Every Characters' First Sentence In The Afterfire

Every characters' first sentence in The afterfire

(May or may not be in order according to timeline 👀)

Hannah: "Richy!"

Lyra: "I swear if this is my destiny, I'd like to see the whole script."

Darkness: "It's good to see you kept your promise, little trouble."

Alan: "Good afternoon, Miss Ambrose."

Jake: "Lyra. Lyra, listen to me..."

Jessy: "Hello?"

Cleo: "I don't know."

Dan: "If someone's playing with us right now, I'm really not up to it!"

Lilly: "Jake?"

Thomas: "Dan, shut up!"

Phil: "Having my day ruined by whatever you're about to ask me to do."

Yep, that's all. I'll add more characters as the story progresses (I only have around 19 properly written chapters)

Guys guys guys, the age gap in The afterfire is a masterpiece

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?" also known as the warious nonsense that makes sense to me

Featuring: reminders and comments from some fanfics that I surely haven't abandoned for months (maybe I have...)

Thanks for the inspo post @accio-sriracha, now I can freely rant about what goes on in my head on a daily basis :D (check out their post too, it's amazing)

☆ * ☆ * ☆ * ☆ * ☆ * ☆

▪︎ Here goes my heart– I fucking love the Cissy and Fred ship I made. Nothing can make me think otherwise. Frissa 4ever.

▪︎ Cheer up, buttercup. He's totally into you.

▪︎ huh?

▪︎ "Keep up!" Fred's adrenaline rush is one of the worst things ever, you could never keep up

▪︎ "What the hell does he mean by that?" You're not the only one asking, girl, I don't know either

▪︎ ...pasta? (You and I are both staring at that dumbfounded, I still haven't figured it out)

▪︎ huh?? HEH???

▪︎ no no no no DON'T GO IN THERE

▪︎ "Seriously, love?" With THAT look, like 'I should be dissapointed but I cannot so I'm just gonna raise my eyebrows, look down at you and try to hide my smile like Adam Carlsen'

▪︎ Lyra's thoughts (?) [she doesn't have any tho]

▪︎ Whyyy are y'all doing this to me??

▪︎ GUESS WHO HAS TO REWRITE THIS AGAIN, MOTHERFUCKER

I'm aware this is an another fandom, but my mind immediately went to the headcanon that:

Jake secretly listening in on Mc one time, because he has to make sure the person he's about to work with is trustrworthy enough, but the next evening he feels odd. Like something is missing. Pacing his room didn't help, nor washing his face, commanding himself to stop tyring to figure it out. So he subconsciously ends up sitting by his computer where Mc's voice is echoing through. This devilous circle repeats every night for weeks, slowly building in itself in his daily routine. Jake even found himself waking up to a slight snoring that certaily wasn't his. Memories of last night flashing in his brain about what has happened; him sitting there in silence while listening to Mc rant about something to Jessy (he remembers every single word of hers), in complete awe of each sound she made. Then came the blurry dots, blinding his eyes, the last thing he remembers hearing being a faint "good night", the darkness swallowing him in whole.

Ever since then he cannot stop himself from not listening to the woman all day, his only, ever so lightly convicing excuse that he keeps repeating to himself being "I'm used to hearing your voice before I go to bed."

This was supposed to be a comment about a two sentence headcanon, but here we go-

alright little guy

This school is... something else.

Cry count: 9 times (last two day)

HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME

Anyway here's a short story for this headcanon:

!Not entirely plot relevant conversations and actions!____________________

May 28th. The calendar said it's today, on a dark Thursday. Calendars never lie. His phone echoed in silence the same words, and his phone certainly never lies.

But Jake... Jake does lie often.

He pushed a few branches away from his face and immediately started typing on his phone again. The cool wind blowing his skin didn't bother him, in fact, it helped to hide the noise he made in the rush.

Jake: Mc, you have to promise me to not go to the mine.

