Chronically burnt out college student, 21, she/they, gay as hell.
Gamer "girl," forever DM, musician
Currently writing DBD fan works to overcome some writer's block.
Requests are open.
Friends, I've done it. Despite managing college, mental health, getting really fucking sick for a week and applications into a better school, I've done it. I've written... one more chapter of my fic.
Chapter 19, Before the Storm is up now on AO3
Summary:
Élodie learns a personal detail about Ace, and the fallout is hilarious, for some of them. Later, final preparations on a meeting with Vittorio are wrapped up and a risky plan is devised.
Friends, I've done it. Despite managing college, mental health, getting really fucking sick for a week and applications into a better school, I've done it. I've written... one more chapter of my fic.
Chapter 19, Before the Storm is up now on AO3
Summary:
Élodie learns a personal detail about Ace, and the fallout is hilarious, for some of them. Later, final preparations on a meeting with Vittorio are wrapped up and a risky plan is devised.
My Dbd OTP is Legion/Frank x Kate, but no one writes about this ship so it would be great if you could do something about that.
For setting, I thought about them spending time together between trials. If that can help, I have this dynamic I imagine for them : Kate knows what most of her teammates think about killers so she tries to keep her relationship with Frank a secret ; meanwhile, every single killer knows Frank is dating a survivor, he just didn't tell anyone (except the other Legions) who it is.
This ship was so much fun! I just... completely ignored the rest of the prompt.
Well, not really. I tried, but couldn't get much of a story together. I do love the concept of both Kate and Frank trying to keep different aspects of the relationship secret, but I couldn't get much of a coherent story together. And then I realized I'd been sitting on the request for three weeks now, and I figured I'd rather come up with something at least. So, I'm keeping the draft that I didn't end up using following the original prompt, and wrote a different oneshot.
If inspiration comes, I'll try to flesh out the original prompt and post that too, but here's what I did end up writing for these two:
Star-Crossed
Being a killer for the Entity means losing all rational thought, becoming a bloodthirsty murderer intent on causing suffering. The constant loss of control leaves Frank angry and disoriented. But someone is there for him... even if he doesn't think he deserves it.
The first thing Frank does when he returns to his senses is pull the mast from his face. His forehead glistens with sweat, his cheeks flushed a red matched only by the crimson dripping from the blade in his hand. He staggers a few steps clutching his chest as he fights to catch his breath.
There's a pleasant hum in the back of his head, his instincts telling him that he's pleased the Entity this time. Though he doesn't remember much of the Trial. They all blur together now. He remembers when he still felt guilty about the janitor he'd killed back in the old world. Now, he stabs, maims, and destroys but can't spare a moment to mourn any of his repetitive victims.
Well, all except one.
He's been sent to the swamp and stands in the exit gates, where he'd managed to kill the last one of this bunch. That obnoxious girl… oh he really ought to remember their names. She would appreciate it. She probably won't appreciate the constant murdering, but she knows it isn't really his choice.
He kicks his boots against the brick wall lining the exit, watching some of the loose mud fall from them. He'll have to clean them off better when he gets somewhere a little less damp, but out here? That could take ages.
Instead, the black web the Entity uses to keep him from leaving the Trial finally melts back into the ground and Frank finally can leave. The Entity must trust him not to follow the survivors any further. Instinctively, his mind points him in the right direction. Going left from here would lead him back to Ormond where Joey, Susie, and Julie are all waiting, but he doesn't return yet. So he picks a different direction and just starts walking.
Frank feels awfully strange. There's a toxic cocktail in his mind, a mix of anger and exhaustion. He hates this. Losing control of himself, being filled with an instinctive range devoid of any rational thinking. The Entity forces him to kill. Blinds him to who he's truly chasing and turns him into a frenzied monster. Frank never deluded himself into thinking that he was a saint before, but he was never like this.
So he walks through a dark forest and tries to calm his anger and his racing heart. He stops for a moment and leans against a tree, just trying to collect himself when he hears it.
The gentle strumming of a guitar floats through the silence of the forest. A languid, slow tune, and Frank knows who it is immediately.
He follows the sound to a small clearing in the forest, and sees her. Blond hair sweeping down her shoulders, a soft smile on her lips. Frank stops about fifteen feet away and watches Kate for a few moments, already feeling some of the stress melt away.
But it's not enough. There's a tension in his shoulders, a tightness in his fists. He's still enraged, and Kate deserves better than to have to be around him when he's like this. His rage had made him blow his chance with Julie, months ago, before they ended up in this hell, and he won't lose another woman to his emotions again.
"Are you going to keep staring? Or will you finally come join me?" Kate asks softly.
Frank's head snaps up. "I didn't realize you could hear me."
"Your footsteps are loud when you're upset."
Frank takes a few steps forward but stops himself. "Not right now. I'm in a shitty mood, and you deserve better."
Kate only stops strumming for about three seconds. "That's sweet, but still, you're welcome to stay." She continues the gentle melody on the guitar. Frank means to leave, but his feet propel him in the opposite direction until he's sitting beside her, on a fallen tree trunk.
"Rough time out there?" she says once he sits.
"What does it matter? They're all the same anymore," Franks answers bluntly, staring down at the dirt.
Kate sighs beside him, a sad sound. "I'm only trying to make conversation," she says quietly. She stops playing and sits back against the log, lips pressed together in a thin line. Frank can't help but feel a little guilty.
The silence between them stretches out, time slowing to an agonizing crawl. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped," he says after a moment.
Kate puts her hand on his shoulder, her fingertips brushing lightly against his collarbone. "No, it's not your fault. You said you needed space, and I asked you to stay. You were trying to do the right thing."
Her voice is gentle, the words far kinder than he deserves. Kate's too good for him, he's known that to be true since they started this… whatever this is. She deserves someone better, but keeps choosing him.
And Frank isn't really sure what to do with that.
"I wish I was stronger."
"Stronger how?" Kate asks, looking over at him.
"To stop having my mind controlled every time a Trial starts. I can't stop it, and I keep hurting your friends. Keep hurting you."
He expects Kate to respond with empty words. A poor attempt at comfort, a bandage that doesn't fit the wound. "It's okay," or "You're doing your best," maybe.
