#...in order to learn from an inconspicuous position.

[absensia-archived]

I've spoken briefly about this before and, again, it's usually something I leave in the little details of Charlotte's portrayal, but it's really been on my mind lately so I wanted to write out some of the prominent traits that continue to establish that, despite having gradually accumulated more experience, capital, and property over the years, Charlotte remains coded as working-class. It is crucial to both the narrative itself and her actual existence as a vessel for the primordial void, also known as Khaos. This means that she still has no ( legal ) credit cards and continues to thrift almost all her belongings, including her clothes, books, and furniture ( with the exception of shoes and appliances.) If you are someone who regularly meets up with Charlotte, you might begin to notice ( if you are perceptive ) that while she may be variably early, right on time, or show up in some unexpected state, she is rarely ever late and certainly never without a legitimate reason as to why. It is also not uncommon for Charlotte to juggle multiple jobs at the same time, and the only time she'll agree to a single job, at the exclusion of all other work is if she knows that that one job will be worth it. Related to this is the fact that Charlotte has a very hard time saying no to job offers; it's a habit ( read: stress response ) she is trying to unlearn, but it continues to be a struggle. Lastly, despite having successfully taken on leadership roles in the past, Charlotte expresses a strong dislike for being consigned to a "boss" role as she still much prefers to be hands on, in the action, at risk rather than sitting back and letting others do the work. She becomes restless if she finds herself "at the top" or in the position of too much obvious power; recall the adage about how it is lonely at the top, and how isolation is not something that the void's vessel can allow. She needs to be among people; she needs to be present to catalyze chaos. That being said, this doesn't mean that Charlotte simply allows herself to be treated or thrown away as a mere lackey or just another body, but that is still part of the struggle, isn't it?

#you'll also notice that char is very smart about the way she stores and maintains what belongings she DOES have #ie. her money her safe“houses” her work equipment #within the bounds of her control - char doesn't go out of her way to destroy or wreck her own stuff #if chaos happens then there's nothing she can do; and other people's stuff is fair game #but her own shit? she takes care of that shit best she can #it ties into the fact that she doesn't have a set or consistent sleep schedule #but for her work she will be up at the crack of dawn if needed; she will be out all night; she will be up and working days on end if needed #she also enjoys working in teams and if you've ever had to have char as a co-worker u'll know she's actually nice to work with #still untrustworthy still chaotic still annoying as fuck - but also nice #she prefers to work with equals rather than take any kind of control over others. control being the other side of the coin to chaos :') #she's also worked such a HUGE myriad of what society considers labour / “entry-level” / “unskilled” jobs... #...in order to learn from an inconspicuous position. #i could go on and on but like i said - i'll leave in the writing #i'm so proud of my chaos goblin #thinking about how at one point in her timeline she worked and played her way all the way to accidentally taking out a crime boss... #....then IMMEDIATELY did a 180 going “nope not for me” and vanished #too lonely at the top and that's no fun for this one :( #( smth smth the fact that she's just a vessel is too ingrained in her sense of self for her to actually stand out and be leader ) #( smth smth even pawn-turned-queens revert back to pawns at the end of the game ) #and as always - if you actually read through all this IM SO THANKFUL FOR U MWAH <3

[glatisant-questing]

Hakuouki Drama CD: An Unexpected Prospective Recruit (Translation, Part 2)

See part I here.

Iba: Ah, hearing that puts my mind at ease. Yes, Yamazaki-kun is someone Toshi-san trusts deeply. I'm sure he has no ulterior motives. By the way, Yamazaki-kun, did you join the Shinsengumi as soon as you heard about the formation of the Rōshigumi? Yamazaki: Yes, when I heard the news, I felt like this was the only place for me. Back then, it wasn't called the Shinsengumi, but rather the Rōshigumi. Hijikata: Those were nostalgic times. People from all walks of life came from far and wide to join us. Iba: Mr. Hijikata, you as well, right? You aspired to be a samurai since you were young. Hijikata: That's right. I was born a commoner, and my family business was going to be inherited by my older brother. When I was a child, I didn't really think about what kind of person I wanted to be. I just had this vague notion that it would be really cool to become a samurai carrying two swords. I even dabbled in merchant work for a bit, but it never felt right. However, my true desire to become a samurai blossomed only after I met Kondo-san. Iba: And then the Shinsengumi was formed. So, in a way, Toshi-san's long-held dream came true. Hijikata: Indeed, that's how it turned out. Yamazaki: Yes, for me, it seems I'm better suited for covert operations rather than direct confrontations with people, which is why I'm committed to my current role within the Shinsengumi. Hijikata: Yamazaki seems to have a liking for the ninja style, doesn't he? Yamazaki: Vice Commander! How did you know about that?! Hijikata: It's pretty obvious, isn't it? Even though there's no order, you often dress like a ninja. Yamazaki: That's because I just want to be inconspicuous in the dark. It's definitely not a personal interest of mine. Hijikata: No need to be so defensive. Wanting to be a ninja when you were a kid is pretty common. Yamazaki: Well, that's true, but still wanting to be a ninja at this age… Isn't that a bit childish? Hijikata: Don't worry too much about it. I'm sure the others understand you too. Yamazaki: I hope so. Iba: Yes, you do have quite the ninja vibe, so keep rocking that heroic look. Yamazaki: Hmm, not sure there's a strong connection between ninjas and heroics 🧐… But speaking of which, Iba-san, are you the heir to the Shingyōtō-ryū Swordsmanship School? Have you been practicing swordsmanship since childhood? Iba: Actually, no. I wasn't all that keen on swordsmanship when I was a kid. I preferred sitting in my room and reading books, and I even dreamed of becoming a scholar. Yamazaki: Really? Given your current position, that's hard to imagine. Was there a special reason that led you to learn swordsmanship? Hijikata: It seems he started learning swordsmanship because he wanted to protect someone he cared about. Iba: Well, yes. But hearing it from Toshi-san makes me a bit shy.

(tbc.)

#hakuouki #hakuoki #hijikata toshizo #iba hachirou #yamazaki susumu

[alexxkresnik]

💤- Clive 😏

Alex, upon returning that night from a mission, had taken the usual path to Clive’s room. Not the normal path through the door, though. Too many eyes watching and there was bound to be someone saying something. No, instead, he made his way over to the little balcony off the side of his room and climbed up. Was it inconspicuous? Absolutely not. But there were less people around who were even less likely to say something; other than Otto, of course, but he’d learned how to avoid his attention. 

He was exhausted and just wanted to curl up in bed next to Clive; leech off his warmth, listen to his heartbeat, actually sleep throughout the night. Clive, however, was still sitting over at his desk looking through missives and reports. It was his job, yes, but the man needed to also get rest; he worked the hardest out of all of them, after all. 

Without disturbing the silence, Alex walked over to the desk and sat down on the floor next to Clive’s chair. He wouldn’t bother the man, knowing he wouldn’t move until he felt he had done enough. Being able to be close to him, at least, was comforting enough for now. 

An hour passed and he could feel himself nodding off. As nice and tempting as the bed sounded, he didn’t want to move. So he just scooted closer, close enough to rest his head on Clive’s thigh. Gently enough to not disturb him too much, but also enough so he could relax. It didn’t take long after that for him to finally slip into slumber. Was it the most comfortable of positions? No, but he wouldn’t move even if ordered to the bed. Besides, this wasn’t the worst position he’d slept in. He was warm, though, and that was all that mattered at the moment.

#valiisthea #v: Until I Die #cursebreaker edition lol #first time I'm using this verse #and it's so he can cuddle with Clive

[fishnamedsushi]

On the nocturnal habits of Hamsphire’s elusive owls (Pt. 1)

[In which I cannot wait 3+ years for the Jane Austen flashbacks we *better* be getting in Season 3, so I made up my own.

Featuring, in no particular order: a secret smuggling ring, Aziraphale annoying the local wildlife, and Crowley making a new friend.]

In the remarkable quiet of her rather unremarkable Hampshire cottage, Miss Jane Austen had taken a defensive position behind her writing desk. Her quill, having downed one too many pints of ink, was weaving a delightful drunken waltz across parchment, breathing life into the characters of her latest work, although somewhat against its own will. However, even as her hand was forced to document the scandalous affairs of society balls and romantic mishaps, her keen mind was having a party of its own somewhere else.

Resting on a random corner of her desk, as if it had just wandered off from a dull social gathering, was a letter. While about as inconspicuous in appearance as a piece of parchment could be, the letter, much to the annoyance of her fictional characters, was the real protagonist in Jane's thoughts. With the execution of a final full stop, she finally allowed herself to eye the letter with her full attention.

"An intriguing little fellow, isn't it?" she mumbled to the four walls. Her fingers gingerly navigated the unfamiliar terrain of the fine linen paper with a hint of the trepidation you'd feel before opening a suspiciously ticking box. It wasn't the typical love letter from a fan or a persuasive piece from a money-hungry publisher. No, it had all the trappings of a secret thriller, without any of the appropriate background music.

Without further ado, she rose, pushing the chair back with the aplomb of a magician revealing his final trick. She tread across the room, the wooden floorboards protesting beneath her feet. At the fireplace, a fire, the warmth of which was doing a poor job of countering the cool British draught, crackled in varying degrees of discontent.

She reached above the mantelpiece, where an innocent-looking set of her books sat. She selected one - a copy of 'Emma', rather fitting considering the meddling she herself was about to conduct. The book, in reality, was not a book at all, but a cleverly disguised secret box. It opened to reveal a fine selection of ciphering tools, looking as if they belonged more in the hands of a learned detective than a gentlewoman of her standing. But then, appearances could be as deceiving as a flattery-spouting suitor.

Settling back at her desk, she retrieved the coded message and the cipher from 'Emma's' secretive interior, the two entities meeting like old friends who had many a scandalous tale to share. Her quill, recharged after its dramatic performance earlier, dived headfirst into the decoding process. Decrypting was a favorite pastime, her mind working as smoothly as a well-oiled conspiracy theory, and with far more proficiency than the Reddit-that-would be. This was a world that operated in the shadows, where Miss Austen, the revered author, metamorphosed into "J" the underappreciated secret agent.

"Why, this is most bewildering," she muttered. Words emerged, and altogether made no sense: consignment, midnight, rookery? 

Then, like the striking of a well-tuned piano, it hit her. "A gathering of local intelligentsia?" she read aloud, her eyes widening with recognition. An idea began to form, as enticing as a plot twist in a novel, as she connected the dots.

"Mrs. Norris, we are off to a soirée!" she announced to her cat, who responded with the kind of disdain only felines and dowager countesses can muster.

In the next room, a clock chimed the eleventh hour, its sound seeming as out of place as a cucumber sandwich at a demon's feast. Time, it seemed, had a knack for making itself known when least welcome, much like a nosy neighbor who'd decided to 'pop by' right when you're in the middle of something terribly important.

"Dear me, look at that," Jane tutted. "Agent Austen, it seems your services are once again required." It was less a murmur and more of a statement that demanded a whimsical score in the background. With the decoding done, she reached for a bottle of disappearing ink. She quickly scribed a response, her hand elegantly conveying her words of acknowledgement and confirmation, weaving in coded phrases as easily as Mr. Bingley danced at a ball.

Her task complete, she sealed the letter with a wax emblem. The insignia, a simple-looking quill, was as deceptive as the rest of her evening had been. She surveyed her work, a smug satisfaction twirling in her eyes. "Just a night in the life of Jane, the novelist slash spy for King and country," she announced, to the distinct lack of applause from her audience of one.

She then returned her attention to the half-written manuscript, her mind shifting from dangerous intrigue to witty banter at a society ball. "Why, Miss Austen, you are as enigmatic as a heroine in one of your own novels," she mused, adjusting her bonnet with a flourish. Just as well, Jane thought, exiting her chair, there was never a dull moment. As she often noted, life was a lot like her favorite stories. It was full of twists, turns, and drama. Except, life also had a tendency to go off script and demand rewrites at the oddest times. 

She left her home with a bounce in her step, off to mingle with the intelligentsia and perhaps unmask a plot as twisted as any she could pen.

Mrs. Norris, left to her own devices, merely yawned and settled into a comfortable slumber, unimpressed by the human propensity for drama. After all, real intrigue involved strategically knocking objects off shelves, not gallivanting off to gatherings with intellectuals.

[Part 2 coming soon]

#good omens season 2 #good omens fic #good omens au #jane austen #good omens flashback #my writing #good omens #aziraphale #crowley

[alyjojo]

Advice to Work on Yourself ⛸ in December 2022: Capricorn

2 Swords - 6 Cups - 2 Wands

Regarding: 8 Pentacles

Your work is causing you a lot of stress and worry lately, but a lot of this is due to your own fears and things you’re making up in your head. Probably because you don’t actually have any answers, you’re left to assume what’s what and Spirit is saying you’re way off the mark. Your Judgement towards the whole situation at your job is heavily leaning towards the negative side of everything, you could be fearful and paranoid about what the “real” goings on are, what people are saying, what decisions are being made…assuming you’re being kept out of the loop. You seem to be basing these personal judgements off of experience (like most people), either regarding an older boss or an older job you once had, but those things don’t even apply to this.