Don't go, because I'm already here. He thought as he finally reached the Grimrock.

Mc: Well someone clearly has to go there, and I'm already in my car, so live with that

Jake always found it mesmerizing how determined Mc can be when it comes to doing whatever she finds good, but this time the habit seemed too stubborn. Too reckless. Too dangerous. He has lost plenty of things in his life; family, identity, freedom, ability to want to feel again, but he didn't want to lose another person. No, not this time. Even if it meant that this very important someone would be the one suffering. Someone would get hurt either way, and Jake was sure he couldn't take it anymore if it were him. Mc, on the other hand... she has much more potential, she would get past it quickly. She has purposes in this life, great purposes, he had to admit. And as selfish as it sounds, he was sick of pain.

Jake: You cannot go there, you understand? We will figure out something.

Mc: And when do you want to do that?? After they are already dead??

She was right; he had to act quickly. Jake fastened his pace and stepped inside. The air felt heavy and old there, suffocating him, but instead of turning around, he went deeper.

That wasn't exactly how he imagined that day, in an old mine about to collapse and arguing with Mc. It had been a long time since he thought about this date like that, even longer when he cared. A few days ago, however, he thought that maybe now it could be different. Perhaps now he can afford to share it with someone, after all he's a person like the others; with private life, childhood, thoughts and birthday.

He planned to tell Mc tonight. In other words, just mention it, he didn't want to... What exactly? To be important? Brag? Distract her from finding Hannah? Maybe. Maybe one of them is true. It could be he wanted to matter a bit...

But it doesn't matter now. All his plans were ruined by the messages from that Unknown person. And the least he will let is Mc go there herself, no matter what. As smart as she is, she sometimes comes up with the worst ideas. Besides, it's his birthday — at least let him have one wish. A wish to solve this mess and keep his beloved out of trouble.

Hannah too, he stopped abdurtly. Free Hannah and Richy, too.

Beloved... Did he really just think that?

His phone kept buzzing crazy. Instead of checking the messages, he muted the notifications and continued his way deeper into the mine, the flaslight casting more and more horrifying shadows everywhere as Jake reached a ladder.

***

The road was slippery and dark; it rained. Mc cursed loudly as she drove through small towns and larger cities, the warmth of the car lights glinting on the wet windshield and puddles. Under other circumstances, she would have enjoyed this time listening to the patter of rain, the rumble of a distant storm, and the sound of cars passing by. She especially liked the roar of the engine. It always made her forget her problems.

Now everything was different though, her heart was beating faster and faster as she glanced down at the speedometer.

"You motherfucker of a car!" Either way she calculated, she couldn't go any faster or she would have an accident before she even reached the Grimrock. And time is hard to beat, especially when the goal is something that's even more expensive than your life.

***

He didn't know how good an idea it was, in fact, he was sure it was a terrible idea, but he climbed it anyway, maybe because according to his map it was the only way to go. The ladder creaked a lot under his weight, which was not very gratefully received by the rungs. Halfway through, one broke, landing with a thud, as Jake would have if he hadn't caught another in time.

He can't die, not yet. Not when he's so close to something more important than his life.

***

He was there. She saw Alan walking around the waterfall, the cars' sirens in the distance and where she needed to go. Mc carefully made her way through the tall plants, with as little noise as possible. Even though that the water hit the ground with a deafening force, it doesn't hurt to be careful.

The man was too busy doing whatever he was doing with his back to her, so Mc easily slipped through the opening. Damp and heavy air, great darkness. Even scarier when you know someone is waiting. And the Unknown person was waiting for her to walk into his arms.

She has to be smart and make sure to find Hannah and Richy first, preferably on a path that looks hidden. And let's face it, it's really hard to do in a fucking mine.

I have to try.

She turned on the flashlight of her phone and walked deeper and deeper, noting the turns.

