as a fan of fnaf for many years
and a simp for josh hutcherson
i approve
Mike test
Doesn't convince but it's good for a first try i guess? :]
Hi đ, My name is Mohammad, and Iâm reaching out in a moment of desperate need. Iâm a father of three young children living in Gaza, and we are caught in the midst of a catastrophic war. Our home is no longer a safe haven, and the future here seems increasingly uncertain. đ
Iâve launched a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $40,000 to relocate my family to a safer place where my children can grow up in peace and have a chance at a brighter future.
Unfortunately, my previous fundraising efforts were abruptly halted when my account was terminated without explanation. However, I remain determined to keep fighting for my familyâs safety and well-being. đŤś
If you could take a moment to read our story, consider donating, or simply share our campaign with others, it would make an incredible difference. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to safety and a new beginning. đ
Thank you for your time, compassion, and support. â¤ď¸âđŠš
https://gofund.me/fd1faea2 đ
as a minor, i don't have the ability to donate anything (I have no money) but if anyone sees this. please consider donating!!
Hell's Greatest Ship
Hell's Greatest Dad
:> or :] or if I'm feeling goofy :}
:3 feels happier than :) But not as genuine as :]
I'm violently sobbing this is the best and worst fic I have ever read.
⢠synopsis. in the gritty underbelly of zaun, you find yourself entangled in the life of a new pit fighter: vi, a hardened fighter who wears her pain like armour. as a medic working in the fighting pit, you are tasked with patching up her wounds after matches, and you realize that while you can heal viâs injuries, you canât mend the broken pieces of her heart that belong to someone else.
⢠contains. afab!reader, arcane!vi, feminine characteristics, angst, lesbians, lots and lots of longing, kinda enemies to lovers (but worse), nsfw, fingering, 17+ kinda explicit.
⢠word count. 15.2k+
⢠authors note. i spent the last few weeks working on this fic and i am really happy with how it turned out!! eek!! happy reading!! <3 :)
Youâve grown used to the sight of blood.
It streaks across the tiled floor in dark smears, trails on the edge of your workbench, and stains the tattered cloths shoved into the waste bin. The scent of copper lingers in the air, mingling with the faint tang of disinfectant.
Youâve made it work, though. You have to.
Your bench is lined with the tools: sutures, gauze, tape, and a half-empty bottle of antiseptic youâve been meaning to replace. You keep it organized, and meticulous because chaos out there demands control in here. The pit fighters appreciate it, and you, in their own way. Thereâs always a pep in their step when they leave your little corner, heading to the bar with fresh bandages and a story to tell.
Some linger longer than they need to, chatting while you clean up. The regulars know your rhythmâwhen to crack a joke to ease the tension or when to stay quiet and let you focus. The brawlers come to trust you, and trust is hard to come by lately.
Maybe it was because you werenât trying to punch the lights out of their eyes.
The room itself is far from perfect. Cramped, poorly lit, and barely adequate, it feels more like a storage closet someone forgot to clear out than a proper medical station. Youâve done what you can to make it your own. A few paintings hang crookedly on the wallsâcheap prints, but bright enough to cut through the gloom. Candles flicker in the corners of your desk, casting a soft glow that doesnât do much for the lighting but makes the space feel warmer, more welcoming.
The pit fighters notice. They never say much about it, but you catch the way they relax when they sit down, their shoulders loosening just slightly as the room wraps them in its quiet. Itâs your small rebellion against the harshness of Zaun, a reminder that even here, thereâs room for gentleness.
Sometimes they repay that gentleness in their own wayâa drink after a fight, a nod of thanks, or a protective presence when the streets get dangerous, walking you home. Youâve been here long enough to know that loyalty is rare in Zaun, but somehow, youâve earned it.
The fighting arena roars with life, the crowdâs cheers rumbling through the walls like distant thunder. Tonightâs fights have been loudâlouder than usual. People running around with their coloured tickets based on who they were betting on. You glance at the clock.
Thereâs been a buzz all week about a newcomer, someone fresh and untested.
Vi, they call her.
Scrappy and wild, with a chip on her shoulder and fists to match. The kind of fighter who comes in all swagger and leaves in pieces.
You havenât met her yet, but the bookiesâ chatter alone has you bracing yourself. First fights are always the worstâtoo much pride, not enough sense.
The door rattles, hard enough to make the jars on your shelf tremble and you can hear muffled shouting from the other side.
It slams open, rattling on its hinges, but you donât look up right away. Your focus is on threading a needle carefully through the gash along the side of Rykerâs jawâa nasty wound from an earlier fight. Rykerâs been coming here for years, but never with complaints. Heâs one of the good ones, fighting not just for himself but for his daughter, scraping by on the cash these matches earn him. He sits hunched over, still radiating the heat of adrenaline.
âDonât fucking shove me,â a voice grumbles from the doorway. âFuck off, Loris!â
Your attention shifts to the two figures stumbling into the room. One of themâa broad-shouldered man with a face like heâs eaten rocks for breakfastâcould easily pass for one of the fighters. But itâs the girl heâs dragging by the arm that catches your eye.
Sheâs all jagged lines and sharp edges, her messy, dark pink hair sticking up in uneven tufts. Blood drips lazily from her nose, smudging against the back of her hand when she wipes at it, and her scowl is carved so deep it feels like her only expression.
âI donât need a medic,â the girlâVi, you hear the man mutterâsnaps, yanking her arm free. âI need a drink.â
âProtocol,â He replies flatly, giving her a shove that nearly sends her sprawling.
Vi catches herself with a stumble, shooting him a glare before surveying the room with obvious disdain. Her gaze lands on you, and her lip curls faintly. âThis it? Cozy,â she mutters, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
You ignore her, focusing on the final stitch on Rykerâs jaw. âYou can take a seat,â you say evenly, nodding toward the empty couch by the far wall.
âNo thanks,â Vi shoots back, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. She leans against the wall instead, glaring at nothing in particular.
âToo proud to sit down, blue belly?â Ryker mutters, casting a sharp glance from his seat. His voice is low, edged with a warning. âOr has the guilt of hunting your own finally caught up with you?â
âRyker,â you say softly, your tone a quiet scold. The last thing you need is a fight breaking out here.
But his words make you look at Vi more closely. Her features are familiar, in a vague, nagging way. It clicks as you take in the hard set of her shoulders, the stubborn way she holds herself, and the bruises already blooming across her cheekbone. A new batch of enforcers had swept through Zaun a few weeks back, leaving havoc and clouds of Grey in their wake. Theyâd brought their brutality, painted their violence into the walls of the city, and then disappeared like ghosts, leaving Zaun more broken than before.
Thatâs how it usually went with them.
However, you had never heard of someone from the undercity becoming an Enforcer before.
Vi scoffs, slurring her words just slightly. âI donât knowâdâyou wanna find out?â
You pause, needle halfway through a stitch, tension coiling tight in the air. âDonât,â you warn softly, already sensing where this is headed.
Ryker shifts forward on the bench, his battered knuckles flexing. âYou wanna go another round?â
Vi pushes off the wall, stepping closer. âYou wanna lose again?â she challenges, her voice low and sharp.
âThatâs enough,â you snap, moving quickly to step between them. Loris mirrors your movement, his larger frame serving as an immovable barrier.
âSit. Down,â Loris growls at Vi, his glare enough to make her hesitate. With a huff, she leans back against the wall again, though her fists remain clenched in her jacket pockets.
You shake your head and turn back to Ryker, finishing the last stitch with practiced ease. âYouâre done,â you tell him, rummaging through your cabinet and handing him a small bottle of pain meds. âKeep it clean, change the bandage twice a day, and stay out of troubleâfor your sake and your daughterâs.â
Ryker stands slowly, still throwing a glare Viâs way. But his expression softens when he looks at you. âThanks,â when he says your name, his voice is warmer than before. âYouâre too good for this place.â
You offer him a faint smile. âTake care, Ryker.â
He leaves, brushing past Vi with a grunt, and the room feels quieterâtense but quieter. You turn your attention to the newcomer, whoâs leaning against the wall, her posture relaxed but her eyes sharp, tracking your every movement.
âAlright,â you say, already washing your hands and gathering fresh supplies. âYour turn.â
Vi doesnât move from the wall. âIâm fine,â she insists, âpatch up the ones who actually need it.â
Your gaze flicks over herâthe bloody nose thatâs started to run again, the gash seeping through her sleeve, and the raw swelling on her knuckles. âSit,â you say, your voice firm.
She doesnât budge.
You meet her gaze, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably long, a quiet standoff neither of you seems willing to break. Your fingers tap once against the counter, but your glare doesnât waver. You wonât repeat yourself.
Loris, the man who dragged her in, steps forward with a roll of his eyes, giving her a nudge with his elbow. âSit down, Vi.â
She winces at the pressure on her back, her bravado faltering for just a split second. With a low grumble, she finally drops onto the bench, slouching with exaggerated indifference, her arms crossing tight over her chest.
You grab a clipboard and step closer. She watches you like youâre some kind of nuisance.
âName?â you ask, clicking your pen.
âVi,â she mutters, her eyes fixed on the far wall.
âVi what?â
âJust Vi.â
You suppress a sigh. âWhatâs your full name?â
âI said, just Vi.â
Thereâs an edge to her tone, enough to make you glance up. Her jaw is set, her expression daring you to press the issue. You donât. Instead, you scrawl it down and move on. âFine. Age?â
âOld enough to fight.â
Your pen stills mid-note, the corners of your mouth tightening as you resist the urge to roll your eyes. âOf course, you are,â you say dryly, setting the clipboard aside with a little more force than necessary. âAlright, letâs start with the obvious,â you say, gesturing at her face. âYour nose is bleeding. Tilt your head back.â
Viâs brow arches like youâve just said something funny. âI said, Iâm fine.â
âAnd I said, tilt your head back,â you reply, your voice steady but no less firm.
Her gaze sharpens, a flicker of defiance lighting in her eyes, but she tilts her head back with a dramatic huff. âHappy?â
You ignore her tone, stepping closer to inspect the injury. The faint scent of sweat and iron lingers between you, and for a moment, you notice the heat of her skin where your gloved fingers gently tilt her chin.
âDoesnât feel broken,â you mutter, reaching for a clean cloth to dab away the blood. She flinches as the fabric touches her skin, her muscles twitching under your fingers. âRelax,â you say softly. âIâm not going to hurt you.â
âCouldâve fooled me,â she mutters.