The silence is a surprise. Kate doesn't have an answer for that, just leans back against the log, her blonde hair finally slipping away from her face, revealing blue eyes glazed with tears. And Frank curses himself silently. He's making her cry. "Oh, Kate, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
Kate cuts him off, her voice filled with a rage Frank's never heard before. "It's not you I'm angry at. It's this stupid Entity. The other killers, they're monsters. The Trapper murdered dozens or more in his old life. The Doctor tortured people. But you and your friends, you're just kids!" Her hands flail out to the side as she rants, her voice clipped.
"We. I killed a guy too," Frank says.
But that just seems to further enrage Kate. "But that's different. You were a kid in a bad situation. One bad decision that went too far. That's not the same as torturing prisoners or causing an underground cave in. You never should have been lumped in with them and forced to kill. We don't deserve this. None of us do, yourself included."
The tears finally fall and Kate buries her head in her hands. Frank puts an arm around her shoulders and she leans against his chest. "I guess our Hells aren't too different," he says quietly.
"It's strange. We're on opposite sides, and yet, we're both victims here," she mumbles.
"Star-crossed lovers?" Frank asks, with a small smile. And when he feels Kate not against him, he adds. "You could almost right a song about it."
And that gets a laugh. A quick, quiet one, but it's better than the tears. Frank gives Kate's shoulders a gentle squeeze as they sit together, just making the most of the time together.
But then, he hears Kate speak up, her voice muffled against his chest. "Is that what we are now? Lovers?"
And Frank freezes, every single cell in his body locking in place. He'd used that word, hadn't he? Put a label on something, spoken the quiet part out loud, not even knowing whether his feelings were returns. He tries to come up with a response. An excuse, an explanation perhaps, but the words fail him.
Kate trails her fingers down his arm, trailing over the faded hoodie, not minding the dirt and the faded bloodstains that will never truly wash out. When her fingers reach his wrist, she rotates her hand to clasp his. She pulls away from his chest to look him in the eyes. "I like it."
And wow, does Frank not deserve any of this. Not the kind words, the smiles, even being in Kate's presence. But he'll be damned if he's going to miss a moment of this. He'll take every second of this he can get.
Frank shifts his arm from Kate's shoulders to the small of her back, holding her close. She closes the distance between them and their lips meet and for a second Frank forgets everything else.
Forgets about the realm they've been trapped in. Forgets the games they play for the Entity's amusement, the chasing and killing again and again. Forgets that even in the most unlikely of outcomes, where they escape this place, he'll be a wanted man and Kate a minor celebrity. Forgets that a feeling, no, a love like this never would have happened had their lives not been utterly uprooted in the first place.
Because for just a moment, Kate is choosing him. The kiss deepens and Frank decides that he'll trade another eternity in this hell for a few more kisses. Because here, he has someone.
The kiss ends and Kate shifts, their foreheads pressing together as she squeezes his hand. A warm, fuzzy feeling rises in his chest, something Frank has never felt in his life, not even once.
"What's so funny?" asks Kate and it's only then that Frank realizes he's laughing.
"Nothing. Just, lovers," he says, drawing out the world. "A little sappy, isn't it?"
"You said it first," Kate reminds him with a warm smile.
"I did. And I meant it too."
Kate opens her mouth to say something else, but no words come. A strange, dark fog begins to rise up from the ground, surrounding her, and Frank curses. The Entity is pulling her into a Trial, taking her away from him again.
But Kate doesn't stop smiling, though her expression seems sadder now. "Hey, it's alright," she says, even though things are far from alright. "I'll find you later, okay?"
"Hurry back," Frank says quietly.
Kate chuckles again then looks at Frank with a gleam in her eye. "I'll see what I can do, Love."
As the fog takes her away, the last thing Frank feels is her lips, gently kissing him on the forehead. She disappears and the fog fades, and Frank feels cold again. Kate had been so warm against him and now, now he's alone again. But his forehead where she'd kissed him is still warm. Frank slowly reaches up to touch that last patch of warm skin. He can't see his reflection out here, but if he could, he's sure he'd see a silly little smile on his face.
His eyes slide shut as he contemplates it all. He meant it before, when he decided he'd weather this storm, never lose that last bit of hope, as long as Kate still chooses him.
"Do your worst," he speaks aloud, wondering if the Entity can hear him, and hoping it does. "I'll never give in to you, because you brought me to her."
______
I hope this tides you over while I try to figure out how to make the prompt fit my writing style.
As always, my inbox remains open, so feel free to drop a request for a character or ship you'd like to see written. <3
Need a fic of Unknown wondering what it's like to hug someone since it never had anyone hug it before. You can choose what character you want interacting with it! 👍
This prompt had me stumped for a little bit, as I'm not super familiar with the Unknown so writing from Its perspective was a challenge for me. But here it is now. I'm not sure it followed the request exactly, but I like how it turned out.
Enjoy, (and if you have a ship or a character you'd like to see more of, my asks are open, so feel free to come leave me a oneshot request)
First Mate
How can you long for something you never knew you were missing? That shouldn't be possible, but It can feel something missing nonetheless. It yearns for something. Something that It never had. It doesn't know what It yearns for, but It aches anyway.
It spends a lot of time alone these days, but that's nothing new. It doesn't mind. There are trees and a pretty statue, and a building with comfy chairs. And sometimes the black wall morphs into a dancing picture, and It can't help but stare sometimes. Occasionally, it wanders into other strange places, forests, swamps, or surrounded by walls of cars. But usually it's back in the place with the trees, the statue, and the dancing picture.
Sometimes, there are others in and around the building. They crouch in front of strange machines and make them hum. But they never stop to say hi to It. They talk to each other, sometimes giving them orders or arguing. But other times they cheer each other on. But they never talk to It. Instead they just run. So It uses the sharp stick it found, the one with the metal head, to try and slow the people down. So they'll talk to It just for a minute.
Sometimes, It kicks the machines. It feels bad, destroying all of their hard work, but It doesn't know what else to do. When the machines get loud enough they turn bright and then all the other people run away, but black webs and sticks keep It from following them.
Sometimes, It tries to start a conversation. "You're gonna wanna see this," It says to a man with glasses and dark hair but he just turns and runs away.
"Hey, come here!" It tries to a woman with long white hair but she just shoots him with her sun ray.
"Help!" It tries, as a few run away, trying desperately to push past the strange black web holding it in. But the people just run from It, celebrating another "victory." Though It doesn't know what they were victorious over.
So ordinarily, It is alone. And maybe that is what It yearns for. Not being alone anymore. It's skin feels almost cold, but not really. Deep within Its skin It feels a strange, empty ache. But what will soothe It?
