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swordsandarms · 4 months

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When I think of how Lyanna is seemingly (mis)understood in spite of contradicting clues in the story, I think of how it happens with Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice) and a similar typecasting as the one dimensional "spunky, bold" kind of girl.

Elizabeth has her flaws, but that is not being a stubborn girl screeching about love in spite of her family's precarious financial future - hence her own, too. Elizabeth pragmatically turns away from her infatuation with Wickham before it turns into more after one warning from her aunt that they would both be in ruin, and she considers accepting an offer from Colonel Fitzwilliam whom she doesn't love, but they have a comfortable dynamic that she thinks of as enough. On the other hand, she also rejects the man who would inherit Longbourn, Mr Collins - a marriage that could have saved her family - and even her eventual love interest, Mr Darcy - awfully wealthy. Which gains her the cliche characterisation.

But Elizabeth's problem is she is wary of marrying a man she cannot even respect - not necessarily love. It has impacted her since childhood due to the unfit marriage in character and intellect between her own parents, and she can understand the need to marry for financial stability, as long as she can have a reasonable mutually positive dynamic with her partner, but to not even hold respect for someone she'd be tied to for life is the ultimate misery to dive into.

Likewise, Lyanna doesn't even corner her brother about not being madly in love with the man they chose for her. She challenges his character, calmly and rationally - her argument is very much that love cannot make up for unequal character. She also brings up Mya Stone not because she is a hypocrite against bastards, but because she has come prepared with facts for argument - which is exactly as what Ned remembers it, a true fact which corners him in his side of the argument. He doesn't challenge Robert's deficiencies. He's the "naive" one saying love/a woman will change him. He's the oldest but not the mature one - he's the silly romantic blinded by a man's charisma and charm for most of his life. (In Lyanna's eyes, he would also be a man who proclaimed to bring an innocent KOLT to the Mad King himself for the sake of glory - fact which must also sink his character).

Because Jane Austen isn't George Martin and in a different genre, Elizabeth Bennet gets to marry a man who is rich, AND handsome, AND the love of her life - all ONLY after he gains her higher regard in his character and virtues. (Darcy himself isn't some cliche of a man changed by love as naive Ned would have life work. He has the spine to admit Elizabeth is right, and he initially wants to let her know that upon re-meeting her, and that all that is not what he thinks a man should be - what he wants to be - accountability, something so crucial, yet something that Robert Baratheon would only - and that barely - prove only on his death bed).

But Lyanna's unknown POV past Harrenhal completely erases the clues of Robert's lowly character being unveiled to her in person. She is portrayed as stuck in the "naive"/"hypocritical" role of the girl who once before Harrenhal has told her brother she for the time being had bad feelings about this man for a start (those having turned out to be good instincts long term, and at the least informed short term, mind you).

KOLT is not about Robert, and not even about Rhaegar, though I would say his actions bear more interest fandom wide. But it is about Lyanna. And while within that perspective it might also be about what Rhaegar's actions mean to HER POV, the fact that Robert is also there, that he would have at this point in time her attention as the man chosen for her, the few mentions of what she must be seeing while to the reader they're ignored or dismissed - simply because we're narratively PAST that, and the next thing we know of Lyanna is that she's PAST HIM.

But Robert is there, and Lyanna is thrown in his company. Howland doesn't care - Lyanna is the hero in this defining episode of his life. HE's just the Storm Lord who is getting drunk and shouting about giving the KOLT to the mad King himself. But somewhere Lyanna is watching. The debauched lifestyle. The man who puts his own pride and potential for glory ahead of an innocent's wellbeing. The man who would soon be "just rolling in for a fight" in a war that defined a continent because life to him is a party and a game.

But women cannot be individuals with a dignity of their own. If they have any consciousness they better be fighting the patriarchy in the trenches or they are spunky selfish girls wanting shallow things instead of sacrificing for the family's wealth and status. There's no in between.

#asoiaf #lyanna stark #elizabeth bennet #rhaegar targaryen #anti robert baratheon

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levmada · 4 months

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Hi Kane!

I don't know how I can express how amazing & fascinating your post about Levi's mental health is!

Every aspect of it was really interesting, but regarding his relationship issues/shortcomings specifically, how was he able to become close to Farlan & Isabel in your opinion? Their relationship seems crucial to me for the evolution of his interactions with others later on. The fact that, despite all the trauma & issues he experienced, he could form this first bond since his mother's death (and to some extent since Kenny) probably allowed him to build relationships within the Survey Corps.

I'd love to read your thoughts about it (no pressure though, feel free to ignore my rambling)

this isn’t rambling at all!! since you bring it up, i wish i delved deeper into this. i was too focused on kenny (aka levi’s loneliness and suffering)

i'm kind of worried this turned into a bigger analysis of Levi's character more than psychology, but I think I said most of what I wanted to in the original post. This definitely covers how he bonded with his friends -> why they let him continue to bond with others

*sorry this will be quite a bit of speculation seeing how veryyy little we know about Levi, Farlan, and Isabel's history*

(also, i'm going with the manga's version of events because it's more fleshed out)

I'll reiterate this first:

It’s not that Levi feels as detached as he looks, but he doesn’t know how to express himself or open up.

The Underground’s environment also makes him socially awkward, rude, of course stoic/not very expressive, and blunt. Levi was forced to become extremely observant of people to suss out their intentions, remaining vigilant of his surroundings at all times.

Before anything else, it's easy to confirm Levi met and joined up with Farlan before rescuing Isabel off the streets. Because of Farlan, there came about "Levi's" gang (Farlan seems to run it in all the meaningful ways), which necessitated members, and gave Levi/Farlan the means to help the helpless like Isabel (but more on that later).

Farlan and Levi met when Farlan approached him in order to rough him up, and if he was any good at defending himself, he'd have him join his gang. Levi of course cleared all of his attackers, which stunned Farlan. He would do anything to get him to join, even though Levi heavily distrusted him now.

So you would think Farlan doesn't have a chance in the world knowing Levi's history with betrayal.

At some point, Farlan's gang turns on him. Likely because, since Farlan couldn't get Levi to join them, he opted to join Levi and asked the others to do the same.

(I loveee that idea, but that aside) This should speak to what Levi desires more than anything at this point in his life: Kenny really didn't abandon him that long ago, and up to now Levi knows nothing but the suffering of the Underground as far as how the world simply is as a whole.

He is suffering for literally no reason. But, it's not because he was lonely he let Farlan in as much as to have a use for his strength, because in Levi's mind, that's his only use. For many years he's acted "selfish", using his strength only for himself and rotting in hopelessness, so it makes sense to be desperate to break free enough for Levi to (as suggested) cave and let Farlan be his companion in short time. Especially as Farlan gave Levi such a huge amount of "praise"—as Kenny would give Levi—by dropping his own gang and wanting to join with him because of that strength.

Farlan is also much more of a leader, whereas Levi is the opposite, which is true throughout all of canon (not that he can't lead of course). He doesn't plan on the level of Hange nor Erwin, only giving suggestions, and spends the vast majority of the time as a soldier fighting and following orders. So Farlan gave him some stability, even if subconsciously.

Looking through the frame of why Levi chose this bond as—assumably but likely—the first since his mother's death and Kenny's abandonment of him, it's quite immature. Levi didn't need Farlan for any practical reason, and he only seemed to be concerned with survival (not garnering support to reach the Surface). Even though Farlan was untrustworthy, Levi was attached to the need to be needed. Farlan shouldn't have cared for Levi as a person yet, nor showed the goodness Levi would be attracted to, but Farlan did "praise" him, and show he was willing to make an enemy out of his friends to join, so Levi was willing to go with him on that basis.

This certainly speaks to Levi's emotional immaturity, and loneliness.

But he now has some reason to have his strength, which is to protect and support his friend, and with Farlan's proposal about gathering other members, supporting and protecting others.

This leads into Isabel's introduction.

Farlan, before going to the Surface, is frustrated that Levi and Isabel only seem concerned with "dragging everyone else down to where they are" (Isabel who wants to kill, seemingly, the people who have hurt her; Levi is skeptical about Farlan's plan to join the Survey Corps and go Aboveground because it seems to good to be true/could put them all in danger). Farlan is empathetic (Levi wouldn't be with him if he wasn't...), but he's too self-interested to propose rescuing children in order to make them stronger as a group.

So, Levi most likely did make that proposal.

I think that Isabel embodies everything good about the world to Levi. She's so earnest, and pure, and hopeful. There are many moments where Levi looks at her fondly, and when he teases her and she gets upset, he makes sure she knows he was joking.

She embodies what the Scouts believe in too, and she comes to believe in their cause first out of the trio.

As such, Levi will go to absolutely any length to protect her. The first thing he did after Isabel came back one night after being attacked was track her attackers down and kill them. I wager Levi really does see her as his little sister, like she does her big brother.

All of this taken into account, it makes sense that Levi shot down Farlan's idea of joining the Survey Corps in the beginning, suddenly asked them to find an excuse not to go on the expedition, and killed Isabel's attackers on the spot—Levi is extremely protective of them both. Not only in preserving their lives, but making sure they're living good lives.

But that said about Isabel, Farlan, and Levi's moonlight chat, it goes differently in the manga (although the character and relationship beats are the same). The main conflict of this scene is that Levi keeps defying Farlan, especially as it has to do with Levi's need to kill Erwin (I think Levi feels the same ferocity about this as killing Zeke, which says a lot about Levi's immaturity of the past compared to his righteous anger later.)

Which reflects none of the humanity Levi feels nor his desire to help others. Levi doesn't process it in that way... but he puts aside his pride, and decides to trust Farlan in hopes of living on the Surface with his friends; he won't kill Erwin, at least for the time being.

At this moment, he trusts his friends. On the expedition when he separates from Isabel and Farlan, he trusts himself.

Levi's trust would go on to be broken, but it's remarkably important that Levi doesn't blame himself for Isabel and Farlan's deaths—like he blamed himself for his mother's, and for Kenny's abandonment of him.

Erwin is the reason for Levi's cycle of hopelessness and desolation was broken. (Not to get too far away from psychology, but :')) He gives Levi a common enemy and reasons to fight against it, and for the sake of others.

As when Levi met Farlan, and Levi joining the Survey Corps, it's the same. This means putting his strength (himself) to use, not just for friends, but for the best cause in Levi's mind, because of his friends.

That is, what the Scouts pursue, freedom, is the greatest "goodness" in the world to Levi. Devoting his heart to make a life outside the Walls, so that no one has to live like he had in the Underground, and making others feel safe. The end goal is sickeningly idealistic, but worth the hearts the Scouts give.

Erwin makes Levi realize that for once it's not himself he has to blame. Farlan gets Levi to recognize the importance and what he has to gain from trusting his comrades. Isabel becomes something of an accidental martyr that gives Levi an even bigger reason to join the Scouts in the first place.

It's certainly not the case that Levi connects with his comrades easily, or with many if at all, but Isabel and Farlan's importance is unquestionable in that.

Most pertinently, as one of the central themes of Levi's character, he internalizes trusting his comrades and trusting in himself. (Levi can't know what the right choice is, but nonetheless...)

#ps Farlan is also the one that tells Levi to “be nice” and talk to Hange lol. it's a small thing but a big push for levi who'd totally been #separating himself from the scouts emotionally at that point but #had his interest piqued when erwin told him how well he fought and how the others will feel safe w him there #on further reflection levi definitely as a praise kink what the fuck #levi aot #snk levi #levi rivaille #rivaille ackerman #rivaille heichou #captain levi #captain levi ackerman #attack on titan levi #aot levi #levi heichou #levi attack on titan #levi ackerman attack on titan #aot meta #attack on titan

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sevensistersofsussex · 10 months

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for the choose violence asks let’s go with 1, 8, 14, 17, 21, 23, and 25!

the character everyone gets wrong

Caroline or rather how some interpretations turn her into a perfect girlboss.

She had some relatable flaws.

Being jealous of her friend and being in a one-sided competition with her. Not having a filter and letting the insensitive, socially unacceptable things come out of her mouth. She was downright harsh. Not being able to keep a secret.

The whole "being a vampire made her better" thing is strange to me. She was still wildly jealous. With Tyler and that random party girl. With Stefan later when she thinks he and Elena are getting along too well?

I think the only thing that changed with her character is that the telegraphing of those scenes are done in a way to make it seem like she's a boss when in reality, she is still that insecure girl. Which is understandable and relatable. How many of us have insecure moments?

common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

Some people act like the sire bond broke after Elena turned off her humanity and I think all that happened was she got a reprieve from it but every time we see her after she is tortured gets her humanity back is a moment when she's sired to Damon.

It's why she handles his death so differently than the other deaths she experiences. I think the sire bond was trying to drag her down with him.

that one thing you see in fics all the time

Reading mostly Klena, I see a lot of Klaus being obsessed with the bite mark he would have left on Elena and making him possessive over it.

there should be more of this type of fic/art

More rarepair art and fics! I honestly just love them. They aren't canon? Good. They barely had scenes together? Fantastic. They weren't even in the same show? Stellar.

On a real note, the thing I think I'm starting to pin down about my love of rarepairs is how creative you have to be to write them. There is no canon to follow. This is all from your own head and I eat it up.

part of canon you think is overhyped

Klaroline.

I just - don't really understand where the connection was supposed to come from. He put her life in danger to show Tyler the control he had over him and then heals her. And she's like "are you going to kill me" and he's upset that she thinks he'd be a monster on her birthday. And that made him like her?

Ultimately Caroline chose Stefan, the man she'd been pining for since the first episode despite his commitment to her friend and Klaus never really did much to pursue her. He wanted to be her last love but then just...meh?

It just seems people mostly like how those two actors look together and the chemistry they had. Which....the show is full of hot people. They all mostly had chemistry with each other.

ship you've unwillingly come around to

Forwood.

The vocalness of the KC fandom made me just want to turn my brain off for this but the more I think about it the more I like their early days. One of the rare friends to lovers ships that I enjoy. And I think a lot of it had to do with him being there for her with Matt and her being there for him with his supernatural journey.

They really could have been cute all the way through. Just a stable, supportive couple for the entirety of the series. I think it needed some stability in that way.

common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

Elena is a crybaby.

And so what if she does cry a lot? So what if any of the female presenting characters cry? What is it about women crying that makes us point to them and claim they are too "emotional" as if it is a bad thing but when a male character kills someone's friend or relative because he got rejected that isn't "too emotional".

#amandamonroe #ask game #elena gilbert #sire bond #klena #anti klaroline #forwood #anti caroline forbes #but not exactly #more just #she's an imperfect character which is more interesting than perfect characters

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jainaism · 2 months

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About Jaina, Theramore and it's allies from RPG, narrated by Brann Bronzebeard.

The night elves

Now, the Third War wasn’t long ago, and a lot of them remember how many of Jaina’s brave soldiers fought by their sides, and realize they may well have lost the mountain without human help. Unfortunately, the humans in the Eastern Kingdoms prove to be an entirely different beast, and one that the night elves don’t appreciate as much. True, Jaina Proudmoore was an archmage, and the night elves have held a grudge against arcane magic users for centuries, but Jaina never gave them any reason to pause and think about it. With the new knowledge that corrupted human magi were responsible for much of the power of the Scourge, and that many humans still worship demons and the Old Gods, the night elves are more suspicious of humans they can’t keep their eyes on. It’s safe to say that most night elves would rally to Theramore’s defense and give their lives to save it from Onyxia, for example, but I suspect not nearly as many would answer the call if Nefarian came knocking on the doors of Stormwind. Realizing they needed help to survive in this new world and to oppose the Horde, which chose their continent as its new home, the night elves reluctantly joined the Alliance. Commerce began between Theramore and the night elves, as the two cultures shared values and ideas. Great trade emerges between Darnassus and Theramore, and other races now walk the night elves’ streets.

The high and half elves

The high elves are in dismal shape. A few high elf lodges still stand up near the Hinterlands and suchlike, but most of them fled to Stormwind or moved west with Jaina to Theramore. Some high elves still make names for themselves. Jah’Yani Sunscorch is a diplomat in Theramore. She keeps her eyes clear and watches the tides of power in Theramore move among its races. Then there is Kin Lighteye, a warrior who has tried to turn his back on the magic of his race, but cannot fully deny the addiction in his blood.

Unfortunately, the half-elves were left in a sorry state after the war. Jaina, ever the open-hearted one, brought many half-elf refugee families into Theramore. Despite the progressing nature of people’s thoughts, it wasn’t a popular decision. Not that the city hasn’t benefited from the half-elves’ presence; they’re hard workers with a lot of skills. Some appreciate that. However, enough people keep their distance from them on the streets that many half-elves have left Theramore to wander the wilds of Kalimdor.

I think what the half-elves would really like is a piece of land to call home, a half-elven country. Jaina Proudmoore, while sympathetic, has told them that until the truce stabilizes between the Alliance and the Horde, it’s unwise for any people to try to establish a homeland. It’s good advice, but not everyone is listening. Perhaps the majority are content to wait for their dream, but the course of history is rarely steered by the contented.

Jaina's character

The Lady of Theramore is one of the most respected leaders in the world, and with good reason. She’s one of the strongest diplomats, as well as a powerful mage. She seeks to maintain and strengthen the existing relationships between the Alliance races, and also end the hostilities with the Horde, so targets like the Scourge and the Burning Legion can be destroyed once and for all. Also on her agenda is finding King Varian of Stormwind, since he was on his way to visit her when he disappeared. Although she hasn’t shown it much, Jaina is deeply hurt by the death of her father, and she blames herself for being incapable of stopping it. Likewise, she feels she should have been able to stop Arthas’ descent into madness; and when the time comes, she hopes to put an end to the Lich King — and her nightmares — with her own power. She has sacrificed nearly everything for her people. Regardless, she proves she has the strength to keep fighting, and she will likely play a major role in the war as it continues to evolve.

