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#its just how you react when you dread the love of your life might die
drulalovescas · 7 months
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This might be the funniest thing Supernatural did
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see-arcane · 2 years
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Thinking about the scene with the wolves, the mother, and how some folks are writing Jonathan off as callous for the ‘she’s better off dead’ comment rather than reading into his literal conviction that death (or undeath) by vampire is the worse fate.
Thinking about how very soon we’re going to see exactly how convicted he is of that fear and his belief that an ending by any other means is preferable to a vampiric one. For at least there will be an ending.
(Mild spoilers under the cut)
I get doing it for a giggle, but it frustrates me when it looks like some folks are purposefully misreading Jonathan’s languishing bits as anywhere between genuinely hypocritical to selfish. 
Would it be hypocritical if you, the newbie on your first time abroad to Anyplace But Your Own City/Country on your first Big Deal business trip with a fiancée waiting at home, heard the locals muttering about vampires, did not immediately take their warnings at face value, (followed by throwing your job in the toilet and heading back to your boss and your love to tell them, “Well, they said there were vampires at the castle, sorry, couldn’t close the deal, too bad!”) but instead went off to do your job, only to be shocked at the fact that Oh Shit, Vampires are Real and Now I’m Their Prisoner?
No. That’s called ‘Not knowing you are Jonathan Harker in the novel Dracula,’ meaning you have no context, no reason to have context or to believe in something like vampires being real--a revelation that would obviously stun us too, no matter the jokes to the contrary. 
It’s dramatic irony! Absolutely! 
But being suddenly slapped upside the head with proof of the supernatural and its very real desire to stick a straw in your arteries, leading to you singing the same tune as the villagers who were afraid for you before the reveal, is just plain logic, not haw haw, hypocrisy. You learn a thing? React to that thing accordingly.
As to the death by wolves scene and Jonathan seemingly having no time to pity her? Of course he felt bad for her. He just feels that to end up as her child did would have been worse. As he sincerely believes his end will be.
We get the context and eye-rolling of our post-post-modern perspectives to play with. Vampires are a Sexy Metaphor, or an Other Metaphor, or an [INSERT YOUR LENS OF CHOICE HERE] Metaphor, so it’s stilting to have to rewind and view it through the POV of a character who was at the dawn of the vampire genre boom when they were meant to be genuinely terrifying. Because Jonathan is terrified of what it will mean when the Count and/or his lady friends get their teeth in him.
This isn’t What We Do in the Shadows or Francis Ford Coppola’s cinematic fanfiction for him. This is “I will only get to die and stay dead if I am very, very lucky,” for him. Because he truly dreads the idea of not just loss of life, but loss of soul/self, and a forced conscription into the same monster club as Dracula against his will.
(Really there’s a whole other essay to be had when it comes to the Fear of Losing Free Will/Humanity and Fear of Violation for Dracula’s victims, but anyway.)
Jonathan Harker does not want himself or anyone else to die. But he sees undeath as far more appalling, as do all the characters to come. We’ll see soon that he is being extremely literal when he considers death by a vampire worse than any other fatality. 
((Which will come back to bite him--ha ha--when the trouble with Mina comes up. His dedication to her, and to whatever she might become, outweighs his own terror of turning. His new willingness to be converted will highlight not only that he holds Mina above death, but above the living Hell that vampirism is framed as. If he is too much a smitten fool to raise a hand against Mina as a Monster, he will ensure he is damned in the same way. With her.))
tl;dr: Victorian Solicitor Man is not a selfish hypocrite, he’s just a dude being hit over the head with progressively worse horrors and who is now in a situation where he has to weigh Terrible Fate A against Terrible Fate B while still trying to figure out a way to escape either and is rapidly running out of time and hope regardless
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imaginebabygurl · 2 years
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Loveing Thy Enemy
This is going to be a Felix x reader imangine because I’ve been neglecting my man. ( I forgot this shit was in my drafts woops 😅)
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I was part of the pack for a while now, I moved up here from Canada 3 months ago. Jaccob was kind enough to take me in after my pack was massacred by new newborns and the cullens moved back once agian to forks. It was quite unusal though new people new faces. I got along well with the rest of the cullens never had problems with them but it did bother me that whenever they  were around trouble would deffiantly followed.  Of course the Volturi were involved , to have honestv their rules made sense it wasnt or didn’t seem that horrible. Just live your life and nothing happenes but after the whole fiasco everything went back to normal. But it wasnt the volturi came to vist for bussiness unknow to them, as far as they kne wthey haven’t broke anyrules.
It was surpiisng the Kings themselves didn’t show up this time but made a formal request to see me and that was somthing I didn’t want, it made my wolf on the inside on egde something wasn’t right and do they even know abotu me Alice maybe well it doesnt matter, so many thoughts ran throught my mind Jaccob intruppted my inner monolauge, while we were transfomedx.
“ Y/n, you know your not obligated to meet thewm if this isn’t what you want you donm’t have to.” 
As the pack ran through the forest heading towards the Cullens it was full of growls and multiple cvonverstations flying off as million miles perminute but i blocked the rest of the pack ewith their playful banter out to talk to Jaccob.
“No Jake its, okay I just want to get thias done and over with. I really dont want to have any problems really it might be because they thought i was human and were going to sort out.”
“ Alright, if your sure, i can tell in his voices that thewre was unease but it was to late we were already arrived at the cullens.”
As I took my human form, I smelt the most amazing scent and i knew it was him my mate, he semlt absoultley wonderful like fresh Pine and oold spice the scent was intoxicateing and I wcouldn’t be more happy. I ran ahead of everyone and could hear Jake call my name.
“Y/n wait, you need to-”
I alreadly ran towards the cullen door and was ready to meet who he was, I could see the cullens but when I was going up to carlisle. I bumped into someone and fell back. He was tall and ominious,didn’t really appear friendly which made me nervous, but his senct was he really mine? this wasnt how i imagined him to be let aloine... a vampire and he wasn’t like the cullens he drank human blood he’s blood red eyes made him all the more friegthing with his terryinfg hieght, the way he loomed over me. I was conflicted with myself  my heart couldn’t be more happy but my heart also filled weith dread. We couldn’t be togther we shouldn’t. Yes trhewre was Jaccob and Reneseme but thats different, how could I possibly love the one thing that massacrewd my loved ones. A... vampire, well I guess its not really fair to jugde them but what i’ve heard they ruled with an iron fist and you can’t be both volf and vampire...would they force me to transform? will I have to die? I don’t want to, I had a whole life ahead of my and I won’t let anybody not h=even him, stop me. 
“So I did thew only thing I would think of was to run away as a sign of rejection.”
“Felix your scaring her.” the short blond said.
“Well sister what did you expect? She the enemy and to top it all off she finds that her mate is a towering blood sucker, what aperdicatment she in. i wonder how master Caisus would react he will surly blow a fujse.”
As all of this went on the man before me felix crouned down to seem less intimidating, his face softened and a smile appereaded on his face. I guess he did look rather sweet and the eyes didn’t really bother me but i just couldn’t bring my self to love him
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getouswh0re · 3 years
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Howdy!! Could I request Yandere Gojo and Geto from jjk, with a special-grade sorcerer reader? Ty in advance, I really like your writing!✨
an; thank you for the love ˊᗜˋ💕 here are some drabbles for them separately, hope you liked it :3
warnings; yandere, gore, blood, unhealthy relationships, obsessive behaviour. do not condone such actions in real life, and please kindly read at your own discretion.
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THE night was quiet, almost serene, totally at odds with the glowering menace in Geto’s eyes. Gone was the subtle gentleness in those inky slits you had grown to adore; in its place, inscrutable darkness bore holes into the back of your skull as you shuddered beneath the curse user’s glare.
It was still Geto in the flesh: the same face, unique hairstyle and robes he’d wear just like any other day. Yet it was no longer the special-grade sorcerer whom you once knew and loved. You never knew what caused such a drastic change in him; all you wished for, was for the old Geto to return, hoping that all of this was none other than another nightmare.
“Suguru? W-What are you doing at my door? It’s already late, you should be taking some rest ...” A hint of dismay — maybe sadness, ghosted his expression when the raven picked up the quivers in your tone. Nonetheless, a gentle smile adorns his face, emerging from the shadows to reveal himself as the raven explained himself.
“Why? Can’t I come and visit you?” He cocked his head, a playful smirk evident. Geto never ceased to make your heart flutter; perhaps it was his flirtatious nature and mellow personality that drew you towards him, but even after being one of his closest friends for a long time, at times you felt like you couldn’t understand him at all, with this being one of the occurrences.
You chortled, about to invite the raven into your apartment when warning bells started to ring incessantly in your head, warning you that there was something awry about him once you caught a glimpse at his clothes imbrued with crimson splatters.
“Sugu ... what is that on your clothes?”
“Oh this? Satoru splashed me with red paint, it’s not much of a big deal.” You knew he was lying, instantly picking up the revolting metallic stench from the stains. Dread filled your mind while you staggered back, keeping a distance from the male who gave you a perplexed look in return.
“You and I know a smell like this isn’t red paint ...” Trying to be as calm as you could, you retracted a step backwards with every stride Geto took. “Be honest with me. What on earth have you done?”
“Sharp as ever, y/n.” A condescending look took over as Geto finally revealed his true colours. “The world needs to change. All these monkeys are the reasons why curses exist. They can’t even control their cursed energy properly, and we sorcerers have to battle with death every time a curse poses as a threat to them. Their ignorance is revolting in its core, and I believe to make the world a better place, it would be better off to remove all of them out of sight. Don’t you agree —“
“What the fuck are you thinking?” Unable to withhold your seething rage, you snapped at the curse user. “This isn’t what sorcerers should do! What you are doing is of no difference from a brutal murderer Geto! I can’t fucking believe you!”