There is no sun here, so It never sees the day, and It doesn't know how much time has passed. Though It also didn't know how much time passed before it came here. And yet, It hopes something will change.
Something comes some time later, in the shape of a dog. A massive, drooling, angry black dog. He seems angry, but not at It. He barks, a harsh, loud sound that carries over the wind. So It walks over to it, leaning down, and putting Its head close to his.
"Help… do you need help?" It asks.
But the dog backs away from It before letting out a long howl. A despairing sound that makes It feel oddly sad. It wonders if the dog is longing for something too.
"Can… Can I help?" It tries again, and this time the dog looks at It. For a second, he seems to regard It with curiosity before it growls and lunges, baring his teeth as dives for It.
But his sharp teeth don't close around Its body. Instead, he bites on the metal-tipped stick It holds. He growls slightly, then his tail begins to wag. And the dog growls lowly, continuing to tug on the stick.
Then, suddenly, the dog lets go, but the change in force makes It lose Its grip. The metal stick goes flying and lands about fifteen yards away. The dog looks first at It, then at the stick, before he turns and scampers to the stick, picking it up and carrying it back to It.
It watches as the stick is dropped at Its feet, covered in dog drool. The dog, meanwhile, looks up at it, tail still wagging, and yaps excitedly.
"Do you want… again?" It asks, voice distorted. The yapping continues, so It lifts the metal stick in the air and then throws it as far as it can. Once again, the dog chases after it.
The process repeats and It feels… happy for the first time. The dog seems to like It, as he isn't running away from It. He keeps coming back with the stick and wagging his tail and it doesn't leave It behind. It has a friend!
After about a dozen tosses and retrievals, the dog seems a little bit tired. Panting, he lays down in the grass for a minute before suddenly, he jumps back to his feet, nose in the air. He begins to sniff and look around wildly.
"What… What is it?" It asks, but the dog ignores It, following some sort of scent.
The dog ends up at the popcorn machine, standing on his hind legs and pawing at the glass, as a low whine escapes his mouth. He wants whatever's inside, It realizes.
And It can help! With a decisive motion, It lifts the metal stick and crashes it into the machine, breaking it open. The dog immediately lunges for the intestines coiled up in the machine and runs away, the intestines dragged on the grass behind him.
And It feels sad again. The dog has left It, like everyone else does. Saddened, It sits in the grass, unsure what to do. Maybe It will wait for the people to return and make the fancy machines hum again. Maybe It will throw the metal stick at them and see if they bring the stick back too.
It wonders if it ruined it's chance. The dog left It, just like everyone else, and just so he could chew on some intestines. It walks over to a a tall fence and sits down with a "thud," head hung in sorrow. What would it take, It wonders, to get someone to stay?
It feels cold, all of a sudden. And It aches with a pain It doesn't quite understand. It must be cursed to an existence alone. Its heart feels heavy.
Soft footsteps slowly approach It, and It looks up to see the dog trotting back over, the intestines likely already devoured. But this time, the dog doesn't reach for the sharp metal stick. He walks straight up to It before lying down in Its lap. The dog's weight settles over It, as he lays down, his head resting on Its knee.
It isn't sure whether It has a heart, but if It does, it would certainly be beating faster with utter glee, at the sensation of feeling the dog lie in Its lap. Another creature, finally not running from It, but instead staying with It, even seeking out Its comfort? The emotion is overwhelming. Finally, another creature who doesn't fear It. It is almost afraid to move, to disrupt the dog who rests against Its legs. Because this is what It has ben craving. What It has needed for so long.
The dogs eyes close and it begins to snore. It takes Its hand, the one not holding the stick, and puts it on the dog's back, gently petting the fur. It doesn't know what compels it to do that, but It knows that feels right. The dog doesn't fear It, trusts It enough to sleep curled up in Its lap. And suddenly, It gets a strange feeling of belonging that It's never had before.
It must fall asleep, because It wakes up in pain. A blunt object is pressed into Its chest, hard. The pressure hurts and It writhes in pain, opening Its eyes to see a woman standing above him.
She is tall. Very tall. With dark skin and hair and a cane in her hand which is currently being shoved against It. "Another abomination," she says, her voice low. "No matter. I hope you're prepared to die like the rest of that scum."
The cane is pulled back and she raises it into the air and It realizes what's going to happen. She is going to hurt It. In the moment between her raising the cane and the inevitable blow, It thinks about the dog one last time. How lucky It was to have a moment of comfort, even if it was fleeting.
But the dog isn't gone. He's still there, behind the woman. And just before she can swing at It, the dog begins to whine, a high pitched, desperate sort of noise. To Its suprise, the dog leaps in between It and the woman, barking at her.
"What is it, boy?" she asks, tilting her head to the side.
The dog doesn't respond. Just turns to It and licks Its face, a strange, slobbery sensation.
"Oi. You like this one, do ya?" she asks as the dog turns back to her and gently headbutts her, pushing her back.
It watches, confused, as the woman and the dog face off. Until she changes her grip on the cane, once again holding it from the head, and lowers her arm. She reaches for It with her free hand instead, pulling It to Its feet. "Today's your lucky day. But remember, you're only alive because Snug likes ya, understood?"
It nods quickly, just relieved that the cane isn't going to hurt It. "Hi. Is this your dog?" It asks, voice distorted as always.
"Aye. Snug's my boy." she answers, looking It over with a critical gaze. There's a strange look in her eye, as if her nature is to be bloodthirsty and violent, and now, she must go against her instincts. Once again, her hand is held out to It, but It doesn't know what to do with it. "Captain Portia," she says boldly. "And what can I call you?"
It doesn't have an answer. "Call me. Call… me?" It asks, utterly confused.
The woman, Portia, laughs, a rowdy, full-bellied sound. And It, in Its confusion, begins to laugh as well. "You're a strange one, I'll give you that. And thank you, for looking after Snug." At the mention of his name, Snug looks up at Portia, panting lightly. She gives his head a few pats before turning away from It.
It realizes, Snug is leaving. Leaving with Portia. Not again. It can't be left alone again. After having the most teasing taste of companionship, of belonging, it is going to be isolated all over again.
"Wait. Please wait," It says, and Portia turns back to It, a strange look on her face. "Can I… Can I stay?"