In your meditation I saw an empty warehouse. There were holes in the roof, and sunlight on the floor, a lot of dust. Where the trucks back in to unload shipments, if that means something. The message with that is something has long been deserted, or isn’t relevant to now. In the past, you either worked for a great boss or a great company, maybe both, this was a job that treated you well, probably had great benefits, you may have even been a head person of this place, someone that easily won respect. Or a really crappy one. Wheel of Fortune shows things have changed a lot since whenever this was. You’re now in two minds about how to move forward, should you quit? Or keep hanging on?

The advice here is you’re not seeing things for what they are, you aren’t seeing the truth of the matter - which is your advice. Comparing things in the present to whatever was in the past is moot, they’re not relevant to each other. You could be judging one by the standards of another, something “you” deem as more…honorable, old fashioned, the old way is the right way…type of vibe. 2 Wands & 7 Cups shows you have several options, and you’re planning how you want to move forward. Or need to, you can’t stay in this energy anymore. Page of Swords and King of Swords are two very logical minded energies, the Page is essentially a student of life, that learns everything they can about every single option in order to make a level-headed decision that works best for them. This King is focused on logic and fairness, making a decision using facts over emotions & Moon types of energy. Both use these swords to cut through confusion & imbalanced energy, what is the truth of the matter, or the reality of the situation going forward? Change isn’t necessarily a threat, but it seems to be being perceived that way. “What used to be” no longer applies. Don’t assume you know, find out, ask questions, get clear on what you’re dealing with. You’ve pulled two animal cards with very positive messages, and you’re the only one that’s ever pulled Peacock…seems like a good thing 😊

Animal Oracle:

Peacock 🦚

“Let yourself stand out and be noticed.”

It’s time to step forward and stop hiding behind any of the facades that you’ve developed over the years. Although these personals have been highly adaptive and have helped you along the way - for which you can be grateful - there more of you to express to the world, and it’s ready to emerge. There’s a certain safety and comfort in being inconspicuous and always staying in the background, her in playing it safe in this way, others don’t have the opportunity to get to know who you really are, and you don’t get to experience the richness and textures that are possible by participating more fully in life. By remaining in the background, you not only alienate yourself from others, but often end up allowing others to choose for you. Doing so can make you feel like a passive victim of life.

Being noticed does have some risks. People may criticize or judge you, particularly if they’re not used to you asserting yourself in such a way. Or you may judge yourself, which can be an even harsher sentence. These are the most likely risks, but they’re actually very minimal. So shed any guilt or shame about coming out with who you are. Wear more colorful clothing, sing, dance, and let others know your thoughts, feelings, and opinions. You can do so with grace, dignity, and enthusiasm - and you might even enjoy it!

Cheetah 🐆

“Get clear on your intention, stay focused, and move quickly to achieve your goal.”

Stop deluding yourself by thinking there isn’t enough time, there are too many other things to do, or you’re not up to the mission that’s calling you to action. These and many other beliefs are delay tactics that keep you from accomplishing what you’re here to do. It’s much too easy to play it safe by staying caught up in the mundane dramas of life rather than honoring Spirit’s purpose for you by making a run for it.

The first step is to write out your intention as clearly as possible. Keep it nearby and create an appropriate affirmation that you can repeat several times over the course of a day - one that states your intention as if it has already occurred. Then write out a sequence of action steps that will move you toward your ultimate goal. Don’t be shy or hesitant to think big - bigger than you’ve previously allowed yourself. Once you’ve set the wheels in motion by doing these steps, it’s time to move - not in some frenetic, hurried way, but steady and purposeful, designing much of your activity to support what you need to do. In all of this movement, once you’ve successfully achieved a significant piece, take a breather and moon back on how far you’ve come. Give yourself a pat on the back with each step that’s accomplished as a way of acknowledging your progress. Go for it!

Artist Oracle: MICHELANGELO

- No compromise is a good compromise.

- Blemished origins do not negate flawless conclusions.

- Become ill with unhealthy perfectionism.

Advice:

- Spend Your Money Wisely

- Declutter Your Inbox

- Be Present in the Moment

Charms:

Red Moon 🌙 on Judgement shows near hysteria levels of worry, fear, anxiety, seeing the worst of everything, being very pessimistic, harsh, and negative. Or you feel others are this way with you? That could be a fear of yours. Clarity & truth are needed, not more assumptions that are just wrong. Swords are about communication & clarity above all else. If you don’t know, ask, find out, then decide.

Red Flag 🚩 on Michelangelo, specifically becoming ill with unhealthy perfectionism…kinda speaks for itself. Whether you or someone else, standards are being held to a degree they’re not even attainable, and something has got to give for anything to work. This is a red flag wherever it may apply, whoever always has a negative thing to say, whoever the constant criticism comes from. Them? You? See the truth of the matter, even if you’re the problem - in this particular way. Perfectionism stems from control, or “perceived control”, which is a common issue for Capricorn, and all earth signs. A lack of stable foundations & a feeling of some sense of control is the earth sign’s kryptonite.

#capricorn tarot reading #advice to work on yourself #advice #december 2022 #Capricorn #tarot

[merakiui]

it’s 100% okay if you don’t wanna do this since it’s a triggering topic, but I thought I’d send an ask just in case since I haven’t been doing well recently.

Could you maybe write some HCs for Childe and Scaramouche with an s/o who struggles with depression and self harms as a coping mechanism? Again, it’s completely fine if you don’t wanna do it, sorry to bother you if that’s the case

Childe and Scaramouche with a Depressed S/O

cw: descriptions of depression, self-harm, mention of dagger/knife + blood **please avoid reading if this sort of content upsets you! note - you’re not bothering me at all, anon! I hope these hcs are able to cheer you up. feel free to send a message if you’d like to talk or vent! I’ll be here to listen! <3 

💧 Childe 💧

He’s aware of your depression because it’s kept you from doing certain things with him. There have been days where you can’t find the motivation to get out of bed and wash up for the day. Whenever this happens, he tries to cheer you up, asking if you’d like to spar with him or go out to beat some hilichurl camps to let off some steam.

Childe understands that everyone deserves their alone time when they aren’t feeling well, but he wants you to use it for healthy coping mechanisms.

He’s very perceptive, so it doesn’t take him long to find out that you’ve been self-harming. He’ll notice how bandages go missing and how you always insist on wearing long sleeves, even when the weather calls for short sleeves.

And then he’ll notice how often you wash your clothes, scrubbing extra hard in certain areas so that they’ll be as inconspicuous as possible.

He’s no stranger to blood and how to care for specific injuries, so it’s easy for him to piece together what’s going on. And when he finds a dagger hidden in your bedside drawer, wrapped up in a blood-stained cloth, the final puzzle piece falls into place.

Childe doesn’t want to upset you, so he’ll lightly bring it up when you’re in a neutral mood, so as to not worsen your feelings. He’ll gently explain his findings before asking if it’s true.

You’ll admit to it because there’s no point in lying to your lover; he’ll see through you no matter what you say.

Childe doesn’t know everything about depression and why self-harm is used as a coping method for some, but he’s willing to learn everything he can to help you through it when things get rough.

But he can’t help feeling worried whenever he sees your current cuts, always fearing that one day you’ll cut too deep. He has you promise him to never try anything that may threaten your life and he won’t stop pestering you until you’re absolutely positive you won’t fatally wound yourself.

Childe understands that everyone copes differently, but he doesn’t exactly approve of your methods. He wants you to be happy, but he also wants you alive and well, so it’s not a surprise when every sharp object in your house disappears, replaced with friendlier versions that allow you to go about your daily life, free of self-harm.

Rather than self-harm, Childe proposes other means of coping and he seeks to distract you from those thoughts so that you can enjoy your time with him. He’ll stick to you like glue, never truly allowing you to go off by yourself if you intend to cut yourself.

Childe’s annoying when he gets like that, but you’d rather have someone pester you with their affection and care rather than someone who shows no sort of sympathy whatsoever. 

⚡ Scaramouche ⚡

Scaramouche doesn’t really know about what you do in your spare time, other than your hobbies and work. So he almost passes out when he catches you drawing thin cuts along your wrist, blood pooling from the shallow wounds.

He’s quick to snatch the knife, holding it in front of your face like it’s a stolen toy. He’ll harshly reprimand you, wanting to know exactly what it is you’re doing and why you’re doing it.

He isn’t oblivious and he knows of your depression, but he still wants to hear you confirm the truth. And when you do he can’t help but feel upset. It’s evident by your scars that you’ve done this before and he feels very foolish for not noticing sooner.

Scaramouche doesn’t want you to hurt yourself like this again and he makes that dreadfully clear. He always hates having to act stern and mean, but it’s all for the good of your health. The worst case scenario always flashes in his mind: you’ll hurt yourself in a way that’s irreversible and he’ll be too late to stop you.

If you show any sort of displeasure at that, he’s willing to beg. And it’s a strange sight to witness Scaramouche, 6th of the Fatui Harbingers, beg. But he’ll do as much as that if it’ll get you to stop cutting.

You’re aware of the danger and you explain to him that it’s your way of coping. The pain is a familiar comfort and you need it in order to stay sane.

Scaramouche holds your hands in his in order to take your mind off of what you were just doing, forcing you to look at him so that he can get his point across. He wants you to use healthier methods to cope and he’s going to help you whether you like it or not.

He’ll offer an array of substitutes. If you want to belittle his underlings to get rid of some pent-up anger, go for it! If you want to feast like royalty, he’ll gather an entire buffet.

Like Childe, he’s also going to stick by your side. He’s not as clingy as Childe, but he’s definitely going to pester you about it, such as asking to see your wrists and anywhere else you might’ve cut yourself or doing away with sharp objects.

When he can’t be with you, you’ll be in the care of one of his most trusted underlings, who has been ordered to keep you safe at all costs, even if it means prying a knife from your hands.

It can be quite bothersome as you try to break your own coping habit, but you know Scaramouche means well when he takes so many precautions.

Scaramouche will always listen to you; he encourages you to vent to him when you’re stressed or upset over something rather than resorting to a blade. And you’ll find that talking about it with your lover is more soothing than any self-inflicted cut.

#tw: depression #tw: self-harm #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact hcs #genshin impact childe #genshin impact scaramouche #childe x reader #scaramouche x reader #childe hcs #childe headcanons #scaramouche hcs #scaramouche headcanons #scaramouche #childe #genshin impact ajax #genshin impact tartaglia #ajax x reader #tartaglia x reader #ajax #tartaglia

[spookyfishbiscuit]

Black Clover Headcannons

Prompt: What it's like to be best friends with Black Clover characters. (outlining how you met, why they like you as a friend, what your relationship is like and what you like to do together).

Includes Asta, Yami, Mereoleona and Nozel.

Asta:

To be honest, I think it would be very difficult to become Asta's number one best friend, considering how well he gets along with literally everyone.

I'd say to have an advantage you would have to have known him from an earlier stage – namely his childhood in Hage village.

Before you were friends, he would always see you running around and helping at the local tilling fields. You were a peasant out in the country side of the Forbidden Realm, just as he was.

What initially drew him to you was your positivity and happiness. You were a very earnest child and many of the village's adults enjoyed having you around to help them farm.

One day he approached you, and ever since then you guys were inseparable.

He always had a bunch of energy and you always managed to keep up with his shenanigans.

Because of you he started helping around the village just like you, which ended up acting as a contributing factor to his wish of becoming the Magic Emperor.

He didn't really show it, but when he didn't get his grimoire on the day he was supposed to, he was a bit upset about it.

You were the one to motivate him to keep trying. You were literally the only person at the time to believe in his hard-working efforts.

As a result, he now keeps you in the highest regard for all the help you gave him.

Because of you, he strongly believes that his bonds with others are the key to unlocking his inner strength. You're quite literally the proof for his ideal.

When you meet up, the two of you like to hang out around Hage village. The place holds many memories for you, so you spend a lot of time catching up while walking and lounging around in your childhood meet up spots.

He loves to tell you about his exploits with the magic knights and he keeps you updated on the latest happenings in the country.

Sometimes he takes you to the royal capital or to the towns in the common realm. He doesn't go there too often himself, so the two of you go around exploring and doing fun things in general.

Unlike with others, Asta can also confide in you whenever he isn't feeling like his usual self. When he's down, you're the only person he honestly confides in, because he knows he'll feel better and that you'll end up finding a way to motivate him again.

Yami:

With this guy it's pretty simple. As long as you're straightforward with him and honest from day one, he'll end up taking a liking to you.

It doesn't matter whether you're super strong, gutsy or brave, as long as he can understand where you're coming from, he won't have anything against you.

However, I believe that in order for you to become his best friend you may have to be able to fight (either in battle or just standing up for yourself) – even to a small extent.

If he's genuinely impressed by one of your qualities, he'll want to spend more time with you.

He'll be amused by your antics and would truly find you intriguing enough to spend his time with.

But if he can learn something from you, that would be an even greater bonus. If you can challenge him and bring new concepts for him to try out in battle, he'll keep you around even more and his respect for you would skyrocket.

The first time you meet, it could literally be anywhere. You could either be a fellow magic knight, a random person on the street or someone drinking in a local bar – the options are limitless.

Yami opens up rather quickly after getting used to someone being around, so you don't necessarily have to know him for a super long time in order to become his number one friend (a few years is more than enough).

He enjoys his alone time and generally tends to be reserved, so if you're someone who can be quiet and inconspicuous he'll appreciate that greatly.