“How can you think of me like they y/n? That hurts my heart you know.”
Before you could even scream, he was already inches away, blood-stained hands caressing your cheeks tenderly as if you were made of fragile glass. “I just want to make life easier, there’s no need for us to put our lives at stake every time we exorcise curses. Right? We could be enjoying peaceful days together, free from the dangers of this world ...”
“Stop! Your delusions are sick, this isn’t you at all Geto! I don’t know what is wrong with your brain, but it’s never too late to turn back —“
Suddenly, your vision darkened — your consciousness sinking into a bottomless void as the raven carried you in a bridal style, the two of you vanishing into the tenebrosity of the night.
“And I thought you were the only one who’d understand me ... love.” He shook his head in disapproval, but the disappointment in his eyes were eventually replaced with glee as Geto stared at your limp figurine in his arms.
“But don’t worry, what needs to be done will be done. For our sake, for our future together.”
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EVERYTHING would always be uglier up close.
At first glance, one might find Gojo Satoru a perfect man: with talent, looks and wealth all in one package. Men envy the greatest sorcerer of all time, and women grovel at his feet, desperate for a sprinkle of the man’s attention. Despite living the life everyone dreams to be in, the heir of the Gojo clan couldn’t care less about how the world spins around his axis. For the sorcerer has his eyes set on something much more worthy of his time and effort. 
He is a man of determination, willing to achieve his goals with whatever means possible — even resorting to dirtying his own hands. It is such an irony that underneath the charming façade, such a disgusting soul exists.
“For the last time Satoru, I am not interested in dating anybody.” Heaving an exasperated sigh, you politely shoved the lavish presents piling up at your front door back into the man’s arms. 
“I feel really flattered that you have feelings for me, I truly do. But I’m sure you know as sorcerers, we fight with death every day. If there is any regret that I’d dread to have ... it would be to leave everything I love behind. And I would rather die alone than leave my partner suffering on their own.” 
“That’s what I love about you y/n.” 
A loving sigh slipping from his tongue, Gojo took a step forward, cupping your face with utter delicacy. Yet you felt more than revolted by his sudden intimacy, struggling to writhe away from his tightening grip.
“You are always so kind, so considerate ... something I cannot find in anyone else other than you. But think about it sweetheart! You and I are both special-grade sorcerers, but I can protect you from the curses — at the same time giving you the moon and stars. We could move in together, you wouldn’t even need to work anymore. Why make your life harder when I could simply provide for you? Seriously —” 
“S-Satoru, I hate to tell you this but you’re pushing the boundaries right now.” Trying to reason with the sorcerer, you spoke with a harsher tone, praying that Gojo would get the hint and respect your choices. “You’re out of your mind! And why would you force 
Nonetheless, your words fell on deaf ears. 
“Now this is not how you should react when someone offers you their heart and soul.” The light in his cerulean eyes darkened, cyan hues glimmering beneath the penumbra of nightfall. “And I know you are a smart young woman, so you’d come to realise what is in your best interest. I really don’t want to do this to you y/n; but if you are trying to push me away from your life again, I would have to keep you to my side — the hard way.” 
With that, he pulled down his blindfold.
You were aware of how dangerous Infinite Void was; still, experiencing it first-hand was one hell of a terrifying experience. Fleeting images flashed across your vision as if all of this was in fastforward motion, depicting your fate in the past along with future. As certain blurred vestiges showed up, your heart sank in indescribable despair; moments of you and none other than Gojo were portrayed — blood splattered across the labyrinth of streets in Tokyo, your trembling hands intertwined with his, platinum bands wrapped around both of your ring fingers, adorable kids that were exact replicas of both of you. At this point, you could feel the will to fight back dwindling to fickle embers. 
No matter what you did, Gojo would always find his way back to you.
Even if he had to tear the world apart with his hands. 
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navegandoaciegas · 3 years
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Broken Wings {2/2}
Pairing: Lee Bodecker x Reader
Summary: You’re a small town girl with big city dreams, set on leaving Knockemstiff and its Sheriff behind for good. Lee Bodecker would do anything to make sure you stay with him.
Warnings: smut, explicit language, non-con, breeding kink, unprotected vaginal sex, creampie, overall dark themes, kind of a slow build up to the nasty.
A/N: Sorry for the delay, I’ve had an eventful couple of days. This is part 2, read part 1 here.
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The adrenaline that rushed through your veins blocked out the pain in your body and the noises around you. Your breathing came out in short, panicked huffs as you sprinted through the woods, Lee hot on your heels.
You thought back to the past 12 hours, and how they’d changed your life.
Leaving Knockemstiff and boarding a bus for New York, with your big dreams and a small bag. Almost reaching Pennsylvania’s border before your hopes were snatched away. Lee chasing said bus, blasting the sirens of his patrol car and pulling the driver over. The dread that settled in your stomach when you met his enraged stare, your hopes of a better life shattering in a million pieces, the anger and humiliation that had filled you when he’d dragged you, kicking and screaming, out of the bus, under the judgemental or pitying stares of the passengers.
“You can’t run from me, dove.”
His voice echoed in the woods, tantalizing and terrorizing you all the same. You’d managed to bolt away and hide in the woods before he could handcuff you, but you hadn’t made it too far before he’d found you.
In the event that he’d ever caught you, you’d imagined that he’d fall on his knees and beg you to stay. Lee dragging your ass out of the bus like any drunk bastard he’d escorted home after a fight was certainly not the reaction you’d expected.
You pushed the branches out of your face, feeling a new tear in the skin of your cheeks whenever you’d barrel through a bush. You had no idea where you were going, all you knew was that you had to keep running until your feet bled. Hide. Disappear.
Just a couple more miles and you’d find another town, you could catch a bus then, and maybe you’d be safe-
One second you were sprinting through the trees, and the next your foot was caught in an exposed root, and you tumbled down the slope with your arms stretched out to protect your face.
You hissed in pain when you lifted your palms from the ground. Debris stuck to the abrasion, and it burnt and stung when you flexed your hands. You tried standing up, but fell back among the leaves, feeling lightheaded.
You registered some more cuts on your knees, but you couldn’t tell whether it was blood or tears that streamed down your face.
The branches contorted around you, and the shadows they casted danced around the edges of your vision.
New York, new life, new beginning. Your mom’s smile in her Sunday dress when she’d waved you off. The stench of alcohol in Lee’s breath when he’d caught on the bus.
You thought you’d heard a voice call your name in the distance before your vision went dark, and you let the void envelop you.
-
The sky had turned dark when Knockemstiff’s rusty welcome sign came into view, and he hadn’t spoken a word to you since you’d woken up in his car, with his dark leather jacket draped over your shoulders and bandages on your bruised skin.
You’d stopped sobbing, and you’d run out of pleads, apologies, and tears.
For the first time in your life, you were afraid of him.
His car pulled to a stop in a deserted parking lot. He killed off the engine, and clenched his jaw, inhaling a deep breath before he spoke.
“What was goin’ through that dumb head of yours, sweetie? What made you think you could up, and fuckin’ leave me like that?” he bit through gritted teeth, chest heaving. “One of the boys called me this morning, said he heard your mother talk about you to one of her old hags, babblin’ ‘bout leaving for good, New York, a job.”
He let out a bitter laugh, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.
“He thought she’d finally done lost her goddamn mind. Ain’t no sheriff’s girl leaving town for good, he said.”
“I’m sorry, Lee, I should've told you, I was selfish-”
“Yes, you fuckin’ were, fuckin’ selfish is what you are.” he screamed, and you jumped in surprise, because he’d never raised his voice at you.
“I’m sorry, I can’t give you what you want. I don’t want that. You know I don’t belong here Lee, just lemme go, forget all about me.” you pleaded once again, voice small and broken.
He stayed silent for a moment after your little rant, before bursting into a fit of laughter. His body shook with the vibration, and he clutched his stomach, as if no joke had ever sounded so fun in his ears.
“Forget about you? Sweetie, you know I can’t do that. I love you too much.”
“If you love me, let me go Lee, I’m begging you. Please.” you sobbed, gripping his hands in yours, hoping your wobbling lips would move him.
He sighed, and enveloped your hands in his warm ones, bringing them to his lips. He left a trail of kisses from the inside of your wrists to your knuckles.
“Come with me, then. Leave this shitty place behind for good, Lee. Ain’t nothing good’s come out of ‘ere anyways.”
You thought you’d seen his resolve break. You thought he’d choose you for once. Choose you over his thirst for power.
“You know I can’t do that,” he snapped, raising his voice again, “I’m so close to gettin’ myself elected, the campaign is going well, I can’t give up now.”
“Can’t or won’t?” you pressed, anger hardening your stare.
He held your gaze for a moment before looking ahead, eyes unreadable for the first time since you’d met him.
“You know I’m selfish too,” he shrugged.
He reached for his belt, and held up the metal handcuffs, wordlessly securing them around your wrists, ignoring your protests.
“Just stay here.” he grumbled before swinging the door open.
The cold, unyielding cuffs dug in your wrists as you attempted to tug them free from the metal hook on the dash where they were attached to.
It was useless, but it made you feel like you were actually trying. You were mad at Lee, of course, at whoever had tipped him off, and at yourself.
Especially at yourself for your wistful thinking, for convincing yourself that Lee would have given up on you as you’d had on him. For not running fast enough, being strategic enough.
You huffed in annoyance when the metal hook refused to give in, and fell back on the headrest with a groan.
Your calves and shins were sore from your crazy sprint in the woods, and the palms of your hands were scraped from your fall. Lee had cleaned the cuts, but they still stung when you’d inadvertently brush them against each other.
You were mostly unscathed, except for your wounded pride.
You wished your glare could incinerate Lee on the spot when he opened the door to the driver’s seat with a smirk on his lips. The car creaked and swayed when he sat down.