She purses her lips and stares at It for a full minute before looking down at Snug. "I'm trying to kill a man who destroyed my life. I'll stop at nothing, and will leave no one who stands in my way alive. I will kill again and again, destroying the vermin who dare cross me. Do you understand?"
It nods. It will stay out of her way. It just doesn't want to be alone. If she wants to kill a man, It will help. It will do whatever she needs so that It doesn't have to be by Itself forever.
"Right then. I suppose I could use a first mate. But don't fall behind."
She turns and begins walking again and It follows. And Portia shows It a way out of Its confinement, to other worlds. She shows It new realms. Forests and swamps and a small abandoned town and strange futuristic planets. And they encounter all sorts of strange creatures and monsters. But It is never alone.
Portia tells It stories about growing up on a pirate ship, of navigating, of studying the stars. And It listens. It doesn't have exciting stories to share back, but It likes to listen. Sometimes while she talks Snug will come lay in Its lap and sleep again, snoring loudly in the night.
And one day, they're chasing people again. They're in a forest with some people who are once again trying to make the machines bright and loud. And while It still doesn't understand why, It and Portia chase after them all.
"Oi! One of 'em is getting away!" Portia yells. It turns just in time to see a woman with pretty blonde hair run past. She's going to run past the gates and leave like always. And Portia isn't close enough to stop her.
So It instinctively charges into action, catching the blonde woman at a different angle and bringing the sharp stick down over her head. The blonde woman falls to the ground and Snug holds her there.
It watches intently as Portia walks over and stomps her foot down over the woman's head. Laughing as the screams abruptly cease.
"Ha-ha! You've done it!" she says, turning to It with a bloodthirsty, wild smile. She closes the distance between him and slings and arm around It's shoulders as she whoops loud into the air. "You certainly are a good first mate."
The arm around It is too rough. Squeezing too hard and making Its neck hurt. But It doesn't mind. It's made her proud, It's done something good. And It's made someone happy. The touch is casual, but It relishes each second of contact, the companionship igniting a sense of belonging that It's never felt before.
Snug comes over too, and It reaches down to pet him for a few seconds before turning back to Portia. "We're a. We're a team!" It says, voice distorting even more as excitement obscures Its voice.
"And a damned good one at that, Mate," Portia says with a grin. She pulls her arm away but this time, the loss of contact doesn't leave It feeling empty inside. Instead, It still feels warm, like the camaraderie between them is going to last.
"Come on, we've got more to explore," Portia says after a moment. The three of them, the violent pirate captain without a ship, her loyal hound, and It, the strange creature that has never belonged anywhere, walk into the shadows together. And for the first time, It feels happy about the adventures to come.
I have a request if you are willing it is a little complicated so I will also provide an alternative! (or just another option cuz I can't pick which i want more)
So the reason I ask for this first one is because Felix's "Inspiration Seeker" cosmetic gives him what I assume is supposed to be an ear bud, but it looks a lot like my hearing aid so I head cannon him as being hard of hearing. I was wondering what your take on Ace and Felix's relationship would be if Felix was a little deaf.
If the first want is too much (it is hard to write deaf characters specially if you aren't deaf so i am not mad) I was wondering what your take on Felix owning a small business (like a coffee shop, or just a free lance gig or small book store) instead of him being in a big company would be and how he would come to meet Ace in such a circumstance.
Regardless of what you write I am going to squeal and scream and giggle of joy because your writing is just SO FUCKING GOOD I want your autograph on a printed copy of "Bond" (not joking)
This request was a lot of fun! I went with the original prompt, and it ended up quite a bit longer than anticipated.
To clarify: I'm not deaf or hard of hearing myself, but I took Zenith's headcannon and ran with it. In this fic, Felix's deafness was caused by an injury on Dyer Island in the same incident where he lost his father. I did a little bit of research, but just a warning, this might not be totally accurate.
So... I hope you enjoy.
Static
Surviving the Entity's Trials isn't easy for anyone. But it's a whole new level of hell for Felix, as his deafness proves to be a hindrance, both in the Trials and forming connections outside of them. But luckily, he's not completely alone.
Felix just wants the trial to be over. It's not the fact that he had to watch the huntress kill Meg because they couldn't find the totem until it was too late. Nor was it the fact that Felix is still sporting a massive gash on his shoulder from where he'd taken a particularly nasty hatchet. No, it's the damn static rushing through his ears. This trial truly has been the perfect storm. The huntress was already difficult enough for him to track. Her soft lullaby was a nightmare to pick up from a distance, let alone determine which direction she was coming from.
And trying to survive in the huntress's own realm made things worse. It's so big that he just can't hear what's going on, doesn't know which generators have been progressed, and even the wounded gasps of pain from his teammates have been too far for him to come and help. And the rain made it all even harder to hear everything, providing a steady stream of background noise that kept Felix disoriented.
But worst is the fact that he was the huntress's first target. Had spent the first ten or so minutes running for his life and succeeding for the most part, buying everyone a lot of time. Ordinarily it'd be a proud accomplishment but right now, it's only exacerbated the sense of disorientation. The stress, fatigue, and increased blood flow has built up too much pressure around his ears, a constant hum of static surrounding him.
He can barely hear anything. There's a muffled sound of something but he has no way of telling what it could be. He looks behind him, whipping his head around the darkened forest. But he sees nothing. Was that the Huntress's lullaby or a particularly powerful gust of wind? Felix doesn't know, and that's terrifying.
The sounds of the world outside of him are muddled and muted. He can hear the generator in front of him just fine, but the rest is discombobulating mess. Maybe it's all the background noise or the stress that gets to him, but he misses the familiar whoosh of air above him and the thunk of metal hitting wood. He just stares blankly at the generator, hoping he can connect the wires and power this thing before it's too late.
He crosses the wrong wires for a second and shocks himself, pulling his hand back and waving it quickly as a stinging sensation shoots through his fingers. And only then does he briefly look up and see it. A hatchet lodged in the trunk of the tree right above him.
It hadn't been the wind.
Felix has only just enough time to turn around and spot the next hatchet flying him in the air only to strike him directly in the chest. The ringing in his ears reaches a fever pitch as the overwhelming pain sends him to the ground. And as the Huntress pulls him onto her shoulder and carries him off to a hook, it almost feels like mercy.
____
"I swear, you've gotta be cheating," Jane exclaims loudly, tossing her cards into the pile. "There were only two cards that could've beaten my hand and it just happened to be on top of the deck?"