Your hand falters, just briefly. Thereâs a weight to her words, a sharpness you werenât expecting, but you push past it. âWell, I mean it,â you reply quietly.
Her silence stretches as you work, less hostile but no less charged. The closer you look, the more details you notice: the faint scars lining her skin, the inked letters etched into her cheekbone, the edge of a tattoo just barely visible beneath her collar, and the faint shine of her silver nose ring.
âJacket off,â you say, gesturing to the gash on her arm.
Her gaze snaps to yours, wary and sharp. âWhy?â
You give her a flat look. âBecause I canât stitch it through fabric.â
For a second, she doesnât move, her body tensing as if bracing for something. Then, with a muttered curse, she shrugs out of her jacket, tossing it onto the bench beside her.
Her arms are a messâold fighting hand wraps soaked with blood and dirt wrapped tightly around her forearms. You offer to replace them, but she cuts you off. âIâll do it myself.â
You let it go, focusing instead on cleaning the fresh wound. Her muscles tense every time you touch her, but she doesnât flinch again. âYou can relax, you know,â you say, trying to sound light. âIâm just trying to help.â
Vi lets out a bitter snort. âYouâre not the first to say that.â
You pause, but you donât press. Sheâs lashing out on you. Thatâs the most you can make of it.
The silence stretches again as you stitch the wound, her eyes watching you closely, unreadable. When you finally glance up, your movements stilling, she shrugs.
âWhat?â you ask, unable to help yourself.
âNothing,â she says, leaning back.
You hold her gaze for a beat longer before shaking your head and returning to your work, wrapping the freshly stitched wound with clean bandages. She stays quiet, watching until the silence becomes heavy again.
Then, without warning, she speaks, her voice quieter but cutting. âYou know, youâre wasting your time on these people. Half of them wouldnât piss on you if you were on fire.â
The words hit like a punch, sharper than anything sheâs said before. You freeze mid-motion, your fingers hovering over the bandage as you process her bluntness. Slowly, deliberately, you resume wrapping her arm, tucking the end of the bandage into place with more care than you think she deserves at that moment.
âGood thing I donât do this for their gratitude,â you reply evenly, though the edge in your voice betrays a flicker of irritation. Youâre trying not to let it get to you.
Sheâs new. Clearly, sheâs fighting off some kind of pent-up frustration. She must have anger issues or something. You wonder how many hits Ryker got on her before she knocked him out.
Her chuckle is low and humourless, more of a scoff than anything else. âRight.â
You hope he got a solid six or seven punches in.
You step back, peeling off your gloves with a deliberate snap. Thereâs a moment where you consider saying something more, but you swallow the impulse. Professionalism, you remind yourself.
âYouâre all set,â you say curtly, gathering up the soiled supplies. âIâd suggest taking tomorrow off. You know, to let the wound heal before you go back out there.â
Vi grabs her jacket, standing in a single fluid motion. She doesnât look at you when she replies, her tone casual but dismissive. âIâll live.â
You wish Ryker had broken her nose.
You shake your head, already turning back to tidy your workstation, unwilling to watch her saunter out.
Loris, standing by the door, offers you a small, almost apologetic smile. âThanks,â he says, his voice warmer than hers ever was.
You manage a smile back, but itâs shallow, worn. The door swings shut behind them, leaving you alone in the cramped room. The exasperation settles in like a weight, not heavy but persistent.
For a moment, you stand there in silence, staring at the supplies on your counter. You shake your head again, this time at yourself.
What the fuck is her problem?
You know you shouldnât be surprised when Vi stumbles into the medic room again the very next day. The fights at Antisâs brawling ring are infamous for their relentless schedule, especially on weekends when the bets come pouring in before sundown. Itâs barely dusk now, but the underground buzz is already unmistakableâthe muffled cheers and jeers vibrating through the walls.
Vi comes alone this timeâor at least she leaves Loris waiting outside the door. You catch a brief glimpse of him through the crack in the door, leaning against the wall with a drink at his lips, shaking his head like this is just another day for him.
The door slams shut as Vi shoulders her way in, her boots heavy against the floor. Sheâs holding one hand against her face, blood dripping sluggishly through her fingers and trailing down her arm.
You have to bite back a smile at the sight.
Sheâs ditched her jacket, and the sleeveless collared top sheâs wearing looks like itâs seen more fights than she hasâworn thin, patched up in places, and stained with a lifetime of blood and sweat. Her hand wraps are shredded and still filthy, hanging loosely around her forearms. The gash on her arm has reopened, the stitches torn apart as if they were never there to begin with.
You take all of this in within seconds, and something tightens in your chestâa mix of frustration and satisfaction. âYou canât fight back-to-back nights,â you say, your voice sharper than intended as you grab your gloves and a fresh set of supplies.
Vi grunts, brushing past you to sit on the bench. âI can do what I want,â she snaps, her words muffled by her hand still pressed to her face. Her defiance is unshaken, but the tremble in her shoulders gives her away. Sheâs hurting.
Now you start to feel bad. But just a little bit.
Youâve seen this beforeânew fighters crashing into the medic room with the same mix of bruised pride and bloodied skin. They fight like thereâs no tomorrow, each punch is thrown carrying something more than just adrenaline. Some fight for money, some for escape, and others just because they donât know how to stop. Thereâs always a reason. You canât help but wonder whatâor whoâVi is fighting for.
With a quiet exhale, you turn to the counter and grab your supplies. The clatter of tools fills the silence as you steel yourself for the inevitable pushback. âLet me guess,â you say, glancing over your shoulder at her. âAntis needed someone to keep the bets high, and you couldnât say no.â
Vi drops her hand from her face, and for the first time, you see the full extent of the damage. A deep bruise blooms across the bridge of her nose, nearly swollen shut in one eye, while blood smears across her mouth and drips down her jaw.
She glares at you through the mess, her voice sharp. âItâs none of your business.â
âNo,â you admit, stepping closer and gesturing for her to tilt her head back. âBut Iâm the one who has to patch you up. So humour me.â
She scoffs but tilts her head back, letting you inspect the damage. Up close, the bruise looks worseâangry and dark, already spreading across her pale skin. Her nose isnât broken (unfortunately), but itâs close, and the blood smeared across her upper lip makes her look like itâs been bitten off. You grab a clean cloth and start wiping the blood away. Your movements are brisk but careful, and she winces slightly as you press the cloth to her skin. Still, she doesnât pull away, just sits there stiff and unyielding.
âYouâre going to tear open the stitches every time you fight like this,â you mutter, reaching for the antiseptic. âYouâve gotta take it easy. I know how these guys fight out thereââ
âI donât need your pity,â she cuts in, her voice sharp enough to cut glass.
âNot pity,â you reply, keeping your tone even. âJust words of advice.â
âI donât need that either,â she snaps, her jaw tightening as you dab antiseptic on the wound. âJust patch me up so I can go. Iâm only here because Antis wonât clear me for my pay otherwise.â
âYeah, itâs protocol,â you say, capping the bottle and setting it down beside you.
âItâs stupid.â
âIt was my idea.â
Her head jerks slightly, her eyes flicking toward you for a beat. Thereâs something almost vulnerable in her expression before she quickly looks away. She doesnât answer right away, her gaze fixed firmly on the far wall. When she finally speaks, her voice is quieter, almost bitter. â...Still stupid.â
You smile faintly as you reach for fresh bandages. âYeah, well, stupid or not, itâs keeping people alive. Even stubborn ones like you.â
Stubborn is definitely a nicer word than what you really want to say.
She doesnât respond, and the silence stretches between you as you unwrap the old bandage around her arm. Her fingers twitch against her thigh, like sheâs itching to leave, but she stays seated, her posture rigid. You canât tell if itâs pride or exhaustion keeping her thereâor maybe both.
For the rest of the session, Vi is quieter than usual. Her sharp retorts are replaced by a heavy silence that seems to weigh down the air in the room. Outside, the muffled roars of the crowd echo through the thin walls.
As you work to clean and re-stitch her arm, you glance at her every so often, noting the way her jaw tightens and her fingers tap restlessly against her thigh. Itâs like sheâs bracing for a blow that might never come, her body constantly coiled, ready to spring.
You take a step back, pulling off your gloves with a snap. âYouâre good to go,â you say, your voice softer now. âBut you need rest.â
She snorts, grabbing her jacket off the bench without looking at you. âCanât rest. Iâm on a winning streak.â
You arch a brow. âYouâve only been here two days. I wouldnât count that as a streak.â
âDonât really care what you think.â
âYou should. Youâre sleep-deprived, by the way. Your eyes barely focus. Get more sleep. And you need to drink more water.â
Vi huffs a dry, sarcastic laugh, âSure, doc. Whatever you say.â
You want to argue, but sheâs already out the door, leaving behind only the faint scent of iron and the lingering weight of words left unsaid. Loris nods at you through the open door as she stalks past him, his gaze flicking back to you briefly.
The door swings shut behind them, leaving you alone with the distant hum of the crowd and the bloodstained bench. For a long moment, you just stand there, staring at the scraps of torn bandages scattered on the floor, the mess she left behind.
Itâs not long after that you learn her name is Violet.
The knowledge of it nearly makes you laugh.
Violets. Youâve never actually seen them, but a friend of yours, a painter, once gifted you a piece featuring soft, delicate purple blooms. It hangs over your bedside table, a rare touch of beauty in an otherwise bleak city. You like to imagine those flowers are violets, though youâre not entirely sure. Flowers arenât exactly a common sight in Zaun.
The irony of her name strikes you every time you think about it. Violet. Thereâs nothing soft or delicate about herânot the way she fights, nor the way she speaks to you.
She didnât tell you her name herself, of course. That would require her to speak more than three sentences in your direction, which feels like an impossible feat. No, funnily enough, it was Loris who let it slip, though you suspect he knew exactly what he was doing. It wasnât much of a âslipâ rather than straight-up telling you her name.
It happened a night at a bar near your work. Youâd gone with some friends, seeking a much-needed reprieve. The bartender, a friend of yours, had slipped you a couple of free drinks, and in a haze of warmth and exhaustion, you noticed Loris at the bar. He looked out of place, all gruffness and silence amid the lively chatter, so you invited him to join your table.
