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#because it takes my mom several days to cool down after she has a fight like that
gorogues · 6 months
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Fictober 2023
Prompt number #14 Fanfiction Fandom: Flash Rogues Rating: T – Teen and up Warnings: A referenced violent threat.
Day Fourteen: “If you don’t stop now —”
Lisa has had better weeks.  Several of the Rogues had annoyed Abra Kadabra with their usual criminal shenanigans, and the time-travelling magician retaliated by de-aging the offenders.  Kadabra claimed it was a temporary spell after Lisa put a skate blade to his throat, but she has no way of knowing whether it’s true or not.
Which brings her to now, having spent several long days keeping watch over two rambunctious eight-year-old boys.
She’s really had better weeks.
“I told you to clean your plates, guys,” she says for the second time that evening, more tired than angry.
“It’s gross,” Roscoe replies with a disgusted face, pushing the plate away and refusing to even look at it.  “I don’t like the way the food feels in my mouth.”
“I’m not gonna eat mine unless he has to eat his,” Lenny says firmly.  The past week has taught her that he means it, and it fits with the brother she’s known her whole life.  Len’s always been stubborn, but it seems as though both men have regressed to what they were like as kids, and they don’t appear to have memories of their adult lives.
She doesn’t know what she’ll do if the spell never wears off: it’s incredibly awkward to care for her boyfriend and older brother as children.  But who else could she trust to look after them?
“I’m sorry, guys, I don’t have a lot of experience cooking.  We’re just going to have to learn as we go.”
“Pizza!” Lenny cheers, and Roscoe soon joins in until it’s a chant.  Lisa can’t help grinning along with them, because they’re obviously having so much fun.  She loves seeing how happy they are right now, as experiencing pure joy can be rare for their adult selves.
“Maybe tomorrow, okay?  Let’s finish our plates tonight and look forward to ordering something tomorrow!” she replies with as much encouraging excitement as she can muster.
The kids are disappointed, and she is too when she sees those smiles vanish, but they can’t eat pizza every day.  They reluctantly pick up their forks and begin pushing their food around -- stalling for time to avoid having to eat it -- but things start going sideways when Roscoe sneaks some of his food onto Lenny’s plate.
“Hey, look what he did!  You jerk!” Lenny exclaims indignantly, and throws the food at Roscoe’s face.  Soon the boys are pummelling each other in earnest, a kind of clumsy flailing very unlike the precise blows she’s seen the adult Rogues direct at the others during their conflicts.
“Knock it off!” she scolds, running over to pull them apart.  “If you two don’t stop that right now—”
“You’ll what?  You’re not my mom,” Roscoe says defiantly, and he’s got her there.  She doesn’t know what to say to that, so all she can do is send him to another room for a time-out.
She’s never wanted children; she doesn’t trust herself not to replicate her parents’ many disastrous mistakes.  But at least she didn’t hit or belittle either of the kids, so she’ll take her victories where they can be found.  She takes a deep, tired breath, although Lenny’s already figured out that something’s wrong.
“Sorry I threw food at him.  I was just mad that he tried to make me eat it.”
“I know.  I know you guys didn’t like it, and I’m not mad at either of you.  He just needed a time out and you two needed some space apart from each other.”
Lenny wraps his small arms around her shoulders and hugs her tightly.  “Love you.”
“I love you too,” she says softly, fighting the tears in her eyes and leaning into the hug.  She misses the days when her big brother would comfort her during tough times, and this is the next best thing.
**
When she goes to find Roscoe thirty minutes later, he’s already half-asleep on the couch in front of the television.  A large top lay on its side next to him.
“You can come out now.  You were never in trouble, we all just needed a chance to cool down and think,” she tells him.
“I did think,” Roscoe says drowsily.  “I know you’re not my mom because you’re much nicer than she is.  She yells at me a lot and says mean things, and I’d much rather be with you.”
“Oh, sweetie.”  She really isn’t sure what to say to him, as the entire situation has been deeply weird since the beginning.  “I’m glad you’re here too.”
He just yawns in response, and she pulls a nearby blanket over him so he can get some much-needed sleep.  He’d had a very active day, and she suspects he's been full of restless energy his entire life.
Hopefully the ‘kids’ will be back to their normal selves tomorrow, she thinks to herself.  But for tonight, she’s fine with things remaining as they are.
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pupuseriazag · 3 months
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Blue Tarantula - 1/??
(Guess who is finally posting this thing LASFHASFJSAH I've been writing this one + other 2 since June and after doing some light editing before exams I think i feel confident enough to share this little thing of my Spidersona Rox :3. Just one thing: I made the mistake of starting it in english but I didnt like so much the idea of Rox and Miguel speaking english between them (him being mexican and Rox being salvadorean) so I apologize for that if you only speak one or the other 😅)
My name… is Roxana Reyes. Years ago I was bitten by a weird spider in the woods while on a trip with some friends, it gave me amazing and unbelievable powers I had to keep as a secret from everyone else.
I could climb walls and ceilings, my senses sharped drastically and some of my teeth changed, becoming more fang-like. I almost felt like this was some type of blessing given to me by the gods themselves…
And so I became the Blue Tarantula, and accidentally joined the fight with the rebellion in my city.
You see my city… and country, has been subjected to a regime ever since I became an adult, one funded by the Alchemax industries in an effort to keep control of both the people and to take advantage of the (few) resources we have.
I had heard about the rebellion when it first started as rumors, I heard how the police had raided some neighborhoods and made them move away since they needed the land to house wealthy individuals, and to set a barrier between “low class” and “high class” with the excuse of progress. And since police would not care about those tagged as “low class” I guess it became my duty to influence people into helping each other.
I was able to help people around during these hard times, I saved countless people so they began to see a ray of light at the end of the tunnel… And I also became a target for the regime. It's incredible the kind of chambres and smear campaigns a corporation can fund because they are scared of your influence.
And I was alone in this. Other than the occasional old lady sharing some pupusas and tamales with me or little kids wanting me to show them some cool tricks… I had no one but myself.
My parents don't live here in the capital, my mom moved out after the divorce and I managed to get her a decent house with my savings from doing tattoos. My dad managed to be considered a “high class” individual and lives over there so I almost never see him… Not like I would love to see him anyways.
Friends? I have a few, but we’re…not so close… not since the "accident", where I had to choose between saving my then boyfriend… and my best friend. 
…and I made the wrong choice thinking I could save both.
An accident happened in one of Alchemax’s laboratories, the last one to remain in not a wealthy zone. My best friend… Gwen, she was there to visit her boyfriend. A daddy’s son with an ego bigger than the Lempa.
I told her many times that he was not going to help us, I tried telling her so. Many. Times. That he was not to be trusted, but letting your heart guide your actions sometimes leads to the stupidest things.
In our case, it made her boyfriend try to chase her down with the prototype of a machinery with octopus-like arms… and in my case, it made me save the wrong person.
She fell down a platform, straight to the floor.
And you know the “funniest” part? He dumped me a day later. He said the near death experience made him realize he didn't want to be with me… and I couldn't tell him the reason he was still alive was thanks to me. 
I was broken, devastated and severely depressed…I let my best friend, the only closest friend I ever had, to die just so this ingrateful asshole would ditch me… I was so, so stupid.
There's no day I don't regret my decisions, if I could go back in time I would save her. I would not choose him but her… and maybe, just maybe… I could’ve asked her out. 
The whole incident was covered afterwards, no investigations were done aside from hunting down those who dare to speak about what happened there… Gwen’s parents did not even get to see their daughter… or know what happened to her. To this day, they still believe she was kidnapped.
After that day, I was relentlessly asked by people to uncover the truth and reveal to them what happened, so the weight of knowing what happened and not being able to speak about it was put on my shoulders, along with the trust of the majority of people expecting me to be the leader of the rebellion…. I refused to be the leader, and that did not stop them from seeing me as one.
So, Blue Tarantula spends their days and nights with heavy eye bags. Watching the hacked cameras and having to rescue people around. They have to escape easily as they are a target of cops… with no one to greet them on their own in a small apartment, no one waiting for them with a meal or a hug.
Just them, and themselves. 
That was, of course, until some months ago, when the weirdest shit happened and my life again did a 180. It all started when something appeared on the Flor Blanca Stadium. Something that was not from this world. 
So I did as I usually did with the couple of assholes that make my life worse from week to week, kept the civilians away from the scene and dealt with it myself.
And there I was… face to face with a big cyborg that somehow resembled the green goblin… its red eye with a laser pointing at my forehead constantly as I tried to take it down 
But no matter what I did, it was way stronger than me, it pinned me to the ground as it pointed its robotic arm at me, charging up a laser that would instantly blow my head.
It was going to end up this way. No more Blue Tarantula, no more fighting, no more suffering.
No more Rox. 
As I closed my eyes to accept my death, I felt some strange lights coming from my right. Both the cyborg and I turned around to an impossible sight.
What looked like floating blue hexagons began to spin slowly, and the unmistakable sound of reverb waves increased quickly until they turned orange, revealing the true nature of that almost biblical sight.
It was a portal, there was no other word for it. And something came out of it, like a projectile coming straight for the cyborg and taking it off from me.
Rain began to fall as I watched with heavy eyes how a beast almost obliterated the cyborg, then trapped the robot in what looked like one of those baskets covered with cellophane that people give out in christmas.
The masked beast approached me showing me his humanoid figure, was he an alien? His clothes (or skin, who knows) bearing the symbol of a red holographic spider, or was it a skull? I cannot truly tell as my eyes are begging me to let go of my consciousness. 
I also felt fear for a moment, not understanding this impossible situation and not being able to speak as my mouth was full of blood.
His mask disappeared when I slowly blinked, revealing what looked like the most handsome man I had ever seen in my life.. Or at least this week. 
He kneeled beside me, putting a hand behind my head to lift it carefully
"I cannot leave you here, not like this.” His eyes were a deep red, something inhuman and another thing to write just about how fucked up this situation was. “You’re coming with me” His demanding voice said as he lifted me from the ground in his arms, I almost felt bad for his pretty suit getting covered in so much blood. 
I don't know where he is taking me, but one thing’s for sure, it has been a hell of a long time since someone held me in their arms… but I was so tired, I knocked out before knowing where he was taking me, hopefully to heaven I wished.
This had to be a bad dream, I probably was having a fever and that's why this dream was so weird… it was that or my dying consciousness giving me delusions before I gave my last breath.
I woke up hours later, no longer feeling the synthetic grass on my skin nor the big arms of that guy, but the soft touch of cotton and comfiness of a bed. The soft electric hum of a nearby ac and the mumbling of some people lullabying me, telling me to sleep a little more… just 5 more minutes… 
"Oh, she woke up," A feminine voice coming from behind me said. 
"She needs to rest more. Her body has not recovered fully yet." The man from before replied. 
I opened my eyes slowly, staying still in the bed while my eyes tried to adjust to the white light of the room. 
I heard steps coming closer, stopping right where I could feel the person behind me, probably already noticing I was trying to ignore them.
"I know you’re awake." He said in a serious voice. 
I turned my head softly, meeting the same red eyes that greeted me after I almost died. 
The serious expression in his face softened when we locked eyes. Almost in relief to see me still alive. 
"She is awake." He turned to the other person in the room. "I'll take it from here, Layla."
"Got it." But I heard no footsteps or person coming out of the room.
"Glad to see you're alive." He said while still holding eye contact. "Can you sit?" 
I lifted my body carefully, sitting down on the bed but closing one eye. These damn lights are too bright for my liking.
"Great." He dragged a very funky looking chair closer, sitting beside me "You may be wondering what you're doing here." 
"I'm also wondering who the hell are you… or where the fuck I am" I let out unconsciously.
The situation began to fall on me as I realized that was no dream. I was somewhere I don't know, worst case I’m trapped in Alchemax and this is one of their traps.
The man frowned. "You are in the infirmary of the HQ.” He continued. “My name is Miguel O’Hara.”
"Ah, Miguel te llamás ¿Y me hablas en inglés?." I replied mockingly. “No se quien seas, Miguelito. Pero yo no le contesto a los imbéciles de Alchemax.”
He sighed. “I do not work for Alchemax, at least not the one in your universe-”
“Universe? ¡¿Qué putas estás diciendo?!”
“Si te callas por lo menos 5 minutos.” He raised his hand. “Te puedo explicar qué “putas” está pasando.” Yeah I figured he would cave in. 
I crossed my arms, still holding a stern look on him. 
“¿Sabes lo que son los universos alternos?”
“¿Lo de que “existe” posibilidad de que una supuesta versión mía tenga una mejor vida? Aja.”
“Ok, eso ya hace más fácil las cosas.” From his right hand, an orange light came out, displaying itself like a holographic and translucent screen that he touched around. “Tu nombre es Roxana-”
“Rox.” I corrected him.
“...Rox Reyes.” He continued reading. “Eres la spiderwoman de la tierra 503-B, nombre en clave: Tarántula Azu-”
“Perate perate.” How does he have so much info on me? “Primeramente que es esa madre, segundo ¿Como tenes mi información?”
“Es una pantalla, y ya casi llego a esa parte así que si no te molesta, déjame terminar.”
“Man, ¡¿Cómo queres que reaccione?! ¡No se donde putas estoy! ¡No se que esta pasando! ¡No entiendo NADA!”
“Eso INTENTO.” His tone went up as well. “Estoy intentando explicarte de la pinche mejor manera. Asique callate y trata de escuchar por lo menos.”
“¡Ah claro! Porque claramente que me empeces a gritar ¡Hará que me calme!”
"Ay coño." He mumbled under his breath bringing his hands to his face. "LYLA." He commanded and a little floating hologram came out of nowhere.
"Mhm?" The little image of a woman with big heart shaped sunglasses and a white fur coat shaping her nails addressed him.
"Help me explain to her-" 
"Them." I corrected him again.
"Explain it to them." 
"Explain what?" The hologram replied.
"Everything, maybe they will listen to you." He got up from his seat, visibly mad.
"Ok ok." The hologram came closer to me. "Sooo Spiderperson from earth-503. This man you see it's actually the spiderman of this universe.” She pointed at him. “You are the spiderperson of your universe" She pointed at me almost touching my nose. “And big guy saved you from an anomaly becaaaaause that's our job! We’re fixing the maaany anomalies that appeared on the multiverse.”
"In other words," He stood up. "We are working on fixing this mess, so accidents like the one you suffered don't happen anymore."
"So you are like a crusader? Like, beating the shit out of those… things? Ese cyborg era de otro lugar?”
"No, kinda and yes." His angered expression turned into seriousness.
"¿Y qué pasa si no logras atraparlo?" 
“¿No notaste nada raro mientras peleabas con él? ¿No lo viste glitchearse?”
“...Osea que no era el cansancio ganándome.”
“Esos errores que viste suceden ya que él no era de tu universo” He took a glance at my hand. “Estarías sufriendo lo mismo, si no fuera por el brazalete que te puse.”
I looked at my hand, just now noticing the weird thing on me. 
“Todavía es un prototipo, no lo pierdas por favor.”
“A ver, perate que la cabeza me da vuelta.” I said, closing my eyes for a moment, trying to tie and connect the infodump I just received. “Me estas diciendo que uno, sos de otro universo, dos, estuve a punto de morir por un pendejo que no era de mi universo, tres, que es importante regresarlos por que si no se glitchea…” I opened my eyes, confused by one of the things. “¿Por qué?”
"Porque la presencia de estos en universos donde no pertenecen genera más anomalías, hasta que el mundo colapsa." 
"Y esa es teoría o-"
"Sucedió." 
This is starting to sound ridiculous, multiverses, anomalies, apocalypses. This has to be a fucking joke. 
I leaned in close to Miguel. "¿Y cómo sé que puedo confiar en vos?"
"Tienes mi pa-"
"¿Cómo sé que no me estás mintiendo? Porque después de todo” His eyes focused on mine. “Para mí seguís siendo un extraño que me raptó a un lugar desconocido." 
His eyebrows drew closer “Esperaba que te tomaras esto mas enserio.”
