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turtletaubwrites · 3 months

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Rumble ~ Part 26

This is part 26 of the poly series 'We've All Got Needs,' linked below:

Pairings: Zoro x Fem!Reader, Sanji x Fem!Reader x Robin

Word Count: 3917

We've All Got Needs Masterlist

Ao3 Link (Ch. 16 of We've All Got Needs cont.)

!!SPOILER WARNING!! Spoilers for the anime for the Water 7/Enies Lobby arc (through episode 297).

Summary: The battle rages on as the Straw Hat crew fight CP9 agents for keys to the sea prism stone handcuffs. You fight alongside Chopper, but when all looks lost, Chopper makes a dangerous choice.

Rating/Warnings: AFAB!Reader, She/Her Pronouns for Reader, Reader-Insert, Polyamory, Canon Typical Violence, Blood, Injuries, (Including Reader), Pet Names, Cigarettes (they're gross, don't smoke), Swearing, Angst, Fear, Heights, Nausea, Being Bound (but not in a kinky way), Reader really goes through the wringer in this one

A/N: We're almost through this arc, y'all! I have been having such a wonderful time incorporating the reader into this part of the story. I hope you enjoy this update!

Chopper grunted, the agent’s staff slamming into his stomach.

“Daydream Thorns! Blackout Thorns!”

You hadn’t tested what would happen if you dosed someone with the knockout and hallucination poisons at the same time, but you called the tiny blades, hoping something would stick.

It didn’t.

That pink hair seemed to read your every move, even as he faced off against Chopper. You ended up having to block, focusing completely on defense as tendrils reached for you. The man’s loud whines grated your fucking nerves as he complained that Chopper had gotten in his way.

At this point, you were just hoping to be enough of a distraction for Chopper to break through, but the man hardly seemed to notice you. He just let his hair fend you off instead.

An opening!

The agent lifted his staff high, preparing to bring it down on Chopper, who seemed to be losing speed.

How much longer does he have on his rumble ball?

Pushing that thought away, you attacked, slamming both tonfa down toward his chest beneath his outstretched arms.

Pain.

For a moment, you were not a person. Not a Straw Hat. Just pain.

That pink hair had wrapped around your waist, flinging you across the hallway into a wall.

You had a split second of instinct, and Zoro’s mocking voice from all those days of training took over.

‘Protect your head, Needy.’

Your metal tonfa fell from your grasp as you curled in as much as you could, covering your head with your arms.

It didn’t stop the impact though.

Warm metal was building in your mouth, and you opened your eyes to watch yourself spit blood onto the stone floor.

“Ch-Chopper…”

The spinning had slowed enough for you to look around, seeing your tonfa scattered between you and the fight.

Fuck, he threw me all the way over here?

Spitting red one more time before gritting your teeth, you stood with your hands on your aching knees while you gathered your bearings.

Moving gave you a chance to notice what was hurt. You were relieved that the blood in your mouth seemed to be from the inside of your cheek, as if you’d bitten into the flesh when he’d tossed you.

Your body had never taken this kind of abuse before, and you winced as you picked up your weapons, willing yourself to ignore the pain. Nothing seemed broken. You would be okay.

I’ll probably look like one giant bruise when this is over.

The fact that you almost giggled at that thought made you concerned that you might not have protected your head well enough.

Picking up speed, you readied your weapons, just in time to watch the agent kick Chopper through the wall, dust filling the air as you called his name.

Fuck your pain. You ran.

That pink haired man had moved through the hole in the wall, and you heard heard his screechy voice before you caught up.

“Yo yoy! You will now disappear from this world!”

Chopper was slumped on the ground in what looked like an oversized kitchen. You brain didn’t have time to process the size of everything, as the agent was spinning his staff in the air, preparing to slam it down on Chopper’s head.

“Blackout Dart!”

You didn’t think, just moved. The dart flew through the air, piercing below the man’s armpit before he brought his staff down.

He stumbled to the side, looking toward you, while Chopper crawled out of the way.

You aimed again, but watched the man continue to wobble toward your friend.

Chopper grunted, pulling open the door to what looked like a giant fridge. He let that huge man stumble in, then slammed the door, twisting a lock into place.

“Kumadori!”

You spun, regretting the movement, and saw the owner of that other grating voice. The agent with the zippered mouth was pushing himself off the ground as he called for his pink haired ally.

His face was bloodied, and then it was blocked by Franky’s body as he started to yell.

“Hold on a second, I’ve got some business with that fridge, gorilla man.”

Groaning a bit, you moved between them, trying to calm Chopper down as he yelled back at the blue haired man.

“Ah! It’s CP9, and that jerk!”

“I’m on your side, remember!”

“I haven’t forgiven you for what you did to us. We lost a member of our crew.”

You reached up to rub Chopper’s arm as tears welled in his eyes.

“It’s all your fault, give us our Usopp back!”

“Chopper, calm down okay, we can’t turn away help right n–”

Franky kept grumbling while you got Chopper to meet your eyes.

“We’ve gotta get Robin back. No matter what, right?”

“Robin,” he cried, so many tears streaming down that you wondered if the rumble balls affected his mood.

“If you wanna get Nico Robin back, then climb into that fridge and get me three bottles of cola! That’ll get me back to full power so I can pound these jerks into the ground.”

What the fuck?

“What kind of an idiot gets stronger from cola,” Chopper asked, mirroring your thoughts.

“Don’t judge me, just do it!”

“Stopping to have a little comedy act in the middle of a fight isn’t just stupid, it’s rude!”

The zippered man squared off against Franky, and you froze as you watched him start to shift, to blur, seeming to split into different versions of himself. Those copies surrounded Franky, attacking from all sides.

You clawed at the lock to that fridge as Chopper climbed inside.

“Be careful, Chopper! I don’t think my knockout dart was strong enough for someone as big as him,” you warned, recalling how the man had stumbled multiple times, but hadn't slumped as quickly as most people of average size would have.

“Got it,” Chopper yelled, handing various bottles out through the cracked door.

What did he need? Cola?

“Here,” you called, tossing three dark glass bottles Franky’s way.

You gawked as he turned, the bottles out of sight as steam pumped out of his ears.

Franky went in for an attack, but his demeanor changed, suddenly relaxed and polite to his enemy.

That enemy did not hold back, and after Franky pushed himself to his feet he yelled, fuming.

“That wasn’t cola! Only cola!”

“I wonder how other drinks affect him,” Chopper mused as he peeked his head out of the door.

“Chopper!”

“Sorry,” he called, diving back in. He started handing you bottle after bottle, and you sorted, tossing the useless drinks aside, until Chopper found a third bottle.

“Franky!”

He caught each bottle as you threw them, holding them against his stomach as he turned away.

But the zippered man landed a heavy hit, fear filling your gut as your ally lay still on the stone floor.

Chopper had locked the fridge again, his eyes wide in panic as you waited for Franky to just move.

Goosebumps covered your skin as an almost electric pulse seemed to flow through the room. You turned to the agent, but he was still insulting Franky, his focus hadn’t shifted to you yet.

“Oh, come on,” the agent laughed as Franky got to his feet, walking slowly toward him. “It’s not like anything’s gonna change just because you drank some cola.”

You would have agreed. But there was something in Franky’s gait, almost a light behind those pitch black sunglasses, that made you hold your breath.

The agent kept laughing, allowing Franky to move in, not fearing any hit the blue haired man could give.

“Strong Hammer!”

Franky’s strangely wide fist and forearm crashed into the zippered man, and you couldn’t help but gasp at the sheer force of the hit.

A wave of air rocked from where they had stood, and the agent flew across the room, smashing through the brick wall.

Multiple brick walls.

All the way out to the balcony.

While Chopper was still cheering for Franky and his awesome strength, you filled your ally in on the need to find the key for Zoro and Usopp’s handcuffs, as well as Robin’s.

“How stupid can this get,” he grumbled, before flipping around to that annoying fucking laughter.

The zippered man was up again, taunting Franky as he ran away down the balcony.

Franky chased after him, his shoulders stretching up to reveal fucking cannons.

Before you could run after him, the giant fridge door flew off its hinges, just missing you as you lunged away.

“Oh, thank you,” the pink haired man, Kumadori, yelled as he stumbled out into the room, cool air rolling over you from the broken fridge. “I needed a snack!”

There was no time to draw your weapons now. You were caught.

Thick ropes of hair coiled around your limbs as the man laughed, as Chopper screamed your name.

“Run, Chopper,” you cried out, before hair wrapped around your throat.

Your legs were bound together, your arms trapped against your body as he flung you around. Every struggling movement you made brought that pink hair tighter around your flesh. Just a fly caught in a web.

As his hair waved around erratically, you saw flashes of fire and smoke. As much as you wanted to watch, to see your friend fight or flee, the manic whipping of his hair sent your head spinning. Nausea threatened to compound your humiliation, and you clenched your jaw to fight it.

Please, get out of here, Chopper.

You still tried to reach for your tonfa, but your fingers could barely move, let alone anything else.

All you could do now was focus on your breathing, the hair around your neck not tight enough to stop that yet.

There was nothing but whiplash, Kumadori’s screeching voice, and the growing scent of smoke.

Your mind couldn’t pick up any words through it all. Until one word echoed.

“Rumble.”

No. No.

Chopper wasn’t supposed to take that many rumble balls in one day.

You willed your eyes to stay open now, even as you were flung and whipped through the air. You tried to call his name, to tell him to run.

But you were useless.

Weak.

Putting your crewmate in danger.

Chopper.

His voice broke through, that pink hair starting to slow its swaying movements as Kumadori stood still.

“I’m here to save my friends, and I’m not gonna let anybody get in my way!”

Your captors' taunts almost drowned out the sounds of Chopper’s cries, his attacks ending with grunts, and crashes, and what couldn’t be the spray of blood.

Salty tears already staining your face, desperate sobs wracked through you, as restrained as they were.

After far too long of the sounds of Chopper’s pain, Kumadori’s hair stretched, capturing your friend in the same trap. You’d been flipped around to see his bloody form, a silent scream fighting to be free from your pathetic lips.

Chopper shrunk then, shifting to his normal form before his tiny body crashed to the ground.

No, Chopper. He can’t be…

The fear of Chopper’s death had you fighting at your binds again to reach your sweet little friend. As if to taunt you, Kumadori let you go.

You winced as your bruised body slammed to the stone. The dizziness his torture left you with had you wobbling on your hands and knees, barely able to crawl forward without your head swimming.

He laughed at you.

He didn’t stop you. He didn’t hurt you. He knew that you were weak. That you could do nothing.

So he laughed.

Finally, the agonizing crawl to that too still body was over. You curled around behind him, settling his head in your lap while you whispered his name, your tears mixing with the blood on his face.

The sight of his arm moving gave you more joy and relief than you’d ever felt.

Kumadori tried to reach him. But you were both too late to stop him.

Chopper ate another rumble ball.

“Chopper? Chopper!”

You had still been clinging to his little body, so afraid that you’d lost him.

Now you clung to him as he started to shake, as a deep growl echoed from his lips, getting deeper with each second.

He was growing. Fast.

What the fuck?

You made the choice to keep clinging to him, and soon you were lifted off the ground. Chopper stood, growing impossibly large, and you screamed as you wrapped your limbs around one of his antlers.

It was like hanging onto a warm tree trunk, and you scrambled to wrap your legs around it. Your fingers struggled to gain purchase in the velvety fur that covered the massive bone.

The high ceilings came way too close, and the rising smoke from the fires Kumadori had caused was burning in your lungs.

You managed to pull the neck of your shirt over your nose, screaming for Chopper to listen, to get away.

It didn’t seem like your friend was in there.

This monstrous form reared its head back with a terrifying roar, and you couldn't cover your ears for fear of falling to your death.

“Please, Chopper…”

The monster sank to its knees to smash the agent into the stone, and all you could do was hang on for dear life as Chopper kept slamming down on what now looked to be a tiny pink haired man.

You didn’t think there was a way that the man could still be alive, but you saw his pink hair swaying in the monster's hand before he used his other fist to smash through the wall.

The smoke in your lungs was replaced with waves of dust. When the air cleared you saw the wide expanse of that dangerous sea, and Franky’s small form on the balcony below.

“Chopper, we’re safe! Okay? Please, change back now.”

The only reaction the monster had to your voice was to swing Kumadori in its hand before tossing him lazily, launching him like a fucking cannon toward the middle of the island.

Your blood ran ice cold.

Chopper would never do that. Not even to an enemy.

“Hey, you,” Franky called up, “you’re not that deer gorilla, right?”

Chopper growled, the vibrations almost making your teeth chatter.

“Franky, it is! There’s something wrong with him, he’s not thinking straight!”

“Damn, you alright up there, girlie?”

“Obviously not,” you screamed as Chopper turned his head a little too fast, making you clench your teeth. “Please help hi–”

Chopper slammed his fist down, shattering the stone where Franky had just stood.

Then you were screaming as the monster dug its fingers into the stone bricks of the tower, bringing you impossibly higher into the air as he climbed.

You didn’t think that you’d had a fear of heights before this, but you’d never think that again.

Every little breath, every tiny movement your body made as you clung to his antler seemed to spell your death. The slide of that silky fur under your grasp brought stinging tears to your eyes. You started to panic, breath speeding with your pulse, but those quick breaths only made you feel more unstable.

Instead, you held your breath. Whimpers left your throat as his rough movements caused your body to slide, bringing all of your focus to just hanging on.

After a few idiotic looks down, you kept your eyes firmly shut.

You thought you’d gotten used to the sound of crumbling stone, and the smell of that thick dust, but this time it came with Chopper slamming his head into the stone wall, your body rushing forward with the force of his movement.

So close to the shattering of stone, you begged, pleaded with his hands to stay gripped onto the building, to keep holding you both too fucking high in the air.

You coughed, tears streaming out of the dust as you heard a woman’s voice.

“I see, so you have Zoan type powers, do you?”

“Are you dense? I told you that’s not me! But, those antlers…”

“Nami,” you tried to scream, the dust coating your throat turning it hoarse.

“Y/N? Chopper! What’s going on?”

“There’s something wrong,” you coughed, still hanging on as Chopper leaned his upper body into the large room, crawling inside.

“It’s like he can’t control himself, he’s danger– Watch out!”

Chopper brought a palm down, slapping the floor where Nami had just barely rolled away from.

“Don’t just ignore me,” Kalifa yelled, the other voice in the room.

“Chopper, it’s me,” Nami screamed, trying, and failing to reach him.

The monster had fully crawled into the tower now, and you tried to convince yourself to let go.

But he kept thrashing, destroying, roaring so deep it hurt your bones.

His fingers clawed into the floor, tearing at it until he ripped a huge bathtub free, tossing the water and stone down to the stairway room, falling straight to the ground floor.

“Sanji,” you and Nami cried, and you hated yourself for leaving him there, helpless in the rubble.

No. This can’t be happening. It’s not happening.

You sobbed as you beat your head against his antler, pleading with Chopper to stop. Just stop.