Several drinks in, your curiosity got the better of you. You leaned closer to him, your voice barely cutting through the music and chatter as you asked him about his pink-haired friend.
Loris wasnât much of a talker, you realized. Heâd spur out a few words or two, maybe a grunt or nod.
Loris made a face, his usual stoic front slipping just enough to reveal a flicker of amusement. He leaned in, his breath heavy with the scent of cheap beer, and gave a rare grin. âSleeping,â he said simply, before adding, almost as an afterthought, âHer nameâs Violet, by the way.â
Violet. You didnât expect that, and it mustâve shown on your face because Loris chuckled softly.
It doesnât take long for her name to start climbing the ranks at Antisâs. Fighters and spectators alike talk about her with equal parts fear and admiration. âAntisâs money-maker,â they call her, and itâs not hard to see why. When word spread about the unbeatable pink-haired girl, business began booming. Crowds flooded in, the promise of blood and spectacle drawing them like moths to a flame.
At first, she was just another new fighter, opening matches against scrappy, overconfident rookies. But that changed quickly. Within weeks, she was headlining brawls, her name alone enough to pack the stands. She didnât just winâshe dominated, often taking on two, three, even four opponents in a single night. And you? You kept count. You had to.
She tore through supplies faster than you could restock them. Bandages, antiseptics, medsâall of it consumed at an alarming rate. Youâve patched her up more times than you can count. But what stands out most isnât just the state of her after a fightâitâs what she leaves behind.
Her opponents donât come to you for minor injuries. No, they stumble in half-broken, their faces smashed and unrecognizable. Each night growing worse for wear. She fights with a ruthlessness youâve rarely seen, a fury that feels almost personal. You canât help but wonder what drives her. Is she trying to make a point?
Sheâs changing, turning into something the crowd craves. Her old, worn clothes have been replacedâblack jeans, already ripped at the knees, and a sleeveless black tank that clings to her frame. Sheâs losing pieces of herself, or maybe just hiding them.
You still can't believe that there's a girl named Violet out there beating the shit out of people for money.
One day, you accidentally walk into her in Antisâs office. Youâre here to drop off some invoices for medical supplies, your mind preoccupied with balancing the clinicâs dwindling stock against the rising demand. But when you open the door, you find Vi and Antis inside, deep in conversation.
Antis looks up first, his sharp eyes narrowing at your intrusion. âYouâre early,â he grunts, though thereâs no real annoyance in his tone. If anything, he seems amused. âPerfect timing. We were just talking about her look. What do you think?â
Vi shifts uncomfortably, her arms crossed over her chest. She doesnât meet your gaze, her expression unreadable. You glance between them, caught off guard. âHer⌠look?â
Antis gestures to Vi with a sweep of his hand, his grin wolfish. âYeah. Gotta sell the whole package, yâknow? The crowd loves her, but theyâll eat up a good aesthetic, too. Weâre thinking something that screams âunbeatable.â Right, Vi?â
Viâs jaw tightens, and for a brief moment, you think she might snap at Antis. But she doesnât. Instead, her gaze flicks to you, like sheâs waiting for somethingâyour reaction, maybe, though you canât figure out why it matters.
You clear your throat, hoping your voice doesnât betray you. âShe doesnât need to change anything. Sheâs already pretty... unforgettable.â
Antisâs booming laugh fills the room, but you barely hear it. Your focus is locked on her. Something flickers in her eyesâa fleeting softness, vulnerability, gratitude, maybe?âbefore she schools her expression and looks away. You tell yourself itâs nothing, just a trick of the dim light.
A few days later, she shows up in the medic room again. But this time, it's differentâsheâs not limping in, not dripping with sweat or covered in bruises. Sheâs just there, standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a casual air that catches you off guard. Her knuckles brush the doorframe absentmindedly as if sheâs unsure whether to knock or let herself in.
âDo you need something?â you ask, glancing up from where youâre restocking the shelves. âAre you hurt?â
She shrugs, pushing off the door and stepping inside. âNo, just⌠itâs quiet in here.â
Your brows knit together. Quiet?
She didnât seem like the kind of person to seek out quiet, especially not in a place like this. âYou came all the way here because itâs quiet?â
âYeah,â she says simply, her tone flat, like itâs the most obvious thing in the world. She grabs the chair from your desk, spins it around, and sits backward on it, resting her arms over the backrest. âProblem?â
âNo... itâs justâŚâ You trail off, unsure how to articulate the strangeness of it. Instead, you turn back to organizing supplies, aware of her eyes on you. âNever mind.â
These visits became more frequent whenever she didnât fight. And she even stays back for a bit after you patch her up. Sometimes she speaks, but more often than not, she doesnâtâsimply sitting in that chair, letting the distant noise of the arena, the cheers and shouts, fade into the background. Sheâll stare at the walls or absentmindedly tap her fingers against the chairâs edge, lost in thought, but thereâs a serenity about her, an unfamiliar stillness that you start to recognize.
She never tells you what brings her inâif something is weighing on her mind or if itâs just a need to escape the chaos. And you donât ask. Instead, you begin to anticipate her visits, a strange comfort taking root in the space between you.
The conversations are sparse, but you begin to notice the small things: the way her body relaxes when she settles into the old couch, the weight lifting from her shoulders as she stretches out, the way sheâll let herself drift off into a light sleep. Itâs almost like youâre giving her a moment of rest she didnât know she needed.
Vi strides in, her steps heavier than usual, and tosses a small, overstuffed bag of coins onto your desk. You recognize it immediatelyâone of the payout sacks Antis gives to the fighters, filled with their share of the betting pool. This one looks heavier than most, jingling with an unmistakable weight as it lands right on top of your paperwork. You pause, your pen hovering midair, and stare at it.
Her grin spreads as she catches the look on your faceâwide-eyed and mildly incredulous. âDonât worry, itâs not for you,â she teases, her tone light and mocking.
You roll your eyes, setting the pen down with an exaggerated sigh. âThis from your fight last night?â
Vi nods, her grin twisting into something sharper, a little more wicked. âSome of my best work,â she replies, her voice carrying the faintest edge of pride.
You tilt your head, raising an eyebrow as your gaze sharpens on her face. âI donât know,â you counter dryly. âHe broke your nose, and the whole side of your face is swollen. Doesnât sound like your best to me.â
Standing up, you step closer, brows knitting together in concern as you get a better look at the mess of bruises sheâs sporting. Without thinking, your hands lift, reaching toward her face to assess the damage.
Vi flinches. Itâs quick, almost imperceptible, but enough to make you hesitate. Your hands hover in the air, faltering. âSorry,â you murmur, your voice soft.
She coughs awkwardly, shifting her weight. âNo, uhâno. Itâs fine,â she says, a little too fast.
This time, when you move again, she doesnât flinch. She lets you gently brush your fingers over the swollen, splotchy skin along her cheekbone and jaw, and you feel the heat radiating off the inflamed area. Your touch is careful, clinical, but you canât help wincing at the sight. âYouâre kidding yourself if you call this your best work, Viâ you mutter. âDid you even ice this like I told you?â
Her eyes roll so hard youâre almost worried sheâll sprain something. She grabs your wristânot roughly, but enough to lower your handâand shrugs. âYou shouldâve seen the other guy.â
You give her a deadpan look. âI did.â
Her smirk returns, a little more genuine now, though she doesnât say anything. Instead, she sits on the edge of your desk and starts digging absently through the bag of coins, her fingers brushing over the shiny hexes and cogs. She doesnât pull anything out, just lets her hand linger there.
âI brought you food,â she says suddenly, her voice casual.
You blink, momentarily thrown. âFood?â
She lifts a greasy paper bag into your line of sight, and you realize you hadnât even noticed it when she walked in. âYeah, you know. The stuff you eat when youâre hungry.â
âOkay, asshole,â you mutter, but the corner of your mouth quirks up despite yourself.
She shrugs, feigning nonchalance. âGot it for Loris and I, but heâs, uh⌠busy. Doing... someone else.â Her tone is flat, like she couldnât care less, but thereâs a flicker of something thereâan edge of amusement, maybe. âSo, more for us.â
You watch her for a second. You like to think that you can see right through her sometimes, that you can read her, but as usual, sheâs an enigma. Thereâs something in the way she said us that makes your chest feel a little lighter, but you donât let it show. âThanks,â you say simply.
âWell, donât get used to it,â she shoots back. There is kindness she tries to hide, though itâs written all over her expression.
She settles onto the old medical bench, pulling out boxes of food from the bag. You wince internally at the sight, thinking about the number of people whoâve bled, puked, and worse on that very bench. Just hours ago, Vi had been sitting there herself, nose snapped out of place, grinning through bloody teeth and swollen lips and teary eyes. Now, sheâs perched there like itâs nothing, tearing into her meal with that same reckless ease she carries into every fight.
âIs this where Iâm supposed to remind you how unsanitary this is?â
She shrugs mid-bite, unbothered.
You donât bother arguing. Instead, you take the box she pushes toward you and settle in. The two of you eat in silence.
The days begin to blur into one another as Viâs visits grow more casual. At first, you barely tolerated herâa pit fighter like so many others, bruised and bloody and reckless, shuffling into your medic room with the same bravado they all wore like armour. But somewhere along the way, you start to realize you actually donât hate her company.
And as Vi continues her rise with pit fighting, you realize you also like to take care of her afterwards, even if it is your job or not. Each fight ends quicker than the last, her victories coming faster and fiercer. With every knockout, her confidence bloomsâbold, intoxicating.
Youâve always been able to tell why people fight. Some thrive on the violence, seeking it out like a drug, their eyes lit with a manic fire that never seems to dim. Others do it out of desperation: to keep a roof overhead, food on the table, some semblance of stability in their lives.
At first, you were certain Vi belonged in the first category. The way she took punches, how she barely flinched when you patched her upâshe didnât just endure the pain. She absorbed it. Relished it. She wore her scars like trophies, and it almost seemed like she was chasing something more with every bruise and break.
But then you started noticing other things. How her clothes, once old and frayed, began to look newer. The leather jacket she bought just last week, the new earrings glinting against her skin, the sturdy boots sheâs traded her worn ones for. Loris mentioned she moved out of his apartment recently and got her own place, though most of her money seemed to go toward booze.