The two of you like to lazy around together most of the time. He invites you to the Black Bulls base often just to chill and strike up conversation ocassionally.

Everyone in the squad knows who you are, and literally all of them respect you just as much as their captain (they see you as practically two peas in a pod).

When something's bothering Yami, he would genuinely confide in you with anything (even if it's vulgar and ought not to be discussed). As a magic knights captain he feels the need to be strong in front of the his squad, so if he's ever in a pinch about something, you're the person he talks to.

He really likes when instead of sympathy you give him solid constructive criticism. He may be a bit defensive at first but once you knock some sense into him he'll begin to look at it your way, and more often then not he'll find the solution to his problem.

Naturally as your best buddy, he would hang around with you at his favourite bars often.

Even if you're not much of a drinker or a gambler, he enjoys the atmosphere of the place and the two of you always find ways to entertain yourselves there.

He trusts that you'll be able to protect yourself if need be (he truly sees your value), but he can be a bit possessive at times, especially if he's a bit drunk.

"Oi, what the hell. They're my friend you dunce. Go get your own." (He would say that with the most ticked off and intimidating expression).

The man has literally no shame in front of you. Honestly, he would even walk out naked and not bat an eye to your presence despite how indecent that is.

Mereoleona:

In all honesty, you would probably meet her in the middle of a forest.

As a kid she was very aggressive and wild, but despite that her heart was still pure.

When she first saw you walking by yourself through the wilderness, she grew intrigued and decided to go test your strength. You were close to her age which was something she instantly recognised.

It's said that strong people sense others like them from a distance, and that's exactly what happened between the two of you.

Somehow, you managed to stand your ground after your confrontation, and ever since then the two of you were attached by the hip.

Mereoleona loves to drag you around with her. You're considerably more passive compared to her which she adores about you (because you never resist when she literally kidnaps you).

She finds that adventures with you are always more fun than if she were to go alone, so be prepared for a bunch of spontaneous tests of courage and strength that she creates.

As her best friend, you're able to keep up with her and occasionally challenge her outright.

Even if you're not a mana genius or a combat expert, if you have any quality that far surpasses her she literally won't stop bugging you until she beats you (but she will always admire that quality of yours).

Over time, you'll learn to read her.

Mereoleona isn't a woman who expresses herself in ways other than toughness, but sometimes she lets a softer side slip.

She enjoys that she can open up to you without being viewed any differently. In fact, she's considerably softer towards you in general.

She truly loves that she can smile and laugh around you freely.

The two of you often stay up late, laying around outdoors and staring up at the dark sky the same way you used to do as kids. She talks to you about anything and everything, including more sensitive subjects such as her feelings towards her brother's injuries.

You're one of the only people capable of calming her down and she's very honest towards you as a result.

Nozel:

You would have to know this man a while before he considers even slightly opening up to you.

He's very cold on the surface and has a hard time expressing his true concerns, so naturally it would take ages of dedication to finally crack that shell.

The first time he began considering you an ally was when you stood up for him despite not needing to. Someone was making fun of his stoic expression and hairstyle, but for some reason you decided to shut them up.

You weren't a suck up, so he knew you weren't doing it just to get in his good books.

In fact, on the inside he's always admired your righteousness and peace-loving attitude.

After that incident, he actually started speaking to you properly. He graudally increased how often he spoke to you, and eventually he could be found with you more than with his siblings, which greatly surprised everyone.

He continued to hold you in high regard throughout the years. He saw you as a strong and independent person.

You never really relied on anyone to do anything, which only prompted him to confide business related problems with you more often (since he knew you weren't influenced easily by others).

He's only ever viewed you as a strong and greatly trusted ally (practically a confidant) until one day you called him your friend, at which stage he realised that this was in fact the case with you two.

It was foreign to him at first, but when you explained that the words ally and friend were practically the same thing, he realised that it wasn't as bad as he initially thought.

You are honestly the only person in the entire kingdom that can make him smile even a bit. Because of you, he's actually been caught smiling in front of others too – a very strange sight to those who know him.

You've finally discovered his fleeting non-existent sense of humour (which apparently only works when he's in a good mood).

He feels like he can express his problems with you easily enough. Of course he still gets a bit flustered when doing so, but your totally normal attitude towards his confessions brewed confidence in him, so he started doing so more often.

Whenever he's tired of paperwork or any official business, he calls you to his office just to have you around. He'll continue working even when you're there, but he'll give you a small smile if you bring him some tea.

Despite how busy his schedule is, you guys are always near each other. If not in the same room, then definitely in the same building.

He really enjoys talking to you in peace and even feels comfortable falling asleep near you when the two of you are alone.

Also, if anyone as much as insults you, good luck. They won't be going unpunished by Nozel's wrath.

#Nozel #Mereoleona #Yami #Asta #Black Clover #Nozel Silva #Yami Sukehiro #Mereoleona Vermillion #best friends #friendship #headcannons

[honeypirate]

Just a little Touch Starved

Hinawa x fem reader

When your Lieutenant, who you have a very flirty relationship with, learns of your predicament, he tries his best to help you.

Unedited

@fatgumshoneybun :)

You didn’t have much experience with weapons. You were an expert with hand to hand combat but that only got you so far, so you weren’t surprised when Lieutenant Hinawa brought you aside and told you he wanted you to start training with him with weapons.

“Once you become an expert with different weapons you’ll be a well rounded soldier and I won’t have to worry about you” he said with his normal stoic expression and unamused tone, pretending like he didn’t just admit to worrying about you specifically.

You felt special for maybe three seconds before you realize he probably worries about the rest of the crew too since that’s his job and he never usually breaks protocol. He never flirts with you at work.

“Yes sir! I’ll be looking forward to it”

Which wasn’t a lie, you were looking forward to it. You were excited to get stronger and learn, but you didn’t realize it meant he’d have to show you how to hold the weapons.

“Can I touch you?” He asks and you nod, knowing it would help to have him just position you “Let me know if I make you uncomfortable being this close and i will stop ” he says and you nod “it’s okay. I don’t mind close contact I used to work in a kitchen” you say with a laugh and he lets an almost laugh out, which was just air from his nose as he smirks.

You tried to control your breathing as the world seems to slow down. He steps close behind you, pressing his chest against your back you can feel him from your shoulders to your top of your butt. He wrapped his arms around you, his thumbs brushing lightly against your forearms, leaving tingles as he brushes them down to your wrists as he guides his hands around yours and transfers his gun into your hand.

“Hold it like this” you can feel his breath, hot on your ear and you bite the inside of your cheek so you didn’t make a sound.

If you said you were touch starved, that would be an understatement.

A pat on the shoulder from your captain was the most touch and action you’ve gotten in what seems like years.

Sure you get a hug from Maki or Iris occasionally but that wasn’t satisfying to you. You wanted, no, needed, one of those whole body hugs with the right amount of tightness. you wanted to be smothered by someone as they lay all their weight on top of you while you cuddle, you wanted, in the most innocent and naughty ways at the same time, to be touched and held and loved.

When Maki talked to you about love languages one day and showed you the test, you weren’t at all surprised to find out your love language is physical touch, just made you realize how extra touch starved you were from being single for so long.

And if you really paid attention you would have realized that since that conversation with Maki, Hinawa(having overheard your conversation) has been giving you more attention that usual. he would pat your shoulder/back more, ruffle your hair, inconspicuous ways he could show you that he cared for you by using your love language. cut him some slack he’s rusty with feelings.

All that touch starved energy you’ve been ignoring comes back full force as try not to focus on the way you can feel his voice vibrate into your back from his chest “Keep your hand here, bracing the bottom. Keep your elbows like this” he runs his hands up your arms to your elbows to position them before he gently knees you in the back on your leg and you feel your breath hitch and have to remind yourself to breathe deeply so you don’t get light headed from not breathing.

“Keep your knees bent a little” he pushes up your foot with his “keep your left foot farther forward and keep your legs slightly wider than shoulder width”

A sound like a whimper leaves your throat and you quickly cough to cover it, your cheeks heating quickly when you feel him chuckle against your back, you knew he knew but you were grateful he didn't tease you about it.

What you did to deserve this from the universe you didn’t know, but you couldn’t decide if you liked it or if it was cruel to give you a taste of something you didn’t know if you could even have. You’re leaning more towards cruel because even though you and Hinawa have a pretty flirty outside of work relationship, he’s never openly been so bold while working, so, this has to be you reading in to things, right?

“Line up the barrel with your mark, never put your finger on the trigger unless you’re ready to shoot.” You nod and look down the barrel to the target he’s placed a ways off “when you’re ready, take a deep breath and pull the trigger on the exhale” you sight the paper in the distance and line up a shot, you take in a deep breath, and smile slightly, goosebumps running down your back, when he breathes in with you.

And as you both let out your slow breaths you move your finger over and put pressure against the trigger

Your ears ring from the blast, your fingers vibrating with the recoil, but his strong arms around yours made it easy to keep the gun in your hands

“Good job” he says and steps away from you, your back feeling cold for just a second with the lack of his warmth.

Your soul felt like it was glowing, felt like an infernal, Your heart seemed burned alive with how good that felt. Shooting the gun and having him pressed into you for so long. You miss it, you realize a little sadly, the feeling of his strong chest against your back and you decided that the universe was cruel.

You practiced with his guns for a few hours until he was satisfied you knew all he wanted to teach you. Then you spent the next week doing more training to get the information to stick.

You thought that this was it, that guns were his specialty and he had nothing more to teach, you tried to forget about the way his strong body felt pressed to you but you couldn’t help but think about it every time you see him.

Forgetting, you realized, wouldn’t be easy when he said “okay, tomorrow we will practice with a staff” you choked on the water you were drinking “you know more than just guns?” You ask and you felt your cheeks warm when he meets your eye

“I know a lot of things that would surprise you” he says and his deep voice sends tingles down your spine. ‘He’s definitely flirting’ You think as you smile up at him “I hope you teach them all to me then” you say back and watch as his ears turn red, he just rolls his eyes, changing the subject before dismissing you.

The next morning when you walk out to the training ground he tosses a staff to you, which you catch with ease “are you ready?” He asks and you nod “let’s do this”

After he talks to you about how to use it, when to use it, what it’s good and bad against, he comes to stand behind you and you suck in a breath and hold it

He uses his left foot to tap your boots until you widen your stance, he reaches around your body, grabbing the staff next to your hands “copy me” he says into your ear and you feel your body begin to buzz as your heart races.

You move your hands, right hand holding the top of staff and left hand underneath, pressed right against his. “Good girl” he says, seemingly right into your ear, and you let out your breath quickly, biting your tongue to withhold any inappropriate noises. There was no way this was normal, no way he treated others like this. He has to be teasing you. Then it clicks, he’s enjoying this just as much as you are.

For the moment though, you push the way he feels pressed up next to you out of your head as he goes through movements with you. After a few minutes, when you were moving through his order precisely, he stopped. “Good, now lets spar”

After you’re done sparring with him, your hands feel blistered and you’re panting as you collapse to the ground “geez Lieutenant, I’m beginning to think you’re an expert at everything” you say between pants and he suppresses his smile, grabbing a couple water bottles.

He comes and crouches beside you, handing you a bottle. “Good thing I’m your teacher then” he says and you laugh, sitting up and taking the water from him with a smile “thanks Lieutenant” you say and he shakes his head “Hinawa” he says and you raise your eyebrows “what?” He clears his throat “if you’re comfortable, you can call me by my name” you laugh and place your hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently for a moment before pulling back “thanks, Hinawa” you watch his jaw tense and his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows hard and nods, his ears turning pink.

Oh god if you thought the first two were bad, the bow was worse.

“Can I show you again?” He asks and you nod, avoiding his eye so you wouldn’t blush.

He stands behind you, kicking your boots gently until you’re in the right stance then his arms come around you once more.

A soft sigh falls from his lips and you feel electricity enters your body from where his chest was pressed into your back. A sigh that made your cheeks heat, one that said ‘I like this’ and made you realize without a doubt that he felt the same as you did.

His hands rested against yours as he placed them on the bow before guiding your fingers to the string.

“This isn’t a very heavy string, as you train and get stronger you can use better bows” he says into your ear and this time you don’t hold in the satisfied hum “and you’ll teach me then too?” You ask, feeling a little bold

“I don’t know if that will be necessary” he says in his stern way that almost makes you think you took the signs the wrong way until he turns his lips closer to your ear “but I’m willing to give you a refresh lesson” you hear the smirk in his voice and you can’t help but chuckle

You turn your head to look back into his eye, your noses almost touching “and will it be like this?” You ask and you see his lips turn up in smirk “I believe that might be necessary if you keep this weak hold on the bow” you gasp and drop the bow, turning around in his arms and hit his chest playfully “so you have been teasing me during these lessons!”