But he didn’t, and he was still moving too wildly for you to let go, smashing through yet another wall.

“Nami!”

“I’m okay, just hang on! Maybe one of the boys can stop him!”

“Gods fucking damn it,” you cursed through gritted teeth as the monster used the staircases like a ladder to climb down through the center of the huge tower.

Even though you’d learned your lesson about looking down, you couldn’t help trying to spot Sanji in the rubble.

Your vision twisted in on itself from the height, and you had to shut your eyes again to keep from throwing up.

Please, Sanji. Please be okay.

Chopper chose another wall to break through, your mouth and eyes closing on instinct now.

“Chopper?”

The sound of two voices yelling his name made you open your eyes, finding yourself in that huge room that you were meant to return to when you had their key.

Zoro and Usopp were still bound together, mouths gaping at Chopper. The wolf and giraffe men were on the far side of the room, and even their mouths were wide with shock at the sight of the monster.

“Needy!”

Zoro lunged toward you, his force causing Usopp to trip. Zoro didn’t stop, just dragged Usopp across the ground as he called for you.

“Run, please! Run!”

You couldn’t scream anymore, but they heard your strained voice just in time. Chopper charged at them, aiming for another one of your lovers, another one of your friends.

“What the fuck is going on,” Zoro yelled, turning to keep his enemies in sight.

“He took too many rumble balls. He’s not himself. He’s–”

“He looks sick,” Usopp called out, his voice shaking. “He looks like he’s about to keel over!”

You couldn’t see Chopper’s face, or anything really besides his shoulder and arm. But he was feeling unsteady, at least compared to when this started.

You heard the CP9 agents talking, and watched Zoro send a blast toward them, slicing his sword through the air.

“Step aside, you guys.”

Franky leapt into the room with his fists held together in front of his chest, aiming straight toward Chopper.

“What do you think you’re doing,” Zoro barked, “The deer monster is our friend.”

“This is the only way to deal with him. All devil fruit users have the same weakness.”

“Don’t you fucking shoot yet,” Zoro threatened as he carried Usopp with one hand, running toward you.

“No, stay back,” you pleaded, desperate not to see Chopper slam his fist down again.

“Jump, now! Needy!”

Zoro dropped his sword.

He dropped his sword for you.

That alone is what got you to let go. You trusted him with your life.

There was the sensation of falling that you’d been fighting to prevent, the rush of air on your skin, the moment of terror.

Zoro caught you.

He caught you with one arm, holding you against him, and you gasped from the pain of his strength around your battered body.

He set you down to grab his sword, movements rushed as Chopper came staggering forward.

But you had no control of your limbs, everything numb and tingling from clinging for so long.

“Fuck. Can you hold my sword, Needy?”

You nodded, clinging again as he tossed you over his shoulder, carrying the two of you away as Chopper reached down to smash you to pieces.

“Sorry, pal,” Franky said, tilting his head as he focused on his target. “This is for your own good.”

His forearms expanded, releasing a blast straight at the monster that was your friend.

That huge form was sent flying through the wall, out over the cliff toward the sea.

Usopp screamed at Franky, but you were still trying to breathe as Zoro set you gently on the ground.

Franky ran after Chopper, leaping over the edge of the cliff.

“It’s okay, guys,” Nami’s voice came through like a blessing, and you whipped around to see her, making yourself dizzy again. “We came up with this plan together.

The wolf and the giraffe looked out of the gaping hole in the building while Nami rushed in. She unlocked their cuffs, finally freeing the sniper and the swordsman.

A wave of relief hit you’d as at least something seemed to be going right.

“Finally managed to free yourselves, huh,” the monstrous giraffe taunted.

“You’d better stop laughing, and start running,” Zoro growled, moving into his stance. “You blew your only chance to kill me, and you’re not getting another.”

Still unable to stand, you watched helplessly as your lover threatened both CP9 agents on his own. The metallic ring of swords being drawn raised the hairs on the back of your neck.

You believed in him. You always would.

“I’m gonna take you all down,” he vowed, pointing his sword at his enemies. “The entire world government!”

Zoro.

He was fierce. Terrifying. Shockwaves and shattered stone flew through the air as you fought to keep your cowardly eyes from closing.

But with every moment, your lungs felt pressure, squeezed under the worry over all three of your lovers.

Please.

The two foes at once were wearing Zoro down, making it impossible for him to land a solid hit as they staggered their attacks.

Nami pulled at you, helping you to stand with your arm over her shoulders. You could still barely move, but you didn’t want to. You needed to see if your swordsman would be okay.

“Come on,” she coaxed, grunting as you resisted.

“Usopp!”

It was so fast. Usopp was right next to you, about to help Nami keep you standing.

The wolf's claws wrapped around his throat as his already injured body was slammed into the stone. Blood shot from his lips, and you went limp again as Nami cried out his name.

Both of your heads jerked to the side as another portion of the stone wall collapsed. The battle paused for a moment as they all waited to see what would be there when the dust cleared.

The spark of a small flame stole your breath.

That blonde hair was muted under blood and dust, but…

“Sanji!”

Your voice was still shot, but he caught your eyes. He sent you a wink that made you want to either kiss, or throttle him.

“Who’s this guy,” the wolf man asked, crossing his arms as he stood over Usopp’s still form.

Sanji took a long drag of his cigarette, staring down the agent with a calm fire burning in his eyes.

“I’m the hunter.”

Likes and reblogs bring me much ✨dopamine✨ thank you so much!

a/n: I made myself dizzy

Part 27

#nico robin x fem!reader #zoro x reader #sanji x reader #angst #f/f fanfic #Reader Insert #Fem!Reader #mine #nico robin x reader #poly fanfic #nico robin fanfic #sanji fanfic #one piece fanfic #zoro fanfic #x reader #turtletaub fics #one piece x reader

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toxinellebug · 4 months

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Shadybug/ClawNoir supporting character Headcanons

Jagged Stone? More like Jared Smith. He wanted to be a rockin musician, but his type of music is banned by the Supreme so his career never took off. Instead, he ended up marrying his girlfriend, Nannette Couffaine, after accidentally knocking her up with twins, released his pet crocodile into the Seine, got an apartment, and works a regular job that he HATES. But, he secretly still tries to record music and sells it on the black market where it has become somewhat popular in the indie underground, but if he were caught he would go to prison for sure. It’s not a happy marriage but he does what he has to. His kids last names are hyphenated Couffaine-Smith.

No houseboat, and without Royalties from music labels, neither Juleka or Luka could afford to go to Francois Dupont

Penny works as an assistant for Bob Roth and HATES IT. The man is a sexist slave driver, but this business is brutal.

Nadja Chamack is not a news anchor. You can’t be a single mother AND have a career that takes up so much of your time. As a result, Marinette has never had to babysit Manon.

Lila wants to challenge Chloe’s position as queen of the school, but there are no lies about charity work, only lies of what powerful and famous connections she has.

Adrien is not interested in being friendly with Lila, and definitely not going to help her with schoolwork. But he is still the ultimate trophy and key to winning popularity in Lila’s eyes, so she is determined to “win him over”, even though he finds her almost as annoying as Chloe, but Chloe he is stuck with due to her mom’s working relationship with his dad.

Gabriel doesn’t trust Lila one bit.

The sad and negative emotions he is forced to sense due to the power of the Butterfly brooch cause him distress, and he often has to excuse himself due to “headaches” from overworking, as a creative’s work is never done… But he is always listening for the emotions of people crying out for justice, for help, for people who wish they had the power to help.

Andre Glacier is still the Sweetheart’s ice-cream maker, but Sweetheart’s ice-cream is just a special menu item that you can request. Otherwise he has a scheduled route and serves the ice-cream that customers ask for.

Alya’s dad wishes the zoo could focus more on animal enrichment and larger enclosures but they don’t have the budget for such “unnecessary extravagences”.

Mr. Haprel hopes to make it as a famous Mime one day so he can be rich enough to afford to send his daughter, Mylene, to the school he works at as a janitor.

Everyone avoids Ivan.

Thomas Astruc never made it as a famous director, rather, the Supreme favored his University Rival, Andre Bourgeois, who also owns the Le Grande Paris Hotel.

Gina and Roland Dupain are not divorced/separated per say… Gina was sent to prison for civil disobedience. That’s why Tom is a doormat and just goes along with whatever discipline Sabine decides on because he doesn’t want his precious little girl to end up a criminal like her grandmother.

Sabine does not teach an inkpainting class on the weekend or practice tai chi or feng shui.

The walls of Marinette’s home are not pink, they are a boring beige that she hates.

The Agreste Manor is not a sterile, black and white modern decor dungeon. It is a prism of color, function, form, beauty and nature with nods to antiquity and the whimsical. Adrien HATES it. All color and light left this world when his mother died. The art in his house mocks his pain.

There is no school blog for Nathaniel to post his art on… But Marc ended up in that class instead of Marinette. (So did Mireille) He’s still too shy to admit he’s a writer. And even more shy to admit he has a crush on Nathaniel, so all he can do is watch the boy quietly. Rose thinks it’s a romantic tragedy and wants to play matchmaker. Alex thinks it’d be a disaster waiting to happen.

There is no Prince Ali who gives toys to sick kids in hospitals.

There is nothing as frivolous as videogame tournaments, so Max devotes all his spare time to his hobby of robotics and developing an AI… but developing an artificial intelligence is frowned upon. Luckily, Alya can keep a secret… that is, if Max is willing to spare some of his time to helping her havkninto the dark web to research conspiracy theories.

Wayhem is obseesed with Adrien, who can’t stand crazy fanatics and won’t lose any sleep if the Gorilla tackles the scrawny boy to the ground.

After much convincing, bullsh**ing, and bribes, Gabriel is able to host his derby hat design competition at Francois Dupont, (and hopefully, modelling his classmate’s creations will be a bonding point for Adrien to make a new friend) Rose sees it as an opportunity to tries to get Marc and Nathaniel to work with her to create a hat, hoping sparks will fly between them.

Even if Marinette WANTED to enter a stupid contest involving that spoiled, stuck-up Agreste boy, which she DOESN’T, her mother won’t allow it because sewing and doodling outfits is a distraction from her schoolwork.

Chloe still cheats.

But Shadybug discreetly sabotages the fashion show the winning hat is supposed to feature in.

Nathalie never became Gabriel’s assistant or even acquaintance. Instead, she is in charge of the department of the Louvre that archives and locks away all “banned” art and artifacts (aka anything related to Miraculous holders)

Alex thinks she’s creepy and hates how she coldly bosses around her dad.

Audrey is the same as ever, with the exception that she recognizes that her younger daughter Zoe has some talent, and wants Andre to find a movie part for her to play, and ignores Chloe’s bitter jealousy which causes her to lash out at others even nastier than in Ladybug and Cat Noir’s universe.

Nino is treated rudely and ignored by Adrien. Adrien would never agree to play a role in Nino’s movie and even accuses Nino of trying to use Adrien’s celebrity status to give himself an unfair advantage in the student movie competition.

Adrien doesn’t have time for stupid group projects or after school activities. But not because he has a full schedule since this Universe’s Gabriel is a decent father who does not demand perfection and give a 14 year old a burdensome schedule… It’s because outside of fencing and modeling, Adrien plans to spend his time planning out which sections of the city he’s going to take his anger out on that night.

Gabriel never forgot his roots as the son of a fry-cook, and occasionally tries to cook comfort food (NOT PANCAKES) for Adrien, who insists he’s not hungry or that junk is bad for his skin/weight, which has Gavriel worried about Adrien developing body dysphoria and eating disorders… These worries are put to rest when he finds out Adrien has suddenly developed a sweet tooth for baked goods. Therefore he has no qualms about his son frequenting the local bakery so often because a growing boy needs to eat and a treat is good for the spirit.

He wishes he could be more honest with Adrien, but he knows that it would destroy his son if he ever found out that the sickness that took his mother’s life was caused by his creation… He’s also not sure what kind of trauma Adrien would have to the fact he’s not human.

Gabriel also doesn’t want Adrien in danger. Gabriel wants to create a better world for his son to live in, a world where he and everyone else can be free! Where people can throve without stepping over others, and the poor don’t have to suffer. Where people have rights to love freely and express opinions without fear. A world where people help one another.

Gabriel would never use the rings to control Adrien, instead, he keeps them locked away in a safe, and plans to give them to Adrien someday when he is an adult and less likrly to misplace them because if they were to fall into the wrong hands, Gabriel shudders to think of what would become of Adrien.

Audrey still has a low key crush on Gabriel which makes him cringe but he still acts polite to keep up working relations, and he also pities his friend Andre, trapped in a one-sided marriage and bullied by his daughter and his wife.

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mcbenson25 · 11 months

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More Than He Bargained For Part 8

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Final Part

A/N: I know I said I would post more often but I decided it was becoming a lot if I kept posting in little sections so I decided to make them a loooot longer just to move things along.

Warnings: Violence, blood mentions, injury, mild language

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Eobard took a swig of water, trying to quell the anger, annoyance, and exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm him. The Earth-X situation was proving to be more of a headache than he had anticipated. The lack of patience and impulsiveness from his team was becoming a hindrance, but they were his only shot at a happy ending.

A happy ending where Barry was dead, and Eobard had you by his side. The thought brought a twisted smile to his lips, but it was short-lived as a loud beeping interrupted his thoughts.

"He's gone," the Dark Arrow announced, and Eobard tensed.

"Who? Merlyn?" he asked, unable to hide the contempt in his voice.

"The biosensor in his suit indicates his heart stopped," the Dark Arrow replied evenly, and Eobard felt a sense of resignation wash over him.

Merlyn was never strong enough to handle anything, so his demise was no surprise.

Get over it.

"He always seemed too soft to me," Eobard remarked, hoping to move past the topic and focus on the task at hand.

The room fell silent, and for a moment, Eobard thought they had moved on, but of course it was too much to hope for as the Dark Arrow spoke again.

"He died for you," he said to Overgirl with a solemn tone.

Here we go with this.

Eobard felt a wave of disgust wash over him. Merlyn's death meant nothing to him, and he couldn't understand why it would matter to anyone else.

"We will make his death worthwhile," the Dark Arrow stated with a sense of determination.

How stupid.

"That doesn't change the fact that now we're down a man," he repeated, trying to refocus the conversation on the task at hand.

Dark Arrow gave him a withering glare, clearly annoyed at the lack of respect coming from Eobard. "Keep your focus where it belongs and GET to work on locating that prism!" he growled through gritted teeth.

Oh have I hit a soft spot?

Eobard couldn't help but smile at the opportunity for confrontation. He relished the thought of punching Dark Arrow's ridiculous face. "Watch your tone," he warned, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. "Or I'll watch it for you."

Dark Arrow's anger boiled over, and he stepped forward, shoving Eobard roughly against a pillar. Eobard couldn't help but grin in satisfaction, knowing that he had hit a nerve.

This was going to be good.