Politics

Each of the seven major human cities had different traditions, and Stormwind has become a melting pot of these ideas and customs, due to the sheer number of refugees from every part of the globe who have traveled there for safe haven. Theramore is even more interesting, because they have a good lot of dwarves and elves, too, so they come up with some crazy stuff — as communities that were created through the cooperation of multiple races, both “new” Stormwind and Theramore adapt, sometimes in unusual ways. For example, when I was in Theramore, I noticed a good number of humans and dwarves joining the night elves in a brief prayer or visit to a moonwell at moonrise. On an interesting note, humans seem to naturally mediate between the different races, and organize activities that may suit them all. In Theramore, you’ll see both high elves (albeit very few of them) and night elves — which is pretty strange, considering they haven’t been on speaking terms in oh, 10,000 years or so. Humans made that possible; they’re masters of diplomacy, which is both intriguing and annoying at the same time. There are both humans who use this to make everyone live happily ever after (such as Jaina Proudmoore), and those who use their political skills to turn people against each other (like Aiden Perenolde).

Now, I’m not saying the humans are completely inept; Bolvar leads his troops well, and he’s a great boon to us when he’s out in the field. That being said, humans traditionally lead the Alliance, and as a result of Lady Prestor’s intervention, proper human leadership has become impossible. See, she doesn’t seem to think the other races are necessary — she’d get along well enough with the likes of Fandral Staghelm, if she were an elf, or he were a human. I’ll get to Fandral later, though. The point is, while Lady Jaina Proudmoore has been uniting the Alliance’s races (and then some) on Kalimdor, the humans are doing a damn fine job of undoing the Alliance in the Eastern Kingdoms. Hell, it gets worse — Katrana won’t even allow the king to send reinforcements to human lands that desperately need it, such as Duskwood and the Redridge Mountains. Every report of enemy activity on those fronts is shot down for lack of “proof” — like our dead men and women aren’t good enough for her. There’s something deeply wrong with that lass. The end result of this situation is two-fold; one, the Alliance is stronger on Kalimdor than in the Eastern Kingdoms; and two, night elves are stepping in to lead where humans traditionally have in the past. By stronger, I don’t just mean in numbers — I mean we’re actually working together on Kalimdor, and that’s a rare sight in the east. This is leading to some level of resentment on all sides of things; even the gnomes seem a bit confused on who to listen to. Unfortunately, while the night elves are leading the Alliance and keeping it together politically (with some notable help from Jaina), they don’t seem to have anyone who excels in leading on the battlefield like humans used to.

Theramore is simply amazing to me, really. I mean, it’s in the middle of a swamp, and it seems like no one even notices the smell. But more importantly, the port proves extremely successful, and somehow they’re even finding usable fish (I wouldn’t touch ‘em with a twelve-foot-long rusty halberd, mind you) in all that gook. Sure, they’re on the ocean’s edge, but there’s just something unclean about that whole general area. Well, my pet peeves aside, they’re doing an outstanding job —when you think Alliance success in Kalimdor, think Theramore. It’s quite possibly the best example.

On a final note, Theramore is damn near perfect. We should strive to follow Jaina’s example — well, without the whole living in a stinkin’ swamp part. Jaina is perhaps the strongest human leader we’ve got left, but the poor lass can’t handle everything by herself. With Onyxia threatening to huff, puff, and blow her city down, Jaina has a lot to deal with. Fortunately, she has assistants — a scary night elf girl with a big hammer and a human archmage.

#jaina proudmoore #world of warcraft #warcraft #jaina #jaina proudmoore daily #alliance #wow

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instantdinosaurtidalwave · 11 months

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THIS IS NOT WHOLLY MINE!!!!! I was inspired by a couple posts and a set of tags I found but I can’t find the OP anymore. Credit to them for the original idea(s). My apologies, if someone recognizes it, please tell me so I can give proper credit to them!!!!!! [My additions look like this]

Magical Leverage AU, but in the vein of ‘magic was real long ago and has mostly faded into oblivion… except now it’s waking up here and there.

Eliot would have died years ago but some unkind spirit liked his anger and blessed him and now he’s this sort of proto-god of soldiers whose countries used them up and betrayed their ideals. He just doesn’t know it yet. [Doesn’t know he could wipe away the bad eyesight, the aches, the stiffness, if only he chose. But he doesn’t choose. He thinks he deserves the pain, the scars, the reminder of his darkest days. For now, at least. The Team’s young yet, the foundations stabilizing, but even now, their light calls to his. He’ll be more one day. God of the forgotten, of the abandoned, of the lost. Sanctuary for those used and abused by the world, who get tossed into ditches and alleys and left to die.]

Hardison is something new. There is no word for him. He’s making a new world in which he will rule, and he has no need at this time for a name or title. [He knows. He’s more than a little scared of it, except when it gets him the information he needs or helps him save his teammates just in time. And even sometimes then. He knows he’s something new. Something powerful. ‘Age of the geek,’ he says, but he knows. He’s no geek. He’s more. So, so much more than that.]

Sophie is some sort of Unseelie. She follows her rules, appreciates manners, and dispenses her kindnesses as she sees fit. Do not test yourself against her. You will not win. [She does not know this. The Unseelie blood that is her heritage was kept a secret and carefully continued over the generations, until Sophie’s parents met, and made a daughter. What they don’t know is the Moon saw Sophie and gave her a blessing. Sophie may change faces, change names over and over again, but she’ll always come back to who she is.]

Parker is a changeling, maybe. Or Seelie. Or maybe she’s just Parker, the only one of her kind. She hasn’t decided yet. [Parker is Parker. Something new. Wholly unique, irreplaceable, and nothing like anything that’s ever been. Anything that ever will be. Magic likes Parker, and Parker likes Magic.]

Nate is Human. An almost priest who hates himself and all his flaws and weaknesses while at the same time completely convinced of his own superiority. In the beginning anyway. The others are all used to pain and fear and disappointment. They know how bad the world is and they’re trying to survive in it the best way they can. Nate didn’t grow up knowing that, he had his entire world and reason for existing torn away by greed and selfishness and it broke something in him. The others are cracked and chipped and faded. Nathan Ford was broken into jagged pieces, and he picked them up and fashioned them into weapons, forged from the howling chasm in his heart, and as much as Leverage has helped and is helping to put some of those pieces together again… Some of them were too lost or too sharp to ever go back to who he was. The others you can see are competent and scary at times. Nate is fearsome at his worst. He may not have the skills the others do but he is absolutely the one you should fear.

He’s not a good man really, though by some terrifying metrics he is indeed a Good Man, but he has aligned himself with good and he will get there come hell or high water. The thing is, he is the hell, and he is the high water. He is the monster that hunts monsters. The abyss consumed him long ago and that’s just. How it is. He just lives here now because that’s the thing: the abyss consumes you and everything… doesn’t end. You keep living. You keep living even though you are nothing but howling rage in the shell of a man. But then you turn that rage and that abyss upon the monsters that made you and you bring the abyss to them. There are moments when Nate goes completely cold and he is way scarier than any of the others, or all the rest of them combined, like a reminder of what is sitting there under the surface - an incomparably brilliant mind with no heart to anchor it and nothing to believe in. Nate may be Human… but he’s becoming an Archetype.

[Valletta is a seer. Magic, power, potential, she sees it all. She knows Magic is waking because she’s seeing more, stronger, and longer, now. Magic decides Team Leverage needs a little assistance, so it sends Valletta to them. Parker knows the moment she meets Valletta that she’s going to stay. She must stay. They need her to stay.

They do need her. Because the ones who don’t know are starting to figure it out, and the ones that do are getting glimpses of the bigger picture.

Eliot heard a whisper the other day, a voice begging for help, and instinctively reached back, leaping miles and states and half a country to help the kid who fought a war and came home to a different kind of war, before he realized what he was doing and ran himself. Eliot doesn’t think he’s good. Eliot knows he’s done terrible things and is ashamed of them, thinks he doesn’t deserve forgiveness. This… this is not anything he expected. Certainly nothing he deserves.

Sophie, getting into the role for a grift, caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and almost looked past it, because she didn’t have auburn hair. The Moon changes its phase, and so Sophie changes her face, her hair, her body, but will always return to herself.

Nate… well. Nate’s been aware of something wrong for a while now, but he’s also been in denial and just refusing to see it. Until he’s put in a situation where he can’t deny the fact that he, realistically speaking, should not have been able to walk away from that. Where he gives what’s meant to be a metaphorical threat that ends up coming literally true. Nate broke a long time ago, the day Sam died. His metamorphosis started on that day, much longer than the others, giving him more time to see the signs. Granted, he’s ignored the signs so far, but the signs are getting harder and harder to ignore.

Eliot clings to his humanity, clings to the reminders and the good memories Valletta helps him remember; to Valletta herself, as someone who makes him strive to be better than before. The others do, too, but it’s Eliot who clings the hardest.

It leaves marks. They’re all Archetypes, in addition to what they are. Hitter. Hacker. Grifter. Thief. Mastermind. But Nate was supposed to be the honest man who kept them in line and on target, only, Nate can get just as caught up and obsessed as any of the Team. Nate’s their brain. Valletta becomes their center, their Heart of Mercy.

In more ways than one.

Valletta doesn’t tell the Team. It would kill them, to know how deeply, how intrinsically, they’re affecting her. Changing her. Transforming her into one of them.

She’s becoming so much more Other than she was. She had that potential. It’s unlocked to its fullest extent under the affection and friendship of four Archetypes, one Human, one Unseelie, one Parker, and one Hardison, as well as the love of an Archetype and god who adores her.

They know what they’re doing. They must, on some subconscious level, because everyone starts apologizing to her in little ways. Nate dials back on the alcohol and the orders, Parker starts trying to remember to ask before showing up, Sophie asks her about her interests and hobbies and listens to her ramble, Hardison gets her favorite music and movies on hard drives for her, Eliot makes her favorite dishes more often.

It comes to a head, of all times, when Damien Moreau shows up to try and break Eliot, one final revenge for walking away. He kidnaps Valletta, threatens to torture her. The team shows up spitting fire. Eliot shows up, eyes dead, completely willing to become the weapon he once was to end this once and for all.

Valletta breaks through the rage, the darkness, with whispers of Mercy. And transforms. Breaks out of her cocoon like a butterfly. Fitting. The butterfly is a symbol of rebirth and new life. She even has the wings. Agathina Emperor wings. As purple as her eyes are now.

Valletta. Seer, The Heart Archetype. Goddess of Mercy, and Forgiveness. Valletta is merciful. Damien Moreau will wish she hadn’t been, when her family’s done with him, but it isn’t his choice. His life is no longer his own. It belongs to Mercy.]

Again, NOT ORIGINALLY MINE!!! I only added what’s in the italics.

#NOT ALL MINE ONLY PARTS!#iif anyone knows the op please tag and lmk!!!!#Leverage #team leverage #magic au #long post is long sorry

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just-a-sleepy-idiot · 3 years

Text

Valak Imagine: Him seeing you for the first time

Content/Warnings: Nun!Reader, Female!Reader, Blaspemic stuff since it's written out of a demons perspective after all, Based of the movie 'The Nun', Major Spoilers for the Nun!!, Kinda soft Valak

He had paced these holy halls so many times, disguised to sow fear in the nuns that lived here- showing them that evil was among them looking like one of their own. He mocked them with this form, and soon enough death had grasped all of them, all up to one last woman.

Valak wished to take over one of their bodies, but he couldn't deny the satisfaction when the last one chose to commit one of the worst sins the Bible knew, taking her life rather than letting him take over her mortal existence. He thought it was quite funny, to see one of gods devote believers choosing to do this to oppose a demon. He wondered which outcome would have taken on worse judgement- taking her own life or letting her precious little body get taken over by a demon?

He already waited, yearned for others to come which they eventually would. Toying with their sanity and their beliefs, he already felt the arrival of two devote believers coming close.

Eventually you were here- first a priest, and Valak could look deep into his heart and see his guilt haunting him, guilt that the demon would use to torment him later on- this priest and you.

You were wearing a dress, but you might as well have worn the white robes because you emitted something.. pure. No human was ever fully pure, not like they wanted to be, and you too had your yearnings and troubles of course but he saw purity because you were fully aware of them and faced yourself with clarity and judgement.

You weren't a blind follower of the book, driven by blindness, guilt or foolishness.

Valak huffed in contempt, instantly feeling how the opposing nature of his origin and your devotion was stirring up inside of him. Like magnets, wanting to draw each other away.

You stayed now for two nights, and he had already begun playing his schemes with the priest but you.. he still only.. watched. He still only observed you, and he wasn't sure why he was so hesitant.

You were only a mortal after all, you would tremble at the mere sight of him. He felt no fear, so maybe it was.. curiosity?

His demonic nature longed to corrupt you, to teach you fear and see you scream like the other nuns. He was the defiler, the profane, the Marquie of snakes. He wanted to mock and corrupt and watch the ones who serve god crumble in their beliefs.

So why did he keep his distance with you?

A few days went by, and both you and the priest slowly begun to understand what had happened here and how it was tied to the evil that was roaming this place.

Valak had shown you images of the nuns that lived here, and you were believing everything as if it was actually happening. He watched you interact with your environment and with the shadows of the ones that were gone already.

And one day he decided to show himself. Looking like the nun he chose to torment the others with but a little.. softer, a little bit more disarming. With features that he guessed would invoke trust from humans.

When he approached you, you felt someone looking at you without hearing a single step. When you turned around, you were met with green eyes and looked up to a tall nun. There was something strangely.. intense about her, yet you had a feeling like you could feel safe despite of that.

"How do you like it here so far?" How long has it been since he had used words of the human world..

"I like it a lot. I've been treated very well here, the only thing that worries me is the wellbeing of Father Burke. He had horrifying things happening to him."

Valak suppressed a smile, yes he did indeed. "I see."

He continued on talking to you, spying on what it was that a nun like you was thinking by conversing with you.

"Have you been taught about demons, Sister Y/n?"

This question.. had something off-putting, as if you felt like despite her calm and cool expression she was very interested in whatever you might say next.

"Of course, Sister Val." You fumbled with your hands, "Although none of my fellow sisters ever seemed to really take matters of evil very seriously." They concentrated so much on the good that they didn't seem to take the bad forces in the world seriously. They felt too secure.

Valak knew how easily everyone wanted to forget what was waiting outside of their churches, their holy little homes that they felt so safe in. "And what do you think of them?"

You looked up into the green eyes of the tall woman, frowning at that question. No one ever asked about.. an opinion of these things, because it was taught that everything unholy like the creatures of hell were bad and there was no other way to see them.

"The forces of god as well as those of evil are constantly opposing each other. They are bad, they are destructive and against every living being." Your gaze dropped, "But.. I think that is part of the balance, the way it naturally has to be. Of course we have to fight evil, but I don't think just like evil neither does good is supposed to win. And therefore demons are.. just like us," you looked up again and smiled shyly, "something like soldiers?"

Valak stared at you without saying a word.

Just like them?! No, no you were just a mortal, just a flesh puppet. He was above the pity skills of gods creation! There was no way you were alike.

How strange it was to be thinking that while he literally looked like one of them, using the human tongue to communicate and observing this woman instead of following the unholy urges of destruction that were given to his very existence.

And suddenly, you were pressed against the wall, held high up by the nun who's expression now cruelly turned into something demonic. You gasped, unable to look away as he growled darkly at you. He was done playing, he should just snap your neck right there.

But.. he didn't- he couldn't! The demon growled in frustration, harshly pressing you against the wall even more before suddenly letting you go.

"Your foolish beliefs will not earn his favor, little one. You should go back to blindly being his devoted sheep."

You hurried to stand up again, leaning against the wall for stability after your fall with rapid breathing. The green eyes now begun to glow, almost like gold, and Valak loomed over you.

"Leave, leave and send someone as blind as the others, you are not amusing anymore."

You begun to run, candles lit along your way and blew out after you passed. You looked back as you sprinted through the stone corridor and saw the outline of a horned figure watching you go.

You were carrying a forbidden truth with you, something that he did not wish to defy. He wanted you to live, he wanted this truth to blossom within you. Maybe it would corrupt you.. but maybe it would make you even surpass all the others.

Valak would find a way to cross paths with you again.

- - -

I hope you liked it! If you are offended by the religious stuff please know that this is based off a movie and what is written in here is fiction and not a reflection of my actual beliefs so pls don't rage in my comments

#valak x reader #the nun #the conjuring #the conjuring 2 #conjuring valak #slashers x reader

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bloodorangesoup · 3 years

Text

Ice Cream and Bad TV | B.B.

Request: Late night thoughts : The only porn bucky watches are the ones that come on tv at like 2 or 3 in the mornings. Imagine cuddling up with him on his living room floor, aimlessly clicking around until you stumble upon the channel & he gets flustered & shy about it & you fuck him while porn plays in the background. Like I think it’s so romantic🥺🥺 riding him while the soft glow of the tv illuminates his face. His moans & grunting blending in with the actors 😫😫

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 3.6k (this was supposed to be a drabble but I cannot for the life of me control myself)

Warnings: NSFW 18+ | cuddle fucking, unprotected sex(pretend ur on birth control for a sec)(still wrap it b4 your tap it), flustered Bucky, porn talk, the tiniest bit of sub!Bucky for like half a second, fluffy smut, you get the gist

My Masterlist

Notes: I did this in one sitting so sorry if it’s repetitive or has any mistakes. I think I have a major soft sport for flustered Bucky. I also had to think of a realistic name for a TV porn channel so bear with me. This is my first time writing smut in non-headcanon form so let me know how I did! Happy reading!