"What can I say, I'm having a lucky streak," Ace announces, before subtly pushing the extra card under his shoe. What Jane doesn't know won't hurt her, he decides, flashing a grin when she scowls at the cards in between them. She scoops them up and begins angrily shuffling them. Ace didn't even know "angry shuffling" was a thing, but here she is, proving him wrong.
"Hey Felix, what the hell is wrong with you?" Meg's shout cuts through the relative peace and quiet. Jane looks up and Ace takes a quick second to shove the hidden card back into the deck before following her gaze.
Felix, the group's newest member, is stumbling out of the woods into the small clearing looking frazzled. He looks like shit, even considering their hellish situation, with one hand cupped over his left ear, his eyes drooping slightly.
Meg, who must have died first that trial because she'd already joined Kate and Claudette by a few fallen trees, points at him angrily. "That totem was right next to you, but you let me die!"
Felix looks at her, clearly confused. "I couldn't find it. I was looking, I promise."
"You were hiding in that bush, it was literally right behind you"
"I didn't see it."
"It was two feet away; you should have heard it!"
That seems to catch Felix off guard as he tilts his head to the side. "The totems make noise?" He look around at the others for confirmation and most of the others just stare back blankly. "Oh. I'm sorry."
But Meg must not accept it, as she dramatically rolls her eyes and sits back down with a sigh, facing away from him. Felix stares at the back of her head blankly before turning and disappearing into the forest. Ace watches him go silently. A few of the others look between each other, sharing concerned glances, but none say anything. Distantly, Ace can hear Claudette chastising Meg, though Meg doesn't respond to it well.
It's no secret that Felix's poor hearing is causing stress in the trials. Ace specifically remembers how the guy had become a panicked mess about a week ago, when the Spirit had been trying to track them all down. Hearing the subtle sounds that she made while invisible was hard enough for Ace, but he can't even imagine how hard things were for Felix.
And they weren't isolated incidents. As much as Ace appreciates having someone relatively calm and collected around, he does cringe internally whenever he sees Felix stumbling about in a Trial. But it's not any different than seeing Dwight hopping into another locker or watching Nea's attempts at bold, heroic saves end in disaster. And Ace hates the way Felix is still singled out for it between Trials.
So he beats Jane in a few more hands of poker (only cheating through one of them) before he stands, claims he's off to take a leak, and follows the path he watched Felix take out into the woods.
Felix isn't hard to find, not when Ace knows exactly where to look He finds him sitting in the small clearing they've met in before, sitting with his back against a fallen tree, his hands covering his head. "Rough Trial?" he asks, already knowing the answer, but wanting to make his presence known before he accidentally gets too close too quietly and spooks Felix. He's done that a few times already and can't help but feel awful about it every time it happens.
Felix just shrugs, but Ace isn't expecting conversation tonight. Instead, he plops down on the log and sits down behind Felix, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. Felix still doesn't respond, but the tension in his shoulders eases ever so slightly, so Ace takes it as a win.
Ace isn't sure how long it's been since they've started to sneak away from the campfire and find comfort with each other, but it's quickly becoming one of the few things keeping him sane out here. Felix is rather warm and Ace leans forward a bit, just trying to get closer. He just wishes they had something more defined. More official. But for now, he'll take what he can get.
"I hope you're not being to hard on yourself," he says quietly.
Felix grunts lowly, which tells Ace that no, he is absolutely being too hard on himself. "I'm tired of letting everyone down," he says.
"You're not letting anyone down," Ace says immediately. "You've just not been here as long as the rest of us. You're still trying to figure it all out."
Felix leans back against Ace, resting his head on Ace's chest in a way that makes Ace's heart thump. "But it's different, for me at least. Because so much of surviving these trials is about hearing things. And I can't, so there's just so many things I'll never be able to do. I'm not going to get much better if I don't have all the tools to improve."
And Ace doesn't have a great answer for that. Because truthfully, Felix is right. He does have a lot more going against him than the others. But as they sit in silence for a few more minutes, he notices that Felix seems uncharacteristically agitated. He rubs his temples and shakes his head, almost as if he's in pain.
"Are you feeling okay?" he asks softly.
"It's just, this static in my ears won't go away."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean last Trial, there was all this background noise. The rain, listening to the Huntress, the wind, the generators. And I got chased for a long time too, so my head was throbbing. It's all muffled, but I can still hear it. And then even after, it's all just mixed together in my head, like background noise."
Ace nods, understanding a little bit. Felix keeps explaining. "The best analogy is like a you know when you're in a home with an air conditioner or maybe a washing machine that has a rather annoying sound, like a rattling sound or just constant humming? And it's not particularly loud, but it's just a constant source of aggravation."
"That's going on in your head?" Ace asks, grimacing when Felix nods.
"And it just never stops. It's not very loud, but it is irritating and it makes everything else harder to hear."
"I'm sorry it's bothering you right now," Ace says. "Wait, I should probably stop talking then."
"No," Felix says, a little too quickly. "It helps actually. I only notice the static when there's nothing going on."
"Well if there's two things I'm good at it's being distracting and running my mouth." And that gets a half smile from Felix.
So Ace talks about anything that crosses his mind. Funny events that happened in and between Trials before Felix joined them. His own stories from his life before hand, conning his way into upscale events where he really didn't belong. He laughs at his own jokes and probably tells all sorts of mundane, boring stories. But Felix doesn't seem to mind.
At first, Felix responds to what Ace says, asking questions and commenting. But eventually he goes quiet and just listens in, the tension in his body continuing to ease away. Ace keeps his voice low, steady, hoping he can at least cut through some of the static and offer a little bit of reprieve.
After awhile, Felix goes completely silent, slumping further back against Ace. The shift catches Ace's attention and he stops mid sentence to look down at Felix, smiling softly at what he sees.
"I hope I didn't bore you too much," he says, voice just over a whisper, as he looks down at Felix's sleeping form. His eyes are closed, his face relaxed. Ace shifts so slightly so that Felix is more comfortable against him and tentatively puts a hand in Felix's hair, running his hand through the short strands. A surge of pride rushes through him, at finally being able to help Felix relax from all the stress.
An hour passes, maybe two. Ace starts to get a little sore from sitting on the log for so long, and his leg that Felix has put quite a bit of his weight on has fallen asleep. But Ace doesn't move an inch, content to deal with both if it means Felix can sleep.