You realize that fighting for Vi isnât just about survival or enjoyment. Itâs an outletâa way to lose herself in the chaos and the violence, to drown out whatever it is she doesnât want to face.
One night, you do something youâve never done before: you buy a ticket to one of her fights. Youâve seen enough carnage in the medicâs room to last a lifetime, but something about Vi pulls you in, like gravity. The crowd is as raucous as everâcheers, boos, the metallic clang of Antisâs bell marking the start and end of each match. You donât join in the noise. You just watch, feeling out of place among the spectators who are here for the bloodlust.
And then Vi steps into the ring.
Itâs the first time youâve seen her fight, and itâs nothing like you imagined. Youâd seen the aftermathâthe blood, the bruises, the broken bonesâbut witnessing her in action is something else entirely. Sheâs skilled, fast, brutally efficient, her punches calculated yet devastating.
The man sheâs up against is nearly twice her size, but it doesnât matter. She ducks under his swing with ease, her fist connecting with his jaw in a single, bone-crunching motion that sends him sprawling. The fight is over in less than a minute, and the crowd roars its approval.
Your eyes linger on her, unable to look away. Her back is to you, sweat gleaming on her exposed skin, highlighting the intricate tattoo that snakes across her shoulders. When she turns, she seems to know exactly where you are, her gaze locking onto yours even in the chaos of the crowd.
Your breath catches. The rise and fall of her chest, the bead of sweat tracing down her neck, the raw, undeniable power in her every movementâitâs overwhelming.
Something stirs deep inside you, hot and wanting.
You leave before her second fight starts, slipping through the crowd and into the tunnels. The line waiting for you in the medic room feels endless, yet the blur of bruised faces and bloody wounds canât distract you. Viâs image lingersâsweat on her skin, her breath heavy after the fight, and the way her eyes found yours in the crowd.
You never bring it up, and Vi doesnât either.
But something changes.
That night, as you treat her wounds again, it feels different. Sheâs quieter than usual, her usual cocky smile missing. You notice how her eyes linger on your hands as you work, following the glide of your fingers over her skin.
Your gloves feel thinner tonight, or maybe itâs just your imagination. Youâre hyperaware of every small movementâhow her skin feels warm under your touch, the sharp contrast of the calluses on her knuckles against your palm when you steady her hand to examine it.
She doesnât flinch when you press a damp cloth to the gash on her temple. Normally, sheâd tease you, mutter something about your bedside manner, or complain about the sting even though the both of you know she can take it. Instead, she just watches you, her gaze unwavering.
Itâs almost unbearable.
Sweat, blood, and alcohol. That is what she smells like. Thick and hanging on your tongue like smog.
âYouâre awfully quiet tonight,â you finally say, your voice softer than you intended.
Viâs lips quirk, but itâs a faint ghost of her usual grin. âJust tired, I guess.â
Itâs a lie, and you both know it.
You focus on cleaning the cut, trying to steady your hand. But her closeness throws you off. Sheâs sitting on the edge of the cot, her knees brushing against your thighs whenever she shifts. The room feels smaller.
âAlmost done,â you murmur, though it feels like youâre saying it more to yourself than her.
Vi tilts her head slightly, giving you better access, and the movement draws your attention to the curve of her jaw. Thereâs a bead of sweat lingering there, catching the dim light, and you have to force yourself to look away.
âTake your time,â she says.
Your fingers pause for just a second before you continue cleaning the wound. Her words hang in the air, charged and heavy, and you wonder if she knows how theyâve started to affect you. You reach for the bandages, your hands brushing against her skin again. Her breath hitchesâjust barelyâbut itâs enough for you to notice.
âThere,â you say, pulling back slightly. âDone.â
But your hands linger for a moment too long, your fingers still ghosting over her cheek. Youâre not sure if itâs you or her that doesnât pull away first.
Viâs eyes are on you again, darker now, and the air between you crackles with something unspoken. You donât know if itâs the proximity, the adrenaline still lingering from her fight, or the way her lips part slightly like sheâs about to say somethingâbut you canât take it anymore.
âI should clean up,â you say abruptly, turning away to gather the used bandages and cloths.
For a moment, she doesnât move, and you think she might say something to stop you. But then you hear the rustle of her leather jacket as she stands, the creak of the cot as her weight leaves it.
âThanks,â she says.
You glance over your shoulder, just in time to see her slip through the door. She doesnât look back.
Her visits dwindle after that night. Fewer and fewer until she stops coming altogether. She starts fighting nights back to back, ignoring protocol and refusing to see you after each one.
You try to shake it off.
To ignore it until you can't.
And then you visit her one day.
Itâs not in the medic room or the fighting ring. Itâs at her door, and itâs jarring, her address scribbled on a small piece of paper that Loris gave you.
You canât tell if Antis is pushing Vi to fight more or if Vi willingly puts herself through it every day. She is always in rotation, more so than any other fighter. Itâs gotten to the point where people are betting on how long Vi could remain undefeated.
You hate how you immediately perk up when her door opens.
âWhat are you doing here?â she asks, her voice low and guarded.
Her hair is black, dripping wet and staining her pale shoulders with inky streaks. The change startles you, but whatâs more disarming is the sight of her like thisâstripped-down, raw. Bandages are wrapped haphazardly around her chest, serving as an impromptu shirt. Her arms, usually hidden beneath gauze and gloves, are bare, revealing the countless scars that crisscross her skin. You can kind of see where her tattoos start and end. You think theyâre beautiful.
You open your mouth, but the words donât come. Why are you here? For some reason, you hadnât thought much about it before knocking. Now, standing here in her doorway, it feels like a mistake.
Youâre not really friends.
âUh,â you stammer, fumbling for an answer. Your gaze keeps straying to her hair, the stark black making it look longer, heavier. The pigment stains her hairline, dripping in uneven streaks along her temple. You notice how the damp strands cling to her neck, how the water pools in the hollow of her collarbone. It feels intrusive to look, but you canât help it.
Sheâs staring at you, her shock quickly shifting to irritation. âYou gonna stand there all day, or what?â
âIâyour hair,â you blurt out. âItâs⌠different.â
She scoffs, brushing past you as if youâre not worth the effort of a proper reply. The door swings open wider, an unspoken invitationâor maybe just a lack of concern if you follow. You hesitate, then step inside.
Her apartment is small and dim, almost claustrophobic. The air is stale and thick with a faint tang of alcohol. The small bed in the corner is unmade, the sheets rumpled and half-pushed onto the floor. A punching bag hangs in the center of the room, its surface worn and cracked from overuse. Thereâs a stack of clothes shoved into the corner, and a few empty bottles litter the floor near the bed.
But itâs the quiet that hits you the hardest. Itâs so different from the loud, chaotic energy she carries at the ring or the silence in the medic room. Here, everything feels muted, almost sad.
âYou dye it yourself?â you ask, trying to fill the awkward silence as she settles onto the edge of the bed.
She glances at you, the bottle in her hand tipping slightly. âYeah.â
âAntis didnât make you do it?â
Vi snorts a small, humourless sound. âNo. He suggested green.â
You try to picture her with green hair and fail. âWhy black?â
âNeeded a change,â she says simply, taking a swig from the bottle. The way she winces as she swallows tells you itâs not her first drink tonight. âWhy are you here?â
The bluntness of the question knocks you off balance. For a moment, you forget. Then the weight of the box in your hands reminds you. âOh, uh, I brought you some new hand wrappings. I saw them at the store and thought you could use them since yours are... shit. Yours are shit.â
Her eyes snap up to yours, something unreadable flickering in them before she looks away. âThanks.â
âItâs no problem,â you reply, though your voice feels stiff and awkward. You shift your weight, unsure whether to stay or leave. Her gaze returns to you, steady but unreadable, and you feel the strange urge to say somethingâsomething meaningful.
âYou... you okay, Vi?â you ask softly, not even sure why the words come out. You immediately want to take it back.
âWhy wouldnât I be?â
You look at her, really look at her. Not in the way you do at work, but right now, as a friend(?), guest(?) in her space. The dark circles under her eyes, the tension in her shoulders, the way she grips the bottle of cheap beer as if itâs the only thing keeping her upright. She looks⌠tired. Beaten down, in a way youâve never seen before.
âI donât know,â you admit, your voice quieter now, careful. âI guess you just⌠you havenât come by in a while. It looks like you need a good patch up again, no? Donât worry, I wonât charge.â
The words sound too casual, too light like youâre trying to make a jokeâand you are, but you can see the way her face stiffens after you say it. The faint bruises on her face, the bandages on her arms and hands, theyâre a clear sign of how badly sheâs been pushing herselfâsheâs been taking supplies from you without checking in, and youâve noticed. You know she hasnât gotten her pay yet. You havenât had the chance to clear her for it since she stopped coming by after fights. Itâs a faint sore spot between you both, an unspoken thing she wonât acknowledge, but you know sheâs not getting the care she needs.
For a moment, her face hardens, and you wonder if youâve crossed a line, if sheâs going to snap at you. Instead, she just stares at you, her jaw tight, her eyes narrowing like sheâs trying to figure out what your angle is.
You feel her gaze like a weight pressing down on you, making your skin itch.
Then, she exhales slowly, the tension in her posture easing just a fraction.
âIâm fine,â she says finally, though the words lack conviction. She shifts, setting the bottle down on the floor. âYou done?â
Youâre about to say something elseâmaybe ask again, maybe push for moreâbut then you realize itâs not your place. You step back, suddenly feeling like an intruder. âYeah.â
You place the box of hand wraps on the counter, but your hands feel clumsy as you do. You want to say something more, something comforting, but the words stick in your throat. âGood luck tonight, Vi.â
She doesnât respond right away. You turn to leave, your feet dragging slightly, unsure if you should even be leaving at all. It feels like thereâs something more to say.
Just as you reach the door, her voice stops you. Itâs softer than you expect, quieter, almost hesitant.
âThanks.â
As you walk down the hallway, the ache in your chest lingers, a nebulous knot of worry, pity, and something else you canât quite pin down. It tightens with each step, and you wonder, not for the first time, what weight Vi carries with herâand why it feels like itâs starting to settle on you too.
You shake it off, reminding yourself that you're not working this weekend. A rare luxury. Vi doesnât need to know, and honestly, you doubt sheâd even care. If anything, sheâd probably be glad to be rid of you for a few more days.
Thatâs what you tell yourself.
