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lixzey · 5 months

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Ive had this idea in my head for a while now and i just had to tell someone 🤭❤️

So y/n is siblings with regulus and sirius, and regulus and them are twins. They had a good bond with sirius before he ran away and then they werent alouwed to talk to him anymore because of there mum. But a few weeks after sirius left he came back to get a few things that he really wanted to keep . But when he and the marauders sneaked in he found there mum toruring regulus and he was screaming and crying and stuff, while y/n was laying there unconscious and bleeding a lot and then you can continue :) ( also if you want make it james x reader at the endddd)

Love your stories sm ❤️

warnings: use of the cruciatus curse, mention of death eaters, mentions of blood.

safe and sound

ONE TWO THREE

Oh, all that I did to try to undo it. All of my pain and all your excuses, I was a kid but I wasn't clueless. Someone who loves you wouldn't do this.

All of my past, I tried to erase it, but now I see, would I even change it? Might share a face and share a last name, but we are not the same.

December 25th, 1976

You hated Christmas.

Not because you despised the holiday, really, but because you hate what happens during the holiday.

Your parents would always gather up the whole family at Christmas; it was a tradition that originated with your family’s ancestors. You and your brothers were forced to wear itchy dress robes and needed to be on your best behavior. For as long as you can remember, the Black family Christmas gathering was a load of hippogriff dung.

You spent the whole day mingling with your older cousins, which you absolutely dreaded each and every time you had to spend time with them, especially Bellatrix. You already had to spend every day seeing your cousins at Hogwarts, and the last thing you wanted was to spend Christmas with them too.

The only sensible cousin you had was Andromeda; you loved her like a sister, but she wasn’t welcome in the family anymore since she married the muggle-born Ted Tonks. You missed her dearly, but you still exchanged letters from time to time, you still preferred Andromeda's company rather than Narcissa's or Bellatrix's.

The gathering went well—at least the first half of it.

You were sitting on your bed, peacefully reading a book, when your mother called everyone to the Black family library. You were confused; your family never used the library for gatherings this large. You reluctantly make your way up to the library, goosebumps littering your body as eerie silence enveloped the whole house. When you opened the doors to the library, your eyes visibly widened.

All of your family members were already inside, along with masked figures in dark cloaks—death eaters—standing in a circle around another hooded figure. Before you even knew what was happening, your eldest brother, Sirius, was thrown into the middle of the room.

“He is ready, my Lord.” Your father, Orion, bowed in front of the hooded figure—the Dark Lord. “He is sixteen, just as you requested.”

“I requested nothing, Orion. I required him to be at least sixteen and willing to join in the ranks of my death eaters.” The Dark Lord’s cold voice echoed in your ears, sending shivers down your spine. “I do not intend to use the Imperius curse on every last follower into understanding and obedience.”

“Perhaps a little persuasion is useful, my Lord?” Bellatrix purred lovingly at the Dark Lord, making you want to vomit right there and then. Voldemort raised a hand, and your cousin’s crazed laughter echoed throughout the room, her wand aimed at Sirius. “Crucio!”

You felt sick to your stomach as you watched in horror as your brother’s screams rang in your ears. Sirius looked defiant, refusing to bow down to the Dark Lord. You felt paralysed, unable to move or do anything to help your brother. Tears started to sting your eyes. You wanted to scream and shout. You wanted to grab your older brother and just run away from all of the madness.

You suddenly felt arms wrap around your shoulder, the familiar warmth enveloping you despite the horrors in front of you. “Starlight, look at me.”

You looked up, meeting your second-eldest brother’s soft eyes. “Reggie…..”

“I know, I know, just don’t let your guard down, okay, starlight?” Regulus whispered, kissing your forehead as he hugged you tighter. “It’ll be okay; Sirius will be okay.”

You watched helplessly as Sirius thrashed on the hardwood floor, screaming as the curse coursed through his body. Despite Regulus’ assurances—which you knew were pointless—tears flowed down your cheeks as you hoped that this was all just a bad dream. Sirius didn’t deserve any of this.

“Crucio!”

Still, Sirius did not break.

“He’s stubborn, Orion, Walburga,” Voldemort sneered, his red eyes glinting in the dim light. “Perhaps we should instruct the boy on the consequences of defiance.”

“Never!” Sirius screamed as he struggled to breathe, blood spilling out of his nose from being knocked over by the cruciatus.

“The young heir must be taught a lesson.’’ you heard your uncle Cygnus say, earning the laughs of agreement from everyone else.

Sirius panted heavily, licking blood from his lip before spitting it onto the rug. “Never….in a million….years.”

“Crucio! Crucio!” Bellatrix was clearly eager to hurt Sirius, enjoying the sight of your brother writhing in pain under her mercy. It made your blood boil; you wanted to just rip Bellatrix’s throat out of her neck.

“Kill the spare.” Voldemort’s snake-like eyes landed on you and Regulus. Your skin crawled as you felt the gazes of everyone in the room fall on you and your brother.

“No!” Your mother screamed and fell to her knees in front of the Dark Lord. “My Lord, I beg you, kill this traitor instead.” She gestured to Sirius's shaking, bleeding, sweating body. “Regulus and Y/n are as noble and pure as you could ever require. My better children will willingly seek your approval and bear your mark as soon as they come of age.”

Suddenly, everything went silent. You could hear your own heartbeat pounding in your ears. Every breath you took was a struggle as you waited for Voldemort's decision. Finally, he turned his gaze away from you, causing you to release the breath you didn't realise you were holding. The tension in the air was thick, and it felt like no one dared to move.

After what felt like an eternity, Voldemort spoke. “Very well, I will accept your offer. Bring them once they are of age. Do what you please to punish this Gryffindor.”

Regulus had his hand intertwined with yours, giving it an assuring squeeze. “It’s going to be alright, don’t worry.”

As Voldemort's followers, along with your family members, filed out of the room, you quickly rushed and kneeled down beside Sirius’ trembling body, pulling him into a hug, tears streaming down your face.

You choked back tears as you tilted his head so that he could look you straight in the eye. “Siri, look at me,” you choked out, your heart breaking at the sight of your injured older brother. “Open your eyes, please. Sirius, please look at me.”

“Hi, my little starlight,” he rasped, his grey eyes slowly opening to look up at you.

“You’re alright, I got you, you're safe,” You kissed your brother’s forehead, the taste of blood sticking to your lips. “Reggie,” you forced yourself to say through tears. “Help me take Siri back to his room.”

Regulus quickly nodded as he helped you and Sirius out of the library, his arm wrapped around Sirius’ waist to offer support while the two of you brought him back to his room. Once you settled him on his bed, you started to clean his wounds as best as you could. Regulus helped as well, casting healing spells on Sirius to ease his pain.

“I'm sorry,” Sirius said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I brought this on all of you.”

“It's not your fault, Siri,” you reassured him, tears still spilling from your eyes despite wiping them away just seconds ago. “None of this is your fault.”

Regulus handed Sirius a vial of dark red liquid. “Drink this—it's blood replenishing potion. I nicked it from Slughorn’s stash before we left for the holidays. Drink up, you'll feel a bit better.”

“We'll always be here for you, Siri,” you murmured, holding your brother's hand tightly. “No matter what, we'll be here for you, together.”

You grabbed the vial from your brother's hand, uncorked it and force fed it to your eldest brother. Sirius grimaced at the coppery taste, but swallowed nonetheless. After some time, Sirius was finally able to breathe easier, and his pain lessened. He looked at you and Regulus, the same gray eyes mirroring yours.

“Thank you,” Sirius mumbled. “I don't know what I'd do without both of you.”

“We’re siblings, it’s what siblings do—we protect each other,” Regulus said, a smile on his lips, leaning against the wall as he watched over you and Sirius with a determined look in his eyes. “We'll be okay, I promise. We just need to stick together and look out for each other, no matter what.”

“Yes, we will,” you agreed, giving Sirius a reassuring smile. “We'll find a way to get through this together.”

You lay awake in your room, your thoughts drifting back and forth to what had just happened earlier today.

Sirius didn’t do anything to deserve pain and torture. Sirius was the best big brother to you and Regulus; he always made sure the two of you were safe. Whenever either you or Regulus got into trouble, Sirius would do something worse, so he was the one who’d get punished instead. You’d always ask him why he did what he did, but he’d always say: your skin is far better than mine, starlight.

You were grateful for Sirius’ protection from your parents through the years; he and Reggie were your rocks. You wouldn’t have made it without your brothers; you loved them more than anything in the world.

It hurt you when Sirius first went to Hogwarts. You were scared he’d forget you and Regulus while he was at school. Sirius assured the two of you that it wouldn’t happen, but somehow it did. It didn’t happen until Regulus went to Hogwarts, leaving you alone to fend for yourself.

Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor; at first he was absolutely terrified, but in the end he embraced his inner Gryffindor—much to the disappointment of the whole family. Your parents specifically warned you and Regulus not to talk to Sirius while he was at Hogwarts; they wanted the two of you to cut ties with your eldest brother—just because he was a Gryffindor. Of course, you didn’t cut ties. Sirius was your brother; you weren’t just going to throw that away because of him defying tradition. But since Sirius was the disappointment, it fell on Regulus’ shoulders to become the proper heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.

Sirius would send letters, telling you and Regulus about his adventures while being a first year. He told the two of you about his friends, how he was excited for Reg to come to Hogwarts, and how he wanted so badly to have his siblings in Gryffindor too. It created a rift between your brothers, a rift created by your parents’ beliefs that were forced upon Regulus.

When Sirius came back from his first year, Regulus was distant from Sirius, unlike before. Of course, Sirius got worried for his little brother and asked you, but you didn’t know either what was happening because you and Regulus spent the whole year away from each other—with the exception of him sneaking into your room to comfort you when you were punished for not taking your etiquette lessons seriously, like the proper pureblood lady that you are.

The summer before Regulus’ first year and Sirius’ second year was spent in silence. The three of you locked up in your rooms until Sirius decided to be a proper Black. It was torture for you because it was slowly pitting your siblings against each other. The ideas your mother instilled upon you and Regulus were horrid and absolutely disgusting to hear from a mother’s lips—which you knew from an early age—that your mother was not like other mothers. Your aunt Druella was not like your mother—she was kind and loved her daughters—so it confused you as a child: why did Mother not love us?

Your brothers drifted apart completely when Regulus was sorted into Slytherin. Sirius stopped talking to Regulus completely—which broke his heart, but he wouldn’t tell that to Sirius; only you knew—and ignored Regulus for as long as he could while at school. It didn’t help much because Regulus became friends with Severus Snape, the person Sirius despised at Hogwarts.

Still, your brothers sent you letters to make you feel that you weren’t alone. But over the course of that year, the letters slowly stopped. At first, you thought it was because they were busy, but that wasn’t the case. They simply got caught up in their personal lives, forgetting you in the process. You couldn't hate them for it; they were entitled to their own lives outside of you; you were only their sister; you couldn’t demand attention.

You felt alone for the first time in your life. Your brothers left you alone to fend for yourself. You felt betrayed and abandoned by the people you loved most in the world. The months without them were hell. You spent all of your days being trained to be a proper wife when you came of age. You were barely eleven and training to be a wife—the only thing you’re destined to be, according to your family's standards.

When Christmas of that year came, you couldn’t recognise your brothers. Back then, one of you couldn’t be seen alone; it was always the three of you glued to each other's sides. The moment Sirius and Regulus stepped out of the floo, they immediately went to their respective rooms, not even batting an eye at each other or you either. Though it hurt, you were determined to bring back your family—your family, your brothers—and you weren’t going to let your parents’ words affect anything you had with your brothers.

You snuck into their rooms, trying to persuade them to bunk in your room, for old times’ sake, please! But all of your efforts were futile, as neither of them wanted to be in each other's presence other than yours. Well, at least they had common ground, you. Days passed, and they headed back to Hogwarts, leaving you once more. At that point, you came to terms that it would not be easy to bring your family back, but you at least had to try.

Finally, the time for you to attend Hogwarts finally came. And by some miracle, your brothers got along temporarily. It was their little sister’s first year at Hogwarts—they weren’t going to just ignore that and not be excited. Your brothers told you everything you needed to know while the three of you bunked in bed, just like old times.

As soon as you stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, Sirius and Regulus hovered over you like hawks—literally. You were annoyed, but you wouldn’t have it in any other way. Your brothers assured you that they’d still love you no matter which house you got sorted into; you were still their little starlight.

Lo and behold, you were sorted into Slytherin, like every other Black in your family. Your parents were ecstatic; they sent you an owl—a literal eagle owl that was bigger than your head—along with a box of Honeydukes sweets. Regulus was happy that you were sorted in the same house as him and was already eager to show you around the Slytherin common room. Sirius, on the other hand, was happy for you, but he was disappointed that his sister got sorted into the same house generations of family members were in—even Andromeda was in Slytherin—but you assured your eldest brother that nothing was ever going to change between the two of you.

Surprisingly, your Hogwarts years were a blast. By the time you were in your third year, you were at the top of your class and had friends in every year and house. You were popular amongst the crowd—not that you’d ever admit it—you were known as the kindest Black that ever walked the halls of Hogwarts. You made lots of friends in Slytherin and even more in Gryffindor, without your parents’ knowing, of course, because your tattletale of a cousin, Bellatrix, and with the extension of Narcissa, had already graduated prior to your first year.

Sirius and Regulus were extremely protective of you when boys started flocking over you. You had the Black family genes—full lips, aristocratic features, long black hair, and grey eyes—there was no denying that you were beautiful. But there was one boy who caught your eye, which Sirius would not approve of. Despite the fact that you had boys asking you out from left to right, you couldn’t compete with a certain redhead with eyes green as emeralds.

You loved James Potter more than just a friend.

James was kind, funny, brave, and fiercely loyal. Even though he had an ego the size of the Black Lake, he had a golden heart to match it. James never treated you like how other boys treated you; he treated you like a person, not like some trophy to be won. James had an effect on you no one else had; he made you feel like a lovesick girl whenever you’re near him—but you won’t show or tell anyone about it though—butterflies fill your stomach in a frenzy each time he looks at you. But he was your brother’s best friend, meaning he was off limits. There isn’t a written or verbal rule about that, but you knew Sirius would flip if you ever dated his best friend, which is a long shot because James Potter was hopelessly in love with Lily Evans. You hated it, but you didn’t have a choice; Lily was your friend too, and you couldn’t hate her for the things that weren't even her fault.

All of a sudden, you heard the floorboards creak from outside your bedroom, snapping you out of your thoughts. You slowly got out of bed to investigate, confused. Who the hell is up at three in the morning? Kreacher definitely doesn’t stay up this late. You placed your hand on the doorknob, slowly turning it, making sure to be as quiet as humanly possible, only to see your older brother creeping out of his room. Sirius stopped in his tracks when he noticed you, a guilty look plastered on his face, a look you knew oh so well.

“Go back to bed, starlight,” Sirius said, trying to act nonchalant but ultimately failing.

“Where are you going? Why do you have a bag packed? Are you leaving us?” You asked, your lips quivering at the sight of a bag slung over his shoulder.

Sirius sighed, walking towards you. “I’m sorry, starlight, but I have to leave,” he said gently, his breath wavering as he reached for your hand. “If I don’t, I’ll go insane.”

“What about us? Me? Reggie?”

“We can get through this, Siri; please don’t leave us…” you begged, pulling his hands away from your cheeks.

“I’ll write every day. I promise...” Sirius said, cupping your face in his hands. “It’s not safe for me here.” His chest heaved slightly. “You saw what happened, starlight—you know they’ll force me to take the mark, and you know I can’t have that,” he said, his expression solemn. “I have to leave; they’ve finally pushed me too far.”

Suddenly, the floorboards creaked again. Regulus stood behind Sirius, a confused look plastered on his face at the sight of you with tears in your eyes. “What's happening, Sirius, Y/n?” Regulus asked, worry evident in his voice.

Sirius froze at the sound of his voice. He felt you flinch in his arms. He turned to face Regulus, his eyes pleading and watery. “I’m leaving, little brother. I don’t belong here…with you lot,” he said, choking back his tears.

You buried your head back into Sirius’ chest, holding back your sobs. Your legs felt weak, and you had to grab onto your brother for support.

“You're only sixteen, Sirius,” Regulus said, his voice breaking. “You can’t just leave; you'll be disowned, Sirius.”

“I can't stay, Reggie,” Sirius replied, his voice strained. His eyes roamed over his brother's face, the pain and desperation evident in his eyes. “Mother never cared for me; father would rather die than acknowledge me.”

You looked up at Sirius in horror, tears running down your cheeks. He was right. Your parents hated him. They treated him like scum, all because he wanted to be a good and decent person. “Please, Sirius, don’t leave. We need you. I need you.”

Sirius sighed, his heart breaking at the sight of his crying sister. “I know, I know, but I can’t stand another day here. There’s so much going on—so much they expect me to do, but I can’t take this life.”

You hugged your brother tightly, silently casting a silencing charm as you let tears fall from your eyes. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Your fucking parents, Voldemort, fucking ruined it all.

“What about Y/n? It's our job to protect her!” Regulus cried out, trying to reason with Sirius, his eyes blazing. “What? You’re just going to leave?”

“I know, little brother, and that’s why I need you to protect her for me,’’ Sirius said slowly, his voice barely audible.

Regulus narrowed his eyes at his older brother. “Sirius, you’re a Gyrffindor! Be fucking brave, for once!” Regulus hissed angrily, fists clenched, and his lips curled into a scowl.

“For once?” Sirius snapped angrily, moving away from you. “I have been brave for you and Y/n for as long as any of us can remember, Regulus!”

Regulus’ expression morphed into anger; his eyes were blazing with fury and resentment. Sirius took a deep breath, but before he could say anything more, you piped up. “Reg...please.”