It was 2am on a Thursday night when your phone rang with your boyfriend's caller I.D. This wasn't the first time that Bucky had called you for this instance, it became a routine for you to talk him down after a nightmare and you prepared to do so when you picked up. Usually the first thing you would hear was his heavy breaths, the anxious buzz in his body making him fumble his words as he tried to focus on talking to you, so you were surprised to be met with still breathing and his typical deep, steady voice.

"Doll? You there?"

"Yeah, Buck, I'm here," you replied with a yawn, trying to sound as awake as possible. Bucky could hear the airiness of your voice and let out a sigh.

"Sorry, baby, I woke you up."

"You say that every time, I don't mind waking up for you. Besides, I don't have work tomorrow so I don't exactly need my beauty rest."

There was a pause. You could still hear static from the other side of the call but Bucky didn't say a word.

"Buck? You okay?" As if you snapped him out of a daydream, his hurried words rushed through the phone.

"Yeah yeah, sorry. I'm kind of out of it right now, I had another bad dream."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" You had expected his usual answer of yes, then you would listen to his thoughts and comfort him through the horrific reality that were his nightmares.

"You said you don't have work tomorrow? Do you think you could come over right now? Actually never mind, I don't know what I'm saying, it's 2am." You could practically see Bucky shaking his head as he took back his question.

"I'll be there in twenty, James. You better have some blankets and pillows ready for me because we're taking over your couch."

Bucky let out a breath over the line, "See you soon, y/n, love you."

"Love you more," you said quickly before hanging up, not letting him get in the last 'I love you.'

Forty minutes later you found yourself on Bucky's lap on his living room floor. You two had abandoned the idea of the couch and chose to make a small fort with the couch as your scaffolding. There was a surprising amount of pillows and blankets surrounding the two of you, you had no idea Bucky even owned them all.

He sat with his back against the couch, your legs laid over his and your arms were around his neck, bringing his head down to your chest. He talked about his nightmare, sparing you the gruesome details, and once he was done he closed his eyes and leaned further into your chest, breathing in your scent. You gave the crown of his head a kiss and rested your head atop his. Comfortable silence washed over the two of you before you spoke up.

“You know what always makes me feel better?” you asked, lifting your head just enough to look down at him.

“What?” he mumbled into your chest. A soft smile graced your face at his cuteness.

“Ice cream and bad TV!” you announced excitedly before wiggling out of his grasp.

You did a little jog to his kitchen and reached down into the freezer to grab a small pint of ice cream you knew Bucky always kept stashed for you whenever you came around. Picking up two spoons and turning off all the lights in the apartment on your way, you quickly made your way back into the living room, lifting Bucky’s arms to situate yourself back into your position on his lap. You popped the lid of the small tub and handed it to Bucky along with a spoon. With your hands now free, you felt around in the dark for the remote and turned on the TV.

Waiting for the TV to completely turn on, you ate a spoonful of ice cream. You hummed at the taste of the cold sweetness coating your tongue. You gasped as you opened your eyes, finding Bucky scooping out some ice cream and lowering it to your mouth.

“Oh wait, let me make this cuter!” you squealed with your eyes wide.

Copying Bucky’s actions, you took a spoonful and lifted it to his lips, the both of you opening wide and feeding each other. You giggled at the cliché moment and Bucky couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at how adorable you were.

You turned back to the TV, lifting the remote in your hands to change the channel to anything but the news that was already playing on the screen. As you flipped through sports recaps, music channels, infomercials, and movies that were already almost over, you sighed.

“Ugh, there’s nothing good on. Maybe if I start from the end of the list there’ll be better stuff,” you huffed.

Before Bucky could register what you said you had already typed in the biggest number you could enter and began flipping down through channels. Surfing through the empty screens, you landed on one called HotNet and suddenly the screen was completely taken over by a pair of boobs which then cut to a woman on her back and a man on top of her, rutting into her at a slow pace, while her moans echoed throughout the apartment. You quickly shuffled with the remote, trying to turn the volume down from it’s loud setting, spooked at the loud, obscene noise coming from the speaker.

“Oh my gosh, I wasn’t expecting that,” you laughed into Bucky’s chest, “God, I hope your neighbors didn’t hear that.”

Bucky stared at the screen with wide eyes, hoping you would change the channel before noticing that the channel was in the On Demand section. You gasped through your laugh, collecting yourself before turning back to the TV and shaking your head.

“Jeez, I didn’t even know they still had porn like this on public television.” You looked back down at the remote, clicking the Guide button. Bucky’s heart stopped as the description took over the screen, the video still playing in the top right corner. In bold letters the words On Demand titled the card. Even worse, the bottom of the screen displayed a small box containing the information,

$19.99

purchased with debit card xxxx-9758

You furrowed your brows in confusion, realization slowly softening them, before a mischievous smirk took over your face. You lifted your head to look at Bucky, his face looked down at your lap, refusing to meet your eyes. You tapped the bottom of his chin with the remote, lifting his head to meet your gaze.

“Did you order TV porn, Jamie?” He could hear the teasing tone in your voice, and you only ever used that nickname when joking around, yet Bucky still felt extremely embarrassed. He felt as if he just got walked in on while touching himself. It didn’t help that it was you that saw it, he wanted to crawl in a hole and never look back.

“Ah, you’re blushing,” you squealed as you took his cheeks in your hands, “oh come on, it’s not that embarrassing Bucky.”

“Ugh, can we please pretend you didn’t just see that,” Bucky groaned, closing his eyes to escape your stare. He set down the ice cream next to him and lifted his forearm over his eyes.

You let out a breathy laugh, grabbing his shoulders to stabilize yourself and pushing up to swing your leg under you to the other side of his lap, you straddled him.

“Hey, it’s really not that bad. I mean we’ve had sex before Buck, I think you’d rather have me find this than Sam or someone else.” He let out another groan and lowered his head to lean against your neck.

“Angel, please don’t talk about Sam while you’re on top of me and there’s porn playing on the TV.”

You laughed and ran your hands down his arms, letting one of your hands run up behind his neck and weaving your fingers into his hair. You gripped the back of his head and gently tugged him back up to face you.

“Why,” you sang, deciding to have some fun with him in his flustered state, “is this turning you on?” you whispered the last part.

Before he could respond you leaned down and kissed him. You didn’t bother to start off slow as you usually would, Bucky could taste the hunger from every parting of your lips. His hands gripped your waist, you rocked your weight forwards to rub against him. Bucky’s head clouded, his senses felt overloaded in the best way possible, your movements mixed with the sounds of the moaning coming from the TV were getting him hot. You pulled back before getting too carried away, a smile on your swollen lips.

“So, baby, tell me about it.” You said. It was Bucky’s turn to furrow his brows and he cocked his head to the side in question, mind still foggy from the feeling of you grinding on him.

“What kind of porn do you watch?” you clarified, looking at him like you just asked what his favorite color was.

“Uhm, you want to know about that stuff?” Bucky looked at you with caution, feeling out if he should listen to you or not.

“Well, yeah. I mean I don’t know how it was back then, but most people nowadays watch porn. It’s not super taboo to talk about it,” you explained. You weren’t going to force him to talk about it if he really didn’t want to, but your desire to hear what Bucky was into was strong.

He hesitated for a moment, looking in your eyes and seeing curiosity clouded with lust. He cleared his throat.

“Well, pretty much this stuff,” he gestured with his hand to the TV before putting it back on your waist, “there’s this girl on there, she kinda looks like you, so I buy the videos with her.” He closed his eyes and internally groaned at his words, he didn’t mean to come off so perverted. God, you had already found his porn, the last thing he needed was for you to be thinking he was a creep.

“Y’know that’s actually kinda sweet,” you giggled, “what do you like about those videos?”

Feeling a bit more comfortable knowing you weren’t grossed out, Bucky continued.

“I like the ones where it’s dark and slow. It’s usually quiet and there’s candles and stuff,” he explained shyly. Of all the surprises that came with dating Bucky, you had to admit finding out he was into romantic porn was one of the biggest ones.

Bucky cleared his throat again before questioning you, “Do you watch porn?” He felt almost wrong asking that. He knew that women in this age were more sexually liberated, but the words still felt sticky in his mouth.

“Oh, yeah, of course I do.” Bucky seemed surprised at how casually you answered. He raised his eyebrows, silently asking you to go on.

“Well specifically, I actually really like the videos that are like this,” you said, your head looking down at you straddling him, he followed your gaze, taking in how nice you felt on his lap. You leaned forward, bracing your hands on his chest. Your faces were so close your noses were almost touching. You could feel his rapid heart beat under your palm and the quick rise and fall of his chest. “Do you ever watch the ones that look like this, Bucky?” He looked up at you and nodded with wide eyes, his pupils were blown and his mouth was open like he was searching for the words to respond.

You grasped his jaw in your hand, your thumb on his chin, and looked him in the eyes. You wanted nothing more than to jump his bones, but with the newfound knowledge you had, you took your time with your actions. Within the last five minutes, Bucky had revealed to you not only that he liked soft, romantic porn, but that he also watched a specific actress because she looks like you. The one goal in your head was to fulfill his fantasy the best you could at the moment.

With his head still in your hand, you held your eye contact as you let your knees move out, grinding yourself against his growing erection. He let out an involuntary whimper. That was the last straw. You pulled his face to yours, joining him in a hard, yet loving kiss. Your arms wrapped around his neck, pushing your chest against his, trying to get as close as possible.

Bucky’s dick was painfully hard. He couldn’t focus on anything but the feeling of you on top of him. His body felt like it was on fire, he was insatiably horny and couldn’t control the way his hips bucked up to grind with you. He felt like a horny teenager the way his mind was filled only with images of you naked, imagining you like that on top of him like you were now.

You slipped your tongue past his lips, keeping your pace slow as you glided it across and bit at his lower lip. A moan made its way out of your mouth and into his as you felt him buck up against you.

You slid your hands down his chest, fumbling with the hem of his shirt before his arms raised, giving you access to peel it off him, throwing it up on the couch. Bucky kissed down your neck, licking over the shell of your ear, and sucking at the center of your throat. He reached down and slipped his hands under your shirt, sliding up and down your waist before gliding up and lifting your shirt over your head, discarding it with his.

Bucky wasted no time reaching around you and unclipping your bra and dragging it down your shoulders. He cupped your breasts, squeezing them with his large hands before bringing you into another tender kiss. Despite your frantic movements, there was a spark of passion cracking through the air, the both of you desperate to feel each other closer.

You broke the kiss, breathing heavily and resting your forehead against his.

“I wanna make love to you, y/n, please, let me make love to you,” he groaned with a slight whine in his voice. He sounded like he was about to crack.

“Please, Bucky.”

You leaned back on your hands and lifted your hips, giving Bucky the room to pull down your shorts and panties in a few swift tugs. He quickly got up on his knees and pulled down his sweats and boxers, sitting back down and tugging them off his legs. You reached your arms forward, Bucky grabbing a hold of your wrists and pulling you back to straddle him again. You gasped at the feeling of his cock under your bare pussy, your wetness from all the grinding and kissing making you slide over him.

You leaned forwards, capturing his lips between yours and raising yourself up on your knees. Reaching under yourself, you gripped his cock, wet with your arousal, and lined him up with your cunt. Bucky gripped your hips as you sank down on him, using every ounce of self control to stop himself from rutting up into you. You stayed like that for a second, adjusting to the way he filled you. Seeing the remote lying on the floor, you grabbed it and slightly turned up the volume, only enough so that you and Bucky could hear the actress in the video being ravished by her co-star.

Bracing your hands on his shoulders, you began to slowly move up and down over him, riding him just as you had told him you liked to watch. His hands moved up from your waist, squeezing your tits, pinching your nipples in between his fingers. You let out a hiss as he rolled them between his fore finger and his thumb, tugging on and rubbing his thumbs over them. He reached around to grab your ass, squeezing and rubbing your cheeks and you used him to pleasure yourself.

You were a moaning mess over him and he wasn’t much different. The room was filled with the sounds of the porn playing on the TV mixed with the sounds of your own cries of pleasure. If the neighbors hadn’t been woken up by the TV, they sure were by you two.

Bucky sat back on his knees, his hands slid down to your thighs, moving your legs from under them and wrapping your legs around his back. His arms worked their way back up to wrap around your waist, bringing you ever so close. The new angle pushed him even deeper up into you. He buried his head in the crook of your neck, giving you access to all the sweet, desperate sounds falling from his lips.

You were now pushing up with your feet behind him, rolling your hips over his. The new technique made your clit rub over his pelvis, the sensation making you throw your head back and let out a deep moan. He took the opportunity to continue kissing your neck, going lower with every lick and bite. He sucked at your collarbone, leaving a deep purple mark in its place.

Suddenly, he was using his arms to lift you up, not pulling out of you, and laying you down on the blanket-covered floor. You instinctively locked your ankles together, pulling him closer as he thrusted into you. Bucky had his metal arm holding himself up while his flesh one squeezed your breasts, feeling them move with his thrusts. He lowered his head to your chest and licked one of your nipples, grazing his teeth over it before taking it in between his lips and sucking. Your hands flew to the back of his head, singing praises as you wove your fingers into his hair. He continued to alternate between your breasts, leaving love bites around them and sucking on their sensitive peaks.

You could feel your body buzz with anticipation, you were so close. The moans escaping your mouth were lewd and uncontrolled. Bucky wrapped his flesh hand around your waist, lifting your chest flush against his.

You snaked your arms around his neck, pulling yourself up to kiss him. Nothing felt better than making love with Bucky felt. This was definitely not the first time you two had been intimate, but none of those previous times had ever been like this. You could feel the passion flowing through his body into yours. You looked up at his form over you, how beautiful he looked with the light of the TV screen glistening against the beads of sweat on his forehead. There was absolutely nothing in the world compared to having him, in all his beauty, to yourself like this.

Bucky’s heart was exploding in his chest. What had started out as an embarrassing, nightmare-fueled night had turned into the most intimate experience he ever had in his life. Love was already established in your relationship, but Bucky had never truly made love to you. He looked down in awe at your disheveled state, at the way your hair was sticking to your forehead, at the way the only light in the room gave you an angelic glow. He wanted nothing more than to give himself completely to you, to make you come all over him.

He leaned his forehead against yours, pushing his face forward once every few seconds to kiss you. He was close, and he wanted you to come with him. He leaned into you even more, his cheek pressed against yours, his lips next to your ear.

“I love you so much, y/n, God, you feel so good. I love you, I love you,” Bucky’s voice was deep and strained, his words being emphasized by each push into your wet pussy. You let out another loud moan.

“I love you, James,” you whined as he hit your sweet spot, “I love you so much.”

Bucky’s hand wedged itself in between the two of you, his fingers finding your clit and gently rubbing it. You were completely overwhelmed, this is what it felt like to make love to someone. Your body began to shake and your breathing became erratic. Bucky thrusted harder, working to push you over the edge.

“I want you to come in me, Bucky,” you gasped as his thrusts got faster and lost their rhythm.

Your mouth turned open in a silent scream as you came. Bucky felt your walls clench around him, squeezing the life out of him. He let out a shaky groan as he fell over the edge. His eyes shut tight and his body tensed as he spilled into you.

Wrapping his metal arm around your back and securing your body to his, he rolled on his flesh shoulder onto his back. You went limp against him, laying your head on his chest, listening to his heart beat slow down. He was still buried within you, connected to you. Letting your eyelids fall shut, you savored the feeling of being full of him and his love.

You lifted your head to kiss his jaw.

“I’m glad you called me, Bucky. I love you.”

“I am too, doll. I love you more.”

#bucky barnes smut #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x f!reader #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes fluffy smut #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes

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latte-fairytaekwoon · 3 years

Text

𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚! 𝐀𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐳: 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞

Disclaimer: In no way am I condoning, justifying, encouraging, nor promoting mafia behavior or lifestyle. This is all a work of fiction and not meant to represent real life scenarios.

Warnings: Suggestive themes but nothing too explicit, scenes containing violence and kidnappings.

❥𝓚𝓲𝓶 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓳𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓰

Hongjoong could already sense that something was off the moment he noticed the door wasn't locked and even more worrying was the fact it was slightly ajar. Quickly taking out his gun just in case, he kicked open the door and widened his eyes as it appeared like some struggle took place. Chairs were turnt over, busted picture frames and glass scattered across the floor, and even more terrifying, droplets of blood were seen.

"Y/N!" He quickly remembered about his spouse.

Running into the bedroom, it was in an even bigger disarray than the living room. On the bed, there was a note folded for him to read. Carefully opening it with trembling hands, his eyes took in each letter. Furiously, he crumbled up the paper and quickly dialed his most trusted friend.

"Get the squad ready."

Although you expected that sooner or later you'd be targeted just for the fact you were married to Hongjoong, nothing could have prepared you for it. After all, Hongjoong didn't seem to care much about you, treating your marriage strictly like a business deal and hardly interacting with you. It wouldn't have surprised you if he didn't even care enough to show up and save you.

But you were wrong when he broke in himself and got you safely out of there, despite having suffered quite a few injuries that had you worrying.

"Stop fretting over it, it's just a scratch." He told you when you tried to wipe the blood trickling down the side of his head wound.

"I'm sorry......you're hurt because I-"

"No one is to blame here but me. I chose to go after you and rescue you because I wanted to. If anything, I should be apologizing for getting you in this situation in the first place."

Sighing softly, you tugged at the dirtied sleeves of your shirt.

"It's not like it's really your fault. We were thrown together and naturally they thought they could get the upper hand if they captured me. And to be honest.....you didn't have to save me. I know you don't care about-"

With a loud gasp, you shut up when Hongjoong unexpectedly sat up and kissed you. You were stunned to react and even more shocked by his next words.

