#a reaction post by a lunatic-your welcome
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can i request where reader cant go to their match and they got angry which makes them say the word "i shouldve invite *ex's name*, she wouldve come." and reader reaction can be up to you! with rin and maybe chigiri? thank you so much and please stay hydrate! sending loves <33
OHHH MYYY GODDD ANONNN……..
the way i gasped so loud when i saw this OMGOMG
okay so, idk if you’re wanting PURE ANGST for this but like i’ll add fluff at the end anyway bc the more the merrier😇😁😁
OKAY SO UMM..i’m a procrastinator, it’s no secret. so uhh chigiris will be posted when i remember to work on it, sorry😭
“are you serious?” “you’re..kidding, right?”
chigiri hyoma and rin itoshi x reader (seperate) click here for chigiri’s
tags/warnings: angst to comfort, swearing, arguing, NOT PROOFREAD…
synopsis: if he’s so insistent on you being there to support him, why doesn’t he do the same?
a/n: i am SO SORRY this took so long </3 i got busy but this request is soo..chefs kiss i hope i did it justice😓
RIN ITOSHI—
the faint mumbles from the tv filled rin’s apartment as you made a quick snack to eat, knowing your boyfriend should be home any minute. you sat down on the couch to eat, turning the tv volume up as background noise while you looked out the window. it faced a gorgeous view of your city, along with a nice view of the sunset.
after some time, you were back in the kitchen to clean up a bit.
*click*
the jingling of keys indicated rin was home, a tad later that usual but you payed no mind to it.
“hey,” you smiled, “welcome home, how was practice?” arms wrapping around his neck as he set his bag down, taking his shoes off. his arm snaked around your waist to pull you closer to him, planting a kiss on your temple.
“eh, same as always. those lukewarm lunatics don’t know what they’re doing”
you hummed in response, rin pulling away from you to look you in the eye. he spoke again. “we have a game in a few days. you’re going, right?” it sounded more like a demand than a question.
“oh uh about that” you broke eye contact, a twinge of nervousness tainted your face. “i was given an extra shift at work so i’ll be swamped, i don’t think i’ll be able to make it, sorry”
his before softened gaze now pierced right through you, full of annoyance. “really? i thought you’d want to come to my games.” his arms left your torso and flopped to his side, lower back resting on the counter.
“i do! i always do..rin you know this, i go to your games when i can but lately i’ve just been more busy an-” you rambled.
he cut you off, “quit the excuses.”
“excuse me?” you replied, shocked at how his silver tongue was so quick to interrupt you.
“i get it. you’re busy. you don’t have to make up these half-baked excuses and try to make me feel better.” he moved from the counter, straightening his back and showing his full height, looking down on you as if you were less than him at that moment.
“excuses? rin, what the hell are you talking about? i’m being serious.” confusion swirled in your mind, what was up with him??
“you know, i never had these problems with *ex’s name*. she was always happy to come to my games. no excuses, no lies. every game, she was there. why can’t you be like that?” rin’s venom stained words singed into your brain, glints of annoyance pooled in his eyes. a twinge of guilt settled in his gut the minute those words spilled out of his mouth, but he payed no mind to it.
“what?” your eyes widened in disbelief, “are you fucking serious?”
how could he say that? sure, rin was petty and used bitter language when he was upset, but comparing you to his ex? that was a new low, even for him. after all of the crap you two talked about when mentioning both of your exes in the past, you’d assume he’d want absolutely nothing to do with her. right?
“why wouldn’t i be?” not once did his gaze leave your figure, was he serious? “she actually took my career seriously.”
you were beyond shocked, eyes narrowing as your brows knitted together. “invite her then.” you retorted. “maybe i will, maybe then i’ll have someone who actually supports me there.” he scoffed.
his words made your blood boil, eye twitching before you spoke again, “get out.” you gritted through your teeth, fingers fiddling with the hem of your (his) sweater as to not lose your cool.
“what?” he scoffed, not expecting such a response (he really should have, what was he thinking??)
“did i fucking stutter? or is your skull too thick to hear what i have to say. get. out.”
the strikers face further scrunched, yet not moving an inch. “this is my apartment. if you’re upset, then leave.” he brushed past you without a single regret as to what he had said, not entirely believing you’d actually leave, where else did you have to go?
“fine then.” you slipped your shoes on while dialing a number on your phone before slamming the door, leaving the rin to sit with his thoughts. you had much, much more to say, but the thought of having to stay in the same vicinity as you made your stomach churn.
who did you call? why, your best friend of course, who else would you trust with this information. sure, rin’s teammates weren’t bad people to open up to, but you needed someone who could understand your feelings through angry sobs and incoherent mumbles.
it was only a matter of time before you were sat on yours friends bed, angry tears burning your cheeks as you rambled on about how dumb your boyfriend was.
“break up with him” your friend mumbled, only half joking. “me personally, i wouldn’t stay with a man, nah, a BOY who brings up his ex when he’s mad..”
you lifted your head from the tear stained pillow to meet your friend’s gaze. “yeah but……ugh i hate when you’re right” your sentence ending with a laugh
“i’m kidding..kind of” she sneered “either way, screw him, ghost his ass until he comes crying at your doorstep”
“what??” you shot up from your position, now almost on top of your friend. she was faced you, a more serious expression painting her face
“seriously though, you shouldn’t have to deal with that shit [n/n], he has the be the one to apologize.” you nodded in response, good thing your friend had a bit more common sense than you did in that moment.
“yeah, you’re right, thanks”
“any time, now do you wanna stay here or are you good to go home?”
“i’ll stay here and bug you more”
“okay then” she laughed out, the two of you now laying on the bed on your backs, staring at the ceiling
• { time skip - two days later } •
the radio silence that came from rin was like torture, did he not care? not a single text or phone call, not even a message given from one of his teammates. it was hard to stay positive.
sure, he deserved the silent treatment, but he was your boyfriend. his company single-handedly made your days better. being separated because of a fight that he didn’t want to resolve was stupid.
your friend tried taking you out today to get your mind off of the situation. it was going well, up until you walked into your favorite cafe.
you were met with a face you were too familiar with. rin’s. his eyes widened in disbelief and he twitched, almost as if he was about to run after you. and so you and your friend took one good look at him and immediately left. if the argument was going to be resolved, it wasn’t going to be in a public cafe.
your friend pushed you by the shoulders as you both shuffled out of the doors, you pulling out your phone to find another place to go to at the same time.
“shit.” was the only thing that rin had managed to mutter out as he saw the two of you running away from the cafe. it’s not that he wanted to avoid you. it’s that he was ashamed. he was scared that nothing he would say would amount to enough of an apology for what he said.
rin was scared that this was the end of you two. his worst fears of losing the one person he knew loved and understood him were coming true and is was his fault. the past few days were filled with doubt and regret, his teammates even noticing his practices were depleting.
the rest of the day came and went, your friend dropped you off back at your apartment where you collapsed on the couch, left with your thoughts once again. you were about to just pass out on your couch and ditch work the next morning, like you have been for the past few days.
that was until you heard a frantic knock on your door, jolting you awake. your worried expression dropped to one of annoyance and bitterness; it was rin. but, he looked different. his usually blank expression was now one of exhaustion and hurt.
he’d been..crying?
your eyes widened in confusion, you opened your mouth to tell him to leave before he cut you off.
“i’m sorry” he blurted out
he was looking down to you, except it was much different than before. rin looked desperate, his eye contact only further confirmed it.
he reached his hand out to place it on your shoulder, hesitating. you opened the door to let him in, sitting on the edge of your couch next to each other.
“i’m so sorry [name].”
“i know.”
“it was stupid, you mean so much to me and i..i ruined it.”
“i know.”
“please, you don’t need to forgive me now i just…”
he paused. rin’s head moved to look at the ground.
“i just need to know you won’t leave me. you can ignore me for as long as you’d like and i’d understand. but just…please i need you back” he begged, small tears brimming at his eyes, what a rare sight to see.
silence fell between the two of you, but it wasn’t like the comfortable silences you’ve shared before. it was tense and awkward.
“okay” your voice was barely above a whisper, “i won’t leave you, i think we both know that” you say with a smile.
rin looked back up at you, eyes wide, full of hope and relief.
“but listen i…” the moonlight only further highlighted just how much the two of you had been crying
“it’s gonna take some time. that was really fucked up, you know that?”
“yeah..yeah i know. i’m sorry. you’re nothing like her i-”
“i know.”
the two of you were now looking at each other, faces flushed from crying and relief. the silence was comfortable again.
“let’s just..go to sleep, yeah? we can talk about it in the morning, i think we both could discuss better afterwards” you offered, leaning closer to the armrest of your couch as you were too tired to go to your bed
rin hummed back in response, laying on your chest as he wrapped his arms around your waist. your hands found their way to his hair, heartbeats practically synchronizing.
“you know..i’m still not going to your game” you whispered, peeking one eye open to watch your boyfriend. he smiled, “i know” a laugh spilled out of his mouth before you both fell asleep.
#blue lock#blue lock x reader#bllk#bllk x reader#angst#comfort#rin itoshi#rin itoshi x reader#itoshi rin#itoshi rin x reader#rin x reader#bllk rin#✩ vie writes
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Dear listener, if you want music, you can find that practically anywhere online. If you want a journey, try Colourmusic on for size. I promoted this group rather hard on my blog in 2022 because the initial reaction I got from posting their tunes wasn’t insignificant. I got hundreds of hits from Tumblrites just for posting their rare work, and I even had a synesthete on this platform tell me that one tune by them ‘tastes like citrus’. I spent so much time in 2022 firing arcs of fanboy spooge all over my hapless audience I swore I wouldn’t dare bring another post involving this group to Tumblr for a full year. Well, it’s been over a year and my desire to post more music by them has reached a fever pitch. If you’re looking for a far more in-depth view on this group, I have covered their tunes numerous times before. But for those looking for an abbreviated description of what this band brings to the table; all you need to know is that they’re a high concept indie rock group whose modus operandi is to incite the feeling, the sensation of a particular color. For each album, they invoke a new color. They started in 2008 with an orange album (F, Monday, Orange, February, Venus, Lunatic, 1 or 13) that was enthusiastic and energetic. Their second album and magnum opus, 2011's My _____ is Pink, was passionate and playful. They followed it up with a purple album (May You Marry Rich) that is appropriately lush and ambitious, and a blue album that very heavily took its inspiration from the actual element of water. If I’m being perfectly honest, I’m a much larger fan of their pre-2015 work. I’m not even 100% sure if they’re trying to make music based on colors anymore. I’ve spent a lot of time listening to their post-2015 work in the last month and found their 2018 album Swimsuit to be tonally solid, but it was also a very personal and bleak affair that I didn’t necessarily immediately want to revisit for multifarious reasons. I found a decent portion of their ambient and at times upbeat 2021 album Thank Goodness Hell Is Easy To Get Into was a breath of fresh air… although they took a pretty hard nose-dive into stoner rock territory, and stoner rock just ain’t my cup of tea, folks. But not all is lost in their direction, as their most recent works still did their very best to tell a story complete with a rising action, a falling action, and a denouement. If you smash play on the video above, you will be introduced to the very first Colourmusic video I came across in about 2009 or so. These guys made some great and very underrated music videos just over a decade ago and before you say anything, you’re welcome, Tumblr. You’ll feel a smile stretching across your face as you realize *I too am a member of this captive audience*. It’s Tog from their pink album. Enjoy!
I just want to point out that the video I posted this week is just about the closest I can get to posting a bukkake porno without being a handed a well-deserved lifetime ban from Tumblr. If you want another of their awesome videos, click here and continue your videographic journey. And check out Colourmusic folks! They’re WAY underground, especially these days, and still phenomenal! Image source: https://alchetron.com/Colourmusic
#music video#music on tumblr#colourmusic#my _____ is pink#tog#oklahoma band#oklahoma sex rock#high concept indie rock#indie rock#indie#video#stoner rock#Ryan Hendrix#Nick Ley
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What are the companions reactions to twin soles (so, technically not soles??) who finish each other's sentences and just do Creepy Twin Shit™.
Thank you for the request! Now that I read it again, however, I didn't do what you asked for... your request made me think of the twins on TLC who constantly try to talk in unison but are terribly bad at it, and I went with that, sorry! Still hope you like it because I had so much fun writing this! (Also sorry for taking literal years to write this)
Cait:
Cait will be instantly annoyed at it and is not afraid to let them know.
“Yeah, quit that already, it’s not cute.”
Codsworth:
If this is a new post-war thing, Codsworth will be very concerned, but he’ll just laugh it off awkwardly whenever it happens.
“Yes… haha… that’s right, sirs/mums.”
Curie:
Plain confused: “Why do you do that? Why not just listen to what the other has to say?”
Danse:
Danse will be creeped out, but he’ll try to hide it by sounding annoyed instead. However, he will most likely not offer the twins a spot on his team in Cambridge.
Deacon:
He’s heard tales of the twins, but only good stuff, so you can imagine the disappointment when they come knocking on the Railroad doors only to discover that they are actually weirdly off-putting.
“Ah man, if only you were actually good at speaking in sync, imagine the things we could pull off. Well anyway, welcome to our little freakshow, and I think you, my friend, might just top Tinker Tom.” And he’d silently add a sarcastic "hurray".
Gage:
“Look, we can’t have two Overbosses, that’s not how it works,” Gage says, already full-on annoyed that even the very start of his new Overboss plan didn’t go according to plan.
“We do a- everything together. We’re bas- basically one person.”
“We do everything together. We’re act- basically one person.”
The twins say in semi-unison, constantly looking at each other to make sure they say the same thing but still failing half the time.
“Oh for the love of- cut that shit out! Why the hell did I help ya’ll out against Colter?”
Hancock:
Hancock completely ignores the weird twin stuff, mostly because he thinks he’s so high on jet he’s hallucinating one of the two. The only thing is… if he’s hallucinating a second person, then why are they so bad at talking in unison?
Longfellow:
Longfellow has about enough of the twins the moment they first open their mouths. He won’t want to talk to them after that, but if he happens to cross paths with them, he won’t hesitate to insult them either.
“You one of them lunatic rad freaks? You’d fit right in.”
MacCready:
“Yeah, whatever you say, boss, as long as I get my share of the money at the end.” He says at first, but after traveling with them for a spell, he won’t be able to handle it anymore and part ways – not even caring if he gets his money or not.
Nick:
Deep, irritated sigh. “We get it, you two are twins. What more do you have to prove to anyone?”
Piper:
Absolutely flabbergasted during the interview. Piper is unsure whether she should say anything about this weird behavior or not, she decides to stay quiet and stares at her notes from the interview in semi-shock and with a heap of regret.
Preston:
“So which one of you is going to be the general?”
The twins look at each other.
“We wou- will only become general if we can do it together.”
“We will- will only be… become general if we can do it together.”
Preston will be speechless for a moment. His first instinct is to explain why that isn’t possible, but he quickly realizes any such attempt will be futile anyway and gives up.
Strong:
It can either go one or two ways here. Either he's focused on them being twins which he'll perceive as something positive: "Humans look alike! Like Strong and brothers look alike! Good!
Or he's focused on the talking, which (as we all know) is bad: “Humans talk too much! Humans should fight!”
X6-88:
“So which one of you is Father’s parent?”
“We are both his mother.”
“We are both his mother.”
The twins say with much difficulty in syncing their lines. X6-88’s disappointment was immeasurable, but he sure was glad Father had been taken away from his mother(s?) and was raised inside the Institute instead. If Father insisted on keeping the twins around, X6-88 would question Father's objectivity, but he would follow orders as always and keep his opinion to himself.
#fallout reactions#fallout 4#fallout companion react#fallout 4 companion react#fallout 4 reactions#danse#cait#codsworth#curie#hancock#gage#deacon#old longfellow#maccready#nick valentine#piper#preston#x6 88#strong
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#Prodigal Son#ainsley whitly#Malcolm Bright#jessica whitly#tom payne#halston sage#bellamy young#*#*ps#a reaction post by a lunatic-your welcome#it happened just like this
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Derek kept Allison save from Scott. Scott, who thought getting his dick wet, cheating his way into first line and bring popular was more important than Allison and other people's life, safety and well being.
Good morning and I hope everyone had a Happy Holiday season no matter which holidays you celebrate, if any!
Over this season I received many new followers and I'm both flattered and mystified. Thank you for joining me! I feel it is only fair to introduce you to someone who haunts my page like a malevolent ghost. They've earned the name the Asshole Anon, and you, too, can have them fill your inbox with things like the above. All you have to do is post something supportive of Scott McCall being the lead protagonist of Teen Wolf in the character tag or observe how parts of the Teen Wolf fandom seem less than welcoming or fair or indulges in racism, sexism, or heteronormativity. Eventually AA will come to your inbox, too. Sort of like Krampus, I suppose.
The primary thing you have to remember about Asshole Anon is that there is literally no unethical tactic they won't employ. They'll purposefully misinterpret scenes, leave out context, and make unsupported claims about a show that everyone can watch with their own eyes. If you refute their positions about Scott McCall, they'll start making claims about Tyler Posey, unsubstantiated opinions hurled at you at the speed of your internet. At times, it'll seem that they can't tell the difference between the actor and the character, but they certainly can. They just don't care as long as they think they're winning the argument.
Another important thing to remember is that their work serves no practical ends. They've been sending me messages like the above for four years, each just as strident, just as illogical, just as repetitive, as if proof by assertion is all they really need. Their point isn't to convince me or any person who thinks as I do, their point is their own emotional gratification and a vain hope that eventually I and people who think as I do will shut up. They and I have entered a vicious cycle, because they somehow get what they need with their nastiness, and I'm far too stubborn to let them shut me up.
I delete ninety-five percent of their messages, answering only those with which I can make a point about the fandom or the show. I'll talk about this one to show what you might have to deal with.
First, they'll make a statement that is on the surface true, but robs everything of all context. Fore example "Derek kept Allison safe from Scott." Sufficiently vague, isn't it? Derek did indeed intercept a moon-maddened Scott in Lunatic (1x08). Notice how they imply that this somehow unique or particularly damning for a newly-bitten werewolf's second full moon, especially one who is being stalked by a murderous alpha, threatened with exposure by a roommate, hunted by his girlfriend's father, and tormented by his best friend. But AA ignores what Derek says in that very same scene.
Scott: What's happening to me?
Derek: Exactly what he wants to happen.
No the implication is, as it always is, that Scott did this to himself. This is the fundamental flaw not only in AA's campaign but in the fandom itself. Everyone is a victim and thus to be given compassion and sympathy, except for Scott, who should endure what Peter and Derek and Chris Argent and Stiles and Jackson did to him without any resentment or reaction.