“No, Y/n! He’s only thinking about himself-”

“No, you're only thinking about yourself—what about me? MY future—how would you have expected me to become one of Voldemort’s minions and settle down and have children with a woman I don't even love?! I don't want their kind of life, not anymore,” Sirius yelled, his voice full of anger.

You flinched at the venom in Sirius’ voice. “Please, Sirius, don’t leave.”

“I’m sorry starlight, but I have to. I can’t be a part of this twisted family and the Dark Lord's reign of terror. I can’t keep pretending to be someone I’m not.” Sirius said, his voice filled with pain and determination

“Where will you go? ” You whispered, looking up at Sirius.

“The Potters, James said his parents would take me in.”

Regulus’ eyes filled with anger again. “You're choosing James Potter over your own brother and sister?” Regulus hissed angrily, pulling you away from Sirius.

“Yes!” Sirius yelled, his eyes turning cold. “I'm choosing freedom and life over this twisted family and the Dark Lord! I can't stay, Regulus, and you know it. Don't try and stop me!”

“You've made your choice,” Regulus spat, grabbing your hand. “Come on, starlight.”

Sirius watched as you followed Regulus, his heart breaking. He could feel his eyes burning and his tears threatening to fall.

“Starlight..?” Sirius called out, taking a step after you and Regulus. At the word, you both stopped. For a moment, Regulus turned to face Sirius, and then he took his younger sister by the shoulders.

“Stop crying for him, Y/n, he’s weak.” Regulus spat harshly.

And with that, Sirius slung his bag over his shoulder and walked to the Floo in your father’s study. “Potter Manor!”

You and Regulus stood there in silence, watching helplessly as you let out a choked sob. “Sirius, please don’t go,” you pleaded, but your voice was drowned by the sound of the flames that engulfed him, disappearing from your sight.

Regulus pulled you into his arms, holding you tightly as you cried. “I’m sorry, starlight,” Regulus whispered, his voice breaking. “I'll never leave you, I swear.”

You clung to your brother, and tears streamed continuously down your face as you realised that everything had changed. Your brother, Sirius, the one who always protected you, was gone. And everything was going to be different from now on.

Now you have another reason to hate Christmas.

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mychoombatheroomba · 4 months

Text

Let You Down

Between the Bones (Leon x GN! Reader) - Chapter 12

You should have known better.

(Cross-posted from Ao3)

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter Index

TW: angst, flashbacks/nightmares, guilt, terrible emotional responses to feelings

You remembered hearing about how comets could get stuck in orbit around a planet, pulled from their path by the force of gravity if all of the factors were right. It was something you’d heard in school at some point, in another life. It was impressive to think that something could be hurtling lost through space and still manage to get dragged off course. How could that even happen? How could everything in the universe line up just so - enough to stop such a force? To trap it?

Now, you were starting to understand it.

Over the next few days, neither you nor Leon mentioned what happened, and you, for one, were glad of it. You weren’t sure what there was to say, anyway. Not when you both had other things to focus on.

You were thankful for the preparations for assessments, because it was easiest to look Leon in the eye when you were giving a correction, or going on about what he might have to expect in the coming weeks. You might even have been able to pretend it hadn’t happened at all, were it not for the way you felt his eyes on you when he thought you weren’t looking. Or the way your own mind would conjure up some delicious impossibility when you let your guard down.

Luckily, you’d had a year to learn how to fend off dangerous thoughts. Training was your weapon, and it had worked well enough so far.

The trouble was in the company you kept. It was difficult to keep your mind off of Leon when he was at your side so often. At mealtimes and in your personal hours, you found your mind drifting. Even as the two of you sparred, or shot, or pushed yourselves through the obstacle course, imagination crept in. You would glance his way, catch sight of him straining against you in a fight, or aiming down the barrel of his pistol, and then you’d feel that pull.

Then, you started feeling it even when Leon wasn’t around.

You thought about sparring with him, pinning him to the ground and dragging your lips across his throat. You’d imagine him making those wonderful noises, looking at you with that same intensity he had when he fought.

A momentary desire. A want that could be handled. That’s how you liked to think of it, because that was easiest.

It was harmless enough, you thought, because how the hell would you make it work, anyway? You were training almost constantly, and even when you weren’t, the base was under constant surveillance. You were still technically a Sergeant, even here. Whatever Leon’s official rank was, you were fairly sure that you were a step up the ladder, and the rules were clearly set against that kind of fraternization. Even if Leon wanted you in the way that you wanted him - a possibility you were trying hard to talk yourself away from - there was almost no way the two of you could act on it.

I wouldn’t worry about something that’s not going to happen.

You’d said that to Leon, and now you could take your own advice.

And yet, you worried anyway.

At a point, you stopped being angry with yourself about it. That point came not too long after you reported to Major Krauser after a night watch.

You’d woken up before everyone else, readying yourself to be more exhausted than usual for the rest of the day. It was a long shift, as always, because there was seldom anything going wrong on base. The worst case scenario was usually a recruit trying to sneak out at night, or writing letters when they shouldn’t be. Still, you’d learned long ago to take the job seriously, and so you kept a watchful eye over the base as you went, noting that little nook by the officer’s barracks and on the west side behind the mess hall where you knew the cameras were blind.

Places where you’d seen soldiers hiding out for a smoke, or to steal a drink, or . . .

If indeed there was a world where you and Leon were to act on whatever was between you - if there was anything between you - then you supposed it might be there, in the blind spots of the cameras, when no one was looking. As you finished your watch, you couldn’t help but imagine that world, letting yourself indulge in the thought, however admittedly shameful a thought it was.

You felt like you were getting away with some great crime, in a way. Or, you did, until after you gave your report and Krauser didn’t dismiss you right away.

“You and the rookie,” Krauser began, and you felt your blood pressure skyrocket, your mind going on high alert. There was only one rookie he could be talking about. “You’ve been spending a lot of time together.”

Your thoughts bombarded you in quick succession.

He knows-

How the fuck would he know?

He knows-

You’ve only been thinking-

“Yeah,” you nodded dumbly, trying to assess both what emotion the Major was speaking with and how guilty you looked. “I’m trying to get him up to speed.” You almost considered praying that he wouldn’t ask any of the questions you dreaded. Then again, whatever higher powers that were up there had never been merciful to you before, why would they start now?

“You’ve done a good job,” Krauser said, and you wished you could enjoy the compliment. “He’s not hopeless anymore, I’ll give him that.”

“He’s never been hopeless,” you defended, your affection for the man in question squeezing the words out of you.

Krauser noticed. You could see it in his eyes - the way his mouth tightened. Still, he shrugged in the end. “Maybe not, but he’s actually keeping up, now. Hell, he’s doing better than most of his unit. Even if he’s soft.”

That bit, you weren’t sure you could argue with. He’d jumped in to save you from being hurt, after all. He’d asked you about who you were as a person, what sort of music you liked. Who you wanted to be. Leon was not the hardened soldier that everyone else on base was. Maybe that was what endeared him to you, in a way. And maybe that was what scared you about him. How long would that soft side of him last?

“He’ll get there,” you said, your voice quieter.

“Not if he’s never challenged,” Krauser asserted, and you couldn’t help but furrow your brow. Every day in this place was a challenge. What the hell more did the Major want from him? “I know you’ve been giving him advice,” the man went on, “and that’s alright. Good, even. But I’m going to have your unit help me with their test, and I don’t want any details spilled. Understood?”

Ah. That was what he wanted to talk about, then. Maybe you were in the clear, after all. “Understood, sir.” You said it because you were so relieved he wasn’t asking about you and Leon on a more personal level. Then, a beat passed, and you thought about what the Major was implying. “What are we going to be doing?”

“We’ll start getting you ready for it tomorrow,” Krauser said, and that didn’t make you feel better whatsoever. “I’ll go over it when we meet for afternoon drills.”

That was all the explanation you were going to get for now. Whatever it was, if your entire squad was going to be involved, then it was probably going to be bad. Different than your own assessment had been, all those weeks prior. Knowing Krauser, probably more brutal. You had something new to think about now, at least. Something constructive. Something attainable.

“Am I dismissed, sir?” you asked.

You were more than a little surprised with the answer. “Not just yet,” Krauser shook his head, taking a step closer. “The rookie. He tell you about Raccoon City?”

The question caught you off guard in a way that Major Krauser so often did, with words or weapons.

“You know?”

Stupid question. “I read his file. What they'd let me see. Know you two have some shared experience.”

“. . . Yeah, he told me.”

“And you told him?”

The sky was bleeding a rising red. Bleeding just like you. You smelled smoke-

A shadow passed over the sun-

A red beret above you-

A gruff voice. “This one’s still alive!”

You weren’t supposed to have spoken about it, you supposed, but that didn’t change facts. “Part of it, yeah.” Krauser would either understand or he’d write you up. Maybe that discipline was what you needed. Maybe it would knock your head back into gear-

“Good.” Krauser nodded once with approval, and again you were a little shocked. “Need you two to stop feeling sorry for yourselves. If you have to pull each other out of the muck to do it, that’s fine by me.”

A few years ago, that comment would have lit an inferno in you. It would have burned you up with rage, because who was this man to tell you how to live with your own grief? Who was this bastard to say that you couldn’t mourn for the life and the people that you lost? You were different now, though. You’d served for long enough to know a hardass drill sergeant’s talk when you heard it, and you knew Jack Krauser well enough to know when he was pushing you forward instead of holding you down. This, however harsh, was the former.

“Will do, sir,” you nodded, almost smiling. You have been doing a lot of that, lately.

Krauser didn’t quite return the look, but that was alright. He just nodded, seemingly content that he’d made the points he wanted to make. “Dismissed.”

⧫⧫⧫

He knew it was a dream.

It had to be, because there was no way you were actually underneath him, hands clutching at him. Looking up at him with wide, dark-fire eyes. Your fingers wove in his hair, pulling him down-

Down-

Until his lips were against your own.

Oh, it was a dream. One he’d been having more and more, lately. And however wrong it was, however Leon knew it improper to be thinking of you like this, he let himself drift through it. Get lost in it. It was so much sweeter than his dreams had been of late, how could he not savor the little whispers of his name from you?

How could he not let himself sink into that bliss?

How could he not try to memorize the way your hand felt as he took it in his own?

The way you clung to each other like a lifeline-

The way your breath hitched-

The way the world seemed to fall away-

“Did you forget about me that quickly?” The words turned his blood to ice. It wasn’t your voice. No, he would know that voice anywhere. Dreams were the only place he could hear it, now.

He wasn’t kissing you, anymore. You were falling away from him, the ground giving way . . . and then, you weren’t you. Just as she had so many nights before, Ada was looking up at him, her gaze as dark as the emptiness that waited for her, if Leon let go. So, he held on, knuckles turning white, wishing that he could change the past.

But this was a dream. Not real. Just a reminder of hard truths.

Most nights, though, when he dreamed of Ada falling, she seemed accepting. Afraid, but accepting. Now, as her hand slipped from Leon’s, there was nothing but accusation in her eyes as she fell down-

Down-

Until she was gone, like she had never truly been in the first place.

⧫⧫⧫

Whatever nonsense you were planning, it was curbed when you saw that Leon was sitting by himself at lunch.

It wasn’t unusual. What was unusual was that when you moved to join him, he glanced up at you, and then looked back down just as quickly. His jaw tightened. He gave you a mumbled greeting, and then went quiet.

“You alright?” you asked, and he took a breath before he answered.

“Yeah. I just didn’t sleep well.”

You knew well enough what that meant, no one better. Krauser’s words lingered in your head, joining the concern that was already there. However else you were thinking of Leon lately, he had been there for you. Least you could do was return the favor. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He looked up at you, conflict plain in his expression. Whatever was happening in his mind, his answer was simple. “Pass.”

You’d both long since learned to respect that much from each other, so you nodded and let the subject drop. Even if you wanted to dig deeper. Even if it was plain that Leon was far from “fine”. But you were the last person alive who could accuse someone of hiding what they were feeling, or not wanting to talk about it. You’d been doing it for a year now, after all.

“Knives today?” You asked, when the silence grew to be too much.

Leon just nodded.

⧫⧫⧫

Leon understood how you could get so lost in a fight, now. He knew why you would spar to clear your head. There was so little room for other thoughts when you were truly in the moment, when all you let yourself think of was the blade you were up against. The blade, and not the person.

Easier said than done, when you were the one holding that knife.

Still, for the most part, Leon found that he was able to keep his thoughts on the combat. Moves and countermoves. You’d advance, and he would block. Answer your attack with one of his own. It all started to blur together, his mind rushing to keep up with you. It was getting easier. He almost forgot the dream that had him in a chokehold all day. Then, everything would get muddled when you would pause at a safe distance, your eyes finding his own as the two of you planned your next move. Or, when in the heat of the moment, the two of you would find yourselves locked together, struggling to get a knife around the other’s guard.

Those were the moments when Leon’s will would falter.

-his lips were against your own-

-you clung to each other-

-her hand slipped from Leon’s-

He swore beneath his breath as your knife smashed against his fingers, and he took a moment to shake the pain from his hand.

“You sure you’re alright?”

You would be able to tell that his mind was a mess. Right now, though, he wished that he was a stone wall. Unreadable. He didn’t want you to so easily tell what was happening behind his eyes. “Yeah,” he lied again, “I’m alright.”

The look you gave him spoke for itself. That’s bullshit.

Even with that look, though, you didn’t push him. Because you were, beneath all that training and cold steel focus, a good person. Leon knew it, even if you likely wouldn’t agree. He knew it, and it made things all the more difficult. If you were just some emotionless soldier, intent on molding yourself into a killing machine, he could have ignored what he was feeling. Instead, you were . . . well, you.

“Okay. Just focus on me, alright?” you said, your voice quiet and steady and just a touch too compassionate. He shouldn’t begrudge you compassion, but his emotions were a jumble as it was.

Still, he followed your command, doing his best to quiet his more traitorous thoughts. It got easier when, after a quick exchange of attacks, he managed to get his knife through your guard, pressing the tip of its blade to your chest.

Victories were coming more and more often now, but each time Leon won against you, he couldn’t help but feel proud. Even now, when his mind was all shadows and doubts. Of course, encouragement from you didn’t hurt, either.

“There you go,” you praised as he stepped away. You were smiling.

God, your smile.

“You know, you’re getting pretty good at this.”

The compliment did raise his mood, despite everything. “Good enough to pass assessments?”

“You’d better be, or what the hell have we been doing this whole time?” It was said with good humor, and it made Leon huff a little laugh.

“Fair enough.”

“You’ll be fine,” you reassured him, and he had no choice but to believe you, when you were looking at him like that. “That said, you up for a challenge?” you asked, the concern on your face being replaced with a grin.

He loved it when you smiled like that - it made your eyes light up like a devil that meant well but was going to leave a trail of fire behind them anyway. You were trying to distract him, he figured. Trying to get his mind off of whatever was bothering him the only way you knew how. A challenge with you was usually more of an impossible feat - something he could strive for, but never quite achieved. Still, because he needed that distraction, he found himself nodding. “Sure.”

With that, you slid your knife into the pocket of your fatigues. Armed versus unarmed. Same way you’d fought him on that first day. “Let’s see how many wins you can get in a row.” You bent your knees, getting into a ready stance.

Leon felt the corners of his mouth curve upward. “Wouldn’t it be more of a challenge if you were armed?”

“Well, maybe I wanted a challenge, too.” You swiped at his knife hand, knocking it out of the way for a stomach jab.

Leon blocked. Slashed at your arm. Near miss.

He pushed the offensive, just as he’d been taught. By Krauser. By you.

You tried to catch his wrist, but he twisted away. Instinct guided him to his first victory - a knife slashed across your belly too fast for you to avoid in time. You didn’t wince away from it, and Leon was glad of that. In fact, you gave him an approving nod. “That’s one.”

The second victory went to you, when you leveraged the knife out of his hand and the unarmed bout that followed ended with you locking your arms around his neck from behind. “And one for me,” you said, and he could feel your breath hot against his ear before you let him go. You’d been on top of him hundreds of times, now. Why was it now that feeling you against him set his blood pounding?

He knew that, on some level, it was because of the whispers of fantasies he’d indulged in of late. Dreams that he’d let play out when he shouldn’t have.

Focus.

Another round. His win. He switched hands as you tried to bind his attack away, caught you first in the arm, and then later in the well between your neck and shoulder. You were breathing heavy, your eyes filled with what Leon could only hope was determination.

On and on the two of you went, fighting with everything you had. You had more wins, overall, but it was no surprise. The fact that Leon was winning at all was a step in the right direction.

And as the two of you fought, Leon felt the despair that had been dragging him down all day begin to fade. Each of your little smiles, or jabbing comments pulled him into the moment. The here and now. You didn’t give him the opportunity to think of the past, because if he let himself slip, he would lose.

That became abundantly clear when you stripped the knife from his hand and came at him. Now he was on the defensive, his body alight with electricity as he realized the danger he was in.

You slashed at him once. Twice. Leon just barely got out of the way in time.

A kick sent Leon backwards, and he rolled to come up on all fours just in time to see you rushing him.

The sun had set. The only lights were the street lamps overhead and the dim light coming from the officer’s bunkhouse. Still, it was enough to catch on the blade of your knife as you brought it down on him, holding it in reverse like the fang of a spider ready to pierce his skin.

The light caught the blade in your hand, yes, but it also caught the handle of the one still in your pocket.

Leon took the chance without thinking, rising onto one knee and moving one arm to block as the other went for your hip. Your eyes widened as he closed his fingers around the knife, and you moved to stop him too late. He pulled the weapon free of your pocket, cutting an imagined line across your stomach before holding it to the inside of the leg that was forward. Right where the femoral artery ran beneath the skin and muscle - a place that would bleed you fast in the real world.

So close to a more compromising position, that Leon nearly froze as he realized just where he’d placed that knife.

Nearly.