It isn't until he feels the familiar tug of the Entity, a warning he's headed to another Trial. He doesn't mind that anymore, not after being pulled away hundreds of times before. But he does use the last few moments before he's yanked away to take his jacket off and slide out from beneath and behind Felix. He balls up his jacket and sets it on the fallen tree, as he does so Felix doesn't hit his head on the wood, before the Entity finally takes him to the Trial.
____
Felix wakes up and it's quiet. That's no surprise. He's sure the rustling leaves and the breeze are making sound, but as always, he doesn't hear it. But what does catch him off guard is just how quiet it is in his head. The static is gone, almost completely.
Ace is gone as well, which has him feeling oddly disappointed. Felix slowly sits up. But as he reaches back to brace himself on the log, he feels the heavy fabric of a worn jacket instead. It's Ace's, and a warm fuzzy feeling spreads through Felix's chest. Had Ace left it here so Felix would be more comfortable? He holds it close to his chest, digging his fingers into the material.
Suddenly, an icy cold sensation shoots down the back of his neck, and Felix jumps, the hair on his arms raising. On instinct, he reaches back to shove whatever was causing the cold away and his hand comes into contact with Ace's other, equally cold hand.
"Shit, I'm sorry," Ace says, immediately pulling his hand back. "I thought I'd made enough noise behind you. I didn't think it would scare you that bad." There's a slightly bashful smile on his face as he sits down next to Felix.
Both his hands are cold and there's still a few snowflakes left in his hair. "Ormond?" Felix asks softly.
"Yeah, I swear, I only seem to get there when I'm wearing short sleeves," Ace complains, tugging at his t-shirt. "Can't decide if that's better or worse than seeing you in those stuffy suits at the saloon."
Felix nods, cringing slightly at the memories of trying to do generators while sweat drips into his eyes. But then he looks back at Ace who is shivering slightly. "Shouldn't you be back by the campfire if you're so cold?"
"I'll get there soon enough. I wanted to come check on you first, make sure you were feeling better." Ace brushes a hand against Felix's shoulder in a gesture that is probably meant to be platonic but that gets Felix's breath caught in his throat.
For a moment he's glad he can't hear very well. If he could, he'd probably be able to hear the pounding of his own heart. He wonders if Ace can hear it. But that's crazy, right?
He must be more checked out than he realized, because Ace is looking at him like he's waiting for answer. "Sorry what?" he asks.
Ace just chuckles and raises his voice a little. "I asked if your head was any better, but if you couldn't hear that, I guess the answer is no."
"No. Actually, I'm feeling a lot better," Felix clarifies. "I was just, distracted."
Fortunately, Ace doesn't press the issue and instead stands up before offering a still chilled hand out to Felix. As Felix gets to his feet he hands Ace his jacket back and they both start the short trip back to the campfire.
"You know, it really is a treat seeing-" Ace begins quietly, too quietly for Felix to hear the second half.
"What did you say?"
"Oh, nothing important," says Ace, though there's a smug little smirk on his lips. "Don't worry about it."
____
Sometime later, Élodie arrives in the Fog, and Felix isn't surprised when she comes up with a solution. He finds himself surviving more often when they're in Trials together, and frankly it's a little embarrassing that he didn't think about it sooner.
Felix is busy on a generator when he sees a flickering light above his head. He follows the source of the beam back behind him and sees Élodie clicking a flashlight at him before briefly shining it on a nearby tree, which Victor is hiding behind, waiting to pounce. Felix dives out of the way, nearly avoiding his claws and backs off so Élodie can kick Victor.
Victor melts into the ground in a grotesque display as Felix and Élodie jump back on the generator. "Thanks," Felix says quietly, and Élodie just smiles.
They both escape that time, thanks to Élodie's flashlight communication, leaving Charlotte behind at the exit gate. The screams, shouts, and other sounds of the Trial have caused a bit of a buildup of static in Felix's ear again, but they've done nothing to dampen his spirits.
____
Ace has never had a high pain tolerance, so when he steps in a bear trap in the middle of the abandoned temple, he screams in pain. The teeth of the trap dig in more harshly than usual and Ace realizes that the traps are modified a bit. He's not getting out of this one himself without tearing out a big part of his calf.
Quickly, he looks around for help, and manages to spot Felix in the distance, medkit on the ground, patching himself up. Probably far close enough to have heard Ace shout, but too far to determine the direction. He doesn't want to shout and attract attention from the trapper, but he needs Felix to look over here.
What was that thing the new girl, Élodie, had been doing to get Felix's attention? Right, the flashlight. Ace stares at the flashlight he'd dropped on instinct when he stepped in the trap, just out of reach. Pain shoots down his leg as he stretches out, desperately trying to reach it. His fingertips just barely manage to graze the edge of the handle and he rolls it back into his hand.
Ace fumbles briefly for the switch before pointing the light just above Felix and clicking it a few times. It works perfectly, as Felix whips his head around and is able to spot Ace.
Four hands are better than two and together, they manage to pry the bear trap open with only minimal injuries. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you," Felix says. "Let me help you out."
Felix scrapes together the last few bandages and materials from his medkit and quickly dresses the wound, his hands moving quickly with a practiced precision. Ace is about to thank him when suddenly, a blood-curdling scream cuts through the air. Feng Min, clearly.
"I take it you heard that?" Ace asks jokingly and Felix winces. "Why don't you go back to your generator and I'll go save her ass." He turns towards the direction of the shout but before he gets far, Felix stops him.
"No. You've already been on the hook once. I'll go get her."
"You sure?" Ace asks, but Felix is already gone. Ace watches him go with a slight smile. Confidence sure looks good on him.
____
Every ounce of confidence Felix has built over the last dozen Trials evaporates immediately, when Felix ends up facing the Spirit again. His hearing is bad enough to the point where he can't hear the sound of her phase-walking, even when she's right behind him. It's already led to him getting grabbed off of two generators, and now, he's almost too scared to even touch them. But two of their teammates are dead and they still have at least two generators left. The static in his ears has built up again, and he's starting to feel nauseous.
Which is how Ace finds him, mid anxiety attack on the staircase. Felix is about to offer to die and let him find the hatch when Ace thrusts his flashlight into his hands. "Can you fix this up for me?" he asks.
"It's too late for that," Felix says. "I should-"
"Nah, we got this. Just focus on getting these generators done. I'll handle the rest. I have a plan."