“¿Cómo esperas que me tome todo esto en serio? Literal me estas hablando que disque sos de otra dimensión e inventándote mas mamadas.” I launched my hand to his throat, taking him by surprise as he fell to his back and I pinned him to the ground, knocking his chair over as well. He grabbed my hand and I noticed his talons come out. “¿Acaso me queres ver la cara de pendejo? Vas a tener que intentar mejor que inventarte una película.”
He tried to get up and I kept him in place with all my force, but I still haven't recovered completely so he overpowered me and turned me around, now having him pinning me against the cold floor roughly and causing me to cough.
“Me estoy empezando a aburrir de tu maldita actitud.” He growled while showing some of his teeth. “Ni siquiera sabes el peligro en el que estás. Ni siquiera quieres entender que SIMPLEMENTE quiero ayudar a que tu maldito universo no colapse y puedas seguir viviendo tranquilo.”
“¡¿PUES ADIVINA QUE, PENDEJO?! ¡SI ME HUBIERAS DEJADO MORIR ME HUBIERAS SALVADO DE VERDAD! ¡MORIR IBA A SER LO MEJOR QUE ME IBA A PASAR EN LA VIDA!” I yelled at him trying to fight back tears. “¡YA ESTABA LISTO PARA MORIR!”
His expression changed to surprise, I guess he wasn't expecting me to admit that.
“¡Y SI ME VAS A MATAR POR NO ESCUCHARTE, PUES APURATE!” 
He let go of me, getting up from the floor and turning around while putting his hands on his hips. Fucking asshole cant even help me get up.
I rolled on the ground, to try to get up on my own, but both my back and stomach hurt like hell and I let out several coughs and held a hand to my stomach. He turned around and immediately went on to help me get up.
“Suéltame, pendejo.” I whispered in pain.
“Todavía no te recuperas.”
“Pero bien que te pusiste a pelear.” I turned my head to him.
“¿Y quien se tiró hacia mí primero?” 
I rolled my eyes, letting him sit me on the bed again.
“Discutiremos esto cuando hayas descansado y te sientas mejor.” He crossed his arms. 
I was about to speak and he lifted a finger, shushing me off.
“Si vas a decir otro de tus comentarios sarcásticos mejor ahorratelo.”
I closed my mouth, pissed off and looked elsewhere.
“Bien, voy a mandar a que alguien venga a revisar cómo sigues.” He began to walk off to the door. “Cuando estés dispuesto a hablar, decidiré qué hacer contigo.”
“Que mierdas se supone que significa eso”
“Tu vas a elegir si quedarte o irte.” The door opened sideways automatically, showing me a glimpse of the outside hallway before he left without saying more.
If he thought that would make me feel less angry, then he is fucking wrong. He is lucky I’m still not ok, or I would’ve paralyzed his ass.
What am I even supposed to do? Does he expect me to just wait here? Bullshit. 
I took a look at the room from the bed, this place felt unreal. Like if I was put in one of those sci-fi movie sets with stereotypical futuristic equipment.. but as much as I tried to find the sound of people outside or someone that confirmed this was just an elaborate joke I couldn't, I could only hear the humming of the ac and my own thoughts.
I refuse to believe he is being serious, theres just no fucking way, even for someone like me who has some faith in the gods and believes in paranormal shit, this is all just too dumb and stupid. 
He may think I will cave in and fall for his lies, Pfft, pobre pendejo. 
....But why did he leave me alone here? Is he too stupid to believe I will stay here? Nah, as soon as I am capable of walking without pain I will get the fuck out of here and go home. Soon enough I’ll be home and-
…And I’ll keep living my sad life.
Ugh, if there's something that I hate more than myself is having to be alone with my thoughts. So I got up from the bed while holding a hand to my stomach, to try and distract me from thinking.
I approached a cabinet sluggishly, putting my free hand on where the outlines of an opening were, but no handles to be seen. And it opened automatically, letting me see that inside was my ripped and bloody mask.
“Puta…” I let out in a whisper, taking a look at it. “Justo le había cosido eso…”
No sight of more of my things though, so no phone to check if I could receive any signal to confirm I was still “in my universe”, even saying that makes me cringe.
I couldn't see a clock either, or at least one that made better sense than one on the wall near the bed… so either way I’m fucked unless I actually go outside and check the place myself. Worst case scenario I’m inside one of Alchemax’s labs…. Even worse case scenario, that man is right.
What am I even thinking?! He is NOT telling the truth. No man that pretty ever tells the truth.
But his suit… The way he knows “classified” stuff, the floating screen, the little holo lady…
Am I inside one of those vr games? I immediately moved my hands to my face. If this is one of those games I will be able to “clip” through my head and see the empty inside of my arm… But my hands touched my face, neither clipping nor letting me feel any headset attached to my head.
No, there has to be a trick, it's always a mirror trick or strings attached to something, I REFUSE to accept that bitch is right. 
I walked up to a panel nearby the bed, finally something that I recognized, a touchscreen. The screen lit up showing all the options it had: “Assistance, Options, Lights, Info”. I touched Info and one of those screens appeared. Now’s my chance to confirm this is just layers of glas- My… MY FINGER WENT THROUGH IT?! IT'S LITERALLY LIGHT?! BUT IT’S NOT BEING REFLECTED ON ANYTHING!
Calm down Rox, calm the fuck down. There has to be a pretty clear and believable explanation for this, one that we may not understand completely, but believable nonetheless. 
My eyes turned to the holo screen again, it had an orange color similar to the other one that guy pulled out and held my information. “Subject name - Rox Reyes, “Blue Tarantula”, from Earth 503B, Age 27, One anomaly reported in universe, Status: Injured, Recovering in HQ’s infirmary. Not a member of the spider society”
I'm even more confused… No, I shouldn't allow them to get to my head, that's how he will win and I. Won't. Let. Him.
I took a step back and turned to the door. I've seen enough bullshit in one day, or night. I'm getting the fuck out of here.
There were no handles on the door, and even though I was literally touching it, it did not open. Great, he trapped me in here. 
I let out the most stressed out sigh I ever had in my life and brought both hands to my face. This is just the worst.
And on top of that, I'm starving. And there was no food around.
This must be one of his tactics, he is trying to starve me so I end up caving in just for the taste of some food in my mouth. WELL GUESS WHAT, DUMBASS?? I'M ACCUSTOMED TO NOT EATING IN A WHOLE DAY! 
…but truth be told, I didn't eat last night because of the emergency. So my stomach is hurting like crazy asking me to give it anything.
My only option now is either stare at the ceiling…or try to sleep some more.
But if I fall asleep they may come for me and take me elsewhere.
So I laid down again on the bed, looking at the white ceiling for a while… My eyes began to close themselves… Ugh, I'll just sleep for a moment.. I'll be alerted easily if someone tries to come inside… And I will teach them a lesson…
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mx-lamour · 4 months
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We finally saved Ezra's mom!!
Ezra and the party broke into Hazlik’s tower and planted a bomb. When they reached the top where Ezra’s mom was, Hazlik was there waiting for them. He was a monologuer, and he had many illusory duplicates in addition to being invisible. Our paladin managed to cut him anyway, and he shut up. We were in a modified antimagic field (which didn’t affect him, just us), so we were stuck with only mundane tools. Ezra dashed over to his mother (Narhunru) to see if he could free her while the others roughed up Hazlik.
Narhunru took his face in her hands, and said, “I’m sorry, this isn’t how I hoped we would meet.” She spat in his eyes. Little gobs of purple flame. Ezra blinked, and found that he could detect magic. He could see the mystical chains binding her. And he could see Hazlik.
Our bard. Our dear bard. He dropped ball bearings all over the floor. Hazlik slipped and fell. He cast Time Stop to inch his way out of the ridiculous terrain. Dicked it up and only got two rounds on us. Slipped and fell again on the first one.
When it finally got back around to Ezra’s turn (he was tragically at the bottom of the order), Hazlik was pretty beat up already. Ezra lined up his shot [with a pretty cool 16th century style musket] and put a bullet right through Hazlik’s ‘third eye’, finally killing him.
We got the heck out of there and detonated the bomb, so the tower came crashing down behind us. The other wizards will tear each other apart in Hazlik’s wake.
(And now my lovely DM has graced me with lore between sessions, because our next one won't be for another month and I would have died waiting again. Read on.)
. . .
During the whirlwind dash out of Hazlik's fortress, Narhunru is calm and shrewd. Escape, for her and you, is of the utmost importance and nothing distracts her from this. Once you've reached the safety of the lower district and found some innocuous corner to catch your breath in, her demeanor changes. Gasping breaths become sobs which wrack her entire body and she falls to her knees. Her blazing hair dwindles to embers as she clutches herself. It takes several minutes for her to regain her composure.
Sitting up, she looks to her rescuers and thanks you. Her words are cold and distant. She asks why you came to this place. For a moment, Ezra is hurt. This isn't what he'd expected, or hoped for. Pausing to process her question, he comes up with a dozen replies, some sharp and others sad.
He notices, then, the shaking of her hands. His mother’s eyes dart between him, his companions, and the nearest exit. She's scared. How long has she been here? A prisoner.
Ezra only realizes he voiced his question aloud when Narhunru replies. "Too long. Thirty three years, seven months, a week, and three days have I been a prisoner of Hazlik. Before that, I was the prisoner of another, and before that, another. I am from the City of Brass, though I would hardly call it home. It was there that my own father sold me into service to pay his debts. In my youth, I worked in the palace of the Sultan, until I was traded away to a devil and taken to Baatezu, the nine hells. It was there I met your father Jander. I watched the ill-fated Ride led by Zariel and the massacre that followed. After the battle, it was one of my duties to... to keep Jander alive."
Her eyes closed, Narhunru paused to fight the storm of memories within her. "Those who died in the charge were the lucky ones. Your father and some of his companions were captured. For the first few weeks, he begged me to stop, to let him die. I told him that I could not. As much as I wanted to, I could not disobey."
She held up the golden cuffs she still wears. "He understood, then, that we were both prisoners. In the time that followed, we slowly became each other’s escape. He would tell me tales of his past adventures. Even his darkest memories were an escape from the pain inflicted upon him in the hells. I had not intended to fall in love with him, but neither had I expected to find such a kind and caring person in that place.
“Our two souls found peace within each other, and a spark was born. You. I kept you a secret from all but your father. As much as I wished to keep you, the Hells is no place for a child, nor would you have survived in my home. We decided instead to send you to your father’s home in the mortal plane. I gave you my blessings, and he gave you your name:
“Ezra. A call for protection on your long journey. I made a deal to get you free. For my end, I would betray the Devils I served. When it was discovered, I assumed I would be killed. Instead, I was bartered to a wizard. The fool wound up here in Hazlan. Its mad ruler quickly discovered my existence and stole me away. Since then, I have been at the command of Hazlik. Until today."
The threat of more sobs looms over Narhunru as she finally looks you in the eye. "I have thought of you often. With each passing year, I tried to think of you less, because each time hurt more than the last. I do not know the fate of your father." She is quiet for a time, building the courage to ask a question of her own. "Can you forgive me?"
Stunned out of his own fears, Ezra kneels down to her and reaches out. Cautiously, he pulls Narhunru into his arms, holding her like he would have wanted to be held when he was a child. Softly, he says all the things his own ears ached for: “You’re safe now. I’m here. Of course I forgive you. No one will ever hurt you again. I’ve found you. My mother; I found you.”
It is clear from what she has said that she has been away from you longer than you have been from her. In the coming hours, she would tell you many things, some happy, many sad. She would tell you more of the City of Brass. Stories your father told her.
She is scared and cautious. She knows that much time has been lost between you. She is happy and proud of what you've accomplished. She is fearful for the future, but one cannot fear the future without some measure of hope as well.
. . .
To be continued...
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itwoodbeprefect · 1 year
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Hello, for the WIP game : Several of the Hawaii Five-0 section sound nice... I'll go with #23 because it does sound particularly intriguing!
Steve’s becomes… themed
ooh, another recent addition to the h50 pile! though the idea is one that’s been bouncing around my head for years - and then always ended up going a different direction, which this one already has again too, i think. the “steve’s” here is the restaurant (i forget if canon ever really nailed that down, but we do get steve asking danny to name the restaurant after him (so they can be together forever, you know, like good platonic buddies) so i think it’s at least generally accepted fanon that it’s called that?) and the “themed” is just, well. i think that in canon, at one point, danny says he wants the restaurant to be a place for cops to come hang out and get dinner after their shift? but this is steve and danny, so of course they accidentally open a queer restaurant instead. huge rainbow in the window, cheesecake in the colors of the transgender flag, they adopt half the local teens, that kind of thing. (obviously they keep the restaurant in this version instead of selling to kamekona - i think it would work out a lot better for them if they have a united Cause that distracts them from fighting over the shade of red of the chairs, anyway.)
which is a concept i really like, but it’s also always pretty Big. there’s a lot of stuff i would want to throw into that story, and to avoid starting something Very Long that i’ll never finish because it’s getting Very Long, i end up cutting myself short to keep things manageable and throwing the original idea overboard in the process, which i think might happen again here, but i’m also considering ways i could keep this fic short and set it up as a potential start to a series, so i don’t need to commit but there are still options.
for this particular go at this idea, this is the catalyst:
“Oh, it’s good that you’re both here,” Grace says, when she falls into the kitchen with a slightly chaotic energy. The double doors haven’t had the time to fully swing shut behind her when she follows that with, “I’m a lesbian.”
They were going over the menu - again - and it’s been a pretty boring if hectic day of ironing out the last details before the opening. Steve looks from Grace, hovering so near the door she looks as if she might run right back out, to Danny, who quietly unglues his shoulder from Steve’s and puts down the pen he’s been using to wave far more than write. “Monkey,” Danny says, with a lot of emotion but most of all baffled, and Steve has to agree that these are pretty uncharacteristic nerves for a kid as cool as Grace.
She shifts a little, folds her arms. “Mom already knows. I just wasn’t sure how you’d take it, so-”
“Grace,” Danny says, and this time he sounds like he’s about to cry, but in the next moment he’s around the counter and wrapping Grace up in his arms so tight it’s as if he’s trying to squeeze the thought that he could ever love her any less than he does right out of her.
Steve lets out a deep, shuddery breath, and closes the menu folder. They’re finished for today.
and then there’s some stuff about letter soup (“I tried to get someone to sell me only the LGBTQIA’s, but they don’t seem to do custom letter sets.” / “Right,” Steve says, because what else is he going to say? “And what would you do for the plus, anyway?”), and danny cooking sadness pasta while telling steve he feels like a Bad Dad because he’s known he is bisexual this whole time and if he had been open about it maybe grace’s life would have been easier, and obviously steve goes, paraphrased, “you are very stupid for thinking that you’re not the best dad, stop it”, and then he mentions that at least grace did tell her dad, that she trusted him enough to do that, and that steve never took that step with john - and that’s the story of how half the mcgarrett-williams family came out in maybe an hour.
-
send me the title of one of my WIPs and i’ll tell you something about it or post a snippet!  