Now we move on to the list of Scott's crimes, which the AA always twists into somehow worse than murder, often with disgusting exaggeration. Scott's emotional connection to Allison is reduced to 'getting his dick wet.' Classy, huh? When you watched season one of Teen Wolf, how many times did you see Scott initiate sex? How many times did he treat Allison (or any of his girlfriends) like an object? If you weren't paying attention, that was Jackson.
And then there is the 'cheating his way into first line.' While Scott did make first line due to his physical talents being enhanced by Lycanthropy, he did it before even Stiles told him he was a werewolf, just as he asked Allison on a date before he was a werewolf. Can you cheat involuntarily?
And, finally, they wrap it up with the idea that Scott threatened people's lives by playing lacrosse and dating Allison as if that was the cause of people's lives being in danger, and not Peter Hale turning a sixteen-year-old boy into a werewolf in order to kill people and Derek would rather string Scott along in order to lure the alpha out of hiding than teach Scott how to play lacrosse. But the point is -- Scott did play lacrosse and Scott did date Allison and neither of those things got people killed or even came close. When Scott stalked Stiles in the locker room, it was before they realized what triggered the change and before Brutal Thug Derek broke into Scott's house and tried to get him to stop by threatening his life.
It's why I keep bringing up racism, because somehow parts of the fandom are convinced that a Latino kid must give up everything he wants out of life or he's trash but Vicious White Millionaire Serial Killer Uncle and Broody White Millionaire Bully Nephew don't have to stop their revenge sprees. It never occurs to him that all Peter and Derek have to do is stop, and Scott will easily be able to handle the "gift" they forced on him by working with people will actually care about him. But everything in Season 1 is Scott's fault.
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BnHA Chapter 267: My Name Is
Previously on BnHA: Hawks stabbed Twice in the back of the head. Twice stabbed another guy in the back of the head. Everyone’s just running around stabbing or being stabbed. I should probably clarify that Twice actually died, because this is a shounen manga, so sometimes you have to clarify that this particular stabbing was actually fatal. Not just one of those flesh wound stabbings. Anyway so it was super sad, and now Dabi’s gonna face off with the sexy scarred murderous Hawks, and Toga and Compress are also going to be feeling a bit stabby after all this probably, and so that’s the general mood here I guess. I kind of need a break now so I’m wondering if we’re gonna cut to any of the kids. Because if we stick around Horikoshi may actually have to give us Dabi flashbacks. God forbid.
Today on BnHA: Tokoyami has a flashback to when Hawks told him he’s weak to being set on fire. This terrible thought weighs on his mind as he and the other lads and lasses of U.A.’s child soldier vanguard are escorted away from the battle via Fatgum and his absolute goat of a quirk. Dabi is all “:D you killed Twice, I’m gonna set you on fire repeatedly now” and Hawks is all “ffff no that’s my weakness also WHO ARE YOU” and WE GET SOME HAWKS FLASHBACKS?! and then Dabi is all “:DDDDDD [CENSORED]” and it’s literally fucking censored fuck my life. but also !!! because he actually fucking said it, though?? He really went and revealed it just like that?? And now Hawks knows, and he’s all shocked, and Dabi goes to kill him afterwards but TOKOYAMI IS ALL “ON YOUR LEFT!!!!” and OH SHIT. Also Endeavor saves Miruko so DOUBLE OH SHIT. Oh my god. I’m sorry this summary is all over the place but I can barely type a coherent sentence now so just TAKE THESE EXCLAMATION POINTS AND GO!!! SPREAD THE WORD. BE FREE.
everyone before we begin I would just like to tell you about my discovery this week. I learned that when I type the word “Dabi” on my phone the next word that the keyboard predicts is “flashbacks.” google keyboard is on to me. so now the FBI and the CIA and whoever else google is selling all my data to all know. I can only imagine. “she seems to spend an inordinate amount of time talking about ‘Dabi flashbacks.’ what’s a Dabi.” I’ll tell you what a Dabi is. it’s a guy whose fucking flashbacks we never fucking get that’s what
anyway so let’s read this chapter whose spoiler tags have already been filling up my dashboard, which is always a good sign. who will die this week? Horikoshi please have mercy on us in light of recent real life global events. maybe you can just have everyone abruptly decide that they are all done fighting and want to go home
-- GOD BLESS US EVERYONE
who could have known, years ago when the very first mangaka was drawing the very first color page, that this medium would one day soar to such great heights. who could have imagined that we would one day be witness to this masterwork, this magnificent fucking triumph of a colored manga page. holy shit. I will cherish this always
for real you all think I’m joking but I genuinely don’t want to scroll down lol. let’s just stay with Miruko forever. where it is safe. and sexy. goddammit
OH SURE, THEY GIVE US HAWKS FLASHBACKS
anyways but lol
guys. we’ve been over this. fire is everyone’s weakness. just. I’m not quite sure people like Hawks and Kamui Woods actually grasp that. do they think normal people catch on fire and they’re just “oh, this is actually all right.” also, side note kids, please don’t use this answer if this ever comes up during a job interview
wow
what a gamechanging plan of action. don’t catch on fire. Toko write that down
WOW
you guys. YOU GUYS. IT GOT BETTER
who could have known, years ago when the very first mangaka was drawing the very first gag panel, that this format would one day ascend to such lofty summits. who could have envisaged that we would one day behold such a showpiece, such a grand fucking slam of a joke panel in a shounen manga
anyway Horikoshi sure does love his English portmanteaus. I’m kind of stunned by how great this is you guys. but getting back to more serious observations, all I can say is thank fucking god somebody is actually thinking of the children! nothing terrible had better happen to them or I swear!!
so Fatgum is explaining that the plan was to have them use their respective quirks to help take out a bunch of bad guys at once, and that the grown-ups will now proceed to rope them all in and capture them. and dammit, I was trying to avoid having to post the panel because it takes forever if I post a lot of them, but I just noticed Mt. Lady over there stomping fools in the background and so now I have no choice
A+ chapter so far you guys. 5 stars. keep it up
one-and-a-half year-old Kaminari Denki has already fallen asleep. he wishes he could live there. I wish I had the words to adequately convey how utterly delighted I have been by this entire “everyone rides around in Fatgum’s belly” mini-arc, which is now my favorite part of the entire series (as always with the exception of “Dear Midoriya I’m really sorry”)
and I also just really love the timing of it?? right after the “here’s that angst you ordered” emotional sobfest of the last chapter, we’re taking a quick break to cut back to the Fatgum Express (excuse me, Fataxi) just to keep things from getting too heavy. this is such an important balance to strike. please don’t let this arc get too dark, Horikoshi
oh shit
right, Dabi?? but I’ve had an entire week to process my feelings about it and I’m more or less good now! how are you
not particularly great, then
and also, fuck. so Horikoshi was gracious enough not to show Twice’s murdered body even though he confirmed he was indeed killed (so apologies to anyone who was still holding out hope. it sucks but at least we’ve got closure). first he cuts off the bottom of the panel, and then he has Dabi literally cremate him on the fucking spot. there’s really going to be nothing left at all of him or any of the clones. I’m just gonna sit here and try not to think about that or else I’ll get sad all over again
anyway, so also Hawks’s wings have been totally incinerated now it looks like, and he’s just barely yeeting himself out of the way with whatever he’s got left
boy this is getting rough
love how Horikoshi is avoiding showing Dabi’s face!! that was sarcasm by the way because I don’t love it! he pulls this shit all the time with Bakugou too! show us their emotions dammit!
anyway. how kind of Dabi to stomp out Hawks’s flames for him like that. you see. they’re still friends
HOLY SHIT
APPARENTLY IT IS??? I GUESS WE ALL GRIEVE DIFFERENTLY LMAO. SOME PEOPLE GET SAD AND CRY AND OTHERS JUST GET REALLY SCARY AND CRAZY
like. not to nitpick or anything, but your tear glands are actually located above your eyes. maybe he means his tear ducts. also I’m not a doctor or anything and I can barely name like three bones actually so maybe I should just shut up!
anyways though, out of courtesy let’s just take Dabi at his word that grinning like a deranged lunatic is a perfectly normal response to watching your friend get murdered by your sexy archenemy. who is to say
and what exactly is your dream again? to make Stain’s will a reality or something like that? so purging the world of false heroes I guess?
DAMMIT DABI FIRE IS HIS WEAKNESS
most people would at least scream, wouldn’t they? Hawks??? does that not hurt??!
DSFKJSL:DKGHLSDKGHL
no!! I won’t be fooled!! Horikoshi and Dabi flashbacks is like Wile E. Coyote and painting a fake tunnel onto a cliffside! don’t be conned by his deceitful forced perspective!
LOL YOU SEE
apparently this man really will do anything to keep us from getting a Dabi flashback, even if that means giving us Hawks flashbacks instead lmao. WELL SHOOT. OH DARN. POOR US. WE’LL JUST HAVE TO SETTLE try not to look too happy guys he can sense satisfaction
anyway so here’s baby Hawks
okay, so -- does fandom still hate Hawks. like, I haven’t checked the bnha tag much since this weekend so I don’t know if the general consensus is still “yeah he’s cancelled” or if we’re cooling down at all yet? anyway so I apologize if liking Hawks is still A Wrong Thing To Do, but just fyi he’s still adopted and I haven’t unadopted him and I love him unconditionally even though he’s in timeout. and so now that Baby Hawks has appeared to rival all other Baby Characters (BABY YODA WATCH YOUR SIX!!) with his lil wings and his Endeavor plush and his quiet lil nodding head, I just need you all to know that I would die for him without hesitation and that’s just how it is friends
(ETA: also, jesus christ. “Keigo-kun, you can say goodbye to your name from now on!" I’m surprised they didn’t assign him a fucking number. what the fuck. time for some grueling training, lab rat #184. better get ready. jesus. he’s like 7.)
sdlkfjLSDGHOSIDFOIOOIIO
THE MAN THAT -- WHAT. WELL HOT DAMN, TAKAMI THEORISTS! GO ON AND GIVE YOURSELVES A BIG PAT ON THE BACK. YOU EARNED IT.
snap. gotta calm down. too much hype all of a sudden. easy does it
OH ARE YOU KIDDING ME THAT’S IT??
noooo go back. fuck
and how the hell do you still have eyebrows, Hawks. how are you still even alive, let alone sexy. is fire your weakness?? is it really??! WELCOME TO BNHA THE MANGA WHERE ANYONE CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING. EXCEPT FOR BEING KILLED OFF-SCREEN AFTER WEEKS AND WEEKS OF BUILDUP
WHAT THE MONUMENTAL FUCK
HORIKOSHI WHERE ARE YOU I’M READY AND WILLING TO VIOLATE SOCIAL DISTANCING RIGHT NOW TO PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE SO COME ON
what the fuck. is this a Tarantino movie. or an Eminem song. anyway but we all know what he actually said though so let’s just scroll down and see how Hawks is going to take the news
oh my. I suddenly understand Dabi’s “grinning like a lunatic” reaction to witnessing a tragedy now. ohhhhhh that’s the good angst right there
so now Dabi says that if he wasn’t Hawks’s target in the beginning, then Hawks “would’ve been done for from the start”? ...what. lol what. am I just too tired to understand this you guys. I’m so confused
okay well I still have no fucking clue what that all meant but on the next panel he’s saying that Hawks shouldn’t have been focusing on Tomura or the League
is he suggesting that he has the power to bring down the hero system by revealing that he, the son of Endeavor, was made into a villain? am I reading into this right?
holy moses. I can’t believe this is really happening. this plotline is finally on the move oh my god I can’t even I’m getting way too excited I can’t??
HEY WHAT
well it matters to me you big melodramatic jerk!! don’t even pretend like you’re really gonna do it. I have zero fear of Hawks actually dying right now, not after that. there is way too much plot attached to him, gtfo with this fakeout shit
but more importantly, why the fuck are we cutting to Gigantomachia now oh shit. don’t tell me Fatgum got the babies out of there just in time
FUCK ME I NEARLY SCREAMED OUT LOUD
HE CAN BE ACTIVATED BY THE RECORDING OF AFO!! SOMEONE HAS THE FUCKING ON SWITCH IN THEIR HANDS OH SHIT, THERE’S THE DISASTER WE WERE ALL FUCKING WAITING FOR RIGHT THERE
WE’RE CUTTING BACK TO MIRUKO NOW??? CAN THIS CHAPTER GET ANY MORE HYPE MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS
let the bodies hit the floor let the bodies hit the floor let the bodies hit the floor let the bodies hit the [deep breath] FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO --
OH NO!?
okay like any reasonable person I am very concerned by the implications of this. and yet a part of me just wants to focus entirely on the “AM I GETTING TIRED AFTER LOSING AN ARM AND A SHITLOAD OF BLOOD AND FIGHTING FIVE NOUMUS ALL BY MYSELF FOR LIKE AN HOUR? ...NAH.” you’re absolutely right Miruko that would be ridiculous
ARE YOU SERIOUS
either she’s about to die and she knows it, or SHE WAS JUST TOYING WITH THEM WHAAAAT. I genuinely don’t even know which it is?? but it better not be the former and it absolutely is the latter though
GOSH DARN THAT MIRUKO
THERE SHE GOES. MY CZARINA
excuse me did this guy just fucking impale her
SHE ONLY HAS THE ONE GOOD HAND LEFT LIKE CAN YOU PLEASE. can you fucking not, though?! and also I forgot that being impaled through the torso is another thing in this series that’s actually fatal. well fuck
(ETA: also he ripped out her hair!! look here you piece of shit I’m gonna --)
lmao but yeah, somehow
Horikoshi. if you kill off your one cool strong top ten female hero character. just so you know. I will. ...you know what, just don’t do it, how about that. just don’t
ohhhhhh I might be about to get really mad you guys. we’ll see. we’lllllll see
SON OF A BITCH
GODDAMMIT, OBVIOUSLY TOMURA CAN’T FUCKING DIE SO WHY DON’T YOU FUCK OFF WITH THIS ENTIRE SCENARIO YOU’RE PRESENTING TO US RIGHT NOW HORIKOSHI, HOW ABOUT THAT. fuck everything I can’t believe chapter 267 page 16 was the last page of the entire manga you guys. tell me I’m reading way too much into this
ffffff
you literally had the perfect chapter. Fataxi!! Baby Hawks!! censored Touya reveals!! why would you go and. ...
I knew it was a mistake reading past that amazing color page you guys
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OH MY GOD I DIDN’T SCREAM BUT I SAID “HA HA!” OUT LOUD?!
-- AND AGAIN!!!!!
YOU WANT SOME??? YOU WANT SOME?!?!
FUCK YES. EXCUSE ME WHILE I CRACK OPEN THE WINDOW AND SHOUT SOME EARNEST “WOOOOOOO!!”S DOWN UNTO THE CONFUSED STREETS BELOW
y’all. I was this close to cancelling every damn thing. you don’t even know. my god I think I was grinding my teeth there
“you know what this manga has had quite enough of as of last week? tragic deaths! you know what it has not had nearly enough of? dramatic last minute saves! you know what it hasn’t had any of? TOKOYAMI VERSUS DABI, A.K.A. YOUR NEW FAVORITE MATCH-UP OF ALL TIME, YOU’RE FUCKING WELCOME.” geez. calm down Horikoshi. be cool man be cool
you guys. it was almost perfect, and then it wasn’t, and then it very much was. my god. how did I not see that Tokoyami save coming with all that buildup in hindsight. clearly he saw the fire on page four and was all “oh no! his weakness”
only thing is. it’s yours too, bud. :/ don’t think I’ve forgotten how this all played out during the forest arc. and meanwhile on top of that we’ve got Gigantomachia about to have the rudest of awakenings. goddammit. why is everything so dangerous and so awesome thanks I love it but geez
#bnha 267#dabi#hawks#tokoyami fumikage#miruko#bnha#boku no hero academia#bnha spoilers#mha spoilers#bnha manga spoilers#makeste spoiler recap#makeste reads bnha#plot twist he wasn't actually revealing his name in that panel#he was just unleashing a tirade of vicious cursing#that's why hawks looks so shocked afterwards#really touya#this is a kid's manga
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Single Father Seeking Sane Step-Mama Pt. 1
I started writing this as a prompt fill for @thekatesheffield but then the story got away from me.
Read on AO3
Spring 1824
Phillip wondered what was going through his brain all those weeks ago when he made this utterly horrible decision. He must have lost his mind to do something this drastic.
First, he blamed it on his son Oliver. The last governess fled in the dead of night after his most recent escapades. Phillip would have survived if it was only the empty position. No, it was the blacklisting of Romney Hall from all of the local posting agencies. His children earned quite the reputation for themselves. If he was not their father, he might have admired it.
Phillip still heard the echoing rebuke from the last agency that declined to work with him. “Until you find a lady to rein in those children of yours, no one will work with you.” Never before had he wanted to throttle a woman in his life.
His children caused mayhem, but they were his children. Phillip Crane was not the best father in the world. He preferred his plants to people, and speaking to his children was just as difficult as adults. Still, he was all they had after Marina’s death. Even more, they were all he had left.
Even the lack of governess might not have led him here. That honor went to Amanda, his nine-year-old daughter.
One stormy February evening as he worked alone in the greenhouse, a footman came searching for him. “Miss Amanda is nowhere to be found, sir!”
The terror he felt at Marina’s passing was nothing compared to what he felt at that moment. Without a word, he bolted to the manor house. The staff was whipped into a frenzy, and Oliver, the poor child, simply wept in the foyer.
“I didn’t mean to yell at her Father. She usually yells back!” He cried.
Phillip wanted to comfort his son, but there was no time. They had looked for an hour for the girl, but when they could not find Amanda, they retrieved him.
“Amanda!” He bellowed. “Amanda!” Phillip needed to believe that she was inside. If she was not here, then she would be outside and lost in the rain. His heart constricted at the thought of his daughter in that weather.
He tore through the nursery, the library, and even made his way to his rooms when he saw the faint flicker. Had anyone thought to check Marina’s rooms? They had been closed since her death, but the adjoining door still working.
Phillip’s stomach clenched at the thought of entering the chamber. He had not been inside for close to a year. But if there was a chance Amanda was there, he would take it.
Despite his bravery, his heart almost broke at the sight he found. Amanda was curled up against the headboard, clutching a pillow in her sleep. Her tear-stained cheeks were red and blotchy. He rushed to her side and gently woke her up.
“Mama?” The hoarse croak jolted Phillip. Amanda had not called for her mother in years. “Where’s Mama?”