"Oliver!" Overgirl called out trying to diffuse the situation, but he ignored her, focused solely on Eobard. "Did you just tell me to watch my tone?" he snarled, his eyes flashing with rage.

Eobard met his gaze without fear, his wicked smile never leaving his face. "You're angry," he said in a low voice, goading him. "And I like it."

Dark Arrow pushed him further into the pillar, his fury barely contained. "Don't you mock me!" he spat.

Eobard merely chuckled. "Then do not threaten me," he taunted. "Or have you forgotten?" He vibrated his hand menacingly. "I can end your life before you even birth your next thought."

Both men stared angrily at each other waiting for the other to move when Overgirl showed up next to them.

"Try it once," "Kara" threatened, "and I break every bone in your body."

Eobard felt his hand get crushed by Overgirl and "Oliver's" arrow was uncomfortably close to his neck.

Okay maybe not the best idea.

He rolled his eyes, "Ok, we're all a little emotional. Here what I suggest," as said feeling the arrow coming closer to his throat, "I will stop vibrating my hand," he looked at "Kara", "You will stop breaking my wrist, and you," he said exasperatedly to "Oliver", "will be 10% less brooding."

"Oliver" backed away and let his arrow fall on the floor with a clang and only then did "Kara" let go of his hand.

"We accomplish nothing by arguing," Kara stated.

Eobard was annoyed again. "It's the accomplishing nothing that has me concerned." He paused taking an annoyed breath, raising his voice, "We came here to conquer this Earth, or have you forgotten?"

"Oliver" stepped in. "Locate the prism," he paused as he saw Eobard's murderous look, "please."

That's what I thought.

"Once we have identified the location of the target I will devise a plan of attack.”

Eobard was finally in agreement as he walked out.

Time to get the party started.

------------------------------

Harry sighed, his mind heavy with thoughts of the recent encounter with you. The memory of catching you flustered replayed in his mind, intensifying the beat of his heart. Seeking a distraction, he had joined Caitlin and Jax in their work lab, hoping to shift his focus to tracking down the Nazis.

Pushing up his glasses, Harry's attention was brought back to the tool he was tinkering with as Jax shared some information. "Felicity's got her friend working on Palmer Technology's spectrometry satellites," Jax said, breaking the silence.

Why don't we just use-

Caitlin finished Harry's thought. "Okay, but what about the Waverider? I mean, a time-traveling ship must have some sort of tracking technology we can use," she suggested, her voice tinged with a hint of hope.

Harry nodded in agreement. "It would help us locate these bastards a lot faster," he remarked, his determination evident in his voice.

Jax interjected, his expression perplexed. "Well, not exactly. It's in the, uh, Stone Age," he explained, scrunching up his face.

The confusion was mirrored on both Caitlin and Harry's faces. "It's literally in the Stone Age." Jax clarified, prompting Harry to let out a frustrated sigh.

Caitlin's disappointment was visible as she spoke, "Okay, well, parallel Earth jumping is kind of Cisco's specialty," her voice trailed off.

"Unfortunately, he's too busy being unconscious right now," Harry replied gruffly, his frustration seeping into his words. "I guess we're on our own.”

Just then, Professor Stein entered the lab, and Jax's face lit up. "Oh, perfect timing, man. We're trying to find the guys from Earth-X, but we're coming up with nothing," Jax shared, hoping for a breakthrough.

However, Professor Stein's expression revealed a hint of sadness as he glanced at Caitlin and Harry. "I'm sorry, could you excuse us a moment?" he requested, his tone conveying a need for privacy.

Caught in the intrigue of the unfolding situation, Harry exchanged a curious glance with Jax before focusing his attention on the professor. Something was about to transpire, and Harry couldn't help but smile curiously.

Carelessly tossing his tool aside, he remarked, "Happily. We don't want to interrupt whatever... awkward, awkward thing-," he said with an amused expression.

Caitlin, rolling her eyes in annoyance, her voice laced with exasperation. "Come on, Harry, it's not about you," she scolded, as she dragged him away from the unfolding conversation.

Yet, Harry's curiosity lingered. "-that is," he continued, his voice trailing off as Caitlin pulled him away.

---------------------------

One sheep, two sheep, three sheep...

Sitting in the cortex with Iris, you spun in the chair as Felicity frantically tried to uncover the Nazis' hiding place. Frustrated, Iris blew out a breath and questioned, "How long until you brainiacs find these Nazis?"

Felicity, visibly exasperated and annoyed, let out a sigh. "My answer hasn't changed in the two minutes since you last asked me."

You and Iris exchanged a concerned glance, sensing something was bothering Felicity. Iris quickly apologized, sitting up straighter in her chair.

Noticing the impact of her own tone, Felicity sighed and admitted, "I'm sorry. I'm dealing with some Oliver stuff," she paused, "not 'Nazis ruined the happiest day of our life' stuff, but... stuff."

You approached Felicity, sensing her distress. Memories of your earlier conversation this morning flooded back.

"Stuff. Like you're unsure about marrying him?" you asked gently, drawing closer to Felicity.

"I thought you guys said you were good?" Iris chimed in, scooting her chair closer to Felicity.

Felicity glanced at you, her eyes reflecting the vulnerability within.

"What if I lose him? I couldn't bear it. I love him too much."

You remembered your heart-to-heart talk earlier, and instinctively spoke up for her, saying, "You don't want to jeopardize the happiness you've fought so hard to build."

Felicity nodded, tears welling up. "We're just as good as we were the last time we got engaged and I got shot. That was the beginning of the end for us."

Iris let out a sigh, struggling to fully comprehend Felicity's situation, because her own relationship with Barry seemed so perfect and secure. You, on the other hand, painfully understood the complexity of Felicity's emotions, as you longed for the same sense of security with Eobard, free from worries about him or the constraints of time that seemingly never escaped you.

"I don't want to tempt fate again," Felicity's voice cracked, "you know?"

Both you and Iris enveloped Felicity in a comforting hug. In that moment, a beeping sound emerged from the computer, drawing your attention. Huddling around the screen, you asked, puzzled, "A break-in at Dayton Optical Systems?"

Iris, seemingly weary, suggested, "I know this may sound terrible, but maybe we should let the police handle it. We need our team focused on the Nazis."

Casting her a sideways glance, you couldn't help but disagree. At this point, anything could be connected to the unwelcome visitors from Earth-X

Felicity pulled up security footage and looked up, her gaze intense. "This is the Nazis."

Sighing, you swiftly began pressing buttons on the computer. "We need to inform the others. Now."

-----------------

Eobard observed with amusement as Barry walked toward Dayton Optical Systems, reveling in the sight of his confusion and apparent stupidity in trying to piece together the puzzle.

What a moron.

"Why are the Earth-Xers targeting this place?" Barry asked Arrow and Supergirl, unaware of Eobard, Dark Arrow, and Overgirl emerging from the shadows. They stood in front of them, nodding evilly.

"Because," came Dark Arrow's distorted voice, "they had something we need."

Eobard smirked as he carried the box and stood across from the Flash, slowly setting it down. Despite being mere feet away, Barry still couldn't figure out his true identity. How stupid was he? Even with his phasing abilities, was Flash really that pathetic in not being able to recognize him?

"Whatever you stole," Arrow started menacingly.

"We're gonna need it back," Barry finished, determination in his voice.

We're gonna need it back. Eobard snorted at the Flash and his pathetic group of do-gooders.

"Your confidence is predictable," Dark Arrow said, clearly amused.

I'll say.

"You've faced some of the greatest evils known to man," Dark Arrow continued, "and you've defeated them. But if you think so highly of yourselves, that you can defeat any threat that comes your way..."

There was a delicious pause as they removed their intricate gas masks, revealing themselves to Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl.

"How do you feel about us?" Dark Arrow said to his doppelgänger, wearing an evil smirk.

To say they were shocked was an understatement. Eobard relished in the stupid look of confusion on Flash's face as he glanced uncertainly at his partners.

Arrow spoke first, his disgust evident. "This is sick."

"Do you mean looking at your reflection and seeing only weakness? I agree," Dark Arrow responded.

"Thawne?" Flash said, attempting to sound unfazed, but Eobard knew the anger boiled inside him.

"Direct from Earth-1," Eobard answered with glee. "Do you like my face?" He gestured, "I was told this was much handsomer than that stupid face of Harrison Wells."

"You're demented," Flash seethed. "I watched you die."

Eobard shook his head and laughed. "Or did you? It's time travel, Barry. So very confusing. I always seem to be saying that to you, don't I?"

It was a hypocritical statement, really. Time travel was the very thing that had brought him to you, that had saved you. Why couldn't you understand that? Everything he did was for you. But he always seemed to mess it up, unable to be careful. You made him forget everything else. But that would change. He just needed to settle things with Flash first.

"Last chance," Green Arrow growled, bringing him back to the present. "Go. Home."

"And stay there," Kara said, her tone cold and resolute.

"All of you," Barry added, his expression hardened as he stared at Eobard.

Eobard smirked at him before putting his cowl back on, fully focused on going after Barry.

Oh no, Barry. Not this time.

Unfortunately, his moment of enjoyment was cut short when Overgirl was struck by a kryptonite arrow. Dark Arrow rushed to her side and yelled at Eobard, "Get the prism out of here now!"

He paused, throwing them a look. He knew the stupid man's love would get in the way. And for a brief moment, he saw you in his arms instead of Overgirl, causing him to freeze before shaking his head to clear the distraction.

He couldn't lose his focus. Not now.

---------------------

"No! Eddie! Oh my..." You heard Iris wail, her voice filled with anguish and despair, as she ran out of the cortex. Without a second thought, you chased after her, your heart pounding in your chest. What had just happened? The world around you felt hazy and disorienting as you reached Iris, who was cradling Eddie's lifeless body, tears streaming down her face. Joe, visibly shaken, repeated in disbelief, "Eddie, what did you do? What did you do?"

A heavy silence hung in the air as you locked eyes with the Reverse Flash, Eobard, the love of your life. Anger surged through your veins, a tempest of emotions ready to be unleashed. You wanted to scream at him, to slap him, to blame him for all of this.

Barry stood nearby, a mix of confusion and shock etched on his face. His voice trembled as he asked, barely able to catch his breath, "What's happening?"

"Cisco, help me," came Eobard's distorted voice, a sickening feeling spreading within you. Deep down, you already knew the truth, the devastating reality that was unfolding before your eyes.

Cisco's voice broke through the tension, his words heavy with realization. "Eddie is his ancestor. If Eddie dies, he'll never be born, and..." His voice trailed off as the weight of the situation settled in.

"He's being erased from the timeline," you whispered, tears welling up in your eyes. The man who professed his love to you was being wiped from existence. You looked at Eobard, a mixture of sadness and disbelief in your gaze.

Why?

Why wasn't I enough?

Eobard locked eyes with you, tears glistening in your eyes as they spilled down your cheeks. The depth of his remorse was evident in his face. He desperately tried to reach out to you, but he was met your tear-filled eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice filled with regret and sorrow. The transformation on his face from Wells' features to the one you had fallen in love with only intensified your pain. "I'm so sorry."

Your legs gave way beneath you, and you collapsed to your knees, the sound of Iris screaming Eddie's name echoing in your ears.

Eddie was gone.

Eobard watched your trembling form, consumed by sobs, unable to face him, and something within him shattered. He had never wanted to inflict such heartache upon you. He realized he was the cause of your pain, your suffering. It was a burden he could never forgive himself for carrying.

Turning his gaze toward Barry, who was still in a state of shock, Eobard's eyes filled with a burning intensity. Barry would pay for this. He would pay for this irreparable pain that he had caused. Eobard vowed to find a way back, a path to end Barry's life and find a way back to you.

But for now, he would leave haunting parting words. "I've controlled your life for so long, Barry. How will you get along without me?"

------------------

Your head throbbed with a pulsating ache, each beat echoing the chaos that had consumed your life. Nazis, doppelgängers, the unsettling sight of Kara and Oliver united in marriage on Earth-X, kryptonite arrows, the looming threat of neutron bombs... It was an overwhelming torrent of events that battered your senses relentlessly.

Make it stop.

Please, make it all stop.

Amidst the chaos, Harry attempted to explain the mind-boggling vastness of the multiverse to Alex. His voice carried a weight of solemnity as he delved into the intricate web of parallel worlds and the existence of countless doppelgängers.

"There are 53 Karas out there, just as there are 53 Kryptons and 53 Earths," Harry explained, his words hanging in the air like an enigmatic puzzle waiting to be solved.

Weary and drained, you glanced up at Harry, and in that moment, your eyes met his. His comforting smile offered a flicker of comfort. He could see the fatigue etched on your face, the weariness that clung to you.

"The Thawne from our Earth is working with them," Barry said, frustrated.

Time froze, and your gaze locked onto Harry hoping that it was all a terrible misunderstanding.

No. He wouldn't... would he?

But deep down, a gnawing sense of dread whispered the truth to your heart.

You turned towards Harry, your eyes filled with a mix of desperation and disbelief. The weight of the revelation threatened to suffocate you as you heard Harry's voice. "Well, he's an idiot."

It was too much to bear, the betrayal cutting deep into your soul. Excusing yourself from the conversation, you rose from your seat. Harry instinctively moved to follow, concern etched on his face, but you shook your head, silently telling him you needed time alone.

You walked up the stairs, your footsteps heavy with the weight of confusion and frustration, until you reached the rooftop of Star Labs. The sprawling city lay below, its lights flickering like distant stars in the night sky.

Why did this have to be so complicated?

It felt like every twist and turn led to an even more twisted mess. And of all the things that could have happened, Eobard had gone and joined the freaking Nazis. Just when you thought Eobard wouldn't dare, he proved you wrong.

Leaning against the ledge, you let out a weary sigh, the sound mingling with the city's distant hum. The cool breeze caressed your face, offering a brief respite from the chaos that had consumed your thoughts. You knew that there was only one way to get answers.

And you hoped it would work.

--------------------

"Will it work?"

Eobard sighed, feeling a mix of annoyance and superiority. It was a familiar sensation, as if he were constantly surrounded by people who underestimated his intellect.

"It will, with a few adjustments and a significant power source," he replied, his tone laced with a touch of arrogance.

Overgirl stood beside him, radiating confidence and pride as she said, "My husband's on his way to handle that as we speak."

Eobard paused his tinkering with the prism, casting a quick glance at Overgirl. "Your husband has a choice to make," he warned, irritation creeping into his voice.

Overgirl let out an exasperated sigh, knowing exactly where this conversation was heading. "Me or the Reich?" she responded, her confidence unshaken.

"That's right," Eobard retorted, a hint of annoyance evident in his tone. He pointed a finger towards her, his frustration mounting. "Because we have two goals, and my worry is if we can't accomplish both, he's going to choose you," he emphasized, "over a second Earth flying under our banner."

Overgirl shook her head defiantly, her confidence unwavering. "Oliver will not abandon our mission," she declared firmly.

Oh please.

Eobard rolled his eyes, his irritation growing. "I've seen this before. In 1945, Hitler and his men were equally short-sighted," he retorted, his voice laced with annoyance.