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littlenerdykid-blog1 · 10 months
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when i see any bit of disapproval in his eyes
when my ears catch that tone of disappointment
i am not myself any more
i am transformed...
i am the 7 year old girl who cried herself to sleep wondering why no one loved her
i am the 8 year old girl who, for her entire childhood, was continuously told by her parents/sisters to stop talking for 30 minutes and made fun of me if I couldn't stay quiet
i am the 8 year old who comforted my cousin alone when her dad got his second divorce
i am the 8 year old wondering what I have to do to make my sisters proud of me
i am the 8 year old wondering what it will take to prove myself worth something to my family
i am 9 years old listening to my older sister cry herself to sleep every night after my mom would fuss her out
i am the 9 year old taking a nap with my dad while laying in his lap as his hand became curious for the first and last time
i am 10 years old when I really begin wondering why the world is so cruel and if I want to be in it at all
i am the 10 year old who fantasized suicide
i am 10 years old being blamed for my eldest siblings suicidal desires and ideations
i am 11 years old when I really begin inhabiting my father's anger
i am 11 years old when my dad first starts hitting me whenever I upset him... didn't stop until I was 18
i am 11 years old when I begin to shut down when overwhelmed and a camp counselor asked my friend, "is she deaf and mute?"
i am 12 as my mother nitpicks all her flaws and compliments those same features I earned from her
i am 12 years old when I dream of Jesus coming back so I don't have to be alive anymore
i am 12 when I am assaulted for the "first" time... strong word, lightly taken advantage of has a more fitting tone
i am 12 years old when my father begins a several year long habit of fussing me out for never finishing my food and saying "I might as well stop feeding you since you don't want to eat"
i am 13 years old when I look to a 19 year old man for love and he goes along with it until others notice, and he calls me crazy and obsessive
i am 13 as my mother begins belittling different features and qualities about me or picking fights and getting mad when I react... still happens to this day
i am 13 years old when I hold my two little cousins in my arms as they sob and question why their older sister doesn't love them... I don't know what to say cause I'm going through the same thing.
i am 13 years old going on anonymous apps staying up all night talking to strangers and sending them pictures of myself for validation
I am 13 and 14 years old when my sister drills into my head to change everything about myself before going to high-school or she won't be associated with me... hide my smile, don't laugh so loud, don't make those jokes, at least smell good since you don't look good...
i am 14 years old when my mom and middle sister began comparing me to my oldest sister, saying I was just like her or worse
i am 14 years old in the doctor's office being recommended eating hospitals as my mom doesn't even realize...
i am 14 years old starving myself everyday and only eating every few days
i am 14 years old when I begin feeling the rush of validation from educational figures, and also around the time I begin struggling with authoritative figures
i am the 14 year old who lost her childhood best friend because I wasn't "cool enough" anymore... yet, she faintly stayed in my life for four more years
i am 14 and 15 years old when I hide in the bathroom each lunch hour to avoid eating... a few classmates noticed and began following me in there and taunting me
I am 15 years old when my mom refuses to let me get my permit after taking the course because "I don't want my baby to grow up too fast"
i am 15 years old when my middle sister first began saying "You bring out the worst in everyone you're around"... she still says it
i am 15 years old when I first cut myself... stuck with not eating after doing that a few times
i am 16 years old as i weigh myself in at 82lbs, and a smile cracks across my face
i am 16 years old when I begin hallucinating and interacting with them
i am 16 years old as i lay pinned under a fourwheeler begging the Lord to take me home... later my family told me I could tell no one about the accident and didn't take me to the doctors and pass off my chronic pain to this day
i am 17 years old begging someone to notice i was getting skinnier
i am 17 years old when I stop visiting my dad's parents as they always fussed me out over the most meaningless shit ever single time... still do, btw
i am 17 years old trying to tell my oldest sister I need serious help as she talks over me and explains how her problems are so much worse than mine
i am 18 when I first began vaping... most often in such intervals I would intentionally lose consciousness
i am 18 years old crying as I drink my protein shake, begging my body to keep it down this time
i am the 18 year old watching my boyfriend flirt with another girl in front of me multiple times, and he calls me crazy every time I call him out for it
i am the 18 year old asking my little cousin to spend my birthday with me so I don't try to kill myself, didn't tell her that part though
i am 18 years old when my teacher stares at me as she teaches about ed and mentions how disgusting skinny people look, and had the audacity to ask me if I was okay after the class or if I was "triggered"
i am 18 years old when I start zoning out consistently, still do :)
i am 18 years old when I start a new form of sh by digging my nails into my skin over and over, first begins when zoned out and later done intentionally
i am 18 years old when I hold a gun pressed firmly against my temple for over 2 hours until my hand is tired and my finger is too weak to pull the trigger
i am 19 years old wondering why I've made nothing of myself and fantasizing if I hadn't made it this far
i am the 19 year old who caught her mother off guard by saying that I was previously suicidal
i am 19 years old when my boyfriend threatens to leave me and I give my dad my knife as I say "I can't have this right now"
i am the 19 year old internally begging my father to just say that he's proud of me as I question why the same phrase doesn't mean shit from my mother
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Right now, I am 19 years old, 20 in two days, and not admitting to myself that I'm starting to get worse because that makes it true. Good thing I'm good at hiding it, sometimes. I'm zoning out and shutting down more, I can't find a way to give a shit about all the small talk and meaningless noise people fill my ears with, I can't sleep, I'm hurting myself again, I don't really wanna leave work, I only feel okay when I'm with him, but hey, my eating is doing good and I only have one new scar :)
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trustinsights · 1 year
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Trash talker meaning
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#Trash talker meaning code#
#Trash talker meaning free#
#Trash talker meaning crack#
Your a piece of trash,you make stuff up to make yourself feel better because your a waste! Made crazy nonsense off the wall lies about me that one one believed anyone who knew me knew the truth and I’ve never me you a day in my life THEN you had the balls to tell me I was beautiful and you were sorry you couldn’t take it off ha! What a loser! pray I don’t run into your dope witch. Paige bish ⬅ (not scared) Februat 6:15 PM some day you WILL run into someone bigger then you and they WILL f u c k you up you tub of fat goo you ain’t tough you ain’t bad you don’t fool anyone,beating kids and woman doesn’t make you a bad ass You got in a fight was getting your ass kicked so you stabbed the guy what a Pusey! Couldn’t even fight like a man! You’ll answer on this earth and I’m heaven you sir will get what you deserve and it will be a glorious day always remember that ! So go ahead do what you do talk trash and make up lies your day will come one way or the other idot You will die fat,alone,broke and unhappy you should do us all a favor and pull the trigger now make the world a better place without you spreading your lies and fifth. you can sit here and talk tough and try to act cool but everyone knows the truth about you NOONE had your back nor ever will because the way you are one day you WILL need help.
#Trash talker meaning crack#
The best part of you ran down your moms ass crack and ended up a brown stain on the mattress to bad she didn’t abort your mentally retarted ass,if I was your mother you’d make me sick to my stomach a disgrace,she’s probably a crack head anyways don’t matter. To learn more, see the privacy policy.Your a piece of trash garbage,you make poop up to make yourself feel better because your a waste! Made crazy nonsense off the wall lies about me that one one believed anyone who knew me knew the truth and I’ve never me you a day in my life THEN you had the balls to tell me I was beautiful and you were sorry you couldn’t take it off ha! What a loser! Hope I don’t run into your dope witch.
#Trash talker meaning code#
Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source code that was used in this project: Elastic Search, WordNet, and note that Reverse Dictionary uses third party scripts (such as Google Analytics and advertisements) which use cookies.
#Trash talker meaning free#
The definitions are sourced from the famous and open-source WordNet database, so a huge thanks to the many contributors for creating such an awesome free resource. In case you didn't notice, you can click on words in the search results and you'll be presented with the definition of that word (if available). For those interested, I also developed Describing Words which helps you find adjectives and interesting descriptors for things (e.g. So this project, Reverse Dictionary, is meant to go hand-in-hand with Related Words to act as a word-finding and brainstorming toolset. That project is closer to a thesaurus in the sense that it returns synonyms for a word (or short phrase) query, but it also returns many broadly related words that aren't included in thesauri. I made this tool after working on Related Words which is a very similar tool, except it uses a bunch of algorithms and multiple databases to find similar words to a search query. So in a sense, this tool is a "search engine for words", or a sentence to word converter. It acts a lot like a thesaurus except that it allows you to search with a definition, rather than a single word. The engine has indexed several million definitions so far, and at this stage it's starting to give consistently good results (though it may return weird results sometimes). For example, if you type something like "longing for a time in the past", then the engine will return "nostalgia". It simply looks through tonnes of dictionary definitions and grabs the ones that most closely match your search query. The way Reverse Dictionary works is pretty simple.
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Note
If you're still doing it: melissa fumero for the muse thing!
Always up for more Muse(ings)
From here
send me a FC and i’ll make up a character on the spot.
Okay, trying this again as my first attempt got eaten.  I mostly know Melissa (first name only ‘cause we’re tight like that) from her work on Brooklynn 99, so it’s hard to see her as anyone other than Amy Santiago. That said, my next choice would be to cast her as Selina Kyle (her cuban roots would make her a better match than my current FC for Selina, Selena Gomez, though from what I can gather, Selina’s ethnicity in comic canon is only slightly less varied than the  number of people who have portrayed her in film) and the idea of by-the-book cop Amy Santiago becoming world renowned Cat Burglar Selina Kyle tickles both my funny bone and love of irony.
But as neither of those would be a new character, and as—as I’ve pointed out several times already—that’s the whole point of this exercise, neither of those are options so onward we press.
In looking for pictures to go with this post for inspiration (and because I like to include a few in these posts to distract from my rambling), I can’t shake the impression that there is some inherent sense of loss in her eyes. I can’t pin down why that’s the impression I’m getting, but I can’t shake it either, or the feeling that a muse with her as the FC would/should have some sort of significant loss in their backstory; a parent, a partner, a sibling, a close friend, someone who for whatever reason is no longer in their life. Or maybe it’s a vulnerability I’m reading as a loss? Or that she’s haunting by some memory?  
Whatever it is, I’m also getting a strong sense of determination; someone who won’t give up without a fight or let anyone walk over them (or anyone else for that matter). Possibly because of whatever loss they went through before (which is a nice little bonus meshing of details).
I’d include a picture to show what I mean, but like I said, I can’t pin down what it is that’s giving me this impression (and now that I’ve seen it, I can’t un-see it, so I don’t know if it’s actually there, or if I’m only seeing it because I’m looking for it), so... yeah.
I’m also getting a strong maternal vibe because, wait for it, she’s a mom, and pictures of her being a mom exist (also **spoiler warning** Amy Santiago is a mom), so... yeah, kind of hard to miss this one or have it open to interpretation (this one I do have a picture for).
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Isn’t that adorable?
In any case, I feel like that should play some part in the Muse, thought I’m not sure what form it would take: A parent, a teacher, a care giver or social worker, or even just the cool aunt who loves their siblings’ kids like they’re their own (or actually are their own, having gotten custody of them after the tragic loss mentioned earlier).
There is a small temptation to make them a Secret Spy-by-day/’Soccer Mom’ by night (and not just because I love the trope... okay, maybe a little because of that, but not entirely for that reason) which would make them a good fit for my D.E.B.S. verse, and by this point my ramble is getting longer than normal so perhaps I should... but that doesn’t feel right either (and not just because I’ve already done that at least once already).
it’s probably because whatever other vibes I’m getting, I’m also getting a pretty ‘goofy’ vibe from them, and while there’s no reason you couldn’t have a spy with an oddball sense of humour (send me your fav example—there are plenty), and plenty of spies with tragic backstories (again, send your favs), Ultimately I feel like the—for lack of a better word—darker elements of their backstory should take a back seat to a more light-hearted tone: This is a muse that has lived through adversity at some point in their past, come out the other side all the stronger for it, but not so altered by it that it becomes their defining characteristic. Like that part of their backstory gets revealed half way through the third season and the audience’s reaction is “Wait, what?... Okay, yeah, that... that actually explains a lot. Next”.
Season three of what, you ask. Who is this character that this reveal makes sense for but doesn’t send the Fanbase spinning into a heated ‘debate’ (read: flamewar) over the writers trying to drastically re-write the character for *insert reason here*?
I’m glad you asked. I present to you Mariposa Carmen Vega:
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FC:  Melissa Fumero
FANDOM:  None
AGE:  30-40 (She 39 and looks great for her age. Add in that there’s enough resources to cover at least mid to late 30s and it’s not a huge stretch).
ORIENTATION:  TBD (Leaning towards Bi (curious?), but there’s also a strong element of singular attraction (which might just be because of the ‘curious’ part) and if that’s the case, I’m not not sure if she’s Straight or Lesbian.
Appearance
HAIR COLOUR:  Black/Dark Brown
EYE COLOUR:  Dark Brown
TATTOO:  TBD (If she has any, she has at least one to commemorate whatever/whoever she lost... but since I’m not sure who/what that was yet, I’m not sure what that tattoo would be).
General
FULL NAME:  Mariposa Carmen Vega
NICKNAME:  Mari, Mary, Vega, My little Butterfly (Parents, not sure if both, primarily Mom, or primarily Dad) 
BIRTHDAY:  February 19th
PRONOUNS:  She/Her/Hers
GENDER:  Cis-Female
HOMETOWN:  Fontana, California, USA
CURRENT LOCATION:  TBD 50/50 she’s still in Cali vs moved East
OCCUPATION:  Something artistic. Not sure if it’s more physical arts like Painting/sculpture, or theatric arts (could 100% see her as a local theatre director or drama teacher/youth group volunteer/worker/director [bring back the kids connection: Go, me!]).
RELIGION:  some version of Christianity seems the most likely. I get the feeling that her faith has been tested in the past and come through mostly intact, but I also get the feeling that she’s more ‘spiritual’ now than religious.
SOCIAL CLASS:  Middle-ish class
LANGUAGES:  Spanish, English, maybe a smattering of a few others (I get the feeling that her local neighbourhood is fairly multicultural, and that protective streak in her would drive her to learn at least enough to check in with neighbours in their native tongue/keep an ear out for potential trouble (particularly if she works with at-risk youth of any stripe--less the kids themselves and more anyone wanting to cause trouble with/for them).
Family
MOTHER:  TBD
FATHER:  TBD
SIBLINGS:  TBD
Personality
TRAITS:  TBD
FLAWS:  TBD
ALLERGIES:  none
SIGN:  Pisces
HOGWARTS HOUSE:  I get a strong feeling they’d test out very highly as both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. 
LIKES:  Hot Baths (Extra Bubbles), Camila Cabello, Pina Asada
DISLIKES:  Interrupted Bath Time, Rude People, Unsweetened Coffee.
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lilnasxvevo · 3 years
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Just like…my mom knows what she did was wrong and cruel, she did it on Saturday, she hugged me and told me she was remorseful and sorry with tears in her voice on Monday.
There’s no way she didn’t know it was a wrong and cruel thing to do when she did it. No one has sat down with her and explained how she hurt my feelings. She knew it would hurt my feelings when she did it.
It’s the abuser mindset where you claim you’re “out of control” but you’re really not—you know, the ones where an abuser starts breaking stuff in a fit of rage but somehow never breaks their own stuff even when it’s the closest breakable object, stuff like that. Generously speaking, the rage may feel scary and hard to keep under control, but you do have control. You do. Because a lot of people make you really angry—your boss, your coworkers, your mom and your siblings, even your friends sometimes—and you don’t talk to them like this. When you had to field a call from that arrogant Trumper asshole who makes sizeable donations to your center every year, you kept your cool even though you really wanted to tell him off. And if you talked to your boss or coworkers that way, I can only assume you’d be fired. So I know you can control who receives your rage, and that that list is limited to your children and your husband.
It’s cool that you’re genuinely remorseful and all (allegedly), but next time maybe just try not doing it???
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letarasstuff · 3 years
Text
Unbreakable Bond
(A/N): This is based on this post and this tiktok
Summary: A big age gap between Aaron's children doesn't have to mean that they are unable to form a strong bond
Warnings: Mentions of Haley's death and failed relationships
Wordcount: 1.8k
✨Masterlist✨
_________________________________
His life took turns Aaron never expected. It’s not the “Oh, mh, well that was unexpected”-type of turns, I talk about the “God played Cards Against Humanity with angels and decided to make it happen for someone”-type. But looking back he would not want to change a thing.
After Haley and Beth he was convinced that God, the Universe, something out there shared the opinion that romantic love isn’t the right thing for him and Aaron accepted that fact. Even more when he and Jack went into witness protection. I mean, when you are worried about the life of your family being in danger because of a stalker, you don’t think about the beautiful neighbor, who lives next door, right? Right?
Well, without going into too much detail, Hotch did think about her and she about him and vice versa. Everything went good until Aaron received the message that the team found the stalker and that it was safe to come back. He decided to come clean to his girlfriend. They talked about the possibility of moving back to Quantico.