“Fries and vanilla shakes, your favorite.” he announced, opening up the brown paper bag on his lap.
“I’m not hungry.” you mumbled, turning your head to observe the diner’s feeble neon lights in the distance.
Your stomach chose that moment to betray you, and let out a growl when the waft of fried food reached your nose. You hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and you were starving.
“Your tummy seems to think otherwise, dove.”
You used to think that his cocky loopsided grin gave a youthful glow to his face, but now you couldn’t help but hate the satisfaction it oozed.
“Open up.” he chirped, a handful of fries in his hands.
You rolled your eyes, sighing to yourself. “You’re not actually going to do that, are ya? Just uncuff me, Lee.
“I won’t uncuff you until I’m sure I can trust that you won’t run off on me, dove. Might take a while, tho. Now open up.”
You parted your lips, deciding that this one wouldn’t be the hill you’d choose to die on. Glaring at him, you took a bite out of the fries. He hissed when your teeth snapped hard against his fingers, but let out a chuckle seeing you in the state you were in, amused by your pathetic struggle.
“Good girl.” he praised you, feeding you some more like you used to do on those long nights patrolling the streets. Back when feeding each other was an act of love, not a humiliating punishment.
“So how was your little trip in Ohio, sweetie? Enjoyed the fields?”
He hummed when you refused to speak, and brought the milkshake to your mouth, studying your lips as they closed on the striped paper straw, and your cheeks hollowing when you sucked.
“Could’ve drove you myself if you’d asked. Could’ve brought you somewhere nice on holiday this winter. Someplace outside of Ohio.” he continued, taking a sip for himself, “Maybe we can go to a beach on our honeymoon, whaddya say, huh?”
You snorted at his audacity, almost inhaling the milkshake.
“What honeymoon are you talking about, Lee? Ain’t no way I’m marrying you now.”
He shook his head again, a small smile forming on his lips.
“Yes, you are, dove. You are marrying me.”
Your eyes almost bulged out of your head as you gave him an incredulous look. Had you been blinded by love, or was he showing his true colors now?
“What, you’re gonna drag me by the hair and force me to sign the papers? Don’t think the preacher or the fine citizens of this shitty fuckin’ town are gonna like that too much.”
You scoffed, feeling your vision blur with tears again.
Lee levelled his face with yours, eyes darting between your own. You’d never noticed the darkness in him, and it made your heartbeat spike for all the wrong reasons.
“I don’t need to drag you, dove. You’re gonna come to that altar with a smile on these pretty lips. And you know why?” he whispered in your ear, and you felt a shiver go down your spine.
His calloused hand caressed your thigh, slowly hiking up your pleated skirt. “Because I’m finally gonna put a child inside you tonight, and nothing’s gonna stop me.”
Before you had time to react, or panic, he’d climbed to the passenger’s side, caging you in with his large body. He slanted his mouth against yours, forcing his tongue between your lips that you’d parted in a surprised gasp.
You pushed your shoulders against his, trying to pry him away, but he groped you relentlessly. Panic gripped you when you realized you were bound and at his mercy, and he wasn’t joking about his intentions.
“Gonna keep you chained until I knock you up, dove. Keep you in my house, can’t trust that mother of yours,” he huffed between kisses, hands roaming over your body.
“Stop, Lee, have you lost your goddamn mind? Don’t fuckin’ touch me, you asshole. Lemme go.”
You managed to kick his stomach, but in the frantic haze that had overcome him, he barely took notice, continuing his exploration of your body.
You shrieked when his hand dipped in your panties, and to your utter shame, found them soaked.
“You really want me to stop? Because your pussy is telling me a whole ‘nother story, sweetie. Feel how wet you are for me, you like this, don’t ya?”
He brought his finger to your lips, forcing your mouth open until you’d sucked him clean of your juices. He hummed when he dipped down and kissed you again, tasting your arousal on your tongue.
Your teeth snapped on his bottom lip until you’d drawn blood, and he released you with a hiss. His hand gripped your jaw, and tears began blurring your vision.
You couldn’t find adoration, love, and care in his eyes, only cruel determination.
The screams you let out sounded like a muffled gargle.
“Scream all you want, no one’s gonna hear you, and if they do, what’re they gonna say to me? I’m the sheriff sweetie, I’m the law. You were just stupid enough to think you could escape me.”
You pushed, kicked, screamed, thrashed until the metal cuffs had scrubbed your skin raw, fighting the hands that were pushing your bra down until your tits spilled out.
His fingers grazed your heated skin like they’d done a million times before, staining your loving memories forever.
“Fuck sweetheart, you’re gonna look so good with my baby inside you, all round and swollen.” he groaned, nipping at the juncture between your neck and shoulder, sucking on the skin hard enough to hurt you, “All the men in this town are gonna be jealous of me. Might have to keep you locked up all the time.”
You couldn’t deny the throbbing in your core when his tongue licked a stripe behind your ear, nor the arousal soaking through your panties when slid his hand over the hair on your mound, teasing you.
“Gonna keep these tits full of milk for a long time sweetie.”
You moaned when his thick fingers breached your entrance, feeling the pressure build up as he kept pumping them in and out of you. He kept his thumb on your clit, the way he knew you liked, until you were so sensitive and overstimulated that you couldn’t tell pain and pleasure apart.
“You can never leave me, never again. Don’t you understand, I’m nothing without you. I need you.”
He played your body so well that it made you sick.
“Please Lee,” you panted, clenching your jaw to suppress your wanton sounds, “Don’t do this. There’s no turning back from this. Please.” you pleaded, lips wobbling.
“That’s the point,” he huffed, struggling to fit in the space between the passenger’s seat and the dashboard.
He forcefully spread your legs open, making a quick work of ripping your cotton panties to shreds. Bringing his face down to your glistening cunt, he inhaled a deep breath before delving into your folds, tongue lapping at your juices. The lewd, slurping sounds soon mixed with your moans that you could no longer keep in.
By that point you didn’t know if you were fighting to keep his head where it was or to rip it out of his neck.
“You taste like heaven, so fuckin’ sweet.” he grunted before latching onto your bud, hollowing his cheeks arount it as he sucked you off.
Fireworks went off in your lower belly when pleasure exploded inside you. Waves of pleasure crashed through your body, rendering your limbs limp and heavy.
All rational thoughts thrown out the window, you melted into his body when he surged forward to slant his lips against yours. He swallowed your moans with his hungry kisses, cradling your face like the most precious artifact.
It felt wrong, yet so right. He was still Lee. Your Lee. The one who’d drive and sing with you, who’d found your dad a job after he’d lost it, who’d made love with the most care unlike any other man who’d ever laid a finger on you.
At least, that’s what you tried telling yourself when he pushed his hard, leaking cock inside your swollen cunt, and your body welcomed him in your warmth without any fight.
You both snarled when he sheathed himself inside you.
“I love you so much sweetie, I can’t lose you again.”
It was wrong and dirty, but it was okay to feel good because it was your Lee between your legs.
He hoisted your legs over his shoulders and slumped against the seat. His cock reached deeper than you thought possible, and you felt every ridge and veins slide over your walls.
Teeth clattering, bruising touches. You ached to touch him, maybe claw his eyes out or caress his chubby cheeks.
Electricity jolted every nerve ending on your body, and the next words he whimpered in your ear would have been a cold shower, had you not been so far gone already.
“I’m gonna fuckin’ cum inside you, dove, fill you up with my cum over and over again until I’m sure I’ve put a baby in you. Fuck-”
He snapped his hips harder against yours, thrusting his cock in and out of you. Your cunt quivered around him, gripping him tightly. He pushed you over the edge over and over again, until you were a drooling mess who couldn’t form coherent thoughts anymore.
“I told you sweetie, it’s only a matter of time.” He punctuated each world he panted in the crook of your neck with a harsher thrust of his hips. “Ain’t no more parking lots, just a big ole bed. Yeah, people like me in this town, you know that, dove. I’ll get myself elected-, get a- cushy place up on Brewer Heights. We’ll be happy, have kids and all. My pretty wife, fuck- every man in this shitty town will envy me.”
You bucked your hips against his, wildly chasing your release. He could feel another one of your orgasms near by the way you clenched around him.
“Fuck-, God, you’re squeezin’ me. Fuckin’ cum on ny cock dove, I want to feel you come all over me, make a mess on me.”
You pushed out the muscles of your pelvis, and the intensity of your pleasure almost blacked you out again as you gushed all over him, soaking through your skirt onto the seat.
His cock swelled and twitched, and he released himself inside you, painting your walls with his hot spurt. The feeling was unlike anything you’d ever felt before, a fullness you never thought you could experience.
Your chest heaved as you slumped on the seat, arms aching and wrists scrubbed raw.
His cock softened inside you, and he watched enthralled his seed spill out of your cunt, your abused hole still clenching around nothing.
“Jesus, I hope it takes, dove.”
He droned some more, but you’d stopped listening. You kept staring ahead, letting him dress you back again like a motionless doll.
Had you been more aware, you would have seen the shadow of guilt creep on his face, soon replaced by cool determination when he blinked the tears away and hardened his stare once again.
Your body didn’t feel like your own anymore.
Static noises interrupted his actions.
“Any cars around-...got a call from Hawk at the bar- anyone can check that out?”
“Fuck,” he groaned, picking up the radio, “I wanted to go at it a few more times, just to make sure.”
Minutes, or maybe hours, passed by in a blur. You had no idea where you were, or how long it’d been since he dragged you back in this hellhole.
New York, a new job, a new beginning. It all seemed so far.
There was only one thing you knew for sure.
“I’m getting out of ‘ere again, Lee.” You murmured in a daze, “I’m getting out and God himself couldn’t stop me if he tried.”
Drained of all energies, you let the soothing sway of the car lull you to sleep.