Instead, he found himself keeping the blade there, and looking up at you with an almost-grin of his own. All that kept it from a full smile was the uncertainty of what your reaction would be to the move. You looked surprised, yes. But there was something else there, too. Something darker that danced where the lamplight couldn’t reach. Even if you’d just lost the fight, you looked otherworldly standing over him. “Smooth move, pretty boy.”

Something in him tensed at the nickname. Sparked. He was losing the fight against those thoughts of his. Had to push through. “Sorry,” he said, even if he didn’t really mean it. “That was kind of cheap-”

“No, it was smart.” You lowered your still raised knife, and Leon let his blocking arm relax. He let his knife fall away, too, glad of the low light hiding the redness in his cheeks and ears as he rose. “If it’s there, might as well use it.” Even so, you went and put the knife back on the table where it belonged. “Now, let’s see if you can find other ways to surprise me.”

Leon took to the challenge eagerly and won the next round in doing so. Your head tilted back on instinct as he rested the knife against your neck, and there was no anger at the defeat to be found. You were both tired. You shared the same quick breathing and pounding hearts. Sweat beaded at your brow, the same as it did at Leon’s. The day was almost over. All that to say, Leon wasn’t surprised when you grinned at him over the knife. “Think you can make it to three?” you didn’t move away as you spoke.

What he’d dreamed of didn’t matter anymore. Only this moment did. However dangerous it was.

“Do I get anything if I win?”

You didn’t break his gaze as you answered. It let him see the way your pupils dilated, and with the way his blood was pounding in his ears, there was no guilt to be found at the way it made him feel. “I’m sure I’ll think of something,” you said, and Leon knew that he had to win.

And so, the last fight of the evening began, set to the tune of the radio as it always was. Leon paid the music no mind, because the dance that the two of you were locked in was something else entirely. Something that no music could ever hope to score.

It went on for a long time - Leon swinging the knife at you, and you avoiding it. You stepped back and to the side, but never forward. Never towards him. After hours of you teaching Leon to get in close, Leon knew that you were planning something. The wildness in your eyes only confirmed it.

Wild and alive - so different from the way you’d looked on that first day. He’d thought you were ice, then. Now, he was staring at a crackling flame and couldn’t look away.

You exhaled as you retreated from another attack, stopping just short of the wall of the officer’s barracks. “What are you doing all the way over there?” Leon asked, fairly sure that you’d spoken those exact words to him at one point or another.

You just shrugged, keeping your guard up. “Waiting.”

“Could be waiting a while.”

There was that devil-grin again. “Then come and get me.”

Leon knew it was a trap. You’d all but spelled it out for him. Still, he advanced, taking a few more swings. If he could get you caught against the wall, then he might be able to get the upper hand. Slash, slash, and thrust. The last one aimed at your heart, meant to get you to back up.

He supposed that he should have known not to back you into a corner.

You reached for Leon’s arm before he could pull it away, trying to trap his hand against your chest. So you could pull the knife free, he thought, but was quickly proven wrong as you turned and dropped down. Your back to his, your free arm bracing against his own, and Leon had only an instant to prepare as you leveraged his body over your shoulder.

The impact came hard and fast, and his entire body shook with the force of it, and he couldn’t help the yelp he made as the air was knocked from him.

He felt the knife get pulled from his grip, but he was lucky enough to get his feet under him quickly. Dazed, he forced himself around the moment he could. His free hand found the back of your knee, his shoulder bracing against your stomach just as he felt the knife come down on it. He probably could have stopped there, called it a defeat, but he was already moving and there was no stopping his momentum as he pushed all his weight against you, pulling your leg forward at the same time. You toppled over, your back kicking up dust as you hit the ground.

The struggle that followed was a blur. All Leon could think was that you still had the knife, and that he had to get it away. Down and away. Your surprise was probably all that saved him.

He pushed himself up and forward, arms moving against yours. Grunts and groans, the sound of boots scraping at the dirt, and then metal hitting the ground as Leon pinned your arm down to the side.

His forearm came down over your throat, stopping just short of applying any real pressure. The rest of him was atop you, keeping you firmly against the ground. He was so caught in making sure you couldn’t escape, in the way his head was still spinning from his fall, that it took several seconds for him to realize that he’d won.

When that realization came, though, it didn’t matter. Not when you were looking up at him the way you were. Winning didn’t mean a goddamn thing, because his face was so close to yours, and your eyes were dark - so, so dark - as they searched his own. A fire so dark it burned black. A sea so deep, he couldn't see the bottom. Couldn’t even imagine it.

And both of you were at its edge, silently asking each other the same question.

Should we jump?

He didn’t get to answer the question for himself before he felt your lips against his.

You’d kissed him.

For reasons he couldn’t fathom and didn’t care to, you had kissed him.

The moment was stretched and pulled every which way, and Leon could only struggle to grasp onto something he could make sense of. Closed his eyes so the rest of him could get a clearer picture. He was aware of the way he took a sharp breath when he felt you against him. Your body was beneath his, and the warmth of it was suddenly so strange. He wanted to sink into it all the same. Get lost in it. He had to move the arm at your neck when he felt you straining against it. And your lips . . . he couldn’t help but move his own against them, tasting the dust you were both covered in. He couldn’t help but breathe his dream into reality, happy to do it for once.

Happy because how long had he wanted to press his mouth to yours? How many weeks had he imagined this moment in one way or another? How many nights had he dreamed of your hand weaving through his hair, pulling him down-

Down-

Until she was gone, like she had never truly been in the first place-

The memory struck him like a bullet, tearing clean through him so fast he didn’t fully realize it had hit him. Ada. Her lips against his. Her eyes looking up at him. Accusing. “Did you forget about me that quickly?” That wasn’t a memory, but it stung like one. It rotted away at him, poisoning him with one thought above all else.

How could you?

And in the moment of panic that followed, Leon pulled back, like he was flinching away from something hurting him. He didn’t even fully realize that you’d stopped moving your lips. That you’d taken your hand from his hair.

All he knew was that you didn’t chase him when he pulled away. Instead, he found your eyes distant.

“We can’t do this.” You said it like you’d known it all along. Like you knew whatever was between you was moments away from dying, and there was nothing you could do to save it. Or, maybe, like you were steeling yourself to let it go.

“I’m sorry-” he said, but you shook your head. Didn’t let him try to explain the disaster of his thoughts.

“There’s nothing to apologize for.” Your voice sounded empty. That mask of calm was back on, and Leon felt like he was watching you slip through his fingers, too. “Can you let me up?”

Leon did as he was asked, his body moving while his mind stayed behind, trying to pick up the pieces. To figure out what had just happened. To staunch the bleeding, even if it was too late. He only remembered to give you a hand when you were already halfway to your feet, and if you saw the offer, you didn’t take it.

He had to say something. Had to explain-

Saying your name caught your attention, but you didn’t hold his gaze for long. “I didn’t mean-”

“Don’t worry about it.” You didn’t let him finish, and it ran a line of frustration through him. Before he could even think to protest otherwise, you were continuing on, your words strung tight, ready to snap. “Let’s call it a night, yeah?”

He could have refused.

He could have insisted that you talk, that you clear up everything that had just happened. That way, he could tell you why he’d pulled back. Maybe learn why you’d let him. But lights out was soon, and there wasn’t enough time in the world to explain himself. If you even wanted an explanation. So, in the end, Leon just nodded, his words just above a whisper.

“Okay. Good night.”

⧫⧫⧫

You watched him go, trying hard to ignore whatever was squeezing your chest. Constricting it. Panic and longing in equal measure, you supposed.

You’d stopped it.

You’d stopped before it could get worse.

That was what mattered.

You were safer this way. You both were.

You busied yourself with putting the knives away. Straightening yourself up. Then, when you were sure you were well and truly alone, you let yourself hunch over, bracing against the locker where the training equipment was kept. There was too much to think of; you couldn’t get a lock on any one thing. It all came at you sideways and backwards, and there was nothing you could do but take the blows because you should have known better.

You should have fucking known better.

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter Index

A/N:

The lads are struggling, I apologize for their lack of emotional awareness. Or maybe their emotional hyperawareness. All this to say, they've both got enough emotional baggage to sink a cruise ship, and god I wish they could see a therapist about it.

Also, if the song had come out by 1999, Leon would absolutely listen to Let You Down by Dawid Podsiadło while angsting about Ada and the Sergeant. I certainly listen to it while angsting about them. But then again, I just listen to that song while angsting about anything. Thank you very much, Cyberpunk Edgerunners.

#leon kennedy x reader #leon s kennedy #leon kennedy #jack krauser #resident evil x reader #resident evil 2 #resident evil 4 #resident evil #between the bones #gender neutral reader #leon kennedy x you #no y/n #angst

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carionto · 6 months

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Geronimo!

Space suits have come a long way - near 1 to 1 articulation and haptic feedback, intuitive zero-g booster based movement, nano-clamps for spiderman-like grip in low/no gravity, and of course dozens of micro layers of protection against all know space radiation and other hazards. Plus a centimeter thick composite armor against sentient threats, with a "cocoon" mode to fully cover all joints and other normally more exposed parts, that renders the Human inside near impervious to most small arms, and even some heavier impacts.

To fully test the limits of protection you don't actually need to have a person inside, just plenty of sensors and a good understanding Human physiology and anatomy. The military, of course, does things a bit differently, as their suits are even tougher. They do have this half-half mode where you are mostly armor, but can still move, but more like the Terminator. Given it also boasts a powered exoskeleton between the armor and hazardous protection layers, soldiers can wield weapons other militaries typically mount on vehicles, so the metaphor is almost just a straight factual comparison.

Some, however, are still not satisfied, and are always seeking to extend the durability of their suits to beyond the extremes.

____________________________

Hilda Lavre was standing on the edge of the ship in low orbit. One hand gripping an outer handle while engaged in final diagnostics.

"Alright, Hilda, everything looks green on our end, how 'bout you?"

"Same green green. I'm good."

"Whenever you're ready then. There's some clouds in the way of the predicted path, might slow you down a bit. Wanna wait?"

"Nah, nah. I'll wing it."

After a seconds pause, Hilda let go of the handle and gently kicked off the side of the ship. She was now on a direct collision course with the Atlantic Ocean.

(Thermals should start going up soon. I'm gonna turn on the external mic just a tad. There's just something about how the heat sounds scraping against the metal.

Oh, there it goes. Yellow, slowly getting to orange. Good.

Yea, that's a nice screech - burn that paint!

Halfway to red, altitude check. Already this close? Guess it'll be just shy of 80% tolerance.

Hehehehe, that means we can go for a bit faster next time. Cool.

Eh... wind without the heat just doesn't sound right, I'll turn it down to just barely audible. Something to keep me company.

Aaaand three.

Two.

One.)

SPLASH

(It's dark. But I guess it was dark before...

before what though?

Well, that's okay.

This feels like a new kind of dark though.

There's the dark when you're alone in your room at night, all the lights are out.

Another kind is when you decide to get inside your brothers closet to scare him when he comes back from the kitchen. That's a fun kind of dark. (it's getting cold)

There's also the dark of being in an underground bunker during a storm. Then the power gets cut and all the exits are sealed. That's a... lonely kind of dark.

One time I was wandering the woods, and before I knew it, it was the middle of a moonless night, overcast too. Hiding out in an abandoned shed, without even the wind or animal sounds to let you know anything is out there. I didn't like that kind of dark at all. (It's really cold)

This dark though... I dunno. It's like I'm hiding out in my own closet. My shoulder is up against my winter jacket, feet are grazing those old sandals I swore to throw out two summers ago. But also, it's not my room. Or even my house. Why am I in my closet? How did it get here? Where even is here?

I feel sleepy.

"Hey, hey! Hilda! Wake up!"

*grunting* "Ugh... shut, shut up Barry..."

"Gods, don't freak us out like that. You okay?"

"Depends. How high did it go go?"

*laughter* "Okay, [She's fine everyone] yeah, you're fine. 87 meters, new record."

"Hmm, I was aiming to to break 90."

"Well, those clouds nudged you a little off, you hit it at a 83 degree angle. Still, those other readings are nice. I'm pretty sure we can do a boosted fall next time."

"Yeah, I I think so too. I feel a little little cold, did something break on hit hit?"

"Not break, but the impact did jolt the subsystems a bit. Activated one of the sedative shots. I manually made your suit give you a wake up shot right as I noticed. You should be feeling the effects right about now."

"Mmhhmmm, oh yea. I'm feeling the kick kick now. We need to improve the kinetic tic dampeners. No good if if it puts you to sleep upon any hard enough nough impact."

"Yup. We're suspending any other jumps for the week until we get that fixed and implement some minor tweaks based on your jump once we analyze the telemetry further.

Okay, everyone! Good job today! Let's meet up next weekend and test these bad boys out. Let's aim for a 100 meter splash by the end of the year!"

*cheers and yeahs as Barry opens a mini fridge and everyone cracks open a cold one*

#humans are space orcs #humans are space australians #humans are space oddities #humans are deathworlders #humanity fuck yeah #carionto #sky diving #more like space diving #but whatever #also #don't know how I feel about giving her that... stutter?#I just randomly felt like trying out a speech impediment #hope I don't offend anyone with the way I presented it #I don't think I've seen how a stuttering character talks in text format #well #trying out new things

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the-path-to-redemption · 5 months

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Long Post Ahead

So, I just rewatched the first episode of Ice Queendom, and MY GOD, did it just pisses me off even more when I looked at the entire series as a whole.

It set up the characters, the dynamic, the pacing, and the motivation so fucking well that I'm more than just disappointed that the entire series derailed at the end. The first episode was amazing, and I think that's why many of us wanted to give the franchise another chance.

Already in the first 5 minutes of the episode, we were shown what we always wanted from canon RWBY: Yang's interaction with Summer's grave and how she felt about her mother. Hell, she even calls Summer "Mama", and gives her a wink as she embraces Ruby who just told Summer about her sister's admission to Beacon. It establishes their family dynamic, which only furthers when we see Tai interacting with his daughters.

He jokes with Yang and talks to her about their family having an outing, he goes with her to Vale to check on Ruby when she's late with the present, and they both wait for Ruby at the police station. He even sent them off on the airship. Where the fuck was this guy in the canon?? Ice Queendom actually managed to make him believable as a single father who's trying his best to support his girls, instead of someone sitting around in his house doing nothing.

The first episode also established the Schnee family so fucking well as a contrast to the Xiao Long-Roses, with Weiss already too familiar with her mother's day drinking habit and her tense relationship with Whitley, who was given a moment of complexity! What the fuck, they actually feel like siblings who never connected because their parents are never there for them without villainizing neither kids for feeling the way they do.

It even shows, in the end, how Weiss felt about her grandfather. Which had it been written by capable writers, we could've seen Nikolas Schnee from various perspectives. He could've simultaneously been a good family man, a great man whom Weiss idolizes, and a colonizing monster that he is to everyone else, especially to Vacuans whom he spearheaded their decline. There was something here, people, fucking do something about it.

And Blake... oh, baby girl I am fucking mad for you at the end of Ice Queendom. It sets her and Adam up so well, even with him clearly letting her go so that she, in his mind, can truly understand the cruelty of the world and how it treats Faunus. None of that bullshit "abusive relationship" shtick was shown, but rather what we expected of them: they have a fallout due to differing opinions but still aim for the same goal which is Faunus liberation.

But nope, her shadow self was villainized at the end for speaking the TRUTH. Weiss and her family did exploit the Faunus. Hell, Weiss herself in the nightmare clearly groups the exploitative, parasitic board members of her company in the same hostile environment as the people they abuse, the Faunus, who she portrays as monsters. In Weiss' mind, these two groups are the same, and that's fucking horrid. Weiss don't give a fuck about the truth at the end, she's just embarrassed that now everyone she knows sees how much of a fucking racist she is.

Ice Queendom disappointed me, and I hate it.

#pathi's personal thoughts #rwde #rwby critical #ice queendom critical #weiss schnee critical #ruby rose #yang xiao long #blake belladonna

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eundiarys · 1 year

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CHAPTER 004. nice tall guy

⊹ pairing — choi yeonjun x fem! reader.

⊹ warnings — mature language (cursing), mentions of food

⊹ extended summary — not being to get over your highschool ex even after he broke your heart is horrible. it’s understandable though, especially since he was your first everything. but yn has decided that it’s time to get out of her shell and date again! lucky for her, there’s a perfect candidate for that as her company’s president son is head heels for her. but what if it doesn’t work? what if she still longs for the way he loved her? and what happens if he feels the same?

⊹ genre — fluff, angst, crack, socmed, non idol! au, academic rivals, enemies to lovers, highschool au (flashback), opposites attract, second chance romance, exes to lovers, etc.

“bitch, you better be joking…”

“what now, beomgyu?” chaewon groaned.

“yn invited us to come over and she has 0 stock of food.” wonyoung replies, taking another bite of her strawberry shortcake.

“oh god, here comes brother beomgyu”

“YN! i told you over and over again to always eat properly and always make sure you have enough food! i told you this atleast 50 times?”

“50 times too much.. i am going to go buy groceries right now” you replied, tying your hair up into a ponytail.

“ugh. i’ll go with you”

“thank you personal uber driver”

the whole ride to the store, you and beomgyu discussed of what you needed. you were planning to just buy some snacks for tonight to not waste his or your money.

but knowing beomgyu, he wouldn’t allow that. he would probably stock up your whole fridge.

after you arrived, you quickly left beomgyu to lock the cars and sprinted to the snacks aisle.

you saw chips that everyone in the group liked so you decide to buy it. but the problem is you can’t reach it. and you’re also too lazy yo go find beomgyu.

you tried your best to aim for it, tip toeing and jumping (which made eventually made you lose your breath).

sighing, you decide to just go find beomgyu.

that is until a tall guy arrived. impeccable timing!

you walked up to him. “excuse me? can you give me a hand?”

he looked at you, and you saw his eyes widened a bit. but he was wearing a mask so you couldn’t see his face. maybe he was just a bit surprised.