"Hitler was driven by passion and childish need. Oliver," Overgirl's voice dripped with disgust, "is twice the man Hitler ever was."

I could just strangle her.

The sheer absurdity of the comparison made Eobard want to scoff. "Not when he's blinded by his love for you," he shot back, slamming his fist on the table in frustration.

A heavy silence filled the room as Overgirl finally realized the truth in Eobard's words. The weight of the situation settled upon her.

"If it comes to Oliver choosing between me and the Reich," she said, her voice determined and resolute, "I'll make sure he chooses the Fatherland."

Eobard couldn't help but roll his eyes again, finding her declaration somewhat delusional. "How?" he challenged, his tone skeptical.

"If it comes to it," Overgirl replied defiantly, her resolve unwavering, "by taking the choice out of his hands."

Eobard watched her as she left the room, grateful for the silence accompanied by her departure. However, the silence was short-lived, as his watch suddenly beeped frantically. With a frown etched on his face, he glanced down at it and he could have sworn his heart stopped as he harshly threw the prism onto the table and swiftly made his way out of the room, running towards Star Labs.

---------------

^^^Flashback^^^

Oh my head...

Intense pain throbbed through your head, causing you to instinctively clutch your temples. The searing agony made it difficult to focus, but a chilling voice cut through the haze, jolting you awake from your disoriented state. The realization hit you like a bolt of lightning—you were bound to a chair, trapped.

"Where am I?" you mustered the courage to ask, futilely struggling against your restraints.

The voice, dripping with malevolence, responded with a sinister laugh. "Don't concern yourself with your location, my dear. You're the bait in my grand scheme."

"Release me!" you screamed, desperation and fear coursing through your veins.

Before you could comprehend what was happening, a forceful blow struck your face, silencing your pleas. The taste of blood tainted your mouth, leaving you dizzy and disoriented. Glimpsing a shadowy figure ready to strike again, you braced yourself for the impending pain. However, in an instant, a rush of wind and a streak of lightning disrupted the scene, heralding the arrival of an unexpected savior.

"You've made a profoundly foolish choice," reverberated the distorted voice of the Reverse Flash, his presence commanding.

"Who... who are you?" your captor stuttered, consumed by fear.

"Death," the Reverse Flash declared with a chilling finality, before the dark room flashed with another streak of lightning. The room fell silent, and he approached you, delicately touching your injured face, causing you to wince in pain. As he surveyed your injured state, his gaze flickered with a mix of frustration and concern. Every line etched on his face betrayed the worry he felt within, the furrowed brows and clenched jaw giving away how he felt. Intense fury and worry coursed through Eobard's veins, the sight of you, bound and defenseless, ignited a burning anger within him.

"Did you... kill him?" you whispered, your voice laced with a mix of apprehension and relief.

Eobard scoffed in response, his annoyance palpable. "You could have lost your life, and you're concerned about his well-being?"

A defiant glare met his exasperated expression, silently demanding an answer.

With a resigned sigh, Eobard admitted, "No."

As you stood beside the motionless body of your captor, you realized something. No one had known where you were.

You turned to him, a mixture of curiosity and disbelief on your face. "How did you know I was here?"

Eobard's gaze drifted to the chain that held your ring, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and affection. "How else could I know that you were safe?"

A mixture of incredulity and amusement washed over you. "Seriously? That's how you track me?"

He sighed, a tinge of annoyance still lingering. "Thank you, Eobard, for saving my life," he said, imitating you. "Oh, you're welcome, darling," he replied, feigning annoyance.

A smile tugged at the corners of your lips. "Thank you, Eobard, for rescuing me. I love you, you dork."

His lips curled into a genuine smile, his eyes reflecting the depth of his emotions. "I love you too."

^^^^

------------

It's interesting how slow time seems to move...

Especially when you falling.

Falling off a very very tall building to be precise.

The rush of wind whipped against your face, mingling with the bitter taste of regret that clung to your tongue. Panic tightened its grip around your heart as you peered downward, witnessing the ground drawing nearer with a terrifying certainty.

Dread swelled within you.

Maybe this wasn't the best idea...

As the ground loomed closer, your fear erupted into a frenzied scream, a desperate plea for salvation. And then, in a bewildering instant, you felt a sudden jolt, a force wrapping around you, pulling you back the threat of the hard cement floor. The world snapped back into focus as you found yourself once again on the safety of the balcony, gasping for breath, your heart pounding in your chest.

Eobard, stood before you, his cowl removed, a mixture of concern and confusion etched upon his face. A tremor of vulnerability ran through his touch as his finger grazed your cheek, his worry visible. But the proximity between you felt suffocating, and you pushed him away angrily.

"You're working with the freaking Nazis?" The words exploded from your lips, fueled by a righteous anger that surged within you. The accusation flew like venom, the incredulity in your voice reverberated through the air.

Eobard was left dumbfounded, struggling to comprehend the whirlwind of events that had just happened. "Did you really just throw yourself off the roof to ask me that?" he incredulously questioned, his disbelief barely concealed.

"You're unbelievable," you felt anger surging through your body, your voice crescendoing with every word, "Unbelievable!"

Eobard's composure shattered, his own emotions surging forth in a torrent of words. "I'm unbelievable? Really?" he shot back, his voice rising in intensity. "I have given up everything for you, for our happiness," he declared, his voice tinged with a mixture of defiance and hurt. "And you're unhappy?"

The dam of pent-up emotions burst forth as you both unleashed, the air crackling with the force of your heated exchange. "Bullshit, Eobard," you retorted, your voice trembling with a mix of anger and vulnerability. "Everything you have ever done is for yourself. That's all you do—think about yourself!"

"I'm never the priority. I'm never enough for you," you cried out, the words raw. "I'm sick of sacrificing my own happiness, constantly playing second fiddle to your inability to confront your past and be with me in the present. It's time for you to man up and let go of this foolish fixation on Barry and time!"

There was silence as you both looked at each other.

"I'm sor-" Eobard tried to reach for your hand but you pushed him away.

"Sorry?" you spat, your voice laced with frustration. "I'm sick of hearing that. Every. Single. Time. I'm done, Eobard."

Panic seized Eobard's gaze, his eyes widening with disbelief as the weight of your words settled upon him. "What?" he uttered softly, his voice tinged with a mix of desperation and disbelief.

"I'm done," you repeated, your voice breaking. With a swift motion, you tore the necklace from your neck, the ring glinting in the air before throwing it at him. "Get out."

His protests faltered as he met your gaze, your eyes brimming with a blend of sorrow, pain, and regret. In that moment, the reality of what he had caused sunk in, the shattered fragments of your heart that he had caused.

As tears cascaded down your cheeks, you quietly said again, “Get out,” but this time with a brokenness lacing your voice.

Eobard sighed, his resolve crumbling. He approached you one last time, pressing a bittersweet kiss upon your lips, a final farewell. There was a sudden noise coming from below. You recognized it as the emergency alarm. You glanced up at Eobard and saw that his eyes were filled with sadness.

"I have to go," he said softly, "Go hide. Stay safe."

And with a surge of speed, he vanished, leaving you behind, broken and alone. You wiped your tears away, knowing that you had bigger worries now.

As you came back down you saw men with masks and swastikas on their sleeves walking to the containment area of the lab. Further away you saw Iris and Felicity standing on the other side of the hall, worried. You looked back up, trying to contain the overwhelming emotions you were feeling, before making your way towards Iris and Felicity.

Something told you that things were about to get ugly.

-----------------

Hellooo beautiful people! I'm so sorry it took this long but I wrote a looooot more so hopefully it makes up for it??? Things are getting heated!!! Currently I do not have an ending set in stone so what do y'all think? Was it right on to throw Eobard this curveball? Should Harry make his move? I loveeee hearing feedback and I love all of you! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

Taglist: Taglist: @khayrrilrainxwells @kirareaper13 @i-dont-care-lol @cursedfaechild @lovepeaceorelse @roryjames82 @brianllamawrites @achromaticerebus @honeybeezgobzzzzz

#harrison wells #harry wells #harry wells x reader #harrison wells x reader #eobard x reader #eobard thawne x reader #eowells #eobard thawne #earth x #earth 2 #the flash cw #reverse flash x reader #reverse flash #fanfic #fanfiction #love triangle #xreader #x reader

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askceruleansans · 1 year

Note

*Prism isn't to Worried about that, Her anger is giving her magic a boost, Or some kind, a power up one could say, Her anger makes her feel alive, Strong Even.*

*Like the creators themselves wouldn't be able to stop the choices she could make when she's like this.*

*It's an odd kind of high, It's not the first time she's felt like this actually, There's been many times where she's gotten so close to murdering People.. Many people..*

*She whips Distort back with her tail as if he weighed nothing.*

*She notices how distort slammed into the wall so harshly and the debris that surrounded him when that happened.. He'll definitely have a scar at the back of his skull she'll have to take care of when distort comes to his senses and realizes this fight is pointless..*

*But for now she's going to bask in her power, In her anger and frustration she's found she can direct.*

*She feels.. control..*

*Her grin widens, Oh what a lovely day this has become.. Not only has she found two wonderful partners, But now she's beating her ex into the dirt like he's no stronger then a toddler..*

*no distort is quiet strong, Being the kid of a God of negativity and destruction is a sure fire way to be strong, But he seems to forget chaos overrules everything.*

*and she.. She's the goddess of it, Of chaotic magic..*

"You really like to underestimate me don't you..?"

*She asks, her voice has a mocking tone underneath the giddiness of it..*

[Continued from last rp]

*At first Kari was basking in the positivity (as anger and rage filled as it was) that Prism was steeped in.. but when she threw Distort at the wall she knew it was time for them to stop.

*Abstract's wings start to fluff up in alarm.. when Distort hit the wall he became aware of Distorts soul... Distort was on the cusp of death.. if she kept going.

*Distort lays limply in the pile of rubble.. eyes dizzy... thinking was like walking through sludge.

*He groaned and...... Flicked Prism off.. because even hurt he would not give her the satisfaction of winning.

*Kari runs toward the two.

"PRIS!!"

*She yells... trying to distract Prism for a moment... So that she wouldn't keep almost killing Distort. (as much as he may deserve it)

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enchantedchocolatebars · 4 months

Text

Unikitty! Human AU Rainy Day Headcanons Part 2 🐱 💖 🌧 ☔

💖 Original headcanons 💙

🌧️ Ao3 version ☂️

Part 1 (original) is here.

Ao3 Part 1 is here.

Updated Tumblr part 1 is here.

🦊🔭 Dr.Fox:

• To gain knowledge about the moisture condensed from the atmosphere that falls in individual drops, also known as rain, Dr. Fox will conduct fun science experiments.

• She will create and build a small rain gauge robot to measure how much rain she will receive.

• The doctor will test the pH level of rainwater with a pH meter and compare it to liquids from different sources, such as tap water, juice, lake water, and pool water.

• This science fox will investigate how clouds form, where they come from, and what causes rain through a water cycle experiment.

• She will propose that her friends and her go on a scientific nature hunt!

• She knows that after it stops raining, rainbows sometimes appear in the sky. She will want to do her research on why prisms produce rainbows and create an invention that makes prism rainbows. 🌈

🦅🕶️ Hawkodile:

• Rainy days don't bother him because they give him the chance to improve his combat training skills and witty one-liners in his treehouse.

• He intends to put together an indoor obstacle course using the ideas from his treehouse.

• With a flashlight, the green hawk-crocodile hybrid dude and his friends will create shadow shapes on the walls with their hands.

• He will imagine kissing Dr. Fox in the rain since it's considered romantic.

• Plays balloon ping-pong with Puppycorn!🏓🎈

• Since he's into all things EXTREME, he'll want for him and his friends to go camping in the great indoors. They have a great time! ⛺

Richard:

• He plans on staying dry on this rainy afternoon, so he's most definitely not going outside today. Nope, no way. Not happening.

• It can be very relaxing to listen to nature's music during a rainstorm, so he spends most of his time listening to the rain. He enjoys the soothing sounds.

• He might try knitting as there's nothing more cozy on a rainy day than a wooly sweater or scarf.

• The calming sound of raindrops causes him to take a nap.

• He warms up on the couch with some blankets while watching a documentary on the history of paperclips. 📎

• Makes a trip to the castle library to read some of his favorite old books.

Master Frown:

• When the low-level doom lord notices rain falling from his window, he gets excited! Seasonal showers tend to make people feel miserable, so he wants to see the sad looks of all the citizens for himself!

• He rushes downstairs and out the door past his boyfriend roommate Brock, who is playing video games on the couch.

• Outside, he sees that people are actually happy in the rain?! TIME TO MAKE THEM MISERABLE!

• After failing to cause distress, he heads back to his apartment where Brock recommends that they watch a classic black and white movie that is so bad it's good. He thought it would be funny to mock the scenes.

• Having nothing better to do, Frown sighs and agrees to watch this movie. He was gonna hate it. He just knew it.

• Master Frown is revealed to actually be enjoying the film (to his dismay), even consuming ice cream with Brock as comfort food to prevent the two from crying. Frown relates so much to the movie itself and the characters.

Brock:

•Eat. 🤤🥨🍔🍟🍕🌭🥪🍩🍪🥧

•Sleep. 😴😴😴

•Repeat.

• Enjoys watching cooking shows and sassy daytime talk shows on TV.

• Eat some more. 🤤🥨🍔🍟🍕🌭🥪🍩🍪🥧

•Sleep some more. 😴😴😴

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cheesesoda · 1 year

Note

Can I get Ace with a Marine reader where they both end up having to work together bc the reader got captured when trying to arrest some big pirate and Ace got mad at the pirate bc he insulted Whitebeard, so now they are both trying to escape where the pirate is keeping them... It's weirdly specific, I know but I think it would be interesting.

a/n: OOOO I REALLY LIKE THIS OMG 😚 thank you for the req and i hope you like it bae! 🫶 ignore the fact that i forgot that there was sea prism stone halfway through and didn’t change it LMAOOAJS

The Vice Admiral and The Commander.

portgas d. ace x marine!reader

cw: kidnapping, language, kinda lime-ish?

ATTENTION: I AM, IN NO WAY, ROMANTICIZING KIDNAPPING.