He moves his hands to be closer together on the bow and stands up normally, pulling you a little closer to his chest with the bow “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable” he says and you feel your cheeks heat up again under his gaze

“I didn’t say that” you say softly and he chuckles “I just, I didn’t know, ya know? At least at first” you feel your cheeks warm “ No one has ever shown me how to hold a gun before or any weapons. I didn’t know it was extra flirty. I thought it was normal. Until the staff lesson, that was obvious”

He is silent for a moment and you watch as his cheeks dust light pink “I know I should have been professional, I -” you reach up and cover his lips with your first fingers softly “yes, you probably should have, but i’m not complaining, really” your cheeks heat up again “plus, it’s not like we haven’t been flirting for months”

“And i may have heard you talk to Maki about how you were touch starved” he confesses and you laugh once as you look up at him

“You had to look up what - “

“I had to look up what that meant yes” he nods once. After he looked it up, he couldn’t handle even thinking about you getting that from someone else, the jealousy he felt imagining you hugging someone who wasn’t him or kissing someone who wasn’t him, he couldn’t do it. That’s when he realized how deep his feelings for you were

You smiled, your heart was warm. He heard you talk about something that you were struggling with, looked it up to see how to help, and has been trying to help you ever since.

“You know, it would have been easier to just ask me if i needed a hug”

“Yeah but you need the training. I didn’t make that part up. You need to get stronger to stay with the company”

You laugh at his business demeanor and then wrap your arms around his neck, burying your face into his shoulder and sighing into him

He sets the bow aside and wraps his arms around your back, hugging you to his chest tightly, his strong arms making you feel safe and supported. You tilt your face up, brushing your nose against his neck as you whisper into his ear “thank you Hinawa” you whisper and he lets out a low hum of approval, of obvious pleasure from the hug, like he has been just as touch starved as you.

“Maybe you should teach me how to use a bow” you say after five minutes and you chuckle when his hold tightens a little

“Yes” he agrees but doesn’t show any sign of moving

Even though you havent had a lot of intimate or close time with him, you felt comfortable in his arms. It felt right, and you didnt want to move just as much as he didnt. You hum softly as you brush your nose up his neck and then against his jaw “Hinawa” you whisper and it sends tingles down his spine.

“You’re such a secret softy” you whisper and he chuckles “don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin my reputation”

You chuckle “we can’t have that. It cant ever come out that the bad ass lieutenant of the eighth likes to hug and likes physical affection” you pepper light kisses across his neck and jaw. feeling him shudder slightly at the sensation of your lips against his skin.

“Cant have anyone know how the lieutenant broke the rules on a work day in the middle of training, stopping just to hug and hold his coworker even though they’re not really together and haven’t even filed the proper paperwork.” that one seemed to get him and he pulled back to look down at you “I hope you know that we’re still doing all the training i have planned. This isnt changing that. And the paperwork isn’t difficult we should do that later”

You pause for a moment, looking into his eyes, watching as the corners of his lips turn up into a small smile.

Your fingers play with the hair coming out of the back of his cap “So what you’re saying here, is that you want to be relationship with me and fill out the paperwork, and that you aren’t gonna cut me any slack with training today?”

He nods “yeah that’s what I’m saying”

You laugh and take off his hat, putting it on your own head and turning it backwards as you reach up and run your hands through his hair.

“Then let’s do it” you say with a grin and he cups your cheek, eyes looking down at your lips “what are you doing friday night?” he asks as his eyes look back up to yours “I got a hot date” you say and he raises his eyebrows “do you now?” he asks and you nod, standing on your tiptoes to brush your nose against his “yeah. with you” you whisper and you see the way his eyes go from confused to amused as he rolls his eyes and then surprises you by pressing his lips to yours.

Safe to say, you both won't have to be touch starved anymore.

#hinawa fanfiction #hinawa imagines #hinawa x y/n #hinawa x you #hinawa takehisa x reader #fire force hinawa #hinawa x reader #fire force imagines #fire force fanfiction #takehisa hinawa

[starlightinhumanform]

The Untold Tales of Ba Sing Se

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender 

Ship: Sokka x fem!Reader (Romantic Relationship)

Summary: The daughter of an airbender has lived her entire life trying to hide her bending, but upon hearing the news that the Avatar is in the city, she is determined to meet him and learn more about her culture. But things never go as planned, and she finds herself sidetracked by a water tribe boy. 

Warnings (in order of strength): None (Please let me know if anything needs to be added)

Genre: Fluff, Meet-Cute

A/N: Well... my hand slipped. This is based on this request and it was so fun to write!!! I’ve never written x reader before so I hope it’s ok! Love you all 🖤✨

Ao3   Fic Masterpost   Fic Request Info

It was a dusty afternoon as you tried to walk inconspicuously through the crowds at the top of the middle ring of Ba Sing Se. As the sun beat down and the people bustled into each other, you were grateful for the loose, thin material of your clothes and its light yellow colour which kept you far cooler than the deep greens and browns of the earth nation. Your mother told you that dressing like an air nomad— you had shaved your head and everything in an attempt to follow tradition— was like drawing a target on your back and maybe she was right, but it was so much more comfortable.

The thought of your mother’s chiding turned your mind towards her and guilt began creeping over you. She would kill you if she knew you were here, trying to sneak into the upper ring of the city to meet the Avatar. She was incredibly cautious and, in turn, incredibly protective of you. You couldn’t really blame her, though, given her own experiences as an airbender barely escaping the carnage of the fire nation. She had managed to reach Ba Sing Se and hide her identity almost completely. Almost. Her foolproof plan had one tiny crack in its great structure— her daughter. By either blessing or a curse, you had been born with the ability to airbend like your mother. Unlike your mother, however, you did not have such an easy time tamping down those abilities. You could feel it all the time, the spiritual energy surging through you and all the powers of the sky trapped within your body. You felt like a caged bird, desperate for freedom. And finally, you had the chance to fly. The Avatar could be your way out if only you could reach him.

“Oh, hey! I didn’t expect to see you here!” A boy’s voice only inches behind you startled you from your thoughts. It was rough, with a hitch in the middle and it didn’t sound like anyone you knew.

You felt your heartbeat begin racing as he came up beside you and threw his arm around your shoulders, “What are you doing here?”

I’ve been caught haven’t, I? They know I’m trying to sneak through the wall. You tried to swallow but your mouth was dry. Your mind began racing to come up with a plausible excuse. The crowd was thick and if you could just break free, it would be easier to hide amongst all these people than it would be to try and talk your way out of this.

You ducked from under his arm, prepared to walk swiftly in any direction away from this situation but he quickly caught your wrist, gripping it tightly.

“Where are you going?” His voice was deeper now, dropping as it had shifted to a serious tone.

Guilt and panic churned in your core, your heart sinking to join the mix as you realized there was no way out of this. You turned to face him, actually looking at him for the first time. He was about your age but definitely taller than you. You could tell immediately that he was from a water tribe, his tan skin and blue clothing giving it away. His eyes were blue as well but what you noticed more than the colour was how sharp his eyes were, like they had been chiseled into his face.

Realization dawned on you, “You’re Sokka, aren’t you?”

He squinted like he was trying to read a small font, “And you’re not Aang, are you?”

The adrenaline still pounding through your body was making your head feel light and at the thought of being mistaken for the Avatar, you doubled over laughing, “No, no, that’s not me.”

Sokka let go of your wrist and rubbed at the back of his neck with his now free hand, obviously feeling self conscious, “Well, uh, sorry about that whole mix up.”

You couldn’t help but laugh lightly at his awkwardness. You had heard stories about Sokka, he was supposed to be a great warrior but he was just… a boy. It was kind of cute, actually, “No it’s fine, even if you did give me a small heart attack.”

“Is there any way I could make it up to you?”

A grin spread across your face, “Take me to the upper ring?”

You grabbed his hand as he led you through to the center of the city, noting the blush spreading to his face as you did so. Oh, definitely cute.

Sokka cleared his throat, “So, uh, why were you trying to get up here anyways?”

Your face turned red, “Was it really that obvious?” 

“Oh yeah. And besides, you’re not exactly dressed for stealth,” He gestured at your brightly coloured clothes, “Why do you wear that anyways?”

“Well… I wanted to get up here to meet Aang and as far as my clothes,” You could feel your heartbeat quickening again. You could trust him, right? He was friends with the Avatar and was fighting against the fire nation. He was safe. The crowd was far thinner now as you continued walking, but there were still too many people. Your mother had taught you that even one could be too many if they were the wrong person, “I’ve just always felt a connection to the air nation I guess.”

“Huh.”

You began chewing on your bottom lip at his noncommittal answer. He can tell I’m lying.

“Aang’s not around right now,” Sokka broke the tense silence, “He’s looking for Appa.”

You nodded; you had heard about the Avatar’s missing bison and had been looking for signs of the animal yourself.

“But, you know, you could hang out with me. If you want, of course. Just until Aang’s back. But I understand—”

That adorable awkwardness was showing again as Sokka tried to get the words out. You smiled, “Yes, that sounds great.”

Sokka’s face split into a beaming grinning, “Ok, great!”

————————

The day passed quickly as Sokka took you on a tower of this elite portion of the city. He had even taken you to lunch at one of the fancy restaurants because— as he said, with a wiggle of his eyebrows, of course— he “had connections.”

Now you were sitting together on a hill from which you could see almost the entirety of Ba Sing Se burning with the rays of the sunset.

Sokka was sitting beside you, the sharp lines of his face accentuated by the deep shadows. You had convinced him to let his hair down and now tucked a piece of it behind his ear so you could see his profile more clearly.

He glanced towards you and you were almost startled by the intensity of his gaze. He was an idiot, no doubt about it, but that silliness was just a fraction of his personality, counteracting his fierce cunning. Now all of that intelligence was being directed at you, his eyes sweeping over your body.

“You’re an airbender, aren’t you?”

You turned away, your eyes searching for something to look at in the city below, anything but his eyes that continued to pick you apart.

You couldn’t see his face but his voice softened as he began to speak again, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you, I just—”

“No, you’re right. It’s just… my mother has always taught me to hide my bending. And she’s right, with the,” You lowered your voice, “with the war and all. We’re not supposed to even know about the war here, but my mom told me about it. She told me how she escaped one of the air temples and she taught me just how ruthless the fire nation army can be. She’s right, I should keep it a secret.”

Sokka placed his hand over yours, “You shouldn’t have to keep who you are hidden. You deserve better than that.”

Water was supposed to be cool, but Sokka was anything but cold. His voice flowed over you like a summer breeze and the warmth of his hand seeped into yours, your fingers thin and somehow far more delicate beneath his. And now the warmth was spreading upwards, reaching your face as your eyes began to fill with hot tears.

Sokka reached over with his free hand, gently tipping your chin upwards to face him, “I promise that one day this war will be over, and you’ll never have to hide again.”

You nodded, not sure what to say. The only other person you had ever talked about airbending with was your mother, and those conversations revolved entirely around fear and secrets. This was completely different, “How did you know? That I was an airbender, I mean.”

“Well for one thing your clothes,” He grinned, “I knew there had to be a good reason for a pretty girl like you to wear those big old robes.”

You shoved him lightly, trying to play off the blush rising to your face. You were grateful for the shift in the conversation but still completely unsure of how to react.

“But really, there’s something about the way you walk and move,” Sokka’s eyebrows were woven together in thought, “like your footsteps are lighter than they should be. I don’t really know how to describe it but it’s something I’ve only seen in one other person.”

“Aang?”

Sokka nodded, then suddenly pointed up into the sky, “Look, there he is now.”

You looked up where Sokka was pointing. The silhouette of a glider circled against the fading red of the sky before landing amongst the buildings a little ways down the hill.

Sokka began moving as if to get up, “Do you want to go to talk to him?”

“Wait!” The word slipped out of your mouth before you had the chance to think. You didn’t want to go yet, didn’t want this— whatever this was— to end yet.

Sokka shifted back into a sitting position, leaning lightly against you, “Everything alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine, I just… I just wanted to say thank you.”

He grinned quizzically, “For what?”

“I don’t know. For everything, for today, for showing me that there’s hope for a different future. Also for this,” You leaned forward, pressing your lips against his and feeling him sigh into the kiss.

He broke away after a moment, his cheeks a bright pink, “Oh, that, ok.”

You winced slightly, “Sorry, was that alright?”

“What? Oh yeah that was fine!” He laughed then pulled you into another kiss, one hand holding the back of your head and the other lacing through your fingers.

You melted into it, feeling yourself smile against his mouth. The Avatar could wait.

If you want to be added to my ATLA taglist, just send an ask or reply to this post. If you send an ask, please specify which taglist(s) you would like to be on as I have multiple :)

#sokka x you #sokka x reader #x fem!reader #atla #avatar fanfiction #sokka #sokka x fem!reader #sokka fluff #sokka fanfic #fluff #atla fluff #meet cute #my fics #fic request #starlight writes

[jun-thorne]

I will fall so you can rise. "He is wonderful, Kishou, really!” The young, green haired woman laughed. “He had so much to endure, so much to suffer. It feels like he jumped right out of a novel”

Arima felt the corners of his lips pulling. He did not share Etos enthusiasm for tragedies, but her happiness and talkative behaviour always lightened up his mood.

“Ill see if he is a suitable candidate for our purpose” he replied in his usual serious tone.

“The CCG will soon attack the 20. Ward. Then I will be able to assess him first-hand.”

Eto giggled “I’m sure he will prove himself to be worthy, Kishou. Ken Kaneki, the future one-eyed King. “

 

The atmosphere in cochlea resembled the silence before the storm. The air was thick and seemed tense. The occasional footsteps of the guards were hectic, nervous. But the white reaper of the CCG remained unfazed.

Kishou Arima stood motionless on his post, his glance fixed and his face neutral. But his outer appearance deceived. His mind was racing, roaming restless, thinking about him.