“oh um, sure. what do you need?”

“i want those chips right there but i can’t seem to reach it, i was gonna give up — but then you came into the aisle! so will you please please help me with it?

“oh uh… yeah”

he easily picked it up from the aisle and gave it to you. he quickly left the store after— making it impossible for you to thank him. maybe he was a celebrity?

you met up with beomgyu, then went to the cashier to pay. the worked was a girl with bright blonde hair.. she was gorgeous.

“here are your stuff! thank you for shopping with us!”

“yup, thank you”

you walked out with the goods, a smile plastered on your face.

“someone’s happy”

“of course~ thank you for paying beom~” you responded happily

“yeah yeah your welcome”

“oh and gyu?”

“uh-huh?”

“a really nice guy helped me with getting chips just now! im really happy he helped”

“you think everyone’s nice y/n”

“and what’s wrong with that? everyone should be given a chance don’t you think?”

“sure yn, but you know sometimes.. you gotta expect the unexpected.”

“whateverrr lets go home”

NAVIGATE HERE! ‧₊˚ previous — masterlist — next

jules notes 📝 short chapter but next chapter is the date!!!!!!!! 🤓 btw guess who the tall guy is (level : super hard)

taglist one — @zuyairus @ddeonudepressions @sserafimez @ox1-lovesick @reverbtunes @vernonweb @flwoie @ja4hyvn @xiaoderrrr @galaxyhalloes @j4y-lvr @taegyuul @trsrina @fairyytyunn @r7yu @taekwondoes @nshimura @pleasetellmenow @soobin-chois @jinsquishes @sakuzleaves @bomugf @eulris @haknom @tyunlatte @txtbrainrot @bluebearybeom @cherriegyu @snowfalltxt @boba-beom @ihrtjun @hyeinszn @suburbiataehyung @viagumi @impureperhaps @wonioml @lvrjjun @luvsoobs @strawbrinkofdeath @cecedrake2217 @soobswvrld @yenqa @tyunner @adajoemaya @captivq @cookiehaos @whippedforbeomgyu @2ynjns @forevrglow @hxked

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niuniente · 1 year

Text

There's an important artist campaign in Twitter going on against the AI art bullshit. The theme is that art skills are skills anyone can learn. If they just practice enough, anyone can become a great artist. Talent has nothing to do with it.

While anyone can learn arts and practice, it's false that anyone can become really skilled in the arts if they just practice enough. You do need to have some natural talent to become really successful and good in art. Otherwise we all would be next Picasso, da Vincis or Yoshitaka Amanos. Just by practicing.

There was a rugby player who said that swimmers don't have that kind of a body because they swim. They swim because they have that kind of a body. He said that he has not obtained his own frame because of rugby but he is a rugby player because his natural body type is fitted for rugby.

We need to understand this also in art. You're not skilled in art because you are only practicing enough. You do art because you are, in a way or another, suited for making art. Perhaps you can see and understand colors better than others. Perhaps your geometric understanding is good. Perhaps you really understand anatomy easily.

Same with singing. Not anyone can become the next Big Star just by practicing singing a lot. You need to have some natural talent to it, same way as with the rugby player and the swimmer.

It doesn't mean you haven't practiced and put lots of work in your art. Sure you have! The same way as an Olympic swimmer has put effort on their development. Still, not everyone is ever going to reach the level of a professional swimmer no matter what they do or how much they practice. The same way not everyone can learn, for example, realistic painting. Or painting itself!

This narrative also forgets other art forms than realistic and semi-realistic styles. Or really gorgeous children book illustrations. Perhaps your aim shouldn't be in becoming a realistic painter but Miroco Machiko. Perhaps your skills lay in an abstract art or conceptual art. Perhaps you are a really talented storyboard artist.

So, just little something if you feel like you need to practice your ass of and you're not talented enough. Perhaps you aren't. I'm not myself either. I could never learn how to paint realistic stuff. Or sculpt, I'm horrible in sculpting. But it's OK. I can do other stuff, art in other ways and forms. I've drawn over 35 years and studied art and I'm not even near of many skilled people. But it's OK because I have fun with my own art. That is important.

Also, you don't need to aim for a professional level unless you wish to work with companies. Those who don't understand art, like big corporations, see art only as "How much of a photo this art looks like" as an only talent.

Not everyone needs to be professional or can. We all have a certain level in ANYTHING we do which we can reach, only. No matter what. Otherwise anyone could become professionals in anything ever with just practice

All skill levels are OK! All art styles are OK!

Ai art is not OK and that should die sooner than later. Here I though that at least art would be safe from the technology that takes jobs away from people...

#Basically be gentle with yourself #Don't worry if you can't make it like someone else does #It's ok #Art is a channel of expression and experience #And there's no unskilled way to make art

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annika-thelostlove · 11 months

Text

Unfinished Draft #1

Drabble for late valentines - Edward nashton talks to you, who he thinks is out of his league.

This is a random note i made in my notes app that has been there since February, which i didn't continue. This turned into a weird dialog drabble. I tried polishing it up, but I still kept it a rough draft in the end.

Edward catches the eye of one of the young COO who works on the top floor of their company. But after a long time trying to flirt with him obviously and even making grand gestures, Ed still doesn't get the hint. Ed just thinks you love his department and gives you all special attention. He believes you are so far from his league. I imagine him being ignorant and cute, clapping along with everyone when she COO buys a new coffee machine close to his desk, not at all realizing it's for him. But now that its valentines Day, the COO loses their patience and gives him a piece of their mind.

-----

"You're here."

His magnified eyes looks up at you through those clear glasses. "Yes."

"You have no plans tonight? It's valentines"

He continues to work his keyboard while he responds to you, "I have no patience for holidays fueled only by consumerism"

"Ah, I didn't realize that's how you feel about this holiday." Biting your lip in thought "Well it wouldn't hurt, would it? I told everyone they could take half the day off if they had plans today. The rest of your floor is empty now."

Edward looks straight at you, suspicious. "I'm sorry to be so forward, boss, but are you trying to ask me to dinner perhaps? Because I don't think it would be appropriate."

"I-"

"Or if it is a joke, it's not very funny"

"No! Mr Nashton, I have good intentions- " he has stumped you, though youve thought he was being ignorant this whole time. "Well, your first assumption is right. I admit. But we're not of the same department, so i didn't think it was going to be some issue. Do you really hate the idea?? That maybe, i am asking you to dinner?"

He looked at you skeptically. "You have no need to talk to me. I am just an accountant, and you have position of chief operations offcer, people like you should not aim so low for someone like me as a romantic partner ma'am."

"Don't say that."

"Don't wha-"

"Don't talk about me like I'm different. I can be interested in you if I want to be."

"Wait i-"

"What's so different about me? I have an Ivy League degree? I have a rich family? I'm tired of people thinking that people like me want nothing to do with you and the people on your floor. I come down here once a day just to see you. Did you know that?"

You swear you see Edwards face flush red. "But that, that doesn't make sense, I'm..me, and you're...you."

"What does that even mean? Edward, look at me! Do you think I'm pretty?" She doesn't know when, but tears have gathered in her eyes, ready to fall. This hurt her to confront more than she realized.

"Wha- well..."

"Am I pretty to you? Do you want me?"

"Of, of COURSE I do, who wouldn't?

"Eddie I want you. Is that enough for you?"

"Uh, what."

"Edward I'm really fucking mad right now, its valentines day, and i was hoping we would be together since two months ago, we are off schedule! so don't test me."

"Um, yes. Yes! It's enough. But I just dont-"

"It's enough for me. That settles it."

"What have I done for you to...I don't understand "

"It SETTLES it. You want to know what i want? Tonight we go on a date. I can answer all your questions then. We are behind on schedule, well..." Suddenly getting shy, you blush. "if you agree to date me, that is, after six months of dating, we move in together. Then I ask you to marry me. If you say yes, I plan we buy a house, I have had one in mind near here. I want children, at least two. But we can discuss that together."

Edwards face unknown to him grows dreamy while he stares at you. "...al-alright"

"But tonight, I'm still not happy with you, and I'm tired of waiting for you to get the fucking hint. So you're going to fuck me a few times to make it up to me. Alright?"

"Fuck, okay"

The scowl on your face melts into a sweet smile

"Good"

Note: I was imagining the COO is also a little freak, they've been stalking him, got a full background check done on him, and fell in love even more with Edward loving puzzles and him being from modest beginnings, they also love his extremist alter ego, the riddler. But he'll find out that they know eventually, it was also a fun idea if they are funding him with money for his guns and explosives. They also hate rich people and people who are gold diggers. So Edward was the dream man for them 💕

#paul dano #edward nashton x reader #danonation #edward nashton #my fic #fanfic #paul dano x reader #drabble #unfinished #incomplete #riddler fic prompts #riddler fic ideas #paul dano fanfic

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midgardianweasley · 2 years

Note

hey can you write a fic where reader is tony daughter but was neglected to them as a child so they grew and had no contact with tony and join the military at some point joints the avengers and starts a relationship with nat while tony realises his mistake and tries to make it up ot them

Struggle with love.

Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader (Romantic)

Tony Stark x fem!reader (father/daughter)

Summary: Tony hadn’t been the most attentive father to his daughter, Y/N. He realises his mistake many years later when Y/N explains it all to her girlfriend, Natasha Romanoff. Tony might need her help if he wants to make amends with his daughter.

Warnings: Emotional Neglect, difficult father/daughter relationship.

Word Count: 4.8k

A/N: Thank you for the request lovely!! honestly not the most confident with this one, but, posting anyways<33 Requests are open:)

‘Tony Stark lives to fight another day, the world thanks you Iron man!’

You threw the newspaper down onto the pile of others that had gathered on your dining table, all of them with the same front cover.

Your father, in the almost identical suit you remember him wearing when you were a child. Unlike the majority of Earth’s population, you’d grown to resent the piece of metal, it plagued the relationship you had with your dad, or the relationship that you could’ve had with him and while everyone thanked him, praised him, bent over backwards to accommodate him and his needs, you simply wanted nothing to do with it.

So, you left home, changed your last name to your mothers, Potts, and cut contact with your father. She wasn’t happy with your decisions, however she couldn’t help but understand. She knew that Tony wasn’t the most attentive father, he often misjudged his priorities, she’d hoped that with a child in their life, things would be different, but you fell through the cracks much like everything else. Your friends would talk in the playground about going to the beach with their dad last weekend and getting their favourite ice cream, and you’d stay quiet, knowing that your dad had kicked you out of his bedroom and asked Happy if he could ‘deal with the kid’ so he could focus on developing some new suit tech.

It did hurt you, even when you moved. Even when you were sitting in your apartment and everything was designed exactly how you liked. Even when you were able to come and go as you please. Even when your time was your own. But you realised that these weren’t achievements for you, it wasn’t anything different. How could it be an achievement when it was all you’d known? The only change now was that you didn’t have your mother or Happy to keep you company.

Your ‘newfound freedom’ was really just loneliness.

When you told your mother your plans starting in the next few months, it’s safe to say that she wasn’t best pleased. Joining the military was never really in your big life plans, you guess it was always assumed that you’d follow in Tony’s footsteps and be the next in line of starks to revolutionise technology.

Maybe the military was an act of rebellion, maybe it was to try and get your dad's attention, possibly even some respect. If that was the goal, it didn’t get very far considering his response was “uh huh, that’s nice honey, come look at this new upgrade I got for JARVIS.” You weren’t there, but you could hear it through the phone, followed by Pepper’s disappointed sigh and saying that she had to go, but that you’d both talk soon.

Which brings you to current day.

______________________________

You were back at base, just coming back from your last Government mission with your partner that you’d grown to be pretty close to, James Rhodes. Well, Colonel Rhodes if anyone else is around. He’s had his own fair share of trying to find some common ground, his main attempts being aimed towards the fact you both know Tony Stark, though you quickly shut it down, changing the subject onto something a little more bearable. He hadn’t tried since.

“God, I need a shower.” You mumbled, walking side by side with Rhodes, trying to dust yourself off of whatever dirt you’d managed to cover yourself in this time, not that you had any success with it.

“Yeah? I’ve been stuck in a hunk of metal this entire time, do you know how hot those suits are?”

“Maybe you should ask if they can install some Air Conditioning next time you hand in the suit.” You laughed, elbowing him playfully, but he acted as if you’d punched him in the ribs.

“You wounded me!”

“You’re such a baby, how on earth have you stayed in a job?” You joked, your smile only growing when you catch on to his reactions.

“Did you not read our anti-bullying policy Potts?”

“I must’ve skipped that page, my apologies.”

He looked as though he was about to make another comeback, but he appeared distracted as he drew his gaze away from you and towards the group of armed, what looked to be agents, speaking to the General up ahead.

“Well this doesn’t look good.”

You were confused by this response, is it bad that they’re here? Did he know them?

Still, you continued walking towards them, following Rhode’s lead until you both stood right next to these agents. You scanned them, trying to see if there was anything you recognised, but all you gathered was that most of these people were men. Except one.

There was one woman among them, she had red wavy hair that flowed down past her shoulders, bright green eyes and a smirk plastered on her face. Obviously not forgetting the gun strapped to her thigh in her black skin tight suit. She glanced at you briefly, probably amused at how dirty you looked, but not in a malicious way, more so in a teasing manner. Well, you hoped so anyways, this wasn’t the first impression you preferred to make on others, especially those who looked so beautiful, even in their uniform.

The General held his arm out towards you and Rhodes, clearly trying to mask his slight cringe at our appearance, though to be fair, if you’d known there’d be guests to impress, you definitely would’ve gone for that shower beforehand.

“These are two of our finest. I’m sure you’re familiar with Rhodes.”

“Ah yes, you’re the one who flies one of Stark's suits, right?” One of the agents asked.

It would be impolite, and would get you in more trouble than what it’s worth, but you did have to physically restrain yourself from rolling your eyes. Of course they’re familiar with Tony.

You caught the redhead agent looking at you with curiosity, and you wondered if she noticed your change in demeanour. You did try to hide it, but who knows how transparent you are when it comes to him. You gave her a slight smile, which seemed to work as she gave a small smile in return, focusing back on what was being said.

“And this is Potts. She’s our best fighter, very good at what she does.”

You held back a proud smile, not wanting to come across as gloating, but you couldn’t help it when you caught the agent looking at you again and noticed that she winked at you, seeming impressed with the compliment you received.

“Looks like they’ve been working pretty hard, General.”

You turned to Rhodey, both of you nodding, proud of yourselves for being noticed for your work. Not that you guys seeked the praise, but it was appreciated, especially when coming from your superior.

Or it could be fixing some unresolved issues from your childhood, but you choose to ignore that technicality, should it be true. In all honesty, you’re just glad they didn’t question your name.

“Always, they’re my top recommendations if you’re looking for new recruits. They’re the best.”

New recruits? Recommended?

“Sorry to interrupt, General, Agents, but what are we being recruited for?” You spoke, confusion laced in your tone.

“Right, sorry Potts. These are agents who work for S.H.I.E.L.D. Their director sent them to enquire about an initiative that they need some new recruits for.”

“Initiative?”

“We’ll explain more on the jet.”

They responded, shaking hands with the General and walking away towards this huge, modern jet that you assumed was theirs. Both you and Rhodes followed closely behind, not questioning the decision.

“I guess we’re not getting that shower Rhodey.”

“Well if the smell gets too much, I’m sure they won’t mind if we just throw you out.”

You scoffed, hitting him in the shoulder, but not enough to actually move him.

“If you throw me out, I’m taking you down with me.”

“Good thing I've got a suit that’ll let me fly.” He joked.

If only he knew the trouble that suit created and what it destroyed.

You all clambered onto the jet, sitting in the seats that were scattered along the sides as your new favourite agent slipped into one of the driver seats.

“Hope you guys are buckled up.�� She spoke, still facing forwards and adjusting her headset. “Don’t want to lose our ‘best fighter’” You knew that was directed at you, which would explain the heat that rushed to your cheeks.

You had no idea what was coming, but if she was involved, you knew it was going to be fun.

__________________________________

“This is not fun! I’m not enjoying this anymore!”

“Don’t worry Miss Potts, i’m on my way” Your teammate, Thor spoke through the comms.

“You have a flying hammer, please can you be here a little faster?” You huffed, trying to fight off the huge crowd of aliens that had gathered around you. Before you knew it, there was a loud crackling sound followed by white/blue light that made the entire crowd fall to the ground.

“Y/N? You okay? Anyone got eyes on Y/N?” A rushed voice came through which you easily recognised as your girlfriend of ten months.

“Nat, I’m okay, Thor did his cool lightning trick and I'm no longer at risk of death by aliens.”

“That’d be a cool way to die.” Another voice came through. One you hadn’t planned on hearing again, but, it’s funny how life just happens, isn’t it?

“Right well I'll keep that in mind next time, maybe I’ll just let them attack me for you to have a ‘cool’ story to tell at one of your parties shall I stark?”

“Guys-”

“That’s not what I meant” He replied, the blasts from his suit being heard in the background.

“I’m sure you didn’t. You seem to say that a lot.”

“Guys! We’re clear on this end. Can everyone on the field do a ground check to grab any stragglers?” Natasha chimed in again, all too familiar with the arguments that you and Tony have on these team missions.

Things were okay in the beginning, the missions you went on often did not require the entire team, it was usually you and Natasha, occasionally Steve joined, but he had recently been occupied with training and fighting with his new friend, Sam Wilson. So it had gone back to you and Natasha, except this one. This was a large fight, so we needed all hands on deck. It wasn’t your first time fighting alongside dear old dad, but it never made it any easier.