Lee sighed to himself, watching you so defensless, bound at his mercy. He’d take care of you until the end of his miserable life, and protect you from everything, even yourself.
“I'm the only God here, sweetie, and I can assure you, you’re not going anywhere.”
Afterall, his dove couldn’t fly away from him with broken wings.
-
I hope you enjoyed this! Please, leave some feedback. It means the world to me! 💓
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wolfieslae · 3 years
Text
"liam saved theo from his never ending nightmare so theo saved liam from himself"
it’s no surprise to anyone, i’m a tiny bit obsessed with thiam.
when theo first arrived to the show i liked him already, i felt like he was an interesting character with an interesting backstory, i wanted to learn more. the more i did the worst it got but i kept thinking he was interesting and i liked seeing how he was able to plan his take on the pack. he managed to insert himself in the life of the characters and turned it around, when his plan failed, he still got his pack but ended up killing them all, i admit, kinda real bad, and then he got drag down to hell.
during the fifth season we found out that when he was ten he was manipulated into thinking his older sister – tara – wanted him to have her heart, because his had a genetic disorder. he believed the dread doctors when they told him they could make him better and he killed his own sister – taking her heart. he then left with them and was raised by them, raised believing that power was all that mattered and that he would be nothing and no one without it.
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in season six episode six liam and hayden decided to bring him back because they needed his help with a supernatural creature in town, while hayden was more resistant, liam did not hesitate to smash kira’s sword into the ground and free theo, saving him from his never ending nightmare at the same time.
very rapidly we understood that whatever power theo might have stolen from his chimera pack – more specifically josh – he wasn’t in possession of them anymore, he was back to "classic theo" part coyote and part wolf. after he helped with the ghost rider, liam and hayden locked theo in the holding cell at the sheriff station. theo wanted out and liam wanted answer, they made a deal and liam broke the sword and with it any chance of theo going back to hell, his never ending nightmare.
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when they needed him more, liam and stilinski broke theo out of jail but unfortunately the sheriff was taken and only theo and liam were left, leaving them no choice but to work together to flee the ghost riders. they – liam – had one goal, lure them away from scott, lydia and malia who were trying to get stiles back.
the both of them ended up at the hospital where, and i quote, liam said "when the ghost riders find us, i’m not gonna do anything for you, i’m not gonna help you, i’m not gonna save you, i’m gonna do exactly what you’d do to me, i’m gonna use you as bait". we all know he did not keep that promise, in fact, while fighting with a ghost rider, he pointed a gun at the one theo was fighting and shot, saving his life in the process. to "pay him back" and maybe prove that he wasn’t as bad as liam made him out to be, theo offered himself as bait.
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while we all thought he had been taken in the hunt, we found out he hadn’t when out of nowhere he came back and saved liam from one of the ghost riders at the school, leaving liam able to get on with his god awful – but working – plan to get into the hunt.
while theo later on fought at the side of scott, malia and peter, he was forgotten and left alone. obligated to live in his car.
we found that out on season six episode twelve, where i noticed that the deputies coming to wake him up seemed to always wear a different uniform, did theo move around? or is the beacon county just, that big?
he was shot and didn’t come back until three episodes later (not gonna lie, these were the three most stressful weeks of my life).
when in episode twelve we found out he was living in his car, we also found out that he might have been the first target for the anuk-ite. thankfully, theo caught the spider early and got rid of it before it took his body and with it, his life.
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when he came back in episode fifteen, he was hang up and tied to an electric fence in gerard and monroe’s headquarters. along with two other werewolves. when he thought he was free, he ended not being and was taken into custody.
during episode fifteen, when nolan was caught trying to sneak into the sheriff station liam automatically recognized him as the one who tried to make him shift in front of the whole school by beating him up. by scott’s reaction we understand that he might not have told him. but some of the shots during this scene were interesting, showing liam on the first plan with a close-shot accompanied by a blurry theo in the back. we understand why in the next scene that they share, in the bathroom.
theo confronts liam about what is happening, saying he will not risk his freedom. while liam first manages to stay calm during the discussion, he looses control when talking about brett and lori’s death. he punches theo before heading out and saying "i’m still working on my anger".
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while we don’t know what happens between episode fifteen and episode sixteen, we understand that something might have clicked in liam’s brain, because, while he reacted poorly, theo seemed to be the only one noticing that something was wrong with liam. could this be why he brought him with him at the zoo? maybe.
it could also be because theo seems to be able to handle liam. theo has a past and liam knows it, theo doesn’t shy away in front of danger and maybe this is what liam needs at the moment? someone who will not hesitate to get in the way to stop him from doing something stupid?
there is also a line in this episode where theo says "i’m not dying out here because you want pay back against a kid who kicked your ass" and while i have no recollection of anyone explaining to theo what happened in the prior episodes with nolan and liam, maybe someone did between episode fifteen and sixteen, liam perhaps?
the car conversation is also interesting because now theo knows how bad liam has it with his anger, and the fear the anuk-ite brings is not helping "people only feel one emotion at a time liam". he also knows liam needs help "you brought me here because that thing that came out of the wild hunt is affecting you too" at this moment theo has already made up his mind, whether liam wants his help or not, he is going to get it.
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and funny enough, liam doesn’t seem that resilient – oh he is yes – but not so much because deep down he knows he needs it, he also knows that whatever technique theo uses, it seems to be working because in episode seventeen, during the locker-room scene, liam calms down a bit too quickly for my liking (wrong i absolutely loved that).
theo uses reversed psychology and makes it to seem like liam would turn into a murderer, into someone like him "i’m the one with experience here", theo even uses "we" so that liam can feel more of a "bad person" because of what he might do. but in the end, it works and liam calms down.
now here is my favorite part, right after that liam asks theo "why do you keep trying to save me" and while theo answers something so dumb i don’t even want to mention it, i know it’s because liam saved him first and now theo feels obligated to return the favor (well, he does seem to enjoy it anyways).
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theo can be seen in the next episode, number eighteen, right at the beginning, in the animal clinic with scott, liam and mason.
mason agrees with theo and liam doesn’t seem to like it, everything he says to or about theo seems to come out as an insult, but why? they seemed to be getting along well in the prior episode? finishing each other sentences when showing the dead bodies gabe brought them to to scott and malia? maybe because he’s starting to realize he might need theo more than he thought? and he doesn’t want to acknowledge it?
either way, theo and mason are sent to the tunnels to find aaron. they are both clearly uncomfortable being with each other but theo even more because the tunnels are where everything started and he surely does not want to stay or be here at all.
mason ends up hurt, and theo decides to try and take his pain away. first of all, great decision, it shows that he is trying to change, that he at least knows he can do it at some point and wants to. unfortunately he isn’t able "you can’t take pain if you don’t care". theo still decides to stay with mason while waiting for help.
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the next time we see theo, it’s at the beginning of episode twenty, the finale. he is in his car, driving to somewhere on the phone with scott.
here are some details that don’t sit right with me. their phone call lasted twenty six seconds. there is no way theo answered the phone, got in his car, and drove to what seems to be the highway in twenty six seconds, so where was he going? was he leaving town because of what had happened with mason in the tunnels or liam’s sneaky comments at the clinic? because even after all his efforts, he is still not being accepted and knows he probably never will? probably. but i’m glad scott called and asked for his help.
he got to the hospital and saved liam’s ass – again might i add.
then, there is what is for me, their most important scene, for their relationship but also for their own character’s arc.
the elevator scene.
where they promise each other they weren’t gonna die for each other. where they lie their ass off.
i have a theory about this scene. remember the look? yes that one, the famous look down. based on my calculations, it is way too low to be directed to liam’s lips as people believe it to be, no, i think it’s directed to his chest, most importantly, his heart. because liam lied, and theo heard it. now of course theo lied too but he’s a professional he knows how to keep his heart steady.
and of course liam knows that theo knows because the look gives it away, which is why he accepts to fight with him (and damn, they make a pretty good team! i mean, that back roll? come on!) and i think in that moment they understood that no matter what, they can’t hide from this anymore, whatever this is (my money’s on anchor with a touch of love).
but in that moment i knew. i knew that because liam allowed himself to get help from theo, allowed himself to be anchored by theo, he anchored theo too. he gave him a reason and the opportunity to stay on the right path, on the path to redemption. and in that moment theo realized that he mattered, that he had a purpose.
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can we also quickly talk about the small shot of theo flinching at the sound of the gun going off? when has he ever done that? he was literally raised by the dread doctors, he’s not afraid of anything, but not knowing if liam was on the other end of that gun shot scared him.
now we all know that part of why theo was able to take gabe’s pain was because he saw himself in him, the kid who trusted the wrong people and suffered the consequences, just like he did. but part of why he was able to care was because liam cared. liam gave theo a reason to care.
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and this is why i love them so much. because their relationship, again, whatever it is, is special. it’s unlike any we’ve ever seen in the show. it’s important because it takes into consideration who they are on their own. it doesn’t exist just to add a relationship or a story-line to the show, it exists to fit on their own story-line, to make them better people.
as the title says, liam saved theo from his never ending nightmare so theo saved liam from himself (and fell in love with him in the process).
they are so important to me because i like when relationships have meaning, and theirs seems to be just that, meaningful.
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wonda-cat · 3 years
Text
Some Thoughts on Tommy’s most recent stream (4/29)
(For the record, this isn’t going to be like my other formal analyses. I’m genuinely just ranting here, possibly unedited too. I’m only referring to the characters, unless stated otherwise.
Also obvious warning, this will be fairly negative/critical of the DSMP’s writing, so scroll past if that might bother you. I tend to criticize the media I love, so this is just par for the course in my case.)
Let’s start off with—
The Things I Liked
All of the comedy at the beginning of the stream was wonderful. Ghostbur was incredibly endearing and entertaining as usual, as well as the moments between bench trio. Tommy’s change of plans made sense and the entire journey through the prison was tense and fun to watch. As well as the moment Tommy got caught (it was inevitable.) 