During the last months, Haise had changed. Arima pretended not to notice, but the truth could not have been more obvious. The, formerly, strong wall between Ken Kaneki and Haise Sasaki had crumbled and turned to dust. The gears which had been created by Eto and him, Arima, were now turning, and could not be stopped anymore.

 

„You need a name. “Arima said, his voice bland and stern, his face vacuous.

“A name…? “Replied Prisoner 240, surprise and a hint of confusion in his expression.

“The rehabilitation program plans for you to become an investigator. We cannot call you number 240 forever. What would you like it to be?  Arima said, his expression still neutral.

“A Name… Don’t others usually give names?” asked Prisoner 240. The surprise in his face had now turned into confusion completely.

“The Higher ups have said that they would leave it to you.” Arima replied, his voice imperceptibly softer. “Pick to of your favourite Kanji”

“Then Coffee… and the world” 240 said after hesitating shortly.

“So Haise“

„mmm… I like it. It sounds nice. Thank you, Arima-San. “ in Haise’s voice lay happiness, as he looked up to Arima. The older man looked back with his usual neutral expression. But if one would have looked closely, they could have recognized the spark in Arimas eyes, which had not been there before.

 

A squad of guards passed under the platform he was standing on. But Arima did not pay attention to them, his thoughts dwelling in the past.

Arima had supervised the “creation” of Haise Sasaki. He had trained him, had watched him grow and learn. He knew every of his little mannerism, every move of him, by heart.

In the beginning he had tried to convince himself, that his interest in Sasaki had been of pure professional nature. Eto had chosen him, and he would train him, forming him into the man he needed to be.

But Arima had grown fond of Haise. He catched himself reorganizing his schedule to make time to return the borrowed books personally, or to slide in a small stop for coffee at the chateau.

 

“Arima-San, your coffee is really mug-nificent” Haise snickered, voice filled with unconcealed pride about his successful pun. Contrary to his normally reserved behaviour, Arima could feel a small grin pull on the corners of his mouth.

“Thank you, that beans a lot to me” he answered, resulting in Haise bursting out with laughter and spitting his Coffee over the table. The sight was hilarious and soon Arima was laughing too, loud and sincere.

 

Startled by his thoughts, Arima returned his attention to the present. He noticed the small smile which had sneaked upon his face and quickly removed it, going back to his blank expression. He could not afford such displays of emotion.

His thoughts travelled to his first encounter with Kaneki, during the fight at the route V14 under the 20. Ward. The determination of the young ghoul had surprised, even impressed him. Kanekis will had been strong, but he had been no match for Arima. Still, Arima had decided to spare his life…. At least a part of it. He had inflicted intolerable pain on Kaneki, wiping out his old life and his memories in the process.

 

„You were right Eto” he said. “He really is special. “

„Was there ever any doubt?” asked the young ghoul. “He has this determination, right?

 Arima only nodded-

“This world is just like a novel, Kishou…” she mused “and we are creating the protagonist.”

“That remains to be seen” he replied.

 

Arima checked his watch. 11:32 PM. The night had already fallen over cochlea. Haise would not wait much longer, he knew. Soon it would begin.

Arimas gaze wandered through cochlea, suddenly fixing on a inconspicuous door in the lower levels. His position stiffed imperceptibly and a wave of nausea came over him.

 

„This is our last meeting. “ He said, seemingly emotionless.

It was a futile attempt to make their parting easier.

“I… will miss you” the green haired woman said, not even trying to supress the feelings which crept into her voice. She stood up from the smack bed in her cell and looked him in the eyes. Arima returned her gaze, a small smile playing on his lips. He closed the distance between them and embraced her in his arms.

“My Story is now written” he whispered. “And I’m glad I spent it with you.”

“Me too” she answered. She rose up on her tip toes and her lips brushed softly over his in a last tender kiss. When they parted she averted her gaze.

„Kishou… He will succeed, right?” suddenly doubt in her normally confident voice.

“Of Course! “He answered.

 

The Sirens of the cochlea whirred in Arimas ears and pulled him out of his thoughts

“Attention Staff: Capture the Person who is continuing to open the isolation cells. Associate Special Class Haise Sasaki. I repeat: capture Haise Sasaki “

At the end of the bridge, he was standing on Squad 0 appeared, his squad. They were whispering with each other, seemingly nervous. With a side glance he noticed that Take Hirako was eyeing him but Arima did not pay attention to it. Etos words echoed through his mind

“I’m sure he will prove himself to be worthy, Kishou. Ken Kaneki, the future one-eyed King. “

Yes, Kaneki was worthy, of that Arima was sure.

And so, he made his decision.

“Squad 0, the orders which I gave remain unchanged!” he said, his voice stern and without any emotion. His gaze wandered over the young investigators, his grey eyes cold and still filled with pride. Then he turned to Hirako

„Take good care of them Take” he said, a hint of warmth in his voice. He patted him on the shoulder, an almost heartfelt gesture between the partners which had known each other for so long. They exchanged one last glance, then Arima turned away.

His thoughts which had been restless in the last hours were now at ease, making room for a pleasant void. There was only one last task to fulfil.

„Haise… I will fall so you can rise!” he whispered

#tokyo ghoul #arima kishou #eto yoshimura #eto #one eyed owl #arima squad #take hirako #tokyo ghoul re

[servingliesarchived]

MERLIN’S FAMILY AND THEIR STATUS BEFORE THE GREAT PURGE.

Initially, Merlin knew very little about who he was or where he came from. Raised by his mother who would speak neither of her own heritage, or the identity of his father, he lived a humble life for the first years of his life. Despite the poverty they lived in, his mother was the one that made sure to educate her son, a very unusual thing for how widespread illiteracy was at the time, a fact that was never addressed until later into his adulthood. Interestingly, had the Great Purge never happened, Merlin’s status would vastly differ from what he had been brought up to believe he was, which means  Merlin was a commoner due to circumstance rather than birth.

HIS MOTHER’S SIDE OF THE FAMILY.

Though living an exiled life of a commoner from infancy, too young to remember anything else, Hunith was the youngest child born into a royal family of Demetia  ( Dyved )  in Wales  before its fall due to regicide  ( Merlin later in life visited the place, and later chose to reside at Carmarthen / Caerfyrddin, commonly known as Caer Myrddin, where he established a magic school ).  There were five children in total, three sons from the king’s first wife, and two daughters from the second. The third son was Gaius, who subsequently left their home and any claim to the throne behind at a young age to pursue the study of science and magic in the court of Camelot. Though none of them were naturally gifted like Merlin when it comes to magic, besides Gaius there was a number of magic practitioners among the family members, including Merlin’s own grandmother, as well as Gaius’ mother.

Having different mothers, there was a big age gap between Hunith and Gaius, so they never quite grew up together. Gaius had already been at Camelot when Hunith was born, and she was only few months old when a plot had been conducted to overthrow Merlin’s grandfather. He had been killed along with his wife, two sons and older of two daughters, who was only five years old at the time. Only baby Hunith was successfully smuggled out of the castle and outside the border by one of the knights and her nanny. They settled in the small village of Ealdor, Essetir, close to the border with Camelot, where Hunith was raised by her nanny who acted the part of her mother due to the long years she had previously spent in the service of their family. An educated woman herself, she had been who taught Hunith how to write and read in the secret of their little, inconspicuous house.

Meanwhile, convinced his entire family is dead, it wasn’t until Hunith herself was about nine years old when Gaius found out his sister had been alive. From then on, though they only met a number of times in person, they exchanged letters every now and then, to a point that he sent Balinor, one of the last dragonlords not yet killed during the Great Purge to her house, which ended up resulting in Merlin’s conception  ( which had been destined to happen all along with him being a critical powersource of infinite magical energy ). However, it wasn’t enough for her to enclose in great detail that her only son is magic before sending him off to him eighteen years later, for the fear of the message being discovered and him being executed for it like other magical folks  ( magic children were routinely drowned at the time ). 

Chased away by Uther’s pursuit, Balinor had never known of his son, and Hunith gave birth to him with the help of the woman that raised her. She passed away when Merlin was too young to remember her. Though aware of her own heritage, having lived in exile all her life as well as facing the reality of raising a very magical child in a world where those were killed, she didn’t disclose any of it to him until later in life, when he had already been working on restoring rights of magical folk for years. He was aware Gaius was his uncle by blood, but continuing the safety habit of his mother, never officially called him as such, and rather addressed him by his name.

HIS FATHER’S SIDE OF THE FAMILY.

While Hunith had never lived a noble lifestyle, the same can’t be said about Balinor, who was titled before the Great Purge and Uther’s eradication of the dragonlords. The Order of the Dragonlord was held in a high regard during the times when magic was still cherished and valued, though they practiced the status differently to the norm. The skill itself had been the primary merit behind their power and respect, though they still, for the majority of cases, held lawful titles and position of power among the peoples. Balinor himself had come from quite a prolific line of dragonlords, known for their notoriety, zest, as well as a rebellious streak. In fact, Merlin’s grandfather had proven such by marrying a woman he loved in spite of his own father’s wishes concerning his possible match. Merlin’s paternal grandmother had been a druid, and a very skilled and renowned healer. She passed away just two years before the Great Purge, and Balinor was her only child.

Native to the lands of Camelot, Balinor had been brought up among his people and traditions, taught their ways from young age by his father the same way he was supposed to teach his own son, which he could never do due to Uther ordering a literal genocide. Traditionally, however, he didn’t receive his powers until his father’s death, which happened fairly early when he was only fourteen years old. Starting at a young age had been difficult due to the nature of how you receive the gift, but the already existing reputation of his family had been helpful, and soon enough he too became respected in his own right. In fact, he had grown quite famous due to his strong relationship with the Great Dragon, Kilgharrah, woven and tied to him and his kin throughout the centuries. Balinor was also often a guest at the court of Camelot, and in fact developed a friendship with both Gaius and Nimueh.

When the Great Purge began, at first the danger wasn’t quite so clear to any of them. In fact, the dragonlords were tricked by Uther by false promises, who considered them too close to magic in his vendetta against it. Using them to to call on the remaining dragons to kill them, and Balinor himself who was tasked with bringing Kilgharrah to Camelot so Uther could imprison him beneath the castle as a token of his victory, he rounded most of the dragonlords and executed them, while the rest of them, including Balinor, were pursued and ordered to be killed. Being one of the last, with the help of Gaius he managed to escape and was sent to hide with Hunith, which led to Merlin’s conception. Before he knew Hunith was pregnant, however, he was forced to run again and hid until Merlin found him hiding in a cave in Essetir when he was around 19-20 years old. Never knowing he had a son, and dying within a day of meeting him, Merlin never really learned the ways of his people and was left in the dark about their traditions and practices, at least the ones of dragonlords among the Britons.

#𝟎𝟏. 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 ; birth is the death of us in the end. #this is the old meta but i rewrote it a little bit #anyway love me some merlin's heritage headcanons #like to be fair he's not human but his birth WAS destined #they had to choose very specific lineages and very specific people to make his birth even possible #also his mother SHOULD have died but i hc that he healed her during his own childbirth #but anyway yes #merlin should've been raised as at least a noble but he was raised in a literal late 5th century pagan village so #( meta. )

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Staring up at the thick canopy above where you laid, you watched and listened as the gentle breeze rustled the vibrant green leaves, your thoughts drifting absently, though they were quickly interrupted by the sound of a very different kind of rustle.

Instantly scrambling into a sitting position, you ignored the wave of dizziness you got from the hasty action, focusing instead on retrieving the note from the inconspicuous hollow in the tree, a note that had very much not been there, only moments before.

Smiling brightly as you finally pulled it free, you dropped back onto the moss covered ground, leaning against the ancient tree behind you, as you happily poured over the contents of the message, your heart fluttering in delight as you did so. As always, their words, no matter how simple, never failed to brighten even the most terrible of days, the simple knowledge of their existence, somehow soothing you in a way you couldn’t explain.

Whilst the discovery of this place had been completely accidental, it was an accident you would be forever grateful for. 

Originally, you had only written letters as a way to vent your thoughts, the hollow simply having served as a convenient place to deposit them, making it feel as though you were actually doing something with them, rather than simply throwing your heartfelt feelings into the trash. Though that had all changed the day you arrived to find all of them missing.

Terrified and angry that someone had seen a glimpse into your innermost thoughts, you’d done your best to avoid the place for a time, though eventually your curiosity had gotten the best of you. It had understandably been quite a surprise, when you had discovered a different letter, in their place.

Apprehensive at first, it had taken you a while to respond to it, the heartfelt apology within, eventually softening your negative feelings towards the sender somewhat, though you had remained rather wary for quite a while. 

Thankfully, it hadn’t taken long for the two of you to learn the true mysterious nature of the hollow, something that you rather readily put to good use, having grown quite fond of each other in the short time you’d been interacting. With how deep your conversations always tended to be, it seemed only natural that you would both end up developing feelings.

After a rather emotional confession on both ends, the frequency of your messages had increased greatly, to make up for the fact that you couldn’t actually see each other in person, thanks to quite literally, being worlds apart. These days, the two of you could sit for hours, simply talking about anything and everything, just relishing in the strange and intense companionship that had formed.

