excuse me!”

“Another intruder? How annoying.” Nasiens snarled.

Percival blinked. “Um, sorry. You’re Nasiens, right? I’m Percival, your new assistant.”

Nasiens’ face flushed in embarrassment. “Oh, Percival! Forgive me, I hadn’t expected you to come so early.”

He put down the vial of medicine and walked toward Percival, extending his hand to him. “It’s so great to meet you, Percival. My sister has told me so much about you.”

“You too! I’m so excited to work with you!” Percival smiled, shaking Nasiens’ hand. He tilted his head toward the man bound in ropes who was looking at him with pleading eyes. “And who’s this? One of your assistants?”

“No, this is Talisker, my guinea pig. The other day he was trespassing into my home so naturally I made him my guinea pig,” Nasiens said, picking up a needle and filling it with the medication. “In fact, I was just about to test this out on him.”

“Would you like to do the honors?” Nasiens asked, handing him the injection.

Percival nodded and injected the needle into Talisker’s arm.

“So, what’s this drug for?” Percival asked.

“Well it’s—”

The ground began to shake and the sound of large, heavy footsteps grew closer until they saw Delores’ face through the window.

“Delores!” Percival ran to the window and pushed it open. “What are you doing here?”

“Just checking up on you and my brother. How are the experiments going?”

“We’ll see the results shortly,” Nasiens said, walking next to Percival. “If everything goes well you’ll be back to your normal size by the end of the day.”

“Normal size?” Percival asked.

“Before Talisker here, Delores used to help me with my experiments… which is how she ended up this size.” Nasiens gestured toward her.

“And here I thought you were just tall.” Percival said.

“Looks like the poison is starting to take effect.” Delores said, pointing to Talisker.

His limbs started to shrink one by one until he disappeared out of their sight.

“HE’S GONE?! BUT HOW?!” Percival exclaimed in shock.

“He’s not gone, just tiny,” Nasiens said calmly. “Do me a favor and catch him, will you?”

“You got it, boss!” Percival saluted him.

Percival checked the unbound ropes for Talisker and spotted him, hiding under the chair. He smirked and dove under the chair, snatching the bug-sized man out from his hiding place.

“Gotcha!” Percival exclaimed.

Talisker bit Percival’s hand and he let out a yelp, letting go of him. Talisker ran in between their legs and ran out the open door.

Percival stood in shock, staring at the open door in disbelief. He looked at Nasiens who was wearing a disappointed expression on his face.

“I’ll go after him. He couldn’t have gone far!”

Percival was about to chase after Talisker but Nasiens stopped him, grabbing him by the wrist.

“No, that’s not necessary. I doubt you’d be able to find him now.” Nasiens closed the door. He walked past Percival, catching a glimpse of his disappointed expression.

“But—”

“It’s okay, there will be other guinea pigs,” Nasiens placed a hand on his shoulder, offering him a smile.

“At least make it up to you then. Let me make dinner for the two of us tonight.” Percival said, placing a hand against his chest sternly.

“For— For the two of us?” Nasiens repeated, blushing.

—

Nasiens didn’t know what to expect when Percival called him down for dinner but he had spent a long time imagining it.

When he opened the door, he was greeted with the scent of Percival’s delicious cooking. It smelled like a mixture of fish, meat, and vegetables. Percival must have gone all out on this dinner.

Not only that but when he reached the bottom of the stairs he saw Percival had set up a table for them with a candle as the center.

“This has quite the romantic atmosphere. I wonder…”

Before Nasiens could finish his thought, Percival walked into the room with two plates of food.

“Dinner is served!” Percival exclaimed, setting their plates on the table.

Percival pulled out a chair for Nasiens and he smiled, sitting down. He quickly ran to the other side of the table, taking a seat.

“This is all so nice. I wasn’t expecting you to do all this.” Nasiens said with a laugh.

He had expected a nice dinner but frankly, Percival had blown Nasiens’ expectations out of the water.

Nasiens took a bite of the food and his eyes lit up. “This is delicious! I didn’t know you were such a good cook.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Percival smiled.

“I’m curious… how did you get the name Nasiens, the Mad Herbalist?” Percival asked.

Nasiens almost spit out his food. “Delores told you that, huh?”

Percival nodded, taking a sip of his drink. “I think she said it to impress me. And it worked! It’s such a cool nickname!”

“Well if you really want to know… it’s a name Delores made up to scare one of my old guinea pigs. And like you said, it worked.”

Nasiens had to wonder if that was the reason that Percival had been so upset over losing Talisker. He didn’t think Nasiens would hurt him, did he? He hoped Delores didn’t tell him any crazy stories.

“Maybe I should have a nickname too!” Percival exclaimed.

“What are you thinking?” Nasiens asked, cutting a piece of meat and popping it into his mouth.

“Maybe… Percival the Great! But that doesn’t sound as cool as yours, does it?”

“No, not at all. I think it suits you.” Nasiens said, admiring the way Percival’s eyes lit up at the compliment.

“Thank you for being so kind even after I lost Talisker. If I could change what happened I would, I promise.”

Percival lowered his eyes in shame. His eyes landed on the uneaten fish in front of him. He brought the fish to his lips and took a big bite.

“But don’t worry, Nasiens! I’m gonna make it up to you!” Percival spoke with his mouth full of food.

“Percival, it’s okay. You don’t need to do anything,” Nasiens insisted, grabbing Percival’s hands. “There will be new guinea pigs. We’ll figure it out together, okay?”

Percival looked at him strangely and Nasiens felt an overwhelming feeling of dread wash over him.

“Percival?”

Percival fell to the ground with a thud. Nasiens rushed to his side, trying to shake him awake.

“Percival? Percival!”

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