"I always cared. And that's precisely why you were kidnapped. From the start, I acted as if I didn't care about you to protect you. They would have never taken you if they thought that I had no regards for you whatsoever. However, I obviously couldn't hide my feelings that well, given the taunting letter they left me. As soon as I read it, I knew I had to get you back to me as soon as possible."

Kissing the top of your forehead, Hongjoong smiled at you for the first time in your marriage life.

"And I'm happy to take you back to our home, where you rightfully belong."

❥𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓢𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝔀𝓪

Putting the finishing touches on your makeup and fixing your hair, you beamed with joy at your reflection in the mirror. You felt truly beautiful and walked out into the living room, where your handsome husband was currently on his phone, no doubt talking about some business things with Hongjoong. He seemed to always be busy, never having any time for anything else.

Including you, which somewhat hurt you.

"I'm ready." You told him, shyly tucking some of your hair behind your ear as you hoped he'd like the dress you were wearing, choosing a blue color since you knew it was his favorite.

"Ok. Go wait out in the limousine, I'll be there shortly."

Barely even giving you a glance, he dialed Hongjoong up and continued to further discuss some matters. Sighing softly, you walked rather disappointed out to the car, slamming the door behind you. When Seonghwa joined you a few minutes later, you didn't even care to hide your anger and frustration at him. You still had a scowling look on your face when you arrived at the party, not bothering this time to stick by Seonghwa's side like you usually did other times, playing the role of a perfect and loving wife. And Seonghwa neither noticed nor cared about it. In fact, he never really hid how little your marriage seemed to matter to him. Perhaps he treated it as any other business he owned.

"Such a pity to see such a beautiful lady look so down during such a lovely evening."

Recognizing the voice as Minho, a friend of Seonghwa, you forced a small smile.

"Not really much to be happy about really." You merely stated.

"Is your oh so loving hubby being the usual prince charming he is?" He rolled his eyes, knowing full well just like everyone else how he really treated you.

"What difference does it make? He'll never even look at me."

Unable to let the opportunity go to waste, even if it was his friend, Minho gently caressed your cheek.

"You know....... maybe you should stop trying so hard for a jerk like him....and maybe open your eyes to someone who actually knows you exist."

You were frozen when he leaned in to kiss you, then gasped loudly when none other than Seonghwa pushed him off you, sending Minho crashing onto one of the tables behind him.

"She is my wife! And the next time you touch her, I will cut your hand off!" He warned him.

You didn't even have time to process what was happening as Seonghwa dragged you outside, his grip on your wrist tight and fierce. When you reached the car, you were going to ask him what was going on but you had no time as he pressed you against the car and began to kiss you fervently and hungrily. You were left speechless and breathless, with your legs getting weak as he let out low snarls in between his kisses on your neck.

"Mine.......you're all mine."

❥𝓙𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓾𝓷𝓱𝓸

Both Yunho and you were beyond nervous at this point, hell you actually felt somewhat terrified. You knew exactly what his parents wanted when they organized this 'family vacation'. This wasn't a getaway to spend time together and they made it obviously clear at dinner when you came back from the bathroom and overheard him arguing with his parents.

"You know I can't ask her to do that!" Yunho adamantly said.

"You've been married for over a year Yunho. It's time and you know it." His mother insisted.

"I will not impregnate her. Have you ever considered her feelings? Maybe she doesn't want kids. Maybe I don't want kids, have you ever thought of that?" He asked them, voice getting more agitated.

"It's both of your duties to produce heirs to keep control and stability in the organization. Your life is at risk on a daily basis. If you die with no children it'll only cause chaos and disruption." His father reminded him.

That was the one thing you dreaded facing since the day you said "I do", having to be forced to become nothing more than a baby maker. Yunho knew from the beginning how uncomfortable you were during your first night together, that's why he ended up sleeping in another room, as he had done every day afterwards, not wanting you to freak out and giving you your space.

But now you both stared at the single king sized bed in your hotel room, reality staring you in the face. Neither of you said a word as you took turns changing and getting ready to go to sleep in the bathroom, Yunho letting you go first. As you crept into the bed, your hands tightly held onto the blanket, your eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, unaware of anything until you felt the bed shift next to you. You inhaled sharply when you felt Yunho's fingers caress your hair.

"Y/N-"

"Just get it over with will you?! Just knock me up and make your parents happy. I don't care anymore."

Although you tried to sound strong, the tremble in your voice gave you away. You could feel tears starting to well up in your eyes. When Yunho moved to hover above you, you instantly shut your eyes, tears lightly spilling out. You could feel his breath ghost over your lips and then suddenly they moved as he planted the gentlest of kiss on your forehead.

"Good night my dear. I promise I won't take up too much space."

Confused you open your eyes and watched as Yunho turned on his side, facing away from you as he scooted to give you as much room as he possibly could.

"I don't...I don't understand why..." You didn't even know what you were asking at this point.

"I'm not going to be that asshole that will make you do something you're not prepared for. I respect, value and admire you too much to make you go through that. I'll just wait until you're ready."

You weren't going to deny that your heart fluttered at his words.

"But your parents-"

"They can suck it. I've lived this long, I think I'll be fine. They can wait like I'm willing to wait. The only downside is putting up with their bullshit and nagging for disobeying them...."

You could tell he was falling asleep by the way his voice started to mumble and lower in tone, and his tiny yawn made it more obvious. You were prepared for his cute tiny rambling but you didn't expect what he said next.

"But that's what I get for falling in love with you..."

❥𝓚𝓪𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓮𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓰

Yeosang stared out the spacious window of his office, the glittering city lights looking as splendid as they did every night, bustling with sounds of the inhabitants coming out to party and overall enjoy life. They seemed to be mocking him, mocking him for being happy while he felt miserable and empty inside.

It had been hours since you had already left, your plane had probably already landed back to your hometown and you were now ready to settle into your new life....away from him. He couldn't stop replaying the argument you had just a day ago:

"Can't you at least pretend to care?" You spat out, dropping your fork against the plate of food in front of you.

"If you know what I'm like, why even ask?" Was his only reply.

"Yes I know what you're like! You're cold, stoic, soulless and have no regards for anyone's feelings but your own! Being married to you all these years, I know you better than anyone! But I'm sick of it. I'm sick of you not caring enough to even try." She could feel her voice starting to crack.

Letting out a deep sigh, Yeosang pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"From the beginning, you knew what you were getting in to. We didn't get married because we were a couple of lovestruck fools wanting to vow our lives to each other. Our parents arranged it and we had no choice. If you were stupid enough to catch feelings well then..."

Finally lifting his gaze to look at you, his eyes were unwavering as he coldly declared:

"That's not my fault. And you can't expect me to reciprocate your feelings when I don't even have any to begin with."

Not taking anymore, you began crying tears of heartbreak, anger, frustration and indignation all at the same time. Standing up, you firmly declared your intent of going back home, not willing to put up or stay with him anymore.

"Ok."

Not even a goodbye, a farewell or even another look at you. Those were his final words before you stormed out and made preparations to leave as soon as possible. Yeosang had spent the entire day pacing back and forth, unable to think or do anything except look at the clock almost every hour. He had been counting the seconds since your flight was scheduled to leave, that's how he knew you were home by then.

He cursed himself for being a coward. For not speaking up and telling you how much you actually meant to him, how scared he was of his feelings for you, and most of all, he hated himself for not running out to stop you. Now you were gone from his life forever........ unless....

"Get my plane ready."

❥𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓷

San and you didn't even meet each other until you were both standing at the altar, families ready to join together two criminal organizations to grow their power even further. Both of you looked at each and instantly felt what the other was feeling: shock, denial, insecurity, but most of all, fear. Both of you were afraid of what was going to happen. Though he was trembling just as much as you, San made sure to reach for your hand, squeezing it in his own. With that small gesture, you knew and felt what he was silently saying:

"We're going to get through this together. Just trust me and believe in me. I'll take care of you. You're not alone in this and I'll be right there by your side."

You two got along fairly well, even if there was still awkwardness between the two of you. You were both also still shy around each other that you wouldn't talk unless it was necessary or because something caught one or the other's attention and wanted to share their thoughts out loud, which the other one would try to enthusiastically add on to converse more, but it always ended in awkward laughter.

Yeah. It was extremely awkward. But at least there was no hostility between you two and you guys did enjoy watching movies together at times, hardly speaking a word, but there was no silence at all. You could read each other's minds and feelings all the time. It was truly strange how in tune your thoughts seemed to be at times and scary too. Your mind began to recall times when strange things happened like the time you were craving a certain food and coincidentally, San came later with the exact same food because he got a feeling you wanted some. Or the time you were supposed to go visit extended family but in the end didn't get on the train and went straight home because you felt San needed you. He thought you were crazy, but later that night he was burning up with a fever and you spent your weekend nursing him back to health.

"What did this all mean?" You both thought to yourselves.

"A soulmate is someone that just gets you. It's a connection of minds, a mutual respect, an unconditional love and a total understanding. It's about being yourself and knowing, not only that person is following and understanding your thoughts, but is right there with you, side by side." The actress in the movie you were watching said.

Suddenly everything seemed to click. At the moment both of you felt like the answer to your questions were finally answered. Slowly you both turned and faced one another. Giving you a warm smile as he read your thoughts, San leaned in to cup your cheek with one hand, his thumb drawing circles around it. Brushing his lips against yours, he sighed blissfully as he looked in your eyes.

"My lovely soulmate..."

❥𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓲

When Mingi met you, he was sort of put off by how different you were from him.

"Hi! I'm Y/N, your soon to be wife but please don't think of me as that if you don't want to. Think of me as your friend. I just know we'll get along!"

You were actually squealing and wrapping your arms around him in a tight hug, almost bouncing up and down with joy while Mingi just stood there stiff as a pole, wondering what the hell made you be so happy and cheerful like that.

"Ok.....ok got it, you can let go now." He tried to squirm out of your embrace, but you merely tightened your grip on him causing him to let out a harsh "oof!" at your strength.

"For such a tiny person, you sure aren't weak." He pointed out.

Married life with you for Mingi was...... different to say the least. He was used to such a gloomy, dark and hostile environment that having a tiny bubble bursting with energy was unusual and not something he was accustomed to. You always greeted him with such enthusiasm and happiness, not to mention you were such a caring housewife, always feeding him and taking care of him. Sometimes Mingi questioned whether you've ever seen the harsh side of the mafia world. Judging by your love for life and others, he guessed no.

And his assumptions were correct when you both were at a party held by some of his other mafia friends. Taking advantage of the occasion, rival gangs infiltrated the building. Storming in, explosions went off in several places, and gun shots were being fired at all directions. Mingi quickly jumped up and tackled you onto the ground, covering your body from the bullets that were being poured out. Taking your hand, he told you to stay down as he safely guided you out of the hall. Once you guys were far away, he quickly sprung up, pulling you up with him as he began running towards the nearest exit, pulling out his hidden gun just in case. You were in shock, even more when you guys passed a couple of dead bodies in the hallway. Feeling sick, you don't even remember how Mingi managed to get you both out of there alive and in one piece before the entire place burst into flames. Staring at the raging fire, you felt like you couldn't breathe, desperately trying to gasp for air.

"Honey, look at me. Look at me ok? You're safe. You're all right and you're going to be all right. Nothing is going to happen to you ok?"

You nodded, trying to choke back tears and forcing a smile on your face, but ultimately failing. Seeing you break down, Mingi immediately pulled you into his arms, his fingers running through your hair as he felt his heart break. You were such a fragile, sensitive and extremely precious person to him. He couldn't bear to see his ray of sunshine and hope in his dark world break down in front of him. He knew had to protect you at all costs and take care of you.

"It's ok my darling angel. I won't let any harm come to you. I swear on my life I'll protect you."

Wiping your tears away, he kissed the top of your head and smiled warmly at you.

"Come on. I'll take you home and have one of those cuddling sessions you always enjoy having."

❥𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓰 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓰

You wanted to die, and that wasn't an understatement. You felt utterly humiliated at the fact your parents actually sold you into marriage to some mafia lord's son to pay off their debts. You didn't even have time to process anything, one day you were just bound and stuffed into the back of a car and soon found yourself inside a grand old mansion. You felt alone and scared, unsure of what was going to happen to you. And you were beyond trembling when you met your future husband, expecting some evil and sadistic man when in reality:

"Hi! I'm Jung Wooyoung, your soon to be husband and I can tell we're going to be really happy together!"

He greeted you with just a charismatic enthusiasm, eyes practically beaming when he first saw you.

"Hi, I'm L/N Y/N, the girl that's going to be caged to you for life......or death. Whichever comes first."

He laughed at that, coming closer and squeezed your cheeks.

"You're so cute, I'm already in love with you."

Love? You seriously thought he was insane. You certainly didn't fall in love with him at first sight. And even after months of being married to him, you still didn't felt love towards him, even though Wooyoung tried anything and everything to not only make life easier for you, but in hopes of getting you to reciprocate his feelings.

"Hey Y/N. Look! I got you a present! Open it. I know you'll love it."

You groaned at the thought of another expensive present being given to you. You felt bad that he went through all these troubles when they'd all end in vain. Peeling the ribbon off the huge box, you didn't even get to open the box since the Welsh Corgi inside jumped out and tackled you to the ground. You couldn't help but giggle when it began licking your face, its tail wagging out of joy.

"I knew you'd like him. Now he can keep you company so you won't be lonely while I'm gone."

Rolling your eyes, you couldn't let the opportunity pass to poke fun at him.

"Who said I was even going to miss you?" You chuckled, petting the dog's head.

"You never know." Wooyoung insisted.

Leaving you for 5 months, you couldn't believe you actually started to miss his obnoxiously loud presence. Sure your puppy kept you complaining and cuddled you, but it wasn't the same. You hated to admit it....

But you actually wanted Wooyoung to come back and smother you with what you always referred to as his annoying affection.

Opening the front door, Wooyoung called out that he was home. He smiled when he was greeted by his furry friend rather enthusiastically. But he was not expecting for you to run out and jump at him, your arms wrapping around his neck. Although he stumbled slightly, he made sure to catch you, your legs wrapping around his waist.

"Y/N are you-?"

He widened his eyes when you crashed your lips on his, kissing him as if your life depended on it. Once getting over the shock, he had a smug grin as he kissed you back.

"Told you you'd miss me."

❥𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓙𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝓸

Jongho terrified you. From day one, you were intimidated by him. He always had a blank expression, hardly talked and he had a reputation for being brutally strong. Obviously you felt like you were walking on eggshells around him, afraid to piss him off. Anytime he called out to you or came near you, your body would jump.

"Y/N..."

Shrieking, you turned around when you felt his hand brush against your lower back. Tilting his head, he raised an eyebrow at your reaction.

"I needed something from the cabinet."

Without breaking eye contact, his hands gripped your waist as he slightly moved you to the side, fingers digging into your skin. After having gotten what he wanted, his thumb poked your nose as he winked at you.

"Thanks doll."

You swore he was teasing you. He'd purposefully use any occasion to show off his strength to you, his favorite being cutting up wood in the yard with an axe. You couldn't help but stare at his arms that were visible due to him wearing a sleeveless shirt. When he noticed you staring, he sent a smug smile your way which caused you to blush and you immediately retreated back inside the house.

There was also the time he accidentally walked in on you changing. There you were, standing in nothing but your lacy underwear set, for some reason not embarrased or hiding yourself as Jongho inhaled deeply as his eyes raked your body. Subtly biting his lips, he apologized before reluctantly leaving the room.

Both of you were frustrated by that point, tired of the light teasing. Jongho was the one who decided to put a stop to it one night he came home from a mission. He had been badly hurt and you, worrying about him, sat him down to tend to his wounds. It was a struggle since he had to remove his shirt and you were blushing violently, eyes always looking away.

"It's ok doll. I'm your husband...you can look at me."

His hands that were holding onto your arms began caressing your elbows, subtly pulling you closer to him without you noticing until you were firmly planted on his lap.

"Do you want me my little doll?" He asked you, voice in a low whisper as his breath fanned over your lips.

"Cause I've wanted you since the first day I laid my eyes on you."

Gifs not mine. Credit goes to their respective owners.

#ateez #ateez reactions #ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #ateez mafia au #mafia!au #mafia!ateez #ateez fluff #ateez angst #ateez hongjoong #ateez seonghwa #ateez yunho #ateez yeosang #ateez san #ateez mingi #ateez wooyoung #ateez jongho

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beewolfwrites · 3 years

Text

An Iron Box - The Answer

@cheshiya @tenseoyong @szallejhscorner @something-more-original-please @ofsunsetsandpoetries @nek0dzuken @allozaur @hiqhkey @serenzippity

That rooftop scene is growing closer, and so is my excitement :D

I’ve noticed a few new readers, and I just wanted to add a heads up that you can find the Tumblr post links and the AO3 links to each of the three fics at the top of my Tumblr, if that helps at all!

Here’s the AO3 link to this chapter too.

I hope you like it! <3

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

‘Chishiya, I’d hate to be your enemy.’

When Arisu had spoken those words right as he punched in the code, he’d already made his fatal mistake.

You are all my enemies, in a way.

I stood back, watching as Arisu’s bloodied and unconscious body was slung over a militant’s shoulder and carried out of the royal suite. Usagi went next, kicking and screaming her boyfriend’s name. Just as she was dragged out the door, her eyes locked on me, and I could see the sheer betrayal there, the hatred burning and seething under her skin.

I simply smiled.

It wasn’t personal. It’s just how this world works.

Sometimes you have to sacrifice a pawn to reach the king.

The rest of us meandered out into the hall where the two traitors were being hauled towards their fate. I felt a hand clamp firmly on my shoulder, and fought the urge to move away when I saw Aguni standing beside me.

‘You did good, Chishiya. I never did trust those two.’

You should rethink where you put your trust.

‘Don’t mention it,’ I said. ‘It’s the least I could do.’