You tried to cover it up with quips and indirect comments that he knew were aimed towards him, but the hurt you felt as a child hadn’t changed. It still felt as painful now as it did back then. You tried to find some comfort in knowing that his suits were being used to protect and fight evil, surely that made it worth it? But you couldn’t help but feel that it only made it worse. He was still all about his suits. He hadn’t made an effort for all these years, but he’d managed to upgrade his tech and battle enemies and gain the title of ‘Avenger.’

All of that, and he never had time for his child.

“All clear.”

“We’re clear up here too.” Barton responded to Steve.

“Right guys, we’re good. Everyone come back to the quinjet and we’ll get home.”

Home. They mean Stark Tower. The furthest thing from home from where you were standing. But weren’t about to make that comment. You were too tired. All you wanted was to climb into your clean bed, with clean pyjamas and cuddle up to your girlfriend.

You flew back in silence as usual, everyone just needing a breather to recover from the intense mission. You normally found some peace in the silence, but today, it only seemed to bring more noise than ever. You always tried to avoid walking down memory lane, that’s why you often enjoyed the missions, it never left you any time to be alone with your thoughts.

You liked being part of a team, you liked being part of something big. But, you couldn’t help but feel a little out of place. There wasn’t an obvious reason for it, you were just as good a fighter, you got along with mostly everyone, things should be fine.

Except Tony.

Natasha had tried to help you settle in, you didn’t tell her much about your relationship with your father, but she knew that it wasn’t good. She knew that it had some long term effects on you and how you responded to others, mainly when they showed affection.

Anytime Nat would compliment your appearance, you’d simply refuse to accept it, or if she tried to do things for you, be there for you, you’d shut her out. It was like you couldn’t fathom that someone cared for you. She told you all the time that you were her favourite person and that she loves you more than anything, and all you could say was “Isn’t that Clint? Or Yelena?”. You always thought there was someone else, and it broke her heart that you didn’t feel you could trust her word. For the most part, she understood, but the sting would still be there.

She’d been sitting across from you in the jet, her eyes never leaving your figure, noticing how you’d isolated yourself from everyone else, your mind clearly elsewhere, and not in a ‘unwind from the stress’ sort of way. If anything, you looked more stressed now than before.

So, she decided that she couldn’t just observe from a distance anymore, and made her way over to the seat next to you. Everyone else had sat towards the front of the jet, but you and Natasha stayed towards the back, it was quieter that way. You saw a shadow sit themselves down beside you in the corner of your eye, smiling when you saw who it was.

“Hi sweetheart” Natasha spoke quietly

“Hey Nat. Everything okay?”

“Of course, I just wanted to sit with my girl. That okay?”

“More than.” You replied, shuffling closer to lean your head on her shoulder, her hand immediately went to your head, starting to play with your Y/H/C hair.

Natasha treasured these moments, she knew they weren’t common, so when they did happen, she felt calm, like everything was alright and always would be.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Well my brain cells are constantly dying and creating new ones if that counts?”

Natasha laughed slightly, she knew you were big on the sarcasm, but she loved it nonetheless.

“Well, yes, you nerd, but I was referring to any thoughts you might have kicking around in there too”

You sighed, internally debating if you wanted to get into this conversation or not, deep down you knew that you probably had to tell someone, and realistically, who else would you speak to? Natasha really is the best person to tell, and probably the one who needs to know the most.

“I’m just finding it difficult.”

“What’s difficult, my love?”

“This whole situation, being on the same team as my dad, which is weird to even say.”

She hummed, acknowledging that she’d heard you, just letting you continue at your own pace. So, readjusting your seating position, but still staying close to Nat, you carried on.

“Growing up was tough, which sounds silly. When you hear ‘daughter of a billionaire’, you kind of imagine this perfect life, don’t you? You think that they must have everything, they’re never left wanting more, the world all loves them, right? Well, I didn’t care if the world loved me. I just wanted to feel like Tony did. Like my father did. I knew that Happy did, I knew that my mother did, God, I even knew that the guests at his exclusive parties were a fan of me. I wanted a dad, and I got someone who just wanted me to stay out of the way.”

Everything was coming out now, once you started, you couldn’t stop. You would’ve, if you’d known that the man you were talking about could hear you from a few seats in front, and he was paying more attention to this one conversation than he’d given you for the majority of your life.

Natasha pondered over what you’d said, her heart breaking for you. She knew you’d had a tough time, but she wasn’t aware of quite how bad it really was. She was determined to find some good, or see if you’d experienced any silver lining amongst the darkness.

“Can I ask you a question?”

You nodded, the lump in your throat becoming slightly too much to verbally respond.

“What’s your happiest memory with him? Do you have one that stands out at all?”

You couldn’t lie, you were slightly thrown off by the question, you hadn’t allowed yourself to humour the thought that there was some good in there. But, for the purpose of the question, you did. You racked your brain, going back to every moment spent with your dad.

“I think there was one.”

“Oh right? You don’t have to tell me if-”

“No, no it’s okay. I want to tell you. It wasn’t a huge moment with tear-jerking confessions or anything, but I do remember one day when I must’ve been around twelve? Twelve or thirteen, something like that. I’d finished all my homework, I’d tried to entertain myself with everything that was remotely fun, but I was super bored anyways. So, I looked for someone to talk to, and I ended up going downstairs to my dad’s tech lab, where he works on his suits and gadgets. I remember watching all the machines moving at once, there were holograms, blueprints were everywhere, it was a mess, but I loved it. Dad saw me looking, and I expected to be told to go back upstairs, but he invited me in instead. We ended up spending the afternoon working on upgrading his suit so that it was perfect.”

You paused, smiling when you remembered it, you were so happy in that moment, you felt so important and smart, like you’d finally connected with your father. What you didn’t see was Tony smiling too, remembering how happy he was to show you the different things he knew and was working on.

“Then what happened?” Natasha asked, probably expecting some sort of ice cream and heart-to-heart conversation to happen afterwards.

“One of his employees came in, told him that they had a new piece of equipment that needed the boss’s approval, so dad said that he had something more important to tend to, so I should go and find something else to do and leave him alone to carry on what he was doing.”

Unfortunately, Tony remembers that part too. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but hearing you talk about it made it sound much harsher than what he would’ve intended. All he could think was, was he like that all the time?

“That’s your happiest memory?” Natasha asked.

“Well, yeah, he showed me some cool tricks and taught me some basics of mechanics, I've always remembered it. Comes in handy sometimes, y’know?”

She didn’t want to ruin this moment, this was a step forward for you, despite the memory being slightly tainted, it was better than it being completely bleak. This was something, something good. You knew that too. You felt awkward, feeling like your girlfriend was expecting something more.

“Sorry, that's all I could think of.” You apologised, suddenly finding your hands extremely interesting.

Natasha held your hands, stopping them from fidgeting harshly with the other.

“Hey.” She spoke, her tone as gentle as ever as she lifted your chin so you were looking straight at her.

“You don’t have anything to apologise for. I’m glad you told me, and it was nice to hear that you guys spent that time together. You and I both know that time is worth more than anything. It’s precious.”

“Especially when it’s a rarity, right?”

She chose not to say anything, instead deciding to just hold you. That’s what you needed, you just needed someone to be there, and Natasha was the one you wanted.

Tony felt a huge wave of shame. How could he have possibly treated you like that and been so oblivious? No wonder you cut him off, he would’ve done the same. Much like anyone else who knew about your relationship with your dad, he knew that you deserved better. He wanted to make things right, or take a step towards doing so. There’s no time like the present, right?

Well, no time like the present once the jet lands.

_________________________________________

It had been a week since your last mission with the team, things have been pretty quiet since then. It’s just been a relaxing few days with you and Nat, watching movies, eating together, falling asleep together, it’s been bliss. Bliss that’s been so overdue.

You were both lying on the sofa, your legs tangled up together, your head resting on her chest, her heartbeat making you feel the most calm you’d ever felt before.

“Hey guys.”

There goes the peace.

You both lifted your heads, facing the direction which the voice came from to see the overly familiar man in his black tracksuit bottoms and a grey shirt with the faint electric blue shining through the fabric.

You rolled your eyes, laying your head back down while Natasha furrowed her eyebrows at him in confusion.

“Y/N, do you mind if I steal you for a minute?” He asked, more polite than usual, which definitely was cause for confusion.

Still not looking at him, you replied.

“I think I'm good, thanks.”

“Please? I think you’ll like it.”

‘Why do I find that hard to believe.’ You thought.

You glanced up at Natasha, trying to gauge how she felt, and you found your answer when she subtly gestured for you to go, a sympathetic look on her face when she looked back at you. She must have an idea of what’s going on, either that, or she just wanted to know why on earth Tony Stark had said ‘please’.

“It better be good, I was comfy.” You groaned, untangling yourself from your girlfriend and following your dad through the tower.

It was quiet. He didn’t try to make conversation, though neither did you. All you could hear were your footsteps and his, perfectly in sync.

That was until they immediately ceased and you both stood in front of a door you haven’t seen before. Actually, this entire hallway was unfamiliar. How could you not recognise it? You live here.

He stepped to the side, holding his arm out, gesturing for you to go in first.

Grabbing the handle somewhat hesitantly, you pushed the door open and took a few steps inside. You weren’t really sure how you were supposed to respond.

It was a lab. A tech lab. It had tons of machines, monitors, buttons, it had everything. Of course it did, Tony always had everything, he was a tech genius.

You spun around, just looking at everything. Until you saw a small name tag on the desk that was tucked away in the corner of the room.

‘Y/N Pott’s.’

You picked it up, examining it to see if it really was what you thought it was.

You turned back around to see him standing at the door, inside the room this time.

“What- what is this?”

“This is for you. It’s a lab.”

“It looks..wow.”

“Exactly like the one you wandered down to when you were a kid?” He responded.

Your eyes went wide, what on earth was going on?

“I built this for you. It’s not nearly as extravagant as what you deserve, I wasn’t sure how to build something that’d make up for almost twenty years of being pushed aside. I don’t even think I could build that.”

You had that lump back in your throat, feeling your heart going that jumpy way that happens when you’re holding back from crying.

“You deserved a better dad. I think that’s fair to say. I swore to be a better dad than what mine was, but I ended up completely missing your life. I pushed you away until I didn’t have to push anymore. You were a good kid, an amazing kid. This isn’t going to fix everything, I don’t expect it to, but, I want to make it up to you, if you’re wanting that too. I want to create happy memories between us. I want us to be close, to be family.”

You didn’t know what to do, you didn’t expect this at all. It was a grand gesture, even if he doesn’t think it’s extravagant. This was what you’d wanted though, ever since you were five, you wanted this. And here he was, handling it to you, telling you that he’s in.

He noticed the hesitation, and he couldn’t blame you. Of course you’d hesitate, a five minute conversation wouldn’t change things.

“If I remember correctly, I think I was about to teach you how to install a voice activation system, right? So that you could have your own JARVIS?” He went over to the counter, pulling up some files that he’d pre-saved to this labs system and organising some equipment.

You sniffled, rubbing your nose and wiping your eyes, trying to collect yourself. You thought he would’ve forgotten. But he remembered more details than what you did. Was this real? Was he actually going to try with this?

You walked over to the counter beside him, picking up one of the screwdrivers he’d set out, while he picked up the drill. He smiled at you, which you couldn’t help but return. It felt exactly the same as when you were a kid.

“I am sorry, you know? I want to work on us. You should’ve come before work then, and you’re going to come before work now. I do love you, Y/N. I’ll do better with showing it. I promise.

You looked him straight in the eye, held up your pinky, and narrowed your eyes.

“You better be serious about this”

He linked his pinky with yours, leaning in closer to your face

“It’s a promise.”

You both started working, picking up where you’d left off, glancing again at the sign on the table. You weren’t sure if this would turn out the way you want it to, if he’ll stick to it, but, if you did, you may consider hyphenating your last name. Or something that’s a little less of a tongue twister for the mission comms.

You hadn’t noticed, but Natasha had been standing outside the door, just off to the side so you couldn’t see her.

Tony had approached her with his idea last week, explaining himself to her, determined for her to understand that he had good intentions and wanted to make things right. He had his ideas, but she suggested that this one would be best. She did know you best after all. Her heart warmed at the sight of you so happy in your fathers presence, especially with how tough things had been previously, you couldn’t even talk to him through an earpiece, now here you are building some tech with him.

He’d finally involved you. He’d finally shown you that he does care, he didn’t think you were a burden.

Natasha was happy for you, and she walked back to your shared room, not making a sound so not to disturb the nice moment you and Tony were having.

She dug through some brown boxes shoved at the back of your cupboard, pulling out an old dusty picture in a black box frame of you, Tony and Pepper together. It was candid, which made it that much better. Happy must’ve taken it, but all three of you sat together eating ice cream on the sofa, you were giggling in Tony’s direction while Pepper admired you both.

This is what the end goal was. This is what she wanted to see. And she was going to be there every step of the way. So, she put the photo back, right next to the tiny black box that she’d kept hidden under a bunch of scarves.

Who knows, maybe you’ll end up having a father/daughter dance at your wedding, a dream finally come true.

Taglist: @wandaromanova @eilarch @natashaswifey @lostandsearching @pottahishotasf @d14n4ol @xxromanoffxx @marvelmischiefmaker @tigerlillyruiz

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asordinaryppl · 7 days

Text

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 13: Budding Spring - Episode 9: Going back to the start

Girl A: Thank you very much~!

Girl B: We’ll be supporting you from now on, too!

Chikage: Be careful on your way home.

Young man: You have once again made me think that actors are amazing! Thank you so much!

Youth: That was fun~!

Citron: For us, too!

Towa: Thank you so much!

Izumi: Thank you for participating. We were able to come up with a wonderful project because of you, Towa-kun.

Towa: To be honest, I was really hesitant about participating. Failing in front of Masumi-kun would’ve been embarrassing.

Towa: But I’m glad I took the plunge!

Towa: I understood what kind of scenery Masumi-kun and the others look at from the top of the stage…

Towa: I think I understand more about how a theater play is made, and about everyone who works on it, now.

Towa: A new world has opened before me!

Tsuzuru: Hearing you say that makes all of it worth it, right, Masumi?

Masumi: Well, you did your best.

Towa: All this from my oshi…!

Izumi: Come see our play next.

Citron: We’ll be waiting!

Towa: Yes! I absolutely will! I’ll be going now!

[Towa leaves]

Rento: Our first event was a big success.

Akashi: Even though… I don’t get many opportunities like this… I had fun, too…

Rento: Us backstage staff usually don’t have any contact with the audience.

Izumi: Thank you for your help today, you two!

Rento: Call me if ya do anything like this again.

Akashi: Me too…

Izumi: Of course!

Sakuya: We’ll be counting on you!

Izumi: … It looked like everyone was having fun.

Sakuya: It made me think of the first time I stood on stage.

Tsuzuru: Yeah, it was really nostalgic.

Citron: I could feel the chills in everyone’s hearts~!

Itaru: We were like that too, at the start.

Chikage: When you think about it like that, we’ve improved a lot.

Masumi: I was better than that.

Tsuzuru: That part of you hasn’t changed at all.

Sakuya: At first, just saying one line made me nervous, and I was constantly conscious of what the next line was.

Tsuzuru: Right, right! I kept thinking about how I had to move during a scene, and then I panicked because I missed everyone else’s lines.

Citron: I could do it when I was practicing alone, but when we were all together, I kept fumbling!

Masumi: You still do that.

Itaru: If my past self saw me now, he’d be surprised.

Chikage: Because you didn’t think you’d dedicate so much of yourself to acting?

Itaru: Something like that. But isn’t that true for you too, Senpai?

Chikage: I can’t deny that.

Izumi: Towa-kun’s eyes were sparkling as he told me that a new world opened before him.

Masumi: Even though he was nervous at first, he enjoyed himself.

Sakuya: I was like that too when I first decided to join MANKAI Company.

Sakuya: I’m really glad I took the courage to jump into that new world.

Tsuzuru: I remember hesitating a lot before taking that step, too. It got so busy after I joined that I didn't have time to think about it, though.

Masumi: It felt like fate for me, so I didn’t hesitate.

Izumi: Ahaha, that’s how it was. How nostalgic.

Sakuya: Also, this made me want to do RomiJuli again!

Citron: I know, right! I kept almost saying the lines myself!

Itaru: IKR.

Izumi: Should we hold a run for it again?

Tsuzuru: If we do that, I’d like to give Chikage-san a proper role.

Citron: And I want to appear a little more!

Izumi: Right, as Citron-kun is now, he can play all kinds of roles.

Chikage: But if everything else remains the same, it won’t feel fresh because it’s been reran multiple times.

Sakuya: If we’re going to do it, we’ll have to do it once the Fleur Cup is over, right?

Itaru: Since RomiJuli is such a catchy subject, it’s got movie and ballet adaptations, and it’s easy for people who aren’t into theater to get into it.

Itaru: I think it fits our aim of going back to the basics.

Izumi: But participating in the Fleur Cup with a repeat performance is too risky…

Tsuzuru: … Oh.

Izumi: ?

Tsuzuru: How does a sequel sound, then?

Tsumugi: Good work on the workshop. How did it go?

Sakuya: Everyone was hesitant at first, but as soon as their voices and gestures started coming out, they started having fun!

Tsuzuru: Watching them inspired me.

Tasuku: Sounds like it became a good opportunity for you to look at acting objectively again.

Tsumugi: I want to try it with the Winter Troupe, too. It sounds like we could learn a lot.

Homare: We should make some time for poetry when we do that.

Tasuku: That would change the subject.

Homare: In the sense of studying lines, I believe studying poetry, which emphasizes the rhythm of words, would be helpful.

Guy: That makes sense. Shakespeare was both a playwright and a poet.

Hisoka: … We can light a bonfire and roast marshmallows at the end.

Tsuzuru: You say it like it’s a recreational activity at the end of camping, but this is just your hobby.

Sakuya: It’ll be a workshop that highlights each of your unique characters.

Izumi: Let’s plan one again when we have the chance.

Sakyo: We’re all here now.