He could not answer her then, but he was determined to have her answer soon. The events of that evening caused him to take the most drastic of measures: looking for a wife in London during the social season.
To make it worse, with the Cranes’ reputation in Gloucestershire, Amanda and Oliver arrived in London with him. He luckily convinced their temporary nurse to travel with them, though it took a hefty bribe. The girl was terrified of what might happen to her in the city. He opted for a townhouse on Bruton Street. His wife’s cousins, the Featheringtons, lived nearby. If needed, he might call upon Lady Featherington for introductions.
True, it had been close to a decade since he had last seen them. Would they even help him?
Phillip did not have a long list of requirements. He was not looking for a Diamond nor did he want one. He did not need a massive dowry. He was not a catch by debutante standards either. Romney Hall was nothing to sneeze at, for sure, but it was no castle. Sir Phillip was only a baronet and a botanist to boot. With the twins in tow, he had his work cut out for the season.
And so, he rode outside of the traveling carriage to arrive at their townhome. Phillip could hear the arguments bubbling inside the vehicle and prayed for patience. All he needed was to find a nice girl who would enjoy a quiet country life. Someone to be a calming influence for the twins. Someone who would be on his side.
After his first marriage, he deserved that much, did he not?
~~
Eloise Bridgerton peered out of her bedroom window at Number Five to see what the ruckus was all about. Naturally, she had the best view of the street. A traveling coach pulled up to the house next door, and a vaguely familiar man rode astride. He stopped and jumped off the horse.
All she could see was that he was large. Not as tall as Benedict, truthfully; no one was. Still, the man fit his coat well, even though it seemed a few years out of date. Eloise leaned closer to see if there was anything else she could glean. It was while she shamelessly studied the man that he looked up at her.
She jumped back from the window, hoping he did not think her a lunatic. The glimpse of his face struck a memory, but she could not name him. Maybe Mama would know. She hastily pinned up her hair and made her way downstairs.
“Mama!” She called out into the hallway. If not her mother, then at least Hyacinth should be around. Her younger sister was just as nosy as she. She stepped out to see if anyone was around their courtyard. A sharp whine caught her attention.
“Oliver, give it back!” A young girl’s voice could be heard.
“No, you had it the entire ride. It’s my turn!”
“Children,” an exasperated voice pleaded. Eloise figured it was a nurse or a governess. “Let us go inside without incident.”
“But Mary, he doesn’t even want it!” The child stamped her foot. “He’s just being a horrid beast.”
She knew she shouldn’t be spying on the new neighbors. Mama would be appalled to find her eavesdropping. Still, there was something about these children that drew Eloise closer.
A glance from their gate revealed that the gentleman was nowhere to be seen near the squabbling children. Where was their mother? Their disagreement grew louder. Well, then, Eloise thought. She had not learned at the feet of Violet Bridgerton to stand by in this situation.
“Hello!” Three wide pairs of eyes turned to stare at her. The younger children, a boy and a girl, looked as if they were twins. “Are you moving into the house next door?”
“Yes ma’am, we are.” Eloise was right. The girl was most likely was a nurse. A governess would have more restraint. Although considering what she heard and saw, Mary was at her wit’s end.
“My name is-”
A shout interrupted her. “Oliver! Amanda! Where are you?” The voice sounded as if it came from the courtyard next door.
From Mary’s reaction, it must have been the gentleman. “Is that your father?” Eloise asked.
The younger girl, Amanda, nodded. “He’s here to find a wife.”
Eloise stifled a giggle as the nurse hurried to stifle Amanda. “Come children. Your father is looking for us.” Mary tried to guide the children inside, but they were obstinate.
Oliver held his ground firmly. “Father knows where we are. He was riding beside the coach the entire time. It is not as if he could lose us.”
Eloise intervened before poor Mary needed to wrestle the boy into the townhome. She crouched lower to meet Oliver’s eyes. “If you two listen to Mary here, then once you are settled in, you are welcome to tea at our house. Even your father is invited if he wants to come. Simply come over and tell Wickham that Miss Eloise invited you. That is me. Eloise Bridgerton.” She held her hand out for an introduction.
Oliver solemnly shook her proffered hand. “I am Oliver Crane. This is my sister, Amanda.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Oliver. We Bridgertons have tea at half-past three. I hope to see you both soon.” And Eloise, who had her fill of nieces and nephews, spoke the truth. A fact that even she was surprised by, and with a promise of tea, the Crane children left for their own house.
~~
“What took you so long?” Phillip sternly greeted them as they entered the house.
Amanda looked up at his face and smiled shyly. “We were talking to Miss Bridgerton. She invited us over for tea.”
Bridgerton… Why did that name sound so familiar?
He sighed. “Amanda, we cannot accept invitations from people we don’t know.”
“But we met Miss Bridgerton. She lives next door, and she invited us over to tea,” Amanda insisted. “Right, Mary?”
Phillip raised a brow at their nurse, who nodded reluctantly. “What prompted this invitation?”
Mary struggled with the words, but Oliver did not. “She expects us to be there at half three. Miss Eloise even said you could come.” He took Amanda’s hand and tugged her forward. “We have to get ready.”
He held back a smile at Oliver’s insistence. He gestured to a footman to lead the children to their room. “A word, if you may, Mary? Tell me what happened in the five minutes I was apart from the children. I cannot have them antagonizing the neighbors so soon.”
The nurse looked heavenward. She had not been long in this position, else she would have known that prayers did not work on the Crane family.
“Sir Phillip, nothing untoward happened. The children were uncomfortable after the trip, and they squabbled. The young lady introduced herself, and the children, well…” She trailed off.
“Well?”
Mary smiled for the first time since they left Gloucestershire. “They liked her.” With that said, she excused herself to see to the twins.
Phillip stood there in the foyer of 6 Bruton Street wondering what he had missed in those five minutes. Who was this Eloise Bridgerton? Why was she interested in his children? He thought back to the moment of his arrival. Was she the pretty woman in the window?
Pretty lady, he corrected himself. They were still in fashionable Mayfair.
“Perhaps tea would be a good start to our time in London,” he mused to no one at all.
~~
Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future chapters!
#bridgerton#bridgerton fic#eloise bridgerton#phillip crane#bridgertons#thekatesheffield#lightkeykid writes#philoise
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Safe -- part two
Hi! If you saw my post about me being on a break, it’s fine. This part is pre-written! I didn’t want to leave you guys hanging for another week without an update, so I’m posting this. The reader in me would hate to wait so long, so here’s this. Much love xx.
Warnings: Sadness. PTSD outburst and such. The lot.
A week passes and as usual, you see and hear nothing from the older Holmes brother. And in the time since, you’ve done nothing but make yourself feel awful.
It’s obvious Mycroft doesn’t want a relationship with anyone, so what makes you think you’d be any different? What makes you think for even a second that you’d be the one to change his mind? And even if he did want a relationship with someone, his last choice on the face of this planet would probably be you.
It’s ridiculous of you to even think anything different.
You pick up so many shifts at the diner that even Anne asks if you’re alright, which you say you are, but you aren’t really. It’s easier not to think about dying alone when you keep yourself busy and around other people.
And if the diner was open all hours of the night, you’d gladly work then, too. It’s not like you sleep anyway, and when you do, it isn’t a restful sleep. Seeing your abuser again in the café did nothing except bring the nightmares back in full-force, so naturally, sleeping isn’t your first option for relaxation.
Your phone buzzes with a text.
Mrs. Hudson made breakfast. –SH
Sighing, you drag yourself out of your bed. You have a shift in an hour or so, so you go ahead and pull on your work clothes and pull your hair back from your face. You stare into your own eyes in the mirror, taking a deep breath.
Well. That’s an awful sight.
There aren’t any tears left in you, but you still feel like you could sit down on the floor and start sobbing.
There isn’t time for that, though, and you don’t want to think about it, so you shut the bathroom light off and make your way up the stairs.
Mrs. Hudson smiles when she sees you walk in, and you return the favor, glad to see her in here as well (she swears she isn’t Sherlock’s housekeeper, but she does take care of him). She has a smile that, at least for a moment, makes you think everything is alright. She’s always had that effect on you.
And for a moment, it is. Until you see Mycroft standing in front of the fireplace.
You freeze, your eyes widening. No, no, no, you were doing good. You hadn’t felt those flutters in your chest in a few days, you were doing good. And now they’re back. Now they’re back and you can’t catch your breath and that light-headed feeling is back.
You look to Sherlock, but he’s busy watching the two of you, studying your expressions, your reactions to seeing one another. That bastard. He should’ve known better than to do this to you.
“Would you like a cuppa, dear?”
You blink, shaking your head at Mrs. Hudson. “Uh, no. I’m uh—I’ve got a shift at the café actually, I should be going.”
Sherlock gives you a look. “Your shift doesn’t start for another hour, Y/N, sit.”
You don’t have the energy to glare at Sherlock, so you just shake your head again. “I’m taking Amanda’s shift.” You nod at Mycroft. “Good morning.”
You’re down the stairs and down the sidewalk before Sherlock or Mycroft can even think twice. You’re gone in a literal blink.
“What’s wrong with her?” Mycroft asks, startled and worried by your suddenness.
“She’s been working herself to death, poor thing,” Mrs. Hudson shakes her head, walking back into the kitchen. “I’m worried about her.”
“Yes,” Sherlock replies slowly, furrowing his eyebrows.
~~~
“What are you doing here?” Anne asks when you burst through the door. She gave you a later shift because she wanted you to get some sleep, and here you are, an hour early and looking more exhausted than you ever have before.
“Showing up for my shift?” You question, walking behind the counter.
“Your shift starts at 11:30. It’s barely ten.”
“And?”
“Sit down,” she orders, pointing out to an empty table. “You’re going to eat something before you work. I’m serious.”
Sensing the firmness in her tone, and not having the energy to fight her, you sit yourself down at the table against the far wall. You grudgingly let her bring you a cup of tea and a pastry to eat, giving you a firm look that says you better eat every bite of that.
You stare out the window as you do. The couples eating around you are far too hard to look at. You’re happy for them, of course, just like you’re happy for John and Mary. You’re happy for anyone who has the chance to fall in love with someone who has fallen in love with them, too.
You think you’re doomed to this life, which would make sense. What kind of person falls in love but doesn’t want to…act on it? That’s stupid. You would—You’d like to. You just haven’t…connected with anyone that way. And if you haven’t by now, you think you’re destined not to. And it’s just something you’re going to have to live with, you guess.
Your eyes move to the door when the bell dings, your body letting out an involuntary, but entirely annoyed sigh. “For fuck’s sake,” you mutter, keeping your head down as you sip on your tea. You came here to avoid him, and he followed you. Today is not your day.
As Mycroft approaches your table, you see Anne making a move to say something, but you shake your head at her. “It’s fine. I know him. He’s safe.”
Mycroft gives you a puzzled look, wondering why you would have to clarify such a thing, but still slides into the seat in front of you.
“Good morning,” you offer stiffly, staring down at your tea.
“Good morning,” he nods, furrowing his eyebrows. “Are you feeling alright?”
“Since when do you care about how I’m feeling?” You chuckle, not bothering to look up from your cup. It’s a cheap jab, really, that he doesn’t think of anyone but himself. Sherlock does the same. The Holmes brothers are just like that. “I’m fine,” you answer him anyway, taking a long sip from your tea. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to check on you,” he replies simply, sounding genuinely sincere. “Your sudden departure from the flat worried me.”
“Why?”
“You haven’t slept.”
“Well, that’s hardly new information.”
“That pastry is the first thing you’ve eaten in three days. You’ve been working every shift imaginable.”
“Again, stating the obvious, Mycroft.”
He sighs heavily, stopping himself from voicing any further deductions he’s made. He just wants you to tell him what is wrong. He doesn’t want to be condescending with you.
He doesn’t get a chance to ask another question to try a different route of getting you to tell him what’s going on because your entire body goes rigid, your eyes widening at someone who has just walked through the door. And who is quickly making his way to the table you’re sitting at, an amused smile settling over his lips.
Your abuser takes it upon himself to assume you are on a date with Mycroft, because the first thing he says makes you want to punch a wall. “If you’re looking to start a family, mate, then this is not the woman for you.” He states this nonchalantly, like it’s a normal thing to state to someone – like it’s anyone’s business except your own.
You stay silent, hoping and praying to whoever is up there in the sky that your abuser will just go away. For once, just today, can you have a break?
“I’m sorry?”
“Don’t, Mycroft,” you mutter, seriously not wanting to create a bigger mess.
But your abuser doesn’t care. “I’m in a relationship with this girl for two years. Two years. And not once does she let me have her. So, I figured, she’s waiting until marriage, okay, that’s sensible. But I propose, and she turns me down.”
Because he tricked you into the proposal. You had been trying to break up with him for weeks before that, but he drug you out to dinner against your will, and sprung the question on you in a crowded restaurant. If you had been somewhere with him in private, then you probably wouldn’t have had the courage that you did to tell him no.
Anne finally sees who him standing at your table and rushes over, looking like she’s ready to punch him in the jaw – and knowing her, she might one of these days. “I told you you’re not welcome in here,” she snaps. “Get out.”
“This is public property,” your abuser turns around, still smirking. “I have a right to be here.”
“I’m so over this,” you nearly scream, standing from your chair. “I’m leaving.” If he’s going to make a scene in here because you’re in here, then you’re leaving this place. Let him make a scene in the street like the lunatic he is, but not in here, where he can soil the reputation of this café Anne has worked to build up.
But your abuser follows you as you begin stepping away, a wicked smile on his face. “Oh? Are we finally gonna talk about what happened? You know I could change your mind if you’d let me.”
You almost gag at his words, looking to Mycroft because you don’t know who else to even look to. Anne has to stay here to work. She can’t exactly do anything, but neither can you. You don’t even know why you think Mycroft could do something, or that he’d want to, but he’s your only resort.
“I think she made is quite clear she doesn’t wish to speak to you,” Mycroft states, standing to his full height and towering over your abuser.
“And who the hell are you?”
“The British government,” Mycroft replies flatly, shocking you by not hiding his titles this time. “And someone you should not mess with.”
“Whatever, mate,” your abuser shakes his head, leaving then without saying another word. You can’t tell if Mycroft frightened him, or if Mycroft’s title seemed so totally absurd that he decided to leave because he got what he wanted out of you: fear.
You sigh when he pushes past you, knocking his shoulder into yours rather roughly. Just his touch makes the hairs on your arms stand up and the blood in your veins slow. Everything about him is vile. And every time you see him, he leaves you exhausted.
“Thanks,” you mumble to Mycroft, trying to move to grab your apron. You need to work. If you’re going to get through this, you need to distract your mind. And work is perfect for that.
But your best friend is having none of your self-destructive tendencies.
“Nope,” Anne turns you around, shoving you lightly toward Mycroft, which does cause you to flinch. “Go home and sleep. You’re off the schedule for today and tomorrow.”
“But—”
“Do not argue with me. Go.”
Grumbling to yourself, you leave the café, more annoyed with your abuser for making a scene than anything. You know Anne is just looking out for you and just wants you to take care of yourself, but you don’t know what else to do right now except work.
Mycroft trails behind you down the streets of London, but he’s quiet. He’s been quiet since you’ve left, and even as you make it to your flat, he’s still quiet. Silent, like a ghost following you around. Like he doesn’t know how to handle this situation, which is fine. No one does, and that’s fine. This isn’t normal, but it’s your normal. This is just what you’ve learned to deal with, and you understand that it’s probably something no one else on this planet will want to put up with.
He follows you into the small hallway in Baker Street and you stop, turning around to face him.
“Go on,” you shake your head, holding out your arms to show your vulnerability, as if you needed to do something physical to show that to him. “Deduce me. Let’s recap: I’m a woman who doesn’t want to have kids and who isn’t relationship material, and oh, let’s not forget, I’m not interested in having sex. Anything else?” You pause, letting out a dark chuckle as you remember your abuser’s most famous insult. “Ohhh, don’t forget unlovable. Can’t forget that one. You know, I think that’s my favorite one actually. It hurts a lot less now that I realize it’s true.”
Mycroft stares at you sadly. “You’re not unlovable, Y/N.”
“How would you know?” You ask, but you don’t want him to answer. You don’t give him a chance to before you disappear into your flat, locking the door behind you.
#Safe#bbc sherlock#mycroft#mycroft holmes#bbc sherlock fanfiction#mycroft holmes x reader#mycroft holmes fanfiction#mycroft x reader#ptsd#sadness
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Upbringing chap 13/13
Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12
Cross-posted to AO3
And here is the last chapter! I hope you enjoyed the story. If so, please let me know ;) Any comments are welcome!
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Earth 53 - Jason Todd
Of fucking course Bruce would like this Jason Wayne. Weren’t they palls, smiling to each other and hugging each other? Bruce. Hugging someone. Who wasn’t Dick.
And Jason was not jealous. He didn’t need Bruce’s approval, he didn’t need anything from him. He was a grown man.
It was just… unfair.
He thought about hiding in the shadows, but too late. The Doppelganger noticed him on the top of the stairs and nodded at him, indicating his presence to Bruce as well. Jason smirked. They could both go to hell.
“We will stay the night and head back home in the morning,” Bruce announced suddenly.
Jason felt himself tense all over. His smirk widened. “What, already? And here I thought you loved it here!”
Bruce seemed taken aback by the comment, but the Doppelganger understood what he meant by it, and rolled his eyes.
“If you want to hug your father, go ahead. I mean, it’s not like he’d fight you.”
“I don’t need…!”
“Sure, I can see how much you don’t need his attention. Provoking him has nothing to do with it, either. Jesus, how old are you? You still communicate like a teenager which,” he added, turning to Bruce, “by the way, you do, too.”
Bruce frowned. The attack to the Big Bad Bat softened the one to Jason himself only so much, though. Communicating like a teenager? Seriously? As if Bruce ever listened!
“It’s not because he does it that you have to do it too,” the Doppelganger concluded, still aiming his words at Bruce but echoing Jason’s a bit too well. Damnit. And damn him, too, and his perfect life, his perfect personality, his perfect Gotham!
The Doppelganger and Bruce both turned to Jason, making him realized he’d shouted that last part out loud. The Doppelganger smirked, a smirk that Jason knew only too well for seeing it in the mirror every morning.
“Ooooh, poor little Jay whose life was hard,” he jeered in Jason’s own vicious tone. “That’s why he became a bad guy, because he had a hard life.”
“Shut up,” Jason warned.
“Yes, that’s right,” the Doppelganger kept going. “A hard life, like his old da’.”
“He wasn’t even your father!” Jason exploded. “What would you know about it?”