In the end they decided in favor of the move, the final argument was the surprising announcement of her being pregnant. Hotch wants to raise their youngest where his and Jack’s roots are located. But he decides against taking a position at the BAU, instead taking a desk job in order to be more at home. He also has the opportunity to work from home after little (Y/N) was born and continues to do so until she is old enough to go to Kindergarten. Even then he takes two days the week where he stays home. Aaron learned from his decisions and mistakes he made in the past and wants to live up to them and be a better father and husband than before.
And Hotch keeps it to this day, six years later. It’s (Y/N)’s first day of school, while Jack just graduated high school and goes off to college in a few weeks. Even though they have an age gap from twelve and a half years, their parents are sure there are no other siblings with such a strong bond.
Ever since his baby sister’s birth Jack is her biggest supporter, protector and friend. Her first word was his name, though it was more of a “ACK!”, but that’s the best nickname he ever got. As soon as (Y/N) was old enough to comprehend the concept of movies, he introduced her to Star Wars. Since then lightsaber wars out of cardboard pipes are not uncommon. Last Halloween they even dressed up as Chewbakka and Han Solo. You get three guesses on who was who.
“JACK!” (Y/N) runs into her big brother’s room with an excited expression on her face. “Daddy promised to buy me a real lightsaber after I read ten books! With lights and sounds and all! Isn’t that cool?” Jack smiles. Aaron did a similar thing with him. For a certain amount of books he got a reward they discussed beforehand. This way he felt motivated to read and improved writing and reading skills.
“This is awesome. I think that means we have to go book shopping together, what do you think?” (Y/N) is not only the cool kid that has an older brother, she is also the cool kid, whose older brother has a drivers license, a car and a part time job. She nods with big eyes, speechless, because the offer sounds like heaven to her. Getting books and one on one time with Jack after he was really busy with school for weeks? This has to be heaven.
“Ok, then you put your outside clothes on and I’ll tell Dad about our plan.” At that the little girl rushes to her room, not wanting to waste any more time. Jack makes his way down to the kitchen, where Aaron wipes the table from lunch down.
“Dad, I take (Y/N) to this bookstore in DC and we’ll probably go eat ice cream after that. Is that alright?” Hotch looks up at his son. It still feels like yesterday as he told Haley that Gideon is a big no as a baby name. Now he is all grown up and just a few weeks away from the next big chapter in his life.
“Of course, just let me get my wall-” Jack cuts him off. “No need, I want to use this as a kind of goodbye thing. At least until Thanksgiving.” Aaron knows what he means. It’s his last day before he goes off to college and just a couple more until the first classes begin. The family still hasn’t told their youngest exactly what’s going on. Else she would refuse to go to school and go on with her day, insisting on using all the time they have until Jack drives off.
Two hours later the siblings leave the bookstore, both of them having a bag in their hands. Of course Jack's heavier, but both he and the cashier assured (Y/N) that they lift the same amount of weight.
“Uncle Spence will be excited when I tell him that I read Harry Potter, he told me so many good things about it”, the girl gushes. Jack nods, indicating that he is listening. Of course they also picked books that are not that advanced. Still, no sister of his shall grow up without knowing the beauty of the wizarding world. Also, secretly he is hoping for her to turn out as nerdy as he is so they get more things to talk about. His next step is superheroes, especially the Marvel ones.
They converse until they get to an ice cream parlor and order both their usuals. “Do you think you are ready for me to tell you something important?” The older one asks after they sit down at a table. (Y/N) nods, confusion taking over her face.
“Uhm, you know how I graduated from high school? I’m done with school, but I want to get a degree, but for that I have to go to college. It’s pretty far away so I can’t come home for a few months. But I’m back home when Thanksgiving is and also for Christmas.” It doesn’t matter what Jack says, a sad frown has formed on the little one’s face. “Oh. And after Christmas, will you leave again?” He nods and explains when he is off from college and when not.
“We can always skype and write letters. How does that sound? And when you get your first phone, we can even text.” That (Y/N) lights up a bit. For her first year of school she got a stationary set and is eager to use it to this day.
“I’m going to miss you so much”, she says hugging her big brother. Jack pats her back. “I’ll miss you, too.”
The goodbye the next day is a heartfelt matter. Everybody cries, especially (Y/N). She can’t fathom a scenario where her brother isn’t there for her all the time.
The following weeks are also hard for the family. The youngest refuses to sleep alone for the first three days after Jack’s leave. She is more closed off and mainly just does her school work or reads the books he bought for her. By the time Thanksgiving is only away for another two weeks, (Y/N) has read through all of them at least two times.
Her father already ordered the lightsaber he promised her. Unfortunately shipping takes several months, so the little girl still has to wait patiently for her reward to arrive. In the meantime she works on getting the next and she is already pretty close to the comic book collection she wants.
“Sweetheart, can you set the table, please? Your Mom will be here soon from grocery shopping and she will need help getting them from the car into the house”, Hotch calls for his daughter while stirring in a pot.
The little girl nods, putting her stationary set and pens aside to do as her father asked. She is in the middle of answering her brother’s last letter, telling him that she is now the one that usually has to read aloud for the class because of her advanced skill for a first grader.
Just as she sets the last piece of silverware down the doorbell rings. “Sweetie, can you please open it? This should be your mother.” Happily (Y/N) runs up and turns the door knob. Over the last few months she hit a small growing spurt and is finally tall enough to reach it without standing on her tippy toes.
“Mo-” She nearly chokes on her own saliva. The one at the door is definitely not her mother. “JACK!” (Y/N) runs up to him and jumps onto his leg. “Hey Princess. I thought now that you read your books, we need to hold the most amazing lightsaber fight in history.” With a mischievous smile he pulls two from his back, giving one to his baby sister.
It is the most epic fight in history between an elementary schooler and a college boy. They can only be stopped by their parents announcing that it is a tie between both of them and that they have to sit down, else the food gets cold.
The following weeks mostly consist of (Y/N)’s joyous laughs and cuddling with her big brother. She even insists on him sleeping with her in her much smaller bed. On his last night before going back to college, the little girl turns to him in the middle of watching her favorite movie in the living room.
“Do you promise not to forget me when you are away? Because I alway think about you and tell my friends so much about you. I told them you are a hero, my hero, just like Daddy. They wanna meet you because of that.” Jack has to hold back tears at her statement.
“I also think of you so much. All of my friends at college are pretty jealous of me having such a sweet baby sister. Maybe one time you can visit me and I can introduce you to them.” The thought of that makes (Y/N) smile and is a little consolation to the thought of her brother leaving again.
Aaron watches the interaction going down, happy to see the strong bond between his children, despite their age gap. This is nothing like he and Sean were and that is a relief for him and the worries he had in the beginning. It is a sign that he did do some things right as a father.
Taglist:
All works:
@dindjarinsspouse @big-galaxy-chaos @jswessie187
Criminal Minds:
@averyhotchner @mggsprettygirl @herecomesthewriterwitch @ash19871962 @ellyhotchner
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antebunny · 3 years
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Parent Trap AU
...with a side of on-the-run hacker!wwx AU, and celebrity!lwj AU. Full series here.
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In the end, all the chaos starts because Lan Jingyi gets offended.
“What do you mean you haven’t heard of my uncle?” Lan Jingyi demands. 
He glares down at Wei Sizhui from the top bunk. Lan Jingyi and the other two boys in Wei Sizhui’s cabin got into a fight over who would get the top bunks, and after several heated rounds of rock-paper-scissors, they went to Lan Jingyi and Ouyang Zizhen.
“Stop shouting!” Jin Rulan yells from the other side of the room. He yanks his headphones off and directs his own glare at Lan Jingyi, who scowls back.
“He said he hasn’t heard of Hanguang-jun!” Lan Jingyi yells right back.
Jin Rulan frowns. “The singer? So?”
“I’m sorry,” Wei Sizhui interrupts, before they can get into a fight. “My dad and I travel a lot, so I’ve never stuck around in one place long enough…”
Lan Jingyi frowns, this time with suspicion. “What does your dad do?”
“Uh.”
He’s a genius-level hacker wanted for a felony he didn’t commit and he’s been on the run from at least two organizations for the past nine years.
“…He’s a computer engineer.”
“Really?” Ouyang Zizhen perks up from his top bunk. Wei Sizhui knows vaguely that he likes graphic design. “That’s so cool.”
Wei Sizhui smiles weakly. “Yeah. Um.” He tries not to panic thinking about what to say if anyone asks him any more questions about his dad’s job.
Lan Jingyi flounders for only a second. “Still,” he insists. “You guys have heard of him, right?” When Jin Rulan and Ouyang Zizhen both nod, he points his iPhone victoriously at Wei Sizhui. “See?! He’s famous!”
Wei Sizhui shrugs helplessly. He doesn’t know why he hasn’t heard of Hanguang-jun. He suspects that it’s because he moves around so much, he’s never really had the chance to make friends, so all the music he knows is the music his dad listens to. Wei Sizhui knows his dad is doing his best, but sometimes it’s unbearably lonely.
Which is why he’s at this summer camp in the first place. His dad pulled a lot of strings (read: committed a lot of forgery) so that he could make friends. And now it seems he’s already made a mistake in not knowing Lan Jingyi’s (“Well, he’s not really my uncle, but we’re related…somehow”) uncle. 
“But you’ve at least heard his songs,” Lan Jingyi insists. “Like, uh.” He clears his throat, then shoots a look at Jin Rulan, cheeks flushing. “Our Vow? Water Under The Bridge? I Promise? Someone Like You? At First Sight?” He shakes his head in disappointment when Wei Sizhui just continues staring at him blankly. 
“Wait, I’m pulling it up on Spotify,” Ouyang Zizhen chimes in. He rolls over onto his stomach and fishes his phone out of his pocket.
“I can’t believe this,” Lan Jingyi says, still shaking his head. “You’ve at least heard the chorus of Under Moonlight. There’s no way you haven’t.” He clears his throat again, and then clearly chickens out again.
“Go ahead, sing it,” Jin Rulan says, smirking.
Lan Jingyi glares at him, then a thought brightens his face. “Maybe you’ll recognize him!” He whips out his phone and starts typing furiously.
Wei Sizhui opens his mouth to protest, seeing no reason why he would recognize the singer’s face but not their voice, but he’s too late. Lan Jingyi is already clambering down the ladder, and proudly presenting the Google Image results for “Hanguang-jun.” Then Wei Sizhui’s mouth, despite not being closed, really falls open.
“I know him,” he blurts.
“So you do recognize him,” Lan Jingyi says, pleased.
“No, I…” Wei Sizhui stutters. 
Now it’s his turn to fumble for his phone. He opens Photos and taps on Albums, then opens Favorites. At the top, timestapped April 5, 2010, is one of the only photos Wei Sizhui has of his dad. His dad hates being caught on camera, for obvious reasons. Still, Wei Sizhui doesn’t hesitate to open the photo and show it to Lan Jingyi.
Lan Jingyi cranes his neck to peer over Wei Sizhui’s shoulder, and his mouth falls open too.
The photo is a still image of two people. On the left is Wei Wuxian, Wei Sizhui’s adopted dad. He’s dressed in a sharp black suit, a red flower tucked into the right breast pocket. He’s throwing up peace signs for the camera. His arms are draped around the other person from behind, and his smile is blinding. 
The other person is clearly Lan Jingyi’s uncle, Hanguang-jun. The man has the same striking face, the same light brown eyes. He’s dressed in an all-white suit, save for the light blue flower tucked similarly into a pocket. He has the same ribbon wrapped around his wrist. The main difference between the Google Images that Lan Jingyi pulled up and the photo that Wei Sizhui has is that in Sizhui’s, Hanguang-jun is smiling softly.
It’s a wedding photo.
“No way,” Lan Jingyi breathes. “I recognize that guy! My uncle carries around a picture of him in his wallet!”
“Wait, really?” Jin Rulan perks up at this bit of drama, taking his headphones off completely. 
Ouyang Zizhen also perks up, abandoning his quest to find Hanguang-jun’s music. He slides down his ladder, colliding with Jin Rulan’s attempts to get out of his bed. After minimal cursing, both boys make their way to Wei Sizhui’s bed, where Lan Jingyi is still gaping at the photo.
“Wait, that really is Hanguang-jun,” Ouyang Zizhen says. “I guess your dad met him, Sizhui?”
“Oh my god,” Jin Rulan says at the same time. “That’s my uncle.”
This time Jin Rulan is the one to pull out his phone. He scrolls through his videos until he gets to the very beginning, narrating as he goes. “It’s the only video I have of my uncle,” he explains. “My uncle–I mean, my mom’s other brother–doesn’t like to talk about him, because he went to jail like a decade ago–”
At this, Wei Sizhui winces, suddenly remembering why he’s not supposed to talk about his dad with other people. 
“–But my mom does, and she sent this to me,” Jin Rulan finishes.
Finally, he finds the right video, and opens it.
The video was filmed on a 2010’s iPhone, so the video quality is poor. Still, the audio is clear enough when the camera is turned around to view the filmer. The man taking the video has a half-fond, half-exasperated scowl on his face. He’s wearing a violently purple sweater, under which the collar of a black shirt peeks out.
“He’s going to break his legs before I have a chance to break them for him,” the man says, rolling his eyes. “Look.” 
The camera is flipped around, showcasing a staircase and Wei Wuxian, leaning over the railing. Wei Wuxian looks back and grins at the camera. 
“It’s going to work, just you wait,” Wei Wuxian says. 
“I’m going to watch you break your legs,” the man says again.
“Aw, Jiang Cheng, have a little faith,” Wei Wuxian retorts. He leans over the railing again. “Wait, shh! He’s coming!”
Jiang Cheng dutifully falls silent, as Wei Wuxian leans further and further over the railing. 
“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian shouts, and then he jumps over the railing.
Jiang Cheng starts running to the stairs, and any and all sounds are drowned out by the background wind noise of the man running. When he stops, he points the camera over the stairs. 
There’s a scattering of books across the hardwood floor, and a man in white, whose face is obscured by Wei Wuxian, held in his arms. Wei Wuxian wraps his arms around the man's neck and twists to look up at the camera. 
“I told you he’d catch me!” Wei Wuxian shouts victoriously.
“You made him drop all his books!” Jiang Cheng shouts back, from behind the camera. 
The camera is flipped back to Jiang Cheng, who’s still rolling his eyes. “Somehow this is my dumbest brother-in-law,” he says. 
“Jiang Cheng, don’t be jealous!” Wei Wuxian shouts from the other floor. “We’ll find you someone one day!”
Jiang Cheng’s face colors purple, and the video ends.
The four boys are silent for a moment.
“So that was Hanguang-jun?” Ouyang Zizhen says, after their moment of silence is over.
“I guess so,” Jin Rulan says. 
“You’re telling me my uncle and your dad were married?” Lan Jingyi demands.
“And he went to jail?” Ouyang Zizhen adds. “Sizhui, what happened there?”
Jin Rulan wrinkles his nose. “Why does your uncle still carry around a photo of him if they split up?”
“Why did they split up?” Lan Jingyi asks. “Was it the jail thing?”
“Seriously, what did he go to jail for?” Ouyang Zizhen asks.
In eerie unison, all three boys put down their phones and look at Wei Sizhui expectantly.
Two weeks into summer camp, and Wei Sizhui has already made his first three friends, and blown his dad’s cover. He’ll be wanted by the FBI after this, for identity forgery, if they aren’t already–Wei Sizhui isn’t entirely clear, and his dad doesn’t clarify.
Wei Sizhui smiles nervously.
“Who did you say your dad was again?” Lan Jingyi asks.
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SPOILERS AND ASSUMPTIONS FOR CAMPAIGN 1!