Lost in your daydreaming as you imagined being able to actually see them and feel their embrace, you almost didn’t notice that you had received a response to your last reply, a smile spreading across your lips as you dropped your notepad and pen giddily, in order to tug it free. 

What you found written there, quickly stole all breath from your lungs, an overwhelming wave of emotion, surging forth and bringing tears to your eyes.

“I think I found a way to bring you to me.”

#write-it-motherfuckers #writing prompt #writing prompts #writing #prompt #story prompt #story prompts #story #prompts #my prompt #original #random #imagine #story time motherfucker #this would work really well as an isekai reader sort of deal honestly. But it's up to you what you actually do with it. #the tags are only ever a suggestion #supernatural #magic #isekai #fictional character #fo #f/o #x reader #reader #self ship #self insert #fictional other #romance #alternate universe #hello yes please give me the sad murder man. I would like coffin cuddles. Bone shaped biscuits are also a must

[davids-cartoon-corkboard]

Next up are Hamburg and Fry! What do they want, and how will the power of their Stones help them get it?

They’re an unusually heroic spin on the “Bumbling Henchmen Duo” trope. Dr. Eggman from the Sonic franchise, Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians, The Hacker from Cyberchase, and many more have a skinny henchman and a stocky henchman, though the diner guys break the mold a bit because Hamburg is taller than Fry.

Neither of them are particularly bright: both fell for Jo’s fake phone call in “Rings of Power” despite being in the same room with her.

And they didn’t properly protect themselves from the “earthquake” in “Niña Gigantica”.

They’re also eager to follow orders, as seen in “Big Win” when they interpreted Jo’s “Listen!” as “I’m about to give you instructions”.

Hamburg has a strict No Bullshit Policy; his response to Kid being noisy and destructive in “Rings of Power” was to wield a rolling pin menacingly and lift Kid up by his ankle one-handed.

And when Carl claimed to have already known about Kid and co. having powers in ”Big Win”, Hamburg bluntly called him a liar.

Hamburg’s name and accent suggest he’s from Germany. Of all the places to move to, why a dinky little side-of-the-road town an ocean away? And why did he move there alone? As is common among comic book heroes, Hamburg has terrible parents. He moved somewhere distant and and inconspicuous to escape them, and isn’t willing to put up with bullshit from anyone else after all those bad experiences.

He would have severed a lot of bonds when he did so, and his seriousness and hint of a bad temper probably mean it’s hard for him to make new ones. Hamburg wants what he never got at home: positive connections.

Flo asks him if he has super strength in “Big Win” and he replies with “Yes, but it’s from working out and eating healthy”. Since Hamburg already has mundane “super strength” and Rosa’s Stone gives her cosmic “super strength”, Hamburg’s Stone will give him strength in a metaphorical, social sense. He’ll have “strength in numbers”, but in a different way than Papa G does.

Hamburg’s Stone will give him the power of Zoopathy (the ability to communicate with animals), and it will be Indigo to reflect the blue/black pattern of his pants and shoes. This man deserves to be a D*sney Princess! He’ll ask his animal friends to act as spies, distractions, allies in combat, emotional support, etc. And if Tuna Sandwich’s translator ever gets lost or breaks, Hamburg will be able translate for him until it's found or fixed. But relying too much on the Stone to give him animal companionship means Hamburg won’t make progress in terms of human companionship. There’s a limit to how much you can work through your issues without the help of other people. His character development will have him learn that sometimes people can be good, and it can be good to trust and bond with them.

Fry seems to be a bit of a wibbly-wobbly nothin’-in-particular kind of guy. He mumbles when he speaks, even while on the job.

He’s oblivious; unlike Hamburg, he couldn’t connect the town’s “earthquakes” to Rosa’s stomping around. He’s also pretty gullible, since he believed Carl’s lie about knowing Kid and co. had powers... or maybe he just chose not to challenge the lie to avoid conflict.

Being able to “turn to goo” like Flo suggested would be fitting, since goo is by nature a wibbly-wobbly nothin’-in-particular thing. But like her questioning of Carl and Hamburg, it's a hint, not 100% accurate. Since his two full tattoo sleeves indicate a high pain tolerance and a willingness to alter his body, Fry’s Stone will give him the power of Shapeshifting, and it will be Gray like his tattoos. What better power for a nothin’-in-particular kind of guy than to be everything? The Local Heroes will no doubt meet a huge menagerie of people and animals on their adventures that he can draw inspiration from. Sharp claws, venom, camouflage, gills, the ability to impersonate a relevant evil alien minion- there are all sorts of uses for such a power!

It’s especially useful in a metaphorical sense, because shapeshifting is about hiding who you are, and what happens when you can’t do it anymore. As we all know, The Audience Craves Violence Catharsis, so we generally expect the character in question to go apeshit once the lid pops off of their repressed anger or trauma or hungers of various kinds. But trope subversion is part and parcel of Kid Cosmic’s appeal, so I think Fry is hiding something else.

Fry is queer and/or neurodivergent, though Vibes are my only evidence right now. Shapeshifting will go a long way towards helping him Blend In And Be Normal wherever he goes, but it can’t truly change him. Rather than an accidental outing or a breakdown and tearful confession, Fry will come out of the closet after he gradually grows smore confident at being himself and trusting that his allies won’t think less of him because of it.

---

(Carl) (Carlos and Ramona) (Carla)

(Hamburg and Fry: You Are Here) (Flo) (Chuck)

#kid cosmic #kid cosmic theory #kid cosmic hamburg #kid cosmic fry #imnotprojectingyoureprojectingshutup #flo and chuck's parts will take a bit longer because they have more screentime for me to analyze

[dangermousie]

CFC 106

1.Love HY looking at XQC from afar but not approaching him because he knows it’s pointless to tell him “I love you,” since that would drive XQC away faster than anything else. And the point that when he didn’t care about XQC’s feelings he’d have been whatever and done what he liked but now...The bit that “his fangs were made of frosting” awwww but not as awww as his also remembering his promise not to pester XQC who’s already suffered enough. Watching HY learn care and putting someone else first and thinking things from the position of what they’d want instead of what he’d want is so good and so necessary for HY.

2. Man, HY is gone. He drives around peeking at XQC, sees XQC buy a cake for auntie Li and is so jealous and decides to go in after XQC leaves to order the same cake for himself and that is honestly so realistic - the whole longing for that sense of indirect sharing with someone you like, seeking closeness in whatever small (for everyone not for you) way you can.

3. Oh my GOD he bought an inconspicuous car just to follow him around, He Yuuuuuuuuuu!

4. XQC spots him and is all what are you doing here and HY is ... and then “can I help you carry your cake?” I am cackling.

5. XQC tells him to scram and HY has nothing to say. I love love love the reversal of power dynamics and I love that XQC did not magically melt after 102 (in fact, enjoying himself in bed and having his heart move for HY, even if he didn’t consciously realize it, made him withdraw even further.) The line about if someone may not like your liking it’s called a secret love but if they definitely won’t like it, it’s just called bad - except for his true feelings for XX and XQC, HY is actually a pretty reflective person - he’s had to be due to his condition.

6. He Yu not planning to show his feelings because he’d get disgust, contempt and shock in return and it would hurt too much but also his worrying about XQC losing weight (again?! Does he even have any left to lose? Jeez, he is 100% dying!) I do love the sense how much of this chapter is HY flailing and banging his head against the cage of XQC’s dislike and contempt that was largely built by his own hands and his own dick.

7. XQC has a bag wit medicine. DAMMIT OMG WTF I know Meatbun we are in for kniiiiives.

8. HY not being able to help himself and in the face of XQC’s coldness bringing up that he wasn’t cold that night but then backing down - I love the little backslides because it’s realistic.

9. HY going home and instinctively looking for club pics and then remembering he deleted them, and all he has is a profile pic of XQC he pulled from some website and it’s just his face and HY is kissing the phone!!!! his eyes and brows “gently” in the photo!!!!!! AAAAAAAAA!

10. Ahahaha HY going to a chat group to see fellowlove pangs sufferers and is so jealous of them. When someone posts about not being able to get over a break up a year ago, he’s all “at least you were together” ahahahah.

11. HY asks for advice (honestly the way he describes the situation makes me think of “girl” Taxian Jun in the extras omg) and my favorite response from someone being “I can tell you clearly that if you get pregnant, he won’t even pay for your abortion” made me die. Even Anons on the internet think He Yu is the girl in the relationship ahahahahah dying. And HY is wondering “why does everyone think I am a female?” OMG DYING

12. WHAT THE FUCK!!!! The medicine was not for XQC but XX and XX showed signs of taking RN13?!?! WHAT WHAT WHAT and it’s not the same formula as what XQC and HY took so it means someone is actively working on it and HY asks how she could have come in contact with it and XQC brings the asylum OMG THEY ARE NOW TOTALLY GONNA WORK TOGETHER TO TRACE THINGS DOWN OMGGGGG

#cnovel #case file compendium #meatbun doesn't eat meat

[ninak803]

Elitist Nightmares

Here it is! I promised you a new thing & here it finally is! Thank you @whataboutmyfries for working on this with me! It’s so much fun & I love the ideas you’re giving me! Can’t wait to see what the other chapters will bring us.

This is a wolfstar thing, but there are also @lumosinlove‘s lovely characters in here! Thank you for creating them, we all love them so much.

So enjoy y’all!

Chapter 1

Remus

Remus was standing in the small, overheated office. He had goosebumps nevertheless, but they didn't come from the room temperature or because he was feeling cold. 

They came because of his new mission, which he had just received. He knew it would come eventually, just the when was unclear. Until now. 

And he knew it had to be him, he was the best for this job.

He tucked the inconspicuous folder neatly under his arm and blinked against the darkness in the room to make out his boss’s silhouette

“Be done by the end of this month, Lupin.” a low voice said.

He turned around without another word and left his boss's office.

Remus was packing his backpack when his phone rang. He looked at the screen but didn’t recognize the number. That was weird. Just a few people had this phone number; and he knew all of their numbers by heart.

He picked it up.

“Hello?” Remus said.

There was a short moment of silence.

“Is there Remus Lupin?” a male voice said. It sounded young, with a southern accent.

“Who are you?” Remus asked, disgruntled.

“Oh yeah. I’m sorry. I’m Leo Knut. Dumbledore gave me your number. I’m sorry. I should have said that right away.”

Ah. So he called on Dumbledore's behalf. It must have something to do with his new mission.

“How can I help you?”

Remus looked at his watch. He didn’t have the time to make small talk right now, so this Leo Knut better hurried up a bit.

“I get the feeling that Dumbledore didn’t tell you the slightest thing about me, did he?” the caller sounded irritated.

“Well, I don’t know who you are or why you’re calling me, so obviously he didn’t. And hurry up a bit, could you? I don’t have time for this right now.”

Remus knew he sounded unfriendly and harsh, but he wanted to start this new job today and for that he still had a lot to prepare.

“I’m sorry, I know, but I’m your partner for this mission.”

“My what? My partner? I don’t work with partners. This must be a mistake.”

“Uh… No. Dumbledore told me himself.” Leo said.

“Okay, okay. We shouldn’t be talking about this on the phone. You know where I live, I guess? Be here in 10 minutes, we can talk then.” 

Remus didn’t wait for his answer and hung up.

He sighed.

A partner? Dumbledore knew pretty well that he was working alone. He didn’t need a partner, damn he didn’t want a partner!

Damn it.

Remus finished packing his backpack. He had put a water bottle, a pen and a notebook in there. He still needed some energy bars and apples just if he became hungry. Just in case.

The doorbell rang, and he went to the main door to open it.

Remus scanned his visitor quickly with an experienced look.

In front of him stood an approximately 1,85m to 1,90m tall, blonde boy. Remus guessed he wasn’t even 20 yet. His smile was bright and his blue eyes friendly. He had a grey streak of hair; he noticed. He wore simple blue jeans and a dark grey shirt, nothing remarkable. Good.

Remus stepped aside to let him in, then he closed the door behind them.

Leo held his hand up for Remus to take it, then shook it gently.

“Hi. I’m Leo Knut. Nice to meet you.”

Remus nodded.

“Nice to meet you. Here. Sit down, please. We have some talking to do.” 

Remus led him to the kitchen where Leo sat down on one of the chairs. Remus took two glasses out of the cupboard, filled them with water and handed him one of them, then sat down across from him.

“Merci.” Leo said as he took the glass.

“You’re from the South. Louisiana?” 

Leo nodded.

“New Orleans.”

Leo then filled him in. 

Dumbledore had forgotten to inform Remus that he will have a partner for this mission. It felt more like he didn’t tell him on purpose, because he knew Remus would protest. He didn’t need a partner and Dumbledore knew this damn well.

But Leo also said that he was new to this, and he needed a teacher and there wasn’t a better one than Remus.

He sighed.

“Okay, okay, you can work with me.” The younger ones' eyes lit up at that. “But we need rules. First you do as you're told. No acting on your own. Don’t question what I’m doing, I give you explanations when the time’s right. You have to be on time. And you’re staying in the background, don’t complain about it. Got it?”

Leo nodded.

“Okay. Good. So you know what we have to do next?”

“We’re observing Sirius Orion Black, heir of the Black Family, 25 years old, next one in power.”

“Right. This will take us some time. We need to figure out his habits, get to know the places where he goes. We simply need to get to know him but, and this is most important, he must not notice us. Never. And then…”

“Then?” Leo tilted his head.