“So? Catherine wasn’t your mother yet you loved her, didn’t you? Our paths only diverged when Alfred found out about me, back when my biological father died, and by then, I was thirteen. You know how it was, being us at thirteen.”
Jason froze. The Doppelganger smirked. “Yeah, I thought so. And yeah, apparently, for you, it only became better later. And then you died. Buhu.”
“Jason,” Bruce tried to interrupt, but the Doppelganger didn’t take any of his shit.
“No, Bruce. He’s excusing his own behavior in ways he doesn’t the behavior of others.”
“I know alright?” Jason exploded. “I fucking know that what I do doesn’t get a pass, but someone has to do it.”
“Has to? Really? Because look by the fucking window, you unbelievable moron. Look at that perfect Gotham of mine, and take a good, hard look at yours. Do you really still think that you took a better path than Batman?”
Jason felt the words like a blow. Fuck him. Fuck him. He was taking the hard decisions, someone had to help the people who didn’t have anybody, the ones Batman wouldn’t help, wouldn’t avenge, someone who would stop those who would never, otherwise, be stopped.
“Some people don’t deserve help,” Jason finally managed.
The Doppelganger shrugged. “Obviously. Take the Joker, for example. Ah, is it him who killed you?” The fucking jerk nodded, as if understanding. Jason felt livid. “Of course. He tried to push Bruce toward his most extreme, and it worked rather well, too. So I broke both his knees.”
Bruce gasped at that. He hadn’t been looking too well, either, while the Doppelganger was talking about his way of doing things, now that Jason thought about it. Did he think he’d been wrong, too? To create Batman?
“His knees? But…”
“Bruce, I like you very much, but the Bruce from this world is my brother and no one hurts my brother. Considering the life he’s living, I consider myself rather restrained. Also, don’t worry, the Joker still manages to cause havoc all the same.”
But he wouldn’t be killing any Robin. Jason’s eyes went up to the empty wall of the cave, where the card would be hanging, back in his world. Maybe that would be an acceptable solution. He craved the clown’s death but… Justice, not revenge. Or maybe a balance between both. Batman already played that game, after all, ignoring the law where it suited him.
Jason didn’t quite relax. It was too late for him, for the Red Hood to be a good guy. He’d never be Saint Jason Wayne. And their Gotham would never be this Perfect Gotham, either.
Or would it? The Doppelganger had had to start somewhere. He’d had to face the Joker, and Ra’s, and all the other fucking lunatics who were attracted by the city and, even more, by Batman. Could there still be hope on their own Earth?
Yeah, no. It wasn’t Jason’s way.
He might still like to work at the Martha Wayne Foundation, though. He’d trusted those people, back when he lived in the streets, at thirteen. Would he manage to find a compromise with Bruce? Without the two of them going at each other’s throats?
“I don’t think I can stop,” Bruce admitted out loud, in a matter-of-fact tone that sounded like defeat.
“You don’t have to,” the Doppelganger said. “Just, you know, also invest in people? I’m sure you do. You have a huge family. All of you put together…”
“We could do it,” Jason heard himself say.
Bruce looked up at him, an indefinable expression on his face. Jason glared back. “We could do it. The replacement already works for Wayne Enterprises. The demon brat and I can take care of the streets.”
Bruce frowned. Of fucking course. He wouldn’t trust them. He…
“I’ll think about it.”
What? No, wait. He was going to come up with an entirely different plan, for sure. Or Jason would do something he didn’t approve of, and they would be back to square one.
And yet. If it had even a remote chance to ever work, if Gotham could even become a better place… Fuck. That would be so worth it.
He looked at his doppelganger, and nodded. Then back at Bruce. “Tomorrow? We can go back, like, now.”
“Bruce will be sorry to miss you,” the local Jason said, but he was smiling. “I’ll pass your excuses along.”
“Yeah, right.” Jason hesitated. “Tell him that, you know. The visit wasn’t too bad. I’m glad the kid is alright.”
“Thank you, by the way,” the Doppelganger said. “You know. For saving my nephew’s life.”
Jason shrugged. “Hey. He’s family.”
He doubted he’d even manage to produce a grin as wide as Jason Wayne’s while meaning it. However, that might be a goal worth aiming for.
###
Earth 53 – Jason Wayne
The next day was quiet. Jason stayed home, spent time with the kids. He asked them both to stay home, despite it being a Friday, pretending it was because he’d missed them. He had, of course, but he mostly thought Damian could use the break.
He did miss the other Bruce, though. The jackass of other Jason… He hoped he’d do well, but he wasn’t in a hurry to see him again.
Once the kids were suitably distracted, Jason grabbed the week’s newspapers and started reading. He wasn’t supposed to work but nobody back at Wayne Enterprise would believe it if he wasn’t up to date with everything that had happened during the week.
There were a lot of different newspapers, from The Economist to the Gotham Gazette, all showing vastly different levels of analysis and opinions. It was always interesting to compare, especially putting the points of views in perspective with the average reader of each. A nice exercise.
Then his eyes stopped at the small ads, specifically at the renting section. He didn’t need a flat in Gotham center, of course; they owned several. Until now, he’d never thought about moving there. Bruce needed him at the manor.
Except he didn’t, not really. Bruce was an adult. His choice of becoming Batman – well, if he needed help, he could call. He knew Jason would always come, if he needed him. Hell, Batman spent more time in central Gotham than at the Cave.
As for Bruce, as an entity apart from Batman… He was an adult. He had his kids here. He didn’t need Jason around. Besides, if he did, going out of the manor for visiting would do him good.
And there was also another point they should discuss.
Jason put the newspaper away and got up, heading for the library. Bruce was, of course, down in the Cave. From the look of it, samples of soil needed to be analyzed, maybe in order to determine where someone had been killed before their cadaver being transported elsewhere – or maybe to determine the amount of fertility, who knew.
“Hey. Everything alright?” Jason asked.
“Mh.”
“I distracted the kids this morning, you can take the afternoon.”
“I’m busy.” Bruce winced. “But I’ll come upstairs as soon as I’m done.”
“Good.” Jason hesitated. It was uncharacteristic enough for Bruce to actually look up from his Erlenmeyer.
“Yes?” he prompted.
“I thought about something.” Jason sighed. “Don’t be upset?”
“I can’t be if you don’t tell me anything.”
“I want to take over Wayne Ent.”
That got a reaction out of Bruce. He put away the pipet he was using to pour chemicals on the soil, and straightened.
“Explain.”
“Bruce, you’re the CEO, but we both know you don’t invest yourself as much as you should. Part of that is my fault. I took over most of your responsibilities when I became COO. More than I should have.”
“Mhn.”
“But you let me. You are not interested in Wayne Ent., not the way you should be. And that’s alright. I can take care of it. I actually like it, too. But the company deserve better from its CEO.”
“I could invest myself more.”
Jason snorted. “You could. Or you could spend more time with your kids.”
“I do…!”
“I’m moving to Gotham proper,” Jason announced. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”
Bruce carefully didn’t say anything. Jason sighed.
“You know I love you. You’re my brother. And I love Dick, and Damian, and Alfred, and the manor will always be home. But I need some room for myself, too.” He hesitated again. “Maybe adopting my own children, someday.”
Jason didn’t talk about a relationship. He wasn’t ready to let someone close enough to him to contemplate it. Not even thinking about all the secrets and baggage.
Damnit. Jason really meant what he said, yet he couldn’t help but to feel guilty.
“Would it be alright?”
“Yes,” Bruce said abruptly. “You deserve some place. Something to yourself.”
He looked like he wanted to say more, but he’d never been good with words. It didn’t matter; Jason understood what he meant. That Jason had worked hard to get where he was and should keep going. That he’d taken care of Bruce until now, and still would, but that he had the right to have his own life.
Bruce hadn’t wanted Jason to follow him, back when he’d went training. Back then, Jason had followed only for Bruce, even though he’d loved their trip, and learning how to move, how to fight, how to think like a warrior. He’d loved meeting Talia, and other men and women as dangerous as she was. It was part of him, now.
But he wouldn’t have gone, by himself. To be a vigilante was not his path. It was part of him, he’d always relish in flying over Gotham at night, and there was no fucking way he wouldn’t have done everything to be able to protect his little brother, even though Bruce didn’t need much protecting.
Yet he should, too, follow also his own path.
“You already have some things in one of the flats, I’ll have to put to your name,” Bruce decided.
“Maybe I can come back on week-ends?” Jason snorted. “Like a student, I guess.”
“That would be nice.”
Jason smiled. Bruce did the same, offering him one of his rare smiles, faint on his lips, shining in his eyes. Jason hugged him and felt his brother’s arm close around him, keeping him close. Bruce was a great hugger.
They separated only after several minutes, both smiling still. Well, Jason, at least, was grinning. Bruce was back to looking mostly serious.
“I’ll announce the change next week, to Wayne Ent. I mean,” Jason said. “The moving can wait a couple of weeks after that.”
“Good. You only just came back.”
Jason bumped into Bruce’s side, just to feel his brother close again. “I’ve been reading the newspapers. What about you tell me what happened in the more underground parts of the city? I’ve started reading your reports while waiting for you to come back with Damian, but a summary would help.”
“Sure.”
They sat at the Batcomputer, side by side, their faces reflected in the dark screen. The Wayne brothers. Jason knew, suddenly without doubt, that if he saw them now, their father would be proud of them both
The End
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Such a dirty, filthy word...GRIEF!
I am no expert but by life's infinite graces I am quite familiar with grief and the variety of coping mechanisms that come along with it. Welcome to my Ted Talk. Ok, serious face. I have been on this planet for a little over 33 years and in that time frame I have lost not one, but both parents and most recently and easily most gut wrenching my little sister Devin. If you are uncomfortable with dark humor and the concept of complete black hole sadness, I'd say turn around right now but really you should stay. Because these two things are eventually unavoidable. So buckle up babies!
Dad: 15 years old, stubborn, insecure, massive chip on the shoulder
Losing my dad was tough, for many reasons. He was the first. Uncharted territory. How does one go about living in a world where one minute you had two parents and the next you're down to one? Well more like half of one. Mom wasn't doing so swell back in 2001. She had a lot of demons (too many to go into in the post but trust me we'll get there one day). So now, I am the oldest sibling of a one parent household. Dad was the navigator, he was the one who knew the next step. I think this was the first time I felt completely and utterly helpless. I remember I was having a good day on September 27, 2001. My friend Brett and I went to the mall, I'm pretty sure I bought a purse from American Eagle. Back at home, sprawled out on my bed attempting to start some homework, the phone rang. It was my Dad's mom. You ever know something is wrong before given any actual reasoning? That's happened to me twice in my life. Once, 3 years earlier and this day. I knew he was gone. My grandma Alice asked to speak to my other grandma Carol (whom we lived with). She said nothing other than "Hi sweetie, can I talk to grandma Carol?" Thinking back on it there was no real shift in her tone of voice, maybe subtly but not enough to send red flags waving around in my mind. When it was finally said out loud that he was gone, I embraced the laminate flooring beneath me. An ungodly wail escaped my mouth. I became one with my siblings as a ball of overwhelming grief. A son without his idol, two daughters who wondered who would walk them down the aisle now? With that quick call the life that we had known was gone. He was gone.
Mom: 25 years old, still stubborn, still insecure, working on that chip, in a super unhealthy relationship
We use to joke about how it would come down to the apocalypse and all that would remain would be the cockroaches, Twinkies and my mama. She had done so much damage to herself in her short lifetime that it was baffling how she made it as long as she did. But despite all of that it was still absolutely shocking when she really died. I was living 900 miles away from my family in Myrtle Beach when I got the call from my sister. My knees gave out, my ears starting to ring. I now have no parents. How does that happen? How do some people have both and I get none? Selfish, irrational thoughts like that one would soon consume my mind. In chaos we booked a flight back to New York but it wasn't for 24 hours. We can drive there quicker than that. We ended up using the credit for the flight back for the official goodbye a few weeks later. Guilt. Crippling, soul crushing, guilt. Could I have changed the outcome by being kinder to her? Were my siblings right? My tough love approach was falling on deaf ears? I didn't tell her I loved her the last time I saw her. In fact, I'm pretty sure I just scoffed at her. A month earlier we celebrated Christmas. In the week I was back home she never emerged from her room. Or if she did, I wasn't around to see it. I hugged my siblings, cracked some jokes and packed up the car to escape back down to the warmth. Halfway down the block, "SUSIE", my most prized possession was back in my childhood room, we turned around. And there she was, making her way down the stairs like the living dead. Ghostly pale, disheveled, with the saddest eyes I've ever known. A common site, unfortunately. No words were exchanged. A sarcastic breathe of air was my greeting. I will have to live with this. Realistically, I think my mom knew how much I loved her. She had to. I spent the better part of 15 years begging her to come back to us. If that didn't scream love, what did? Maybe actually telling her "I love you"? I do Mom. More than words were ever able to express in your lifetime. I hope I am like you when I have kids of my own. Seriously! Minus the obvious issues, I would be disgustingly lucky to be a fraction of the mother you were. I wish you knew.
Devin: 29 years old, not so stubborn, still insecure, chip is long gone, freshly laid off
...I don't want to write about this. I've never had a problem sharing my grief about my parents but Devin is different. Its still so new. Its never been believable to me. Plus to be actually honest about this one I would have to divulged some things that I would rather keep close to the chest. Because Devin doesn't deserve to be remember any other way than as the wildly funny, intimidatingly gorgeous, absolute lunatic that she was. All you need to know is that my little sister died 5 days after her 28th birthday. I was the last one to see her. She was wearing a "Finding Gerald" shirt (i.e. Finding Dory) and the last thing I said to her, as I touched her back, was "I love you Dev". This grief. This is the monster you hear about. The one that takes down others. The one that is so easy to get lost in. The one that makes you wonder if you should follow and leave too. When I think about her not being here my initial reaction is sadness, obviously. But that is shortly followed by a cocktail of guilt, anger, resentment, self loathing, loathing in general, bafflement, you name it. And its that cocktail that gets stuck as a lump in my throat. I can't swallow it. I can't allow myself to move past those feelings. I can shake off the sadness but not these. I am conditioned to sadness. These were new. I would, and I mean this with every single inch of me, trade places with her if I could. The world deserves Devin but more importantly Devin deserved the world.
When my Dad died I coped like most teenagers would. I hated my mom, my littlest brother was the bane of my existence, I discovered self harm (eventually to be replace with the more socially acceptable tattoos and piercings) and I fell in love with a boy. With Mom, as I was older and "wiser" I coped with booze and drugs and sex. The holy trinity! After Devin, I ate. A lot. I went from a squishy size 12 to a robust size 20. My interest in guys was minimal, I assume a side effect of my new padding. I like to think that I have covered the spread on ways to cope after losing a loved one. But the reality is I could have done so much more damage if wanted to. I could have become #4 on the Sheppard Family Tree of Death. Which, I have dibs on by the way. I refuse to outlive anyone else! Call me selfish but I am done losing people. I am feverishly knocking on all wood surfaces right now. I think another one would break me. And for good. I often wonder how it hasn't already. Am I stronger than I think I am? Or in a weird way does my inability to follow through with things also effect this aspect of my life? ← If you are curious what dark humor looks like, this would be a prime example. In other words, I am not suicidal, just super fucked up!
People have asked me how I do it, I assume they mean live with so many people absent. The only thing I have to say to that is, Quinn. The littlest of the Sheppard's, a full grown adult man now, but forever my chicken nugget. You think its been rough for me? Quinn was 5 when Dad died, 15 when Mom left and 19 when he lost his best friend. All of that before he could remove the "teen" from his age. If he can keep his head up and walk this earth without a massive grudge then fuck it so can I! This is a constant theme in our lives, perspective. No matter how bad its been, it could always be worse. The hardest day of our lives could be a cakewalk for someone else. This doesn't mean we're not entitled to grieve the way that we do but it also doesn't excuse us for being bad people. I refuse to let the loss of my family members allow me to treat others in a negative fashion.
I will probably come back to this topic time and time again but for now this is it.
#grief#loss of loved ones#mom died#dad die#sister died#loss of parents#loss of a sibling#coping mechanisms#coping#survivors guilt#subsance abuse#alcholism#cancer
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Just A Typo (3/?)
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Hacker!Reader
Summary: It was a simple challenge between a very competitive group of friends. A challenge that ended very differently than anticipated.
Warnings: Small bit of language
Word Count: 2300
A/N: Sorry it took so long for this part. I would have posted yesterday but I spent half of last night in the hospital because my friend nearly broke my finger! Enjoy part 3!
The drive up was… strange. If I had known I'd be sharing such a small space with two Avengers, I would have used more deodorant. A silence quickly settled over us all. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. At least, it wasn’t until I asked Sergeant Barnes if he had a large magnet collection. He must have thought I was making fun of him as he huffed and stared out the window grouchily. The air was definitely tense after that incident.
The tower was different to how I had imagined it in my head. There was a lot less people around for me to gawk at. Sure, the ground floor was pretty busy with all sorts of people running around. Many of them stared at our party of three. I liked to think it was because of me, but the two super soldiers flanking me on either side made it difficult for me to keep up my pretence.
“Why does an interrogation room look more expensive than my apartment?” I whined as the Captain closed the door, leaving me inside alone. He must have sensed my nerves when we were in the lift on the way up and reassured me that they only needed to talk to me. It didn’t help.
I took a seat at the table and leaned back on the legs of the chair. Rocking slightly, I began to sing to myself, seeing if I could remember all of the words to Alphabet Aerobics. I gave up once I got to ‘H’, the boredom slowly seeping in. I resorted to pulling faces at whoever was watching me behind the glass, because surely someone was standing there.
Just as I was about to start using hand gestures to go with the facial expressions, Captain Rogers walked back in again, this time accompanied by none other than Tony Stark. Even behind his tinted glasses I could tell he was eyeing me with interest before standing in the corner of the room. It was Rogers who was left to sit in front of me.
“We didn’t get your name earlier, Ms?”
The soldier sitting in front of me seemed to be in charge of getting answers from me. I was easily more comfortable in his presence than in any of the others. I couldn’t help it. There was just something so welcoming about Captain America. “Y/N Y/L/N. But really, I was just messing around earlier. It was a stupid dare and I- “
“How long?”
I turned to Stark, who had decided to remove himself from the corner. He stood just beside Rogers, awaiting my answer. I was only starting to realise how much trouble I could be in, and I was mentally cursing Becca for putting me up to this in the first place.