***

She was there. She ran and ran, far, loudly. Hannah has escaped. Jake was already heading towards the alarmed woman when he heard voices and turned a corner. He leaned against the wall and listened.

"Miss Donfort, come with me now, I'll take you out."

"No, wait–”

The sound of a gun; not a shot, just a knock. Jake peeked out and saw a policeman escorting his sister out with quick steps in the direction he himself had come from. So it's okay, Hannah will be safe soon.

But what is a policeman doing here? He remembered the uniform he had seen, and then involuntarily could only think of one person. Mc, did you seriously call the police?

He would have already turned back to look for another exit, possibly one where he wouldn't run into a policeman, when his legs stopped. He still has to get someone out. Because Richy wasn't with Hannah, and he owes Mc that.

***

There he stood. With his back to her, dressed in black, in the dimly lit place. Mc would have been happy to see him again, the man who was kidnapped with Hannah by The Man Without a Face. She would have been happy, relieved, if only she hasn't found out just five minutes ago, it was him all along.

Richy was The Man Without a Face.

Two people, whom until now she thought were so much the opposite of each other, turned out to be the same. A kind man, whose voice can hardly be heard, and a murderous, psychopathic kidnapper. The irony life has...

Mc, slowly recovering from the earlier shock caused by the conversation and the video chat between Richy and Jessy, slowly but surely started towards him. She got a bad feeling as she approached, didn't know why, but something was wrong. Richy stood there, menacingly still, without moving a muscle. Mc felt her heart in her ears, no longer owner of her own voice, and her breath hitched when she saw him drop something.

Something he shouldn't have.

A lighter.

***

The air grew smoky and Jake sensed that something was very wrong. He ran from one flight to another, searching and hiding at the same time. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do, and he was alone. It's ironic to say that when you're playing hide and seek in a mine with a dangerous man and one of his victims.

He increased his steps and felt the heat on his skin. Holding his shirt tighter to his nose, starting in the direction where he already saw the flames of the fire. He knew that it was like running to death, because it was, but he would still lose his remaining freedom outside as well, and Richy had a chance. Jake will point him in the right direction. Then sit down and wait; what for, he didn't even dare to think about himself.

After all, he certainly won't be able to get out, and it won't make sense either.

His ears hurt so much from the blood throbbing in them that he almost didn't hear it. He almost swerved, not in the direction a woman was shouting. A figure was sitting at the base of the wall, another was trying to pull him up; the woman.

The woman.

Mc.

Perhaps Jake has never run so fast in his life, even though he has his fair amounts of escaping from the police. This was different now. He didn't have to save his own life, the stakes were much higher.

"Get up, please get up!" She begged the man in a tearful voice, who just shook his head. When he looked up at Jake, the black haired saw that there was nothing in his eyes. He stepped in front of him and tugged hard on the arm, forcing the blond to stand up unless wanting to fall.

"Look here, she's here because of you, so you're going out now." He looked into the speechless eyes, which were now staring back at him in alarm. He pulled Richy's hoodie up to his nose. "Straight over there, and you only turn left. Up the ladder and keep going until you see flashing lights."

"Quickly, it's spreading fast!"

They sped off, making sure Richy was always ahead of them. The echoes of their feet was thrown around by the walls, as if none of them wanted to keep it. They already saw the ladder and gave Richy a big push to hurry up. The man climbed as far as he could, but the ladder gave up and broke with a loud crack. Just when the two legs disappeared.

"For fuck's sake!" He tried to put it back together somehow, but it was too heavy and rusty; broken beyond use. Jake scanned their surroundings nervously, looking for a way out. "Come on," he turned to Mc, "I'll get you up there, you can reach the other half that way."

"No!" She stared into his eyes, those stubborn, everseeing blue eyes, in which she saw the frightening power of the approaching fire. "You're a complete fool! I'm not going! Can you hear? I'm not going!"