Ace sounds so sure of himself that Felix nods and stumbles up the stairs to find a nearby locker. While he starts troubleshooting to get some more juice out of the thing when on the floor below him, he hears Ace shout. "Hey Ghost-Girl, where you at?"
Is Ace seriously goading the Spirit into a chase, just so Felix won't have to worry about her sneaking up on him again? It seems utterly insane, but Felix isn't about to argue. He tests the flashlight briefly, illuminating the inside of the locker before quietly stepping back out.
Finding generators has become second nature to Felix, so he instantly finds one and begins to repair it, trying to get it going as fast as possible. When it's about halfway done, he hears another shout, this time from hallway just outside the generator Felix is working on.
"Is there a single pallet you won't eat?" Ace asks, his cackling echoing through the hallways. This taunting is going to get him killed, Felix thinks, until he realizes that Ace is trying to give him a signal. "Hey, don't run off you coward. I'm not finished with you yet!"
The Spirit must be leaving Ace, at least temporarily. Felix quickly abandons the generator and sneaks into a locker, seconds before the Spirit appears in front of him. She kicks the generator, sparks flying, but she turns to the locker after.
Well, it was a good try, Felix thinks. He's getting ready to burst out of the locker and make a run for it when Ace pokes his head in the classroom, one arm on the door frame. "Hey you. I'm talking to you. Get over here and hit me for once."
Though the Spirit is seconds away from nabbing Felix, pride must win out because she turns and lunges at Ace instead.
Felix doesn't waste any time getting back to the generator. Before long, it lights up and he moves onto the next. Somehow, Ace stays on his feet long enough for the second one to finish too.
"Lost me again already?" Felix hears in the distance, directly below him. The Spirit must be on the move again. But they're so close, no point in losing it all now. "I'll just open a gate and you know… leave" The static in Felix's ears reaches a fever pitch as Felix takes the stairs two at a time and runs through the hallways to the gate, hoping to see Ace there, and maybe thank him for saving the Trial.
But Ace is nowhere to be seen. A sense of dread fills Felix's mind as he look behind him and just barely spots Ace limping towards the opposite gate. Unfortunate. Ace must gave gone one way and Felix the other on the floor above him, because now they're on opposite sides of the map. And it's small enough to where one of them is bound to be spotted. Felix pulls the lever to the gate and prays that the Spirit won't come up behind him and pull him away, not when he's so close.
For once, luck is on his side, because the door slides open and Felix gets ready to leave when he turns behind him to see Ace sprinting across the courtyard, the Spirit right behind him. Even from far away, Felix can see the smile plastered on his face. "We're out of here!" He shouts.
And for a second, Felix thinks Ace is right. But then, he spots a small glowing flame in the room to his left. A hex totem. That he couldn't hear. But it almost certainly wasn't there before. So that means…
"Ace careful!" He shouts, but it's no use. As Ace reaches the small staircase out of the courtyard, the Spirit hits him with more force than expected, sending him crumpling to the ground.
"Well one of us got out," Ace says before grunting in pain, lifting himself up just enough to shoo Felix away, gesturing to the gate.
The static has reached a fever pitch and maybe it's shut down Felix's rational mind too, because suddenly, he's leaping over the vault and rushing towards the Spirit as she pulls Ace onto her shoulder.
His hands shake and his head throbs, but he only fumbles slightly as he holds up Ace's flashlight and shines it right in her eyes, hoping it'll be enough.
See, Felix can count on one hand the number of times he's managed to blind a killer. He messes up the angle or the timing, and it always ends in a mess. But the Spirit winces and cries in pain and Ace falls to his feet, his surprised expression almost certainly mirroring Felix's. He'd done it.
Ace says something to him, but the static has reached a fever pitch. "Come on," is what Felix guesses, based on the way Ace's lips move. Felix turns and runs, Ace right on his tail, as they both hobble away from the Spirit and out of the school.
Once they reach the relative safety outside of the school, Felix puts Ace's arm over his shoulders, so Ace can take the weight off of where he was last hit.
"That was awesome," Ace says proudly. "You were awesome."
"You did all the work," Felix answers. "I'm not sure what you're praising me for."
"Maybe most of it. But either way, I had proper motivation," Ace says with a smile. Felix's face feels warm, something that's been happening a lot around Ace as of late. Still, the excitement of their victory has him in good spirits.
Felix tries to return the flashlight when they get back to the others but Ace refuses. "Hang onto it. I've got plenty." They part ways after that and slowly the static fades from Felix's head, but his heart is still doing that strange, throbbing thing.
A couple hours later, Kate passes by him on her way to add some offerings to her collection. "That must have been some flashlight save back there," she tells Felix with a soft smile.
"It wasn't anything impressive," Felix answers.
"Tell that to Ace. He's still going on and on about it."
Felix waits until she leaves before looking over at the small group surrounding the campfire. Ace is talking to the group, gesturing wildly in movements that almost mimic a flashlight save. But when he spots Felix looking, Ace immediately drops his hands and looks away.
Strange.
____
Late one night, Ace lounges far away from the campfire. He needs some sleep, but can't doze off quite yet. It's pretty sparse by the fire, with most of the others trying to catch some sleep or trying to survive the late night Trials.
Felix and Jonah are sitting alone by the fire. Probably talking about math or physics or some other boring topic. But the firelight flickers in front of Felix, the golden light illuminating the features of his face. It catches off his hair, frames his shoulders. And while Felix isn't looking at him, he's all Ace can see.
A flickering light above him catches his attention, and he turns to see Élodie returning from a Trial. "You know Felix is deaf, not blind, right?" she asks.
"I- huh?"
Élodie crouches down and leans in close. "You're staring."
And Ace can't argue with that. "Shut up," he mutters, and Élodie snickers as she leaves his side and joins the others at the fire. Ace doesn't fall asleep for another hour, and every so often, Élodie catches his gaze and gives him a cocky smile.
But Ace finds that he doesn't really mind.
____
Felix has a bone to pick with the Entity and her twisted sense of humor when it comes to the outfits the survivors are given. It's been a constant source of struggle, watching some of the women struggle to vault pallets in heels or when they ended up in bright, flashy clothes.
And the Entity liked to follow the patterns of what the survivors had worn in their previous lives. But she isn't consistent. It had taken ages for Felix to get anything but dress pants and suits., and longer for him to get something halfway comfortable.