OKAY, let me start by categorising what spoilers I know as best I can, going (mostly) in chronological order AFAIK:
Clarota betrays them (VERY sad, when I first watched those first 10-ish episodes I was fully behind Keyleth’s ‘trust him’ train)
Vax loses a foot to lava and also his snake belt rip
Kima and Allura are the cool, trustworthy PCs, as is everyone’s favourite, Gilmore, a shopkeep with a black belt in karate
The dragonborn guy’s homeland gets dunked on and then later he dies offscreen
Percy’s sister is alive and betrays them but only kind of? I think? She was held captive by the Briarwoods for years and Percy thought she was dead, but she was blackmailed/brainwashed/tortured?
Vax gets cornered by the Briarwoods alone by accident (classic)
There’s a chick called Ripley who makes guns A Thing for the wider world
Something about a sun tree? It’s a creepy tree? They hallucinate their own corpses on it? Or something?
They probably kill one of the hottie vampires at the end of Percy’s arc, I think the male one? Because the lady vampire shows up later?
Percy dies in his arc and it’s the second res ritual they do, after Pike’s one pre-stream
“Take off the mask, darling.” I still don’t care about romance but I feel obligated to mention that I know that famous line
I also know the equally famous “I thought he’d never leave” bubble bath bit, ah Laura
There’s a CHROMA CONCLAVE attack right at the end of Percy’s arc, somewhere
Rashian is a dragon or something, everyone laughs at Liam for not knowing this. I know nothing else about who the Chroma conclave is (3-5 chromatic dragons??? One of each colour????) or what they want, except Vax levels up in the middle of fighting one and Keyleth yells at one
There are communication earrings. There is also a weird black powder man. Victor?
They actually have a permanent home/keep unlike the Mighty Nein?
Vex dies because Percy didn’t check for traps, this is the start of some deal of Vax’s with the Raven Queen which means he multiclasses into paladin?
Vax can fly, he can fly, he can fly!
Uhhhh there’s a couple cursed swords or something in there lol
Percy sells his soul briefly? Genius move Smart Guy lmao
Feywild??? Somehow????? They meet Artagan and make a deal with him for a doorway, and they spend an episode as cows somewhere in here?
Keyleth has Mom Trauma, I don’t know how much this will feature in the campaign
Vax and Vex’s dad suxxx or something, mother is dead
Scanlan hits on his surprise daughter and everyone screams
They have some kind of year long adventuring group break for some reason?
Keyleth makes a storm on an airship (???) and this is cool. Also she turns into a fire elemental a lot and this is also cool.
There’s a kraken fight? It goes really badly, like LEGENDARILY badly, and ngl I’m kind of looking forward to it
Scanlan #LOSESIT and has his legendary ‘what’s my mother’s name?’ rant, after which he leaves for an undetermined number of episodes and is replaced by Tary
This leads to Grog spelling C-A-T for some reason and this???? Makes people cry???????? Truly something you had to be there for
Pike tries to commission drawings of VM for Tary (who calls Vex “little elf girl” and braces for impact when Laura’s nostrils flare) and this goes Very Wrong in a funny way
Tary’s dad sucks
He writes a book
Some NPC reads said book in campaign 2, hence why I know about it
Grog has an arc to do with the other Goliaths who beat him up for defending Pike’s dad?
When Scanlan comes back he tries to sneak in, Vex chases him and he panics and casts modify memory on Vex, it fails several times, an angsty moment becomes comedic very fast
He is received with Mixed Emotions lmao
Keyleth turns into a goldfish and kills herself, this is both apparently extremely painful and extremely funny
Vax gets disintegrated and dies in a beholder fight (rip)
Gilmore is not a dragon but everyone was fully convinced he was. He also gets bodysnatched or something at some point to freak out VM, but they figure out very quickly it’s not him
Scanlan is Ioun’s chosen? Whatever that means, something to help fight Vecna I think
“It was an honour knowing you” sad! Sad! Sad line! Gilmore doesn’t understand, cheekily responds, and leaves!!!! Liam looks on the verge of tears!!!!!! SAD!!!!!
There are so many true love nat 20s. I don’t know what any of them are except that Pike has one and Ashley looks like she’s about to cry
They win the Vecna fight and Keyleth gets the HDYWDT, Scanlan wanted to save a Wish spell for Vax but couldn’t, so he stays dead
Everyone cries here but at least the rest of the party is okay
Keyleth is the last woman standing and everyone cries at this too
And then Grog uses the deck of many things, spawning two oneshots to clean up his mess
Also somewhere in here Vex steals a broom from a guest (lol)
Assumptions!!!!!
More tears than campaign 2 I think, since there are at least two resurrection rituals we see on screen that I know of
The fights might be more stressful since they’re higher level?
Scanlan is going to be the most sexual and lewd character because he is played by Sam
Vex is going to be the second most sexual and lewd character because she is played by Laura
Vax will still instigate most of the one-on-ones so Liam can have as many heavy conversations as his theatre kid’s heart desires
Keyleth will try and fail to make the group more moral
Pike will not try to be moral at all despite being four feet of blessed armour and adorable hair
I think other characters try to make Percy feel remorse for Murder Reasons, but I suspect he’s not going to feel that guilty (I will likely support him in murderous endeavours unless they are FAR more messed up than I currently believe)
From what I understand Grog is Loveable but not hugely layered or complex, and I know Travis was proud he didn’t cry this campaign. I suspect I may be surprised at the character depth Travis gives him, however.
Keyleth also thinks the gods are overrated and I AGREE
Percy is three feral and eldritch raccoons in a trench coat, held together only by sheer force of will and the fragile shell of a posh accent. No one notices because it’s a really cool accent.
There will be a lot more money/shopping/drinking elements than in campaign 2, since I know Vex is a haggler, Percy is a Lord, and Keyleth is a day-drinker? As are Grog and Scanlan
It will be funny for me to see Taliesin play a smart character and Travis a dumb one, though I know that the whiplash went the other way for most people lmao
Vox Machina will be less team-heavy than the Mighty Nein? I gather they’re more of an ‘individual hero’ makeup than an ‘everyone has support abilities’ makeup
It will be more fast-paced than campaign 2? It seems like a lot of the arcs lead directly into each other, with only the occasional shopping episode break
It feels like it might be less friendship heavy than the Mighty Nein? Like they seem more like ‘we’d die for each other’ pals who otherwise spend all their time trying to draw dicks on each other’s faces
They have a more clear “party leader” than the Mighty Nein, who might be Percy and/or Keyleth
I think most PCs and NPCs are more morally clear cut than in campaign 2, like most towns and people in positions of power are either “cool guy who can pitch in” or “get rid of this abomination immediately” territory
I think my favourite character will be Vex, Percy or Keyleth. I just feel it in my bones. 
I think I may also get an extreme soft spot for Grog and Pike, however
My main sources of surprise will be, I think, how things fit together? Like I have no idea WHY they’re in the Feywild, or most other places really, or what any villains’ motivations and backstories and personality traits are, and how they end up fighting any of them in any particular place for any particular reason. I don’t even really know characters’ abilities or literally anything done in any of the fights, aside from “they win/nearly die” and “Scanlan uses Wish and Bigby’s Hand against Vecna”
I assume most plot threads all lead into each other fairly solidly and that they don’t actually seek most of their stuff out?
This assumption will either be fairly right or hilariously wrong, but -- I assume that I already know almost everything important or shocking? I tried really hard to avoid it but being active in campaign 2 meant that over time I got exposed to more and more of campaign 1, and I genuinely believe that I have almost everything down, if not details or order. I don’t think I’ve missed any big moment or impactful arc
Let’s see if I’m right
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highqueenofelfhame · 3 years
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no tag list bc im posting this from my phone and am too lazy so pls reblog so this gets traction! thank you for reading and follow @highqueenofelfhamewrites for better and more frequent updates and turn on post notifications! i might do away with tag lists soon idk. the whitethorn kids are headcanons from @musicmaam and i so i hope you love the babies we love them very much and becca is a mastermind
masterlist
Outside, it was a still and quiet morning. Despite the sun having risen hours ago, the sky remained a murky gray. Dew clung to the grass and a light fog remained settled over the landscape. It looked cold and like the kind of day that would usually have Aelin curled up in the study, a roaring fire warming the room while she sat in one of the oversized leather chairs and reread a favorite book. Rowan knew that once outside, the cool air would be a sharp bite at his skin. It’s how Terrasen always was in early November.
Instead of reading, though, Aelin was staring at her side of the closet. Her fingers nervously tapped above her elbow while she surveyed dresses and pantsuits, jackets and turtlenecks. More than once she had murmured that she never knew what to wear, and more than once he had told her that it really didn’t matter and she would look beautiful all the same.
A level below, Rowan heard the front door open and close, followed by their oldest son, Arden shouting up the stairs that they were home. They referred to him and his boyfriend, Jamie, and Aelin and Rowan’s oldest, Evalin. The three had driven from the University of Orynth on the other side of the city to the family’s house on the outskirts of town.
Genevieve, Declan, and Endymion, the younger half of the Whitethorn kids, were all getting ready. Genny had been up with the sun to make breakfast for everyone, her hands sticky with cream cheese frosting and cinnamon by the time she had finished. Declan and Endy were down the hall, fighting for counter space in their shared bathroom while Genevieve finished up at the vanity Rowan had built her last year in her bedroom.
More noise followed the voices downstairs turned to a quiet murmur as Rowan approached his wife and rested his hand on her lower back. Aelin leaned back on her heels and into his touch, turning her head slightly. Rowan pressed a kiss to her temple and she shivered, reaching out for the dress that he knew she’d end up picking. It was his favorite.
“Perfect choice, fireheart,” he murmured, rubbing his hand across her middle back as she sighed and pulled it off the hanger that she dropped to the floor. Rowan chuckled to himself, nudging it toward her pile of shoes as he followed her back out into their bedroom.
Rowan was already showered and dressed. He wore a simple black suit with Aelin’s favorite dark green tie— one that she claimed brought out his eyes, though Rowan hadn’t noticed a single difference as he tied it around his neck.
“You are worrying about nothing,” he murmured into her hair, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. Aelin shuddered a sigh, licking her lips as she turned to look at Rowan over her shoulder. Their eyes met for a single heartbeat before moving to the door.
“I hope Arden and Evie remembered to pick everything up this morning.”
“I’ll go check,” he promised, squeezing her shoulder before walking away. Rowan paused in the doorway, turning to look at his anxious wife. She stood in front of the window, dress draped over one arm while she twisted her wedding band around her finger. It made his heart squeeze in the most painful way, but he left her and jogged down the stairs to where the rest of his family mingled in the kitchen.
Entirely typical of his children, none of them looked up when he entered. Gen was dressed in leggings and an oversized sweater, manning the stove to make everyone else eggs. Endy and Declan were arguing over who got the cinnamon roll in the center of the pan: it was the most gooey and beheld more icing than the others. Declan won out in the end, but only because Genevieve pointed a spatula at Endymion to remind him of a petty crime he’d committed against her the day before.
“You don’t deserve that cinnamon roll. You know what you did.” Endy snorted, but relented, allowing Declan to eagerly swoop in for the golden treat. A large dollop of icing slipped off the side, barely making it onto his plate as he did. Endymion sighed wistfully, likely dreaming of how good that would have been in his stomach instead of his brothers. Rowan laughed to himself, ruffling Endy’s hair as he walked by. His youngest shrugged him off with a shiver, lips pulling down into a frown while he looked over at his father, then to his older sister as she walked into the room.
“Has mom been down yet?”
“She’s still upstairs,” Rowan said, while the other kids mumbled that she’d yet to come down. Arden and Jamie slid into the empty barstools at the counter, accepting plates of bacon and eggs from Genevieve. “Can someone go check on her?”
“I’ll go,” Evie decided, heading up toward Rowan and Aelin’s bedroom, stairs creaking with every step.
Genevieve was watching Evalin up until she disappeared at the top of the landing, her lips twisting to the side as she shifted to turn the stove off. The kitchen settled into a comfortable silence, the scraping of forks the only disruption. Genny poked at the cinnamon roll she’d chosen for herself before pushing it away, toward Endy.
“I can’t eat,” she said quietly, tapping her phone screen, the time blinking up at her before it went dark again. It seemed that Endy could eat, however, because he pulled her plate over and dove into her cinnamon roll immediately after finishing his. It was almost enough to make her smile but she seemed to be fighting it off. Rowan moved to wrap his arm around his daughter, but she shrugged out of his embrace and disappeared up the stairs. If he had to guess, she was joining Aelin and Evalin.
“I’m worried about her,” Rowan and Arden said at the same time, the former cracking a half smile.
“Me too,” Endymion agreed, fingernail tapping against the counter while he looked over his shoulder. Rowan opened his mouth to speak, but the soft closing of a door followed by the squeak of the top stair silenced him. A moment later, his three girls were filing into the kitchen. Aelin hugged each of her babies, pressing kisses to their cheeks that they didn’t shy away from.
“We ready?” Arden asked, picking up the bag he’d brought in with him. Aelin nodded and rubbed her hand over Genny’s upper back.
Genevieve had always been the most anxious of their kids in the worst way. Over the last year, her panic attacks had only gotten worse and nobody really knew how to help her. A few months ago, she had finally caved and agreed to start taking medicine for it when she needed to. Judging by the way she stood, worrying her lip and twining the ends of her silver hair into tiny braids, Rowan wondered if she was already debating taking one of those pills to keep the monsters of the day at bay.
The ride was quiet. The only conversation consisted of Aelin and Rowan asking Evalin, Jamie, and Arden about their college courses. The youngest three Whitethorns stayed quiet and listened while looking out the windows and tapping on their phones. No music filled the empty silences— the last five minutes was nothing but garbled road noise and turn signals, the occasional sniffle of a nose, or a small sigh.
When the car was put in park, nobody moved immediately. Aelin stared through the windshield, fingers drumming on the gear shift. Rowan lay his on top of hers, but she didn’t look over at him. Instead, she tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and, after several heartbeats, nodded. Only then did the kids file out of the back seats, Genevieve going to take her mother’s left hand while Arden took her right. Rowan walked beside Endymion and attempted to steady his son when he stumbled over a rock that was hidden in the grass.
They walked through the cemetery, moving by headstone after headstone. Some of them were large and ornate weeping angels, others were crosses jutting out of the ground. A fair few were simple concrete rectangles in the ground with a vase for flowers. The one they came to stop at was something in between.
It was about two feet high in the middle of the graveyard, simple text embedded into the shiny quartzite stone. A large hawk had been carved into its surface, wings spread wide mid-flight, beak parted as though it were releasing a fierce battle-cry. There was no vase for flowers anywhere near it. Instead, piles of stones were left all around it. They were in all shapes, sizes, and colors. One had a painted hawk on the surface that he knew Genevieve’s boyfriend had left behind at the funeral last year.
Arden placed the bag he carried on the ground and they let Aelin be the first to pick her stone. She picked a large smooth one, a paler gray than the headstone itself that fit perfectly in her palm. She folded her legs beneath her body as she knelt before it, trembling fingers tracing over the name.
ROWAN M. WHITETHORN
JULY 16, 1970 - NOVEMBER 11, 2020
HUSBAND. FATHER. HERO.
TO WHATEVER END.
A breeze shifted through the air, moving Aelin’s hair across her face and she could have sworn it was warm. She could have sworn she smelled the familiar pine and snow scent that she would always and forever associate with her husband. Aelin could have sworn it felt like a lover’s caress, like fingers brushing away the tear that slipped down her cheek.
Aelin wasn’t sure how long she sat there, surrounded by their children. Each of them swapped their favorite stories about their late father, about what they missed most. All of them cried enough tears that Terrasen could hit a rare drought but the patch of grass they held each other in would still be green as ever.
When they finally stood, the air had dropped a few more degrees because the sun had never come out to keep them warm. It made that fleeting warm breeze even more bizarre, the one that smelled like him, considering the one that rustled the leaves on the nearby tree was cold enough to bite.