There was a furious cry down the hall as Usagi bit someone’s hand, followed by a slap, and then silence. I already had an inkling about what would happen to the two of them. Knowing Niragi, he would have some fun with Usagi before disposing of her. Perhaps I should’ve felt guilty. Some people certainly would. But there was a small, satisfied part of me that was glad it was her instead of...

‘That reminds me,’ Aguni said. ‘How did you know about them?’

‘Ah… that.’ I took the walkie talkie out of my pocket and flashed it to him. ‘They tried to get me to join them. I went along with it to find out the details, and you know the rest.’

Aguni’s brows furrowed at the sight of the device, but he didn’t ask to inspect or keep it. That’s when I knew I had him wrapped around my finger.

‘I understand. If you see any other suspicious behaviour, let me know.’

‘Of course.’

I nodded politely as he disappeared down the hall and submerged himself in his room.

Now that those two were taken care of, the militants would be distracted for a little while. That left us a generous amount of time until dark, although the real plan wouldn’t take long to execute, especially now I knew where the actual safe was.

Aguni may have been observant, but not nearly as observant as I was. Knowing that he had come so close to having the cards snatched from right under his nose, it would’ve unsettled anyone. And in such an unstable situation, it was only human nature to seek stability by making sure that your precious items are untouched.

I guess I was wrong about the blank sheet.

There was a room on the top floor that I knew wasn’t currently being used. In such close proximity to the royal suite, it was the perfect hideout where I could talk into the walkie talkie without worrying about eavesdroppers.

Slipping inside, I pulled it from my pocket once again to tune it to a radio frequency I had told Kuina about earlier. Knowing her, she would have tuned (name’s) to the same one right after Arisu’s capture.

I lifted the walkie talkie to my mouth. ‘Kuina?’

There was a drawn out moment of static, then Kuina’s voice crackled through. ‘I’m here. (Name) still needs a minute though.’

I figured as much. Once she realised what was happening, it was inevitable that she would react badly. Having Kuina there to keep her away from Arisu and Usagi had been for the best. And now she knew that I had unwillingly involved her in a plan like this, her opinion of me had probably sunk lower than before.

Is this also for the best?

I sat down on the unused bed, deciding that yes, it was. She would only be a distraction. If it came down to it, I needed to survive. And once we left the Beach, if she despised me so much that she chose to go down a separate path, it couldn’t be better.

But still…

‘Chishiya.’ Kuina’s voice interrupted the quiet. ‘I hope you feel guilty for this. I seriously hope a small part of you realises how screwed up this was.’

I smiled at her lack of understanding. I realised perfectly well, but for the sake of surviving in a world like this, you couldn’t allow yourself to slip to the bottom of the food chain.

‘You’ve changed your tune,’ I replied. ‘Are you backing out all of a sudden?’

‘Of course not. I can’t afford to, and neither can (name).’ She paused, then tentatively asked, ‘Did you know? About her… and you, you know.’

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’

‘Did you know she had feel—’ Kuina’s voice stopped, then she hushed, ‘She’s coming out now. We’ll be upstairs soon.’

The communication cut off, and all I could do was wait until they were in position. Wait, and mull over Kuina’s unfinished question. Obviously, they had been talking about me, but I almost didn’t want to know what they had said.

I waited fifteen minutes, and there was still no sign from either of them. If they carried on at this speed, we would run out of time. Growing restless, I held up the walkie talkie.

‘You two, how are things on your side?’

There was no response, but they would have to reply eventually. What I didn’t expect was her voice to come through.

‘You’re all good to go from where I’m standing.’ Her voice was still dripping with unspoken anger and betrayal, and it was surprising she was even willing to talk to me.

So you’re not as childish as you act. Who would’ve thought.

‘Aguni’s still in his room,’ Kuina followed up with a sigh. ‘We’re getting bored now.’

‘Then should we get going with the plan?’ I suggested. The reply I got was scathing.

‘We’ve already gotten going. It’s you who needs to hurry up.’

That attitude, it was almost laughable. How commanding (name) had become in an instant, as if she weren’t tagging along on someone else’s plan.

‘Patience,’ I reminded her, and turning down the volume on the walkie talkie, I cracked open the door.

In the hall, there wasn’t a soul in sight. It couldn’t have been more perfect. The royal suite was unguarded, and I easily slipped by unnoticed. Inside, the room was bathed in darkness, and it became apparent Aguni hadn’t yet bothered to move his belongings in. There were still traces of the incident earlier. The carpet by the open wardrobe was spotted with blood. Arisu’s blood.

I turned the volume on the walkie talkie back up. ‘I don’t know if Arisu is stupid or intelligent. Hatter was paranoid. He wouldn’t have hidden the cards in a normal safe.’

‘Where’s the real one then?’ Kuina asked.

I turned to the deer painting on the wall. It didn’t particularly stand out as anything special, just a deer’s face and antlers against a blue toned background. And yet earlier that day, despite all the commotion and Arisu’s screams of pain, it had captured Aguni’s focus.

‘When Arisu was caught,’ I said, slowly approaching the painting, ‘Aguni wasn’t paying attention. He was looking towards a certain picture on the wall. It turns out the paper wasn’t empty after all. It contained a drawing instead.’

Briefly placing the walkie talkie on a side table, I lifted the painting from the wall, uncovering the hidden treasure that I had been hoping for. The plaster had been carved up, forming a hole large enough to jam a small safe inside. And sure enough, there it was. A hotel safe, much like the one Arisu had tried, was embedded deep into the wall.

Her voice, sounded through the static. ‘So, you had no idea where it was until then?’

I picked up the walkie talkie again. ‘Exactly. What happened to Arisu was necessary if we were going to find the real safe. Speaking of which, I’ve found it.’

Now it was the moment of truth. The final test to see if my code was correct. I punched the numbers in one by one. 8022. Each one held its own magnitude, and I half-expected an alarm to ring out.

Except it didn’t. The safe display read ‘OPEN’.

‘You used him just for that?’ was Kuina’s tired response.

Really, after all this time, did she not realise that this was the price one had to pay? This world had a certain dynamic. In order to survive, you couldn’t allow yourself to get caught up in guilt or shame.

‘In order to gain something, you have to lose something,’ I said. ‘He’s just a sacrifice. Things like this happen a lot, don’t they?’

'No, they don’t. Not at all. I really don’t want to be your enemy.’

I smiled, remembering the betrayal in Arisu’s expression. ‘I get that a lot.’

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

The deck was like a weight, swinging in my pocket. A surefire sense of power and danger, all hidden within a stack of cards. There was no way of knowing whether collecting them granted any passage back to the old world. But there was also nothing to prove that they didn’t.

Either way, I’m certain something will happen once the deck is completed.

These cards couldn’t be for nothing.

After replacing the painting, I told Kuina and (name) to meet me near the patio exit at the east of the hotel. I could’ve caught up with them on my way down from the top floor, but I wanted to make a small diversion.

I’d never felt any attachment to my room, and even now as I took one last look, there was nothing in particular keeping me here.

Well, maybe just one thing.

Pulling open the second drawer down on the desk, I felt around at the back for the tiny box. It was only small, and the ring inside even smaller. It sat open in the palm of my hand, the silver fashioned into a small sun with a glistening green centre.

Somehow, its weight was even heavier than the cards.

Is there any point?

I could’ve easily slipped it into my pocket, but it was practically useless. Even if I gave it to her, she would instantly reject it.

I placed the box back in the draw. It would stay a secret for the next person moving into this room. As I shut the drawer, I suddenly remembered another, darker secret hidden inside the one below. I opened it up, seeing the little souvenir I’d taken from my first game.

The pistol glistened inside, metallic and dangerous. Now that would certainly keep Niragi at bay. But again, was it worth it? It didn’t hold many bullets, and it wouldn’t stand a chance against a rifle. Once we were out of here, I could probably find something a little bigger, perhaps in Tokyo’s empty Yakuza hotspots.

I left it there along with the ring. Even walking away felt like tugging at a string that kept pulling me back towards that tiny box. I would have to rip that string apart.

Making my way down through the hotel, I strolled outside, dipping into the smaller paths where the patio was peaceful. The only sounds were the faded music drowned out by wind, and the soft trill of crickets. Two silhouettes came into view, one basking in the glow beneath a lamppost, the other hidden against the wall in its shadow.

‘I guess we won’t be needing these anymore.’ I pulled off the wristband I had gotten so used to wearing. Just as I reached the brick archway at the edge of the grounds, Kuina spoke.

‘Don’t you feel sorry?’

I paused. ‘Sorry?’

‘About what happened to Arisu,’ (name) said. ‘I feel really sorry for him. We both do.’

Kuina hummed in agreement. ‘Don’t you?’

I turned, glancing from Kuina’s frown to the figure behind her. No matter how hard she tried to hide in her friend’s shadow, I could always find her, especially when her eyes looked so full of anger and hurt. Standing there, both bracing themselves against the cold, the two of them echoed off one another in perfect harmony.

‘I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.’

I knew what line came next. She didn’t have to sing, so long as she was still breathing. Perhaps I could make her understand.

‘Is there anything we wouldn’t do in order to survive?’

Clearly, there was. Their eyes widened, as if the truth of this world hadn’t fully hit them yet. As if all my efforts had been for nothing in their eyes.

Fine. Very well.

I smiled, no longer caring to hide the bitterness. ‘If you both feel so worried, then maybe you should go and help him.’

And of course, neither of them budged. They knew they couldn’t. They were both so happy to come with me if it meant escaping the Beach, yet they still felt the right to criticise my methods. I turned back towards the arch and took the first step forward into freedom, only to hear that tiny, oh-so-familiar sound.

A buzzing.

‘It can’t be,’ I muttered.

This was always a possibility. But why here? Why now? Why, when I was so close to winning? Any other time, and I wouldn’t have minded. This, however, was simply annoying.

I was so deep in thought, I barely registered the footsteps behind me… the familiar form sliding past me… walking closer towards the arch.

‘Stop.’

My hand moved on its own, grabbing her wrist and tugging her back just in time. For one small second I felt the heat of her skin, right before it was yanked out of my grip.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ She touched her wrist as if it had been burned, unaware that it had been the other way around.

I couldn’t answer. The cold had settled back in, the emptiness. It only confirmed that nagging suspicion I already knew. The reason I couldn’t rip the string apart. She was the answer.

Kuina appeared at my side, waiting for an explanation. Her presence reminded me that there was something far, far more pressing at stake. Suddenly remembering the wristband I was holding, I tossed it into the arch.

A glowing red laser shot through the centre and it clattered to the ground.

The timing was almost ironic, too perfect to be true. Almost like the gamemasters had been watching us all along, just as they had with that little stunt they pulled in the Eight of Hearts. As frustrating as this was, I had to admire their creativity.

I sighed, turning around to see a wall of lasers appear along the parameters of the hotel.

Touche.

#alice in borderland #aib #chishiya #chishiya shuntaro #Chishiya x reader #chishiya x oc #Imawa no Kuni no Arisu #chishiya alice in Borderland

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adamsdice · 2 years

Note

Hi! You said you’re taking prompts? Could I please request a Charlie/Dennis fic (platonic or romantic your choice!) based around the gang goes to hell part two? Maybe some extra scenes building on how caring Dennis was towards Charlie in that episode? Whatever you like! Thanks!

OHOHO YOU GOT IT, ANON! This was actually so fun to write!!! TYYY! Deeef turned out romantic, so I hope that's okay!

- - -

, , Hushed Flecks of Recollection , ,

Fandom: It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Pairing: CharDen

Summary: At the revelation that life might just be too short to put off certain ordeals, backed by snippets of his time on the cruise, Dennis comes to terms with some feelings.

The memories of five different instances on the cruise prompt Dennis make the boldest decision of all.

A million thanks to the wonderful @deadhousep1ants for beta-ing this fic!

- - -

It was over; that mess of a cruise was over. And even their questioning ( which would turn out to be a simple insurance thing ) was done with and behind them. And Dennis, well, he had some thinking to do. A session of recollection, if you will, in order to sort some things out within his mind.

Understand them, and make a proper decision.

The first snippet was clear, they had dragged him all the way to some form of confinement chamber within the cruise; and for what? A simple ‘misunderstanding’. By all means, Dennis should be upset. And he was, for the most part.

But upon hearing Frank’s voice ask “ Lust?” and turning around to spot, not only his bastard father, but Charlie as well, that weight seemed to lighten. Perhaps it had been because it meant he wasn’t the first of the gang to be thrown into ‘boat jail’; but he knew that hadn’t been the reason.

“ Yeah.” Let’s leave it at that.

He would go to sit next to Charlie, sneaking in a quick pat on the back as he did. “ I’ll take a wild guess here and say you’re here for gluttony.”

“ Yep. Yeah.” A nod on Charlie’s behalf.

He knew it; Dennis knew it. That was certainly the reason he had to subdue a smile. Because he was right, and nothing else. Not because he was sat next to Charlie, talking to him.

Then there would be the second instance; when Dee would ever-so-loudly yell “ WE ARE IN HELL!!!”, almost triggering the ship’s massive swing; which had managed to flicker the lights in a manner he knew would stem panic within most of the gang.

His first instinct, no thoughts or intentions involved, was to grab Charlie; or rather bend his body towards him so that the tips of his fingers would fall right over both his chest and back.

“ You good, buddy?” he would ask, attempting to let his grip remain loose as soon as he grew conscious of it. Dennis’s mastery of his tone would not let panic show; however, he knew within himself that he had been struck with a degree of it. Subtle, but present.

Charlie would look to where he presumed Dennis to be; the on-and-off blinks of light then confirming that position to him. “ I don’t know, man, I don’t know.” he very faintly tapped the hand left on his chest.

Dennis would take it as a sign to straighten up ( in more ways than one ), and let go of the other’s form. But as the flickering continued, maybe partially for his own piece of mind, his fingertips would manage to fall over Charlie’s shoulder. Which the man chose not to comment on, instead giving an opportunistic nod at the next blink-in.

The light would soon stabilize. However, so would Dennis’s wrist; he failed to let it be moved beyond the edges of Charlie’s shoulder.

Then a third. After Charlie’s panic is doused at the OI OI OI, his fret soothed by the secure grip Dennis had mustered around him; they all went back to sitting.

Mac would find himself in the middle of the room, devising some form of activity to partake in with the rest of the gang.

And Dee would sulk, but not after arguing with an insistent Frank, who had taken the opportunity to tease her on the bird poop incident; having just heard it from Dennis.

And Charlie, well, he would find place beside the latter now. For a moment, he was quiet; he simply flashed those grassy eyes of his at an anticipant Dennis. But he would soon go on to speak.

“ Uh, just now. Thanks man. ” he would say in the lowest voice he could muster, wary lest the rest of the gang hears him thank someone.

“ Oh. Anytime, buddy. ” This wasn’t fine, was it? How a simple thank-you on Charlie’s part managed to satisfy him. Not particularly perk him up, but satisfaction was still quite a feat to achieve when you take into account that this had been Dennis. Dennis Reynolds was never truly fulfilled by anything; there were certain gaps spotting his soul, his mind, his heart. And seldom was it that he could get them brimmed.

And yet two simple words from Charlie. Thanks man. Would fill one of them in. Dennis hated it. Sometimes he hated Charlie for it. How dare he make Dennis soft. Softness, though not even all that intense on Dennis’s part – who must not have even been capable of strong levels of it – qualified as a form of weakness to him. And he couldn’t be weak. He didn’t want to be weak.

But by god, Charlie made him weak.

And in the fourth recollection; Charlie now gripped a flare gun. Concerned for his own safety, Dennis would attempt to reason with him.

" Everything is gonna be alright as long as everybody remains calm " he claimed.

But that reasoning would soon be challenged by the ship’s swerve; another one. This time, Dennis’s hands would aim for the hand he recognized all-too-well – its mass, its warmth, and the level of hair laid before it– it was unmistakably Charlie's hand. And at the realisation, he would let his own latch onto it.

Charlie would move his form a notch further, worried he may be stripped off his flare gun in the dark. But his hand, the one within Dennis’s cold, distinct grasp, he let that be where it was; he let himself confide in its touch. And in the equilibrium spurred by his own hand’s cosiness against Dennis’s cold composure. Hell, he would go a step further by allowing his urge to entangle their fingers to come into fruition. He couldn’t stop himself; even if a part of him wanted to.

Dennis simply tightened his grip at that. He wasn’t so sure what else he could do. But he convinced himself it had simply been the suddenty of the swerve that prompted him to act so irrationally.

When the lights came back on, they hastily tore their palms apart. What any of it meant would be left unsaid for the time being.

Then the fifth remembrance would pop by, much louder and shots clearer than any of the four before it.

Charlie monologuing about the gang already being dead.

Charlie holding the flare gun up to his head.

Charlie shooting himself.

Charlie’s body falling over; in slow motion now, and yet so quickly back then. But Dennis wouldn’t let him hit the ground, no. He would break his fall with an instinctive catch. He would hold him tight and close. His face, though forcibly falling in an uncaring manner, threatened to twitch at any moment; his very core threatened to crack like an eggshell on a counter. He could feel a shiver go through him like never before. Genuine worry. That’s what it was.

The only thing that stopped him from showing any of it was the gang’s eyes; glued to him in curious anticipation. Mac’s with even a little bit of jealousy.

That’s why when Frank offered to take care of Charlie, Dennis caved in without a second thought. Or rather without letting it be known he would undergo a ‘second thought’.

He wished he could be the one seated near the collapsed man. He wished he could stroke his hair, ask if he’s awake or if he would ever awaken.

But he was too stunted – too Dennis-like – to ever let himself act upon it. Especially in front of the gang.

When Charlie woke up, first optimistic as he reveled “ Then maybe everything’s going to be okay. . ,” only to be struck with panic at the sight of water filling up beneath his feet, “oh SHIT,” Dennis would attempt contact with him again – with his back.