“son of a-!” ace groans as he rubs his head. examining his surroundings, he notices he is in a cage. not only is he in a cage, but he’s in a cage with another person—a marine! “looks like you finally woke up, fire fist ace.” the marine says. “where are we? who are you?” he asks. “i don’t know where we are. last i remember, i was trying to capture some pirate.” she responds. “what were you doing?” he thinks hard for a moment. “i was… fighting a pirate who insulted oyaji. bastard…” he grimaced at the thought of whitebeard being insulted. “then i’m sure it was the same pirate. i’m assuming he defeated both of us and locked us in this cage, though i’m not sure what he plans to do with us.” the marine says. “hey- you never told me your name!” ace frowns. “vice admiral y/n l/n.” she sighs. “vice admiral? and you were defeated by some random pirate?” he scoffs. “fire fist ace? second division commander of the whitebeard pirates? 550,000,000 berry bounty? and you were defeated by some random pirate?” she mocks him. “someone’s done their research.” he smirks. “i’m a vice admiral, of course i know you. don’t flatter yourself.” she rolls her eyes. “wait, is this sea prism stone?” he asks breathily as his eyes begin to close. “hmm… it would appear so.” she observes. “look, i know i’m a pirate and you’re a marine, but i need your help for both of us to get out of here!” he pleads. “allying with a pirate? no thanks, i can get out of here by myself, portgas.” she laughs humorlessly. suddenly, a door slams open, light leaking into the once dark room. “finally, you two are up! i was wondering if i’d accidentally killed y’all!” the man who opened the door chuckles. “who are you?” y/n asks. “the great captain of the club pirates—orlando d. jay!” (a/n: help y’all already know idk how to come up with names 😭) “hm.. never heard of you.” ace deadpans. “soon enough, i’ll have the highest bounty in the world! everyone will know my name!” orlando cackles. “sure. great. now, if we could just be on our way the-“ y/n starts, only to be cut off by a gust of wind being knocked out of her. “oi! y/n!” ace shouts at the girl who’s now choking on the floor. “what’d you do?” he yells at the pirate. “i ate the wind-wind fruit! i can control air and wind! i just knocked all the oxygen out of her lungs!” orlando cackles again. “now, there is a way to get out of this cage, and if you figure it out, i’ll let you both join my crew. if you don’t, then, well, you’ll perish in here until your excruciating death!” he continues laughing maniacally as he exits the room again. “dammit!” ace curses. “oi! y/n, try to breathe!” he holds her upper body in his lap. she continues gasping for air when lights illuminate the rather large stadium they were in. ace squints at the suddenly bright lights. “oh, and i forgot to mention—i’ll be watching!” orlando’s voice booms through the stadium as a live video of his face is plastered on a screen on the wall. “bastard!” ace grimaces. suddenly, he gets an idea. “y/n, i’m sorry for this but it’s the only thing i can think of.” he whispers to her. he presses his mouth to hers and begins breathing into her mouth. while he’s trying to give cpr, orlando teases them through the microphone. “ohhh~ this is getting steamy~” he chuckles. after a couple of breaths in, y/n gasps and starts breathing heavily, sitting up quickly. trying to catch her breath, she looks at ace. he prepares for her to scream at him but instead she says “thank you, portgas.” he looks at her blankly before grinning. “no problem, y/n!” he slaps her on the back. “aw, how heartwarming! a pirate and a marine making out! finally i’m getting what i wanted!” orlando coos. “what he wanted…” y/n repeats quietly. suddenly she looks back at ace. “i get it now.”

“are you sure this will work?” ace whispers. “hopefully.” she exhales. y/n stands up and pretends to fiddle with the door of the cage, knowing that it won’t budge. “ace, come help me with the cage!” she calls to him. he stands up and walks over to her as he pretends to fiddle with the cage as well. “fuck, y/n, i can’t do anything with this sea prism stone…” he trails off before fainting, falling right on top of her. then she realizes his face is planted right on her chest. she picks up his face with her hands on his cheeks. they stare at one another for a moment before they both go in for a kiss. the kiss is soft and hesitant and orlando doesn’t seem impressed. “kiss me more.” y/n whispers against ace’s lips. a light blush dusts his cheeks but he just complies and kisses the marine again, with more passion this time. a soft moan slips past y/n’s lips and ace feels his pants tighten at the sound. “yes! it’s all coming together!” orlando exclaims to himself. “now i wanna get front row seats to this show!” he says. “now is our chance.” y/n pulls back from ace slightly and he nods. they both sit up and examine each other. y/n’s swollen lips and slightly messed up marine uniform cause an even deeper blush to set on ace’s face. ace’s blush and obvious problem cause y/n to blush a bit too. “that was not part of the plan, fire fist.” she says, pointing to his pants. “i know it wasn’t ‘part of the plan’! it’s not like i wanted it to happen!” he whisper yells at her, blushing more. they hear the footsteps get closer and get back to their positions, this time with y/n sitting on his lap as his arms wrap around her waist. she holds his face in her hands and press their lips together again. orlando opens the door and whistles at the sight. he walks closer to the cage, until he’s in reach of them. y/n discreetly passes ace her pocket knife and he takes it, stabbing orlando in the ankle with it. “fuck! you bastard!” orlando shrieks as he bends down to cradle his ankle. when he bends down, y/n swiftly reaches her arm through the bars and snatches the keys off his belt. she unlocks the cage quickly, sticking her arm through the bars next to the lock. when the cage unlocks, y/n and ace get into fighting positions. “ready, vice admiral?” ace smirks. “whenever you are, commander.” y/n replies. orlando falls to the ground and pleads for forgiveness. “w-wait! we can work this out, r-right?” he laughs nervously. “hey, y/n, didn’t his bounty say dead or alive?” ace mocks a question. “y’know, ace, now that you mention it, i think it does.” she feigns innocence. [insert super cool fight scene where ace and y/n beat the shit outta him]

after they leave the pirate’s lair…

“well, this is where we go our separate ways.” y/n exhales as she throws an unconscious orlando on her marine ship. “right.” ace smiles. “don’t tell anyone i said this but… for a guy with a 550,000,000 berry bounty, you’re not so bad.” she smiles back. “you could always come join whitebeard’s crew and become a pirate.” he suggests, which she takes as a joke but he actually meant it. “no thanks, ace.” she laughs lightly. they stand in silence for a moment, both thinking the same thoughts. thoughts that were too dangerous for a pirate and marine to be thinking about each other, so instead they just give each other a knowing look. “goodbye, vice admiral y/n.” ace says. “goodbye, fire fist ace.” she smiles.

a few months later…

“ace!” y/n yells through the crowd of people. kneeling at the execution alter, ace looks up to see y/n running up the stairs to him. “y/n?” he says as more of a question. when she reaches him, she pulls out her polearm and whacks the two marines guarding him on the head. a gasp erupts from the crowd. “y/n! what are you doing?!” his eyes widen. she takes out the key to his handcuffs and unlocks the cuffs. “becoming a pirate with you.”

#portgas d. ace #portgas ace x you #ace x reader #portgas d ace x reader #one piece

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callsign-bunnie · 1 year

Text

Chapter 1 (Magic Users AU)

This is set directly after Prison Break, right before Ghost team.

Alejandro decides the best option is breaking out Valeria and having her kill Graves. Rodolfo heavily disagrees.

Price slammed the laptop and took a deep breath before nodding to Alejandro. Alejandro didn’t waste time, going to the main part of the safehouse. He nodded to Rodolfo as they neared the table. “We need a plan.”

Price shook his head. “We need more than a plan.”

Rodolfo shared a glance with Soap, but he stayed silent, observing only.

Alejandro seemed to be deep in thought. Even though it had been nearly a day since the prison break, he had yet to stop smoking. He gestured two fingers in a line and Rodolfo nodded, muting his powers immediately.

“We will need something with a lot of firepower. Someone.” Alejandro said, finally, glancing at Rodolfo. Rodolfo realized who he meant, immediately.

“No.” Rodolfo stated. “She is too dangerous. How would we even get her out? She’s in a shipping container where we need to go.”

“You are not implying-” Soap spoke up.

“Valeria and I were not just part of the same squad. Before that, we were an experiment.” Alejandro stated, avoiding Rodolfo’s eyes. “They heard about how they put Prisms in charge of units in Europe. You become very well acquainted with your members' gifts, no?” Alejandro turned to Price, who nodded.

“Very well acquainted.” He confirmed.

Rodolfo shook his head. “They wanted to go beyond that. They wanted to make it deeper. Prisms being bonded to one soldier was useful, but multiple…”

Alejandro sighed. “It would be powerful. Whole squads at a much deeper power level than they were before. If any one prism was powerful enough, the unit could decimate. So… only Pure Prisms were chosen. Rodolfo was one of them.”

Rodolfo shook his head, putting one of his hands on the table. “I couldn’t do it. It almost killed me.” He remembered the pain. Feeling like he was burning from the inside. The fear. The shame. The guilt.

“Who was the second caster?” Ghost spoke up.

“Valeria.” Rodolfo answered. “She volunteered. We knew each other well enough by then. We were close friends. They said I could say no but… We knew I couldn’t. Valeria and I did the bonding process. But, it failed.”

“Why did it fail?” Soap frowned.

“We don’t know-” Alejandro started but Rodolfo cut him off.

“You know.” Rodolfo clenched his hands into fists, meeting Soap’s eyes. If Alejandro was going to go for this stupid of an idea, then Rodolfo was going to tell them. “Because I am not a Pure Prism. My power is not strong enough.”

“What are you talking about?” Alejandro straightened, frowning deeply.

Rodolfo ignored him. “I’m a mirror, as well. I hid it from the military. So, when we tried to bond it was too much for me. Valeria’s powers almost killed me. Burned me from the inside out.” He shook his head.

“Why is this relevant?” Ghost asked, shifting his weight. “Your bond failed, how will that help us?”

“It didn’t fully disappear, it just failed. I do not have the same control over Valeria that I could ever have over Alejandro but… I could still reach her from incredible distances. And magnify her to an extent that would burn any of you out.” Rodolfo explained, glaring at Alejandro. “But I won’t. She’s too dangerous. She will not work with us. She lied to us.”

“When she finds out Graves betrayed us, she will work with us.” Alejandro nodded.

Rodolfo cursed. “¡Y luego apuñalarnos la espalda en el momento en que tenga la oportunidad!” He hit his hands on the table. “She is a snake. A liar. She harbored an anti-castor terrorist for what? Nothing. She enjoys chaos!”

“What would we even do once you break out this Valeria?” Gaz spoke up, finally, frowning. Rodolfo hadn’t had much chance to meet him, but he seemed to be young, inexperienced.

Alejandro sighed. “She has intimate knowledge of the base. She would be able to find Graves, and Graves would not be expecting her like he would, us.”

“Intimate, indeed.” Rodolfo mocked. “And how do you expect to break her out? I would need to be in the base, cabron.”

Alejandro snarled a little. “Do not start with me.”

Rodolfo clenched his hands into fists. “Or what?”

Alejandro glared at him and Rodolfo finally tore his eyes away. “I have given you blind loyalty all of my life. I question one decision, now.”

“You are choosing the worst decision to question.” Alejandro fired back.

Rodolfo took a breath and gave in. “I will need to get into the base. I have all of the codes. But… I will need someone to come with me.” He relented.

“We will all be coming.” Price spoke up. “Graves will be expecting us to attack and so attack we shall. But, once we are in, Rodolfo, you will split off with Gaz and Ghost. Find Valeria. The rest of us will round off and attack. Distract Graves’ energy and efforts while you find Valeria.” Price gestured to Ghost, who dumped a bunch of masks on the table. “This will be to hide our identities. They also make it harder for prisms to detect us.”

“We’ll tear off our insignias, too. They won’t be able to tell what is attacking.” Ghost nodded and then pulled off his own mask. Rodolfo noticed the way Soap’s eyes softened as he did so.

Rodolfo shook his head. This was stupid but the plan was set. He took a mask from the table and pulled it on. Then, he walked away from the table, needing a moment so he didn’t start to scream at everyone.

Unfortunately, Alejandro followed. “You did not tell me you were a mirror. Why?”

Rodolfo rounded on him. “You know why. You speak about them as if they are worse than scum. Stealers, you call them. They violate you.” He shook his head. “This is how everyone feels about them.”

“I wouldn’t have meant you.” Alejandro frowned, or Rodolfo assumed so since it was hard to tell with the mask. “I’m your best friend. You could have told me.”

“And questioned every day if you are watching me? Waiting for me to violate you? No, I would have rathered continued to keep it to myself until I died.” Rodolfo shook his head.

Alejandro looked like he wanted to continue speaking but Ghost came over. “We need to head out now while it’s still night. We will need to be covert.”

Rodolfo nodded. “How are you, Gaz, and I going to be traveling to the base? With everyone else or alone?”

“Alone.” Ghost nodded.

“Fine.” Rodolfo turned to Alejandro. “I will not discuss this more.”

“You will.” Alejandro glared at him.

Rodolfo made a sound of frustration but turned to Ghost. “Let’s go.”

Ghost seemed almost hesitant but nodded, guiding him to the car Soap had chosen. “Alejandro seems angry.”

“Alejandro is always angry.” Rodolfo muttered, finally letting go of the hold he had on Alejandro’s powers. “If he is not angry, he is dead.” He got up into the vehicle.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Gaz offered his hand. Rodolfo hesitated before sighing and shaking it.

“This is Gaz.” Ghost explained. “He’s a Telekinetic.”

Gaz nodding. “I use marbles to flick. Like bullets.”

Rodolfo was a little impressed, nodding. “Interesting. I wonder how big of an item you could flick if I were to magnify you.”

“I hope we get the chance to find out.” Gaz held out his fist and Rodolfo fist bumped it, sighing. Ghost finally started to drive.

“I really hope Valeria agrees to work with us.” Ghost sighed.

“She won’t.” Rodolfo muttered. “I hope Price and Alejandro have a backup plan.”

“Do you?” Ghost chuckled. “You are the one who made the plan to break Alejandro out.”

Rodolfo sighed. “If it all goes to shit, which it will, I know what we will do. But… no one is going to like it.”

“We will do what needs to be done.” Ghost sighed.

Rodolfo snorted. Always.

Rodolfo held the gun close as they went through the tunnels. It was a precaution. An… I hope we don’t need this, but here it is just in case. “We sometimes train down here.” He explained, stopping Gaz and Ghost at a spot. “It’s rigged. Not to be deadly but it will alert. There are sigils on the walls that can detect Casters. It gives the giftless a needed edge, sometimes.”

“What do they do?” Gaz frowned. Rodolfo glanced around before his eyes fell on a sigil.

“They are rigged to an alarm system. It’s loud.” Rodolfo crouched low. “We will need to find the off points. It deactivates them.”

“How do we find these off points?” Ghost frowned. “Or do you already know where they are?”

“I am a Prism. I do not handle training.” Rodolfo snorted. “But, they are easy to find. They are in a direct line from the sigil to the off point. They can detect casters, not powers. There are nine sigils in each tunnel. Gaz, can you flick in a straight line, hermano?”

Gaz frowned. “I should be able to.”

“Then we can use your gift to flick from the sigil to the off point.” Rodolfo nodded. “There should be little pebbles, everywhere, so you do not need to waste your marbles.”

All three immediately gathered as many pebbles as possible before Gaz found the first sigil again. He slowly raised the pebble and pressed it against the sigil before flicking it straight off. It hit the wall directly opposite it and then the sigil burned red and then disappeared.

Rodolfo relaxed. “We have exactly 60 seconds before it turns back on again.” They quickly moved. Rodolfo remembered most of the sigils' locations and any he didn’t were easy to find.