“Then, when the opportunity arises, I'm going to kill him.”

---

Leo and Remus agreed to meet tomorrow morning at 5:30 am again, then start their investigation.

Remus sighed and sat down on his bed. This job just got a lot more complicated than he’d thought. There was a reason he usually worked alone: It wasn’t the safest job in the world and if something went wrong, which it usually doesn’t because he was careful but you never know, he was the only one to get hurt and no one else, only his life would be destroyed. But now there was Leo, and he seemed eager to learn, so Remus just had to be extra careful. Maybe it was good to have a second pair of eyes to watch for once. This was the most important mission Remus ever received. 

The Black family were the ones ruling the country, Orion Black to be more precise. Officially his wife Walburga didn’t have to say a thing in state affairs, but everyone knew she was holding the strings.

They had two sons: Sirius Orion Black, their oldest son and heir to the imperium, and Regulus Arcturus Black, the younger one.

This country had a democracy once, but it was long gone now. The Black family was in power now for the 6. generation and they didn’t plan on letting go, if anything they just made their position stronger and clearer over the years. And they weren’t good for the country, they weren’t good for the people. The only thing they were good at was making themselves richer and all the other poorer. There was a huge gap.

The plan was to finally end their reign with ending their descendents and then bring back democracy to this country.

Sirius

He woke up to a knock on his door. The sun was already shining through his bedroom window; the birds singing noisily and Sirius turned around, pulled his sheets over his head and closed his eyes again. He really didn’t want to get up. If he gets up, he has to deal with his family again and he just didn’t want to.

There was another knock on his door, more persistent this time, followed by a voice:

“Sirius, open the door. It’s me. I know you’re awake.”

Sirius sighed and got up. He unlocked the door, opened it and stepped aside so James could come inside.

James, a mess of black curls and blind without his glasses. His valet, his bodyguard and, most important, his best friend. His only reason he wasn’t completely insane by now.

Sirius walked back to his bed and sat down, still just in his underwear and a t-shirt, but he didn’t care, not in front of James. He had seen him worse, much worse.

“You’re here to bring me today's agenda, I assume?” Sirius said with a still hoarse voice from sleeping.

“You assume right my friend.” James answered and sat down next to him on the bed.

James smiled at him, a gentle and honest smile, not like the false and mean ones he received from his parents.

He told him what he had to do for the day. Being at this meeting, showing up at that meeting, having dinner with his family and some apparently important people. If he was lucky, he had some time to himself between meeting number two and dinner today, so that was a ray of hope at least.

“And now you should get up, take a shower, put some clean clothes on and get some breakfast. Your parents are already gone, don’t worry. Regulus is still waiting for you though, he told me to catch you.”

James got up and headed for the door.

“James?”

The other boy turned around and looked at Sirius, an eyebrow raised.

“Thanks. For sticking around.” 

“Of course.”

James smiled at him again and then left.

After showering, Sirius went into the dining room, where his brother was still sitting at his usual place. 

The table was filled with more food than any of them could eat: There were croissants, different kinds of fresh bread, pastries and fresh fruits.

Sirius sat down and reached for the coffee pot.

“It’s empty.” Regulus said without looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

Sirius wanted to say something, showing his brother his annoyance, but Regulus spoke again:

“I already ordered fresh coffee. Should be here any moment.”

Almost at the same moment one of the servants showed up and filled Sirius’ cup with fresh, steaming coffee.

“Thanks.” he said, not sure if he was talking to his brother or the servant.

He drank his coffee and had some fruits before he noticed Regulus eyes lingering on him.

“What’s up, brother dear?” he asked him.

“This dinner today is important.”

Sirius rolled his eyes.

“Shut up, Reggie.”

“Don’t call me that. You have to behave for once, don’t be… just don’t be you. Behave.”

The anger rose inside of Sirius. He should not be himself? Then who the fuck was he supposed to be?

“Didn’t Mom and Dad have time today to give me The Talk, or is that why you’re doing this?”

“Oh, I bet they will do it later. Just listen to me, it’s important. This dinner is important for the whole family, okay? You’re part of the family. You’re supposed to be the heir, act like it then.”

Sirius got up and left the room without another word.

He wasn’t hungry anymore.

#wolfstar #oknutzy #Sirius orion black #Remus John Lupin #finn o'hara #leo knut #logan tremblay #remus x sirius #muggle AU #assasins #James Potter #hp marauders #marauders era #enemies to lovers

[sirowsky]

The Flowers Always Know

Description: When a mad scientist uses you as an experiment while you’re on holiday, the Heroics only just manage to save you. And in your recovery you become very close to the leader of the group.

(Slow burn)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Language, buried trauma, mentions of tortured and murdered children, furious Marcus.

Link to Masterlist

Comment: We learn a bit more history on the Heroics as a whole, and something Reader’s been supressing, that leads to some new developments concerning her powers.

(Again I apologise for the crossover GIF, but really Narcos just has the best ones. Also, let me know if it’s yours and I’ll credit you!)

Chapter 39

  Wisconsin was getting cold this time of year, and you were frustrated. Verity had really outdone himself this time. He’d positioned himself right smack in the middle of suburbia, on Barbara Lane, in De Pere, Green bay, forcing you to take twice as many safety precautions as usual, before you could see him.

  You’d asked Marcus after the first time you’d met the truth-seeker, if it wouldn’t be less dangerous and more inconspicuous for him to come to you, instead of you having to travel all over the country to find him. But Marcus had explained that he had adapted a lifestyle that meant that he was never in one place for more than two days, in order to stay ahead of any team that HQ might send out to investigate his energy-signature.

  He rarely used his ability to the extent that the new and more powerful sensors could detect it, but on the few occasions when he had, he’d found himself having company some time later. Their response time varied depending on where in the country he was, and whenever he was closer to the west coast, his temporary lodgings were always significantly shorter.

  Allen had been quiet for most of the journey, deep in his thoughts, but when you started getting close to your destination, the old man started talking.

  “I built most of HQ, you know. The Heroic organisation.”

  “Yeah, you were one of the founders, right? One of the first non-powered people to suggest that supers might need help to become actual heroes. You got them to talk to one another, start building relationships, creating the friendships that would ultimately turn them into a team.”

  “It was almost impossible to get those knuckleheads to coincide. There were only four of them back then, and they all wanted the glory and heroism to themselves, fighting for the spotlight every chance they got. We really thought our efforts weren’t gonna do anything.”

  “What changed it around?”

  “Anita Moreno.”

  “Hah… of course she did.”

  “When she came along, young and determined and confident, she elbowed out their failing attempts at leadership by actually taking charge, and making them listen to reason. By way of a beat-down if necessary.”

  “That, I can believe. And I’d have loved to see it.”

  “She was fearless of their powers and their masculinity, their macho-bullshit. And before long, she had them training to improve their skillsets, studying the politics of the world, saying that if they were gonna insist on meddling in other cultures, then it was also their responsibility to understand what the hell they were meddling with.”

  “And that’s where you took the opportunity, I’m guessing?”

  “I reached out to Anita, offering financial support in creating a training-facility for the supers, a kind of recreational area, where they could play with their abilities, test themselves against each other, without risking harm to anyone. She really liked the idea, and asked me to find out if anyone else would be interested in helping them, and over time, that’s how the Heroics were born.”

  “And now it’s been tainted.”

  “I don’t know that it hasn’t been completely destroyed already.”

  “Henry, the organisation can never be destroyed, not as long someone’s around to fight back. And you’d better believe we are.”

  “What have you brought me today, Rainbow?”

  A little while later, you finally stepped into the house, and Verity’s energy hit you. Since he knew you couldn’t use your power to greet him anymore, he called to you from the kitchen and you guided Allen there.

  The poor man was already pale.

  “Someone I really hope you’re about to tell me I can trust.”

  “A founder… this is a first. Your heart is filled with love, for your family, mostly, but that also makes you susceptible to great fear. Right now, you fear what will be left of your legacy once this mess is made public. You fear that the Heroics will be shut down, and that your life’s work will go down in history as nothing but a failed experiment. You love your creation, it gives you great pride, but you fear it too. The power it’s accumulated, and how the politics have gotten more and more in control of it. But you are innocent of any crime or conspiracy. You are, at heart, a good man.”

  Allen looked like he might vomit, so you helped him to sit down and brought him a glass of water.

  “Who are you?”

  Verity never answered that question, no matter who was asking, so you sat down next to Henry to explain.

  “He’s a very special super, that you can never mention to anyone. If you do, he’ll disappear, and we’ll have no way of knowing who’s trustworthy or not.”

  “He can tell the truth? I never even spoke…”

  “Verity sees the truth, like a web around people. I don’t know exactly how it works, but he can see everything, past and present. Every lie and every truth of your entire existence.”

  “Incredible. And really unnerving.”

  “Yes, but worth it. Thanks to him we have over 120 trusted operatives working for us all over the world, and that’s not including the Heroics.”

  “That’s… impressive. But I fear this enemy is going to need much greater numbers than that, to be defeated.”

  “Maybe. But 89 of those operatives are supers, and that evens the odds significantly.”

  “What? But… we scan for people with abilities all over the world, we would know if that many existed.”

  “Not if they’d been hiding their powers. We figured that anyone who was on the Heroics radar, would most likely be on SIC’s as well, so we focused entirely on reaching out to those that we knew were hidden. And in that process, we uncovered a whole community of powered people that want nothing to do with the fame or recognition, and once they understood the stakes, they all agreed to help us. And they, in turn, are reaching out to their friends, normal and super, to join the fight. Our numbers grow every day, Henry. We can beat these assholes; we just need a little more time.”

  Verity’s energy focusing on you, broke your concentration, and you turned to look at him.

  “What is it?”

  “I’m not sure. Something… something in your memories.”

  “If it’s my memory then why can’t you see it clearly?”

  “It’s been hidden. It’s a memory you can’t see yourself.”

  Your skin crawled and your heartbeat picked up, in an involuntary response to any kind of mention of your time with the mad doctor. Verity noticed.

  “A painful memory. Something you don’t want to remember.”

  “I don’t want to remember any of it, V.”

  “Tubes, wires, machines, syringes. Your body remembers. Your cells do.”

  “Pain… so much pain, your nerves remember all of it. You fought him. You bit him twice, escaped your bindings once, almost got out. He punished you for that by pouring battery-acid on your feet. He was so confident that his experiment would work that he didn’t care how much damage he caused you in the process.”

  Lost in his search into your mind, Verity slowly started moving towards you, centring all his power on you, desperate to uncover everything that was hidden. You weren’t sure if he was even aware of how overbearing he was in that moment. How threatening.

  He had never come across a truth he couldn’t see before, and it made him obsessive and ruthless in his pursuit of it. A part of you knew that, but your reptile brain was overcome with a sense of danger, and you backed away from him, but he followed you.

  “V… please, stop.”

  He didn’t even hear you.

  “You’re hiding from me. I can feel the memory so clearly, wrapped in a bubble I can’t penetrate. I need to know what it is.”

  He was pushing so much of his energy into your mind to try and break that bubble, that you started feeling unnaturally heavy. Your body suddenly felt like it was moving through liquid, meeting so much resistance that it exhausted you just to take a single step.

  You collapsed to the floor, struggling to breathe, and still he didn’t let up. He towered over you, and somewhere in the background you heard Allen trying to reason with him, but then a splitting pain shot through your head, and you passed out.

  “You stay the fuck away from me, V!”

  You woke up lying on the sofa in the living room, your head still throbbing and the light burning your eyes. But from what little you could make out, Verity was sitting on a chair right next to you, and it made the bear inside you wake up with full force.

  You launched yourself at him, placing a hard fist at his solar plexus, and when he involuntarily crunched forwards, his face had a very abrupt meeting with your elbow.

  He fell backwards, toppling the chair over and breaking it as he hit the floor, bleeding from his nose and cheek-bone.

  Allen rushed into the room from the kitchen, holding a pack of ice he’d apparently been getting for you. You wobbled over to him and swiped it from his hands to put against your right temple, while Verity slowly got to his knees.

  “I saw it. The memory you were hiding, I was able to break your defence the moment before you lost consciousness.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “He did it in front of you. He strapped children into that chair, and made you watch as he drained them. He made you watch their strength gradually leave them as the pain got to be too much. You saw the faces of at least nine of them, wordlessly begging you for help.”

  “I trapped those memories away for a reason, you asshole. Just because you need the truth like a fucking addict, doesn’t mean I do!”

  The images came to you as he voiced them. You remembered those faces, fifteen of them, actually. You remembered their pain, and how much you wished that you could have borne it for them. How gladly you’d have sacrificed yourself for them, if you could have.

  That was why your powers had manifested into what they did. That was why you couldn’t heal yourself, because in that time and place, you truly didn’t care if you died.

  You slumped against the nearest wall and slowly allowed yourself to sink to the floor. Your head was still throbbing, and you were beyond angry.

  “You do need to know this.”

  “You don’t get to decide that for me! You don’t get to torture me, V, that’s what the fucking bad guys do!!”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, that is as close to a god damned lie as you’ve ever gotten! You don’t give a shit if your powers hurt me, as long as you get your fucking truth. If you’re sorry about anything, it’s that I’m not grateful for your efforts. Go ahead, tell me I’m wrong!”