“How long for what,” I asked, hoping to buy myself a few more minutes to work out a proper excuse. I hadn’t confessed to anything yet, except back at my apartment, and there's no proof of that exchange taking place. I just had to distract them for a little while.
“How long did it take for you to illegally hack into my private cameras?”
Shit. New plan.
“Is this the part where I say I want my lawyer?”
“Can you afford a lawyer?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
“Yes, of course. I just need to get rid of my health insurance first then I'll be good to go.”
He snorted at my comment before taking off his glasses. “It should be near impossible to break through my firewalls. Even if you were to do it, it would take hours. Days, even. And by that time, we would have your location and be able to stop you before you even finish. But we didn’t even know someone was in our system until you were already done. So tell me, how long did it take you?” Stark’s face held none of the amusement that the world was so used to seeing him with. He was all business now. And while his tone sounded threatening, there was hint of something else that I couldn’t put my finger on.
“Just over half an hour.” I gave my answer slowly, unsure of his reaction to it. I hadn’t realised just how complex the system I hacked into was until Stark’s little speech. I was always good at computers, I knew that. But I didn’t tend to show off too much. Becca, Angie and I hacked companies all the time for fun and to keep our skills up to scratch. I was the quickest out of the three of us. There was never anything malicious behind our actions. Hacking was our hobby, and the foundation of our friendship. We didn’t tend to aim for any big businesses, but we knew we were good enough for the big leagues. A lot of shady people would pay large sums of money for the skills we possessed.
Stark stared at me before leaving the room. I had nearly forgotten that the Captain was still here until he started speaking again.
“Did someone pay you to hack into the tower? Who put you up to it?”
“My dick of a friend did. But she claims to pay me in hugs. Apparently, our friendship is worth more than any amount of money. At least to her. I'm still broke, I could use some cash. I really only did it for bragging rights.”
He smiled softly at me and I instantly relaxed. Steve Rogers, all around good guy, believed me. He didn’t think I was some lunatic determined to sell all their secrets online. He asked me what I saw on the camera footage and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Let’s just say that your Robin Hood should not be allowed anywhere near the fridge.” I winked at him, but before he could question me further, Stark returned, this time with my laptop.
I immediately sat up straighter when he placed it on the table in front of me, my fingers itching to open it again.
“My best employees have all been taking turns trying to unlock this. I tried to unlock it. You’re good, I'll give you that. But I won’t believe it until I see it.”
I couldn’t hide the curiosity that was beginning to make its way onto my face. I had an idea of what he was going to say next, and I didn’t know whether I should be relieved or wary.
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I hope I'm not going to regret this, but I want you to hack into my system. Again.”
I narrowed my eyes at him slightly, before biting my lip to hide my smile.
“There’s one thing I'm going to need first.”
~~~~~
“Why were we sent to do this?”
It was Bucky and Sam who were given the task of getting the pack of jellies for their current ‘guest’. After Y/N had announced that she couldn’t do anything without her Haribos, Tony had sent the pair to the nearest store without questioning any of it. She refused to even open the computer before they came back.
“I don’t get why Tony is so worked up about her,” Sam commented nonchalantly, walking down the aisles.” She doesn’t seem like anything special.”
But Bucky couldn’t disagree more.
He found her more interesting than he cared to admit. The energy she possessed had a youthful and carefree tone, and her smile was infectious. Since he had joined the Avengers not long ago, people had been treating him with caution. He tried to ignore it, but it was difficult when everyone around still acted as though he was the Winter Soldier instead of just Bucky Barnes. The Avengers themselves were fine, it was just the rest of the world. He had a feeling that people would take a long time to accept him, if they ever did.
But Y/N had looked at him with respect when they first met. Awe. Maybe even admiration, he hoped. All that hope quickly disappeared when her nerves settled in as she began to understand the reason for their visit. Her smile fell and for some reason, Bucky couldn’t help but find himself feeling guilty for being the cause of it.
“Hey! Earth to Barnes, you with me?”
Bucky was jolted back to reality by Sam’s loud voice and large hand waving right in front of his face. He mentally cursed himself for zoning out completely and followed Sam to the cashier to get the sweets this strange woman apparently couldn’t do anything without.
~~~~~
Stark had been patient, I'll give him that. It was just us in the room and I'd been wasting my time, opening the jellies far slower than necessary, spending too long chewing on one cola bottle, until he finally had enough. He opened my laptop and gave me an irritated look.
“Now.”
I could tell he was beginning to think I was just pulling his strings. That I hadn’t really done anything spectacular. That I was just the face of the operation, not the brains.
“Well, call your bomb squad Mr Stark, cause I'm about to blow your mind.” I smirked back at him in response and popped another jelly heart into my mouth.
Within a few minutes I found myself in the same position I was in earlier. Except this time, I was sitting with Tony Stark instead of my misfit friends. And I was much more prepared this time. I knew his system better now, which definitely worked in my favour as I tried showing off my skills. I was better prepared for the defences he had set up and after nearly forty minutes, I had accessed not only cameras, but Stark Industries’ private server and F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s server too.
I cleared my throat as I pressed a small speech button in the corner of the screen, hoping it was what I thought it was.
“Here’s Johnny,” I said in a low tone, hearing my voice echo throughout the room, and I assumed the whole tower as well. When I looked up at Stark he was focused completely on my laptop, a small yet noticeable smile playing on his lips.
“I don’t think I've ever had to say this before, but could you explain how you got through those last few firewalls? Slowly?”
After showing him what he failed to comprehend (!!!), I switched my attention to the footage coming from the cameras around the tower. I felt Stark leaning over my left shoulder, determined not to miss what I was doing. It was only mere seconds before I had the footage I was looking for. It didn’t him long to realise what he was looking at. There on my screen, were many of the Avengers, crowding around a glass window through which I could see myself and Stark.
I looked up and waved directly in front of me, where I now knew Dr Banner was standing. I'd be lying if I said I wasn’t thrilled by the audience I had attracted. All I had to do now was wait for Stark to realise I'm not some threat that needs to be eliminated, and I could go back to my life of cheap wine and pining over fictional characters.
“How would you like a job?”
That’s the exact moment I felt betrayed by my beloved Haribos as one got stuck in my throat and I began choking violently. Stark watched on in amusement and I gave him a thumbs up while my face got slightly redder.
I was not expecting that.
I didn’t get a chance to reply to the sudden offer, before Black Widow herself practically stormed into the room and dragged the billionaire out.
It took a few minutes for my brain to catch up with my eyes and my gaze finally snapped away from the door that was slammed closed only moments ago.
“What is happening?” I cried out, allowing my head to just drop onto the table in both confusion and exhaustion. I had momentarily forgotten that my laptop was still in the room with me.
I lifted my head up quickly and began typing to gain access to the sound in the room hidden in front of me, as well as the video footage.
“What were you thinking?” Romanoff was seething.
“I was thinking that no one has ever done that. Ever. Did you see how quickly she accessed everything? I was thinking that I'd rather have her on our side than not.”
My eyes flickered from the faces of each of the Avengers, trying to figure out where each of their thoughts lay. All their faces showed varying degrees of anger and apprehension except for one. Sergeant Barnes didn’t look concerned, just intrigued. The fact that there was one person who didn’t disagree with Stark gave me the confidence to press the speech button once again.
“Sorry to interrupt.” All of their faces snapped up to look at me almost instantly. “But my rent has gone up and I wouldn’t say no to a bit more cash. If it makes any difference, I promise I'm not part of some covert foreign intelligence group. Plus, you kind of owe me. I'm most likely fired from my actual job because I didn’t show up today.”
Stark gave his friends a pointed look before speaking out loud.
“Perfect. You’re hired, kid.”
Natasha turned and spoke to him quietly.
“I know I can’t stop you, Tony, but don’t be surprised if this bites you in the ass.”
While I watched him leave that room, only to enter my own a moment later, the rest of the Avengers filed out. All except Bucky, whose gaze remained fixated on me.
Taglist:
(if there’s a strike through your name it means I couldn’t tag you)
@amybarter15 @imperialoath @throw-some-music-my-way @mamaraptor @marbleowl @lydklein1 @wantingtobekorra
#bucky barnes#bucky#bucky x reader#bucky x you#bucky x y/n#bucky imagine#winter soldier#winter solider x reader#sergeant barnes#steve rogers#steverogers#captain america#black widow#natasha romanoff#hawkeye#clint barton#tony stark#tonystark#iron man#spiderman#peter parker#sam wilson#falcon#scarlet witch#wanda maximoff#bruce banner#hulk#thor#thor odinson#loki
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The Last Taint - Chapter 1
(Warning: a nearly 5000 word introduction to The Last Taint that I really ought to post more about because it’s literally complete...
I’m looking to build a tag list for this! So if you want to be tagged in the future, please let me know! )
‘Flower of deception’. That was what Kriesian flowers were called in other countries: a flower that grew more beautiful as it died. One lay on the ground. The grey petals crumpled and dry, purple and yellow veins creeping across them as it decomposed. The dark centre was still perfectly round, and the stalk still a soft green, even as pieces of it had already been shattered onto the pavement.
Seth didn’t notice it. He didn’t notice the lone drying flower that had fallen to rest against his thin sandals. Didn’t notice the space it had left in the garland hanging between the buildings either side of him. He barely even noticed the sting in his thigh from the tight grip of the little boy hiding behind him. Neither of them knew whether to run or simply remain frozen and wait for their fates to be decided by the three figures fighting before their eyes.
The girl still held a mostly eaten apple core in one hand. A single line of juice rolled down her thumb as she threw her body forwards towards the two men she faced. Her free fist collided with the first man’s stomach, and she hopped to the side, wriggling her shoulders in some sort of horribly inappropriate celebratory dance as he double over in pain. Her colourless eyes held a bright glee watching the man coughing, winded. The second man lunged for her. The smile fell from her eyes, and she ducked out of his reach, taking a swift bite of the apple as she moved. Her leg rose, heel kicking out. It slammed into the second man’s hip and he gave a cry of pain, staggering. Fury burned in the man’s eyes, and his head snapped around. His gaze pierced through Seth.
The Eighth Guard would know him now.
Seth was so stupid. All these years spent working and hiding, clinging to his freedom, and he’d gone and thrown it all away to stand up for some boy he didn’t even know. He should have walked away. He should have forgotten it. Curse his morals; they were going to get him killed one day.
And maybe today was that day.
“Hey!”
The sharp voice pulled Seth out of his bitter thoughts. For a brief moment, his eyes locked with the strange girl’s before she was distracted by the men reaching for her again. Seth didn’t understand. Where had she even come from? What sort of lunatic jumped to the aid of two strangers being hauled away by the Eighth Guard?
“Why am I– ojkza!” She stumbled backwards to avoid another grab, smashing into a stone shop wall. She hissed. “Get your ass–” Both men came at her. Her elbow met the first’s jaw. She threw her weight against him to avoid the other man, spinning to meet Seth’s eyes once more. Her tacky violet hair fell over her face. “Go!”
The boy’s fingers dug deeper into his thigh.
And Seth moved.
He grabbed the boy as he turned. He shouted in pain as Seth half carried, half dragged him down the street as fast as his legs could move. Faster. He had to go faster.
The back streets of Xalder were quiet. With the light growing faint, everyone would already be in the palace square, watching the Year’s End ceremony… The ceremony that Seth was definitely late for. He gritted his teeth; he couldn’t even worry about the silent treatment he’d get from Asher,
The Guard had seen his face, seen his uniform, so now there was no more hiding. Only running. The boy had a chance. He was young. He was poor. He was nothing. A nothing could be overlooked. But Seth? The age that he was? The position he held? They’d not let a slip-up like Seth Osklin remain as he was.
Only once his throat burned from gasping in air did Seth stop. He looked around, certain they were clear for now, even if dread still hung-over Seth.
People said the Eighth Guard didn’t go on hunts anymore. The Abbey of the Seven Orders was reformed, had been for nearly two hundred years now, only sending their Guard out to preach or to pick up reported ‘problems’ across the Descodian countries. Perhaps the hunts weren’t what the had been centuries ago: they didn’t break down doors, strip babes bare searching for the spot of unnatural pigmentation of their skin, but hunt they did.
He looked down at the young boy, standing shaking and breathless before Seth. He was stiff, uneasy, but his hand still gripped the belt of Seth’s trousers, still was reassured by the presence of someone like Seth. It was his shorts that had done it – allowed to get too short on a growing lad, until the tiniest hint of a discoloured curl on his knee peeked out beneath the hemline. Most would overlook it, but the Eighth Guard’s eyes searched everywhere for Taints.
Seth rubbed at the spot behind his ear.
The boy looked at him like Seth was his last hope. He was wrong; there was no more hope for people like them.
“Go. Hide.”
It was all Seth could say. The child could only have been seven? Eight maybe? But Tainted children always seemed older – taught young how fragile their freedom was. Born into a world they had to fear. The boy paled, as if reality started to crumble around him, and then turned, running down a back street and disappearing.
The sky was turning pale, and Seth whispered a curse as he turned, hurrying back towards the city centre – even if every inch of him screamed to run as far as possible. He wasn’t a kid anymore: he couldn’t just run and hide. He could have sworn the sands of Friday were starting to fall around him, the timer on his freedom finally nearing its end, but he had a job to do today. The closer he got to the palace square, the more alive Xalder finally became. Garlands of flowers still hung across the streets between buildings – already dying after a mere day out in the desert sun. As Seth’s eyes drifted over them, his fingers brushed the pin on his collar: the image of an aster flower was stamped in gold, a symbol of his position as the Prince’s Hyron. And a symbol that had made him far too recognisable today.
He flattened down the dark olive shirt of his uniform, glad that the sand-marks on his pale trousers wouldn’t raise too much suspicion. Smiles and greetings from those he passed, far too polite for someone of his rank, only served to make him feel more exposed, but as he rounded one last corner into the packed square, he hoped he could just blend into the swarming crowd.
Along the sides of the square stood countless tables and stalls, the rich scent of food filling the air – all covered over for now, protected from the sand in the breeze and the heat of the day by cloths and sheets. Food was for later, after the sunset, when Xalder’s population would remain out in the square all night, waiting for the sun to rise on a new year. The square was surrounded by some of the tallest and most expensive buildings in the city: from windows of inns, shops, and houses, people leaned out to get a good view – waving flags and dropping flowers down onto the crowd below, shouting blessings back and forth. At the front of the square stood the towering stone palace walls, the grand orange stone of the palace a bright and extravagant contrast to the greys and whites of the city. Years End was a rare time in Xalder when faces were no longer all familiar. The country held little else for tourists or visitors to see, and thus this was the only time of year Seth walked through the crowd and didn’t seem like the most foreign face.
The crowd’s attention was focused on the platform in front of the palace walls and the people who stood atop it. Seth looked around, watching as people gestured in pray, muttered or chanted to themselves. There was no point in trying to get any closer. He’d missed the ceremony in its entirety. Heart sinking, Seth dared to shift his gaze to the youngest person on the platform.
Prince Asher may not have been Tainted, but he had an uncanny ability to always spot Seth, no matter how big the crowd. He stood rigid beside his parents – unflinching as the wax of his candle started to drip onto his hands – in the reds of the country’s patron: Saturday. His smile was one all the people knew well, but Seth knew it better, and the one Asher wore today was painfully forced. Tense, stiff, uncertain. Seth mouthed an apology that Asher must have caught, for his mask faltered slightly. The rich golden eyes of the royal bloodline were apparent even from Seth’s distance, as was the disappointment in them. It stung.
Queen Rosalie lifted her hands to silence the crowd, her expression soft and kind as always. “And so, we say goodbye to this year. In my position as head of the Xalderian dynasty, I offer you, our people, the richest food and drink to welcome the New Year. Be happy and together, and my family and I will take on the weight of your prayers tonight, so you may enjoy it to the full. Goodnight.”
The crowd erupted into cheers, and there followed more shouts of blessings and good will upon the royal family as they began to leave – Asher’s eyes lingered on Seth until the last minute, until his father ushered him away, and he shot one more smile to the people. He played the part well for them.
Scratching the spot behind his ear once more, Seth starting to move to the edge of the crowd once again.
“Hey, Tainted Boy.”
His body froze. The words a sharp jab. Eyes wide with fear, he turned, only to find a cold grey gaze staring back at him, the thin face framed by the awful violet hair.
“Wow, okay,” the girl scoffed. “First rule of hiding from the Eighth Guard? Don’t answer to that.”
Seth immediately scanned the people around them, checking for any sort of reaction or a glimpse of pale brown uniforms moving towards him. There were only celebrations to find. It seemed to be of no concern to the girl though, who was more focused on untangling a few strands of her hair.
“I’m not Tainted,” Seth hissed.
“Sure you’re not…” the girl nodded. She prodded Seth in the chest. “How many people do you think stand up against the Abbey and their pet guardsmen? The only people stupid enough to help stupid Tainted kids are stupid Tainted kids.”
Seth flinched. “Is that why you jumped in to help us?”
“Obviously. Well, that and there’s something really satisfying about punching someone who is convinced no one is gutsy enough to punch them.” She sighed wistfully, at ease, as if she hadn’t just admitted to being one of the most hunted humans in the world. It turned Seth’s stomach.
“Thank you for helping the boy, but I have somewhere to be.”
He turned, but each step he took was only followed by the girl, so he stopped again, frowning at her.
“You’re going to the palace, right?” she asked, smile bright. “The outfit gives it away.”
Seth stilled again. He looked over the girl, his stomach twisting at the thought of someone like her knowing even the slightest bit about him. Her clothes said plenty about her as it was: her the hooded cloak around her neck was tattered and filthy, and the shirt and trousers beneath bore strange markings and tears, almost like singes. Clothing and tanned skin alike was covered in dark smudges that Seth couldn’t even begin to guess at. Her complexion wasn’t dark enough to be from Xalder, and the walking boots she wore would never be worn in the flat, sandy streets, and the dead grey colour of her eyes was like nothing Seth had seen in any of the seven Descodian countries.
Her lips quirked upwards, and she stepped closer, slipping her arm through Seth’s. He flinched. “Let go.”
He tried to pull back, but her hold was a lot stronger than her bony limbs implied.
“I will. But I’m gonna walk you home first.”
There was a darkness shadowing her tone that made Seth’s feet move in tandem with hers as she began walking directly through the busy crowd, as opposed to finding a way around it. Her hold was tight. Grip firm. And Seth couldn’t ignore how strangely warm she was. No, not warm. Hot. Maybe she was overheating in her layers, unsuited to the desert sun, because her arm felt like it was radiating heat.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m only hear to clear my conscience so later, when I hear some stupid palace servant has been dragged off to a much-awaited life of pain and torture at the Abbey, I don’t feel guilty.”