“Alejandro seemed shocked when you said you were a mirror.” Gaz said, when they were paused, scoping out sigils.

Rodolfo sighed, softly. Were all of the British this curious? “Yes. He didn’t know.”

“Price said you were bonded. How did he not know?” Gaz frowned. Rodolfo noticed even Ghost seemed curious, though he was their lookout.

Rodolfo pointed out several sigils before he finally answered when Gaz was done. “I do not know how they treat Mirrors in Europe but here… We are treated like trash. They call us Nadas. Nothings. Ladrones. Stealers.” Rodolfo was quiet for a moment as they moved. “Alejandro feels the same towards them. We… violate with our gifts.” He mumbled.

“You did not want to be rejected. Discriminated against.” Gaz frowned. “I get that.”

Rodolfo shrugged. He pointed out a few more sigils. “Alejandro claims he would not have rejected me but… How was I supposed to know that?”

“Trust is a fickle thing.” Ghost spoke up. “Hard won, easily lost.”

Rodolfo nodded. “He would not have bonded to me, had he known.”

“So, when you went to bond with Valeria, it… made you almost burn out? Was it painful?” Gaz frowned and they stopped at the end of the tunnels.

“Unbelievably so.” Rodolfo sighed. “Have you ever been burnt before?”

“Yes, on my hand.” Gaz nodded.

“Imagine that feeling. Spread it all over your body. But… on the inside.” Rodolfo sighed. “That was how it felt. Alejandro and I’s bond was the only reason I survived. If he was not already a powerful torch, had he been a Spirit or Metal minder, for instance, I would be dead.”

“How did Valeria act afterwards?” Gaz frowned. They exited the tunnels, keeping to the shadows.

“She didn’t talk to me for days.” Rodolfo sighed. “Probably pissed I couldn’t do it.” They all went silent and continued along. Rodolfo started to feel out for Valeria, though they knew where she was. He could faintly pick her up, even with the blocker metal on the container they’d left her in.

“She’s alive.” He confirmed to Gaz and Ghost. They jumped back, suddenly, as a large explosion and gunfire sounded.

“Well, the others made it.” Ghost grunted. “We need to keep going.”

Gaz and Rodolfo both nodded and picked up the pace. They found the container room easily, and Ghost stayed behind a little to keep watch. “Stand back, she’s… a handful.” Rodolfo said to Gaz, who nodded and pulled back just slightly.

Rodolfo knocked on the container. “Valeria!” He called.

“Rodolfo?! What the fuck are you doing here??” Rodolfo relaxed as he heard her voice, nodding to Ghost, who immediately turned to his radio to confirm they had her.

“I am breaking you out.”

Laughing could be heard. “You are breaking me out, huh? Why?”

“It is not of my own volition, trust me. Graves betrayed us.”

“And you expect me to help you?”

Rodolfo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Your men… Las Almas… He burns it, Valeria.”

There was silence for a moment, in the container. Rodolfo turned to Ghost, making an “I told you so” gesture. Right as Ghost went to speak into his radio, Valeria called again. “Let’s burn the Cabron!”

Rodolfo jerked around, shocked. He almost didn’t believe it, but… He sighed. “I’m opening the container.” He nodded to Ghost, who got the bolt cutters and cut the chain.

Rodolfo muted Valeria as soon as the doors were open, standing in front of her. “We don’t know where he is. He is somewhere in the base and he will not be expecting us. Alejandro and the rest of Los Vaqueros are making chaos to distract him.”

Valeria smiled, smugly. “And you needed little old me? What is the plan?”

Rodolfo turned to Ghost and Gaz who came nearer. “Rodolfo will scope out the base, feel for Graves. Then, you and Rodolfo will find him and torch him. Gaz and I will play back up.” Ghost explained, holding out a mask.

“That’s it?” She made a face. “You broke me out for that?” She took the mask, though, and slipped it on.

Rodolfo laughed. “I said it was a stupid idea.”

“Alejandro?” Valeria asked and Rodolfo nodded. “Well, it’s too late, you’ve already got me out.”

Rodolfo sighed. “I already regret it. Ghost and Gaz, cover me while I feel for Graves, I will need focus. Valeria, you stay in front in case we run into him.”

“You’re calling the shots for once?” Valeria laughed. “How sweet.”

Rodolfo ignored her and just gestured for her to go. He started to feel around, helping them avoid anyone else. The few shadows they saw, Gaz and Ghost both took out expertly. “Hey, kid.” Valeria spoke up, glancing to Gaz. “Wanna see something cool? I can do something that you can.” She crouched and got a piece of paper trash off the ground, rolling it into a tiny ball.

Gaz raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond, watching her hold it out in her hand. A shadow came around the corner and Valeria flicked it. It hit the shadow and caught them ablaze, immediately, spreading must faster than normal fire. A glow came from Valeria’s neck and she clenched her hand into a fist, the fire burning brighter.

Rodolfo sighed, rolling his eyes. She’d always been such a show off. “Are you done preening?”

Valeria turned to Gaz and Ghost. Gaz looked surprised and Ghost looked impressed. “That’s what I plan to do to that pendejo when I see him.”

Rodolfo sighed and just gestured for her to keep going. They continued on. “Valeria, you have history with Rodolfo and Alejandro?” Gaz asked.

“I do.” She grinned. “A lot of history.”

“Bad history.” Rodolfo muttered. He stopped, suddenly feeling Graves’ energy. It was faint but still close, somehow. “He’s in the training field.”

“The training field?” Ghost seemed surprised. “Why?”

“I don’t know but his energy is faint.” Rodolfo led, now, going straight to the training field.

When they made it to the doors that led out to the training field, Valeria and Rodolfo both seemed to have the bright idea to melt off the chains.

“Just like old times, hmm?” Valeria grinned.

“Yep, just need you to shoot me.” He glared at her, but backed up as she grabbed the chain.

“Don’t tempt me.” She laughed. Rodolfo rolled his eyes and clenched his hands into fists, magnifying her power. She seemed to make a face but held onto the chain, glowing redder and redder. When the chain itself was glowing, she ripped it off the door and then panted as Rodolfo let go.

Rodolfo himself had to recover a moment, letting Ghost take the lead. Ghost kicked the door open, immediately disappearing as gunfire sprayed from the room. Rodolfo ducked out of the way, grabbing Valeria as he did so. They crouched behind the door, Gaz on the other side and Ghost soon appeared beside him.

When the gunfire stopped, Valeria immediately went around the door and Rodolfo followed. Graves was on the run. They followed, Gaz and Graves occasionally firing things at him.

“Gaz, flick this!” Ghost called behind him and then a knife almost practically appeared in Graves’ spine. He fell immediately.

“Jesus fucking christ, what was I even needed for??” Valeria yelled as they ran to him.

“You got the chain off the door.” Gaz offered when they slowed down to a stop. Valeria seemed to accept this and shrugged.

“Should we kill him?” Gaz asked.

Ghost considered. “No. He knows about Shepherd. Or… he has to know something.”

Rodolfo nodded in agreement. They would need any information they could get to fix this mess. He turned his radio on, having kept it off to be able to focus on Valeria. “Alejandro, Price, he’s wounded and incapacitated.”

“Why the fuck isn’t he dead?” Alejandro.

“Because he could have information.” Ghost sighed, hoisting Graves up. Graves was laughing.

“As if I’ll give it to you.”

Rodolfo turned to Valeria, gesturing to show he gave her full permission to do whatever. Valeria laughed and her hand glowed red. She trailed the back of her fingers down his face, leaving a burn trail. He clearly had to bite his tongue to keep from screaming. “Rodolfo can help me go hotter if you prefer.”

Graves snarled at her but stayed silent. Rodolfo just gestured to Ghost to get him out of there. Great, now he’d need to figure out what to do with Valeria. She’d need to be arrested again, which was not going to be easy.

When Ghost had left, he turned to Valeria, before searing pain wrapped around his neck. She had grabbed him with her still glowing hand around his throat and yanked him against her chest so he couldn’t move. The pain blocked out his ability to mute her powers. He screamed, unable to do anything else, from the pain.

“Let him go!” He heard Gaz call.

“No.” Valeria laughed. “I let him go and he mutes my powers and Alejandro arrests me again. However, I keep him right here and Alejandro will be willing to negotiate.”

Rodolfo slammed his elbow back against her but she caught his wrist in the meantime, barely making a sound. “Let… me go!”

“No. You’re lucky I’m not killing you.” Valeria hissed into his ear.

She lessened the burn a little, or maybe Rodolfo was used to the pain, because it faded enough for him to be able to see again. Gaz was frantically talking into the radio, a handful of marbles floating around his head.

Rodolfo took deep breaths to stay calm, knowing he was useless if he panicked. “Kill me then.”

“No. If I keep you alive, you’re a bargaining chip. Alejandro will let me go to save you. But, if I kill you, then I’m dead. Notice how Gaz hasn’t put a marble through my skull yet? Alejandro is ordering him not to.” She laughed softly.

Rodolfo was grateful she wasn’t killing him. He didn’t want Alejandro to burn out and this wasn’t like before where he could hopefully soothe him enough to keep him from letting that happen. “You can’t imagine this will end well for you.”

Valeria shrugged. She let his wrist go, but he let it fall limply, knowing better than to try to fight right now. She’d only do something worse, or he may end up provoking her into killing him.

She suddenly threw him down onto the floor and he tried to take the opportunity to drag himself away but she only pinned him down so he couldn’t, shoving up his shirt. He tensed, eyes going wide. What the fuck was she doing??

“Don’t get excited.” She laughed. He struggled against her boots, which were keeping him pinned by his wrists. His neck was still in intense pain and now that he was being held down, he could feel it again.

She got out a knife and Rodolfo screamed again as he felt it dig into his skin. She made a bunch of small cuts and Rodolfo realized too late what she was doing as he felt something akin to a chain forming between him.

She ducked down and yanked him up, pulling him in front of her as new people burst into the room. Rodolfo tensed, expecting bullets, but thankfully Alejandro had chosen now to ask questions first, shoot later.

“You were slower than I was expecting.” Valeria teased Alejandro. She lifted Rodolfo’s shirt and Rodolfo tried to push it down, not liking to be exposed at the best of time. This was the worst.

“What the fuck did you do?!” Alejandro yelled and went to move forward. Rodolfo screamed as his insides started to burn, throwing his head back. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe from the pain.

Alejandro quickly backed up, holding his arms out as Ghost, Price, and Soap made it to the room. Rodolfo didn’t like this. There was too many people in the room.

Valeria chuckled. “He’s my bargaining chip.”

“I told you!” Rodolfo cried. “I said this was the worst idea you’ve ever had and you didn’t listen!”

Alejandro looked so guilty. “Rudy, I am so sorry-”

“Sorry doesn’t fix this, does it?” Valeria shoved Rodolfo forward. “Take him. But you have to let me go. Or I’ll kill him. He has my sigil. I’ll burn him from the inside out. You can’t kill me, either, because he’ll die too.”

Rodolfo didn’t move. He knew what he had to do. He took deep breaths, withdrawing completely from Alejandro. If he let go of the bond, maybe Alejandro had a chance of making it through this. But he couldn’t let Valeria have the upper hand.

“You’re fucking psycho.” Soap spoke up.

Rodolfo made eye contact with Ghost. He prayed Ghost would have few enough morals. He reached up and tapped his forehead, hoping Ghost got the message.

“You’ve seen the world I live in. You adapt and survive or you die.” Valeria sighed, standing.

Ghost’s eyes narrowed a little and he tilted his head, but Rodolfo could tell he was catching on. He pleaded with his eyes. Ghost needed to do it, now. He needed to do it quickly. He watched Ghost carefully get a knife out and Rodolfo closed his eyes. He prepared himself to die. He prayed Alejandro would be fine.

Instead, he heard Valeria cry out. Rodolfo’s eyes flew open and he turned to her. She was on the floor, holding a bullet wound. The chain was still there, but it was more of a weight, not a threat. Blocker bullet.

Alejandro was suddenly grabbing him and lifting him, pulling him to the side. Rodolfo was almost in shock.

Price went over to her, crouching down. “We won’t kill you. But you’re gonna sit in a cell until we do figure out what to do with you.” He said as he got out blocker cuffs, clamping them around her wrists.

Rodolfo started to feel weak, finally giving in. The pain in his throat felt like it was spreading to his whole body and he slumped into Alejandro. Alejandro caught him, saying something. Rodolfo couldn’t hear him, fading very quickly into unconsciousness.

#Johnny Soap Mactavish #Simon Ghost Riley #Rodolfo Parra #Alejandro Vargas #John Price #Kyle Gaz Garrick #Phillip Graves #Valeria Garza #Call Of Duty Modern Warfare II #Call of Duty #Alejandro x Rodolfo #Aledolfo #Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II #magic users au cod

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blackjackkent · 4 months

Text

An icy chill blows at the top of Moonrise Towers. Even in spite of Selune's blessing still illuminating, the cold goes straight to their bones.

High as they are, they should be able to see for miles, but all is in darkness. The shadowlands stretch in all directions, corrupted and dead. Waiting.

A single point of light shines in the dark. Aylin, wings spread wide, swoops in an arcing circle around the tower's peak, the glittering sword slicing through Ketheric's minions standing guard.

And at the center of the platform between the ornate columns stands Ketheric himself, pale as a ghost.

It is obvious at a glance that Aylin's freedom was the key; he is weakened, even frightened. He stares down at Hector, tries to backpedal away... but there is nowhere to run.

"You..." the general whispers hoarsely, his voice grating with impotent fury. "What have you done?! What have you *done* to me?!"

Hector cannot escape a certain cold satisfaction at seeing the heretofore-omnipotent monster so staggered. This man was responsible for the death and corruption of hundreds of Selunite souls, the torture of the goddess's own daughter, and the destruction of this land for the past hundred years.

Even were he a good enough orator to convince Ketheric to surrender, he wouldn't do it.

"You were feeding off Nightsong for a century." His voice is carefully controlled. In this moment of power, he will not gloat. He will not learn cruelty from these monsters. But he will finish this, for good. "No longer."

Ketheric laughs disbelievingly. "How *dare* you interfere?" he snarls. "You are like the digits of a hand - it is for you to act, not to decide!"

He raises one hand, a blaze of green light twisting in his fingers. "You serve the Absolute!" he roars. "You serve ME! Bow, you dog! BOW!"

Pain, all-too-familiar, bursts through Hector's head, some of the strongest he's felt since the Absolute first knocked him to his knees outside the goblin camp. The sheer power of Ketheric's control is staggering; for a terrifying moment he is aware of nothing at all except the overwhelming urge to bow, to submit.

Rage floods him, and he struggles against that power, struggles to open his eyes and fight back.

The burst of warm light from the Prism goes thorough him like a bucket of cold water over the head, clearing his mind and knocking him backwards off his feet. As he staggers up again, the artifact darts into his hands like a dog returning to its master, and just for a moment he feels the comforting pulse of the dream guardian's presence in his mind.