It goes without stating, but cc!Wilbur and cc!Tommy’s acting was wonderful—they knocked it out of the park. I liked the little moments of Tommy calming Ghostbur down as Sam screamed at him. I also loved Wilbur's speech about his time in the afterlife when bench trio found him. 
As well as the moment with Wilbur admiring the sky and calling it ‘his sunrise.’ I’m also glad that the afterlife was explained to be caused by the Revival Book’s existence and not some general eternal torture every character will be sentenced to regardless of anything they did in life. 
But, sadly, that’s about where I stop and have to go into what I didn’t like as much, which is—
Everything Else
I’ll be talking about my major gripes with this particular stream in later bullet points down the line, but for now I’ll bring up the little things that annoyed me. This is all basically nit-picking and isn’t as awful or badly written as some of the others I’ll be discussing later. 
First off, Why is Ranboo There? In the stream before this one, Tommy had Tubbo promise to not tell anyone else about their plan. Did he just decide to tell Ranboo anyway? Why? What was the point of asking him to keep it secret if it didn’t matter? 
Adding to this, Tubbo and Ranboo were rather unnecessary for any of the other scenes that took place. They didn’t have any meaningful conversations with Tommy besides Ranboo asking why he was dreading Wilbur’s revival so much, as well as Wilbur’s comments to Tubbo about him being president. But other than that they have little to no notable speaking lines. 
They don’t Do Anything? Sure, they’re nice to have present so Tommy can vent to someone else and find comfort but, in the end, Ranboo was oddly angry and accusatory with Tommy and Tubbo was practically absent from the scene. The impression I got from Tommy and Tubbo’s conversation in the previous stream implied that Tubbo would be serving a larger role as a distraction, but I guess they changed gears or something? 
Then we have Ghostbur’s involvement, which, yeah, makes sense. Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo are not allowed inside the prison, so it’s best to find someone else who can get in without suspicion. But my first assumption, upon seeing Ghostbur with the group was, “Oh, he’s gonna go in there and Dream’s gonna use him to revive Wilbur. That’s the only reason why Ghostbur is here and not anyone else, who would also be willing to kill Dream. It’s not like they’re in short supply right now.”
And I ended up being right, which only frustrated me more. I wanted something unexpected. Something new. Something interesting. Yet, I got the most predictable outcome instead—Tommy fails, Wilbur is revived. 
Next, we have another big serving of ‘Tommy gets blamed for things he has no control over’ part 241. I am so, so sick of characters getting unreasonably mad at and blaming Tommy for anything and everything. It’s not new, it’s not interesting, it’s not fun. It’s just miserable. 
It is,, awful. And it’s highkey frustrating. I refuse to sit through another arc of Tommy being endlessly hurt and blamed for stuff he didn’t do or cannot control. Pick a new event in the plot. 
Try something out of left field. Do something, anything different to this. I’m begging you. 
Now, we get into the major writing pitfalls and shortcomings. Starting with—
We Need to Talk About Sam
I have no idea what is going on with Sam’s character right now. It is so genuinely confusing. I have no clue why Sam reacted the way he did to Tommy because it just doesn’t make any sense. Sam’s entire inner conflict is about him trying to cultivate and protect his humanity and morality while upkeeping a strict, closed-off demeanor.
He follows the rules, even if it hurts the people he loves. Even if these codes force him into a position to be unethical. He feels it is his responsibility should anything go wrong or if Dream escapes, because it puts others in danger.
His strict approach got Tommy killed, and it also took a life and an arm from Ponk. Both of these people are precious to him. So why on earth would he threaten to kill Tommy when, in their last interaction, he was glad he was alive—after he promised to never let something like that happen again?
He respected Tommy’s wishes to stay away from him, and rather politely too. Why would he then threaten to kill him just after weeks of saying Tommy’s death was his biggest regret? That’s not even touching on Sam saying, “This is why I let you die,” as well as blaming Tommy for something that was directly a result of his own refusal to act.
Why didn’t he have Ghostbur also hitch a ride on the same platform with Tommy? Why did he even let Ghostbur into the prison in the first place if he:
A.) Told Ranboo he wasn’t going to let anyone in there after what happened to Tommy.
B.) Also wouldn’t let people in lest they find out about Quackity’s plan.
C.) Couldn’t even kill Ghostbur because he’s incorporeal and thus cannot fully upkeep the contracts he is signing.
There’s also the issue of Sam breaking the rules he abides by when he decided to not kill Tommy after he snuck into the prison, despite it being in the contract. Why is it different now? He went against his own protocol but was also following it by refusing to let Ghostbur come back to the other platform?
Why does Sam refuse to listen to Tommy? Their argument is mind-numbingly ridiculous. Sam refuses to hurt Dream, despite him only being alive because Sam claimed Tommy wanted him alive.
But now Tommy is there, begging Sam to let him kill Dream, and Sam just goes, “No. We’re not killing Dream.” Fucking why??? Sam! You said you wanted to kill Dream at least four times by now! Maybe more!
You were on your way to do it with Quackity and the only thing that stopped you was your promise to Tommy. But now Tommy’s here, telling you to kill Dream and you fucking won’t???? I am absolutely baffled.
No matter how you spin it, it makes no fucking sense. However, if I tried,,, I could possibly come up with a reason or two. Maybe Dream is blackmailing him. Maybe Quackity is forcing him to keep Dream alive until he can get the info he needs (even though,,, why would he trust Quackity over Tommy, who he’s outwardly stated he trusts just as much, if not more?)
It feels like these plots are dancing around each other, trying to keep up this faux sense of conflict that doesn’t exist. But, here’s the thing, contrived conflict is never compelling. I can’t overstate it enough.
Dream’s Plan is Complete Nonsense
The method to revive Wilbur makes Dream seem even more short-sighted than I remember commenting on, during the stream where Tommy was brought back to life. He told Tommy that his plan was to test the book to see if it worked (which, okay fine, I can buy this.) But then he says all along he was planning to revive Wilbur in order to break out of prison, which is ???? This is baffling if he needed Ghostbur in order to pull this off. 
Which,,, I can’t even begin to explain how ridiculous it is that Dream’s entire plan hitched on not only the book working on people to begin with (which he tested on Tommy,,, for some reason, even though he would’ve lost his ‘favorite toy’ if he fucked it up. Which,, why even take that chance in the first place? there are other visitors he could’ve tried this with, surely. Like Sapnap and Bad,,) and it also relied on Ghostbur voluntarily going into the prison just to visit Dream?? And if he didn’t need Ghostbur after all, then why didn’t he bring Wilbur back weeks ago? 
That’s not even getting into the issue of Dream assuming that Wilbur, once brought back, would: 
A.) Want to be alive in the first place.
B.) Actually be willing to help Dream, instead of telling him to fuck off.
C.) Be even slightly capable of helping him at all when he has no allies, no PVP skill, no weapons, no armor, and no knowledge of the prison or its innerworkings. 
Why are the current DSMP writers so committed to making me think Dream is a fucking idiot? I don’t enjoy this. I used to like his character and think he was smart. Stop. 
ALSO, why did Tommy or Tubbo or Ranboo not think of the possibility that Ghostbur could very well be necessary to revive Wilbur? Why did that not cross any of their minds? It was the first thing I thought of when I saw him.
Another big thing that irks me is Tommy and Sam saying they saw Dream physically holding the Revival Book, which,,, how? Why? Dream said in previous streams that he burned the book and that was entirely the thing that kept him from being killed outright. If there was a book still in existence, did he hide it somehow? 
How did Quackity not find it? Why did Sam not take it from him when he was first arrested?? What? 
Also how the fuck did Dream kill a ghost?? They’re incorporeal? How does he not need the body to perform necromancy? That seems almost redundant. 
Also it took a matter of seconds to perform? It took,,, ?? nothing but words and sheer willpower to bring someone back to life? Why does it seem so easy? My mans just,, uses his vibes to bring people back from the dead??? 
Unless the book has instructions regarding that or has a proportional price in order to use, then I’d be more forgiving. But I’m guessing it doesn’t have too steep a cost if Dream could offer Tommy immortality despite that. But I’m sure we’ll get more information on this once Quackity (inevitably) gets his hands on the book. Hopefully… 
Which brings me to my last point—
Wilbur’s Revival (Derogatory)
Since the Revival Book was introduced, I have been actively dreading Wilbur being revived. It is the most predictable, low-hanging fruit of a plotline I could possibly conceive of. I understand that he’s a fan-favorite with a large audience (I love Wilbur more than you’d expect. cc!Wilbur is actually the reason I got into the DSMP in the first place), but there are other characters who could be developed more—utilized more. 
Unpopular opinion, I know, but I am just so incredibly unenthused about this plot development. In fact, I’d almost go so far as to say hate it. 
The Revival Book in and of itself is my least favorite thing the DSMP has ever introduced. It is a lack of consequences simplified. It’s also a lack of commitment to those mortal consequences. 
It is a ‘get out of jail free’ card for when they kill off a character and don’t want to deal with the hole that character will leave behind. Or a way to work around the reason they shouldn’t kill Dream on the spot. 
With Wilbur back again, I no longer feel compelled by his arc the way I used to. There is nothing to really leave a lasting impact anymore. Of course, there was a cater where L’Manburg once stood, but that was dug even deeper later on. You can’t make the death of a friend, of a loved one, worse than it is. It is death. 
The thing I found extremely interesting about Wilbur’s death is the way the other characters portrayed loss. It has consistently been the thing that was most comforting to me, oddly enough. When people die, there will always be loose ends. 
There will be holes left behind and things left unsaid. An unfulfilled promise. A forgotten relationship. A hollow memory.