But halfway through, he would decide against it and pull back. Who knew what he would do if he let himself touch the other in the state of booming relief he had reached. Certainly something he wouldn’t like Dee, Mac or Frank to be present for.

Now cut to present day, with the whole gang alive and fairly well. Dennis had been, as he recalled the events of the cruise, driving up all the way to a familiar– but otherwise unpleasant building: Charlie and Frank’s place. Where he would pull up, hop off his Range Rover and make sure its secure, then find his way up the god-awful stairs to Charlie’s.

The other was simply sitting on the floor, strumming impatient palms against his own thighs in wait for Frank to return. He had departed for the bathroom at the end of the hall only a minute ago; but alone, it felt like an eternity.

He assumed the knock on his door had been Frank – too lazy to twist the doorknob and find his way in – so he opened it with a readiness to nag.

Instead, however, it was Dennis. Looking only a tad off his brand.

“ Uh. What’s up, Den? You need something?”

“ Kind of.” Dennis would vaguely say, not even bothering to come in. “ I have something to say.”

“ I mean. Sure, man. Say it.”

“ You know how we, uh. How we were doing confessions on the cruise. or at least we were supposed to?” Back when they all thought they were going to die. Back when Dennis had come to a revelation that would lead to this very moment right now. Even whilst distracted by everyone’s shenanigans; and even whilst worried for his own life. He would come to a revelation.

Two, actually.

One which he would say out loud, to his sister. A clear “ I love you” to her face.

And the other was. . . well, less easier to voice.

“ Oh. Look, if you’re pissed that I told Mac about the letter thing, I’m really sorry, dude. I was all, like, panicky an-”

Dennis would cut him off. “ Stop, stop, Charlie. No. That’s not what I-. . . I just. I have one.”

“ A tattle or a con-”

Another cut-off, except this time it had been with a grab at Charlie’s cheeks; a bold, latching grasp at them, which would pull the entire man’s upper body closer to Dennis’s – who had already leaned in on his own.

Their lips would touch; first in a powerful clash reinforced by the momentum Dennis had induced; a momentum that had darted Charlie’s eyebrows all the way up in what could only be described as ambiguous shock. One that would soon transform into pleasant shock; as the initially rough collision loosened – softened into a light, blithe touch amongst two sets of lips. One rosy, lip-balmed and thin, and the other rough, chapped and plump.

At some point, the shock factor would fade altogether, as Charlie let himself sink into the genuine simplicity of the kiss. The hands that had so strongly squeezed his cheeks in the action would soon only gently cup them instead. And as for Charlie’s own, they would slide over Dennis’s form to settle around his waist, initially with some tenderness to them; however that wasn’t set to last very long, as new-found ( or perhaps old and rekindled ) passion spurred up and pushed it into a sure, stalwart clutch.

Dennis would attempt to convince himself to pull back, just for a second, so he could seek a verbal response; but the task proved too callous. When he swung his head back, Charlie pushed his own forth. And when he let his face go, he simply held him more steadily.

Ultimately, it was managed.

“ Oh.” Charlie would simply say. “ So confession, right?”

Dennis sighed, both fondly and in typical aggravation. “ What do you think?”

#TY FOR THE REQUEST!!!#I got to rewatch both parts of the gang goes to hell too heheh #PURE-ISH FLUFF?? WRITTEN BY ME??? IT'S MORE LIKELY THAN YOU THINK!#any excuse to have them kiss tbh . . .#HOPE IT'S ALRIGHT!#iasip #it's always sunny in philadelphia #iasip fanfic #iasip fanfiction #charden #chardennis #charlie kelly #dennis reynolds

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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 3 years

Text

scopaesthesia 👁️ chapter 4

chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3

Warnings: nonconsensual sex, death, murder, violence, stalking, paranoia, blood, gore, and other warnings to be added

This is dark!Bucky Barnes with a likelihood off dark!Steve Rogers as well and explicit. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Not everything is what it seems.

Note: I’m getting this chapter out before I’m clogged up with work. Y’all take care of yourselves and I hope you have a Happy Halloween.

Thank you. Love you guys!

As always, if you can, please leave some feedback, like and reblog <3

Despite your agitation, your isolation slowly reinstilled a sense of stability in you. Even if you were trapped, even if you had little choice in being there, the cabin with the bullet proof windows and advanced security system calmed your wearing nerves. And without a phone, you could not be reminded of, or harassed by the faceless villain who had turned your life on its head.

The first day dragged by as you spent hours pacing in your room and tossing and turning on the mattress. Sure, you were annoyed with Bucky and his demands, his often mercurial moods, but you recalled Steve’s words and they abated your irritation. You could still be in your apartment, still be entirely clueless to your shadowy stalker, still be a sitting duck swimming through dark waters. But you were safe with two super soldiers, even if the circumstances weren’t ideal.

Steve brought you a pre-packaged meal and you ate alone at the desk after trading him for your grocery list.

You stared out the window at the shedding trees and the frozen ground, the critters gathering what they could for their nests and burrows. The preserved potatoes were powdery and stuck to your tongue; the gravy lumpy and bland. You tossed the tray in the bin under the desk and rolled yourself in your covers.

That nail in your skull hadn’t quite relented yet and the knot in your stomach only wound tighter. You were still tender between your legs but the levee had yet to break. You laid awake through the night but for the few hours before sunrise. You awoke with stiff muscles and a heavy head. No longer a sharp pain at the top but a dull pulsing just above your neck.

You went back to the desk, wrapped in the quilt formerly folded over the end of the bed and slid open the drawer. You stirred through the hotel quality contents; cheap pens, a notepad, and a handful of mints. Odd but you supposed you weren’t the first occupants of the safe house.

You took out a blue pen and the pad of paper. You looked out the window and etched in ink the scene on the other side of the glass. You weren’t particularly skilled but the points of the tall pines and the sprawling arms of the walnut tree were simple enough. Little scribbles to show the twigs and pinecones at their feet. You blindly scratched the nib against the thin paper until you heard a knock at your door.

“You awake?” Bucky’s voice came clear through the door.

You put the pen down and cloaked yourself once more in the quilt as you stood. “Yeah,” you called back as you leaned against the edge of the desk. “What is it?”

Bucky carefully turned the handle and opened the door. He wore his high collared jacket with its chest pockets and two more lower down. His leather-sheathed knife hung from his belt, its tip poking out from beneath his coat, and he twisted a pair of gloves in his hands. He let the door fall completely open and lingered in the frame.

“I’m going into town. Steve will be here.” He said as his blue eyes bore into you. “You okay?”

You shrugged and pulled the blanket tighter around you.

“You want me to turn the heat up?” He asked. You didn’t answer. “Look, I’m sorry about last night. About being so blunt but you have to understand, you panicking isn’t helping anyone.”

“Why wouldn’t you at least tell me about something like that? About the drawings?” You snapped. “I have a right to know.”

He sniffed and let out a long breath. “You really don’t want to know everything. Alright. I was just coming to make sure your list was final. Anything I need to add?”

“Just sweeping it aside? Just like that?”

“Honey, you don’t need to worry about this creep. Me and Steve will. You just need to be patient,” He neared you with decisive steps, “And listen to us. We’re your lifeline, it’s about time you start using it.”

“Don’t.” You huffed. “Don’t call me ‘honey’.”

He tilted his head and his eyes sparked. His lips curved slightly as he considered you.

“Sorry,” he said rigidly. “I guess… I didn’t realise I was doing that.”

You watched him as he pulled on his gloves and bent his fingers, flexing his hands as he pushed his shoulders back.

“So, I don’t need to grab anything else while I’m out?” He prodded. “You got enough clothes--”

“Yeah,” you said sharply, “I should be fine. I’d say that list is the least of my worries.”

He smiled and scoffed. “Alright, h-- You need anything, you let Steve know. He’s downstairs trying to figure out breakfast.”

You nodded as he stared at you. He rubbed his hands together and backed away. He turned and stopped at the door.

“If you really want the truth,” he looked over his shoulder, “He killed again. Two girls in as many nights…” He shook his head and tutted. “He seems pretty desperate. It’s a good thing you’re here. With us.” He stepped out into the hall and you barely heard his last word. “Safe.”

👁️

You found Steve in the kitchen grimacing at a bag of oats. His hair was slightly askew and he wore a sweatshirt which would be loose on any other man but clung to his broad chest and thick arms. His blue eyes bore a semblance of fatigue and he looked up as you neared the other side of the long walnut island.

“There’s coffee,” he smiled. “Do you like oatmeal?”

“It will do,” you climbed up on a stool and bent your arms over the counter. “Bucky gone?”

“Yeah,” Steve set down the bag and turned to the cupboard. He pulled out a metal mug in the military style and filled it with coffee from the pot. He slid it over to you. “You like sugar? Cream? Because we have neither.”

“I’m fine,” you chuckled. “So… is this something you do a lot?”

“What? Make coffee?” He asked as he bent and searched the cupboards.

“No, whatever it is we’re doing here. Hiding?”

“I’ve been sent on protective missions before,” he stood and clunked a pot on the counter. “Can’t say it’s ever been this… intense. Usually political,” he opened the bag of oats and poured them into the pot, “Escort from point A to B. Nothing overly complicated.”

“So why exactly has S.H.I.E.L.D. taken the lead and not the FBI?”

He looked at you and raised his brows. He turned to add water to the pot and placed it on the stove. He turned the dial and spun back to you.

“If I tell you, you can’t let on to Bucky that you know.” He warned as he neared the island. “I mean it. I really shouldn’t. He’s right, you know? The less you know, the better.”

“Tell me. I’ll keep my mouth shut.” You urged. “Please.”

He sighed and pushed back his blonde hair. His short stubble caught the light as he dropped his arms.

“We have reason, strong reason, to believe that this… guy has ties to an association known as HYDRA. An organization which has been working to undermine democratic peace for decades.” Steve lowered his voice as he leaned across the countertop. “The hotel room that was… an unexpected and uncharacteristic slip-up. Before, he was stealthy, smart, we were barely able to string it all together. He was all over the city. But… I’m starting to think that it’s all deliberate on his part. He wants to distract us with the overwhelming evidence so that we make a real mistake.”

“But why-- Why would an operative want anything to do with me?”

“Oh, well, we don’t think he’s with HYDRA anymore and that makes him even more dangerous. He’s taken everything they taught him, all the evil they instilled in him, and now he’s working for his own agenda.”

Steve searched your face, “Why he chose you; who knows? Maybe you said ‘hi’ to him and he liked the way it sounded or maybe it’s entirely at random. The FBI handed this case over because they can’t figure him out and I gotta be honest, we’re not any closer than they were. The only upper hand we have is that Bucky saw him. That’s it. We don’t have a name or anything else. Just a face and there are an awful lot of those in New York.”

You trembled and ran your fingertips down your cheeks. You gulped as you sat up and your eyes threatened to well.

“Thanks for telling me.” You whispered.

“Right, but I need a favour in return.” He said.

“What?”

“Stop snooping around. We’re all stuck in here for a while. It doesn’t help anyone, especially not Bucky. He’s just trying to do his job and he’s already had to call in back-up. He’s feeling beat up right now.” Steve explained. “Besides, you really can’t give him a hard time after he got all bloodied up for you.”

“I… I’m sorry. I’m just scared.” You muttered, “I’ll cool it. Okay?”

He smiled and turned back to the stove. He grabbed a wooden spoon and stirred the oats. He swore under his breath.

“I really hope you’re a good cook because we’re all gonna be miserable if I’m in charge.” He tutted at the steaming pot. “Or at least, half-starved.”

👁️

“So we ended up getting lost on the beach,” Steve hit his empty bowl with his elbow as he talked. “And the bozo says he’s gonna get seasick. On land!”

You laughed as Steve’s eyes twinkled but quickly stopped as you heard the beep from the front door. It opened and closed, followed by the tap of fingertips on the panel. You looked over your shoulder as Bucky entered. You hadn’t realised how long you and Steve had been talking. A couple hours even after finishing the chewy porridge.

“There’s more in the car,” Bucky crossed to the island and plunked two bags on it.

“Oh, I’ll help,” you slid off the stool and Bucky caught your shoulder.

“You should stay inside,” Bucky said, “Steve.”

“Alright.” Steve rolled his eyes.

“I’ll clean up in here,” you offered.

“Don’t you dare,” Steve warned as he rounded the counter. “But since you promised to cook tonight I’ll be more than happy to let you do so then.”

“Deal,” you said and watched him pass into the hallway.

Bucky’s hand slipped from your shoulder and he gripped the lip of the counter. “You two get along.”

“Figure I should try, considering,” you moved so that the stool was between you.

“It’s gonna start snowing soon.” He said awkwardly. “Calling for a storm next week. Could be snowed in here.”

“Well, maybe that’s a good thing,” you said.

“Maybe,” he reached into one of the bags as he spoke, “I got you this.” He pulled out a bottle of red, “Figured I might as well.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to but… thanks,” you tried to smile. You heard Steve behind you and Bucky’s jaw squared as he looked over your shoulder. “At least let me help unpack.” You insisted as Steve placed the bags beside the others. “I mean, it’ll be something to keep me busy.”

“Twist my arm,” Steve said, “Alright, I’ll get the dishes and you started putting all this away. Bucky, do you mind helping?”

Bucky nodded and blinked slowly. “Any coffee left?” He asked.

“I’ll make a fresh pot,” Steve said as he gathered up the bowls, “But I wouldn’t recommend my oatmeal. There’s probably something better hidden in those bags.”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Bucky muttered, “It was a long ride.”

👁️

You decided that while you weren’t in control, it didn’t mean you were helpless. It only meant that you needed to let those who knew what they were doing take care of it. Bucky and Steve had years of experience in security and combat. You were just a secretary scared for her life. You had no idea what to do or what you were doing.

After the first couple days, it grew easier. You grew comfortable but not complacent. The few times of day you could cook kept you busy enough to distract you. Steve and Bucky were easier to be around as you grew used to them, even just used to having others in your living space. Mostly, you kept to yourself but managed some decent conversation when you ate or stumbled upon each other in the cabin.

It was quiet and you were bored. Again. There were a few books you'd found to read and your doodles had grown frustrating. You decided to take a shower and try to relax. Your isolation made you restless and your restlessness made you think of why you were hidden away in the middle of nowhere.

You locked the door behind you and hung your towel. To your surprise, Bucky had managed to pick out the exact soap you used. You couldn't recall if you'd been finicky enough to have written it on the list. You stretched and undressed. You still didn't sleep very well but it wasn't as if you did very much either.

You stepped under the showerhead as the pipes whined. In the evening, if your keepers were busy, you'd read by the woodstove. The smell was calming and the crackle filled the dead air. Maybe after you would sneak down and try to warm up in front of the fire.

The shower fogged up and you closed your eyes as you scrubbed your body. The smell was reassuring. It reminded you of when your life was normal. It made you think that maybe you could go back to before. That this might end and you might be free to live again.

You let out a breath and cranked the shower off. You pulled back the curtain as the steam cleared and you patted your skin dry before wrapping yourself in the towel. As you picked up your clothes, you froze. You stood and neared the door. Had you not locked it?

It was half-open and let in a draft from the hallway. You poked your head out and peered up and down the hall. Nothing, no one. Well, you were careless, you could've left it unlocked, not pushed it enough for it to catch.

You tiptoed across the hall to your room and pulled the door shut. This time you made sure it was closed though there was no lock on it. You tossed your clothes on the bed and pulled out a new set. Loose sweatpants and a cotton shirt. You needed to do laundry already. Well, another task to keep you occupied.

You pulled on some socks and crept out into the hall. You descended the stairs and listened for any sign of disturbance. Usually the men worked in the dining room or in the small office on the other side of the stairs.

You got to the bottom of the stairs and neared the front door. You looked out at the grey forest. It was supposed to snow that night, that's what Bucky declared at breakfast. You grasped the handle but it would not turn. You reached to the panel just beside you but it rejected your fingerprint with a loud beep.

"Going somewhere?" Bucky asked and you spun to face him, startled.

"No, I just… haven't been outside and I just wanted to… smell the air. I guess that's, uh, weird." You rubbed your hands together.

"It's freezing. You can't go out like that."

You stared at him. "But can I… go out?"

His blue eyes clung to you and his long lashes flicked. He lifted his brow and stepped closer. He stopped and slid your boots over to you with his foot.

"Stay close," he grabbed his coat, "And wear a hat."

He handed you a wool beanie from his coat pocket before he pulled the ends of his hair from beneath his collar. You took your coat, in slight disbelief, and smiled.

"You sure it's okay?"

"Well, you shouldn't be pent up in here for so long and once it snows, you won't wanna go out much at all."

He opened the door as you tucked your hands into your gloves. You stepped out and he followed you closely as the door clicked shut behind him. You tramped down the steps and bounced on your heels at the bottom. It smelled like pine and cold.

Bucky walked evenly across the clearing and you trailed behind him as he neared the trees. He stopped and waited for you to catch up. He waved you ahead of him. "Just follow the path."

He wasn't far behind as you did as he said, the path winding between trees and petering out before a frosty brook that would freeze over with the first snowfall. Your teeth chattered as the looming winter nipped through your layers. You were quiet as you bent to pick up a pinecone and admire its scales.

You felt Bucky watching you as you turned back and walked around the small clearing amidst the trees.

"Hey," you faced him and tossed the pinecone away, "I'm sorry I was so… contrary. I was afraid."

"It's fine," he shooed away your apology with his hand, "I've dealt with worse."

"Sure but… I owe you a thank you, too. You saved me. More than once. And I know I wouldn't be alive without you. So thanks. Really. And… I am trying. I trust you. I know you're going to get this guy."