Izumi: Let’s start the meeting, then.

Izumi: This meeting is about the Spring Troupe’s performance for 1Q of the Fleur Cup.

Izumi: After the workshop, we got to talking about going back to the start…

Citron: Simply put, we wanted to do RomiJuli again!

Sakyo: You mean you’re going to rerun RomiJuli?

Tsuzuru: No, not exactly. I was thinking about writing a sequel…

Tsuzuru: The RomiJuli that can be done by us thanks to our growth— One that will be depicting the future of the RomiJuli we debuted with.

Tsuzuru: I think it’s something we can do because we live in the future of that time.

Sakuya: This is also our first attempt at a sequel, so I think it will prove to be a challenge.

Sakuya: Of course, we really want to perform RomiJuli again, but…

Chikage: We also have to make sure this performance is a stepping stone towards the Fleur Cup.

Itaru: If we don’t collect votes, we won’t be able to connect to the next performance…

Itaru: Since this isn’t only our problem, we wanted to hear everyone’s opinion.

Tenma: A sequel to the debut performance… I’d have never thought of that. But I understand the feeling of wanting to go back to that again.

Tsumugi: You can’t help but wonder how you would perform this role now. It always feels fresh, no matter how many times you do it.

Kazunari: Since it’s the first one, it’s prolly the one where the theater company and the troupe’s colors are most prominent~

Sakyo: Despite how rough it might’ve been, it can also be said that it’s what determined the Reborn MANKAI Company’s direction.

Banri: Since it’s the first one, it’s been rerun a lot. That’s also a plus, yeah?

Juza: Since you have a solid foundation of your role, you can approach it from a different perspective.

Juza: And above all, it’ll be rewarding to connect the dots from the debut performance to the sequel.

Homare: The parts that have changed and the parts that haven’t changed…You get a chance to express on stage those things that come to you naturally as you live day-to-day.

Guy: This will be a good experience for you as actors. It will help you grow.

Tasuku: I think getting to experience the long life of one of your characters is a precious opportunity.

Taichi: And the OG RomiJuli fans will be real happy with this!

Omi: The fact that the original was so well received is also advantageous.

Azami: It’ll also be easy to imagine the world setting.

Yuki: What I’m worried about is that since they’re the same characters, it might lack a sense of freshness.

Kazunari: It’d be good to be conscious of that and make changes in the visuals.

Itaru: And there’s also the jinx that sequels can’t surpass the originals.

Banri: We can do more in the lighting and sound department now, all we can do is show ‘em how much we’ve leveled up.

Yuki: When I think of my past self as a rival, I get a little fired up.

Kazunari: We can’t lose~!

Sakyo: We also need to satisfy viewers that haven’t seen the first performance. That’s quite a gap from a stand-alone.

Kumon: But, I’m jealous, Chikage-san! I want my own role in the Summer Troupe’s first performance, too!

Misumi: And I’m curious what the Genie from “Water me!” is up to!

Muku: I understand! Just like how we’re living in the future compared to those days, I want to see what they’re doing in their future, too.

Azuma: If we’re making a sequel for the Spring Troupe’s debut performance, we should do that for the Summer Troupe and the others, too.

Tenma: That’s where we’ll end up, naturally.

Juza: I wanna put myself in Lansky’s shoes once more…

Omi: I’ve got some sudden motivation now.

Sakyo: We will only go through with this if the Spring Troupe’s sequel doesn’t fail.

Homare: Choosing to do a “sequel” in a situation where we absolutely can’t lose and also have to deal with a lot of first-time viewers is quite brave.

Izumi: That’s true.

Tsuzuru: I-I’m feelin’ the pressure…

Hisoka: … All troupes have to make sure they can connect to the one coming after.

Guy: Following the Spring Troupe in 1Q is the Summer Troupe in 2Q, and then the Autumn Troupe in 3Q and the Winter Troupe in 4Q. We must all contribute to the ranking in order to make it to the finals.

Tsumugi: But isn’t it reassuring to know that the initial performance of RomiJuli will be by our side in such a situation?

Sakuya: Exactly… Because this was our “start” as the Spring Troupe.

Citron: It was the Spring Troupe, and the Reborn MANKAI Company’s first ever adventure!

Masumi: If we can’t do this, the other troupes won’t be able to do it, either.

Itaru: Pretty much.

Chikage: I think it’s worth the bet.

Tsuzuru: No choice but to go for it…

Izumi: Then, let’s make each performance for the New Fleur Award a sequel to the troupes’ initial performances!

Izumi: (With this, we’re taking our first step towards the New Fleur Award)

Izumi: (All that’s left is the same as usual, we come together and prepare for the performances. I hope we can get through it without any troubles…)

previous episode | masterpost | next episode

NOTES:

(1) the fleur cup mentions are not a mistake. they started calling it that so i just went along with them

(2) the text says Q, but the voiced lines all call it quarters. i went with the text, so i hope that's not too confusing

(3) episode title could also be translated as something like 'returning to the origins' but i didn't really like how that sounded

#a3!#translation #a3! translation #sakuya sakuma #masumi usui #tsuzuru minagi #itaru chigasaki #citron #chikage utsuki #izumi tachibana #towa ichinoe #+ more #this one is SO long i really hope i haven't accidentally missed a line...

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fx1600 · 1 year

Text

Okay I’ve seen a lot of ai art debates happening and no one asked but I want to rant about some of the arguments made for it because they just really bug me. 1) yes it is 100% unethical to unwillingly use other peoples art, photography, and likeness without any consent whatsoever. No this is NOT THE SAME THING as people trying to recreate or taking inspiration from the masters before them because while yes it is using someone elses art as reference it is to develop their own skills. The resulting art is still something they made with their own hands to further their own development. And to this day we still know who a lot of masters took inspiration from. Who they credit for their work. Ai work taking inspiration from other peoples styles to fit commands you are giving it IS NOT DEVELOPING YOUR SKILLS. This is NOT for development, it’s actively used to AVOID development and people openly say they do this because they don’t have the skill and don’t want to develop the skill. 2) Seeing people say it’s such a “boomer take” to be genuinely upset about these ai “artists” calling themselves artists is not the hot come back you think it is. Because people being upset is valid! Because this isn’t a group of people trying to make some new “revolutionary” art form and their own community around it. No these are people trying to align themselves with digital artists who spend so much time and effort developing their own skills. To equate pieces they prompted a machine to make and claiming it as their own because the machine cannot argue for its own effort. To the pieces people made after spending years developing their own skills to be able to make their art. If anything ai artists could be classified as some sort of writing group but that’s not what they’re aiming for. They hide their prompts to avoid “stealing” and pointedly don’t want acknowledgment for the one part they actually did themselves, they want credit for the results. 3) “Well people said the same thing about photography” do not and I mean DO NOT try to sit here and say these two mediums are the same! Because if you think they’re equal you clearly do not see the value or understand photography at all. There are REASONS why companies still higher photographers to do product shots, poster shots, and event shots even though “everyone can do it with a phone”. Companies look for every corner they can cut to save a buck so it should SAY SOMETHINGS that they refuse to go the route of sending an intern with a phone camera to get photos of their products. Why they’re given full production teams and spaces to work. Because it takes skills, knowledge, dedication, and effort that only the photographer has. 4) “But it can sometimes take people HOURS to make!” Why are they willing to spend hours slightly editing prompts into an AI generator if it’s clear they know exactly what they want when they could just pick up some supplies and start trying to for it with their own hands? OR BETTER YET COMMISSION AN ARTIST!? 5) “It’s an accessibility tool, not everyone has the time, money, or skill to make what they want” Two of those three things are exactly WHAT MAKE ARTISTS ARTISTS the fact that they have the skills, they TOOK the time to develop. Money? Mspaint is free, a lowlevel tablet it surprisingly cheep you can get one for around 20 bucks. You can pick up cheep art supplies at the nearest Walmart, Target, or dollar store and get to work. You don’t need expensive equipment to make art, just a pencil and some scratch paper. Accessibility tools are tools made for people with disabilities that can hinder them from having access to the same opportunities or to ease pains and discomforts the disabilities can cause when trying to do every day tasks. There are definitely disabilities that can make it harder to make art But something that removes the need to develop the skill you’re trying to claim you have AT ALL is NOT THE SAME THING

Who knows, at the end of the day maybe there is something to be done with these generators, art is hard to define and it is hard to make lines about what is and isn’t art as a whole. Maybe eventually it will develop into something new and something respectable with it’s own community. But for RIGHT NOW the way it’s being used and the way these artists are trying to treat it and themselves is not it. Right now they’re a community trying to align themselves with one built on the skills they’re specifically trying to avoid and call it the same. Right now their art is dependent solely on the use of unwilling participants. Right now they are trying to pass off this art as the type that they have no understanding or basic skills for. Right now they are actively trying to hurt the respect of digital artists by saying they are outdated and unnecessary for people who want art made but don’t have the skills to do it themselves

#sorry for the rant #rant #anti ai art

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hyenahunt · 1 month

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Obbligato: In Praise of Folly - 2

Writer: Akira

Season: Spring, two years ago

Characters: Hiyori, Ibara, Nagisa

Translation: Peace & hyenahunt

Proofreading: Remi + 310mc (JP) & Skyress (ENG)

Nagisa: ... He became a great beast that no individual could oppose alone — or perhaps something godlike.

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Hiyori: Yes. It is for that reason as well that I'd like all the more to be better informed. It's essential to get a good feel for the situation upon one's debut to a new social scene.

At the same time, one ought to learn right away just who calls the shots in such a place.

And from where I stand, it appears to me that it would be you, Ibara Saegusa-kun. CosPro manages Reimei Academy and the like, and its true leader in all but name is you, is it not?

That's what I've gathered after doing all the research that I did, and that's why I judged your offer to be worth taking.

Indeed we wished for a new land for ourselves, but we did not simply latch onto just any old hand extended to us.

But of course, to an outsider, that's exactly what it must look like we're doing.

Ibara: Forgive me for taking advantage of your weakened hearts. However, allow me to rescind my words and agree that your decision was right beyond a doubt.

I truly believe we’ll be able to build a good rapport among each other, Tomoe and Ran.

Hiyori: You may have no choice but to say those words, but I'll have you know I'm still only half-convinced.

I want to play no part in cleaning up after others again, so the very instant things seem like they're heading south, we shall take our leave.

Ibara: If that is what you'd like to do, I certainly wouldn't stop you. After all, we haven’t signed any written contract, as the two of you were uncomfortable by the offer for some reason…

The two of you are in no way obligated to follow me.

And that is why, so that I may gain your trust, I’ve been explaining everything without sparing a single detail.

How could I ever ask you to bare your hearts to me if I won't show my own first?

And, at the very least, one must lay down understandable guidelines if they'd like those around them to act in the way they ask.

Hiyori: It's easy to understand where you're coming from. You're a businessman through and through, and you aim to increase both the amount of successful companies you have under your belt, and of course, their profits.

Or rather, you're simply full of ambition, aren't you? You're very keen to push this straightforward image of yourself, donning your business suits as you hand out your business cards.

You conduct yourself so thoroughly as to ensure your behavior will never compromise this image you've built up. This role of a young prodigal businessman is one you certainly play well.

Being a manager would obviously mean that you have a hand in management. You strive to ensure that your companies are successful. In other words, it's easy for anyone to guess that your goal is for profit — financial or otherwise.

Ibara: That's right. While our generation of adolescents are those who'd like to be seen for who they really are, and have others understand them...

It's far more important to have a character that's easy for others to grasp.

Everyone wants money. I am the personification of that desire, one which everyone can sympathize with.

And so, I won't deviate from that "easily understood" category.

The moment I step over that line is when I become no different than those "incomprehensible monsters" of Yumenosaki Academy — the Five Eccentrics.

Nagisa: ......

Ibara: I've implied this more than once, however... That is where Mr. Tatsumi Kazehaya misstepped.

As I explained along the way, he established a somewhat... unique "idol association" within Reimei Academy.

By managing and utilizing the assets he gained from it, he was able to continuously accomplish feats that someone on their own couldn't.

Though I'm certainly preaching to the choir when I tell the two of you this, it's certainly symbolic of the current flow of the world, isn’t it?

No matter how prodigious someone may be, so long as they remain alone, they have no hope of winning against the ordinary who collude with one another.

Nagisa: ... I see. Whether it be deliberate or not, Tatsumi Kazehaya has created a sizable "unit" of which he is the beacon.

... It is similar to how we, fine, had formed. It was for the sake of the ordinary majority — so that we could defeat each one of the Five Eccentrics.

... As others flocked to Tatsumi Kazehaya as their leader, he surpassed that which is human.

... He became a great beast that no individual could oppose alone — or perhaps something godlike.

Ibara: Indeed. However, while the man in question simply likened what he headed as a “company”...

From my own point of view, as someone who is a real manager, what Mr. Tatsumi Kazehaya is leading is nothing more than a shady secret society.

No, it's better described as a cultish society.

One could even say that he's established his very own dubious, if powerful, religion.

His ideals do have plenty of good intentions behind them, that much is for certain, and he ought to be praised for them...

A world in which no one is unhappy. A kind world where no one is hurt. An idealistic world where all are equal, and are treated fairly without exception.

However, therein lies the grandest of contradictions to the same ideals Mr. Tatsumi Kazehaya held so highly from the very beginning.

[ ☆ ]

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← prev ✦ all ✦ next →

#enstars #ensemble stars #enstars translation #hyenahunttl #s: obbligato #ibara saegusa #nagisa ran #hiyori tomoe

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bestfriend491 · 1 year

Text

Maybe, maybe not, I wouldn't be able to tell you

Okoye x Female Reader,

Summary: You have no sense of smell and you tend to forget to tell people. 4 times where you not being able to smell is brought up in the most ridiculous ways with Okoye there to witness it all.

Fluff

Warnings: 6.7k+ words, Slight injury, Depictions on violence, Timeline: Pre-Black Panther 1, Language.

Okoye looked at you from a distance, seeing you at the other side of the training facilities, having an end-of-training spar with one of the other Dora's. You enjoyed training casually whenever you could, having to be a fierce warrior so often sometimes draining you. Your witty banter and laughter surrounded the entire place.Whenever it wasn't necessary to stand guard you became a complete child, laughing and smiling with your fellow sister's.

Your energy around being a Dora Milaje was one of the best that many Wakandan's had ever seen. You carried yourself with strength and power, and also just enough charm and charisma to still be classified as approachable.

Okoye admired that about you. How approachable you were. It wasn't something she aspired to be, enjoying the fear that she invoked on others when she walked by. But, she still enjoyed observing the way that you handled and interpreted being a Dora.

For centuries, your ancestors had used the same methods for both combat and normal guarding. Not much more was needed at the time. Just precision, and grace. But over more recent years, sometimes it was a soft persona that was needed, making it easy to get people to trust you and also making it easy to make people underestimate you so you could strike without automatic defence.

You, never fully being one for constant tradition, unlike Okoye, thrived in this realm. Finding it easy to assess and apply both the old and the new techniques that you knew to the job.

Okoye always looked for your input on somethings, knowing that you could give a more objective overall opinion.

You and her were as close as you'd expect, being a part of the same group of warriors, but you weren't as close as perhaps Okoye and Ayo.

You were friendly, and you enjoyed each other's company, but there wasn't much after that.

Truth be told, Okoye had a growing crush on you, something that she had been trying to get rid of for years now, since before you were even officially Dora's.

The two of you met on the first day of training, and you made the best first impression on her. Since then, she'd been looking at you from afar, wondering what it would be like if you were closer.

"Okoye, just ask her. What's the worst that could happen?" Came Ayo's voice suddenly, making Okoye jolt from the shock. She put her hand on her chest, feeling her heart rate increase.

"Don't creep up on me like that." She aimed a weak push towards the other woman, allowing herself to miss on purpose as the other woman watched her put up more walls than before, trying to prevent herself from being exposed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. But don't ignore my previous statement. You need to finally ask her, you've been like this for years, and you don't want to miss your opportunity. "

She nodded, understanding that Ayo was right, she needed to put her fears aside and go for it.

"What would we even do on a date?" She asked her friend, not sure where she would even take you.

"Anything. It's Y/n for Bast's sake. She is not very picky." Ayo responded, placing a hand on Okoye's shoulder to reassure her.

Okoye still wasn't too sure, never having seen you take any interest in her. She packed her things as slowly as possible, wanting to be alone with you when she took such a big risk.

When everyone else had left and it was just the two of you, she approached you, seeing you put on a concerning amount of deodorant, as well as some extra body spray to top it all off.

She'd seen you do this numerous times and she wasn't sure what to make of this, assuming that maybe you just really liked being clean and fresh. Thinking back, she had never remembered even one session of training where you hadn't done this same procedure afterwards.

By the time that she got to you, you were still distracted packing up, singing a popular song from a new band in town to yourself as you took off your gear.

Okoye cleared her throat. Gaining your attention suddenly.

"Okoye! I didn't realise you were still there. Do you need my assistance with something?" You asked, looking at the woman who usually held herself high, looking, might you say, quite flustered.

All previous plans on how to ask you out were completely thrown out of her head when you spoke to her, and she was at a loss for words.

"Okoye, are you okay? Did you need something?" Asking her again as you stood up, bringing your hand up onto her shoulder, which only flustered her more.

Okoye accidently jerked at the sudden placement, causing you to remove her hand, fearing that you had made her uncomfortable.

Finally getting herself together she spoke. "I was wondering if you'd be interested in me taking you out." She finally said, shifting uncomfortably under your gaze.

You made a sound, one that asked a question.

What did she mean by taking you out?

Okoye realised that she was leaving a lot of room for interpretation, so she quickly corrected herself.

"Take you out on a date.!" smiling at you sheepishly she looked down.

You smiled back, appreciating her clarification.

While Okoye crossed her fingers, hoping that you'd at least reject her quickly so she could never think about this moment again, you just put your hand on her shoulder again, now giving her a squeeze of reassurance.