What I always found compelling was the way Tommy and Fundy and Niki took this mutual loss and had to live with it. How they had to come to terms with the fact that Wilbur was gone and he wasn’t coming back. That they had to make peace with his memory, his legacy, and their connection to him. 
That they’d miss him and love him or hate him and try to forget him. It is a tragedy that someone like Wilbur wanted to die for so long, and in the end, he did. Because in reality, the people you love will die. 
There may be someone in your life that leaves you behind and all you’re left with is the broken pieces. And it is how these characters move on that brings me bittersweet company as someone who’s lost a lot of people. There is nothing more irritating than a story going back on its establishments—to have their cake and eat it too. 
All I want is the bare minimum—a story with narrative stakes and consequences.
The only way I could ever see myself enjoying this plot development is if Wilbur has a redemption arc and attempts to make amends with Tommy, Fundy, Niki, and Eret. OR if he aids in Dream’s downfall in some way and enjoys the simple realities of life and wants to live for the sake of living. I’d find that at least new and somewhat interesting. 
But if he’s just here to be a moustache toiling villain (or somehow worse than after his previous downward spiral), when the market is already so deeply oversaturated with antagonists, then I will probably drop the series altogether. 
Hopefully it doesn’t come to that because I love the Dream SMP and I want to keep loving it for as long as I can. 
I will hold onto more reasons to stay, so long as they keep giving them to me.
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p1nkwitch · 3 years
Text
@lonelyeyesweek
Day 1 - First Meeting
Peter was very reluctant to go to the Magnus institute funding party; uncle Nathaniel informed him that one of his new duties would be to make business with James Wright and he really didn't want to do that. A beholder… What a nightmare.
I would've stayed at home
'Cause I was doin' better alone
Peter was very reluctant to go to the Magnus institute funding party; uncle Nathaniel informed him that one of his new duties would be to make business with James Wright and he really didn't want to do that. A beholder… What a nightmare.
The party was unfortunately the most informal way to meet the man, otherwise he would be forced to enter a small room with the watcher to make sure he didn't dry up his family money for an indefinite amount of time.
So he was really dreading the moment he would be meeting this man, Simon kept telling him that James was an old friend and that it would be fine, that he was actually funny beneath all the politeness, however he wasn't so sure about that.
Due to Simon’s and his uncle’s influence he has a very loose idea of some boring old man, a type of academic with a nondescript look that he will forget as soon as he leaves.
With any luck he would just make his acquaintance today and then he may go from the party, Peter preferred to be at home instead of dilly dallying with the masses. As much as he likes to observe people, he likes it better when it's on his own terms and when he is not forced to be part of an event.
So he goes with very little hope for the night, the only positive is that he may get some free food and some alcohol, albeit champagne will not do much for him.
The moment Simon sees him, he zeroes on him and stays nearby talking about his trips to Europe. He also tells him about a few sacrifices he made that actually seemed rather interesting. Still Peter preferred the ones he committed at the ocean, but he knew the man was always more partial to the sky so its not surprising they are all on that vein.
“What about you Captain? You have a few voyages under your belt now lad, how did those go? Were they to your liking?” And the answer to that is a bit complicated, Peter is still getting used to handling a ship, his crew hasn't been properly trained yet to keep themselves in check so he has to… ugh make a few rules.
The other problem is that most of his crew is formed of older, more experienced sailors. Peter is 26 and unfortunately has a rather… soft looking face, he has been trying to grow a beard to at least make himself look a bit more rugged or older looking, but that will take time and he just has a five o’clock shadow for now. It will take him months to have anything resembling what he wants. The graying hair does work a bit better, that he can count for at least.
He is considering hiring someone to relay his messages to, so that way he can stay away most of the time and he can practice his solitude in peace. He really would love to not be perceived until he looks like he wants.
“Its ok, I still need to figure out a few things to be honest, I would love it if the crew was a bit less…”
“Talkative?”
“Friendly” Simon nods at him and pats his shoulder before going back to another story of a trip he made like 250 years ago. It is quite interesting, albeit Peter gets struck with how old the man is. Most of the time he can forget it, easy to do when Simon is so lively, but when he tells him these stories…. hard to ignore in all honesty.
Picking up an offered champagne glass he listens distractedly wondering when he will meet the man organizing this whole charade.
The older man talks to him but at some point his sentence drifts off and he looks behind him with a grin. A bit lost and now concerned, those grins never end up well for him, Peter turns back to check what exactly was his companion watching.
The answer comes to him like a hit to the face.
An older man talking and entertaining several people at the same time, Peter doesn't realize that he was gripping his glass very tightly until Simon waves and calls for the man over.
He wasn't boring looking like his uncle or very, very old like Simon. He must be in his fifties, he was dressed up impeccably with a black shirt that had his sleeves rolled out to his elbows, a deep green vest with golden details and dark green pants.
The man also has a pencil moustache and a few moles near his jaw, which made him stand out. He was also a bit shorter than him, but most people are so that doesn't surprise him.
The air of surety, of knowing he had made him feel bigger than he was however.
Peter swallows and feels his face warm up for reasons he can't comprehend.
When the man turns around towards Simon, he can see his eyes-
Grey.
Peter never looks anyone to their eyes and yet, and yet-
For a second it feels as if the man also froze looking at him, he had a look of….surprise almost?
But it was only for a second, the next thing Peter knows is that the man starts to approach them while he is struggling to not disappear in a puff of smoke. Oh, Forsaken protect him.
“Hello Simon” His voice is very low and amused, oh fuck.
“Hello James!! It's been a while hasn't it?” Ja-
James?
“You are James Wright?” Peter cuts off the man before he answers back to Simon and he realizes that he is an idiot, shit-
No wonder he was so eye-catching then.
For some reason James' lips twitch upwards as if he was trying not to smile at something. Peter has no way to know what is so funny.
“You must be Peter Lukas then? Nathaniel… told me about you, its a pleasure to meet you” Peter smiles his usual vapid smile to keep him from prying, he already feels exposed and kind of confused about the man. Better to make this quick and go.
“Yes, uncle mentioned you too, albeit he did not do you justice” ???? What the fuck is he doing, what is wrong with him??? Why did he say that??
Peter feels his hands sweat and his face warm up, he is praying he is not red in the face.
James looks perplexed and he feels Simon staring at him with the biggest grin ever as if he was having the time of his life which knowing him, he probably did, he loves drama after all.
“Is that so?” The man crosses his arms and Peter has to keep himself from staring at the flex of it he has to.
What the hell is wrong with him?
“Yes! He made you sound like a boring old man to be honest, but you are quite the opposite, you look very-” Peter spends a lot of time alone, meaning he doesn't properly talk with people. His usual mechanism of defense is to talk so much that everyone just lets him be.
That translates into him not having a filter, because of that he just says what is on his mind, even if he knows he shouldn't. In this case it is a shot in the foot and he has no idea why, why is he reacting like this? The man is-
Is just a bit good looking thats all!! No need to be so nervous.
“...Good” His face is burning, Peter knows he must be red all over.
He is an embarrassment to the family name, he has to go, he has to go now. How is he going to face him to do business oh shit-
James for his part seems to look at him with something akin to wonder an a bit of curiosity, while Simon-
Simon for his part is sighing mentally about his nephew’s taste in man. Very on brand for a Lukas, albeit Jonah seems to be quite taken aback.
Peter might look like Mordechai but they are not alike at all.
“Well thank you Mister Lukas”
“Peter is alright” Why won't he shut uppppp, what is wrong with him? This has never happened before, a little bit more and he will spontaneously combust.
James smiles at him and something in his chest squeezes. Is he dying? Is his heart giving out on him so soon?
“Well Peter, it was lovely meeting you. I can't wait to make business with you. I'm sure we will get along… very well”
“I can't wait” !!!!!! He wants to die.
Peter is going out to sea for the next 4 months just to get rid of whatever this is.
James grins at him and is about to leave, making him let out a breath of relief when he turns slightly.
“Say… I was going to ask Simon to drink with me after the party, in my office. Would you like to join us?” No!
“Sure” The man gives him a smug look and goes.
Simon pats his back.
“You need to get better at flirting, albeit i do believe you impressed him quite a bit, he usually ignores all the Lukas that come to make business with him”
“Im going to kill myself” He hates his life so much.
“Ah lad don't be like that, its just a few drinks, it doesn't have to go anywhere else”
Several years and flings with the man later. Peter is left with only grief at James sudden passing. They had something of a thing going on, not really labeled, since neither liked that. But the man suddenly broke things up and Peter in his anger left for months on end.
By the time he came back he found out James died and he had a new replacement.
Elias Bouchard.
He hates him on principle.
Peter is cold with him at every little meeting, speaks just as necessary and goes before the man even attempts to chat him up. At least he has his own loneliness, the only thing that truly lasts for him.
It sings out to him, like a siren song, it's easier to get lost on it, to just… become colder and harsher. What else should he do? It's not like Peter could ever love someone like that again.
Or want to.
“-ter, Peter!!”
“What do you want Mr Bouchard?” The younger man was glaring at him and it feels unfair, he should be the one glaring.
“I was asking you if you intend to stop being difficult and listen to me for once! I swear i get you lonely ones love playing at the grief stricken partner, but its been months already im getting tired of trying to talk to you like pulling teeth. Listen- i know i was kind of an ass, but really i needed to do the switch and i was worried a bit about people talking about some favouritism-” What the hell is he on about now??? Also how dare he!
“What- are you talking about? I'm not faking- what are you-!? Listen, I'm not up for games, let alone your games. I have better things to do than be your little entertainment, give me the papers to sign and I will be on my way, off of your life-” Elias gets up and slams his hands on the desk making him flinch.
“That attitude!! I don't want you out of my way!!! I said what I said as James because I was going to change bodies and people were talking about our relationship too much, it would look odd when I became Elias and we hooked up again!!”