His shoulders square and he steadies himself, drawing a harsh breath. No more. We are not his to command. And this-- ends-- NOW.

"The Prism," Ketheric growls, and the way he bites the word off makes it sound like a curse. "You've had it all this time, you *worm*! You *will* bow before me. And if you will not bow, you will *break*!"

Hector is saved from answering by a another explosion of light - this time from Aylin crashing down between Ketheric and Hector, flaring with holy radiance. This time it is Ketheric who is knocked off his feet, staring up at the aasimar balefully - seeing in her the personification of his failure just before it strikes him.

"You!"

"How good it is to see you again, Ketheric," Aylin says mockingly. "At last you've found a god-master that suits you, it seems."

Ketheric staggers to his feet, one hand going for his sword. "Aylin. The thief. You stole Isobel from me, and now you think you'll take my life in the bargain?"

Hector watches in astonishment as Aylin's wings lift and a shimmer of radiant glow begins to sizzle all over her body; the mocking calm vanishes, replaced by a fury that is far more than holy.

"You dare to speak her name?" she barks. "After your crimes innumerable, you would evoke her before me!?"

"Enough!" Ketheric snaps back. "This ends here and now - at last!"

Aylin wheels to face Hector, who has regained his balance and is staring up at her with bewildered reverence. "He will crumble at the power of your touch!" she cries, lifting her sword to urge him and his companions to the fight. "Give him all you have!"

"THE GODS FIGHT AT OUR SIDE!"

#bjk plays baldur's gate 3 #hector carlisle #ok aylin is such a badass wtf

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azrielgreen · 5 months

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Sneakkk the peakkk of prism 🤤

Steve stares at him, lips parted.

He wants to slap him.

Punch him.

Kiss him bloody.

‘The fuck do you think you are? You don’t own me, you don’t want to! You’re not my fucking boyfriend and you can’t tell me what to—’

‘You’re not leaving, you’ll get hurt. Let me take you home or call Robin or take you to her.’

‘Or what?’

It’s mocking, cold and cruel.

Eddie ignores it easily.

‘You already got hurt.’ Eddie’s free hand very lightly touches Steve’s bottom lip, expression muddled, like it doesn’t know where to settle. ‘I just want to help.’

‘You don’t get to decide how you help me.’

‘I get to decide how I don’t.’

#prism fic #posting in two hours #jesus fucking christ this chapter

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 1 year

Photo

A Multiple Green Flash Sunset: Yes, but can your green flash do this? A green flash at sunset is a rare event that many Sun watchers pride themselves on having seen. Once thought to be a myth, a green flash is now understood to occur when the Earth's atmosphere acts like both a prism and a lens. Different atmospheric layers create altitude-variable refraction that takes light from the top of the Sun and disperses its colors, creates two images, and magnifies it in just the right way to make a thin sliver appear green just before it disappears. Pictured, though, is an even more unusual sunset. From the high-altitude Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile one day last April, the Sun was captured setting beyond an atmosphere with multiple distinct thermal layers, creating several mock images of the Sun. This time and from this location, many of those layers produced a green flash simultaneously. Just seconds after this multiple-green-flash event was caught by two well-surprised astrophotographers, the Sun set below the clouds. Image Credit & Copyright: T. Slovinský & P. Horálek (IoP Opava); CTIO, NOIRLab, NSF, AURA

[h/t Scott Horton]

* * * * *

"The Soul, secure in her existence. smiles at the drawn dagger and defies its point. The stars shall fade away, the sun himself grow dim with age and nature sink in years, but thou shalt flourish in immortal youth, unhurt amid the wars of elements, the wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds." From 1713, “Cato” by Joseph Addison. This was the passage Edgar Allen Poe encrypted and challenged his readers to decipher in 1841. It was not until 1992 that a Duke University doctoral student succeeded. ∞(via metaconscious)

#Green flash #sunset #T.Slovinsky #P.Horalek #AURA #Scott Horton #Cato #Joseph Addison #Edgar Allen Poe #metaconscious #coded

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popotatertots · 10 months

Text

A Lady and Her Knight

((Wow, I wrote something. Shock and horror! Only context needed is that Niini's family is awful and looking for her, and these are preemptive movements to keep her from being discovered. Khela'li is played by the lovely @healerstail , ofc.))

Niini was uncomfortable.

You had to know what to look for, of course, but Khela'li knew exactly what the signs were. And every single one was visible on the Lalafell.

Excusing himself from his conversation, the miqo'te swept his way through the crowd, making sure to not take a direct path, still making polite passing conversations as he went. So by the time he finally appeared behind his companion, kneeling in the shadows, one hand discreetly touching the small of her back, it seemed like a far more natural progression.

"...you're not enjoying yourself."

She kept her eyes roaming across the crowd, the small smile on her face a tiny bit forced. "I have been propositioned by three men so far. And one woman. I do not believe I can eat anything they have provided here for food. This outfit is extremely restrictive. I can barely move."

The hand at her back moved in a small circle, gently easing a bit of tension. "But you do look amazing in it."

Her smile softened a little, becoming a bit more natural. "...thank you. That is the only thing keeping me from breaking some of these seams."

"Mm." Khela'li leaned forward, just barely coming into her line of vision. She could see his expression harden a touch. "... anyone you recognize here?"

"Not a single soul. I am beginning to think that my... family and their associates have put a pause on their revelry for now."

"Good." He pulled back out of her sight. The hand on her back still remained, though. "... you're doing really well at these parties. I'm very impressed."

"The prism helps assuage many of my fears of discovery. But..."

"But..?"

"...I... believe I have reached my limit for tonight. My apologies, I understand that it is rather early..."

"Don't."

The hand on her back slipped to her hip, gently pulling her backward against his chest. A quiet voice rumbled next to her ear. "Don't apologize. I am very, very proud of you, and how far you've come since I met you."

She could feel the flush rising to her cheeks almost as quickly as she heard the slightly scandalized voices of various socialites around her. "...Khela'li. I believe we are... 'acting inappropriately'."

"Mm. We're done here either way." Scooping up the Lalafell, Khela'li gave a mocking bow towards the party goes before striding out the door. As soon as they left, Niini threw her head back in laughter.

"Do you know how -long- I wanted to do that? Just leave a party like that, stolen away by some handsome man? I read it in so many stories."

A quick flash of a grin was all she could see as they turned down a more darkened hallway. "I like to believe I am a bit better than just a story. After all..." He tilted her chin up with a finger, stealing her breath with a soft kiss. "...you don't get to choose where you go next in a story..."

"...I would like to head home. Quickly."

"As you wish, my lady."

#ffxiv #lalafell #niini nii #khela'li rhacassa #just a lil messing with the bourgeoisie #as a treat #why yes i did channel a bit of howl for his dialog why do u ask 😅#miqo'te

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meowww-ffxiv · 3 months

Text

Meowdred: Sometimes I don't like how my voice makes it hard for me to wear cute clothes. 😩

Theodore: There is a certain sort of power to a tiny man with a deep, growling voice who wears cute clothes.

Meowdred: But sometimes I don't want my impression to be one of POWER or CONTRAST. Sometimes I want to be CUTE. I want to be perceived as cute and this [perfect Raubahn impression] "Mock her in hell" -- it's cramping my style.

Theodore: I see. Yet I do not see why a mage as talented as you would not come up with some way to temporarily adjust that.

Meowdred: Like glamour prisms? Glamour prisms work by applying the "impression" of something over another, both visually and audibly. Hmm. But I don't know if those components can be separated... *drifting over to the whiteboard*

Theodore: And so he is thoroughly distracted. 😔

#meowdred surana #theodore pentaghast

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sewagedrainrat · 20 days

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INFO!!! PLEASE READ!! THIS HAS A CONTENT WARNING!! (Mention of suicide..)

PLEASE DO READ THIS🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 Also, I'll post a pronouns page soon on here if I can figure it out..

pronouns page for more info about me :3

NAMES:

Randy or Randall!

PRONOUNS:

Any except for She/her!! Also, note that I'm really tired of being just called he/him or they/them! There's other pronouns for a reason.. please use them!

AGE/BIRTHDAY:

15, December 3rd!

WHAT DO I DO?:

I'm an artist/clarinetist/oboeist!! Maybe in the future, I might do requests and commissions!

WHAT CAN YOU ASSOCIATE ME WITH??

Swans, moths (Comet moth), beetles, or other birds(Mourning doves, pigeons, or crows)

EXTRA INFORMATION:

I have two partners!! One has Tumblr and the other doesn't! The one that does is probably considered famous.. It's the fly!! @themostsanebug !!

I also have a Discord and an Instagram acc!! You might see me mistype most of the time if I talk to you.. Also, I really want anons😞💔

OH YEAH!!! I HAVE ASK BLOGS!!! I forgot about that..

@satiredialtown (There's only 3 characters!! Emo Randy, Angelic Oliver, and Gingi..)

@prism-megaplex (An oc thing with @themostsanebug :3)

Those are the only two that I actually focus on.. Please go send an ask!<333

BASIC DNI:

⋆No homophoes, transphobes

⭒Proshippers

⋆Please don't send death threats to me or anyone else.. Like actually, I'm very suicidal. This will only encourage me more.

⭒Don't copy my acc or my art.

⋆Don't mock me or anyone in general..

#Informational post #pinned post #pinned intro #free palestine #from the river to the sea palestine will be free #free sudan #free congo #no one is free until we are all free

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blackstarising · 1 year

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upside inside out, death/ofc | also on ao3

Her calloused hand cups his cheek. This smile is tired, tender. "You don't need to defend me." A quick turn of his head allows his lips to brush her palm. He doesn't break her gaze. "I could never allow a mortal to disrespect you." Death has one more meeting.

He returns to the Dark Forest only when it's finally purged, when the smoke settles and the unearthly remnants of the star are starting to fade.

The river is already flowing when he crosses the barrier. It carves its way through the clustering trees, thundering, glittering under the reflection of the moon. But as he follows it, it shallows, until he reaches its end. There, the moon shimmers calmly inside a shallow little pool, a curious end to a such a beginning.

A fox is already there, kneeling by the bank. Her copper paws rake the earth as she hums. Peonies sprout in the grooves, joining the hundreds that already surround the blood-red cloak drifting in the clear water.

He can see her ears perk up under the hood of her cloak, but she turns to him with no kind of surprise. Instead, a slow grin spreads across her face.

"Well, hello, Mr. Wolf."

"My dear." He stops short of the pool. "What reason does a maiden like yourself have to be in this forest all alone? Who knows what lies in wait in these woods?"

The fox continues to claw at the earth, eyes bright in the shadow of her hood. There is no single color to them. Instead, her irises shift between shades like a prism.

"Oh, don't worry. I know," she replies. "But I'm not alone now, am I?"

With that, she rises to her feet and pulls the hood back, revealing a halo of black coils. The cloak drapes over her plump, curvy frame. Copper fur is now skin the color of fresh earth. Paws have become hands clutching handfuls of flowers and feet that wade into the water.

She strides towards him boldly, looking up at him through dark eyelashes. Her teeth are no less white and no less sharp.

"And I can assure you," she murmurs as she places her hands on his chest, "I am no maiden."

Her hands are nothing but heat through his cloak. He breathes into her touch, her warmth, then pulls her into his arms as his fur shifts to deep olive skin, as he feels the familiar brush of silver waves against his forehead once again.

Her heartbeat is everything, as it always is, loud, steady and insistent through her chest. He has never had one. It's only moments like these that he can have even a guess at what it must feel like.

"And where is this kitten you were terrorizing?" she asks, pulling back. "I would've thought you'd have him here by the scruff of his neck."

He sucks his teeth. He can feel his cheeks flush.

"Let'imlive," he mumbles.

She raises one scarred eyebrow.

"Death?"

He clears his throat. "I let. Him. Live."

A beat. Her full, red lips turn down in a mock pout.

"Oh," she begins to coo.

"Ay, querida, no seas malo-"

"-I'm not!" She pulls back her cloak. A woven bag is slung over her shoulder, resting against her belly. She reaches inside and pulls out an apple, one so large she can barely hold it in her palm. "I'm just here wondering if maybe there's a hidden benefit to playing with your food after all."

"I thought you said you didn't keep score!"

"I don't!" She pulls one of his sickles from his belt, tosses the apple into the air, and cleaves it in one swoop. "But you know I love a good twist. Even if it comes at your expense."

She catches the halves in midair and presses one into his hand before taking a bite. A bead of juice runs across the small, darting scars on her cheek.

"You mean especially when it comes at my expense." He bites into the fruit himself. The juice is cool, the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

"I just still don't understand," she continued between bites. "Why this kitten? Why Puss in Boots?"

"His deaths were annoying me."

She snorted. "I didn't know you were editorializing deaths now! Do you do this for all cats? Because they're all running around with these eight extra lives."

"Which is quite an aggravating set-up, don't you think?"

She shrugs. "It's a decision I had no part in making. But I will say. To you they might have been annoying, but personally, a lot of them up to this point have been kind of hilarious."

He rolls his eyes.

"What? They have."

"The card game?"

"He added an extra ace! He genuinely thought he could pass off two clubs!"

"The oven?"

"There was no reason to add gasoline to the coals before turning it on."

"The cannon?"

"...okay, you know what, that one did irritate me."

"See?"

"But even still, it was funny!" She tosses the core into the dirt behind her. A tree springs up instantly, full of ripe fruit. "What can I say? I'll never not be amused by cats. They're all so little! Walking around thinking their brains are bigger than they actually are-"

"He was mocking you, Vidita."

The rage is still fresh, still frothing inside him. It nearly chokes his words.

"He kept dying," he says, voice tight. "Foolishly, over and over again. Never learning. Just expecting another life. Another life ready to waste."

The mischievous twinkle in her eyes fades. Her calloused hand cups his cheek. This smile is tired, tender.

"You don't need to defend me."

A quick turn of his head allows his lips to brush her palm. He doesn't break her gaze.

"I could never allow a mortal to disrespect you."

"My love-"

He shakes his head. "The abandon? The entitlement? The pride? I couldn't stand for it, Vidita. I will not stand for it. And you can't ask me to."

For a moment, she is quiet.

"You know, I've been called many things. Wonderful. Cursed. Precious. Wretched. Amazing." She grins wryly. "A bitch. But I learned a long time ago that I can't be in the business of wanting all that. Death, I am not going to be liked, or loved, or even respected by every mortal that walks. Some don't for good reason. And some are blinded by pride, and wealth, and power. But that's the risk I take. It's the good with the bad. It's all of it. My love, it is what it is."

There's a pointed stinging in his eyes. "It shouldn't be."

"But you're missing the point. I have the good! I have the delightful. I have the wonder. I have the joy." She presses a kiss to his knuckle, upon the ring that has rested there for millennia. "I have you. And that is more than I could ever ask for."

He rests his forehead against hers. "You're too good for me."

"I think you're the one who's too good for me. I'm not exactly out there defending your honor."