"Is dinner at my house tomorrow night okay with you? We could go on a walk later. " you offered.

Okoye finally made eye contact with you, shocked that you were open to the idea at all. She nodded, wanting to pinch herself but also being relieved that you were interested.

You let your hand drop from her shoulder to her hand, holding it in yours before going down to kiss it.

Okoye felt a rush of blood moving up to her face, and she was glad you had walked away so you wouldn't be able to see her smiling so widely.

She left the facilities, barely being able to wait for the next day.

The next day, Okoye woke up as early as she could, not being able to sleep through all of the excitement.

She only had a half day at the palace today, being it the weekend, so she went to the palace to do her duties before rushing out as soon as she was let go of the day's responsibilities.

She wanted to impress you, and thinking that you appreciated good scents, she got you a bouquet of flowers from the market that gave off the most enchanting smell.

"Special occasion?" Asked the woman that was helping her pick the flowers. She nodded, not wanting to give that many details away and not wanting to smile too widely at the thought of being around you.

She walked to your house, which was located just outside of the busy centre of Wakanda, something Okoye had heard you talk about loving frequently.

As she approached your home, she saw you outside in the distance, sitting on a chair at the front of it.

You were wearing a loosely fitted, soft two-piece with sandals. You weren't on duty today, so you must have been home most of the day resting.

As soon as you saw her, you smiled, stood up , and walked towards her, closing the distance between the two of you with a hug. Okoye, not used to the physical contact, remained rigid, having to remind herself to allow herself to relax with you. Even if just a little bit.

"I got you these." She handed you the flowers once you let go. You took them looking at them with grateful eyes.

"Thank you, they look amazing."

She was relieved once again, seeing that you liked them. "They smell even better." She let out a few nervous chuckles.

You put your nose to the flowers, before shrugging, and directing her inside.

Okoye grew nervous again. Had you not liked them? Was the scent not up to your standards? She wanted to ask you this but got distracted by the amazing smell of food coming from inside.

"This looks amazing." She looked at you, wondering how she didn't realise that you could cook too.

'What can't she do?' She asked herself, settling into your home easily. It was a nice place, spacious but still just like you in the sense that it was warm and welcoming.

"Thank you, thank you." you replied to her spoken statement, playfully bowing down in a fake arrogant manner, like you were receiving an award.

Okoye laughed at you, feeling herself melt in your presence, a more playful side of her coming out.

She clapped and cheered you on as you walked towards the food, still bowing.

"My mom taught me. But trust me, this took years of practice, sthandwa."

Okoye's eyes widened at the term of endearment used.

There you went again, making her feel things. She hated it. And loved it at the same time.

You smirked, winking at her while offering her a plate of the meal.

Okoye kept her composure for the rest of the night, enjoying telling you about herself, and enjoying learning more about you.

"You'd said that this took practice, meaning you've messed up at least once. Do you care to share a tale of one of your cooking fails?" She asked as you were halfway through your meal.

"There are so many, Okoye. How could I choose just one?" You laughed, thinking back to the amount of times that you nearly wrecked your mother's home while you were learning how to cook as a child.

"Tell me about the first time you cooked this specifically."

"Okay."

You took a while to get your story formed correctly from foggy memory.

"Well. I'd been watching her make this for years, and she had told me to try and make some on my own while she went to work. So I got to work. Cutting, chopping, cleaning, and seasoning all of the ingredients." You struggled to get through the story without cracking a massive smile.

"I needed to allow everything to slow cook for a while so I covered the pot that it was all in with a lid and went to sit down for a moment. But I was so tired from playing with my friends earlier in the day and I fell asleep for 6 hours. The only reason I woke up was because of my mother yelling at me." You changed your posture, Okoye seeing that your new posture was resembling what your mother must have looked like at that time.

"Y/N, vuka mntwanandini ungakhathaliyo! (Y/N, wake up you careless child!)" You imitated your mother's angry tone, making Okoye laugh, remembering her own mother reprimanding her in a similar way for similar reasons.

You continued, "Ukutya kuyatsha! Ukutya kuyatsha. (The food is burning! The food is burning!)"

Okoye laugh some more, enjoying your story. "You couldn't smell it burning when you slept?" She asked as she looked at you.

Going back to your normal voice, "No. I don't have a sense of smell, so I couldn't smell it. I ended up just running around apologising to her for nearly burning down her ho-"

"Wait, what?" Okoye stopped you in your tracks, thinking that she hadn't heard you correctly. You realised what you said and began to explain.

"Yes. I don't have a sense of smell. I've never had one." You smiled at her look of astonishment.

She put a hand on your shoulder now, her face going serious.

"You're joking, right?"

You shook your head at her.

"How did I not know about this?"

"I tend to forget to bring it up, it's a nuisance to explain to some people. I just can't smell anything. I don't even get nauseated from smells. I like to say that my nose is just there for decoration" You explained, laughing at your own joke.

Okoye was still confused, she looked at the flowers she had bought. "You smelled the flowers."

"I breathed their air in, yes, but I couldn't actually smell anything. I just do that out of instinct from seeing other people do it my whole life."

She started to put the pieces together now. You must've drenched yourself in all those products after training because you couldn't smell yourself and would never know if you had an unpleasant odour. She laughed at your smart way of thinking, this somehow just being another thing that she knew she was going to love about you.

She kissed you then and there.

Okoye approached her home, covering her nose to protect it from a bad smell that was occupying the area around. It was almost nauseating and it seemed to only be around the area, not spread out elsewhere.

She opened her door, knowing that you had arrived hours earlier to help her set up for this important meeting, therefore not being surprised that you were inside.

"Sthandwa! You're back!" You said, approaching her and giving her a big hug and a loving kiss as she entered.

She gave into the kiss, allowing herself a few moments to enjoy your presence, before she got back to business.

The two of you had been together for 9 months now, and your family had decided that that was far too long for them to have not met her in person yet, so Okoye offered her place as a venue to host them for the evening.

You had worked the night shift so you left in the morning to get everything ready, while Okoye worked until the early afternoon, coming straight home to help you.

She was excited but nervous to meet your family, having heard a lot about them. Your parents seemed to be quite the characters, and there were a few cousins who she was eager to get approval from, knowing that you loved them and cared about what they thought.

The terrible aroma surrounding the place was killing her spirit though, because it seemed to be getting worse.

"Why does it smell so terrible?" She asked, more to herself as you wouldn't know what she was talking about.

You shrugged, going back to cleaning the kitchen area that you had made a complete mess while making food.

Okoye went to her room, changing out of her clothes and choosing to take a quick shower to hopefully make herself feel less stressed.

She came out in a gorgeous blue outfit that was still loyal to her warrior-like style, but much more casual than the Dora Milaje armour.

She came up to you hugging you from behind, soaking in your happy energy. You turned, giving her another kiss, when a sound came from the other side of Okoye's house.

Okoye looked at you, and you quickly turned around to avoid looking directly at her.

"Maaahhhh!" The noise from outside came again.

"Y/n. What was that noise?" She asked you, turning you around to see the guilty look on your face.

"Y/n, what did you do?"

"Nothing… too terrible." You tried to minimise the situation. She glared at you, moving to leave the house and see what you had done.

You tried to step in front of her

" Okay, fine. I did do something a bit unplanned. But before you see it, I'd just like to say that it was with good reason." She rolled her eyes, moving you gently to get out of the door and turn to walk to the other side of her house.

There she saw a small herd of goats grazing and walking around. She sighed, turning again to you for an explanation.

"I was in town, looking for everything that we needed for today, and Ma Zobula came up to me asking for help. Nobody was buying her goats and she really needed them to be taken out of her hands. I felt bad so I bought them all." You said, trying to defend the choices that you had made.

Okoye sighed, looking at you with disappointment written all over her face. Bringing her mouth up to cover her nose from the smell, she took your hand and moved you away from the goats.

"Y/n, I think there's a reason why nobody was buying those goats. They smell absolutely horrific.You know that Ma Zobula is not one to be trusted with animals. Plus what in Bast's name did you plan to do with all of them?" She asked some very valid questions.

You nodded your head in understanding, realising that you really didn't know what you were going to do with them.

You then started laughing at Okoye's previous statement. You'd completely forgotten to think about the possible smell that could have been on the goats. Okoye watched you make that revelation, choosing to laugh with you, now.

"Well, what can we do now? She's not going to give me my money back?" You said in between cackles, struggling to keep yourself up.

"I don't know, but they can not stay here. I'm trying to impress your family, not scare them away." You nodded, agreeing with Okoye's words.

You definitely could not have your family meet Okoye with the goats there if they smelled that bad. Your cousins would never let you hear the end of it.

Your brain racked, trying to think of anything. An hour passed, and you began to worry as you didn't have much time before your family arrived.

"You know what. I think I have a temporary solution." Okoye said remembering who else was off duty.

Okoye took off one of her beads, choosing to call her friend.

Soon, Ayo's body appeared holographically.

"Sister, do you need something?" She asked.

"I actually do. Would you mind doing me a favour? I need to drop a few things off at your house for the day, I'll explain everything later." She didn't go into detail but Ayo agreed and you and Okoye went to work travelling the goats to her home, being glad that it wasn't that far away.

You barely stayed long enough to explain, leaving a confused Ayo looking at you, astonished.

You and Okoye rushed back to her house, doing everything to get rid of the remaining smell while also ignoring Ayo's consistent calls.

You'd explain it later.

"Are you really ready for this?"

You turned your head to Okoye, your girlfriend of 2 years now as she stopped once again, silently pleading for you to change your mind and ask to go back home.

"You say it like we're going to war, Okoye." You squeezed her hand once again in reassurance, sure that you were ready to finally meet her family.

"Calm down, Sthandwa sam. I'm doing this, and you are too. Please? For me?"

Taking a deep breath, she continued walking with you as you entered the Border Tribe Village, where you were going to be meeting her family for the first time.

Although there wasn't much resistance from you or any conflict in your relationship, there was still a one year time difference between when she met your family and when you met hers. She had changed the topic every time you brought it up for months until you finally put your foot down and said that you were definitely going to meet them.

She didn't hate her family by any means, but they were a lot to handle sometimes. She was a carbon copy of a lot of her family members and she was just scared that being around that much of the same energy would freak you out.

Your family was also very similar to you, but that included all of your good traits. Such as your charm and charisma.

Okoye wasn't too sure which traits she considered to be good and which bad but she knew that either way, her family had them and her mother was definitely a little bit more intimidating than yours was. Especially when it came to Okoye's partner's.

She'd told you this multiple times in hopes that this would scare you off but instead, you just ended up wanting to meet them even more, her mother more specifically, saying that multiple Okoye's would be an absolute experience. She felt the blood rushing through her face again and this is what convinced her to show up.

Now, she regretted not resisting your attempts to woo her, because you were steps away from her childhood home and everybody was probably going to be there, ready to comment about things that weren't necessary.

Reaching the doorway, you looked her way again, nodding to indicate that there was no backing down, before declaring your presence.

She entered first, taking your hand in a tight grip as she plastered a smile on her face.

"Molweni, molweni. Sifikile. (Hello, hello. We have arrived.)"

A woman who you immediately recognized as her mother came forward, as you greeted everyone. Eyeing you over, like she was inspecting you.

"So you are the famous Y/n? The one that has captured my daughter's heart?" She asked.

You nodded, clearing your throat before answering.

"I'm not too sure about being famous but yes, that is me. It is lovely to meet you, Ma." You waited anxiously as the woman approached you slowly, leaving absolutely no room between the two of you.

She raised her arm in a gesture that you assumed was to ask for a handshake. Still scared, you welcomed her strong grip as she seemed to soften a bit while still inspecting you.

You stood still as she did so, not wanting to move out of fear that she would assume that you were uninterested in getting to know her. The atmosphere was a bit awkward and the reckless part of you thought of a million and one bad jokes to say, you having to stop them from coming out of your mouth.

After what felt like decades, she let go and Okoye's father came to the front, a lot more easygoing, demanding a hug rather than a handshake, before everyone else came in with the same welcoming energy.

Okoye sighed in relief as you were taken out of her grasp by family members that were excited to meet you. The short introduction with her mother had even gone much better than she had expected, even though she wouldn't really call it an introduction.

She finally allowed herself to become at ease, being home for the first time in a long time. She took in all of the things that were different and some of the things that were still the same about everything around there.

She turned to look for you so that she could point you to all of the areas and places where all of her childhood stories had taken place, but was disappointed to see that you weren't in sight.

You'd been taken by one of her younger cousins who wanted to show you around. She was going to attempt to come with you but an aunt of hers that she hadn't seen since before leaving to become a Dora took her to sit for a chat.

The conversation she had with her was wonderful and she really did enjoy talking with the wiser, older woman but she was itching to be next to you, so she excused herself as soon as she could, going outside to find you.

There she saw you, playing with the children, entertaining them with exaggerated stories. She could tell by your hand gestures that it was a story about some mission you'd been on, and the kids were loving it.

A yell from inside called the kids to come and get snacks while the proper food was being prepared, causing the kids to rush away from you and towards the house.

You approached Okoye now, not having been next to her in almost 2 hours but as soon as you reached her, another child popped up out of nowhere directing you into the house. Okoye decided that since you were having fun, she was going to walk around the village. See what else was still the same.

She was glad to see that not too much was different, the same people still being in their respective homes. There were more Rhinos now, something she was happy to see as she had loved growing up with them around.

She went in search of her favourite rhino. Atem, the one that she had brought up from calf days.

She found him grazing away to himself, walking slowly around to her.

"You've grown." She spoke to him, although he wouldn't be able to respond.

Instead, he grunted at her, allowing her to touch him ever so slightly. She stroked his skin firmly but still gentle, telling him all of the feelings she had about today. She was comfortable doing that as there didn't seem to be anyone else around and a rhino wasn't going to tell her secrets to the world.

"I really love her, Atem. She's made me feel things I didn't even know were possible." He grunted again, like he understood what she was saying.

"The glow in her eyes in the morning when we wake up. The smiles that she throws me in passing when we are on duty. The way that she tells her stories with so much enthusiasm. She is just perfect."

Just as Okoye was about to continue, she heard footsteps behind her.

"Y/n unentliziyo yakho, ngokuqinisekileyo. (Y/n has your heart, for sure) "

Okoye turned to see her mother next to her now, standing down again as she didn't need to be strong with her mother there. She laid her head on her mother's shoulder, although the woman was shorter than her.

"Mhm," She sighed, "I think I'm going to ask for her hand in marriage soon. I know that 2 years seems rushed but I think that it's time." She finally revealed the words that she hadn't allowed to become real until now.

"You should. I can see the intense love in both of your eyes. She's definitely the most genuine person you've ever brought home."

The younger woman nodded, smiling at her mother's approval of her decision. Her mother held her for a while as they stared up into the evening sky. Then, her mother moved abruptly, silently instructing them to walk back to everyone else. She nudged Okoye.

"Plus, I like her. She's funny and she has a great sense of smell."

Okoye stopped at her mother's words, wondering what must have given her that impression.

"What makes you think that, Mama?" She asked.

"I caught her looking inside the pots while the children were occupied. I asked what she thought and she had some great opinions on my seasonings and flavour choices."

"Is that so!" Okoye let out a laugh, wondering why on this here land you had done that, knowing that you couldn't have sensed a thing. Her mother gave her a questioning look, asking her what all the fuss was about, but she shook her head, saying that it was nothing.

As she finally got time to be around you when you were sitting next to each other eating, she took the opportunity to ask.

"My mother said you have an amazing sense of smell. Do you care to explain how she came to that conclusion?" She teased you as you put your head down sheepishly. You could feel your heart racing.

" I got nervous. How was I going to explain smelling the food when I can't actually smell it? I didn't have the heart to tell her after I realised what had happened, sthandwa. I wanted her to like me." She laughed as you hid your face from her, feeling embarrassed that you'd somehow done that.

" No need to worry about that, my love. She definitely likes you. " She said, smiling at you, thinking about all of the amazing future events that the two of you would eventually go to as wives.

The building that you were located in was one of New York's most exclusive museums, and the area that was being used for the particular event happening was not spared even the slightest of expenses. when it came to the decor and the design.

You stood in a black dress with a matching blazer and heels on, scoping out the vicinity for any potential threats. You saw Nailah on the opposite side of the room, and Aneka by the doors.

You were the only three Dora Milaje at that particular scene. Prince T'Challa and the others having to go elsewhere to deal with an active crisis. The mission you were on was only a mission of speculation, someone having tipped Shuri off about an attack possibly happening at this event from an unknown threat who was trying to steal a weapon of mass destruction. One that was confirmed to be made of vibranium only weeks ago.

You always wondered why some places were so adamant on displaying such dangerous weapons, showing them to the general public, giving them such easy access, but you enjoyed international missions so you weren't complaining.

Wakanda, still being reserved in their distribution of information about their richness in vibranium and general wealth to the rest of the world, needed to retrieve the weapon if someone truly was targeting it.

Okoye, being the General, was forced to go with the Prince on his mission, not being very amused by the fact that you wouldn't be near her. She had been communicating with you on your beads non stop for 10 minutes, trying to make sure that you were okay.

"Okoye, not now." You said to yourself as you ignored your beads signals repeatedly.

Aneka laughed through your ear piece, seeing your frustration from where she stood.

"Wife troubles?" She teased as you heard Nailah let out a single chuckle too.

"You don't know the half of it." You said, sighing. You loved Okoye, you really did. And you hated being apart from her too, but the continuous interrupting of your work was becoming ridiculous.

You sent her a quick message under a table nearby, telling her to stop. This somehow only made the situation worse because now your beads were lighting up aggressively and they weren't stopping.

You huffed in agitation.

"Excuse me, you two. I need to go to the restroom to answer this woman before she attempts to show up here to see me."