Out of the corner of her eye, she swore she saw him. She swore she saw a head of silver hair sock his head in her direction, but she blinked and he was gone, her oldest son stepping up in the place she thought she saw him, felt him, smelled him. Silver hair faded into a golden blonde that matched her own, but the eyes that peered down at her were as bright green as his father’s. Aelin felt her face crumple as she leaned into him, resting her temple against his shoulder. She inhaled hard, desperate for that pine scent to feel her lungs, desperate to erase the last year of her life without him. Desperate to pretend that he was still alive and it was his shoulder that she put her weight on.
But it wasn’t. And it wouldn’t be.
Still, as she looped her arm through his and started to walk back toward the car with their kids, she spared a last glance over her shoulder, projecting their vows into the void of the world: to whatever end.
She wasn’t sure what it was, but Aelin was almost positive she heard his voice whisper it back as another strange, warm breeze wrapped around her and left her completely breathless.
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tryingmydarndest · 3 years
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Thank You (Luka Couffaine x Reader)
Summary (Part 1/probably 3): The author goes on a bit of a tangent about how Y/N goes on a bit of a tangent about Viperion. Who may just have a little, big ol' crush on them?
Tags: -not enough actual relationship -fluff -but like, a weird sprinkling of angst that I didn't plan on right at the end???
Word count: 1.6k
A/N: Inspired by this fic by @seriously-sirius-black <3. Luka? OOC? Idk, probably, I don’t write fanfic. But I am actually kinda proud of how well Alya turned out. Writing this made me realize how much of a mom friend I apparently headcanon her as. I wrote this gender-and-as-everything-else-neutral as I can make it (lemme know if you see ways I can improve, tho idk how much more fanfic I'll even be writing). Also, I freakin' RAMBLE and overuse italics, but ya get what ya get and ya don't gotta fret. Ooh, important note for future parts (if i write them) - this is a kinda!au where the miraculous users keep their miraculous. also if I had a nickel for every time I get awkwardly specific about the placement of both of a character’s hands I’d have TWO nickels. Happy reading!! <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3
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Part I - Paris's Cutiest Heroes
The look currently on Marinette’s face as she sputtered out a response was priceless, “Cat Noir? Cat Noir!? What makes you think I’d find Cat Noir attractive at all? And- and- HIM- the cutest superhero! Ridiculous!”
“Utterly ridiculous?”
“Nice one, Alya”
“Thank you so much, Y/N,” you gave Alya a high five on your way to your seat next to Juleka and Rose on the couch facing Marinette and Alya. A sunny Friday after school was the perfect place for Kitty Section and their entourage to hang out. Unfortunately without Ivan and Mylène, seeing as their anniversary called for a private celebration. After pushing a couple couches onto the deck of The Liberty, Alya had predictably started talking about Paris's resident hero team. Today, she chose to ask everyone who they deemed the cutest, and she made sure to jump on Marinette's... interesting response, “And girl, he has the same silky golden hair and dreamy emerald eyes as Adrien Agreste. What’s utterly ridiculous is you freaking out and dodging every time we bring up superheroes!”
The designated snack-boy, Luka, walked out precariously carrying three bowls of goodies for everyone, “Alright, I got more popcorn. Sorry, but looks like we’re out of cheese flavoring, Y/N”
“Oh... that’s fine. I honestly wasn’t expecting it since I forgot to ask,” your free hand not reaching for the bowl rubbed the back of your neck, “but thanks for remembering.”
“Oh, um yeah- Always," is it creepy to remember something so specific? Someone as nice as Y/N wouldn't be interested in some creep. Ugh. Luka took a seat with his own bowl after passing Alya and Marinette theirs. He ended up next to you on the floor, leaning against the arm of the couch, dangerously close to touching your legs.
Rose reached for the popcorn as she interjected, “You know, Alya does have a point. So Marinette, why don’t you just tell us who you think the cutest superhero is, if you don’t like us guessing?”
Somehow Marinette’s face went even paler as she spoke, “What- I mean, I don’t- I haven’t thought- Wha- what about Y/N? Why aren’t you interrogating them?”
Alya crossed her arms, “Because Y/N says the same thing about the same hero every day. Just watch. Ahem, Y/N, care to weigh in on the cuteness level of our lovely Parisian superheroes?”
You looked up from the bowl you had stolen back from Rose with wide eyes, "Hey! Okay, no, that is not fair! Besides, what is our criteria for 'cute'? I mean... Are we going just by physical characteristics? Is costume a factor? What about the animal they're representing, could our opinion of that make this whole thing unfair? And cuteness is so subjective anyway... Why are we even reducing these amazing and honorable superheroes to just their looks? I mean we could be talking about skill, or their powers or power lev-"
"-And your answer would be exactly the same. Seriously, are you done trying- and might I add, failing- to talk yourself out of this one yet? Or should I just read the article you wrote for the Ladyblog?"
"You said you deleted that!"
Luka had perked his head up at your initial fumbling response and turned to you when he spoke, "You wrote an article? That's pretty cool."
You rubbed your face to try and distract yourself from the burning embarrassment, "Umm, yeah. But it was terrible and extremely not. worth. publishing." You hoped the glare you sent the girl in question was enough to scare her into deleting it on the spot, or to at least lie about it, "So Alya kindly deleted it, right?"
Sitting up with a smug look and crossed arms severely lowered your faith that she'd keep quiet. "A good journalist archives everything. Especially something as juicy as one of her besties going on for five thousand words about how dreamy the great Viperion is," dramatically fake-fainting into Marinette's lap, Alya could barely finish before bursting out in laughter. Of course, quickly followed by the others joining in to varying degrees. Juleka and Rose happily giggled to themselves, Marinette looked more relieved that the heat was off her, and Luka seemed to be shocked, or maybe just holding back to see how you were taking this.
Horribly. Horribly embarrassed would describe how you were taking this conversation. You sat there stock-still as you hoped that none of the others could hear your heart's desperate attempts to pound its way out of your chest. That's certainly all you could hear, at least until Alya's voice brought you out of it, "Hey, it's fine," she made her way over to sit next to you as she continued, "We all have our little hero crushes. That's why I bring it up all the time, to show you that it's totally normal! I mean, we all know how I could go on about Carapace for days," Alya gestured for the others to continue, and used her other hand to try and comfort you.
"Well, I find Ladybug to be just absolutely adorable and so kind.... oh it just makes me so happy knowing she's keeping all of Paris safe," Rose added softly.
Juleka brushed a strand of hair aside as she spoke, "Rena Rouge is super mysterious, pretty rad in my opinion."
Alya was rubbing your back like the mom friend she is to try and help encourage you, "See? Super normal, so go ahead and release all this pent up Viperion energy that I know you have. Maybe it'll encourage Marinette here to finally join in the fun!" Alya stuck her tongue out at her best friend, who responded promptly by smashing her face into a pillow.
You just sighed, "I mean- it’s- it can't just-'' were you supposed to just get over it all just like that? Well, at least the embarrassment was wearing off, maybe you could just entertain her for a bit, "Well- um, you see.... HisHairJustLooksReallySoftAnd- you know what. Nope. Can't do anymore of this. Yep- that's all you're getting out of me!" This time when everyone started giggling, you were able to comfortably join them. It was a nice feeling.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A nice evening chilling out with your friends was always welcome, especially with the rising number of akumatizations making that less possible. But the night had come to a close. Alya and Marinette went home, Juleka was walking Rose back herself, and Luka and you had volunteered to clean up. Luka stopped drying the cup in his hand for a minute as he looked at you, “Um, I know it might not be my place, but I want you to know that you don’t have to be embarrassed about the whole... Viperion thing.” God, how am I supposed to take the news that MY crush has a crush on.... Sort of me? Am I supposed to count it as me at all?
“Oh, um. Yeah, thanks. I think I’m over the embarrassment now that it’s out. I don’t know, it’s just that a lot of people think it’s weird since he’s kind of a new hero,” how are you supposed to explain this to him? That you kept such a non-issue secret from him, especially without getting suspiciously defensive about it. “And then people use that to try and say that I only like him for his looks..... And that’s not it! I don’t know, it’s kind of.... A lot? To explain, that is.” This was not going well.
“Oh... Well, what is it? That you like about him, I guess.”
This was so not going well. But he was waiting for a response so... “Uh, well I guess it did kinda start..... that way.... but then I started doing research. I learned about his power and saw videos of his fights. He’s really good! Especially for being so new, which kinda goes into why his power makes me like him so much.” Shit. Rambling, I’m just talking and talking and I need to stop. But how am I supposed to change the subject now? And now Luka’s sitting down, and he seems so invested. Why does this have to happen to me?
“What do you mean by that?”
Luka’s voice kindly shuts your little thought-spiral in its tracks. What were you saying? Oh, Viperion’s powers! You can talk about this, you know this. Just keep talking, at least he seems interested in it, “Well, you know how he can go back and redo the last couple of minutes?” Luka nodded, “Well, we always see the time that worked out. Us civilians get to keep going from the one time it all went right. Just imagine all the times he failed, all the times he couldn’t get it right. It could be dozens, maybe even hundreds of times! He must get so discouraged at some point, I mean I know I would.... I guess I didn’t really think about it at first, but.... but, I doubt I could keep that determination, and I’m so glad Paris has a hero who can, and does.”
Silence. Why was it so quiet? Oh no, he thinks I’m weird. He must think-
“All of this from ‘his hair looks soft’?”
“Hey! You can’t tell me not to be embarrassed, then make fun of me! That’s against the rules!”
Luka chuckled as he said, “Against what rules, exactly?”
“The Rules Of Best Friendship, duh!”
“And who exactly said you were my best friend?”
“Well... your loss, I guess. Now you won’t get an invitation when I plan Rose and Juleka’s wedding,” you brushed off his offended glare as you took the seat next to him.
“She’s my sister.”
“She’d take my side.”
I’d take your side, too. I will always take your side. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
A/N the sequel: I am super bad at finishing things, but I really wanna keep motivated to finish this (like I have a full, probably 3 part, plan for this). If you guys want to help, shoot me a message and I'll send you a link to the google doc I'm writing this on. Feel free to leave a little comment (pls be kind, obviously) and see my writing process! Idk, would any of you guys be interested in that? Would you just get annoyed at having already read the thing before I post it?
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snickerdoodlles · 2 years
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📓
Edit: sorry this is days late hjfhjf im a dumbass and accidentally scheduled the fic asks for next week. apparently im not only time blind but calendar blind as well 🤦‍♂️ ANYHOO
PatPran Luca AU! I watched Luca for the first time like two weeks ago at Jemmo's encouragement, and ofc that led to me thinking of how a PatPran version of this would go down. (no knowledge of Luca required, all you need to know is the main characters are sea monsters that gain human appearances when dry; going to shore is heavily discouraged, and some of Luca's family quite fear it as well)
It's a big wide ocean yet their families live on the opposite sides of a shoal. Much to the parents' dismay, their kids just don't see why they all can't get along. They have quite the bad tendency to meet up and hangout in secret, no matter how their parents try to stop them
Pat and Pran first go up to the surface on a bet and a dare, obviously. Pat is curious to explore, Pran is more cautious, but neither will back down so up and up they go, stumbling together until they get the hang of their feet beneath them and then they’re running
They keep returning to the surface because it’s freedom. Under the waves, they’re expected to fight each other, carry on their families rivalry, but on the surface, they’re just them, completely free to start any way they want to
Ink’s the first land dweller they meet. She’s visiting her grandparents during the school break, in their little seaside town so small it falls off the map. She’s recently gotten into photography and she likes to hunt along the beach for cool creatures to shoot. She’s the coolest person they’ve ever met. She tells them about her grandparents’ stories of sea monsters and strange creatures, Pat and Pran laugh nervously, and they all bond as they braid old and torn fishermen’s nets and sea glass into friendship bracelets
I’m not sure how or why the parents find out yet, but they’re going to discover their sons have been sneaking up to the surface together and each blame the other’s son for leading their child into danger. Both Pat and Pran are in for a world of surprise when they get back under the waves
There’s several ways this could go, but let’s say for now that Pran gets into a fight with his mom and runs off. Pat sees him swimming away and sneaks out after him, not realizing Paa’s following after him. She’s not as fast as him, so she doesn’t see when he first breaches the water, but she does see two land dwellers hugging so she hides behind the rocks. It’s not until she hears Pat say Pran’s name that she realizes that’s her brother, but then a much louder gasp catches all their attention, and Paa whirls around to see Ink staring at her with awestruck wonder. Pat and Pran rush to help her, Paa rushes to hide, Ink rushes to reassure them—point is, much rushing and yelling occurs and it takes maybe five times longer than it needs to for everything to settle down
.
And that would be part one. As for part two, I don't know, I haven't found the rest of the story yet. Maybe Uncle Tong is somewhere nearby, maybe Korn and Wai too. We still have Ink's grandparents to meet before the parents show up (do they team up? do they still fight? idk!)
But things will definitely happen, some of it even cute and funny. One of my favorite bits is Pat being the best of friends with Ink, and also indescribably jealous of her and Pran bonding over craft making. Paa and her crush don't help, Pat really does not want to hear his sister speculate on whether Pran has a crush on Ink or not. Pran has always been so cautious of the land dwellers' world, and as proud as Pat is of him shedding that fear, he also maybe, just a little bit, misses when it was only him and Pran discovering everything alone together
But that's as far as I've gotten for this plot thought, so any more of this story will have to wait.
[[ask me about the fic i'm not writing]]
#bad buddy#patpran luca au#inkpa too tho i suppose 🤔#some of the struggle with this AU is that i dont totally know how the parent drama goes down#most likely: ming and dissaya went up to the surface quite a lot as kids#then one time when she got exposed#ming joined the crowd harassing her instead of helping her#he insists it was important he wasnt exposed too and that it was fine because she wasnt hurt in the end#not understanding that she WAS and he doesnt get to decide what she chooses to forgive or forget#she stays out of stubbornness but also doesnt want to look at him#ming just stopped enjoying land without a friend but he was too prideful to apologize#and then a while later dissaya PANICS when her son is up on land with the son of the person who abandoned her#so she's rushing up largely to make sure he knows he's not abandoned#not that pat would ever#pat and paas parents rushing up because both kids are gone uh oh#ming would think throwing water on all nearby kids to check for scales is a viable solution#dissaya who's been hurt by that would be FURIOUS#so there's that fun option#if wai's here he would probably throw water over pat and pran as a joke despite their protests#quite possibly get a tail smacked across his face by accident as pat and pran run away#but ultimately the goal is v cute friendship between the four or six#the italicized Oh for pat ofc#and dissaya getting to slap ming one(1) time as a treat#....sorry this post and my tags got long lol I SHALL SHUSH#ty for sending this in!!! <3#ask game: fics im not writing#*give credit and tag me if you write anything inspired by this post thank you <3#but otherwise feel free to use whatever from this if you're inspired ^^
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atlas-private · 3 years
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Hello, how about a scenario with Mama Arc going to visit her son in Beacon, Jaune is happy to see his mother.
Meanwhile the entire Beacon staff is in a panic, because in Ozpin's words, he doesn't want to have to deal with that monster.
(You actually just handed me a way to introduce my version of Mama Arc. For this I thank you.)
---
Pyrrha: Jaune?
Jaune: Yeah?
Pyrrha: Is that woman currently holding the Headmaster in an Armlock your mother?
Jaune: Yup, she did mention something about "Opening a can of whoop ass on the man who threw me into a forest."
Nora: Was she also the one who basically beat the snot out of the faculty members that rushed her when she got off the Bullhead?
Jaune: The very same.
Ren: Why though?
Jaune shrugged.
Jaune: Something about a Bounty on her I guess, she used to tell me about how she used to run a gang after dropping out of Beacon.
Pyrrha: Your mom was a student and has an active bounty on her?
Jaune: I guess, my dad was the one who claimed it after he got her pregnant. Dad says it was a "Enemies to Lovers" type thing. Although my mom says it was because he was better looking and actually worth a fight than her own gang lackeys were, plus he promised that if she beat him he would do anything she wanted. You know, Arc's word?
Ren: That's rather concerning.
Pyrrha: But very interesting.
Nora: What's her name anyways?