He can't hold back his smile as he kisses her properly. The electric shiver that runs down his spine feels the same as it had the first time, eons ago, when they'd grasped at each other with shaking hands and eyes pooling with tears, brimming screams suddenly stuck in their throats. But now, they melt, breathing into each other, hands tracing familiar patterns along arms and cheeks.

He finishes with one last peck on her cheek. "I love you."

Life beams up at him. "I love you. And I've been apart from you long enough." Her fingers lace between his, and tightly. "Let's go home."

It's no matter. He already is home. But he takes his wife's hand with no argument, and deeper into the forest they go.

#something something clown music bass boosted we like to have fun with metaphysical concepts!#and something something red riding hood imagery but she's like. grown. a grown fat black laydee yessir #humanized!death and life #puss in boots #puss in boots the last wish #puss in boots death #puss in boots wolf #puss in boots lobo #big bad wolf

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skylarsin7 · 5 months

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Chapter 21: To Bear the Weight of the World

Steve wasn’t sure what time it was when his eyes fluttered open. Nor could he immediately tell exactly where he was. In A bed, sure, but whose, he wasn’t sure. The dim grey light coming between the dark curtains suggested the arrival of dawn, casting faint shadows of the tree outside the window dancing on the wall. The next thing he was aware of was that he was not alone in bed. Strands of dark curls tickled his cheek as the scents of jasmine, honey, and whiskey flooded his senses. His eyes snapped open as recognition dawned and it was all he could do not to leap from the bed as if he had been scalded. Lily had tucked her head under his chin and against his chest, and Steve’s arms were locked protectively around her. He managed a glance down and sighed with relief when he saw they were both still clothed.

Memories of the previous night trickled back to him: the cellar, the whiskey, the glitter of her wedding ring as she hurled it away from her. His heart squeezed as her screams of anguish echoed in his ears, even their remnants powerful enough to send goosebumps pebbling along his skin. He eased away from her, slowly and carefully detangling himself from her hair. His body protested as he rolled away, standing up before he gave into its demands and curled around her again, surrendering to the warmth her body provided. He tucked the blanket back around her, managing a small smile as she stirred, but didn’t wake. She had a tiny bit of color in her cheeks, and she didn’t look quite so ghostly in her sleep. She was so beautiful, even in her sickly state, that he had to physically shove himself away from her. He had been struck by her beauty from the first moment, but knew she never saw him in that way. Memories of that first morning, of her kiss that seared right through him surfaced and he had to turn away from her completely, escaping into the hall.

He closed the door quietly behind him as he crossed the space to the bathroom. He splashed cool water on his face, willing calm into his limbs. His breaths came in shaky rasps, her tormented gaze haunting him. He needed to get his emotions under control before he did something he would regret. She was not his. No matter how much he wanted those expressive eyes to soften in his direction, they never would. And there was no use pining over it. That thought had him scoffing. First Nancy, then Robin, and now Lily. “King Steve, you sit on a throne of unrequited attraction.” He mocked his reflection before glancing away. Standing here wasn’t helping. He needed to keep busy.

He gave his reflection one final disdainful glance before drying his face on a towel and leaving the bathroom.

***

Sunlight filtered in between the drapes as Lily’s eyes fluttered open. She was warm, tucked tightly into her comforter, and for once, she didn’t have the images of a receding nightmare dancing in her head. She felt slightly groggy, like someone coming up from a drug induced slumber. She lifted her head, her world shifting so suddenly and violently that she groaned, sinking back to her pillow. Her stomach tightened, saliva flooding her mouth in preparation for bile. She drew in breaths that already tasted foul.

She extracted herself from the comforter, closing her eyes as the world tilted dangerously. “So this is what it feels like to be hung over…” Her mind mocked. Her head pounded with a splendid migraine, and she had to breathe slowly to keep from hurling the entire contents of her stomach. Her eyes slitted open, falling on the nightstand. A fresh cup of water, two tylenol, and Eddie’s ring arranged neatly on its surface. The sunlight glittered off the black stone, the shadowed prisms it cast almost mocking her with their brilliance. See? The stone said. I am a beautiful reminder of what could have been, and what isn’t. She shoved the covers away, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and stood much too quickly.

Her knees shook, unwilling to hold her weight as she sank back onto the edge of the bed. She took in great lungfuls of air as the room spun, the contents of her stomach warning a swift and messy escape. She closed her eyes, holding her pounding skull in her palms. Sweat trickled down her brow, drying into salt on her skin. Once her nausea quieted some, she rose, this time slowly. She held onto the bed until she reached the end of it, then crossed the space to the doorframe. She clung there a moment to steady herself, before moving to the stairway.

She froze as she made it to the bottom of the stairs. The smell from the kitchen hit her like a truck. Chocolate chip pancakes. She knew them by smell alone. She heaved, a swift and punishing wave of nausea doubling her over and her knees gave way beneath her. She hit the polished wood floor with a loud thump. Steve’s head poked out from the kitchen doorway, his eyes widening as he took her in. “Lily!” He exclaimed, ducking back into the kitchen long enough to drop the pan back on the stove.

He was beside her the next moment, gripping her shoulders as the alcohol she had drunk came flooding to her throat, splattering all over the floor in a vile smelling pool. Steve had to glance away before he doubled over himself. He ran his knuckles down her spine gently as her heaves gradually slowed. Tears streamed down her face as she drew in ragged breaths, grimacing as bile continued to burn her throat. Steve only had to wonder for a moment what had caused this sudden and violent reaction. He felt like an idiot. Of course she would react that way. She had said once that chocolate chip pancakes were Eddie’s favorite. “Lily, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t thinking…Hang on, I’ll be right back…” He murmured, standing and bounding back into the kitchen. He returned with a damp paper towel and a small glass of water. He sat beside her, offering her the towel and water when she could sit up again. She didn’t look at him right away, wiping her mouth and sipping the water. “I’m sorry…” She murmured, swiping at her eyes and the tears that turned them to emerald glass. It still unnerved him that the amber fire that had become so familiar to him was absent.

“No need to be sorry hon. You were impressively drunk last night and with no water or food to combat the alcohol, I would imagine that you are in the throes of one splendid hangover.” He spoke the words as a joke to hide his concern. Her face was pale and splotchy, the hollows beneath her eyes standing out like purple bruises. He closed his eyes for a moment to ground himself. “Can you stand?” He asked quietly. She nodded. He looped one arm beneath hers. “Lean on me, let’s get you back to bed.” She shook her head. “I want to go see Max.” She said, her voice hoarse from the burning in her throat. He gripped her a little tighter. “But you are not well. You need to rest.” He protested.

Lily sighed. “I cannot stand to be around that smell. Please…I want to go see Max. I don’t think it possible to feel any worse than I already do.” He hesitated, but could find no argument that could change her mind. “Alright, let’s get you cleaned up and changed. I’ll take you to Max.”

She was quiet as he drove her to the hospital. The fresh air went a long way to ease her nausea and clear her head, but she felt a little sick. As they neared the stark white building, Steve slowed, pulling off the side of the road. She rounded her confused gaze on him. “Lily, I want you to swear to me you will NOT try and heal Max again. We still don’t know what that power is capable of, and you are sick as it is.” She had the grace to flush. That had been her plan exactly. She was tired of feeling useless, feeling like a burden. She swallowed. “Ok.” She croaked. He continued to stare at her, his dark eyes hard. “Not good enough. I want you to swear it to me.” She sighed. “Alright, I swear to Tou Mu that I won’t try to heal Max.” She said, staring into his eyes. He held her gaze a moment longer before nodding and throwing the car back into gear.

The hospital was a far cry from the first time she had visited. Families still milled around and sat in clumps around the lobby, but it was not the three ringed circus it once was. She made her way to the visitors desk, offering the clerk a smile she did not feel. The woman’s eyes widened, but she didn’t comment on Lily’s bedraggled appearance. “I’m here to see Max Mayfield. My name is Rose. Rose Munson." She forced her last name through clenched teeth. The clerk smiled gently, as if sensing Lily's turmoil. “Room 201.” She said.

The third floor was just as she remembered it, sterile and falsely cheerful. She was reminded how much she hated hospitals. She could hear Lucas’ soft voice as she approached room 201, rapping gently upon the door. His voice stopped abruptly as he came to answer the knock. “Lily? Are you alright? You look sick.” He commented, wide eyes raking her form. She was sure she looked as awful as she felt. Still, she offered him a smile she was sure did not reach her eyes. “I’m a little hungover, but I’ll be alright.” She tried to make her voice sound convincing, but his gaze told her that she fell short of the mark. Lily cast a glance over his shoulder. “How is she?” She asked quietly. He lifted one shoulder in a shrug that was meant to be nonchalant, but didn’t quite come across that way. “No better, no worse. The doctors say that if she doesn’t come out of it soon, she…she may not.” He struggled with the words, his dark eyes glassy with the tears he barely held at bay. She wanted to reach for him, but knew her touch and support would be of little comfort.

“May I see her?” Lily asked quietly. Lucas nodded. “Do you want me to step down the hall?” His question was careful, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Lily understood. Being away from someone you love and could potentially lose was painful. She nodded. “Just for a few moments. I won’t be long.” Lucas brushed past her without another word, his shoulders set in a hard line as he forced his feet to carry him away from the room. She sent a sympathetic look after him she knew he wouldn’t see. She stepped into the room, skirting the bed before settling into the chair Lucas had obviously been sitting in. Talisman was face down on the edge of the bed. He was almost done with it. She vaguely wondered how many more books he would read to her before he, too, gave up. Lily sighed heavily, taking the prone girl’s hand into her own. “Hey Max…” She said quietly, squeezing the hand in her grip. “I promised Steve I wouldn’t try to heal you. I doubt I could anyway. I’m so tired.” She paused, taking a deep breath.

“Why don’t you relax?...” Eddie’s voice was quiet, barely a whisper against her ear. “You’ve been through so much, it’s time to rest now, my love.” She stood, searching the room for the source of the voice. It couldn’t be him. She froze. He never called her his love…he always called her Sindarin endearments. A growl bubbled up in her chest. “Vecna…” Her eyes searched in vain for his figure in the shadows.

“Liliana…” That cold, serpentine voice slithered down her spine and she shuddered. “You look exhausted. You should follow your lover’s advice and rest.” Lily snorted. “As if you give a shit. You wouldn’t know concern if it bit you on the ass.” She was playing with fire, but she didn’t care. Anger burned like bile in her throat. “Temper, temper. I happen to know why you are so ill. And…how to fix it.” Lily gritted her teeth, her breath catching. “And how would you know that?” She hissed. “Because I have seen it before. That power you have…it comes with a price.” Lily rolled her eyes. “I already knew that, Captain Obvious.” A little voice in her head warned her not to be so snarky, but she brushed it off. After all Vecna had put her and her friends through, he didn’t deserve her politeness. “You are ill because you have been out of my realm too long. That power you squander requires regular contact in my plane, and without it, it will feast on your longevity until you no longer draw breath. You have about two weeks at most.” Lily’s heart dropped into her shoes. Two weeks? She knew she was sick, but she expected to have more time than that. Even if only a little. She swallowed hard. “Why are you telling me this?” She dreaded the answer, but couldn’t help but ask. “I have a proposition. Should you accept, it may save your life, and the lives of all you love. Meet me at the Crossroads, and we will strike a deal.” A shiver passed through her, and she knew that other than the girl prone on the bed, she was once again, alone.

She didn’t know how long she sat there, but she slowly sank back into the chair. A knock at the door roused her, if only slightly. “Come in…” She called absently. Lucas opened the door, shivering as he came in. “It’s cold in here…” He commented, his eyes finally falling on Lily. He froze. “Are you alright?” He asked, lengthening his stride and approaching the bed. “Did anything…?” He broke off, biting his lip as his dark eyes raked over Max. Lily shook her head. “Nothing, I…I had a dizzy spell.” The lie slipped off her tongue with the ease of a serpent. He eyed her a moment, but let it go. Lily rose slowly, the room tilting dangerously. The dizzy spell wasn’t exactly a lie, she felt faint and weary. She made her way around the bed, hugging Lucas gently. “I’m sorry I can’t help her. I made a promise to Steve that I wouldn’t try to heal her.”

Lucas’ eyes narrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about? Heal her…how?” Lily sighed. She had forgotten that not everyone was privy to her weirdness. “Something happened to me in the Upside Down. I got these…powers. One of which is a sort of healing ability. But…like everything, it comes with a price. And so far, that price seems to be my health.” She held up her hands, which were boney and pale, like the rest of her. Lucas sucked in a small breath. “No, I wouldn’t want you to use your powers either. I wouldn’t trade your life for Max’s.” He said firmly, gripping her shoulders almost to the point of pain. Lily managed a small, sad smile. “Trust me, if you did, you’d be doing me a favor.”

***

The ride back to Steve’s house was heavy with awkward silence. Steve had asked her how her visit was, but Lily couldn’t find the words to tell him. She shivered, remembering the conversation with Vecna. It was an easy choice of course. She would go, if only to find out what he wanted of her, and if it meant that she could protect her friends, all the better. There was just one thing she had to do first. And Steve would not be open to the idea, so she would have to do it after he went to bed that night.

She told Steve that she had a headache, and that her visit to the hospital had taken more out of her than she anticipated. He helped tuck her into bed, offering tylenol that she refused. “I think I’ll just sleep.” She told him gently. He offered a small, apologetic smile. She forced herself to return it. He leaned down and pressed a feather-light kiss to her temple, and she had to close her eyes to keep from bursting into tears. This would only be the first of her betrayals, her mind told her. But if she managed to protect them, she would pay any cost associated.

Lily lay still and listened to the quiet of the house. The sun had set at least four hours ago, and there was not a breath of sound to be heard. At least, not on this floor. She kept her eyes closed, straining to hear. Nothing. The house was silent as a tomb. She rose, stuffing her wedding ring in her pocket. She padded on tip toe into the hallway. Darkness and silence greeted her. She padded down the hall to Steve’s room, and leaning on the door, she could hear the sound of his soft snores. She smiled. “Have pleasant dreams.” She whispered, meaning it with every fiber of her being. Her fingers lingered on the wood of the door for longer than seemed necessary. She hated that she had to do this. Especially since Steve had made it perfectly clear that he would stop at nothing to keep her safe. And here she was, running headfirst into the very jaws of the thing that hunted them.

She padded back down the hall, sliding into the shoes Robin had lent her. She tucked her long hair under the beanie she had worn to the high school, and pulled on her hoodie. She found Steve’s keys in the glass dish by the door, and wrote a note for Steve on the back of an envelope, and laid it in place of his keys. Slowly, and as quietly as she could, she stepped out into the night. Steve’s car started without a fuss, but she still watched the upper floor of the house for movement. Tense seconds ticked by, and after a whole minute of silence and stillness, she backed out of the drive.

Her heart constricted as for the second time in her life, she raced off into the night. In a stolen car, on a suicide mission. Only this time, there was no Eddie, no safety net waiting for her at her destination.

#eddie munson fanfic #eddie

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