The other two women hummed an "ok" in response, allowing you to break your usual code as there wasn't much happening besides the floor becoming more and more crowded. You moved your way past a lot of people, reaching the bathroom just as someone was going to go in. You felt bad for taking up the entire area but nobody outside of Wakandan heritage was to see your beads capabilities as they would ask too many questions.

Tapping the communication bead on your wrist, Okoye showed up in front of you, the holograph showing that her face was very unhappy.

"Was that so hard?" She asked as your face eased seeing her.

"My love. I'm sorry for the long wait, but I'm busy."

"I know, but Shuri alerted me that there was still no active threat on the premises so answering me for a few minutes wasn't going to hinder your mission in any way."

"Fair enough." You let out a sigh. "Sthandwa, how is your mission going? Did everything go according to plan?" You asked, deciding that bickering was not something you had time for.

"Yes, my love. We're just heading onto the quinjet now. If your mission brings nothing in the next few hours, I'll see you at our hotel."

"I'll see you soon, they're really isn't much going on here. Maybe the warning was a pra-" just as you spoke, you heard 5 loud bangs, sudden screams and dangerously heavy footsteps swarming the floor you were on.

"What was that?" Your wife asked.

"I don't know, but my love I have to go."

" Y/n! Don't be reckl-'' You hung up before she could finish, knowing what she was going to tell you.

You rushed out, looking for Nailah and Aneka.

The moment that you entered the room you were previously in, you saw the absolute chaos that had erupted.

Clouds of smoke were covering the air of the place, people were trampling all over each other trying to get out, screaming and shouting while others were collapsing in the middle of the floor. There was shattered glass on the floor, and flames burning from lines of candles being dropped when tables fell.

You could barely see, so there was no way you'd be able to move quickly without hurting someone on the floor.

"What's going on?! What happened?" You asked the people connected to your earpiece.

Nailah's voice came first, sounding quite winded.

"They put some type of explosives on the corners of the place. People are collapsing from the chemical smell. I think they did something to alter the regular military mini bombs."

You listened to her as you looked at everyone fleeing. You were feeling just fine so far, so you hoped that the sensory tactic couldn't work on you.

You moved down to get a better view without the intense smoke that came with standing up. There were a lot of people on the floor, but most of them had fallen down close enough to the door for other people to help them outside.

"We need to get these people out of here."

You lifted up two bodies at once, taking them to have the exit before going back in to get another two.

While doing this, you were also looking for the threats that were looking for the artefact. After the first wave of dust and smoke subsided slightly, you saw 6 masked figures headed for the area where it was being held.

You dragged the last of the people out in your view. Looking for the other Dora's. It didn't take long for you to see, Aneka collapsed on the ground while Nailah clutched onto her shoulder, trying to help her. Most people were in similar condition, either severely injured or having a hard time not convulsing.

Just then, another round of explosions hit the same area, probably to warn off any people from coming in.

"I have to get back in there." You said, looking at Aneka and Nailah.

"Y/n you can't! Those chemicals are going to kill you. You also don't have a mask to protect yourself." Nailah protested, pointing to what the gas fumes had done to everybody else. You gave her direct eye contact, giving her your most sincere reassurance that you could.

"Just get back up here! I'll be fine!" You said knowing that even if the smoke and chemicals were killing you, you wouldn't be able to sense it until your body gave out. That meant that you'd be at full fighting capacity for at least 10 minutes.

Before allowing her to give you her final verdict, you ran back in, retrieving your spear from a pocket, expanding it as you approached the 6 figures.

The smoke was the only thing affecting you because you could barely see, but you strained your eyes to allow you to focus more, and you were able to navigate your way to them.

They were still trying to take the artefact out of the compartment it was in. One of them attempted to smash the glass but the specific glass used wasn't one that could shatter.

"You really thought a big museum like this wasn't going to have at least a slightly efficient security?" You said, getting all six of them to look your way.

Instantly, 3 of them came for you, while the others tried other methods to break the glass.

You swung your spear, using it to push the first person to the ground while you actively fought the other two. One of them tried to use more chemicals, you slipped behind them to flip them to the ground, electrocuting them with your spear.

The last person tried to yield seeing what you had done to the other 2, but you took advantage of their fear, knocking them unconscious from the front.

The 3 standing were now attempting to use a laser to cut through the glass, and it was working.

You didn't have much time, not feeling drained in any way but your beads beeping to indicate that your heart rate was dropping as well as your oxygen levels.

To the distant left, you also heard a whimper coming from under a table nearby, probably someone who was trampled.

'Shit', you thought to yourself, seeing that you'd need to make a decision between saving whoever that was and getting the weapon.

You somehow concluded that you could do both, running to attack the other three as quickly as possible so that you could help the person.

You fought hard, taking 2 more people out leaving just the ringleader. Just as you were going to attack, they looked forward at you, taking off their mask to show their evil grin, before they pressed a button attached to wires that were attached to their body.

As soon as it was pressed, you felt the impact of multiple explosions going off.

Outside, Nailah heard the explosions, much louder than any previous ones. She had used her Kimoyo Beads to summon backup. But it was taking forever and she wasn't sure you'd still be conscious now.

She could barely move, her shoulder busted from falling at the first explosion, right into a very sharp flag post, that pierced through the ends.

Aneka was slowly regaining consciousness, but time was running out for how long you could last.

Ambulances and police cars were beginning to arrive, people being assisted as best as they could with limited resources.

"Nailah! What happened!" The prince and other Dora approached, T'Challa asking the only conscious warrior.

Nailah explained the events, Okoye nearly collapsing after hearing that you ran back in.

"You let her go back?!" She questioned the woman, losing her composure.

"No, General. She disobeyed my direct orders to stay."

Just then, another explosion, followed by a figure approaching. It was you, holding a person.

Your head was bleeding from multiple places, and the rest of your body could barely stay up.

Okoye rushed to you as you put the person down, collapsing right next to them.

"Sthandwa sam, are you ever going to stop worrying me?" Okoye's voice was the first thing you heard when you regained consciousness.

"Y/N!" Okoye was the last person's voice that you heard.

You shifted, grunting and smiling at yourself, opening your eyes to see the woman sitting next to you, her head bowed down.

"Maybe, maybe not. I wouldn't be able to tell you that now." You croaked.

Okoye looked up, seeing you awake. She smiled now, laughing at your words now.

"Loving you is a mission sometimes, Y/n." She joked, you joined in on her laughter. Suddenly, her face then became more serious.

"I told you not to be reckless."

"I wasn't trying to be. I was just using the gift that Bast gave me. My useless nose saved me, you know." She shoved you, not appreciating the joke.

You nudged her, smiling at her, prompting her to ease, laughing once again.

"I guess it did. Now people think that you have super powers. I heard Nailah talking to the others on our trip back."

Only now did you realise that you were in the royal infirmary, back in Wakanda.

"I didn't have the heart to correct her." You chuckled through a yawn, realising that this had somehow become your thing.

Besides your family, Okoye was still the only person who knew about your non-existent sense of smell. You have grown more and more grateful for this.

It was fun having her be the only person knowing. It brought adventures much like this one to your relationship, and more importantly; it brought a lot of jokes.

Author's Note: Day One, Number 2. I hope you enjoyed.

#okoye x reader #black panther #wakanda forever #general okoye #okoye one shot #dora milaje #okoye #midnight angels #aneka #ayo #domestic fluff #okoye fluff #fluff

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hatsunevitu · 11 months

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did i mention i love kyman crossovers? i have come up with a kyman au that is a crossover with infinity train.

first of all if someone has no idea what infinity train is, that’s a cartoon about an odd train with an endless amount of cars in it. people get to this train suddenly, and they have a green flashing number on their hand, each is individual. it represents the main psychological trouble a person has. number can go up and down depending on how far a person is from solving the problem. the main aim of the train is to help ppl solve their trouble and make peace with themselves. (for example the main character of season 1 was a girl whose parents were divorced, and she blamed herself for that. she could only get off the train when she realised she’s not responsible for their decision and sometimes things change for the better)

so basically m4 + butters got to the train to the different cars each, but eventually they would find each other. i think first of all kyle found someone like butters or kenny, and cartman found stan. they would wander around through all those cars trying to understand the meaning of the numbers. when they finally all met up they saw that everyone’s numbers are different (butters has the biggest one and kenny has the least one) except for kyman because they share the same number. and it really pisses them off, because they have no idea why the hell they have something (anything) in common. so they’d start arguing and fighting AND THE NUMBER SUDDENLY WENT UP.

cartman: Aye! Are you copying me or what?

kyle: What are you talking about, Fata– oh! Your number! The same as mine…

cartman: Yeah, Kahl, that’s what I wanted to ask you about!

kyle: I have no idea why it is this way. Probably a coincidence?

cartman: What are the odds of this, huh?

kyle: I don’t know! And fuck off already, I’m already pretty sick of hearing you again.

cartman: You’re sick?? I’m the one who is forced to stay in a godforsaken closeted space with fucking Kyle!

kyle: Ughhh, it was much better to walk with Kenny, you fat fuck.

cartman: Yes, I also prefer Stan’s company muuuch better! …Wait.

kyle: Huh?

cartman: The number. It changed. It was 167 and now it’s 176!

kyle: …Mine too…

cartman: So they are connected.

kyle: I guess they are…

cartman: Oh, screw it, now my number is connected to the jew’s number! That’s not good, I swear it’s a bad luck…

kyle: Shut up already, would you?? I’m trying to think. You made our numbers go up.

cartman: Oh, so now it’s my fault?!

kyle: Whose else could it be?

cartman: My number was totally fine until I met you! I bet you did something to it and now because of your tricks I’ll never leave that train and never go home and that means I’ll never eat my goddamn KFC dinner my mother had promised me today.

kyle: Oh, so that’s the only thing that bothers you??

cartman: No, it actually bothers me a lot that I’m stuck here with you, of all people!!

(lmao btw the numbers are not random, 167 is a number of s16e7 “cartman finds love” and 176 is “ginger cow :D)

so they fight a lot and their number goes up and up, and then cartman does one small nice things for kyle and number goes a but down, so he realises the number depends on their friendship??? so he starts using it trying to act nice and good to kyle (not genuinely ofc)

cartman, opens the car’s door for kyle: After you, my dear friend.

kyle: What are you doing?

cartman: What? Just trying to help you, that’s all.

kyle: …You enter this one first.

cartman: What. Why?

kyle: I don’t trust you. It’s probably the most dangerous one and you just want to lock me there or something.

cartman: Why would I do that, Kahl?

kyle: Because you hate me.

cartman: That’s not true! It’s just friendly fighting, nothing more. Come on, Kyle, I’ll help you with that car! Hey, and did I mention you look sooo great today?

kyle, raising an eyebrow: The fuck are you talking about? What’s the catch? And why do you keep looking at your number?

cartman: Oh my GOD! Can’t I just be nice to you for a goddamn minute without you suspecting me of some delusional ideas, you fucking jew?!

kyle: I want to know why you’re nice, because I will never believe you’re genuine about that.

cartman: Oh, for fuck’s sake, just keep going!

and he realises it doesn’t work until it’s sincere.

so it takes them about two months to fix their friendship and be honest about it. that they don’t actually hate each other, that they have much more in common than they thought. and then they’re stuck at something like 10, for, um, two weeks. nothing they do can change their number no matter how nice and good they are to each other. the thing is the train wanted them to be honest to themselves, and they couldn’t do it without admitting they like each other more than friends :3

AND OH GOD PLS TELL ME IT DOESN’T SOUND DELUSIONAL AND CRINGE BECAUSE IVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS SHIT FOR LIKE THE WHOLE DAY.

#south park #sp #eric cartman #kyman #sp kyman #kyle x cartman #kyle broflovski #cartman x kyle #kyman headcanon #sp cartman #sp kyle #kyman crossover #infinity train #I LOVE STUPID CROSSOVERS #idk if anyone here has even watched both infinity train and south park but

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memarrymilf · 1 year

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Just Kiss The Girl

Lady Lesso x Clarissa Dovey

Clarissa Dovey being a bisexual disaster, y/n is in here so beware.

AN: I need Fic, I make fic, you read fic, we love fic.Beep bop boop, I make story for the gay.

Lady Lesso was intriguing, she confused everyone who spoke to her- dramatic jumps in thought, her constant attempt at insulting everyone around her. Lady Lesso was an enigma, and no one wanted to solve the puzzle that was her more than Clarissa Dovey did. The dean of the school of good wanted to know more, she wanted to be her friend.

That was all. Nothing else. When the schools merged, she saw this as an opportunity for her to get closer to her sarcastic co-dean. Lady Lesso was elegance, grace, and calculated movements, and she, well she was chaos, kindness, and fumbling.

No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t match the perfect steps that Lesso would take, every step somehow held meaning when it came from her. Clarissa Dovey was not jealous. Jealousy is evil and, she was good.

Her heart ached for the lonely reader who locked herself away in the far back corners of Lesso’s mind. After the run-in with Sophie, she realized that she really hadn’t put that much effort into getting to know the woman she spent standing next to every day. The woman she spent most of her time around, the only one who could understand the stress she was constantly put under, she did have the same job after all.

Why she had not approached her earlier, she doesn’t know. Perhaps she had seen too much of herself in this woman, the one that was meant to be evil, and it scared her. Lady Lesso was already intimidating enough all on her own. She didn’t scare Dovey per say, but she was always at the risk of being on the receiving end of Lesso’s relentless mocking.

As much as she enjoyed their back-and-forth banter, she didn’t want Lesso to think that she wasn’t being sincere. She truly believed that she would enjoy her company. So, today when she approached her co-dean, she did so with the intent of getting to know her.

As always Lady Lesso was stood at the very front of the dining hall during breakfast, her ever-vigilant gaze settled upon the hoard of students. “Good morning Lady Lesso,” the dean’s eyes snapped up to meet hers. She had the most beautiful eyes that Clarissa had the pleasure of seeing.

“Good morning, Professor Dovey.” Lesso’s eyes moved away from hers and settled back onto the children.

Dovey cleared her throat, “Clarissa,” she corrected.

Lesso looked at her, confused by her statement. “Excuse me?"

Clarissa smiled, “You should call me Clarissa, we are trying to be friends, you know with the schools becoming one and all.” She knew that it was weak reasoning, but she knew it was the only one that she had. It would have been easier had it been anyone but the beautiful and intimidating dean.

Clarissa was not blind; she knew beauty when she saw it- evil was not meant to be that beautiful.

“Well, then it would only be fair for you to call me Leonora.” Clarissa smiled, truly and freely smiled- there was none of the false goodness that she felt the need to carry with her present in it.

They were making progress.

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It has been two weeks since the schools merged, and Leonora had spent way more time in Clarissa’s office than she did in her own.

They had been speaking to each other in a much more familiar way, the way friends would- not like they did before, they were no longer strangers forced to be in each other's constant proximity. Leonora's insults were becoming less hurtful and more playful.

Clarissa was simply happy that she no longer had to fight off the urge to flinch at her new friend's words. She was sat at her desk, working through another round of complaints aimed at the Evers. They were meant to be good, yet it seemed that they just couldn't hold their tongues.

Leonora had a field day the last time she saw the number of complaints that Dovey was working through, so, to ensure that no mocking would be heard, Clarissa resigned herself to doing it within the few moments a day that she wasn't surrounded by people.

It wasn't that Leonora received no complaints, but her children were meant to be evil. Leonora seemed to take pride in the sheer amount of chaos that her children could cause within a day.

"I have another one," the door was slammed open as Y/N entered. She held up another pink slip of paper. Dovey set her pen down and turned her full attention to the professor before her. They did not look impressed, not even in the slightest.

Dovey reached out her hand, Y/N placed the paper down in her open palm.

As she read about the latest incident, she fought the urge to roll her eyes. It seems Beatrix and Hester had gotten into another fight.

Dovey placed the paper onto the pile of matching ones, "This is the third time this week."

Y/N nodded, "If they just realized that they were in love with each other, perhaps the constant fighting would come to an end." Dovey looked up at them.

"In love?" She questioned.

Perhaps she was missing something, but as far as she knew Beatrix was in love with Tedros for almost a whole year. "Yeah, do you really think that they would spend that much getting under each other's skin if they were not interested in each other?"

Dovey's mind started working at a mile a minute, she had seen so much of herself and Lesso in the interactions between the two teens. Had she really been so blind? "For the longest time I thought that you and Lesso were flirting too, so maybe my judgment is flawed, nothing has happened between you two so far."

Dovey stopped breathing, she and Lesso?

She wasn't appalled at the notion, the thought had simply never even crossed her mind. They were friends, nothing more.

"That's ridiculous." The words come out harsher than she intended.

Y/N nodded their head. "I see that now."

They turn to leave the room without waiting for Dovey to reply, "That however does not change the fact that the two of you act like an old married couple every time that you are in the same room."

The door banged shut behind them, with those appalling manners one would forget that they were the professor of Etiquette.

Dovey sat there for a moment. She wasn't attracted to Lesson, was she?

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Dovey marched over to Lesso, she was sitting in her seat for lunch.

Lesso looked up at her as she approached, she stopped in front of her

Dovey didn't falter. "Are we flirting?"

"Do you want us to be flirting?" Dovey looked at Lesso's smirking face for a moment.

Lesso didn't look disgusted or angry, she looked amused. Not the same way that she did when she wanted to laugh, no, the way she looks when they have their late-night heart-to-hearts.

"Perhaps." She replied, lifting her eyebrows slightly.

They stare into each other's ey- "Oh for the love of everything good, just kiss already!" Y/N's voice was heard yelling from across the table.

Lesso leaned forward connecting their lips. Fireworks erupted behind Dovey's eyes.

She realized in that moment that she knew what it felt like now, this was love.

#dovesso #lady lesso #clarissa dovey #they're lesbians your honor #they are in love #they r so silly #like jeez #school for evil #school for good and evil #chefs kiss #x reader

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