  He didn’t speak. He just sat there, looking as unbothered about everything as he always did.

  “Allen, get me the hell out of here.”

  “Hermosa? What’s wrong?”

  You took a cab from the airport, and fell asleep about halfway home. The driver had a calm and rhythmic manner that soothed you, and he was listening to John Williams play the Concierto de Aranjuez, with the soft guitar notes making your frayed mind drift away to a warm and sunny Spain.

  He woke you by gently announcing that you’d arrived at your destination, and you paid him and thanked him for his kindness, before getting out and walking towards the gate in the fence. Your legs felt like lead.

  You could hear Marcus and Missy through the front door as you approached it, ingulfed in playing some boardgame, and you stopped and just listened to them for a while, leaning heavily against the door.

  Your darling Missy, the same age as several of those children. But alive and happy and such a wonderful person already.

  And Marcus. Your reason for living. The one that saved you, and kept saving you, despite the darkness that accompanied you.

  You hadn’t kept your word about checking in with him, so when you texted him while you were waiting at the airport in Green Bay, he’d been furious at first, wanting to know why he hadn’t heard from you in almost five hours. But he’d quickly calmed as you’d simply reminded him that since he was hearing from you now, you were obviously okay, and you’d tell him everything when you saw him.

  But now, standing behind that door, you didn’t want to tell him. You didn’t want to talk about it, and you didn’t want to burden him with knowing it. But you also knew that he’d see it on your face the moment you walked in. You were too tired and in too much pain still, to even try and keep up any appearances.

  You took a breath, and walked inside. Marcus was on his feet the moment the door swung open, and he swept you into a tight hug as soon as he got to you, but the mildness of your response immediately had him worried.

  “Could you just keep your voice down a bit, please. My head’s killing me.”

  “Where you in a fight?”

  He looked closer at you upon hearing that, and he realised that you were actually in terrible shape. He swept you up into his arms and carried you to the bedroom, while asking Missy to come and help him prepare a bath for you.

  She went straight to the bathroom and turned on the taps, and you could hear her going into the cabinets to pull out fresh towels.

  In the meantime, Marcus was helping you out of your clothes, and noticed a big black bruise on your elbow.

  “No… just felt cornered.”

  “By who?”

  “...Verity.”

  His whole posture changed, and you could feel a sudden rage emanating from him.

  “Tell me what he did.”

  “I’m too tired right now…”

  “Querida, look at me. Tell me.”

  “He… broke into the memories I’d hidden… the one’s he couldn’t see before.”

  “The one’s Prince had altered?”

  “No… the one’s I buried. The one’s that were too horrible… He forced them out, and now my head feels like it’s breaking apart.”

  “Why would he hurt you like that?”

  He picked you up again and moved you into the bathroom. Missy only stayed until the tub was full and she could close the taps, and then she hugged you gently and slipped out of the room.

  Marcus took the last of your clothes off before lowering you into the warm water, and when you asked him to join you, he did, holding you close and softly stroking your skin under the water.

  “He can’t stand lies, and apparently that applies to secrets as well. He just had to know; consequences be damned.”

  “He’ll regret that tomorrow.”

  “Don’t bother. He won’t admit to any wrong-doing. And we still need him.”

  “I don’t give a fuck. The only reason I agreed to let you go was because I thought you’d be safe with him.”

  “I don’t have anymore secrets for him to try and uncover now. So, technically I will be, from now on. Not that I ever wanna see him again.”

  “You won’t have to. I’ll deal with him.”

  “We’re still at war, honey. We’re gonna have to do a lot of things we’d rather not.”

  “Fuck the war, I’ll turn my back on the whole damned thing and take you to live with the fucking penguins if that’s what it takes. I’m so tired of seeing you in pain!”

  “Oh, please, keep your voice down…”

  “Sorry.”

  You sat in silence for a while, as the warm water started to open up your capillaries, easing your headache a bit.

  “Are you gonna tell me?”

  You knew what he was asking, and you really wanted to say no, but you also knew that you needed to tell him.

  “Prince made me… he made me watch.”

  The tears burned in your eyes, and you tried to chase the memories away, to lock them back into that little bubble where they couldn’t hurt you. But it was too late.

  “Watch what?”

  You didn’t want to say it out loud. It felt as though that would somehow solidify the images into reality, making them truly inescapable. He could feel your resistance, and tried to soothe you with his current, but it wasn’t enough this time.

  “The… ch-children. He made me… watch them die.”

  “Oh, my god…”

  The next morning you felt better. The headache had eased with some real sleep and you were starting to feel human again. Marcus was right next to you, his arms securely wrapped around you while he slept, but he stirred the moment you did. It was still early enough that your monday alarms hadn’t gone off yet.

  You felt him swallow repeatedly against the bile and grief that surged up in his throat as he realised what you were saying. He’d seen the lab. The extraction chair. And the freshest bodies that Prince hadn’t had time to get rid off before they found his lair. He’d seen how much pain they’d been in as they died, evident in their faces even after death.

  He didn’t say anything else, and you didn’t need him to, you just needed him to hold you, and he did.

  “Good morning, hermosa. Did you sleep okay?”

  “Morning. Yeah, actually I did.”

  “No bad dreams?”

  “I think my headache might have made that impossible. It’s gone now, though.”

  “Good. How do you feel about breakfast?”

  “I’m looking forward to it. I still haven’t eaten in our kitchen yet.”

  “Right. Eggs and toast?”

  “Please.”

  You went about your morning toilet and wash, before heading out to the kitchen together. Missy was already at the island, having cereal and flipping through a schoolbook, and since Marcus was already pulling out the frying pan to get started on the eggs, you sat down with her, before the school bus would get there.

  “Morning, angel. Test today?”

  “Yup. Maths. I got it, though.”

  “Oh, I believe that, you’re good at maths. Break a leg anyway.”

  “Thanks, alma. I’m aiming for top scores.”

  “I like your aim.”

  “Don’t worry, preciosa, her protection is in place.”

  Marcus had just sat down a plate in front of you when the bus honked, and Missy ran out the door while shouting she loved both of you.

  You kept staring at the closed door after she’d disappeared through it, and Marcus knew what you were thinking.

  “I know, but after yesterday… I just feel a bit more protective than usual.”

  “That’s entirely understandable, but please try not to stress over it. You have another one to protect as well.”

  “Right… Sorry.”

  “Don’t apologise, just breathe and eat calmly.”

  “So, Allen got the all clear, I assume. Does that mean he’s in?”

  You dug into the food and it was delicious. So much better than the airport food you’d eaten all day yesterday, even though it was just scrambled eggs and perfectly roasted toast, with those tomatoes on the side, that he’d promised you the day before.

  Marcus let you finish before he started talking again.

  “Yeah, he’s gonna coordinate for us at HQ, so we can keep our attention on the rest of the country, and world.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “Shaken, for numerous reasons, but determined to get his lives work back in order. He told me about the early days, and how he and your mom whipped the first supers into heroes.”

  “Really? Mom doesn’t talk about those days much. She’s told me a lot about my father, but not that much about herself.”

  “Well, she seems to have been a tour de force all her life, from what Allen described. And after what you’ve told me about your dad, I can see why he would’ve fallen for her. They were a good match.”

  “She always says that the best thing about him was how good he was at driving her up the walls, because it forced her to really look at him.”

  “I see what she means.”

  “I don’t drive you up the walls. Do I?”

  “Mostly just in the mornings, when you know I’m not susceptible to ‘fun’, but other than that, you’re pretty well behaved.”

  “Oh, no, the mornings don’t count.”

  “And why the hell not?”

  “Because your morning mood is way too amusing not to take advantage of.”

  “Hey! That is so not fair, I can’t help it that my brain just won’t start on all cylinders at once. And, for the record, this is the second morning in a row that I haven’t been cranky first thing.”

  His whole face lit up in a dazzling smile at that.

  “Wow. That’s more than just a record, babe, that’s almost worthy of a mention on CNN.”

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  “Sorry to interrupt.”

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?! How could you do that to her?! I have always been your friend, protected you, guided you, helped you any way I could… and you almost kill my wife!!”

  A voice came from the living room, and with the way the house was designed, about half of that space was visible from the kitchen, while the other half was hidden behind the dining room.

  He didn’t need to step into view from behind the wall that separated the two areas, for either of you to know who it was. The truth-seeker had a very recognisable tone and rhythm of speech. But when he did appear, you couldn’t help yourself from getting out of your chair and taking a few steps back towards the kitchen counter, needing as much space between you as possible.

  Marcus, on the other hand, turned positively feral. He rushed Verity and wrestled him to the floor, while screaming at him.

  “I would never have let her come to any harm.”

  You’d never seen him angry like this. Usually he internalised it, afraid to let it loose because of what his powers might do, but this was more than anger. He felt betrayed by one of his oldest friends, and it enraged him in a way that didn’t even involve his powers.

  He had Verity pinned on the floor and was sitting on top of him with his hands around his neck, every muscle in his body was tensed to the breaking-point and there where visible veins pulsing in his face, neck and arms.

  “Are you seriously fucking lying to me right now?! You did harm her, you ignorant piece of shit! Just because she’s the strongest fucking person you’ve ever met, doesn’t mean you can’t hurt her! She could barely even walk!”

  “But she’s not damaged. Her mind is intact.”

  “I don’t believe this…I don’t fucking believe it!”

  He got off of Verity and dragged him up to standing before shoving him down on the nearest chair, still keeping himself in between you and the trespasser. He paced in front of him while he continued to rail at him.

  “Are you seriously telling me, that you don’t know the difference between physically harming someone, and hurting them? How is that even possible, with all the crap you went through as a kid? How do you not know the difference?!”

  “It was a memory. Hiding them away only ever hurts you, I was trying to help her.”

  “Did you see the fucking memory?!”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me exactly how seeing those faces for the rest of her life is gonna help her!”

  “It already has.”

  His eyes shifted to yours, and you instinctively tried to back away further.

  “That memory has already made you understand why you have the powers you do.”

  His energy flowed through you, and it made you feel sick. You closed your eyes in a useless attempt to keep him out, but you felt him explore your mind again, bringing those images to the forefront of your thoughts.

  “Seeing their suffering solidified everything that you are. Through all his torture and experiments, all you wanted was to live. But for them… you wanted to die. You wanted to exchange your life for theirs. That’s your true strength – your armour and your weapon. Look at their faces, Rain. See them and know who you are.”

  “You think that just because you know the truth, you understand everything? Do you think you know how this feels? Do you think you have any idea how much this hurts me? Do you not even see how you’re manipulating me?”

  Your blood suddenly boiled with fury. Who was he to command your thoughts? To impose his perspective on you? This man that had hurt you so badly, only to uncover a truth he had no right to.

  The entire house shook as your powers awoke with a vengeance. You snapped your eyes back open just as Marcus turned back to look at you, realising what was happening.

  But you loved this house, you weren’t gonna put a single fucking dent on it.

  Reaching into that special place inside of you, where you’d learned you could find that sparkling dust, you drew it out and gathered it in large quantities on the floor in front of Verity. Then you allowed your mind to fill with the images of those innocent children, in their dying moments, and transferred those images into the dust.

  Fifteen lifelike sculptures appeared in the sparkles, perfect re-creations of the dead and long forgotten sacrifices, that Verity had never met, never known, and yet felt he had the right to use like string-puppets.

  He had the audacity to smile at your creations.

  His smile faded as you spoke, but he made no attempt to apologise.

  “You’re using my pain to force my hand. You know that my powers hurt me, and you force me to use them anyway. And for what? To try and prove you were right?”

  “No. If anything, my efforts should tell you exactly how much we need your powers in this war. You asked me to help you win it. That’s all I’m doing.”

  “And if our baby dies because of it, that’s just another sacrifice for the greater good?!”

  The sculptures collapsed into mere piles on the floor, and you glared at him furiously, daring him to answer you.

  “I don’t believe your baby will be harmed by your abilities.”

  “Your beliefs are of no fucking relevance to me. Tell me if you would care… at all… if another child had to die in order for us to win this war?”

  He paused, but not to consider his answer, only how you would react to it.

  “No. I wouldn’t care. Wars kill people, of all ages, it doesn’t discriminate. Many more will die before it’s over, and if we’re going to be outraged over each and every one of them, then we won’t have time to fight.”

  Marcus closed his eyes and bowed his head.

  “That’s not the point, V. The point is that we only win if we still care. If we stop caring about life and suffering, then we might as well join the assholes. Can’t you see that?”

  “I haven’t lived like you have, Marcus. Caring has never been a luxury I’ve been able to enjoy. I have nothing. No possessions, no family, one person I would call a friend, and whom, despite my best efforts, I do care about.”

  “Then it should matter to you whether or not my family is safe and well.”

  “It does, and they are. When I say that I don’t believe that your wife’s powers will harm your child, I’m not just guessing. I can see your powers, Rain, the core of them. And while they do damage you a little bit every time you use them, I don’t believe that that damage actually harms you. I believe it slowly changes you.”

  “Changes me… Why? Into what?”

  “I couldn’t say for sure, but I don’t think it’s that kind of change. I think it’s simply trying to make you stronger, physically. As in, superhumanly strong. Invincible. And if anyone’s body could – it’d be yours.”

Authors’ Note: I love criticism, please don’t be shy to let me know if there’s anything you like/don’t like/have questions about.

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