Peter freezes.
“What- what do you mean became Elias?” The man who is not Elias??? Narrows his eyes and then suddenly looks surprised and confused.
“You don't know-”
“What do you-”
“How can you not know I told you- i-” Elias? Drifts off and looks to the empty room with a blank expression.
“I forgot to tell you”
“Um-”
“I thought i told you after- oh, oh fuck we ended up sleeping together after sacrificing that woman at the restaurant, i got distracted and-”
Peter starts to piece together a few things.
“James…?” Elias flops on his chair covering his face and doing a muffled scream into his hands.
“I can believe i forgot i got so excited that you let me tie you up that i completely forgot” Peter’s face burns.
“I-”
“Yes, yes it's me, I thought you were being difficult not that you- oh my god you actually were grieving me weren't you? You sap” His face turns smug, and it's so familiar-
The eyes-!
“Yes, those are really mine”
“You-!” Peter wants to punch him.
“Me?” Elias already closes his eyes expecting a punch. Yet he side steps the desk, comes closer and pulls him up to his feet by his tie.
“If you- you want to choke me-” He shuts him with a kiss. It takes a bit to register on the other’s mind because once he does he grips his hair and pulls them closer practically melting against him. Peter doesn't stop kissing him, cnat.
“You twat-” In between kisses he curses him out, he was making the rounds across his neck, decided that he was going to leave pretty little marks for everyone to see. Elias? James? Doesn't seem to mind much.
“Sorry-”
“You- fucking- bloody- ass!!” A bite close to the jugular has him moan a bit, Peter’s hands go to grip his thighs and the other catches his meaning because he lets him lift him up. He carries him to the small couch and drops him there with an ompf-
“Hey-” That he interrupts when he climbs on top of him and starts to kiss him again with a very clear intention in mind.
“Oh…” Yes, Peter is glad he can use forsaken to soundproof the room, he had no intentions to let the other be quiet.
Now that he is not upset, angry or… turned on, Peter lays his head on top of Elias' chest, while he explains the whole being Jonah Magnus, and thinks that he is very handsome.
Not in the same way as James was, no, but he was still very handsome.
“I was leaning more into pretty but unassuming, but thank you for the vote of confidence for the new body” What a smug prick.
“He is not…?”
“God no, only fragments or echos, the real Elias is very dead, its just me”
“Jonah?” Elias nods at his question.
“Basically”
“Huh” The shorter man’s hands play with his hair making him nuzzle his neck. He thinks about it for a bit, but decides to go for it, after all he has gotten this far anyways “Pleasure to meet you Jonah”
The other stays quiet for a bit.
“Pleasure to meet you Peter”
Their relationship is not conventional or normal by anyone's standards, but…
It works.
Somewhat.
“So… I got you so distracted you forgot to tell me huh?” Elias sighs.
“I can show you exactly how enticing you looked to me to make me forget, do not tempt me” Feeling his face heat up he tries to play it off.
“Maybe when we are in an actual bed and want to experiment a bit” Elias chuckles and then turns into a full blown laugh that makes him feel the rumble of it against his ear.
“I can't believe this, but i missed you” He hears Elias heart speed up while admitting that to him, it makes his face warm up.
Peter knows he missed him too, but he wont admit that, too out of character. So instead...
“Will take that with me, feels delicious”
“Oh hush, you already cannibalized yourself, don't be a prick”
Yes, he definetly missed this bastard and he will have so much fun re-aquitaining to him properly. They are closer in age now, Peter’s body is a bit older than Elias now, just 6 years, but it feels good.
This time people will give Elias looks instead of him, Peter’s gray hair and beard made him look older.
“You are impossible Peter”
“Stop reading my mind then” Elias sighs and kisses the top of his head hesitantly.
“Don't make it so easy then” Peter lets out a breath.
Prick.
"Never"
"Rude, what a rude person you are" Peter nuzzles him and that shuts him up.
Better.
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portraitoftheoddity · 4 years
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So like I really like Steve and all and he's definitely got the right heart and that's what fandom likes about him, how he stood up to bullies and injustice with his fist raised. But recently I've rewatched avatar and Aang got me thinking, is going against the world fist ready really the right thing. Like Aang was no coward he still stopped Ozai but in most of his battles he tries for peace first. In fact Avatar as a whole talks about change in people.
Like Sokka turned from misogynistic to respecting women, and Iroh's love and patience redeemed Zuko. As much as I love Steve Rogers, fist fighting bullies and getting your ass handed to you or successfully beating them to a pulp isn't going to change them, and it sends a wrong message of fighting fire with fire and bullies don't learn when you punch them usually they get pettier. I agree Steve is right at not letting injustice go be it canon or fandom but Iove that scene in avatar when Aang got into a fire nation school and when a guy tried to fight him he was just like nooope but still managed to be on top as opposed to Steve (maybe just fan fic ver) who would try a punch. I mean I can see Steve screaming at the lies of the fire nation school instead of calmly informing the truth and throwing a dance party. Like Aang might be too pacific sometimes but is charging against people really a good lesson. Stand for what's right, but like in a chill way. And I'm not sure if this is just the fandom version of Steve but in TFS we did kinda see him in an alley fight against a just a ride guy. Sorry about the long rant but what do you think about Steve's fight me attitude being completely glorified in his fandom.
I apologize that I’m gonna gonna get a little long-winded here!
I agree with you that peaceful solutions are great to try first, but when it comes to this punch-happy version of Steve you reference, I think you’re kinda looking at a strawman version of the character, anon --  maybe from poorly-written fic or memes, but not exactly the Steve of film or comics.
Now, the respective approaches of both Aang and Steve are in part a product of the media they originated in. A show aimed at kids with a single overall plotline and arc is often going to aim for a peaceful solution and allow for linear character growth -- while comics, movies and shows developed around a character specifically designed to punch Hitler as a statement during WWII are less likely to have a core message of pacifism, and their structure and circular timelines make growth arcs more difficult to sustain. This doesn’t mean one character’s approach or the other is superior, just that they come from different contexts, narratively and in terms of medium. Plus, there are different kinds of fights, and not all are going to offer us the same options as solutions. Looking for ideological purity -- only ever opting for the ‘right’ solution -- can often lead to doing nothing when no ‘right’ solution presents itself, which can result in more harm than taking a less-than-perfect action.
Let us not forget that when an authoritarian army showed up to kill everyone and wipe out the North Pole, Aang does go all Koizilla with the ocean spirit and wipes out the Fire Nation fleet. Aang has fought people. Aang, albeit with the alibi of “a spirit was in charge”, indirectly kills people (Zhao ends up pretty dead as a direct result of Aang’s spirit rampage). This isn’t particularly glorified, but at the time there isn’t a better outcome presented. Doing nothing would have led to the massacre of the Northern Water Tribe.
That said, I LOVE ATLA and its messages of growth and compassion and I think it’s great to have a protagonist who opts to give people a way out.
...Which is what Steve does. 
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We see Steve do this more than once. In CA:TWS, Steve recognizes Bucky and tried to get through to him, to avoid a fight. One ensues, but Steve then refuses to fight him anymore once he’s disabled the helicarrier and saved everyone else, willingly putting his own life on the line to gamble on some part of Bucky’s inner self being in there and worth saving. He isn’t willing to put the lives of other innocents and noncombatants on the line -- protecting them is a priority, even if it means fighting Bucky -- but once that factor is out of the equation, he drops his shield and tries to reach him.
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In the same movie, a few scenes earlier, Steve appeals to the personnel of SHIELD -- an organization that has labeled him a terrorist and been hunting him -- and paints out the reality of the situation, giving the good people within the opportunity to react and rebel against the element of HYDRA that has infiltrated -- which they do! But there isn’t a magical lionturtle showing up to tell him how to stop the helicarriers from taking off and murdering millions of people without any casualties, so, yanno. He does what he can. 
Heck, Steve is occasionally teased by other characters for his speechifying -- not just to give pep talks, but to try to get through to people. He does this in the comics a lot. You’ve probably seen this page going around:
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It doesn’t always work out. But he tries.
You suggest Steve would punch someone who was wrong in Aang’s Fire Nation School, but I don’t agree with that reading on the character based on what we see Steve do. Steve very rarely is the one to completely initiate a fight. Usually he is reactive. He sees a situation where someone is being a jerk, points out the injustice, and if the person is insisting on hurting someone, Steve inserts himself to make sure it’s him instead of anyone else. Whether the jerk in question is a single bully or an entire army.
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You bring this scene up, but when Steve confronts the guy heckling in the movie theater (who is making a woman cry, I’ll add), it’s clear from the man’s posture when he stands up and Steve’s look of dread that while Steve has spoken up, the escalation to violence is not his choice. When we see him a moment later in the alley, he’s fighting defensively -- drawing the man’s ire, keeping him distracted. Steve is reactive in this entire scenario -- not the instigator. (and I think if Steve had Aang’s airbending, he’d love to dodge more punches instead of getting his ass kicked!)
The fact that Steve’s primary weapon is a shield -- a symbol of defense, not offense -- speaks to the fact his entire MO is protection. Violence not for violence’s sake, but to intervene in existing violence when there is no other recourse.
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But Steve also admittedly has a stronger sense of responsibility than Aang does at the series’ start. Aang dodges, but he also gets called out by other characters for running away from a lot of his problems instead of confronting them. Steve, if he were a bender, I think would likely be an Earthbender like Toph; solid, stubborn, listening and reacting (though ironically, he would lose his shit over the willful obliviousness and apathy of Ba Sing Se’s leadership). Steve feels a deep personal duty to always be in the thick of it where things are already at their worst. 