Jaune: Oh, it's Lachaira. Grandma said something about it meaning Steel in a different language.
Nora: Cool!
The group continue to watch as Jaune's mom is tackled by a faculty member she had knocked out previously.
Pyrrha: Should we help out?
They watched as the shorter woman shoved the larger man off of her and delivered several rapid punches the man face. The last one proved effective as the hook she sent made the man's head jerk violently before dropping to the ground with a thud.
Nora: It looks like she's winning.
The Headmaster was still in the floor as Lachaira made her way to him, the group thought they heard the man make a plea before she put him into an impressive arm bar.
Ren: I don't think an arm is meant to bend that way.
There a snap that echoed from Ozpin followed by a loud yell. The group winced when they heard it.
Nora: Hey Jaune?
Jaune: Yes Nora?
Nora: Is your mom single?
Jaune, Pyrrha and Ren looked at Nora in confusion and surprise. They then saw Jaune's mom pick up and dust herself off before walking towards them with a small limp, several scratches and a few bruises.
---
Lachaira Arc. Tanned skin and standing at a proud 5'5" with, in Nora's words, a body that looked like she lifted Ursa on a daily and punched boulders for fun. Her black hair was showing the faintest of silver and braided into a low ponytail. Dressed in a simple white shirt that was now dusted with dirt, tucked into a pair of black fitted pants with leather chaps over them and wearing a pair of sturdy black steel toe boots. She had finished using a small towel to wipe the dirt off her face to show the slight tomboyish looking face she had. Of course what struck out the most was the pair of blue eyes that were the same color, if not darker than Jaune's.
Lachaira: So I take it you kiddos enjoyed the show back there?
She grinned and showed off her oddly pointed set of teeth.
Nora: You bet Mama Arc, cool teeth by the way!
Ren: Pardon me for asking, but are you a faunus?
Lachaira chuckled.
Lachaira: Let me guess, was it my perfect skin or alluring curves that gave it away? But yeah, I'm a Faunus.
She narrowed her eyes.
Lachaira: That isn't going to be a problem is it?
Ren raised his hands.
Ren: Not at all, just curious was all.
Nora: What kind are you?
Lachaira raised a brow.
Lachaira: Curious one's aren't ya, well I'm a Honey Badger, besides the teeth I also have the tenacity of one, or at least that what my folks say.
Jaune walked back into he dorm room with a glass of water.
Jaune: Here you go mom, couldn't find any soda so I hope this is okay.
His mom cooed at him and stood up.
Lachaira: Aw, my poor little Knight is worried about his mama.
She grabbed him a bear hug as his team heard the various pops of his spine.
Lachaira: I'm so glad I was able to raise such a sweet boy like you.
Jaune however struggled for breath.
Jaune: Thanks mom... Love you too... Please let go?
She gave a 'oops' and let Jaune go as he greatly sucked in his breath.
Pyrrha: Ma'am if it's okay to ask, why did you beat up our Headmaster?
The Arc Mother shrugged.
Lachaira: I gave my word that I would open a can of whoop ass on the man who threw my son into a forest.
Before Pyrrha could ask she felt Lachaira's hands on her face as she stared deeply into her eyes. The Spartan began to blush slightly as he face drew closer and closer before stopping a few inches.
Lachaira: Huh, you're right kiddo, her eyes would make even Emeralds envious.
Jaune: Mom! I thought you promised you weren't gonna say anything from the letters!
Now the Spartan let out a full blown blush while his mom laughed.
Lachaira: Sorry sweetie by I had my fingers crossed. Now then.
She let go of Pyrrha's face and looked towards Ren and Nora.
Lachaira: Which one is the bubbly bomber and which is the pretty boy?
Nora and Ren only gulped as Jaune covered his face in despair and embarrassment.
---
In the Beacon Medical Ward
Several of the Faculty members now sat with casts and bandages on their bodies. Amongst them was the Headmaster himself in a full body cast now as his sipped at his coffee with a long straw.
The Deputy if Beacon did not looked amused as she read over a file on the very woman who did this
Goodwitch: Lachaira Arc, Honey Badger Faunus. Dropped out of Beacon, former leader of a gang formerly called Oso Heaven, had a bounty placed on her by the kingdom of Atlas, bounty collected by a man named Gregory Greene.
She turned the page and sighed.
Goodwitch: So it was James that had a new bounty placed on her the very day she arrived here, and by your request?
Ozpin stopped sipping and looked at Glynda.
Ozpin: When she was student she was the best of in her year, more than that she was able to single handedly take out three teams of trainees after an altercation involving her Faunus aspects. In her words she stold then, "You're a bunch of fucking pansies that deserve to get dicked down by an Ursa in heat." promptly broke a number of limbs of her opponents and causing an entire team to drop out as well due to the severity of their injuries, without any weapon besides her bare hands and teeth. She then handed in her form for leaving the school, flipped me the bird and took the last Bullhead that was leaving that day.
Glynda: But now?
Ozpin gave a breath.
Ozpin: She seems to be a mother to one our students and was simply here to visit. I was wrong to quickly assume she would cause havoc. No charges will be pressed either as it was our own fault for instigating a retaliation from her.
A man on one of the beds with bandages wrapped around his face spoke.
Steve: I said I was sorry!
Ozpin: Well sorry doesn't fix broken ribs now does it Steve!?
Glynda let out a sigh, silently thankful that she wasn't around for the initial confrontation.
---
July 31, 2021
(Sorry about the late response but Work happened. Anyways here she is Lachaira Arc! I always like the idea of Jaune's mom being some kind of Faunus, it's just skipped a generation, plus I just like a lady that can kick ass one moment but be all sweet the next.
Kinda like Quetzalcoatl from the Fate series.
Anyways, hope this was sufficient enough so have a great day and thanks for the ask!)
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staticscreenwriting · 3 years
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LOVE LIKE THE MOVIES // BUCKY BARNES // 7
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SEVEN - SERENDIPITY
Trigger warning: Alcohol, food
Masterlist
Summary: This is a story of boy meets girl. The boy, Bucky Barnes, finds himself thrown into a world that seems so different from everything he’s ever known. The girl, (Y/N) knows entirely too much about rom-coms and is quite particular about the way she eats her popcorn. Bucky meets (Y/N) a few months after returning to NYC. He knows almost immediately that becoming her friend is inevitable. This is a story of boy meets girl. This is a story about love. (Bucky Barnes x female!Reader // a few spoilers for TFATWS)
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“Okay, that’s ridiculous!” Bucky mumbles around a spoonful of fruit loops.
“What is?”
“This,” he responds and points his now empty spoon accusingly at John Cusack. “This whole fate thing. The book, sure, might happen. But the dollar bill? Never!”
(Y/N) puts her empty bowl on the couch table, turning her body towards Bucky and sitting in a criss-cross style. “You telling me you don’t believe in fate and soulmates and that some people are destined to be together.”
“No,” Bucky retorts in a tone that implies it was a silly question to even ask him. “I am 106 years old. If those things were true you'd think I would've found my destined partner by now."
"Maybe you have" (Y/N) shrugs. "Maybe it's Leah. Have you called her anyway?"
Bucky looks down sheepishly into the colorful milk swirling through his bowl. "No."
“ What? Why not? “
“Because it hasn’t — oh I don't know. It just hasn’t felt right.”
He’d been debating on giving her a call many times, never actually going through with it. At first, it was for a fear of failure, rejection. Now though, Leah doesn’t cross his mind as much as before. His thoughts, he noticed recently, are occupied by another person. And it wouldn't be fair to Leah or himself to try and build something on shaky ground at best.
“ Dude, I’m educating you on romance and you are too afraid to call this girl? “
“ Educating me? You are forcing me to watch rom coms. “
“ Forcing you? “ (Y/N) gasps and dramatically slaps her hand to her chest right above where her heart is. “ Are you saying you’re not having fun? “
There’s a smirk on her face, tiny and barely there but he notices it anyway. He’s started noticing the small things. Like how her nose scrunches up when she smiles and how she twiddles with her fingers when she’s nervous.
“ If I didn’t have fun I wouldn’t be here. “ Bucky replies and bumps his leg against her knee. Truth be told, he’d be here anyway. Even if she’d make him watch the most boring movie in the entire world he’d stay right there with her. Sometimes the world doesn't seem so rough and ruthless when she’s there beside him. Sometimes he feels like he could genuinely be happy.
“ Good, “ (Y/N) responds and places a quick kiss on his cheek that very nearly gives him a heart attack. Soft touches are something she grants him every so often and while he is getting used to it, it’s still foreign. It’s something he enjoys quite a lot though.
“Anyway, soulmates finding their way back to each other despite all odds is such a rom-com stable. Like the kiss in the rain or the airport chase or the top-of-the-stairs-moment.”
“ The what ? “
(Y/N) scoffs at him as if she’s never been asked a more ridiculous question in her life.
“ The moment when the girl gets a makeover or she dresses up in some ballgown and her love interest waits at the bottom of the stairs for her and when he sees her he’s so enamored and enchanted by her and ideally there’s some cheesy 90s love song playing in the background. And she meets him at the bottom, walking in slow motion obviously, and they don’t kiss or anything but the looks they share are enough to let the audience know what they feel for one another.”
Her words are heavy with passion and longing and magic and for a second Bucky wishes, he could be the one to give her that moment.
“ But okay, grumpy. You go on not believing in soulmates. I’ll change your mind one day, trust me.”
He doesn’t doubt it for a second.
They sink back into their blissful calm as John Cusak and Kate Beckinsale reconnect on the ice rink in front of Rockefeller Center as an ocean of Christmas lights twinkles in the background.
“ I’ve never been ice skating there. Been living here for so many years now and that’s still something I’ve never done. “ (Y/N) pipes up, a longing swinging alone with her words. “ Have you? “
“ Mmmh. Used to take a lot of girls on dates there. “
“ Oh sorry, I forgot you were a big charmer back in the day. “
“ Saw the first-ever Christmas tree getting set up in 1933. '' he continues to say. Sometimes talking about the past makes him sad. It’s a time he will never be able to go back to. A man he will never be again.
But sometimes, like today, he’s able to recall little snippets of memories and remember how he felt in that exact moment. And those are worth all the pain that thinking about the future might bring.
“ That — is weird flex but actually really cool. “
Bucky doesn’t think of himself as cool. He’s a grumpy 106-year-old who is completely disillusioned with the world around him. If (Y/N) thinks so though, he’s not gonna try to change her mind.
She snuggles back into him, body leaning against the smooth vibranium arm. A part of him he never felt really belonged to himself. Something he had been given to kill, to defend, to fight. If something so dangerous can be a place of comfort to her, Maybe, he thinks, it’s not so bad after all. Maybe sometimes you just have to let go of the part and change your perspective of things.
For a while, they get lost in the movie, in the fictional love of two strangers. He remembers the romance novels his mothers used to read. The way she would get lost in them. Maybe to escape her own life for just a second and follow along with the stories and the people that seemed so much grander than her own existence as a housewife stuck in a life that seems too small to contain her in all her wonderful glory. His mother, Bucky always knew even at a young age, deserved more than she had been given. She was smart and funny and she loved her kids as much as a heart could love another. But her days were dull and her marriage was one of convenience more than anything. She had ideas, beautiful stories swirled around her head, and she’d tell them to him and his sister before she’d tuck them into bed. And yet that is where they stayed, in her mind and in her children's memories. She was never resentful though. She took things as they came and she made them beautiful.
He wonders sometimes, what would’ve come from her ideas if she had been given the chance to tell them to a bigger audience. She could’ve put those rom-coms to shame.
A knock on the front door startles (Y/N), making her get up from the couch and follow LAdy towards the entrance. There’s a definite lack of warmth where she used to be and Bucky feels himself missing her already.
“ It’s probably Robin, she left her favorite jacket here the other — mom? “
The air fills with a chaotic mix of several voices one speaking over the other while the charm on Lady’s collar underlines it all with a jingling sound like that of a small bell.
Before he can even think about how to react, (Y/N) steps back into the living room followed by two more people. A woman who looks like an older version of her and a man. They seem lost in conversation still, talking about their travel to NYC and the fact that the man, who Bucky assumes is (Y/N)’s father, refused to ask for directions.
That’s until their eyes fall on Bucky. The woman regards him with a gentle smile on her face, polite and warm as mothers usually are. The man though. There’s something in his eyes, in his demeanor, that changed once he set sight on Bucky and it doesn’t feel good. Bucky knows what it’s like to be recognized. People see him and then they see all the bodies left in his wake, all the blood on his hands, all the pain and the suffering and the —
“ Sergeant Barnes. “
They used to call him that in Wakanda, as a sign of respect, he believes. To make him realize that they do not see him as the thread he used to be but the man he once was. Other than that it’s been a long time since people referred to him as Sergeant Barnes. It’s a title he takes pride in, something he worked hard for. It also belongs to a man he isn’t anymore. Bucky isn’t sure he still earns it. Still owns it.
“ Uh — hello. “
“Dad, “ (Y/N) says and pushes past her parents to stand next to Bucky. Her hand rests on his arm as a sign of comfort and reassurance. He appreciates it very much. “ Mom. This is Bucky. “
“ I can’t believe it. “ her father exclaims, still not taking his eyes off of Bucky.
“ Dad. “
“ I can not believe it. I can’t believe you! “
There it is. Although Bucky has always been very aware that he wasn’t nearly worth (Y/N)’s time, having it thrown in his face hurts more than he likes to admit.
“ Dad … “
“ You know James Barnes, and you tell me nothing about it? (Y/N) I’ve — I’ve spent so much time researching this man revising all the information people before me have gathered and making sure his legacy and his place in Steve Rogers' life get acknowledged and now I’d have the chance to ask him personally and you — you keep it a secret from me? “
Wait … what ?
“ Bucky, “ (Y/N) says and looks up at him with her gorgeous eyes that never seem to fail at calming him down. “These are my parents and as you can tell, my dad’s a big fan of yours. “
The next few minutes are a chaos of handshakes and nice-to-meet-yous and hugs. Her mother hugs Bucky real tightly, the way mothers do when they know someone needs a hug. And she doesn’t flinch when she feels the metal arm. She just hugs him a little tighter.
“ Why are you guys here? “ (Y/N) asks as her father throws an arm around her shoulder
“ Well, you asked us to look after Lady while you’re gone. “ her mother replies as if it’s the obvious answer.
“ Yeah, but we don’t leave until Friday afternoon. It’s Thursday. “
“ That is truuuue. But dad and I thought we’d surprise you and take you out for a nice dinner since we won’t be spending Christmas together, we thought we could at least try to make up for it. “
(Y/N) shakes her head at her mother’s words. “ I told you guys, it’s not a big deal. You go enjoy your cruise. “
“ And we will but you’re our girl and we want to take you out for dinner. Give your old parents that much, will you” her father jokes and ruffles her hair as if she was just a little girl and maybe she is in that moment, wrapped in his arms.
“ I uh — Bucky and I had plans. “
“ What plans? “ her mother asks, eyebrows raised.
“ Watching movies. “
“ Oh, those aren’t plans. Go get dressed! “
“ And James will obviously come with us, “ her dad adds “ I am not done asking him questions. “
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It’s not December yet but the restaurant is already decked out in Christmas lights and tastefully placed sparkly ornaments. The soft lull of Christmas carols being played on a piano flows through the room and Bucky is thankful to discover that while so much has changed, many of those songs have stayed the same. Maybe things aren’t all different right now. Maybe the fundamental things have stayed the same. Like the feeling of being with your family sitting by the tree, singing songs that have been passed down from your parents to you.
(Y/N) sits next to him, lips painted the exact same shade of red as her slouchy knit sweater. She looks so cozy and comfortable and soft and if he’s being really honest with himself, all he wants to do is hold her tight and get lost in her warmth. But this is good, as good as it can ever get, really. Sitting next to her, across from her parents who have been nothing but kind to him. They’re eating good food, drinking delicious drinks and her parents are sharing funny and slightly embarrassing stories about (Y/N). This is the first time he’s meeting anyone’s parents as the man he is now. And even back in the 40s things weren’t this calm and easy. If you went to meet a woman’s parents you better came prepared. This feels nice. Like he gets to be part of a family for just a teeny tiny moment.