The next time youâre sitting in your cramped little medical room, fussing over how some of the things on your desk are now out of place, the door creaks open just a sliver. You pause, mid-motion, and glance at the shadow shifting on the other side. When whoever it is spots you, the door swings wide with an almost violent energy, smacking against the wall behind it.
âHey,â Vi stumbles inside, the loud thud of her boots and the echoing cheers from the fighting pit outside spilling into the room with her.
You stand abruptly, the chair scraping back against the floor as you take her in. âVi?â
It takes you a second to recognize her. The black hair throws you off again, though the pink is already creeping back into the ends, the dye washing out like itâs given up trying to keep up with her. Paint smears her faceâthick streaks running from her eyes down to her chin like some warped battle mask. Sheâs gripping a large bottle in one hand, cradling it as if itâs precious, her knuckles stained red.
Her smirk is crooked, her words slurred. âWonât believe it,â she drawls, letting herself fall unceremoniously onto the old, battered couch in the corner. The springs squeak loudly in protest, and she almost knocks over one of your carefully hung paintings. âHey.â
You frown, stepping closer. âAre you drunk?â
Her smirk widens, playful and defiant. âNo.â
âNo?â
âI just won,â she says, like that explains everything. âAgain. Beat that big guyâmetal jaw. You know the one. Knocked it clean off.â
Sheâs grinning like she just told a funny joke, but you donât laugh. Fighters donât go into the pit drunk, at least not that youâve ever seen. They also donât win, which is why Antis is strict about that; drunk fighters are bad fighters, and bad donât bring in any moneyâheâll kick anyone out who even smells like shimmer, let alone someone stumbling around with a bottle of booze.
You move closer cautiously, studying her.
She sits up straighter as you approach, her hair falling messily across her face. You catch a glint of her blue eyes through the strandsâsharp, even with the haze of alcohol dulling the rest of her. Her gaze flickers down to her bloodied knuckles, and so does yoursâred seeps through the white of her hand wraps, staining them in uneven patches.
She murmurs something, but itâs too soft to catch.
âWhat?â
âYou werenât here.â
Her words surprise you.
âYeah,â you say, unsure how else to respond.
âFour days.â
âI know.â
âWhy not?â
You hesitate, caught between wanting to downplay your absence and knowing sheâll see through it. âIâve been busy. I have a life outside this place, you know that, right?â
âRight,â she mutters, though thereâs something bitter in the way she says it.
She leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her fingers gripping the bottle loosely. She stares ahead, her face unreadable, and for a moment, the room feels impossibly quiet despite the muffled roar of the crowd outside. Youâre counting the seconds until someone from the pit shows up looking worse for wear, but she just sits there, unmoving.
Finally, she speaks. âLoris and I are going out for drinks at the bar next door.â
âMore of them?â
She scoffs, but thereâs a faint smile playing on her lips. âFuck off. I was gonna invite you.â
âYou want me there?â
âSure,â she shrugs, leaning back against the couch. âSince you and Loris are so close.â
You roll your eyes, grabbing a plastic bag and filling it with ice. âOh, yeah. Best friends. I thought you knew.â
She grins at that, her expression lazy but amused as you press the makeshift ice pack to her cheek. She winces, hissing under her breath, but doesnât pull away. The familiarity of the moment settles between you, a rhythm you hadnât realized you missed. You didnât know how much you liked being around her, with all her flaws and quirks, until it was gone.
When she stands to leave, thereâs a lightness to her movements. She pauses at the door, glancing back over her shoulder.
âBut youâre coming, right?â she asks, her voice softer, less guarded.
You nod, tugging absently at the rings on your fingers. âYeah. Iâll stop by after I finish up here.â
Her smile catches you off guard. Itâs not the smirk or grin youâre used toâitâs warmer, something youâve never seen before. âGood.â
And then sheâs gone, leaving you alone in the stillness of the room. The ache in your chest hasnât gone away, but it feels different now, lighter somehow, settling into the pit of your stomach like a flutter of butterflies.
You canât wipe the smile off your face even if you tried.
Your night stretches on, each task blending into the next. Stitches to pull, bruises to ice, concussions to monitor. This is your rhythmâcalm, focused, efficient. You donât dwell on the blood staining your gloves or the bruised faces looking back at you. Usually, thereâs a detachment, a quiet understanding between you and the fighters. You help them, and they leave.
But tonight feels different. The weight of the work presses a little heavier, the hours crawling by as the thought of Viâs smile keeps replaying in your head. You remind yourself to focus, to get through the line of battered fighters who rely on you, but every second drags, making your usual rhythm feel offbeat.
Itâs not just Viâs smileâitâs the invitation, her softer tone, the way she paused at the door like your answer mattered more than usual. You donât let yourself overthink it, but you do catch yourself checking the time more often than youâd like.
When the last fighter leaves, mumbling a tired thank-you, you exhale in relief. The medic room is quiet now, the faint smell of antiseptic lingering in the air. You pack your supplies, stuffing gloves, gauze, and a few stray pins into your cabinets. The bathroom across the hall catches your eye as you pass, and for once, you pause.
The bathroom is dimly lit, the bulb above buzzing faintly as it flickers. The mirror is cracked in one corner, the surface smudged and grimy, but it still reflects more of you than youâre ready to see. Your sleeves are stained, and your hands are scrubbed raw but not clean enough. The uneven greenish light only makes you look worse, casting harsh shadows on your face.
You roll your sleeves up and run water into the sink, trying to scrub the splotches from your clothes. The waterâs cold and your hands ache from the effort, but it feels worth itâlike a small chance to put your best self forward. You straighten your shirt, brush off your jacket, and fix your hair as best as you can.
Itâs not enough.
Itâll never be enough for a bar full of fighters, let alone for her. You think about going home to change, but itâs already late, and the idea of missing her is ridiculously unbearable.
Clutching your jacket tightly, you step into the downpour outside. The rain pelts against your skin, soaking through your boots as you jog the few steps to the bar. The hum of voices reaches you before the neon glow of the sign above the door does.
Inside, the place is alive.
Most of the crowd from the arena spills into the corners of the bar, still riding the high of the nightâs fights. Tables are crammed with victorious fighters and their friends and sponsors, their voices rising above the heavy bassline of a song playing in the background. The air is thick with the smell of sweat, beer, and the faint tang of spilled liquor.
The dim lighting casts a warm, golden hue over the room, softening the rough edges of the crowd. People laugh, shout, and toast to victories. Some are already slumped over the bar, lost in exhaustion or celebration.
Your eyes scan the room, searching for her. Instead, you spot Loris firstâhis brick-like frame standing out even among the chaos. Heâs leaning casually against the bar, arms crossed, but his face lights up when he sees you.
He waves you over, and you weave through the crowd, dodging dancing bodies and familiar faces who call out greetings as you pass. Your heart beats faster, a mix of nerves and anticipation, as you approach.
âYou made it,â Loris says, his grin wide and genuine.
You huff, brushing a damp strand of hair out of your face, but you canât fight the smile tugging at your lips. âHi.â
Loris gives you a nod, his usual gruffness softened just a bit for you. He calls the bartender over, jerking his chin toward you to signal itâs your turn to order.
You glance at the menu briefly, though you already know what you want. After placing your order, the two of you settle into a quiet rhythm. Loris doesnât seem like the type to fill silence for the sake of it, and you donât mind. Thereâs a strange comfort in his presence.
You find yourself scanning the crowd without thinking, your eyes searching for pink hair at first, a flash of brightness that would stand out even in a place like this. Then you remember her hair is black now. Your eyes adjust, searching instead for the sleek leather of her jacket or the familiar glint of its spikes catching the dim, shifting light.
The bartender sets your drink down in front of you with a solid thud, breaking your focus. Your heart skips a beat, and you reach for the glass more out of reflex than thirst. The cool edge of it presses against your palm, grounding you.
âHappy youâre here.â
Lorisâs voice cuts through the noise, low but steady. You look up at him, caught off guard. His eyes remain fixed on his drink, but thereâs a weight to his words that makes your chest tighten.
âMaybe itâll keep Vi from doing something stupid,â he adds after a beat, his tone rough but not unkind.
Your eyebrows knit together as you bring your glass to your lips. The liquor burns on the way down, but itâs nothing compared to the unease settling in your stomach. âWhat do you mean?â
Loris hesitates, his fingers drumming against the counter as he considers his words. When he finally speaks, his voice is quieter, almost reluctant. âShe gets into fights sometimes.â
Your stomach sinks further. âHere?â
âOnly happened twice,â he says quickly like itâs supposed to make you feel better.
âOh.â You set your drink down, your fingers lingering on the glass. âWhy?â
Loris exhales through his nose, his shoulders shifting as if the question itself is a burden. âDunno. She wonât talk about it.â
You blink, caught off guard. âShe doesnât seemâŚâ You trail off, unsure how to finish that sentence.
âLike a drunk?â he finishes for you. âSheâs good at hiding it, most of the time. But sheâs been drinking more. Gets worse when sheâs stressed.â
You bite your lip, your fingers tightening around your glass. âStressed about what? Fighting?â
He shakes his head, never answering. âSheâs stubborn as shit, you know that. But somethingâs been eating at her, and I donât think she knows how to deal with it.â
The words hang between you as the clamour of the bar continues around you. You glance down at your drink, the amber liquid catching the dim light, and take another sip. It doesnât burn as much this time, but it doesnât settle the knot in your stomach, either.
âI can keep an eye on her,â you say quietly, more to yourself than Loris. âSheâs not supposed to be in the pit intoxicated anyway.â
He nods, a faint hint of gratitude flickering in his eyes. âSheâs lucky to have you.â
The comment catches you off guard, and you look at him sharply, but heâs already turning back to his drink. You swallow, your cheeks warming for reasons that have nothing to do with the alcohol.
You look away.
And then you spot her.
Vi pushes her way through the crowd, a storm parting the sea of bodies on the dance floor. Her scowl deepens as she brushes off someoneâs outstretched hand, her movements sharp, purposeful. The smudged paint on her cheeksâlikely streaked from the rainâgives her the appearance of someone worn down by more than just the weather. Faint lines trace across her face like tears.
Your eyes trail to her arms, bare and flexing slightly as she adjusts the leather jacket slung over her shoulder. The spikes catch the dim, flashing lights of the bar, their edges softened by the haze of the room. In her other hand, she grips a glass of something amber and strong.