He gave a small smile and kicked a stone as he came closer. "Well, let me just say, this is one of the only jobs I've been assigned that hasn't been a complete pain in the ass."

You scoffed and resisted your urge to back away from him. "Flattering, really."

"Twenty minutes," he said, "Then we gotta go back… before Steve notices and gets worried. Or worse, he'll think we left him out of some fun."

"Ah," you snorted, "Yeah, wouldn't want him to think that."

👁️

Another day and then another. Time fell as lackadaisical as the snow. At first, it had been a storm but it had slowed to a powdery lull. Neither Steve nor Bucky spoke of the killer and you didn’t dare to ask. What good would it do you to know he had killed another? Or that some other grisly piece of art had been found? Ignorance was bliss or at least solace.

You found yourself moving from room to room. First, your bedroom, then the kitchen for a cup of tea, the living room to feed the stove and watch it burn, and then back upstairs. You ran into Steve on your way up. He seemed distracted if not a bit perturbed. You noticed that in the last day he and Bucky had been quiet. More so than usual.

You continued up to your room and opened your current read; a classic you refused to read in high school and opted for the Sparknotes instead. You laid on your bed, one leg bent under the other as you swayed back and forth. The words didn’t stick in your mind and you found yourself rereading the same page until you clapped the book shut and snarled.

You sat up and tapped your foot on the floor. You heard voices, muffled by your door. You eked it open and slowly approached the top of the stairs. You listened as the argument came clearer.

“Goddamn it, Bucky, after everything I’ve done for you. What the fuck are we here for? Well, what am I here for?” Steve growled.

“Stop yelling, alright.” Bucky snipped. “Have a little fucking patience. You know this hasn’t been easy.” You heard something slam but couldn’t guess at what. “Don’t fucking blow it. Shut up and have a little faith in me.”

There was grumbling but nothing more as a door closed and blocked out the voices entirely. You felt that heat along the back of your neck. The sudden burst of instinctual fear that nestled along your shoulders. The goosebumps that told you that not all was as it seemed. The creeping, inescapable sensation which had lingered for weeks now.

You pushed yourself up to your feet and headed back to your room. It was a stressful mission, you couldn’t blame the two for getting frustrated. That must have been what it was. They were anxious to get this guy and be onto their next mission. You doubted it was their ideal job to be locked away in the snow.

You stopped as your hand fell to your door handle and you peered down the hall into Bucky’s room. The door was mostly open, only a slight angle blocking out part of the room. Slowly, you dragged your hand away from the knob and felt along the wall as you continued down the hall.

His bed was unmade, the pillows strewn about, and a familiar patch of fabric stuck out from beneath one of them. You glanced behind you and took a breath. You took a step inside and waited as if testing it. Would he know? He seemed to know everything.

You placed one foot in front of the other as softly as you could. You leaned a knee against the mattress and reached beneath the pillow. You lifted up your panties and blanched at the little daisies speckles along the cotton. You’d gone all week without a pair, the mystery of their disappearance forgotten as your own carelessness. You mouthed ‘what the fuck’ as you dropped them back to the bed.

You turned around and went to the tall dresser near the closet. You inched the top drawer open; the rest of your panties bunched up with his briefs. The pink pair with the hearts you didn’t dare to touch as dried white strings stained the lacy edge. You slid the drawer shut and gasped as you were suffocated by your shock.

You spun around and peeked out the open door. You heard nothing but the winter gales outside. You rounded the bed and went to the table in the corner; a monitor, a mouse, a keyboard, stacks of folders and papers.

Your fingers shook as you took your wallet from the mess and opened it up. Your cards, your IDs, and even the cash remained within. You put it back and took the envelope that was hidden beneath it. You opened it and flipped through its contents; your college ID from years ago, the one you got replaced after presumably dropping it in the library, your graduation photo, pictures of your family and you… all things you’d thought you lost.

You replaced the envelope and lifted the top of a file. The same drawing as before and several more, each one bloodier, more gruesome than the last until the final one. A metal arm around your neck…

Your hand hit the mouse as you retracted it in disgust and the monitor lit up. The sudden glare stung your eyes. A dozen different frames across the screen; each one a room in the house, including yours and even one in the shower. Bucky and Steve were in the office, deep in conversation.

You let out a shuddered breath as tears pricked.

You moved the mouse slowly and clicked on the file explorer. Folders sorted by date and then another simply labelled with your street name. You hesitated before you selected it. Dozens, maybe hundreds, of video files sorted by date. You bent closer as you clicked on the last day.

You hit double speed as your empty apartment greeted you. Then you came home, poured your wine, then Bucky arrived, you ordered food… You slowed down the footage as you slumped against the arm of the couch. The wine and the terror of that video call had left you senseless.

Bucky stood and pulled you down to lay across the couch. He backed up and watched you for a while then neared you again. You watched in horror as he bent over you and rolled your pants down. He climbed between your legs and buried his head between them. He shoved his metal hand beneath his mouth and your entire body jolted as he fingered.

You gasped as he finished and pulled your pants back up. Then he stood near you and used your hand to pleasure himself. You exited out of the window before your stomach turned entirely. You stood as you looked to the live feed. The office was empty.

You were suddenly pulled back as a rope wrapped around your neck. You kicked out as you were strangled, a figure flush against your back. You flailed and grabbed at the robe as you were shoved towards the bed. The body fell down onto you and the rope tightened.

“Baby girl,” Bucky’s voice slithered in your ear, “It didn’t have to be like this.”

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sweeethinny · 3 years

Text

Decisions

@raypotter asked me for a story where Harry got hurt and Ginny and the kids were relieved that he was alive.

It got very sentimental, a lot more than I expected, it has some descriptions of blood, so be warned

AO3 or bellow the cut :)

There was a lot of blood. On his hands, on his face, on his neck, near his ear.

Ginny took a deep breath when she saw it, as the healer ran to the closet looking for something she didn't know what it was, while another seemed to do something to keep Harry breathing.

She wanted to vomit.

It was a normal day like any other, the kids sent their letters, James was fine and had done well on the Transfiguration exam, Albus was recovering from a knee injury caused by some animal in Hagrid's class, and Lily was glad that she was going to start taking Divination classes. It was a normal day.

Teddy stopped by Ginny's office for them to talk, as they did almost every week, and he told her he was planning to travel to Spain to study about some rare animal that had appeared there, and Ginny made him leave only after her promotion party, because she wanted him there.

Harry had gone out on a field mission last night in order to pick up Jonas, who had been injured, and Ginny was having lunch with Luna at a muggle mall they liked.

It was a normal day, until Ginny received an owl with an urgent call to St. Mungo's.

First she thought of the children, Teddy could have been poisoned by some animal, or one of the children could have been seriously injured at Hogwarts and it had been preferable to send them to St. Mungo's. Then, she thought of her parents, Molly had been complaining of a pain in her hip, and Arthur didn't look so good on the last visit, did he? Or it could be her brothers.

Ginny didn't expect to see Harry there. It had been so long since he'd last needed to visit the hospital, maybe since James was born, which was when he'd been twice as careful, always afraid something bad would happen and he'd die. And after he had become Chief Auror, Harry had gone on to do far fewer field missions, so hospital visits were rare.

Her heart sped up, that dread that came whenever she saw someone in her family hurt, a gift the war had given her.

The healer opened the door for her when he saw her standing there, a gentle smile on her face. "He'll be fine, it's a deep bruise, but we've got everything under control."

Control? Ginny didn't think that could exist when there was that much blood coming out of a person.

"Is he breathing?" Ginny muttered, terrified.

'Yes, with a little difficulty, but it's just because of the pain, we'll stabilize him.' She smiled at her. “I'll ask you to wait outside until we've got everything settled.” The woman didn't wait for an answer, closing the door and running to do as some other healer asked.

What was she supposed to do? Should she call the kids? Should she call her mother? She couldn't stand there alone, because if something happened… No, nothing would, Ginny thought, Harry will be fine, he'll get out of this one, it's probably more dirt than actually hurt.

They will laugh about it later.

[...]

"Ginny!" Teddy called, startled, barely seeming to blink when he found her in the waiting room. He didn't look like that smiling boy from earlier now, his brown eyes glaring at her as if he expected to hear the worst news at any moment, his shoulders stiff. ‘Where is he? He is fine?'

'I'm waiting, the healers said they need another half an hour, apparently the spell was stronger than they thought, and-' Her eyes filled with tears, her hands trembling desperately again, the image of a bloodied Harry kept flashing in her mind, along with his being buried. 'The kids are coming, I know he'll be fine, but…'

"I know, I know, you did it right." Teddy hugged her, but as much as he looked like he wanted to keep her calm, he looked even more nervous. ‘Do you already know what hit him?

'They don't want to say until they're sure, but one of the Aurors who was with him said it's dark magic.' Ginny sniffled, running her hands through her hair as if to keep from starting to cry again, her heart pounding desperately in her chest. . 'I said he's starting to get too old to take that risk, Teddy, I said before he can save the world he needs to be a father, be a husband, but he doesn't listen!' .

'Nothing will happen to him, Gin, nothing, he'll be fine, you'll see, he hasn't even started to get into trouble with Albus yet!' Teddy pulled his own hair, pacing the empty room they had arranged for her to wait.

It was bad enough in that situation without a bunch of onlookers on top.

"I mean, he hasn't even seen me marry yet, he—" Teddy clapped a hand over his mouth, trembling as if just the thought of it destroyed him. It destroyed Ginny too. ‘Will the kids be long?‘

'Probably not, I spoke to McGonagall and informed her how serious the situation was and that I wanted the kids here with me, and she told me she would send them as soon as possible… Lily was doing some work with Hagrid, I don't know, but they shouldn't be long.” Ginny took a deep breath, trying to focus on the situation now and not the memories of war, the dead bodies, the destruction.

They weren't in a war anymore, everything would be fine.

‘Have you warned anyone else?

'No, I didn't want to make a big fuss, if not, we wouldn't have peace in the next few hours of so many journalists who would come here to find out what happened to Harry, and I'm not exposing him like that.'

"Not at all." Teddy nodded, looking out the window that faced a square, seeming to calm down after watching the people walking around below. It had soothed her, at least. "He told me he was thinking about retiring."

"He told me too." Ginny sat back in that uncomfortable chair, looking at the door and wanting someone to come over and say it was okay. 'He's getting tired, he's not 20 anymore, he's already 40… I mean, he's still in shape, Harry probably still lifts more weight than me, but the stress with the younger Aurors isn't paying off . They probably stress him out more than the kids themselves.'

"These days I went to lunch with him, and it was like he was running a daycare center." Teddy chuckled, taking a seat next to Ginny, and she was glad he was there with her. "And he gets along well with kids, but I don't think it can be easy to manage more than 20 of them."

‘And he’s having problems with some laws, and with all the bureaucracy, and I think that this is making him completely unhappy. A few days ago I thought he was going to have a heart attack after having to solve the same problem a third time.” She sighed.

Before Teddy could say anything, the fireplace glowed and three loud, fluttering voices filled the room, one Lily jumped out first, looking desperate, her glasses askew on her face and her jacket smeared with dust, running towards Ginny. 'Mum! What happened? Where is Daddy?'

Albus, who didn't look at all like that calm boy he always did, pushed James off the fireplace and jumped too, barely giving Ginny time to think. He had rosy cheeks, green eyes staring at her and Teddy, as if he was trying to read the expressions on their faces to hear the news. 'Is he going to die?'

"Don't be an idiot!" James interjected, stepping closer and keeping his eyes steady on Ginny, as if he wanted to make sure his dad would be okay. If she knew her son well, James was the one who was holding back the most to keep from showing that he was scared. 'He is fine?'

"He's fine, and he'll be fine," Ginny assured, hugging Lily sideways, because she didn't seem to want to leave her side. ‘I called you because…’ Because if he dies and you're not here I'll never forgive myself. Because Harry will enjoy seeing his kids one last time if he can't get the strength to survive. Because I need you here to keep me strong and not think about all those years of war, and not think about all those dead bodies. On Fred's dead body… 'Because it's the best thing to do, and your father will be very happy to see you when he wakes up. ‘

"Have you two been here long?" Albus asked, pulling out one of the chairs to sit next to Teddy, while James continued to stand by the window. Ginny didn't miss that Albus was shaking his leg nonstop, not even seeming to notice.

"No, I just arrived," Teddy assured him.

"I've been here for over an hour." Her lips trembled. "Jamie, sit down, there's no need to stand up."

"I don't want to." He tousled his hair. ‘How was he injured?

"I don't know, they didn't want to tell me." Ginny omitted, because she didn't think she should give that kind of detail to her kids. She continued to stare at him, watching as her son turned quickly to the window, as if he wanted to avoid being seen.

"Why don't you go buy us something to eat with me, Jamie?" Teddy stood up, looking like he noticed too. 'Are you hungry?'

"I've already eaten," Albus said, jumping into the chair beside his mother as the other stood up, letting Ginny hug him too.

"I want anything," she said, just because she knew the last meal had been breakfast, and she couldn't survive on just that in her stomach, especially if she wanted to support her kids. "Lils?" She looked at the girl still hugging her, sitting in the chair with her eyes downcast, her head resting on her mother.

"No thanks," Lily muttered, her voice lower than normal. Ginny had to swallow the cry that threatened to break her.

"Come on, mate?" Teddy pulled James close, his arm going over his shoulders like the big brother he was. "I hear there's a great cafeteria in here." The two of them left the room, James still looked sheepish and crestfallen, but Ginny blindly trusted Teddy to take care of him so she turned back to Lily.

"He'll be fine, it's just part of the job," she assured her, kissing her head.

"Have you seen him?" Albus asked, his voice shaking like his leg, which seemed to have accelerated now.

"I saw him when I arrived, the healers were cleaning him up and making sure everything was done as good as possible." Ginny chose the best words. She was grateful that Albus didn't ask her to detail how he was

But none of them asked, they kept quiet holding her, every time looking at the door when footsteps were heard, and she wondered how much longer they would wait to see Harry, to hear from him. When James arrived with Teddy, they brought chocolates, five salads, and some fried things that she assumed were fish and potatoes. They had taken longer than she thought it required, but James had red eyes and Teddy had wet spots on his dark blue shirt.

They started to eat, and even Albus, who had said he wasn't hungry, accepted the salad Teddy handed him, and some of James' fries. No one said anything else, the noise of the city outside and the birds being the only thing that rang in Ginny's ears, along with her heightened attention to any conversation and noise of people in the hallway.

She thought of the times she had told Harry that saving the world was no more important than being a father to his children, that surely those four would prefer him alive, than being a dead hero. Harry would never cease to be their hero, no matter what he did or didn't do, Ginny knew that.

They hadn't even been grandparents yet, Harry couldn't die.

And he wouldn't, Ginny scolded herself for thinking that. Harry would be fine, and they would grow old together, enjoying life, remembering what idiots they were as teenagers, watching their kids grow up and leave their house… Harry would be fine.

He had already gone through so much, so much tragedy, it would not be now that the trajectory would end.

"Do you guys remember when Harry said he could build that tree house all by himself?" Teddy recalled, a smile on his face, seeming to be carried away by the memory. 'He said he could do it and he didn't need help, but the hammer fell on his foot and he couldn't walk properly for almost a week.'

"Oh, and when did he say he was going to make pizza and the first one took almost an hour because he switched the time and temperature button?" Albus chuckled, shaking his head and filling his mouth with potato chips. "He looked so frustrated, and then the next one he burned because he set the temperature too high."

"Or when we convinced him to take Sir to the beach with us, and when we got there Sir threw up in the car seat," Teddy said.

"And he even pissed on the couch!" Lily said, looking more excited now that the memory of that vacation hit her. "He surfed with us that time."

"Wow, daddy surfing was the most shameful thing," James said, looking down at the salad in his lap and then shaking his head, a smirk on his face. "Will he want to surf with us again this year?" He looked at Ginny, as if he expected her to falter in her answer and admit that something bad could happen.

She smiled, an image of Harry trying to balance on the surfboard popping into her mind. ‘I'm sure he will. We can try to convince you to rappel with us, Al.'

'Oh yeah! I think he'll like the feeling of going down beside that waterfall.” Albus ran a hand through his hair, as if he too was trying to imagine his father tied to a rope as he descended a cliff. 'Can we go there on this vacation?'

"But Dad promised we were going to Egypt!" Lily cried, taking the chocolate from Teddy's hands and dividing it so everyone could get a piece.

"It's an amazing trip, we really should take it." Ginny remembered the one she'd taken years ago, not being able to not remember how happy Fred was with the trip, and how happy he'd been when they saw the pyramids. A ball of tears formed in her throat. ‘I'm sure there's some rappelling there, Al.’

"Dad told me he really wanted to visit Iceland one day and see an Aurora Borealis." James shrugged, stirring his salad uninterestedly. ‘They are rare and hard to find. He said that the times he was around, he never saw anything.’

"I think it would be a great experience too, but maybe Christmas is more attractive than summer there." Teddy ruffled James' hair, as if to cheer him up. ‘We should go to Amsterdam, because I've been asking for it for years now, and we never do. When Harry leaves here I will convince him that our next trip will be there.' He spoke, optimistic as ever, and suddenly the children seemed to remember where they were and why, and Ginny noticed when Albus' shoulders slumped a little, or when Lily cleared her throat and went back to looking at her chocolate.

"He said he's going to teach me how to cast a Patronus," Albus said, looking at Ginny. She smiled.

"I'm sure you can do it, Al." She ran a hand through his hair, thinking of all the promises Harry had made to the kids.

Traveling, skiing, horseback riding, learning spells, building things, going to shows… The list was huge, and it never stopped growing, as Harry was such a huge supporter of all the ideas the kids had.