“ So, how long have you guys been together? “ her mother asks around a fork of tiramisu. While Bucky only looks at her with wide eyes, (Y/N) almost chokes on her wine.
“ Mom, we’re — not. We’re friends. “
“ Oh,” her mother replies, looking unconvinced as her eyes move back and forth between (Y/N) and Bucky “ I guess I must’ve read that wrong. Shame, you would make adorable babies. “
“ Mom!”
Bucky’s sure his cheeks are the same color as her sweater and her lips and her fingernails. A beautiful bright red. Like a Santa’s hat.
“ I know, babe. You’re an independent woman who makes her own decisions and if you decide not to have babies that’s alright with us. As long as you are happy, so are we. Lady makes for a wonderful substitute grandchild. Just sayin’ if you were to have babies with Bucky they would turn out really cute. “
“ Okay, how about we stop talking about my imaginary potential future children, huh? You go tell me more about work, dad. How about that? “
As her dad starts talking about some history classes he teaches and the students, Bucky notices the change in (Y/N)’s demeanor. Her laid-back ease is gone. She keeps fidgeting with her hair and the rings on her hand. Without really thinking about it, like his body is working on autopilot, Bucky reaches out and grabs her hand under the table. It’s still weird, touching soft skin with his metal hand without the intention of inflicting pain. It’s nice though. It’s wonderful.
She doesn’t let go for a long time.
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Restrooms in restaurants are places where time is slightly altered. You’re sheltered from the noises of the main room but they’re still faintly audible through the door. The clinking of glasses and cutlery, the laughter, and the voices as they flow together like waves in an ocean.
It feels like you get a break from the real world for just a moment. To catch yourself. To take a breath. To look at yourself in the mirror and decide your next steps as the music sounds from the overhead speakers in a duller version as if someone wrapped the lyrics in thick cotton padding.
(Y/N) washes her hands while looking at her reflection. Today’s a good day. It’s not going the way she has expected it but it’s a good day nonetheless. Bucky and her parents get along like a house on fire. It’s a nice feeling but it also makes her so acutely aware of all the what-ifs floating around her head and her heart. Would it feel like this if she and Bucky were more than friends? Would it feel this — right?
Before her mind can come up with an answer to her own question, the door to the restrooms swings open letting in a sliver of the noise outside. Her mother steps in and looks at her with that signature mom smile. Like she knows you better than you know yourself. And maybe that isn’t entirely wrong.
“ Your dad and I are going to take a cab to the hotel. We’ll come over to yours tomorrow before you leave. Is that okay? Bucky said he’d walk you home.”
Of course, he’d say that. He’s a gentleman. He’s Bucky.
“ Sure that’s fine. I’m glad you guys came a day early. I missed you. “
“ We missed you too, baby,” she responds and pulls (Y/N) into a hug.
“ Now tell me something,” she says and takes (Y/N)’s face in between her hands. “ You and Bucky. There’s something there. “
(Y/N) shakes free from her mother's touch and faces the mirror, leaning both hands against the marble sink. “ Mom, can you leave it. “
“ I see the way you guys look at each other. I — you haven’t been this happy in so long. He makes you happy. “
As she lifts her head and looks into her own eyes in the mirror, (Y/N) feels a flood of emotions wash over her. Emotions she’s tried so hard to suppress and others she wasn’t even aware were there in the first place. And it’s all comes crashing down pulling her under and spitting her back out.
“ So what if he makes me happy. We’re not gonna happen. I can not lose a friend and he can’t either. It would kill us both. “
“ Oh honey, “ she goes to pull (Y/N) into another hug but she just shakes her head in response.
“ No. No, mom. It’s okay. I’m okay with it being the way it is. “
“ Are you sure? “
Is she? (Y/N) looks back at herself. You think you know yourself and what you want and how you feel and then someone asks you, truthfully asks you if you’re sure. And you can only stare and wonder. Well, are you?
And sometimes it’s way easier to lie, to both the other person and yourself, than to really face your fears and your feelings and everything you do or don’t understand about yourself.
“ Yeah. I am sure. “
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It’s true. New York City never seems to fully go to sleep. There’s always a light on somewhere, guiding you through the dark, guiding you home.
It doesn’t fully go to sleep but it slows down. The air gets heavier, the noise gets quieter.
(Y/N) and Bucky slowly make their way through the familiar streets of their neighborhood as the city lights and the stars fight over who gets to shine more brightly upon them.
It’s a chilly evening, winter is truly just around the corner, and the air feels pregnant with the promise of snow and yet (Y/N) feels a warmth course through her that is unlike any other. A warmth that can only be brought on by being with your loved ones.
“ It’s a lovely night,” she says as her heels create a clip-clap sound against the pavement.
Bucky has his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his jacket and his ever-present scowl decorates his face and yet, even Bucky can’t deny that it is a lovely night. One with so much potential. For — for lovers.
“ It really is.”
“ If life was a movie, “ (Y/N) says “ this would be when we realized that we're in love"
Bucky only raises his eyebrow at her, pushing her to elaborate. And maybe it’s a bit selfish. Maybe he just wants to hear her entertain the thought of them two as something more for just a little bit longer. Even if it’s just pretend.
“ We’d get a montage of some quirky dates that we didn’t realize were dates. Then the camera would pan down on us tonight, walking underneath the stars, the city lights glowing around us. There’d be some piano music in the background to set the mood. We’d have a deep talk about our fears or messed up childhoods or the meaning of life. And then you’d make me laugh and I’d accidentally hold your hand. You’d drop me off at my door, think about kissing my lips but then end up kissing my forehead. Once you leave I’d lean against my door, sink down to my floor, and grin like a fool because that’s the moment I realize I am in love with you and the audience would sigh in relief because they knew all along. “
“ That sounds nice,” Bucky replies, eyes staring into the distance as he tries to picture it all, safe it as a mental snapshot to go back to in quiet moments.
“ Yeah, well what a shame life is not a movie and we’re not in love. What a waste of a lovely night. “
“ Guess it’s perfect for a couple, huh? “ Bucky has to agree with her.
“ Mmmh. Or at least someone not in heels, “ (Y/N) jokes looking down at her shoes.
“ You want me to find a couple? Gift our night to them ? “ Bucky asks as they continue their journey down the Brooklyn streets.
“ Absolutely not, sir! “ (Y/N) responds and links her arm with his as she pulls him along. “ I like our night. I want to keep it for ourselves. “
And so they continue their walk home. Words that want to be said, that need to be said, hang heavy in the air, and yet they both decide to stay quiet and just enjoy the silence and comfort of their lovely little night.
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The door feels like mocking her as it comes into view, cutting their moment short, putting an end to this blissful night.
She doesn’t want it to end. Doesn’t want to go inside and quite literally close the door to all the possibilities this night seems to hold out to her. If she was just brave enough to reach out and grab them.
(Y/N) unlock the door and turns back around to face Bucky. Something seems to hang in the air right between them and that feeling only gets stronger as their eyes lock. For a moment all there is, is silence and an abundance of unspoken words. And a fear that comes with speaking them. Of messing something up. Of being vulnerable.
Bucky smiles at her then. She loves his smile. It’s so rare but it’s so beautiful to look at. It gives you the feeling of having done something right.
“ Thanks for today, “ he says as if there’s anything to thank her for.
“ For what? “
“ Letting me be a part of your family. Thought maybe you didn’t want your parents to know about me. Thanks for — not being ashamed of me or anything. “
“ Oh Bucky, “ she says and grabs his hand, “ You are my friend and I love you. I’d never be ashamed of you. If anything I’m a little embarrassed by the way my dad kept pestering you with questions. Uh — why are you looking at me like that. “
“ You love me? “ his voice comes out but a mere whisper and his eyes are wide in shock.
“ Yes. You’re my friend, I love you. Bucky when — when was the last time someone told you they love you? “ (Y/N) asks as her hand softly strokes the side of his face.
“ 1942 “
“ Well, guess I’ll have to keep reminding you then, make up for lost time. I love you, Bucky Barnes. “
She can’t even blink before she’s wrapped up in his arms. Despite what one would think, Bucky is always warm. Even the vibranium arm. Everything radiates warmth and comfort. She could stay here forever.
Slowly he pulls away, looks deep into her eyes, lowers his head, and places his lips against her forehead. “ I love you too. “
He smiles at her once more then leaves. And while she won't admit it to anyone, ever, (Y/N) goes inside, leans against her door, sinks to the floor, and doesn't even try to suppress the foolish smile spreading on her lips.
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Robin’s laughter fills the halls of the beautiful Inn where just tomorrow she’ll say I do.
“ This was your doing! You scheming little shit.” (Y/N) grumbles from the corner of her mouth as she slides up to Robin.
“ It wasn’t, “ the red-haired girl laughs “ but I wish it was. It’s hilarious.“
Redstone Lodge is a beautiful Inn located in upstate New York. It looks out onto a lake and is surrounded by lots and lots of Christmas trees all year round. It’s made of bricks and big wooden panels. Very rustic and yet cozy and elegant. In the yard, there’s a huge tent with a wooden floor and a see-through roof. That’s where the reception will be held tomorrow.
Redstone Lodge has 35 rooms all of which have been distributed to the various guests. They’re beautiful rooms with nice decor and comfortable beds. Well — a bed. One. Singular.
“ This is like some fanfiction trope, Robin. There is only one bed? “
“ Look," Robin says and pulls (Y/N) closer “ if you want to switch, find someone to switch with. I’m sure someone is willing to. But I’m just saying that if you two are friends, shouldn’t you be able to sleep in a bed together and not make it weird? “
She has a point and she knows it and she also knows that (Y/N) knows it.
Huffing a breath of annoyance (Y/N) grumbles an “okay fine” before letting Robin be taken hostage by yet another overly excited aunt and returns to Bucky’s side as he stands on the front steps looking out into the vast area. It really is a beautiful place to get married.
“ Hey so uh — bad news is that this is the only room they have so we’ll have to share a bed. Good news is they got some movies to take up to the room and I found some really dope rom-coms. “
“It's okay, don't worry. I promise I won't hog the blanket,” Bucky says and nods his head into the direction of the lake “ wanna take a walk? “
“ Sure. Yeah, why not. “
In all honesty (Y/N) isn’t the biggest fan of walking around the woods with no particular destination in mind and yet she can’t help but feel a sense of happiness fill her as she links her arm with Bucky’s once again.
She realized a while ago that she tends to gravitate towards his left side. It isn’t a conscious decision but maybe it’s a good one nonetheless.
Maybe it’ll show him that every part of him is worth loving, even the ones he doesn’t love himself.
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“ When was the last time you did something crazy? “
He doesn’t like the way those words sound tumbling from her lips. He does, however, like very much how her eyes sparkle in the light of the setting sun. Their walk had turned into a bit of a hike and by the time they’ve finally made it back to the lake, the sun is about to set. Everyone seems to have retreated back into the lodge, maybe to sit by the big cozy fireplace or up to their room with their several beds. More than one. plural.
Bucky doesn’t want to let go of their time together though. Not yet. Just a little bit longer. And if that means agreeing to one of her weird ideas, so be it.
"Uh well, I fought aliens a few months ago."
"Huh … well see that's not an answer I was prepared for I mean more like, when did you last do something stupid but fun?"
“Like dancing in the middle of a street or having a cake fight in a parking lot?”
“Yeah …. like that.”
She looks at him again with that mischief and that softness. Like a mix of all things that make you feel alive shine back at him from her eyes.
“Wanna go swimming?” (Y/N) asks and smirks at him.
“Now? It’s freezing.”
“ I know,” she replies and shrugs her shoulders “ and I know it’s silly and dumb and we’ll probably get sick but I kinda wanna do it anyway. Wait … can you get sick?”
“Huh?”
“Because of the serum.”
“You know, they didn’t exactly give me a manual when they injected it so — guess we’ll have to find out.”
“So you’re in?”
Bucky only nods his head in agreement. She doesn’t need to know that he’d agree to anything she suggests. Any little thing.
The woods around them are dark and thick and where they probably should be scary they are comforting now. They’re a shelter from the eyes of onlookers. A safe roof and walls to keep their little bubble safe and hold their moment tight and safe.
“Holy shit, it’s freezing!” (Y/N) hisses through clenched teeth as the water reaches up to her shoulders, the straps of her yellow bra the only colors shining through the dark night.
Don’t think about it. He has to tell himself. Don’t think about the fact that she’s only in her underwear. Don’t think about her soft skin and her smile and what her body feels like against yours. Don’t!
He doesn’t have to scold himself for too long before a cold splash of water hits him right in the face.
“Oh, you made a mistake” Bucky calls out to a laughing (Y/N) who tries her best to tread water and get as far away from him as possible but fails to do so, being wrapped up in his arms only seconds later.
For the next few minutes, they splash around like children at the neighborhood pool.
The cold of the night and the lake rattle their bones but neither of them seems to care as a familiar warmth wraps itself around their hearts.
It’s really fascinating how the little moments can become so meaningful. How one person can mean so much so quickly. How drastically your life can change just because of one single person and their kindness and their love.
“Oh-oh!” (Y/N) exclaims excitedly and lays little enthusiastic slaps on Bucky’s shoulder “let’s do the dirty dancing lift. You can lift me, right?”
“I have a vibranium arm…”
“Right. Yeah. Right.”
Bucky places his hands on her waist and pulls her a little closer, trying to ignore the incessant thumping of his heart that feels like it wants to break out of his chest. “Okay on 3.”
“One”
Her eyes look deep into his as if trying to search for something in them. Secrets. Hidden feelings. The truth.
“Two”
And when she smiles, almost shy, it seems for a second that she’s found whatever she’s been looking for. He hopes she likes the secret she uncovers. He hopes it doesn’t scare her off from loving him.
“Three”
In a swift motion, he lifts her up above his head, holding her strong and steady as drops of water, cold as ice, rain down on him while (Y/N) laughs and stretches out her arms.
“We did it! I’m flying, Jack!”
“What?”
“Nevermind.” She retorts and lets out another laugh. Yeah, maybe he’s freezing his ass off but to hear her laugh like that, makes it all worth it.
He doesn’t let her fall over like they do in the movie, instead, he grips her waist tighter, slowly and gently lowers her back into the water. And when she’s back right in front of him, chest against his, he should be letting go of her, but he doesn’t.
While his head keeps screaming at him to just let go, his heart tells him otherwise, makes him stay right there.
(Y/N)’s arms move across his chest and gently wrap themselves around his neck before her fingers start to delicately play with his hair.
He wonders if any person has ever felt the way he does in that moment. He wonders if maybe a poet or a writer or a musician has and if maybe they wrote a poem or a book or a song about it. Maybe that would help him understand. Maybe he could read it or listen to it and keep this moment captured in that piece of art forever. Because he fears that no memory can ever do justice to the way he feels when she moves closer.
When her hand cups his face when her nose nuzzles against his so gently as if she’s afraid he’ll pull away any second.
It’s just them and their wildly beating hearts and the woods providing them shelter and the water setting the scene and the stars shining down upon them.
It’s just them — until it isn’t.
“(Y/N), Bucky? You guys out there?” Robin's voice calls out into the night as her silhouette appears against the light coming from the porch of the Inn.
“Yes, it’s us. We’ll be right in.” (Y/N) calls back, having moved away slightly. The spell is broken and Bucky lifts his hand off of her, immediately missing the contact.
“It’s freezing, we should probably go inside.” She says and grants him a smile, though it doesn’t entirely reach her eyes and he can faintly see her shivering.
“Yeah let’s go. Get you warmed up.”
They don’t talk about their moment as they head inside and get swallowed by the group of people all hyped up with excitement for the coming day.
Bucky is sure though that as long as there are stars in the sky, he will not forget this moment however fleeting and insignificant it might seem.
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