Your heart jumps, and you realize youâve been staring when her gaze lifts to you. For a moment, she pauses in her tracks and just looks at you, her eyes scanning your face as if confirming youâre really here. Then, she grinsâa slow, crooked thing that tugs at her lips and sends your pulse hammering in your chest.
The smile is lazy but unmistakably pleased.
She changes course, heading straight for you.
She doesnât look drunkânot like beforeâbut the memory of her swaying slightly in your medic room comes rushing back. You donât miss the way her drink is already nearly empty, or how smoothly she downs the last of it before setting the glass on the bar with a clink.
When she reaches you, the faint scent of rain and leather clings to her, mingling with the sharper tang of alcohol.
âHey,â Vi says, your name rolling off her tongue in that low, slightly rough voice of hers, and she leans against the counter next to you.
âHey,â you grin, trying to keep your voice light even as your pulse races and Loris laughs at you. âYou seem surprised to see me.â
âNot surprised,â she replies quickly, her eyes flicking to yours and then away, her smirk faltering for just a second. âJust⌠glad.â
The simplicity of her words sends your thoughts scattering, but before you can respond, she tilts her head toward your glass. âWhatâre you drinking?â
You lift it slightly, letting the dim light catch the remaining liquid. Vi eyes it for a moment, nodding in approval. âGood choice. Finish it.â
You blink, âWhat?â
She nudges your elbow lightly, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of her lips. âCome on. Youâre here to have fun, right? Finish your drink, and Iâll show you what that looks like.â
Her tone is playful, almost teasing, but thereâs an edge of sincerity beneath it. You hesitate, then take a longer sip, her expectant gaze making it impossible not to comply. The drink burns a little less this time, and when you place the empty glass down, sheâs already holding out her hand.
âCome with me,â she says, and itâs not really a question.
Her fingers are warm when they curl around yours, her grip firm and steady as she leads you toward the heart of the bar. The crowd thickens as you move closer to the dance floor, the music pounding louder with every step. The bass thrums through the floor, climbing up your legs and settling in your chest, and the swirl of bodies around you becomes a blur of movement and heat.
Vi doesnât let go of your hand, even as she turns back to glance at you, a faint smile pulling at her lips. For the first time in a while, thereâs a lightness in her expression, a spark of something youâve missed seeing.
Her usual confidence is there, but itâs softened, almost shy. You follow her lead, feeling awkward at first, but her laughâlow and huskyâeases some of your nerves.
The two of you move together amidst the shifting pulse of the dance floor, the heat of the crowd wrapping around you like a living thing. Youâre acutely aware of every brush of her fingers against yours, the subtle way her body angles toward you as if sheâs drawn to your orbit.
Youâre staring at her, looking at the few freckles on her cheeks you can still see under the smudged paint, at the pink ends of her dark hair, at the way her leather jacket has found itself back on her shoulders, muscular arms hiding inside the sleeves.
You think youâre a little obsessed with her.
The question forms on your lips before you can stop it. âWhy did you stop coming by?â
Your voice is soft, barely carrying over the music, but itâs enough. Her gaze sharpens as she hears you, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face.
âI like taking care of you, Vi.â
For a moment, she freezes. Then, almost imperceptibly, she steps closer. Her hand slides to your waist, the calluses on her fingers warm against the thin fabric of your clothes. She doesnât answerânot with words. Instead, she tilts her head slightly, her thumb brushing against your jaw, coaxing you to look at her.
Her eyes search yours, hesitating just long enough for you to realize whatâs about to happen. Her breath, warm and faintly tinged with alcohol, fans across your lips, and a shiver runs down your spine.
And then she kisses you.
Itâs quick at first, almost testing the watersâa soft brush of her lips against yours that leaves your breath caught somewhere between your heart and throat.
You pull away from her, face burning, when you notice her eyes are still closed, only to flutter open questioningly. Bright, piercing blue meets yours, and for a moment, you see panic flare in her expression.
âFuck,â she mutters, running a hand through her rain-damp hair. âFuck, Iâm sorryâI shouldnât haveââ
âNo.â The word comes out instinctively, you cannot get rid of that stupid smile on your face. âNo, donât apologize.â
Your fingers find their way to the lapels of her jacket. Her face scrunches up, caught somewhere between hope and disbelief, but youâre not looking at her eyes anymore. Youâre focused on her lips, on the faint scar cutting across the corner of her mouth.
You tug her closer.
You kiss her back.
She exhales sharply against your lips, the sound half a gasp, half a groan, as her hands come up to cradle your face and the nape of your neck. Itâs as if something inside her has snapped, all her restraint slipping away as she pours herself into you.
The world around you dissolvesâthe music, the crowd, the cacophony of Zaunâs nightlife fading into a muted hum. Itâs just her, her warmth and her touch, her breath mingling with yours as she holds you like youâre the only thing anchoring her to the moment.
Her lips move against yours with a fervour that borders on desperation, her hands mapping out the curve of your waist, the small of your back, your hips, and your ass with her eyes closed. Sheâs eager to have you close, to feel you.
You respond in kind, your hands sliding up her abs, your fingers tangling in her hair, tugging slightly as her groan vibrates against your mouth.
The sound she emits makes your head spin. Viâs warmth is all-consuming. A tangle of heat and want that leaves you both breathless by the time she finally pulls back, her forehead resting against yours.
âI need toââ she starts, her voice hoarse and trembling. She glances around, as if suddenly aware of where you are. âLetâs go somewhere. Outside.â
She doesnât wait for a response, her hand finding yours again as she guides you through the crowd. You barely register the shift in the air until youâre stepping into the rain-soaked streets of Zaun.
The alley she leads you into is dimly lit, the flicker of a neon sign casting faint, wavering light against the wet pavement. The rain is light but steady, cool droplets clinging to your skin as she turns to you, her chest rising and falling like sheâs been running.
Her gaze is intense, unwavering, as she steps closer, crowding you against the brick wall. âYouâre making me crazy,â she murmurs, her voice low and rough. Her hand cups your jaw, her thumb tracing a slow, deliberate path along your cheekbone.
âI could say the same,â you admit.
And then sheâs kissing you again, this time with a fervour that leaves no room for hesitation.
Itâs embarrassing how fast you tangle together after this, melding together into a pathetic heap out on the sidewalk for god and everyone in this podunk city to see. This time, you note with a ticklish glee settling in your stomach, your lips moving in tandem. They slit against each other with ease.
The rain seeps into your clothes, cold against your skin, but Viâs touch is fire. Her hands are everywhere, rough and sure as they explore your body, pulling you closer, as if afraid youâll slip away.
You thread your fingers through her hair, pulling her to you, matching her passion with your own softness. She groans into your mouth, the sound vibrating through you, and you take the opportunity to deepen the kiss, your tongue brushing against hers in a slow, deliberate caress.
Her grip tightens on your hips, fingers digging into damp fabric as she presses you harder against the wall. The rain patters around you, mingling with the sound of your ragged breaths, the occasional distant noise of the bar fading into irrelevance. She parts your thighs with one of her own and places a steadying hand right next to your face. She takes you in, wholly and completely and you let her.Â
The rain beats down relentlessly, plastering your clothes to your skin, but you barely notice it. Not when Vi is kissing you like thisâlike sheâs trying to consume you like sheâs been starving for this. Her body is warm, her lips are hot, insistent, and messy against yours, her teeth occasionally graze your lower lip in a way that sends shocks through your entire body.
Breathy moans expel from your mouth in tandem with curses as her leg creates delicious friction against the lace of your underwear.Â
âVi,â you manage, though it comes out as more of a broken whine, breathless and desperate.
Her name on your lips pulls a moan from her, low and guttural, and the sound is enough to make your knees weaken. You think you might collapse if she werenât holding you so tightly.
Your head spins. You feel like youâre dissolving, every nerve alight as you lose yourself in her touch. Your lungs burn, screaming for air, but you canât pull away. You donât want to. Instead, you cling to her, fingers tugging in her hair.
Itâs overwhelmingâher heat, her strength, her desperation. Sheâs chaos and want, all Violet and nothing else, and youâre caught in her pull, like a leaf tossed about in a gale. It terrifies you, the way she consumes your thoughts, your senses. It feels like being set aflame, every kiss, every touch fanning the fire until youâre sure youâll burn to ashes.
Her hands slide lower, shoving into the back pockets of your pants, and she grips you firmly, guiding your hips to rock against her. The movement is deliberate, slow at first, but the friction makes you whimper, a sound that seems to drive her further. Vi pulls you closer, dragging your body against hers in a way that makes you shudder.
Your breaths come in sharp, uneven gasps, each one punctuated by her low moans. You donât think youâve ever felt like thisâuntethered, your body moving on instinct as you grind down against her leg. Her hold on you tightens, fingers digging into you, her strength reminds you of all the noses sheâs broken, all the wounds you had to tend to because of her. The thought makes you dizzy, makes you crave her more.
Viâs hips roll up into you, meeting your movements with a messy rhythm that leaves you trembling. The heat pooling in your stomach builds steadily, like a fire that refuses to be sated, even under the torrent of rain.
You let your hands wander, sliding up the hard planes of her stomach, your fingers tracing the ridges of muscle through her soaked bandages. Youâre struck by how solid she feels, how strong, and it makes your chest tighten with something you canât quite name. When your palm presses lower, cupping her over her pants, she keensâa quiet, needy sound that has you aching to hear it again.
Oh, you want her to do that again, youâre going to make her do that again.
Her grip on your hips becomes almost bruising, her breath coming faster as she sighs into your mouth. âFuck,â she mutters, the word a rough exhale that sends a shiver down your spine. And then, barely audible, she mumbles, âCait.â
You falter, the word barely registering over the storm and your own pounding heartbeat. Itâs unfamiliar and foreign, and it sticks in your mind like a splinter.
Her lips are on yours again, insistent and wild, her teeth catching your bottom lip as her hands slide up under your shirt. Her fingertips are warm despite the rain, leaving trails of fire along your skin as she pushes the wet fabric higher. You shudder under her touch, goosebumps rising in her wake, your body arching instinctively toward her.
Your mind is a tangle of emotions and half-formed thoughts. Youâre hyper-aware of everythingâof the rain soaking through your clothes, the way her breath mingles with yours, the quiet groans she canât seem to hold back.