Her voice was quieter now. She wore an easy expression, smiling as she spoke, appearing to anyone else that she was having a pleasant stroll with a friend perhaps. But her words chilled Seth to the bone. He fixed her with a dull stare.
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
She raised an eyebrow at his words. It was true though. No matter how much Seth regretted it, he truly didn’t believe he’d done anything wrong in saving that boy. He wasn’t about to let this stranger, who’d done the same thing, tell him otherwise.
“I said you were stupid. I didn’t say you did anything wrong,” the girl said slowly. “The world would be a far better place if more people did what you did. And if more people did, more… ‘acceptable’ people, perhaps I wouldn’t need to be here, confirming that you do in fact know just what you did in putting yourself on their radar.”
Seth looked away, up to the towering palace walls as they grew closer. They were tall and thick, built from stone that had stood the tests of time for centuries. No one in history had ever managed to breach the walls of Xalder’s royal palace. It was no wonder Seth felt so safe behind those walls. No wonder that he’d forgotten he wore a uniform, not armour, and a respected pin, not a crown. A brief moment of madness, of a pathetic crushing moral compass, and he had found himself in the one place he’d promised everyone he’d never end up. On the top of the Eighth Guard’s wanted list.
No one managed to stay hidden for their entire nineteen years of life. The Abbey and their Guard didn’t let that happen. Someone left unnoticed for that long was what they feared the most.
Seth swore he could feel the fear wrapping itself around his throat, and as they reached the gates of the palace, the girl let go of him at last.
“They won’t get me here,” he said, sure of that much. Royalty and leading families were exempt from the Abbey’s reach, so long as they could prove the Taint was harmless and they kept it hidden from the world. Maybe Seth wasn’t royalty himself, but behind those walls, nothing could happen to him. Asher wouldn’t let it. It was the only reason his grandmother had signed away his custody before she died.
“It’ll be harder for them, but not impossible. I knew who you were thanks to that,” She motioned to the aster flower pin on his shirt. “but the Eighth Guard are trained to learn about their targets from just a glance. They’ll know who you are. They’ll know what protections you have. And they’ll already be working to break through them.”
At the gates, Captain Joran peered over at them curiously. This was wasting even more time.
“None of this sounds like a warning,” Seth muttered. “It’s just reiterating what I already know.”
The girl scoffed, shaking her head. “Yet you’re still walking that way, instead of running straight to Willsend?”
Willsend. The God’s Overflow. The place so abandoned by the Siblings, that the Abbey didn’t dare touch. It was the only place Tainted were completely safe from them. How many times had he heard the suggestion?
“We should move to Willsend, love. It’s safer for him.”
“Send him away. He’ll be out of their reach, and out of our hair.”
“Willsend could protect you, Seth. I’d go with you, if you asked. If it would let you sleep at night.”
The two of them held one another’s gazes. The girl seemed to be searching for something, and eventually, she smiled. “You’ll not listen, huh?”
Seth shook his head.
“Fair enough. I’ve done my part. Conscience officially cleared.” Turning on her heel, she wandered back towards the busy crowd, pausing and glancing back with a grin. “At least it’ll take them a while to find your mark. But only if stop scratching it.”
As she tapped behind her right ear, Seth’s blood ran cold. Slowly, he lowered his hand, not having even realised it had been there, scratching away again as if he could remove the sign of the Taint from his skin.
Unable to watch as she laughed, Seth turned quickly, hurrying towards the gate. Most people were leaving the palace, workers and guards who had the evening off, as per tradition. They called out in greeting to Seth, offering him thanks and pats on the back as they passed, though he knew he didn’t deserve it that much. Only the highest ranking men and women remained working during the Year’s End. Captain Joran stood with a knowing smile on his face, which only served to unnerve Seth further.
“His lordship looks hotter than Saturday’s flame, Seth. Better have a good excuse for missing the blessing. And I don’t think seeing a girl counts.” He laughed, smacking Seth on the back as he walked past. Seth could only force a smile.
The gates started to close behind him as the last few stragglers left the palace grounds, and Seth slipped in before they shut, moving swiftly through the fore-garden – the luscious and rich plantation the best possible show of prosperity in Xalder. The grand doors were still ajar, held open by the Headwoman, who tutted impatiently as Seth stepped inside. She locked the doors shut behind him: they’d been waiting.
The main hall of Xalder’s palace was sparse but the space engulfing. Polished deep oak floors shimmered in the candlelight from the three silver chandeliers, but the pale orange stone of the walls were left bare and undecorated aside from an odd wooden frame for rich green climbing plants. In the centre of the main hall, the floors bore a great circular pattern burnt into the wood. An emblem of the sun. Lynt and Verona, heads of staff, and hyrons to the Grand Duke and Queen respectively, were working together to lift the great trap door in the very centre of the emblem, grunting at the weight.
The royals themselves all turned to Seth as he approached. The expressions worn by the Queen and the Duke might have been amused, or maybe expectant, but Seth cared more for what the final royal present was feeling.
The way Asher averted his gaze was enough to tell Seth that the silent treatment had started.
“I’m surprised you got through the square so quickly, Seth,” Duke Jerome started. “You were right at the back when I spotted you.”
“People moved aside pretty quickly for me, Sire,” Seth explained, ignoring the eyerolls and tuts that cascaded around the room at the title. Seth had long stopped reacting to it, and they’d all long stopped trying to remind Seth he didn’t need to use formalities when it was just the six of them. Hyrons and those they served had a bond, they always said, and that bond apparently didn’t have room for bureaucracies.
Verona pulled her hair loose from its clip, only to carefully redo it again. “Seth’s about to pray on their behalf. I’m sure they would have carried him to sunset prayers if necessary.”
“Tone, Verona,” the Queen smiled. “They deserve their break.”
There was a mutter from Verona Seth didn’t quite hear, but it earned her a prod in the ribs from the Queen. Now the six had assembled, and the Headwoman took up position on a small stool she placed by the trap door – for she would be the only one on watch inside tonight – Duke Jerome offered the Queen his arm and they started the descend underground. Lynt and Verona followed, leaving Seth alone with Asher.
Looking over at him, Seth found himself victim to that stare again: a look somewhere between anger and hurt, but worse than either. He didn’t expect Asher to speak yet, not when the Headwoman or the others heading down might overhear, so he wasn’t surprised when Asher turned sharply and began to head down, leaving Seth to trail after him.
The stairs were large and winding, uneven in size, but at least smooth and easy on their thin sandals after hundreds of years of use. The odd candle sat in crevices in the walls, offering the bare minimum of light needed to make the descent into the maze of tunnels and caverns that lay under the oasis city of Xalder. It was deep, in the very lowest of these caverns, that the cities only water reserves lay. Those sacred pools had been the life source of Xalder’s desert people since Saturday had brought the country of fire to creation. The depths of the water was sealed off to all but the most noble and trusted few, but the caves systems that ran in the ground above them were the prayer caverns of Xalder: transformed into places of worship by the first settlers of the country. The first few doors they passed on their way down were bolted shut: passages that led into the shallower gathering caves that the general public used across all of the city. The second layer down was another door, this one open, for the small cavern the palace workers and guards were permitted to use. At the third layer, when the walls at last began to feel a little cooler, a touch damper, hinting at the water below, was a small hollow that held a handful of doors. Doors that Seth and his party came to a stop at.
Traditionally, only members of the royal bloodline were permitted to pray in here, but a few generations ago, the royals invited their hyrons to join them. Lynt said it was an attempt to show just how much trust and understanding there was between the royals and their ‘other halves’: the servants who acted as everything from a shoe-shiner to a best friend.
Hyrons or not, traditions still stood though, and here there was no communal prayer cavern, but smaller, contained hollows. The Queen and Duke moved towards the first door, Lynt and Verona to a second, and Asher to a third. Seth stayed put.
Lynt reminded everyone he would knock when their time was up, and they the four elders moved into their rooms. Asher and Seth stayed still, listening to the bolts sliding across each door, before their eyes met.
It was apparent Asher expected Seth to speak first.
“If you’re still mad, I can join Lynt and Verona,” Seth offered, though he knew it was an empty one – he just needed to get Asher talking.
It worked. Asher’s frown deepened from one of upset to irritation. He scoffed. “Cut it out.”
He turned, heading inside the prayer room, and Seth followed without further question. Asher shut and locked the door behind them.
The cavern was a small one, meant for private prayer, and the only light in the room was the single candle sitting in the niche at the far wall. Beneath if stood a stone altar, the seven markings – one for each Sibling – etched into the surface. On each marking sat a bowl of the corresponding element, and before the entire setup lay a hand-woven straw mat: thin ribbons of gold and red weaving through the pale yellow, as symbolic of the Xalderian royal bloodline.
Before Seth could move to the mat, Asher grabbed his shirt, stopping him.
“You missed the blessing.”
Asher’s voice betrayed him: the pain clear.
“I did,” Seth said. “I’m sorry.”
“You know I wanted you to bless me.” Asher took the golden circlet off his brow and tossed it over the door handle. The sound of metal scraping together as it swung made Seth cringe.
It was traditional for the King or Queen to bless their children until they took the throne, but Seth knew Asher had wanted to lead the change in that: to give more public duties to hyrons. In a way, he was touched by the notion that Asher trusted him that much, but he knew there were other reasons. Ones that weren’t quite as noble. Still, no matter what Seth thought of that, the fact remained he’d hurt Asher.
“I know,” Seth said finally, lowering his gaze. “I let you down. I’m sorry, Asher.”
With a heavy sigh, Asher’s expression softened a little. Being out of the moment and shut away from ever-watching eyes always eased Asher anyway. He huffed once more, shooting Seth one less accusatory glance. “Mum got the ash in my eyes.”
Seth fought back a laugh. “How?”
“She dumped a massive handful on me. Look, it’s probably still in my hair.” Asher stepped forward, bowing his head, and sure enough, amongst the golden hair was a good amount of pale grey ash. Laughing now, Seth tried to brush the worst of it away.
“Next Year’s End, I’ll be sure to be more careful.”
The words did enough by way of smoothing any remaining tension away, and Asher smiled, his focus shifting to the task it should have been on.
The two of them knelt on the mat. Seth waited as Asher took some of the dust from the bowl of Tuesday, sprinkling it over his head before pressing his hands together and falling silent in prayer. Whilst in public blessings like the Year’s End one, Asher had to use Saturday’s ash – since Saturday was the patron of both Xalder and its royal house – in the privacy of the caverns, Asher was able to reach for the Sibling whose name he was actually born under like everyone else.
As for Seth, he reached for the seventh bowl. He took a pinch of Sunday’s chalk and let it fall over his head before he too fell into prayer.
He ran through the usual songs in his head: the Call of the Siblings, Sunday’s Laws, Xalder’s Prayer, until he finally moved onto his private thoughts. In the place where he usually gave thanks for Asher’s friendship, the royals’ kindness, and wishes for his grandparents’ and father’s peaceful rest, Seth found himself begging. Begging that he wouldn’t have to fear the Eighth Guard. Begging that the burning behind his ear would stop.
As always, not for a second did he feel like anyone was listening.
When he at last opened his eyes, hands slumping into his lap. The last pleas drifted from his thoughts, unanswered and probably unheard, and Seth became aware that Asher was looking at him. When he watched him like that, Asher’s golden eyes felt even more unnatural: like they might spy Seth’s innermost thoughts if Seth wasn’t careful. He pushed himself to his feet.
“Sorry, Asher. You should have just said something if you were done. Has Lynt already knocked?”
“Yeah, but you looked like you were praying really hard.”
“Well… we are supposed to be praying on behalf of the whole country. It makes sense to.”
Asher hummed noncommittally, eyes turning to stare at the altar. “You never did explain why you weren’t at the blessing. You looked pale when I saw you…” He looked back up at Seth. “You still do. Like you saw a ghost.”
Not so much a ghost as an omen, Seth decided. His fingers dipped lightly into Sunday’s chalk, rubbing the white specks between his fingers. Even this didn’t feel like it connected him to the Sibling whose name he carried.
Whose Taint he carried.
Word would get around. If the girl with violet hair was right, they’d reach the palace before long. It would upset Asher, any mention of the Abbey and Taints did, but he deserved to have the warning that the Guard would come breaking down the palace gates.
So, Seth was honest.
“The Eighth Guard are in the city. And they know I’m Tainted.”
The Last Taint is my baby you’ve no idea. This is the work I’m thinking of asking around for some betas for, so I’m leaving this here for people to get a taste! Spoiler alert: This world is everything to me, and as much as I love the lesser men series for their dragons, the kin verse holds a very very special place in my heart, and it’s so in detail, I can literally tell you events than happened in specific years.
Again, if you want to be tagged, please hit me up! And if you think you would be interested in beta-ing this, please let me know, and I’ll tag you in my beta search post! ^^
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P-Artsypants Fanfiction Masterpost!
I feel like I’m always making a new one of these posts every few months, but I honestly just write so much that it makes sense...
Updated so most recent Fandom is at the top.
Find most, if not more, of these fics on:
Fanfiction.net | Archive of Our Own | Wattpad
(~AU’s, *Finished, ❤️Author's Favorites)
Kingdom Hearts
~❤️Rage Awakened AO3 | FF.net- Ten years ago, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus lost their fellow apprentice, Sora, in Deep Jungle. Now, they are to return with two new students, Riku and Kairi, to lock the heart of the world. All the while, something watches from the trees. Feral!Sora AU
My Kingdom for a Heart AO3 | FF.Net - The curse of being one of the Princesses of heart, is that there’s always someone out to get you. As Xemnas looked failure in the face, he reached out in a last ditch effort and destroyed Kairi’s heart. Now her friends must travel the worlds again. Sora, to find a way to recover Kairi’s heart, and Riku, to make amends to those he has wronged. All the while, the darkness grows.
Miraculous Ladybug
One Shots
*❤️Amalgam- When an young man is rejected for being ‘incompatible’ he turns into the akuma ‘Amalgam’ able to fuse two people together. And later Adrien and Marinette would debate if it was lucky or unlucky that they got hit.
*Sing We All Noel- After receiving the worst Christmas present ever from his father, Chat Noir finds himself out on the streets with nowhere to go on Christmas Eve. Thankfully, Ladybug finds him and brings him home.
*Speechless- In a world where everyone has a soulmark, the first words their soulmate will say to them, Marinette is born without one. But Adrien Agreste has two. Curious, considering he’s mute.
*❤️Tunnels of Love- The night started out with an accidental kiss from Adrien Agreste, and ended with her bleeding in the Catacombs of Paris. Ladybug, the wielder of the miraculous of good luck. Yeah right. (Some blood)
*The Reveal That Wasn’t- First Parts My ending to kittybug’s Tumblr Prompt
*What A Mess We’re In- Ladybug has a lot on her mind, and when Chat Noir bugs her enough, she tells him she’s going to confess to her Crush, Adrien Agreste. Chat’s reaction is not what she’s expecting.
Long Fics
*❤️Nine Lives- (FF.net) When Adrien Agreste is scheduled to go to a Military School in Germany, Chat Noir must make a critical decision. Does he give up his Miraculous? Or does he give up his life as Adrien? I’ll save you the trouble of guessing, he gives up being Adrien.
*Tender Words- When Marinette finally gets the guts to confess her feelings for Adrien, some things go so wrong, and other things go so right.
How To Train Your Dragon
One Shots
The Vikings Have Their Tea (FF.Net | AO3)
Arranged Marriage- Takes place at the beginning of HTTYD
❤️Breathe- Survival of the fittest
~Childhood Friends- At the Sandbox
❤️Easy Fix- In which Hiccup has a bad day
~Fashion Designer- Astrid needs a fill in
❤️Frozen- In Which Astrid takes a Dip and things get frisky (Rated M)
❤️Headache- In Which Hiccup hits his head….really hard
❤️Heir- In Which Hiccup is Picked (Longer version by FateCharms)
Illness- In Which Stoick is a dad
~Illusionist- Trick gone wrong
~In the Walls- In which there’s a poop ghost
~Knocking On The Wrong Door (2) - A chance encounter
❤️Messages- Astrid is Frustrated with Hiccup’s obliviousness
~To Mirkwood- Hiccup is not a dwarf
~Monster Falls- Hiccup and Astrid take a dip
❤️Mute- In which there’s a quiet stranger
~Music Video (ImgHS)- He didn’t expect it
❤️Operation: Lovebirds- In Which the gang makes a plan, and Hiccup gets Drunk
~Over- Too many nightmares
~Partners in Crime- A normal day at work
~Pirate- Astrid is the greatest treasure
~Prince- He doesn’t want to be a broken King
❤️Sorting Things Out- In Which Astrid gets her ducks in a row
~The Dragon and The Dame- Beauty and the Beast Au
The Pit- In Which Hiccup is rescued
Hide and Seek- Part 1
Lost and Found- Part 2
Long fics:
*❤️Infernal Responsibility- Being the son of the chief takes brains, courage, and a lot of patience. But at his father’s the request for marriage, Hiccup decides he has had enough. When he seeks out a life of ease, he runs into more than what he bargained for.
*❤️Roses and Lilies- “Astrid, you and I both know you’re much tougher than I am. You’re more brave, and a better fighter…but just for a little while…could we pretend that I’m the one protecting you?” “Oh gods yes!”
*~What the Water Gave Me- The sea is a wild and dangerous thing, something that cannot be foretold or predicted. Hiccup discovered this many years ago, in human naiveté. Yet, what was meant as a sacrifice became a new life, one like no one could comprehend. He now finds himself once more in the unknowing hands of those that sentenced him to death. He only prays things will be different this time. Merman!AU
*Parasite- Soulsnatcher Dragons are rare but deadly. But, As Hiccup finds out, it’s the eggs you have to watch out for.
*~320 State Street- Gobber’s Goods. A Hardware Store that was rumored to have everything you needed. She thought she only needed a job. Turns out, she needed a lot more than that. (A Modern AU no one asked for)
*~❤️The North Tower- When Finn Hofferson died, Astrid inherited his castle in Wales…and a whole lot more. Something sinister lurks in the North Tower.
*~❤️Boy Toy- AO3 - At the age of 21, Princess Astrid lawfully has to pick a husband. But when the perfect groom is nowhere to be found, she requests the toymaker to create one for her. It’s safe to say that everyone in the kingdom is a little concerned. (Pinocchio!AU I guess?)
No, You Go First- AO3 - The Chief of Berk was a headstrong viking, stubborn and full of pride, and willing to do whatever it takes to keep his village safe. But for a moment, he puts that aside, and listens to his son. In which Hiccup convinces his dad not to make him go through Dragon Training, and the subsequent changes that follow.