"You are–" He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the ladder, but Mc wouldn't go. She sat down at the base of the wall and didn't move. Jake could have pulled her up, it wouldn't have been difficult, but there was something final about this movement. So he fell down next to her, now both scrutinizing each other. That's not how he imagined the day, but there was something oddly comforting about it. Maybe it was the acceptance of the approaching end. Until now, he had only imagined what it would be like face to face with the woman, what her voice is like, her eyes, what she's like when she smiles.

And now he already knows.

Mc smiled gently and stroked his smoky face. "Why did you have to come here? Why can't you listen to me once in your life?"

"I could ask you that too."

Small tears rolled down their faces, but they didn't turn away, didn't cover them. They didn't want to waste a single minute without seeing each other.

"You,” she broke into a strong cough, but continued, “you still...why...”

"Because someone had to. And you?"

Mc smiled tearfully. "Because someone had to."

Jake loved the way she looked at him. Only him, and no one else, giving him all her attention, to the last drop. Something heavy broke in his chest — probably his heart — that he could only feel this for such a short time. He wanted to know this woman by his side every day, safe, in his arms, until they were both old, but their eyes didn't change. It is the soul and the eye that never lie.

His soul was whispering loudly to him, but he didn't listen to it, he just watched and absorbed Mc's words as long as he could.

"Once in a lifetime..."

"I know."

"But seriously, you'd only listen to me once."

He smiled slyly, and the whispering suddenly stopped. He already knew, didn't need it anymore, he knew it himself. "Then listen to me, too."

She furrowed her brows in question as Jake's smile only got bigger and closer, much closer...

"Listen to me... and let me..."

Silent silence. Only their hearts were racing, but it was far away somewhere else, far away from them, from the feeling of their lips meeting for the first and last sweet kiss. It was like heaven in hell, a little slice before it was all over, but maybe it wouldn't have been enough without it. Mc's fingers crawled into his hair, into the thick blackness, before he pulled her closer to him. To safety, where perhaps the fire can never reach this beauty.

The air was scarce and heavy, even heavier when Mc gently pulled her lips away. She ran her nose over Jake's cheek, jaw, back to his lips, but she didn't say a word or kiss. They just sat, holding each other, simply existing.

"Maybe this birthday isn't bad after all," he whispered.

The pair of brown eyes opened in alarm at this, but the body remained motionless. "What?"

"Today is my–"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Jake looked down the curve of her nose and chin. "I wanted to, tonight. But a lot happened."

It was absurd, really out of place, utterly impossible; Mc laughed though. It was a soft, weak voice, one that smoothed Jake's soul like silk. She just shook her head without saying a word and her laugh was contagious. Then it died, and a heavy silence fell upon them.

There they sat, leaning on each other's shoulders, in a forgotten flight, completely alone and on the verge of certain death, yet perhaps now they were the most complete in their lives. Happiness doesn't have to accompany us for a lifetime, it's enough if it lands on us only in the last moments, like a tiny butterfly. Flies away at any moment, yet the knowledge that it chooses us for its short rest is more than the longest love in the world.

The play of flames reflected in their eyes as the fire spread around them. Mc tiredly looked up at Jake, not observing him, she already knew the man. She just looked at his eyes, waiting for him to do the same, and when the blue of the sea met her own sweet chocolate, she smiled. The words were heavy and suffocating, but she wanted to say them. She wasn't sure she would be able to comfortably close her eyes if she didn't.

"Happy birthday to you."

Jake chuckled as he held her eyes, the warm feeling of his fingers around hers never leaving ever again. "I love you, Mc," he whispered.

"I love you too, Jake."

I rushed to Tumblr to write this after finishing my essay... Did you just spoiler your own story??

It crossed my mind to imagine that the day Jake goes to the mine is the same day as his birthday but he doesn't say anything because he stopped celebrating it, but with MC maybe he had hopes of doing it again, but the FBI ruined it for him

How sad it would be… if someone wrote it in her story… 😈