He's yet to get any sort of comfortable sweater, and has taken to wearing Ace's in between Trials when he gets cold, even though he had at least a dozen of them back in Coburg. Barely anything in terms of comfortable shoes, even though he wore sneakers quite often when he wasn't at a fancy presentation or event.
But in his mid-twenties, he went clubbing in Berlin one time and…
"Oh my god, is that a crop top?" He can hear Mikaela behind him and turns to see both her and Dwight staring at him. Mikaela is hiding her face behind her hand and Dwight is trying (and failing) to keep a straight face. But they're staring. And not subtly at all.
Felix is indeed dressed in a black crop top, with an only slightly longer, bright purple jacket on the outside. He can feel his hair being tugged back and reaches up to find that his hair is pulled back in a tiny pony tail. Embarrassing.
But wait. Mikaela wasn't talking to him. She was talking to Dwight, and not very loudly. So how come Felix was able to hear her comment? And what is that strange pressure on his ear?
Suddenly, Felix remembers that night out from over a decade ago. He'd been in relatively high spirits, not only because he'd landed a job at a prestigious architecture firm, but because he'd finally gotten fitted for his hearing aids.
Instinctively, he reaches towards his ear and feels a small piece of plastic nestled in. And suddenly, this damned outfit feels like a gift from the Entity. Because for the first time in years, he can hear better. So he doesn't the strange looks he gets from Mikaela and Dwight, doesn't even mind the way that David does a double take, eyes wide.
Hell, he doesn't even being chased for most of the Trial by the Ghostface (though privately he wonders if the outfit made him a more of a target, based on the way the killer seems upset when he can't snap a mid-mori photo of Felix's outfit.)
But the four of them all escape together and return to camp. And Felix's hearing aid means he can pick up on every last snicker, gasp, and comment when he returns to the campfire. Élodie barks out a laugh, not even bothering to hide it. And Ace…
Felix glances over to where Ace is sitting, by himself on a log, shuffling his cards absentmindedly. But Ace isn't looking him in the eye, his gaze instead quite a bit lower. Felix gets about halfway towards him when from behind, Élodie gets his attention.
"What did your college friends have to do to get you into that?" she asks, before another round of giggles takes over.
"What do I have to do to get you out of that," Ace says to himself, quietly. But not quietly enough. Felix chokes on his own spit briefly, and then it clicks.
Ace hadn't realized Felix could hear him. Because he's far enough away to where Felix wouldn't have heard… had it not been for the hearing aids. It's not Ace's ordinary banter either, as it has a more serious undertone.
And it's not like this is a complete surprise to Felix really. He and Ace have been orbiting each other for years, getting closer and closer. Felix knew something was bound to happen. He just didn't think a poorly timed comment about his unfortunate outfit would be the catalyst.
Maybe it's the hearing aid, maybe the way Ace is currently staring at him, utterly unaware. But a sudden wave of confidence sweeps over him and Felix turns back to Ace.
"You could ask nicely, I suppose."
The noise Ace makes is best described as the human equivalent of dial up internet. He continues to stare, mouth agape, as Felix sits down next to him.
"You uh- weren't supposed to hear that" Ace says, pulling the tip of his hat down to hide his eyes. Felix waits until he looks back up to point at his new hearing aid. "Ohhh."
They sit it silence for a few minutes before Ace speaks up again. "Like don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you. Trust me. I just… bad timing, I guess."
Felix shifts slightly, leaning against Ace's side, resting his head on Ace's shoulder. "No, it's alright." He jumps slightly as Ace wraps an arm around him, but eases almost immediately.
But as always around Ace, things don't stay quiet for long. Ace eventually beings rambling. "The most ridiculous thing happened while you were gone, by the way. You know how Claudette's been experimenting with some of the plants in the area to try and make some medical supplies? So she had a bag of some berries, and David gets the idea to go eat 'em, even though Claudette did all the foraging. But the bag is full of crows because- are you okay?"
Felix has been listening, but not paying much attention. He's too distracted by Ace's voice to focus on the words.
Because before, there was always a barrier. Even when Felix's mind was clear and the static was gone, everything still came through muffled. Sounds were distorted and almost, shallower. But now, Felix can hear everything. The depth in Ace's voice, the subtle changes in inflection as he gets more and more excited. It's a new connection. A piece of Ace that Felix hadn't been able to hear before. It's exciting. And far too distracting.
"Sorry, it's just, your voice. I can hear," Felix struggles for the word. "More."
"More?" Ace asks.
"More depth. More layers, I suppose. Like I'm not listening to a dampened version, but actually you. And um," he can feel his face turn red. "You have a nice voice."
Ace chuckles at that, a deep, comforting sound, and squeezes his arm, pulling Felix in even closer. He leans down slightly and kisses Felix on the cheek. "I'm glad you approve," he says, and Felix can hear the smile in his voice.
Ace continues his story about David getting harassed by crows, and Felix lets his eyes slide shut. For the first time since he's arrived in the Entity's realm, he's felt complete.
I need some side projects to keep me from getting burned out of my current fic, so I’m currently looking for suggestions/requests for Dead by Daylight oneshots. My asks are open, so please feel free to send me a request.
Guidelines:
I will write:
Pairings between non-licensed survivors or killers, so if you have a Rare Pair you want to see more of, let me know!
Oneshots set in-game, post entity, or an unrelated AU
Gen/platonic/non-romantic fics
Multiple fics for the same character/ship if I get multiple requests for them
Fics for ships I’ve written before
I might write (so please feel free to ask)
Licensed characters (depending on how well I know the source)
Polyam
I will not write (non-exhaustive list, I might turn down requests that don’t sit right with me)
NSFW/smut
Heavy angst/blood/violence (some is okay, I.e. canon-typical levels of violence)
Self insert/Readerxcharacter/etc (not my vibe)
If you have a request, feel free to send an ask including your characters, ship, setting, and anything else you want included! If you have a specific prompt in mind, send that too, otherwise I’ll come up with one myself. So whether you have a favorite rare pair that you want to see written or a more popular ship that you just can't get enough of, let me know!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Quick warning for this one... this one's pretty NSFW, so be careful where you're reading it. 🙃
Summary:
Felix and Ace handle the stress of last night's drama like mature adults- by not talking about it at all. But another matter demands attention. Ace needs to feed, but is determined to make the best of a bad situation.
Have fun with this one. It was... an adventure to write.