*In Due Time- AO3 - As another illness sweeps through Berk, Gothi needs another ingredient for her medicine…one that doesn’t exist anymore. Fortunately, she kept that old spell book around for such an occasion. Big Hiccup is sent to five years into the past, and his younger self sent to take his place in the future. But it’s only a few days, what could go wrong?
Trollhunters: Tales from Arcadia
❤️Arcadia or Bust- In Which Arcadia welcomes back it’s underground citizens.
Teen Titans
Oneshots:
~Big Brother- Don’t turn out the light (Horror)
Dear Jason- Bruce Writes a letter
Just Drawing- Bruce thinks about Robin
The Prisoner- Starfire is Guilty
Of Mustard and Three Foot Purple Tongues- A collection of Oneshots and Drabbles
Long Fics (*Finished):
*~❤️Carol of the Bells- High in the dark Bell Tower of Notre Dame, there lives a mysterious bell ringer. Legend tells of the angel who fell from the sky, and the curse she bares. There are few who know her true identity though; her master, the priest, and the acrobat that performs on the streets below. Based loosely on ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ RobxStar and slight BBxRae
*No Escape- Three years ago, Starfire escaped an Alien race called the Gordanians, to arrive on Earth. They’re back, and ready to put Starfire back where she belongs, behind reinforced Titanium bars. Robin’s not about to let her go…if only he hadn’t got captured first. How does it feel to be the alien, Robin?
*Now you Know My Pain- When the new Villain, Gender Bender, comes to down, the Titans find themselves in an odd situation. They’ve been turned into the opposite gender against their will! Now in order to change back, they must learn to understand the gender they’ve turned into. Rated T for obvious reasons. A great read if you’ve ever wondered why girls or guys do [blank].
*Paint it Black- Robin disappeared three months ago. Now, Jump City’s crime rate is mysteriously being taken care of by a normal, albeit strange, teenage boy who goes by the name Black. As the Titans befriend this lunatic, they begin to see a relation between him and their missing leader. Will they be able to find Robin, or will Black turn them all insane as himself? Actually, contains NO OC.
*Saving Grace- “When I’m done with you, you won’t be able to walk upright or speak coherent sentences and all you’ll see is my mask and my voice repeating in your head…Weak. Richard Grayson, I am not tough, I am everything that you fear.” Happy Ending! Smudge of RobStar. NO Slash!
Other Fandoms
Final Fantasy XV
❤️Requiem for Pitioss-“O King. The god’s have heard your cries. Know that we weep with you. The Oracle’s calling has not yet been fulfilled. But…Lunafreya as you know her cannot return the way she was.” Noctis looked up, hopeful. “But she can return!” Canon divergence from Chapter 9. Happy ending. Some spoilers.
Beauty and the Beast
*❤️Behold the Beast- A Oneshot alternate ending to the Animated Film
Cinderella
*❤️Midnight- “When the clock strikes twelve, the spell will be broken,” the fairy godmother had warned. A retelling of the story, when Cinderella doesn’t escape the ball in time. Oneshot
*So This is Love- What if Jaq and Gus hadn’t made it in time to help Cinderella? A new twist on the ending of the classic Fairytale, and what lies beyond the story. She still gets her happy ending and her Prince, and her step family gets their just deserts.
Sleeping Beauty
*❤️A Love Song Back To Me- Maleficent saw the loophole that stared her in the face. Prince Phillip would break the curse in time, for sure. After all, he was betrothed to Aurora. So in an effort for her evil plan to stay in action, Maleficent takes care of the young prince herself. Phillip never imagined having to live off the land like the birds above. Alternate twist on the classic Disney tale.
Escaflowne
Down Feathers- Hitomi’s depressed. She’s been away from Van too long, he comes back to visit her…but what if something went wrong with the transfer? (Not finished. Never will be finished. Mwahaha) Circa 2012
*Angel’s Wounds- Fanelia’s been victorious in their most recent battle with Basrum. Unfortunately, someone is wounded and just seeks solace in his love that lives so far away. Post Anime.
Momma Look Sharp- With the war between Fanelia and Basrum finally coming to a close, the kingdom is celebrating. The young king, however, is suffering from an experience unlike any he had before. Van finally seeks solace in his wife.
#fanfiction#kingdom hearts#miraculous ladybug#httyd#disney#beauty and the beast#sleeping beauty#escaflowne#cinderella#ffxv#Teen Titans#trollhunters
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#Prodigal Son#Brightwell#Malcolm x Dani#Dani Powell#Malcolm Bright#Gil Arroyo#jifar teragon tarmel the third#jt tarmel#aurora perrineau#tom payne#lou diamond phillips#ldp#frank harts#*#*ps#a reaction post by a lunatic-your welcome#too meta?#it happened just like this
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I have to admit, I overdid it with episode reviews this season. I am very happy for this between season respite. I only have two posts to write tonight which means I actually had some time to enjoy anime! Crazy right!
And you know what else. This episode of Dr. Stone did something the series hasn’t been able to do in a while. The closing credits caught me by surprise! The episode blew by. Nothing better than high action to make time fly!
What I thought Would Happen
I figured it would be ingredient of the week. I admit I completely forgot that the next ingredient was ammonia which is somewhat more accessible than the rest. I figured it would be yet another scientific adventure for an episode or two, while the brawn kept practising for the Grand Bout.
I also figured they would absolutely need to get Kinro his own glasses before the start of the tournament. I mean I thought they would do so last episode and they didn’t even get to the reveal so I was sure they would this episode, dividing Senku’s talents between completing the drug and preparing a new pair of glasses!
What Did Happen
Like I mentioned, this week’s super secret ingredient was ammonia so that took a cool 5 seconds to get! But before that, Senku, Chrome and Ginro returned with the acid to an honestly heartwarming welcome. It caught me a bit off guard and I awwwed.
The bulk of the episode was actually dedicated to the beginning of the bout. First Ginro and Senku tried to find every possible way to almost, if not actually, cheat much to Kinro’s despair. First they signed up Senku for the bout figuring he could tire out the competition a bit or at least give one of them a free pass should they get paired up. I’m not sure if this is in fact against the rules of the bout but it is definitely against the spirit.
All this was moot however as the first match up ended up being Magma and Kinro. Since the ultimate plan was to have a tired Magma face off against a fresh Kinro, this was the worst possible outcome so it was time for plan B.
That turned out to be Senku’s homemade energy drink which definitely wasn’t cheating but Ginro ended up drinking it instead so that plan goes down as well. To make things worst, Magma’s goon kidnaps Suika in a bid to lure Kohaku away (their best hope after Kinro), really ramping up the pressure.
The rest of the episode was .dedicated to the Magma vs Kinro fight, including a hilarious last minute power up.
What About the Characters
Have I mentioned how much I like Kohaku. I have, I definitely have! I still do.
Ginro and Kinro are a bit flat as characters. Ginro can get a tad annoying, not entirely unlike Zenitsu, but in his good moments he is rather enjoyable. His sleazy connection to Senku was pretty funny, so when the character is good I’m glad he’s around. Also like Zenitsu. And they’re both blonde! Coincidence? Yes, for sure!
On the other hand, Kinro is your classic stoic straight edge guy. Unyielding disciplined and strong! By himself, he’s not really a character that could carry a narrative but his role is actually rather minimal. Although we saw him a lot this week, for the most part, he was silent and simply there for the action. Like a Mecha or something. Used in this kind of moderation, Kinro becomes a great foil for the rest of the lunatics he hangs out with. This also allows Kohaku to be a bot eccentric as well since there’s another straight man to fill the role.
The few seconds we saw Ruri we’re possibly the most interesting. It seems she may not simply be a keeper of tales, the episode hinted at some divination, like an oracle or something. If this is actually the case (and her implied knowledge certainly grabbed Senku’s attention as well), I really look forward to the clash between science and clairvoyance. Seems like that would have a load of possibilities.
So although we haven’t gotten to know Ruri enough for me to be attached to the character beyond wanting her sister to be happy, I certainly am intrigued by the mystery of Ruri. For that reason I look forward to seeing more of her.
What I Liked
I’ve been wracking my brain to figure out why this episode tickled my fancy so. I think it may come down to pacing. The episode moved swiftly from scene to scene but made sure to logically set up everything. It flowed logically. Every reaction made sense and was set up in some way.
Even more surprising (although I couldn’t tell you why) is that the fight between Magma and Kinro really kept me interested. For one it was very well animated. The blocking and framing was such that I could always tell exactly what was going on. Also, I understand inherently the rules of this universe and therefor this fight. I can tell what hits are hurting and what is supposed to be impressive. As such, I could easily get invested in the action.
The fight was also broken up with scenes from the other characters as they have the benefit of having in show spectators. That means you can move the camera away from the action without taking the audience completely out of the fight, we see the spectators reactions and hear what’s happening. This type of action structure is very common in sports anime and I’ve always been fond of it. It allows you to stay in the moment without getting exhausted.
I really like how the whole group is coming together as a team. They work well as an ensemble cast with each character having their place and no one feeling superfluous.
And after me screaming to get Kinro some glasses ALL of last episode and most of this episode, he did. And it was more satisfying than I could ever have imagined.
What I Liked Less
Kinro was fine this episode but he was right on the edge of not fine. Why did he drink his brother’s energy drink and then eat all the ingredients? I mean aside from plot of course. It seemed like a particularly stupid move and the episode just glossed over it. If I had been there I would have screamed at him or at least asked why he would do such a thing.
I know I just said I loved that Kinro got his glasses but it kind of bothered me that not only did Suika’s watermelon rind fit him perfectly but her prescription was perfect for him. C’mon Dr Stone, you don’t usually go the Deus Ex Machina route this obviously. We even saw them give Suika an eye exam, having her raise her hand when images were clearer so they basically went out of their way to point out this little contrivance making it much easier for the audience to notice.
Closing Thoughts
There’s nothing for it guys, as far as I’m concerned this week’s Dr Stone is a good episode coming of the heels of half a dozen other good episodes. I hate to get my hopes up but they are way up!
Mood: Excited
Dr. Stone Episode 13 – Round 1 I have to admit, I overdid it with episode reviews this season. I am very happy for this between season respite.
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A Chance Encounter (Parts 4 & 5)
Here’s the third part of the fanfic that I’m posting for the fourth day of the Hetalia Extravaganza by @weekofhetalia !!!
AO3 LINK
AU: Futuristic Fantasy
Pairing: Romano x Canada
Summary: In a world where magic and technology are at odds with each other, Lovino is a fire faery that has escaped from an American laboratory that had been holding him captive in order to experiment on him. After escaping, he managed to flee across the border into Canada, where Matthew finds him nearly unconscious in the cold and carries him home in order for Lovino to heal.
Chapter 4
Lovino looked over at the Canadian, a bit awed at the man's words. "I can't go back yet... I still have a bit of business to deal with here..." He sighed. "But once that's finished, I'd probably go back. My brother probably misses me." He sat up and pulled his knees against his chest. "I still say you're too damn nice to be human..."
The Canadian smiled softly, trailing his fingers along the surface of the pond, watching the ripples distort the reflections that were on the surface before returning to normal. "Alright... And it would probably be best to put off traveling until spring comes at any rate. That way it would be at least a bit warmer." He turned to look at the Italian, crossing his legs in the grass. "Is it really such a bad thing that I'm so nice?"
Lovino shrugged. "Its not a bad thing. It just makes it seem like you'd be the type to be used by someone and never even realize it." He rested his chin on his knees. "But, waiting until spring doesn't seem like a bad idea." He sighed as he looked out across the water, wondering if he should tell the Canadian the truth about why he had to stay or wait a bit longer.
Looking up at the sky, Matthew sighed quietly, deciding not to comment. He laid down in the grass, some of it tickling his cheek and legs. Placing his hand over his eyes, it wasn't but a few moments later that he felt the small tingling sensation of insect legs against the back of his hand. Carefully removing his hand from across his eyes, he stretched his arm out, watching the large red butterfly crawl across his skin before fluttering down to land on his nose. Matthew smiled gently as a few other butterflies fluttered slowly over to the Canadian, landing on him.
Lovino sat, mulling over his thoughts a bit longer before returning his focus to the world around him. He frowned slightly as he realized that, not only was the Canadian in the grass beside him becoming a perch for the butterflies, but he was as well. The fact that a butterfly landed on his rather...sensitive…hair curl was the last straw though. With an irritated growl, he stood up and shook of the butterflies as the air around him became warmer than it had been. "Alright, you stupid wannabes... clear the fuck off!" The insects scattered for the surrounding trees.
The Canadian started at the sudden outburst by the Italian, his eyes going wide. Propping himself up on an elbow, he looked up at the brunette with concern as he reached his hand out toward the standing male. "Lovino, just calm...." Matthew trailed off as he noticed the shift in temperature around the male. Swiftly withdrawing his hand from near Lovino's leg, he sat all the way up, pulling his knees to his chest as he crossed his arms over his abdomen.
The Canadian rested his chin on his knees, keeping his expression unusually blank. "Just calm down, okay, eh? They're just butterflies. They don't mean any harm," he murmured, staring at the ground without really looking at it. The Canadian was still trying to process what exactly had happened and figure out what had set the Italian off. His hand still tingled from the abnormal warmth he had felt surrounding the brunette.
Lovino huffed, and after a moment, the heat went back to same level as the rest of the air in the greenhouse. "Dispiace. The little bastards have always enjoyed irritating the hell out of me. Even back home. They think they're all that because they're all cute and fluttering. They don't even have good attitudes. Humans just assume they do..." He got quiet as he realized he probably sounded like a lunatic with the way he was ranting about butterflies to a human that thought he was a human.
Matthew listened quietly to the Italian, furrowing his eyebrows slightly. He was torn between amusement and confusion. He thought that the little rant that the Italian did was quite funny, and if he was honest about it, kind of cute. On the other hand...the brunette seemed to keep referring to humans as though he weren't one himself and coupled with the ability to change the temperature…
The Canadian inhaled sharply, his eyes widening slightly. Biting his lip, he glanced up at Lovino before forcing out a small laugh. "Well, we humans can't exactly speak butterfly, so we can't exactly know what they're saying, now can we, eh?" he murmured, putting an emphasis on the word human. He laughed lightly, though it sounded a bit forced to his ears.
Lovino's eye widened at the Canadians words. "R-right. Humans can't." He looked down rather nervously. He could tell the blonde had figured him out, but, he wasn't exactly used to telling others what he was. In general, it was best to keep a low profile after all. He hung his head realizing he'd blown his cover. "Si. Exactly." He sighed. "Humans can't. You're right, Matthew" He rubbed his forefinger and thumb together, a small flame appearing after a moment he stared at it as he waited for the Canadian to speak again.
Matthew covered his mouth with his hand, hiding his smile, though he was certain that his eyes shined with mirth. Taking a deep breath, he kept his face carefully expressionless as he stood up, facing the Italian fae. A wide smile spread across his face as he watched Lovino. "Well you don't have to look so glum aboot it. You did a fairly good job at acting human," he murmured with a giggle. His smile fell after a moment. "I take it that when I found you you had escaped from one of those labs."
Determination shined in his eyes. "That only makes me even more happy that it was me whom found you. You are more than welcome to stay here." He tilted his head to the side with closed eyes, a bright smile on his face. "Let's try this again... Hi. My name's Matthew. I'm a crazy, eccentric human that loves nature, cooking, and world peace," he murmured, holding out his hand toward the Italian.
Lovino stared up at Matthew for a moment, a look of utter disbelief showing on his face. He extinguished the flame dancing in his fingers and heaved a sigh before standing up. He tilted his head to the side and looked Matthew over. He gave a humored smirk and snorted. "You really are one damn strange human..." He took Matthew's hand. "I'll play along. Ciao. The name's Lovino Vargas. I'm a badass Italian fire faery that owes you his life." He gave Matthew's hand a squeeze before releasing it and walked over to stand by one of the trees, leaning back against the trunk. "I'm guessing you have plenty of damn questions, si?"
Matthew walked over and sat down on the ground a few feet in front of the fire faery, resting his arms on his knees. There were quite a few things that he was curious about, but... He chewed on his lip in thought. There was one main thing that was nagging at his mind. "Only one right now..." He hesitated, fearing that he'd sound crazy for asking this of all things. "So...ummm...what do butterflies actually say?" he asked with wide, innocently child-like eyes that sparkled with curiosity.
Lovino brought his hand up to his mouth to try and hide his smile, but after a moment, he broke down laughing. He sat down amongst the tree roots and took a minute to compose himself. "Of all the questions you could ask..." He looked up at the branches overhead. "Mostly they talk about food, what smells good, how pretty something looks, which others make good mates. They like to babble on and on about me because they see faery as their form of gods. And they’re stubborn about it. They constantly harass me." He flicked a small bit of smoke in the direction of a few butterflies that were lazily fluttering his direction. They fluttered away before it reached them. "The ones here like talking about you. You smell like sweet syrup so they wonder if you're some type of human flower..."
A dark blush stained the Canadian's cheeks by the time the Italian had finished. "That's...wow..." he murmured, at a loss for words. He added off to the side, "Maybe I should lay off the maple syrup..." Matthew shook his head in wonder, before biting his lip as another question formed in his mind. The question slipped off the tip of his tongue before he could restrain himself. "What do your wings look like?" He asked softly as his blush darkened a shade, causing the Canadian to look down at his hands. "I mean, you don't have to tell me or anything if you don't want to....I was just curious...."
Lovino smirked. "I thought that would have actually been your first question." He tilted his head to the side. "I guess I have the energy to shift...it's warm enough too..." He mumbled.
He stood up and walked toward the pond. He looked back over his shoulder to watch Matthew's reaction as the tattoo on his back seemed to shimmer and peel away from the skin. The air in the spaces between the lines appeared to be filled with an almost see through opalescent and iridescent membrane that, as the wings moved in the light seemed to shift from red and orange to almost pink with hints of teal and green. His eyes seemed to have a bit of a deeper quality to them and his ears pointed slightly. He opened his mouth to reveal slightly more pointed teeth as he asked. "Well? Did that answer the question? This is what I really fucking look like."
Matthew shifted around, his gaze following the Italian curiously, though that curiosity was soon replaced with awe and amazement. He covered his mouth with his hand as his jaw dropped. The Italian had once again left him speechless. Matthew stood up, nodding vigorously as he looked over the Italian, giving him a soft smile. "Y-Yeah. You're...beautiful..." he murmured breathlessly, his eyes shining. Clearing his throat, he bowed slightly. "U-Umm, thank you. For showing me," he murmured, the smile remaining on his face. He hadn't been lying when he'd said it. He truly believed that Lovino was beautiful...perhaps the most beautiful person he'd ever seen, in his opinion.