Teddy wants to learn to play guitar? Harry will put him in a class, even if it takes their peace away. James wants to learn to ride a horse? Okay, he'd find a way to make that happen, no matter how much James fell in first class and twisted his fist. Albus wants a treehouse? Harry will build it, even if he doesn't know how. Lily wants to go to a muggle pop band concert but she can't go alone? Harry will take them and still arrange for them to stay very close to the stage, even if it means six hours in a queue, with several other hysterical teenagers in colorful shirts and posters declaring their love for one of the girls in the band.

Harry spoiled them sometimes, Ginny knew that, but it wasn't ruining them. They became creative people, they had a lot of skills to explore, as well as a lot of fun memories of those moments. They trusted them, in her and Harry's opinion, they talked to them about everything, or at least almost everything, and she knew this was much more than she, and obviously Harry, had.

‘Do you remember Teddy, when we went to Disney?' Ginny asked because she didn't want them to be sad, she wanted them to remember the good times and want them to live more of it, she wanted them to understand that the good times weren't over.

Harry would be fine. Then they would go to Amsterdam, ride horses, learn to ski, go looking for the Aurora, and even to Egypt. They still had many years to fill with activities.

‘It was fun, I remember! You let me eat at McDonald's.' He laughed. ‘We have to go there again. Do you remember Lils when we went with you? Gin-Gin can't go to some attractions because you were too scared and you were too small.”

"I think I'm tall enough now!" She smoothed her glasses back on her face, her chin lifting as if she challenged Teddy to deny it.

"Absolutely." He nodded, not thinking twice.

"But she's still a crybaby," Albus snapped, just to tease his sister, as usual. "She almost cried when-"

"I didn't cry!" Lily cut him off, her cheeks as red as her hair. ‘And I'm not scared. Mom!'

"Al, enough," Ginny warned, even though she was smiling. She was missing a bit of all this mess, their house was pretty quiet with just her and Harry there. "Should we-" She was interrupted by a healer who opened the door to the room, he had a gentle smile on his face but he looked tired. Ginny braced herself to hear the news, good or not.

‘He's fine, we took care of his injuries and he's already awake. He's asking to see his family, I informed him you were here.' The man had barely finished speaking when Albus jumped out of his chair and started to leave the room, as did James and Lily, looking eager to see Harry. ‘Sorry for the delay, it was a big injury.’

"It's okay," Ginny and Teddy stood, and she smiled at the man. 'Leaving my husband alive, you could take your time.' She walked out of the room, already seeing the children opening a door almost at the end of the hall, and the three voices saying 'Dad!' much higher than would be advisable in a hospital.

When she entered the room, the three of them were sitting on the bed with Harry, who looked tired but happy to see them there. His head was bandaged, as was a shoulder and ribs on his right side, his left eye was a little swollen, but she thought it was just because he had injured his head.

"I'm glad to see you here." His voice was low, husky, and Ginny thought he should be resting instead of straining like that, but she knew Harry wouldn't rest until he saw his family. "Daddy is fine, just the occasional wound."

"You scared the shit out of us!" Teddy walked over, sitting next to James, who was wide-eyed and looking a little scared. Lily nodded, sitting next to his knee.

"When Professor Johann called me, I thought I was in trouble," Albus said, moving his hands anxiously as he spoke. ‘I would prefer it to be that, I must say.

"Don't ever do that Mr Potter, my heart isn't so young anymore." Ginny sat down in the chair beside his bed, swallowing the sob of relief that wanted to break her chest when Harry looked at her and smiled. She ran a hand over his face, as if she just wanted to get reassurance that he was okay.

"I guess I'm not that young anymore either." He sighed. "Won't you talk to me, James?" Didn't you miss your old man?” Harry looked at the boy, sitting at the far end of the bed, who seemed to be making as much effort as Ginny not to cry.

'You scared me. I was the first one called, and… It was horrible, don't ever do that again.” James shook his head vehemently, as if he wanted to put some image out of his mind. 'If you died, I would never forgive you.' Ginny didn't think that was the kindest way to say he was afraid of losing his father, but it seemed to hit Harry in the right way, who smiled sadly and nodded slightly, before sighing.

[...]

"I think it's time to retire," he said, after the kids had left to sleep in the Burrow, Ginny stayed behind to spend the night with Harry.

"I think so too." She squeezed his hand, letting the tears finally flow. ‘What would these children do without their father? What was I going to do without you? I'm too young to be a widow.” Ginny tried to make a joke, but it only made her cry harder. ‘You already saved the world once, now enough.’

"Yeah, I realized that when I felt Noel carry me and start screaming for help." Harry looked sad too, wiping Ginny's tears away. ‘I still don't know what I'm going to do, where to go, but… I can't take it anymore Gin, I'm getting tired, they're stressing me out, it's not as cool as it was when I was 19 and I had nothing to lose. Now I do, and now I understand why Robards left too. Every time I go out into the field, I think about you guys, and when I'm at the office, I think about how tired I am… I don't know what to be but a savior, though.”

“You can start making pottery.” She laughed, making him laugh too. "You'll find something to do, I'm sure you have other skills besides being a hero," Ginny said, kissing him carefully, wanting him to understand that she was there with him, and that she was glad he was there. "We'll find something together, I promise."

#hinny #harry x ginny #next gen harry potter #harry and ginny #teddy lupin #james sirius potter #albus severus potter #lily luna potter #angst with comfort

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yukidragon · 3 years

Text

Our Life Snippet - Pretzels and Pop

Been a while since I flashed a clip of my Our Life: Beginnings & Always novelization’s first draft, huh? This time let’s take a peek at part of the Step 1 moment Shopping.

As always, credit for the original wonderful visual novel that fuels so much inspiration in me goes to the game’s creators, @gb-patch.

...

The scent of baked and fried goods, both savory and sweet, wafted through the air, drawing the children’s attention away from the keychain. Cove turned further down the street where he quickly spotted numerous different food carts lined in a row. Most importantly, he saw an array of delicious goodies people were happily eating.

Cove frowned, placing his uninjured arm over his now grumbling tummy as the delicious smells almost seemed to tease him. A quiet rumbling from his side drew his eye to Jamie and he saw she was holding her stomach now as well. “Let’s go get some food.”

“Yeah,” Jamie said with an eager nod. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and she was more than ready for lunch after so much walking around.

The children hurried their footsteps to reach the food vendors quickly, then slowed to consider their options. An array of foods both salty and sweet lay before them, their enticing smells serving to make their stomachs growl louder than before. Everything looked delicious, but they couldn’t sample it all.

After a short discussion considering the merits between foods such as pizza and hot dogs versus snow cones and ice cream, the pair came to a decision and got in line for the pretzel vendor. Cove eagerly ordered a pretzel covered with cinnamon that came paired with a little cup of icing that was far too tempting for him to resist. Jamie almost gave in to that same temptation, but ultimately she chose the pretzel already coated in vanilla icing and adorned with a rainbow’s worth of sprinkles.

Jamie licked her lips as she accepted her colorful treat from the vendor, barely resisting the urge to take a bite before they found someplace to sit. Her moms didn’t want her to eat too much sugar, but it should be fine, she thought; this was a special day and a special outing with Cove after all.

Besides, if Jamie drank milk with it, which was good for her, it would balance out the sugar, right? That’s why she got a carton of milk instead of soda pop like Cove did. She made sure to be the one to carry their drinks for the both of them after tucking her precious keychain away in her pocket, as Cove’s hands were getting pretty full.

The children hurried along to find an empty table for them to sit and eat their tasty treats. Fortune smiled on them as they found one close to the beach, which gave them an unobstructed view of the ocean.

Unfortunately for Jamie, this also meant that it was close enough for sand to cover the ground, and she winced as the chairs made terrible scraping sounds when moved. If her hands weren’t full, she would have covered her sensitive ears, so all she could do was grit her teeth and bear with the pain until they sat down, letting out a sigh of relief when the awful noise stopped.

Cove had been too distracted by setting things down on the table and getting into his seat without letting go of the balloon to notice Jamie’s discomfort for more than a moment before she relaxed. He didn’t know what to make of it, and she brightened up right away, so he supposed it wasn’t anything important.

Besides, there was a bigger issue they had to deal with right now. “These balloons are gonna make it hard to eat,” he said as he looked between the balloon and his pretzel as he tried to puzzle out the problem. He had a difficult enough time carrying everything while trying to keep a hold on the balloon’s string, especially while wearing something as unwieldy as a cast. It was going to be harder when his fingers got sticky with cinnamon, sugar, and icing.

Jamie looked at their balloons and opened her mouth, ready to agree, when an idea suddenly hit her. “Oh!” she gasped. “I know.”

Without bothering to stop to explain, Jamie went into action. She placed the drinks on the table alongside her pretzel, careful to keep her tasty treat on its waxy paper wrapper so that it wouldn’t get sandy. With her hands now mostly free, she hopped out of her chair without moving it so she could round the table to join Cove at his side. Gently, she tugged at the string of his balloon, taking it from his hand. Before he could ask her any questions, she tied it in a delicate bow around the wrist of his uncasted arm.

“Oh,” Cove said, blinking at the balloon now tied to his wrist. He moved his arm up and down a little, testing the stability of the knot. After seeing his balloon bounce and jerk but remain attached to him, he gave Jamie a satisfied smile.

Jamie returned the smile with one of her own as she offered her balloon to Cove. “There, now can you do mine too?”

Cove was only too happy to repay the favor. Unfortunately, the cast got in his way again with the way it restricted his fingers on his left hand, making it difficult for him to move them the way he wanted. The string tied to his right wrist also proved an additional challenge, as he had to be careful not to accidentally tangle both strings together.

Jamie watched Cove work patiently, his fingers feeling ticklish as they kept touching her wrist. The sensation was strange. It made her feel… happy? She liked it, but it was different in a way that left her face feeling warm and unable to look her friend in the eyes.

Finally, Cove managed to overcome the challenge, letting out a satisfied hum as he finished the knot. “Got it,” he said happily.

The two children took a moment to admire their handiwork. It also helped Jamie calm down from the weird feelings. With everything now settled, she returned to her side of the table after placing Cove’s soda closer to him. She was careful not to move the chair again as she squirmed back into it.

Now, both friends were able to finally enjoy their sweet treats and drinks as they admired their ocean view. The sounds of the sea mingling with the crowd served as a pleasant backdrop of ambient noise that left conversation unnecessary as they focused all their attention on enjoying their meal.

Jamie was the first to finish her pretzel with a little bit of regret that there wasn’t more of it. She licked what remained of the icing off her fingers, trying to get every last bit of the sugary goodness until she was sure there was nothing left. As she wiped her sticky hands on a napkin, she looked over at Cove and saw that he was close to being finished, but not quite.

Jamie didn’t want to rudely interrupt Cove’s meal by talking, but without anything to do, she quickly found herself growing bored. She drained the last of her milk as she looked around for something to occupy her time when she spied her balloon bobbing back and forth from the movements of her arm.

Inspiration struck, and Jamie pulled the string down until she could bring the balloon down into her hands. She held it more delicately than any of her stuffed animals as she moved it in what she felt confident was a good imitation of a real dolphin. She twisted in her seat to face towards the beach and held the balloon a little out in front of her as she continued her play, smiling proudly at how it looked as though it was swimming through the waves like that pod of dolphins she saw.

Cove curiously watched Jamie mess around with her balloon as he continued to eat. From his angle, he was able to see what she was going for. A delighted laugh escaped him as he could imagine exactly what she was, and he wanted to join in.

Jamie glanced over at Cove and watched him place what little was left of his pretzel down onto its wrapper so that he could take a hold of his dolphin balloon like she did. She beamed, eager to start a game of pretend with her friend. “Mine’s name is Merriweather,” she said proudly. “He’s the prince of the dolphins. He wears a crown of seaweed and all his friends are merfolk!”

Jamie turned ‘Merriweather’ towards Cove and bobbed it in the most regal manner she could manage, which elicited a giggle from her friend. “Every now and then, he’ll make friends with a kid and let them ride on his back,” she said before letting out a wistful sigh. She wished she could meet a magical dolphin prince like Merriweather for real.

“What’s yours?” Jamie asked eagerly once she shook off the fanciful thought.

Cove took a moment to consider the question seriously. He placed the balloon on the table, laying his cast covered arm across it as his gaze grew distant with contemplation. It took him some thinking to come up with an idea. “It’s-”

A loud and terrible pop destroyed the fantasy Cove had conjured up as the poor dolphin balloon exploded into green ribbons.

The children reeled back from the explosion, both yelping in surprise. For a moment after, the two could only stare at the tattered remains of what had been Cove’s balloon, which now looked more like a pile of seaweed that washed ashore.

Jamie was the first to break the silence. “Oh no…”

When the shock melted away, what had just happened hit Cove hard. His balloon was gone, destroyed beyond hope of repair. It wasn’t fair. He barely had a chance to enjoy it and now it was gone… forever.

#Our Life Beginnings & Always #Our Life #ourlifeba #Cove Holden #Jamie Last #Jamie Leimomi #My Writing

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jasontoddiefor · 3 years

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I have zero clue anything about TG but your essay rants ate always fun so i would absolutely love to hear your spicy takes

@before-it-kills-me: What are your Spicy Takes™?

Oh, BOI, am I glad you asked and I get to rant. For my spicy takes we have to take two things into consideration first:

Tokyo Ghoul tries to tell the story of a person, who's had it slighly worse than most and suddenly experiences a tragedy that was not his fault. He then has to re-learn the extent of his new agency.

The worldbuilding of Tokyo Ghoul is centered around this tragedy and does not stand on its own.

The second thing is the important one. To put it bluntly, the worldbuilding is second to the plot, which is fine technically speaking. It is, however, not what I prefer.

I like stories where the worldbuilding gives you a plot. And when you tackle TG from that angle, you end up with a lot of Spicy Takes™. So here they are.

Ghouls as Monsters

The idea of a second hidden society of ghouls is absolutely believable. The issue is kind of the way that humans, who are not part of that society, interact with that knowledge. In canon, there are still people that don't believe in them. Of course, even irl we have people that will deny the most obvious things as well, but ghouls, low as their numbers as predators must be compared to their food source, have existed for centuries. It stands to reason that they are a known danger. So obviously humans would want to exterminate this danger. However, especially with the current advances in sciences, it is utterly ridiculous to think there wouldn't be more humans fighting for ghoul rights.

Ghoul & Human Societies

It would also make sense if in the past you had a village where they actually kept a ghoul around as protection against attacks from outsiders. A village with no graveyards but good protection. Ghoul children taken from their families and raised as soldiers in an army. The idea that humans wouldn't have taken advantage of ghouls yet is just strange. And with that, of course, comes people advocating for their rights. Doing the math how many natural deaths could feed a so-and-so large ghoul population. And with cloning? You're telling me there are not hundreds of scientists studying how to cure ROS and learning more about ghoul physiology along the way?

And, from a monetary POV, we have people selling their organs or donating blood even now. You think we wouldn't have desperate people signing up to regularly donate blood to ghouls, becoming "kept" humans in exchange for financial stability? Rich ghoul families like the Tsukiyama could have human servants they've been supporting for decades in exchange for blood donations and the bodies of their deceased. People who sign their bodies over to ghouls when they die in exchange for money now. People, who never have to pay for groceries because their ghoul patrons determine what exactly they ought to eat until their demise. People with incurable diseases signing away their bodies or suicide victims.

There should be people advocating for ghoul rights because their livelihood depends on it. In turn, there are humans, who make extra cash with ghouls. Morticians, who sell people they’re supposed to burn. It’s such a waste after all. And that’s not even touching upon the people who fall in love with ghouls. You think they wouldn’t want to move heaven and hell for their loved ones?

Accordingly, there should be various types of human sympathizers. Those who are just discussing ghoul rights, then active supporters who help ghouls “pass” and disappear - basically a human version of Anteiku, then radicals who’re willing to outright fight the CCG to get their point across and finally those who believe ghouls are the next step of evolution.

The CCG

Ah, yes. Them. I love the idea of whole investigator families. However, I think the CCG should be stricter tied to the government than it looks like. I’m personally not a fan of “actually a hidden ghoul family leads them” because it feels very “we need a common enemy uwu” and also it would just make sense for the CCG to exist in such a world. So give them more power, make them even more militant. Let them pay for college tuition in exchange for service.

The Wards

Ah, my favorite. We barely have any information on how the wards operate, which is a disappointment. So I’ll just touch upon the most important details.

It makes sense that the wards the closest to the CCG headquarters are those with the least amount of ghoul activity. The 23rd with Cochlea is similarly strictly guarded. The 7th housing the ghoul restaurant should also not have a lot of open ghoul activity, but lots of covered action with many human disappearances. The wards controlled by Aogiri are those where you’re advised not to go out at night and peaceful ghouls flee from. 21st houses the Tsukiyama family and should accordingly, be relatively peaceful around their territory. The 20th ward probably takes in a lot of refugees from the Aogiri wards and it is not just Anteiku maintaining the peace. Plainly speaking, the ghoul society from the 20th probably isolates itself and keeps harsh borders to the other wards to maintain its peace. And then there is the 24th, which is the most underutilized ward. Underground ghoul society and we barely get more than a few glimpses into a place where only the poorest of humans live - or those who chose to live there for the sake of their partners. So much illegal gang activity must be going on in there. If Mustafar is where Jedi go to die, the 24th ward is where Investigators go to die. Even though the gangs within all hate each other, the 24th is their kingdom.

And this is basically what you get when you try to tackle worldbuilding before plot. What I’m gonna do in my fanfic, is toss Kaneki in a world that is just one messy operation away from full blown revolution and war. Kaneki doesn’t need to decide to change shit, his mere existence alone is already enough to be a catalyst for change.

#Tokyo ghoul #tg #worldbuilding fix it au #ask #epicmusic42 #before it kills me

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