She moves with purpose, her lips finding the sensitive skin along your jaw, then lower, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down your neck. Each touch sends a fresh wave of heat through you, making it harder to think, to breathe.
Your fingers are clumsily slipping into her underwear and then youâre there, fingers brushing right against her clitâsheâs so wet that your fingers brush right through her folds, gliding like silk.
âVi,â you whisper again.
Her answering hum vibrates against your skin, and she pulls back just enough to meet your gaze. Her eyes are half-lidded, the blue of them dark and turbulent, like the sea during a storm.
You lean in, pressing your lips to the sensitive spot just below her jaw. Itâs a place you know well, one youâve touched countless times in the dim light of your medicâs room, dabbing at bruises and wiping away blood. Each time, sheâd jerk away ever so slightly. Now, you press your lips there with the same precision, but the sense is wholly different.
She shifts beneath your touch, her breath hitching as your mouth moves deliberately along her neck. The breathy moans she leaves by your ear fuel you, spurring you on as you focus on the rhythm of her breathing, the way her body responds to you.
âGood,â she mutters, her voice rough and uneven. âFuck, feels so good.â
Her hand moves beneath your shirt, her palm rough and calloused against the softness of your skin, digging under your bra. She cups your breast, her thumb brushing over your nipple, and the sensation sends a jolt through you, sharp and electric. Her other hand tangles in your hair, tugging just hard enough to make your scalp tingle.
It aches, but youâre smiling, even as the rain continues to pour, soaking through your clothes and plastering your hair to your face. You sneak a glance at her, and the sight nearly undoes you. Her eyes are squeezed shut, her dark lashes clumped together with rain and dark, smudged makeup against pale, bruised skin. Her lips are parted, searching for somethingâyour lips, your skin, something to kiss.
You donât make her wait. She bites at your neck, teeth grazing your skin, and you gasp, your hand instinctively moving to her hair. You tug, and the sound she makesâa guttural, desperate moanâsends heat pooling low in your stomach.
She mutters your name, her voice soft yet filled with a hunger that shakes you to your core. Thereâs a plea disguised in her tone, a silent plea to give her everything, to let her take all you have to offer.
And you will. Youâll give her everything. Your time, your care, your thoughts and prayers, every piece of yourself. Your leg, an arm, the air you breathe, and the food you make. Youâd give her your heart, too, if only sheâd take it.
Her body trembles against yours, her chest heaving as her breath comes in sharp, shallow bursts. You canât tell if itâs from the cold rain seeping into your bones or from the way your fingers move against her. You trace light circles over her clit, teasing, testing, and the way she reactsâhips jerking, her hands clutching at you desperatelyâyou think she wants your warmth, and you hope that is what she chases after.
When you slip a finger inside, she gasps, her voice breaking into soft, fractured sounds that make your chest ache. It takes a few tries, careful adjustments to find the spot that makes her fall apart, but when you do, itâs like a floodgate opens. Her moans grow louder, more desperate, her body tensing beneath your touch as she winds tighter, tighterâ
âCaitâŚâ The same name from before slips from her lips like a whisper at first, so faint you almost miss it.
Then she says it again, her voice catching on the syllable, and your world tilts.
âCait⌠CaitâŚâ she chants, the name tumbling from her lips in fervent prayer, each utterance cutting through the haze that had clouded your mind.
It tastes bitter. Bitter like the alcohol still lingering on her breath. Bitter like the realization sinking into your chest.
You freeze, suddenly sober.
Your hands falter, and Vi doesnât seem to notice at first, still panting, still trembling, her forehead pressed against yours. The furrow in her brow deepens when you pull back, untangling yourself from her arms.
âWhatâ? Whyâd you stop?â Her voice is hoarse and confused, the desperation still thick in her tone.
âWhoâs Cait?â The words leave your mouth before you can stop them.
âWhat?â
Vi blinks, her face a mask of confusion before her expression shifts. Guilt flashes in her eyesâraw and unguarded. Itâs a look youâve seen before, maybe once or twice.
âYou keep calling me âCait.ââ You canât meet her gaze as you say it. Your chest tightens, your throat burns, and suddenly, the space between the two of you feels suffocating.
You reach for her hand still under your shirt, running your thumb over her split knuckles. Itâs a gesture that feels too tender now, and you pull her hand away from you, stepping aside to put distance between your bodies.
âI donât knowâŚâ Your voice cracks as you say it, your mind grasping for anything to make sense of this moment.
âShit. Shit.â Vi curses under her breath, running a hand through her wet hair. âIâm sorry. I didnât mean toâI didnâtâCaitâs just⌠someone I used to know, alright?â
The rain pours harder, the chill sinking into your bones as you cross your arms tightly against your chest. You glance down the alley, to where the streetlights cast faint glows on the wet pavement. Anywhere but her face.
âUm⌠I think I need to go,â you mumble.
âYou just got here.â Her voice is low and unsure, and it makes you stutter for a moment. She takes a step toward you, one hand lifting as though to touch you, but she freezes mid-motion, her fingers curling into a fist.
âI know.â You force the words out. âBut itâs been a long day.â You take a step back, and then another.
âPlease.â Her voice cracks on the word. âDonât leave.â
You pause, your breath hitching at the desperation in her tone. It tugs at something in your chest, something that still wants to turn around, to reach for her and say everything is fine. But itâs not fine. Not anymore.
âViâŚâ Her name feels raw on your tongue. âYouâre drunk. I shouldnât have⌠Iâm sorry.â
âNo.â She cuts you off, the panic in her voice sharp enough to pierce through the rain. âNo, donât say that. Iâm not drunkââ
âYou are.â
Her words are rushed, and frantic, like sheâs trying to convince herself as much as you. You shake your head, stepping back again, the cold of the brick wall scraping against your palm as you steady yourself.
âYouâre clearly not in the right state of mind right now,â you say, your tone firmer this time. It feels like a lie, like a mask youâre slipping on to hide the crack forming in your resolve. âIâll see you tomorrow, alright? Just⌠rest easy. You fight early tomorrow.â
She exhales sharply, a sound halfway between a sob and a growl, her hands clenching at her sides. âFuck. Fuck!â The frustration explodes out of her as her fist slams into the brick wall beside her, the dull thud reverberating in the air.
The sound makes you flinch, your shoulders stiffening as you start walking away. Her voice chases after you, raw and broken, but you canât bring yourself to turn back.
Your lips burn where her mouth had been, a phantom heat that refuses to fade despite the freezing rain. You wipe your hands against the damp fabric of your pants, but the scent of her lingersâsmoke, leather, and something wholly hers. It clings to you like a ghost.
The sunlight catches you off guard the next morning. It filters in through the grimy window of the medic room, cutting golden beams through the usual haze of smog. The light feels almost intrusive, prying into the shadows youâve grown accustomed to.
You glance at the old clock on the wall, your eyes heavy from lack of sleep. Last night replays in your mind like a broken recordâViâs voice, raw and regretful, the taste of her still lingering on your lips, and that name, Cait, slipping like a shard of glass between your ribs.
Outside, the faint hum of Zaun waking up filters through the walls. Fighters pass by the door, their voices carrying muffled excitement or hushed murmurs about Viâs loss.
âSheâs never been this off her game,â someone says as they pass. âWonder whatâs eating her.â
You tighten your grip on the bandage roll in your hand, trying to ignore the way your stomach clenches.
The sunlight persists, illuminating every imperfection in the roomâthe cracks in the walls, the scuff marks on the floor, the faint stains on the counter. Itâs the first time youâve seen this much light down here, and yet it only seems to highlight everything you want to forget.
You try to focus on your work, lining up supplies that donât need organizing, folding bandages that donât need folding. You think about how Viâs presence, chaotic as it was, had somehow made this job bearable. Her grins, her dry wit, the way she sat in that chair like it was her throneâit had all made this dim room feel a little less oppressive.
But today, the chair stays empty.
Word of her loss had swept through the Pit hours ago. Even the ones who bet against herâout of spite or fearâseemed shocked. Youâd caught snippets of conversations, whispers about how Vi had gone down hard, how her opponentâs hit had landed with a sickening crack that echoed through the arena.
Ryker confirmed the details when he came in, his voice low as he described the sound her body made hitting the floor. The image had stuck with you, sharp and unrelenting, as you waited.
You expected her to show up the way she always didâbleeding but defiant, swaggering in with that cocky grin, already downplaying her injuries. But as the hours stretched into evening, the worry settled deeper.
Maybe sheâd gone straight to the bar again, skipping protocol out of spite. You wanted to believe it, even if it wasnât fair. If anyone had the right to be upset, it should be you.
You paced the cramped room, the sound of your boots scraping against the floor the only thing keeping you grounded. You told yourself you didnât careâit wasnât your job to chase after fighters who wouldnât take care of themselves. But deep down, it stung.
The thought of her turning back to old habitsâof her brushing you aside like you never matteredâsettled in your chest like a bruise you couldnât rub out.
And then the door creaks open.
Vi steps inside, her silhouette framed by the soft, golden light spilling through the window behind her. She hesitates in the doorway, a shadow of her usual self. Her confident swagger is gone, replaced by a tired, battered figure. The black paint streaked across her shoulders has smeared into her skin, blending with dried blood and sweat. Her leather jacket hangs heavily from her hands, and her makeshift top is damp, torn in places, and caked with dirt.
Her face tells the rest of the story. A swollen eye, a nose bent at an angle that makes you wince just looking at it, and a constellation of bruises across her cheekbone and jaw. Blood has dried in crusty patches along her hairline and temples, merging with the remnants of the black paint she hadnât bothered to wash off.
She lingers there, gripping the edges of the doorframe like sheâs bracing herself for rejection. Youâre about to speak when her gaze finds yours, cutting through the silence like a knife.
âHey,â she says, her voice scratchy and low.
You exhale a breath you didnât realize you were holding, willing your tone to stay steady. âTook you long enough,â you say lightly, turning toward the counter to grab the salve and bandages.
When you glance back, the ghost of a smirk flickers on her lips, but it vanishes just as quickly. She steps further inside, lowering herself into the chair with a muted groan. Thereâs no quip this time, no offhand joke. She just sits there, shoulders sagging, staring at her bloodied hands like they belong to someone else.