Lovino blushed at the Canadian's praise. He honestly wasn't used to being called beautiful. Because he was a fire fairy, the colors of his wings showed that he was dangerous; the color of fire. Now that he'd show his true colors to the butterflies, they weren't trying to fly in his direction anymore either. They instinctively knew to be afraid. The Italian fae slowly made his way back over to the Canadian. "I'm not beautiful," he mumbled. "I'm a hazard. You humans are strange." He didn't bother shifting back as he sat down, knowing good and well that Matthew would probably want to study him. He just wasn't sure if it would be discretely or directly. "A question for a question." He mumbled. "You're not going to say this was all a joke and ship me back to the lab are you?"
Matthew swept his gaze over Lovino's wings one last time before looking him in the eye and maintaining eye contact. His question caught the Canadian slightly off-guard. He raised an eyebrow incredulously. "Everything that I've told you has been true. And I would never have you sent back to that hellhole. I'd have to be dead before I'd allow that to happen," he snorted softly. "And even then, I'd probably try to find some way to come back as a ghost or spirit or something in order to haunt the people at the lab and help set you free. You deserve your freedom, and you deserve to get back to your family," he murmured, a sad light flickering in the Canadian's eyes for a brief moment before disappearing. Hesitantly, Matthew reached out, placing his fingertips lightly against Lovino's skin above his heart. "You're a living being, and that's all that matters to me," he said softly, keeping his violet gaze locked with the Italian's eyes. "And you are beautiful, by the way." A small smile spread across his face. "Plus I thought that we already established that I'm strange." he muttered with a slight smirk.
Lovino's wings slumped slightly as the Canadian mentioned his family. He couldn't go home yet though. He smirked slightly after the Canadian finished speaking. "Si. I had my ass saved by one of the strangest humans on the planet." He rubbed the back of his neck as he added, "and for the next year, you're stuck with a foul mouthed fire fairy in exchange."
Matthew laughed softly, pushing a few strands of his blonde hair out of his face. "I'm sure that you'll be a much better house guest than my brother was. And in all truth," he murmured, a gentle smile on his face, "the language doesn't bother me." He chuckled, placing his hands on his lap. "So what do we do now?"
Lovino shrugged. "I don't really know.” He moved back over near the water and stretched out on his stomach in the grass. "We could just be fucking lazy and stay out here where it's warm..." He mused as he studied his reflection in the water. He spread his wings out so that he looked a bit like a giant butterfly, his wings moving lazily. He ran his fingers lightly through the water causing a pattern of ripples to spread across the water.
Matthew hummed softly, watching the faery for a few seconds with a small smile on his face. "That doesn't sound like too bad of an idea actually," he murmured, laying back in the grass. Placing his hands behind his head, he stared up at the sky through the fogged-over glass.
The sun had made it's way past it's zenith already, making its way into the afternoon hours. Matthew let out a long yawn, his eyelids drooping. Rolling over onto his side, he curled up slightly, resting his head on his arm. Another small yawn escaped his lips before he closed his eyes completely, snuggling closer against the ground. "Thank you," he said, in a nearly inaudible whisper before drifting off to sleep.
Lovino stared at the ripples he was creating in the water, the sky above merely appearing cloudy in the reflection. He glanced over at Matthew, watching as the blonde fell asleep. He tilted his head slightly at the Canadian's words. If his hearing hadn't been sharper when he was in his current form, he probably wouldn't have heard the simple thanks at all. He yawned after a bit as well and lazily rested his head on his folded arms. His wings drooped down so the tips brushed against the grass as he fell asleep, enjoying the best siesta he'd had in a while. Noticing him finally asleep, the butterflies once again fluttered down to rest in the grass around him and on the Canadian as well.
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Chapter 5
Matthew groaned slightly, his body feeling uncomfortably warmer than normal. He rolled over onto his back, though the feeling didn't dissipate. Several small shivers passed through his body, as his mind struggled to wake up and process what was happening.
Forcing his eyes open, two things caught his attention. The first was that it was sunset. The other… There were two or three butterflies resting on his hair curl. The Canadian's eyes snapped open, his face flushed darkly as he quickly stood up. "How many fucking times do I have to tell you not to land there!?" he growled out, narrowing his eyes as he shook the butterflies off of his body, shooing them away towards the trees.
Once they were gone, the Canadian plopped down in the grass, bringing his knees to his chest as his body shook slightly, breathing heavily as he muttered obscenities in French under his breath, not noticing that the Italian had woken up.
Lovino had woken up to the sound of the Canadian's outburst. He smirked slightly at the sight of the blonde giving the butterflies a proper scolding before tilting his head at the way Matthew was reacting. He recognized the signs of what had probably happened, having similar problems with his hair. He sat up and neatly folded his wings back before speaking up. "I warned you not to spoil them." He teased lightly.
The blonde took a few deep breaths as his body finally stopped shaking, though his cheeks were still stained scarlet. He rubbed his hand across his eyes with a groan. "Yeah, well, it's hard to do anything about them when I'm asleep. They probably think my reaction's funny and that's why they keep doing that." His shoulders slumped forward in defeat as he buried his face against his knees. "Sorry that I woke you up..."
Lovino shrugged and stood up, dusting a few stray bits of dirt from himself. "They just like the way it sways. The ones back home think it's a game when they do the same to me." He held out his hand to help Matthew up. "Let's go back to your house and get something to eat. It's getting late."
Matthew looked up before nodding and taking the proffered hand. Standing up, he brushed himself off, looking up at the sky for a few moments and stretching. Turning to the fae, he asked, "So what would you like to eat, eh? Besides something hot, obviously." He brought his hand up to his mouth as he brushed away a few strands of blonde hair that were stuck to the side of his face.
Lovino crossed his arms, before shifting back to his more human appearance, his wings melting back into a tattoo. He thought for a moment. "Do you have ingredients for pizza dough?" He asked. "I'll help cook if you do."
Matthew chewed on his lip, sticking his hands in his pockets. After a few moments, he nodded, looking back at the Italian. "I believe we do," he murmured, smiling. "And thanks," he added, walking towards the door of the greenhouse.
Lovino actually had a small smile on his lips at the thought of having fresh pizza for the first time in over a year. "I'll pick a few things out here that I'll need then." He remembered Matthew's directions and made his way up to the North end of the greenhouse.
A while later he returned with sprigs of basil and oregano along with some parsley. "I guess some of the older technologies have their benefits," he smirked slightly. "These normally wouldn't grow in this area." He picked a few tomatoes as well on his way back to the southern door and entered the kitchen while he waited on Matthew to gather the rest of the ingredients he would need. He nodded in approval as he saw the cutlery had wooden handles. "I’m going to make the best damn pizza you've ever had." He bragged. "Those pizzas that Americans like taste like crap."
Matthew grinned as he gathered all of the ingredients to make the pizza dough, placing it on the counter. "I certainly hope so. I can't stand American pizza...or anything American really." He scrunched up his nose in a look of slight disgust. He hummed in thought as he looked over the ingredients on the counter, his eyes widening slightly. "Oh, wait. I have something else."
Kneeling down on the floor, he rummaged through one of the cabinets to find a piece of equipment that they would need. Rubbing the back of his head when he bumped it on the inside of the cabinet, the Canadian withdrew from the space, a large pizza stone in his hands. He looked up at the Italian with a smile. "You'll need this too, right? Since we can't exactly use metal...for a couple of reasons..."
Lovino's eyes widened as he looked at the stone pan in the Canadian's hands. "That's the last straw." He stated. " You can't possibly be a normal human. You're uncannily not irritating to me. That in itself is a miracle. Hell. I cant even stand the other Fae half the time." He muttered as he took the stone. "For future reference though, steel isn't as bad for me as iron is, even if their technically the same." He stated as he quickly began kneading together the dough. "Something about how iron is treated to make steel makes it less lethal..." He started tossing the dough lightly, like a professional chef before spreading it on the stone.
Matthew chuckled softly, picking up one of the tomatoes on the counter. "Maman always said that I had a soothing nature," he murmured, smiling wistfully with a far-away look in his violet eyes. "She said that I had the ability to make even the most wild and aggressive animal feel at peace and become calm...especially when I would sing. She said that I was always...unnaturally gentle and understanding and forgiving...even when something I was trying to help ended up hurting me. She said something else about an abnormal purity in my soul that had yet to be tainted by the society of this world. That's why she had decided to raise me in the forest..." he trailed off, a sad light appearing in his eyes for a moment before disappearing as he focused on the Italian beside him, giving him a soft smile. "At any rate, I know about the whole iron thing. I just don't like the taste of metal," he murmured, tilting his head to the side with another quiet chuckle.
Lovino tilted his head to the side slightly as he listened to the Canadian, all the while layering slivers of tomatoes and herbs on the dough. He paused as he realized they still needed something else, but looked at the Matthew for a moment, questioningly. " You weren't raised in the cities with the other humans?"
Matthew shook his head, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "N-No, I wasn't. That's probably why I'm so...different from everyone else." He let out a small laugh, a slightly bitter edge to it. "I was raised apart from my own twin and my father because of my parents'...ideological differences. It wasn't until the..." He swallowed thickly, rephrasing his sentence. "Until years later that I even knew that I had a brother, and despite looking nearly identical..." He shook his head. "He and I are nothing alike. We're...basically as different as science and magic," he said with a slight smirk before letting out a giggle. "Or maybe I've just gone crazy from spending so much time alone, eh? It feels like it sometimes..." he trailed off, looking down as he rested his hands against the counter.
Lovino rolled his eyes. "Si. I'll agree with you that you're definitely different. But," he crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Matthew with his oddly shimmering hazel eyes, "you're not crazy." He smirked slightly. "You're probably one of the only sane humans on the planet. All the rest have been brainwashed by technology." He tilted his head before adding. "Now, stop sounding so fucking down and out and tell me you have some decent cheese..." He pointed to the incomplete pizza sitting on the counter.
Matthew looked up at the Italian, meeting his gaze before his usual soft smile appeared on his face. "O-Of course. You're right. I shouldn't dwell on such thoughts." His smile widened at the mention of cheese. "And of course I have cheese. How does fresh mozzarella sound, eh?" he asked with a chuckle before practically skipping over to the refrigerator and opening the door.
The Canadian pulled open one of the drawers within the appliance and withdrew a fairly large ball of the white cheese, though part of it was missing from previous consumption. He placed it on the counter near the faery, carefully unwrapping it from the plastic wrapping that it was in. Matthew glanced over at the Italian, speaking in a hesitant voice. "I hope this will suffice. I mean, it's probably not as good as any that would actually be from Italy, but..." he shrugged, staring at the cheese. "I...I tried..."
As soon as Matthew had unwrapped the cheese, the Italian immediately pinched of a small bit and popped it into his mouth. He closed his eyes after a moment, savoring the taste. He hadn't had real mozzarella in months. He swallowed before raising an eyebrow. "Its not bad. You made this?" He began slicing thin rounds from the ball and layering them on the pizza before looking down slightly. "It almost tastes like what Nonno used to make..." He mumbled.
Matthew smiled, closing his eyes and nodding as he leaned against the counter. "Yeah. I usually try to make everything that I can myself or grow it. There's really only a few things that I need to buy, food-wise at least." He watched Lovino finish up the pizza, humming quietly as he propped his elbows up on the counter, lacing his fingers together before resting his chin against them.
Lovino put the finishing touches on the pizza before pushing it towards Matthew. "You can handle your own oven. I can tell when it's done by the smell." He placed his palms on the counter and arched his back slightly, stretching his spine to help himself relax. "That masterpiece is going to be fucking delicious when it's baked."
Matthew chuckled softly, opening the oven that he had already pre-heated, and placing the pizza in the oven before closing the door. Placing his hands on his hips for a moment, he tapped his foot quietly against the floor before reaching up into the cabinet and taking out two glass cups which he placed on the counter near the Italian. Going over to the refrigerator, the Canadian took out the milk, pouring it into the glasses before returning it to its place. He pushed one of the cups toward Lovino while taking the other. "Here," he murmured with a gentle smile as he leaned against the counter, closing his eyes as he sipped his milk, staring at the oven.
Lovino smirked. "Milk? Mind if I ask why you're pairing milk and pizza?" He picked up the class and took a sip. "Not that I'm complaining. The only thing better than milk is a damn good wine in my personal opinion." He tilted the glass from side to side, watching the pure white liquid swirl against the sides before taking another sip. "It just seems like a strange choice for a human."
Matthew shrugged. "I don't know, to be honest. But I mean, pizza has cheese which is dairy, and milk is dairy, so it just kind of went together in my mind." The corner of his mouth curled upwards in the beginnings of a smirk. "A strange choice for a strange human, I suppose." The Canadian closed his eyes, rolling his head around to relieve some of the tension in his neck resulting from laying on the ground for so long. "Maybe I should get a hammock..." he murmured to himself before glancing over at the Italian. "I don't have any wine, unfortunately. I don't have any alcohol actually. I only ever tried it once because of my brother, and I was violently ill almost immediately afterwards." He shook his head, his curl bouncing slightly in front of his face, as he continued to sip at the glass of milk in his hands.
Lovino tipped his glass back, finishing the contents. He moved to stand closer to the Canadian. "What kind of alcohol did your brother give you?" he asked before bringing his hand up to press lightly on the back of Matthew's neck, his hands warmer than they would normally be. "Just hold still for a minute... I can do small healing," he murmured as he began to gently rub the back of the Canadian's neck.
A small blush crept its way up the Canadian's face as he set his glass down on the counter behind him. "Something with vodka in it. That's all I really remember," he murmured as he closed his eyes. He found himself involuntarily leaning into the Italian's warm touch, a small shiver running down his spine. "Mmm...that feels...really good..." he breathed out, keeping his eyes closed as the tension seemed to melt away, a small hum of pleasure rising in his throat.
Lovino huffed softly. "No wonder you got sick. Vodka is horrible." He continued to let his fingers dance over Matthew's tense muscles before pulling away. "Did that really feel that good?" he asked, a small smirk on his lips and a teasing glint in his eyes. "You certainly sounded like it felt good." He turned to the oven and pulled out a perfectly cooked pizza, the cheese lightly browned and the crust golden. He didn't even flinch at the extremely high heat of the pizza stone as he grabbed it with bare hands.
Matthew crossed his arms in front of his chest, puffing out his rosy cheeks. "S-Shut up," he muttered. "And yes, it did." The Canadian inhaled deeply, the scent of the pizza making his mouth water. "That looks amazing," the blonde said softly, a grin on his face as he appraised the creation.
Lovino smirked and turned his attention to the pizza, wasting no time in slicing it. He picked up two pieces, bringing one up to his lips as he offered the other to Matthew, pulling a bit of the heat away from the slice so the Canadian wouldn't get burned. As he swallowed his first bite he spoke. "It tastes better than it looks."
"Merci," he murmured, taking the piece from the Italian's hand. Giving a nod, Matthew brought the pizza up to his lips, blowing on it slightly before taking a bite. His eyes widened at the taste, a wide smile plastering itself to the Canadian's face. He hummed in appreciation. "This...has got to be...the best thing I've ever tasted," he murmured, looking at the faery with awe while trying to contain his child-like enthusiasm that was directed toward the delicious food.
Lovino smirked. "Of course it's fucking delicious. It's Italian pizza actually made by an Italian." He leaned lightly against the counter. "Those pancakes you made come pretty close to this level of culinary greatness though."
Matthew beamed as he leaned against the counter next to the Italian. He took another bite of his pizza, his eyes closing as he savored the taste. Humming softly, he nodded. "Real Canadian pancakes with real Canadian maple syrup. The American shit is all fake and tastes horrible." He shuddered at the memory.
Lovino smirked. "Anything American is a bit frightening. Food, cars, labs..." He shuddered slightly and his smirk faded. He had escaped from an American run laboratory. He took another bite of his slice.
Tilting his head to the side, Matthew looked over at the fae, a look of concern on his face. Hesitantly reaching up, he rested his hand on Lovino's shoulder. "Hey...don't worry. It's over now. And as soon as the snow thaws, I'll get you out of the country and back home." The Canadian offered him a gentle smile, ignoring the twinge of loneliness that settled in his chest at the thought of Lovino leaving. "I promise..."
Lovino tilted his head slightly. "Thanks for the promise, but your stuck with me until I've properly paid you back for saving my life..." He sighed. "So, even after the snow thaws, I'm here for who knows how long..." He offered the Canadian a wry smile. "Unless you don't want me here. Then the contract is null and void."
The Canadian's smile fell slightly as his hand dropped to his side. "Oh..." He looked down, chewing on his lip. "I mean, I...like...having you here. It's a lot less lonely and more fun, but..." He glanced up at the Italian through his long eyelashes. "I don't want you to be forced to stay here if you don't want to be here..." He trailed off, a light blush on his face as he returned his gaze to the floor, nibbling on his pizza in silence.
Lovino rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't really feel forced. I'm just being honest with you...because you've been so damn nice. It's a sort of 'fae rule.' You saved my life, so I'm bound to you until I've paid you back." He shrugged slightly. "I can always write mio fratellino a letter..."
Matthew nodded, finishing off his pizza. "Alright...I guess..." He chewed on his lip in thought. "I guess I sort of understand that..." He turned his head to the side, looking at the fae and giving him a small smile. "At any rate, thank you for dinner. It was delicious. But there's something that I need to go do right now since I didn't get to do it earlier." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck which still tingled. "Umm...I'll see you later...or tomorrow...I guess..." he murmured, waving back at Lovino as he headed towards his bedroom.
Changing into loose black pants and a dark purple shirt, Matthew grabbed his violin case before he exited his bedroom and headed back to the greenhouse. Opening the case, he set it on a bench near the pond before taking the violin out, and after briefly checking to make sure it was in tune, he walked over to the edge of the pond.
The moon was reflected blurrily in the waters.
Taking a deep breath, the Canadian propped the violin onto his shoulder, and then, bringing the bow up to the strings, he began to play a gentle melody. The fireflies that were flickering about the greenhouse lazily began to dance through the air.
Even the butterflies that were previously sleeping in the trees and on the different plants had awoken and were fluttering around the moonlit pond, almost as if they were dancing to the sound of the melody that was being played.
#HetaliaExtravaganza2k19#APH Canada#aph romano#aph south italy#canmano#romacan#romanada#hetalia#Magic#fairies#fantasy#fanfic#a chance encounter fanfic#fiction
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