You pull on your gloves, the snap of latex breaking the silence. âWhat happened?â
Her shrug is stiff, âGuess I wasnât fast enough.â
Thereâs an edge to her voice, sharp and bitter. Itâs self-directed, steeped in frustration, and it takes you by surprise. You soak a cloth in antiseptic and step closer, gently dabbing at a jagged cut above her eyebrow. She flinches but doesnât pull away.
âWhy didnât you come sooner?â you ask, your tone soft but firm.
Her jaw tightens, and her hands curl into fists on her lap. âDidnât think youâd want to see me.â
You pause mid-motion, your hand hovering just above her skin. Her words feel like a slap, and youâre not sure if the sting comes from the accusation. âI still like to take care of you,â you say quietly.
Vi scoffs, the sound is humourless and tired. âThatâs your job.â
âYeah, but,â you counter, meeting her gaze head-on. âI like doing it.â
The confession hangs in the air, heavy and unspoken between you. Her shoulders tense as she processes your words, her eyes darting away like she canât bear to look at you.
You try to focus on cleaning her wounds, âYou shouldâve come earlier. You shouldnât do this to yourself.â
âWhy not? Seems to be what Iâm good at.â
Her words strike a chord, a pang of hurt and anger swirling in your chest. You step back, giving her space as you set the cloth down. The sunlight streaming through the window catches on her hair, painting her in a halo of gold. She looks almost ethereal, and it breaks your heart, because you know she doesnât see it.
âViâŚâ You hesitate, unsure of what to say.
She looks up then, her eye searching your face. Her voice cracks when she speaks. âI donât get it. Iâm a jerk, right? Always have been to fucking everyone, even Loris and my sister and I... I mean, Iâve been a dick to you since day one. Why donât you just⌠let me fuck myself up?â
âIâve thought about it,â you admit, a hint of teasing laced in your voice. âBut then Iâd be a pretty shitty medic, wouldnât I?â
Her lips twitch upward again, but it doesnât quite stick. âIâm sorry,â she says, her voice so quiet you almost miss it. âFor everything.â
You nod, not trusting yourself to speak.
âI didnât mean toâŚâ She trails off, her gaze dropping to the floor. âI didnât mean to hurt you.â
The sincerity in her voice twists the knife deeper, but it doesnât change the truth. âItâs okay,â you manage.
âNo, itâs not.â She finally looks at you, her blue eyes clouded with something you couldnât quite place. Regret? Shame? âI⌠You deserve better than that. Better than me.â
Her words hit like a punch to the gut. You swallowed hard, forcing a small smile. âYouâre being dramatic. Iâm fine, really.â
Vi shook her head, leaning back against the chair. âYouâre not. Youâre just too good to say it.â
Her eyes flick up to meet yours, and for a moment, it feels like the world has stopped spinning. You can see the pain in her expression, the regret and the sorrow, but thereâs something else, tooâa longing that mirrors your own.
But itâs not enough.
You step back, and the distance between you feels like miles. âYou should rest. I gotta fix your nose.â
Vi nods, leaning back in the chair. The sunlight catches on her bruises, highlighting every mark, every scar. She looks like a warrior, battle-worn and beautiful, and you know youâll never forget this image of her.
As you work in silence, you canât help but wonder what it wouldâve been like if things were differentâif whoever Cait was didnât haunt her, if she could see you the way you see her.
But deep down, you know the answer.
Sheâll never be yours.
But youâll always be hers.
When you finish, Vi hesitates for a moment longer than you expect, her movements slow and deliberate, as though she doesnât know where to go next or what to do. She stands, and the way her shoulders rise, like sheâs summoning whatâs left of her strength, makes your heart ache.
âThanks,â she says.
âOf course. Itâs what Iâm here for.â
As the words leave you, they feel hollow. You want to reach for more, to say something else, to make her understand. You want to scream, to tell her that you could be enough for her if sheâd just let you. You could make her believe that sheâs worth more than the pain sheâs carrying. But instead, all you do is smile. Itâs soft, strained, and bittersweet.
She doesnât meet your eye as she turns toward the door. You watch her move, each step deliberate, like sheâs carrying an invisible weight. For a fleeting moment, itâs as if sheâs pulling the room with her, dragging everything back into the shadows.
And then, sheâs gone.
The door clicks softly behind her, leaving the room eerily silent. You sit back in your chair, the quiet pressing in around you like a heavy fog. The warmth from the light seems to linger, but it doesnât reach you anymore.
You sit back in your chair, staring at the empty space. The room feels colder and quieter, and you realize that, no matter how much you wish otherwise, sheâll always carry pieces of someone else with her.
there's someone in my inbox saying porn didn't exist until the 70's what
I like the silly little new indie show
Someone give Pomni a cookie
Rules for the Hazbin Hotel, authored by Vaggie:
1. No drugs.
2. No fights.
3. No pranks.
4. No problematic language.
5. No murder (OR TERRITORIAL GENOCIDE WHAT THE FUCK ANGEL)
6. No smuggling in of drugs. Not by sticking them up your ass. Or by hiding them in a pizza box. Or by slingshotting them to the roof. Or getting someone else to. Not at all.
7. No sexual rendezvous with outsiders in the hotel. No SHOWING sexual rendezvous with strangers to people of the hotel either.
8. Make sure the pig/future pets stay in the patronâs room. (This includes eggs!!)
9. No singing Limit singing to once twice per day
10. Stop flirting with the bartender Angel
11. Donât call Husk âHuskerâ unless he allows it.
12. No harassing the staff at all. This includes asking who tops.
13. Donât suggest anything sexual/romantic to Alastor unless you want your head cut off.
14. NO CUTTING OFF PEOPLEâS HEADS
15. NO EATING PEOPLE
16. NO MAKING CHARLIE CRY.
17. Donât ask me to put my spear âinside youâ Angel, what the fuck?
18. Donât turn the interior of the hotel into a swamp?! Keep it contained in your room if you must!
19. No stabbing staff or residents. No matter how much they look like bugs! (OR IF THEYRE NAME IS ANGEL)
20. Donât try and stab bugs if theyâre within 10 feet of another demon.
21. Donât call anyone a âbitchâ OR TALK ABOUT HOW MY NAME SOUNDS LIKE âVAGINAâ
22. Limit Nifftyâs access to sharp objects.
23. NO DEALS ALASTOR
24. No drinking. Limit drinking at bar.
25. No mentioning the Stock Market Crash of 1929. For everyoneâs benefit.
26. Donât blow a hole in the wall.
27. Try to keep roast battles OUTSIDE the hotel. (Or stop picking fights?? Please Alastor I swear to GodâŚ)
28. No spying on the hotel for outside sources or putting technology that can be used against us.
29. No evil laughing in the middle of the night, what the fuck Alastor?
30. No building weapons/war machines.
31. No eggs! (Fine the eggs can stay.)
32. Someone please keep an eye on Niffty. (And the eggs.)
33. Stop touching people ANGEL.
34. Donât make other people storm off HUSK.
35. Respect boundaries.
36a. If Angel looks like heâs about to pass out/cry donât comment. Let him do his thing.
36b. Donât try to talk to Angel if heâs on the phone with Valentino. Honestly donât even mention his phone calls with Valentino.
37. Please donât call Lucifer âDaddyâ
38. Donât turn into a 20 foot tall demon-eating creature unless absolutely necessary.
39. Donât cause angry loan sharks to show up at the front door.
40. NO EXPLOSIONS!
41. Rule #2, âNo fightsâ can be broken if the person youâre fighting is Valentino. Or Adam.
42. Donât lie to your girlfriend or hide the fact you were secretly an angel.
43. DONT TALK ABOUT PEOPLEâS TITS (or lack of)
44. KNOCK BEFORE ENTERING A BEDROOM ESPECIALLY IF SOMEONEâS HAVING MAKEUP SEX
45. Donât give people makeovers while theyâre sleeping, ANGEL!
46. Donât pretend to eat someoneâs pet, ALASTOR
47. Donât die.
48. I never want to hear the words âcum-pleteâ again.
49. STOP HAVING FIGHTS ACROSS THE BUILDING LUCIFER AND ALASTOR!!
50. If Charlie is passed out on the couch LET HER SLEEP
51. No making bombs in the hotel Cherri!
52. Stop breaking rules and then saying itâs âFOR SIR PENTIOUS!â
53. Angel donât try to shoot someone if they break spaghetti.
54. Donât break spaghetti. Or âruinâ Italian food. Whatever the fuck that means. This apparently includes pineapple on pizza.
55. Donât mention Valentino unless Angel brings him up first.
56. Donât comment on Angel and Huskâs flirting.
57. Only call Angel âAnthonyâ if things are serious (or if youâre Husk)
58. Donât use any of the nicknames Husk and Angel use for each other. This includes but is not limited to: âWhiskersâ, âLegsâ, âKittyâ, âWebsâ, âTonyâ, âLoveâ, and âBaby.â
59. Itâs better not to question whatever facts Husk gives about his past.
60. Family dinners at 6 pm unless you canât make it due to prior obligation. Game nights after on Sundays.
61. No hunting people for sport and NO KNIFE MONOPOLY.
62. Donât attach knives to a roomba so you can have a âboyfriendâ Niffty.
63. Keep Niffty away from Roombas.
64. Alastor, treat people with decency. Really, itâs not that hard.
65. No making giant ducks that breathe fire to chase people around the hotel just because they call you short.
66. Therapy. Everyone.
67. DONT HAVE SEX ON THE BAR WHAT THE FUCK GUYS?!
68. If Valentino enters the property you have permission to stab him.
69. âHell is foreverâ is bullshit. You guys arenât. You can do this.
my brain just spat out what is simultaneously the best and worst potential end credit scene for fnaf
a bunch of cops are surveying the inside of the wreckage of freddy's. there's dead bodies. they're taking pictures. chatting amongst themselves. whatever. one guy in a detective style trenchcoat is standing off to the side. his back is to the camera. one of the cops breaks away and approaches the detective guy.
"so, what do you think happened here?"
"i'm not sure."
the entire audience freezes in horror as they realize. they know that voice. the camera pans around to face the guy, and slowly. matpat removes the sunglasses he's wearing indoors.
"but i have a theory."
smash cut to black. the theater collapses, killing me, in the audience, instantly--
some kids built this outside my dorm.
He got mad and said "complex" and "confusing" are way different
Other poll: this