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If there had been no deus ex machina energybending option presented at the eleventh hour, would it have been better for Aang to die and doom the world than to compromise his morals and kill the Fire Lord? It’s a question of hypothetical principles vs reality of harm in that instance. Aang as a character is allowed by the story to adhere to his principles and get a happy ending. Steve as a character does his best, but ultimately has to compromise with reality when he has to, when it’s not just his life at stake, but many others should he fail to act in time. In those high-stakes scenarios, his cards are often limited.
Steve as a character doesn’t arbitrarily start fights. But he goes to where the status quo is untenable, or where a fight is already raging, and he takes a stand. If he can convince someone to step down peacefully? That’s ideal! But usually by the time Captain America has shown up, there are megaweapons primed and loaded and fascists already hurting people or robots trying to destroy the planet or a Titan about to wipe everyone out, so the ideal option is rarely still on the table. No dance party is gonna be enough to change Red Skull’s crazy nazi mind about killing everyone (which is too bad, because I’d love to watch Steve do the lindy hop). There is no ‘chill way’ to stand for what’s right at that point. 
And ultimately, I think we need both kinds of characters! I think it’s important to encourage diplomacy and compassion, to urge people to find common ground and to find nonviolent ways of diffusing and deescalating situations. To look at things from other perspectives, and to give people the option to learn and grow and be better than they were. I love a good rehabilitation arc, and think ATLA does this beautifully and has incredibly important messaging and philosophies.
But I also think we need stories that say, hey, when those options aren’t on the table? When no one is listening no matter what you try to say, when you’ve looked for a way around it and no lionturtles have showed up to save your ass? Sometimes, you have to put yourself in front of the guy swinging punches and raise you shield and stop him. Sometimes you don’t get the nice options that make you feel good; sometimes the world is messy and ugly; but sometimes, even if we can’t do the ideal thing, we can still do the right thing. Take action and put an end to the perpetuation of violence in the moment to protect the helpless. (Then work on rehabilitation and communication.)
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paint-lady · 3 years
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hey, if you don't mind, i want your advice: i'm going to be running a chronicle set in chicago (i am using the chicago by night 5e book) for players who are new to vampire for the most part in a few days and i can't For The Life of Me to come up with an interesting chronicle hook (yeah i have read the hooks in the book). any ideas/suggestions/general advice?
Hiya! I could talk your ears off on how I write my chronicles- so hopefully I have taken all my processes and reduced it down to a lovely World of Darkness jam. 
Here are two good hooks I just came up with- feel free to use them! The third is what I got for my first chronicle, and I just think its a narrative that works very well for new players.
>Option 1: Guilty Until Proven Innocent ”Chicago is a series of paradoxes and transitions, of ever changing paradigms and whimsy,” (CbN 47). Have your coterie be newbies to the city. Ask why they have come to Chicago. Power? A new start? Perhaps this is a political arrangement between the clan of one city with another. Whatever their reason, they have arrived right when a Primogen vanishes- and guess who is first on the suspect list? The fresh faces on the streets >:) The coterie, having barely settled, has to suddenly prove their innocence. And finding evidence lets them uncover something much more sinister....
This one is ideal for new players as it sets everyone on an equal footing. Even if they create a character that has been a vampire for 50+ years and has amassed several dots of influence, herd, status- whatever, they are still new to the city. And being new means you have to start all over again. (This may be frustrating to a player that invested all those points at character creation- but it is on you as the ST to make sure they have opportunities to use those dots and on them as a player to think cleverly.)
Starting the tale off with defending their innocence is actually a very engaging questline. It effectively sets the stage for the political powerhouses. It lets new players know there are rules- and those in power are watching. It also sets the consequences for failure. Understand that the Camarilla probably isnt going to outright kill the coterie if they fail- always make the punishment just harsh and grueling enough to make final death feel like a mercy. Failure isn’t the end of the story.
For new players- I would be lenient with the time it takes for them to find evidence. But within reason. Think like your Prince and Seneschal. Do you really want this coterie running around for a full week, unsupervised, making more messes? No. You don’t. (You might wanna send an npc with them to watch and keep em out of trouble. Your npc is also able to vouch for them.)
This story lends itself to be a Camarilla Chronicle very easily. You can go Anarch, but an Anarch leader suddenly vanishing and blaming the newbies is much more quickly going to end with blood spilled. Thank your local sweeper.
> Option 2: Containment Breach Blacksite 24 (Loresheet on page 264) was temporarily occupied by Operation Firstlight. It has now been transformed into a medical research facility. While most kindred of Chicago know of Blacksite 24, they have zero clue what happens inside other than bad news for them- the less they know the safer they are. The chronicle opens with a car crash. The captured soon-to-be coterie was in transit to this feared medical facility. The crash did kill the driver and the agent in charge of transporting them. The crash did not fully break their restraints, but it did enough damage that first responders are freaking out. They are all at hunger 3. The chronicle is a hunt. The coterie should have some knowledge of what had happened to them and how lucky they are to have escaped. Operatives are already on their way to recapture them. They must hide in this city- and do their best to survive and stay out of sight.
The point of this story is to invoke dread. I highly recommend one player either being a thin-blood (or an npc) with the Daydrinker merit, or a player to have a ghoul. If they decide to not have a daywatch, they increase their chance of being found.
This story also sets up a feeling of desperation. They would be willing to take shelter from anyone- anyone. Eventually the other kindred will catch on that these guys are on the run from something. Any sane kindred would toss them out to protect themselves. A compassionate kindred who takes them in will suffer the final death as a compassionate fool- or join them in captivity. 
This story lends itself to be an Anarch Chronicle much more easily. This is the time the Camarilla will likely be a bit more paranoid and bloody. While they might not outright kill the coterie- they will send them somewhere that is a death trap. They wont dirty their hands with this. After all, you do not want any evidence to fall into the hands of the SI if you hired the hit.
This story is ideal for newbies without background merits. No allies, no influence, no herd. Let them take more mythic merits such as bloodhound and unbondable (Consider finding some from V20 too! There are some really awesome supernatural merits!). These powers would certainly be more fascinating for a medical team to study- not how many instagram followers they have. This kind of story also lets your players feel more powerful- but out of the loop. It lends itself to them forging alliances and getting caught in one-sided favors a lot more quickly. 
The challenging aspect of this story is that is starts with a masquerade breach. New players may not know how to handle such a blatant breach and thats okay. I would let the crash slide- and the Camarilla in the background handles it. Breaches after the crash need to be handled with proper consequences. 
> Option 3: New Blood This is what my storyteller did to me and my first time players (and its also very close to the plot of CoNY). We were shovelheads. Embraced to make a huge mess for the Camarilla and die quick deaths. We were all thin-bloods. The last thing the pcs remember is the sweet rush of ecstasy washing over them, before clawing out of the earth and driven mad by an insatiable hunger. The thrill of the hunt, and the sweet, warm blood on their tongue, nothing was going to be better. All three will awake next to each other, surrounded by the corpses they drank dry in their frenzy. What a way to play the name game! The players have three nights were they figure out their new condition or coverup their tracks (if they think to do it). They contend with their hunger and hatred of sunlight, wrestle with accidentally drinking their family member dry. After three nights, the Scourge comes knocking. Rather than outright killed, they are dragged to Elysium. For some reason, they are adopted by an upstanding member of the Camarilla- or the Prince orders a political rival care for them (hoping they fail). The players are the errand childer of this kindred, and slowly they figure out what they have been gathering through all these errands....
This one lets the characters all have the moments where they discover their disciplines and powers- and bestial tendencies. It naturally flows to allow players to slowly discover the rules and mechanics as well. All players must play fledglings for this tale. 
This story is much more a personal tale than a political one. Eventually politics makes its way in...but it does not have to be a focus. 
This story has less of a hook and more of a “Figure it Out” survival mode until the errands begin. The story is how the character’s react to their condition. It very quickly lends itself to a narrative of finding your own path in the night, rather than mindlessly obeying.
So here are a few questions that I ask myself when crafting a chronicle story:
1. What kind of story do you want to tell? Not asking for a plot hook, I’m asking for a general concept. Is it a tale of good triumphing over evil? (Not necessarily a wrong answer, but if you wanna play good guys...vampire is not the best game for that). Is this a chase? Is this a race against time? 
2. How do you want your story to make your players feel? Do you want to tell a story that invokes as much dread as possible in your players? Do you want them to feel ultra powerful? Vampire is both a power fantasy and a dread inducing game- it can do both. 
3. If you don’t know what kind of story you want to tell, switch gears to worldbuilding. CbN has so many NPCs with the rumors already written for you. Its your setting, perhaps switch two rumors around with prominent NPCs. Decide which ones are true in your setting- Maybe Primogen Annabell did kill her predecessor. Perhaps the Lasombra are attempting to infiltrate the Camarilla as everyone fears- but no one is able to prove it or stop it. Deciding what is true, false, and undetermined usually blossoms into hooks and stories worth investigating.
4. What is a historical event of the city that the Vampires would have endured/ scars would have remained? For example, in my chronicle set in Richmond, the tale of the Richmond Vampire is true. Depending on who you ask, it is the Camarilla’s best or sloppiest cover up. Have the chronicle coincide with the events and the coterie live through them. No one said this must take place in 2021- you can do 2015, 2008, -hell go back the 1990s. Its actually super fun if you set your chronicle in the 90s and your Malkavian is using phrases from 2020.
5. One of my things I do when writing scenes and moments is play Dread by myself. Dread is a role playing game played with jenga. There are no dice rolls, if you want to attempt something, you have to pull pieces from the tower. If the tower falls, you die. If there is a moment where I really really really dont want to pull from the tower, though the reward for succeeding is so so sweet- I keep the moment. If its really easy to shrug and go eh, I can live without performing that action- go back and rewrite it. If you have no incentive to pull from the tower, why would they?
6. Examine your player’s desires and ambitions- and do not neglect them in your chronicle. The plot wont magically allow all of them to achieve their ambitions. However, provide opportunities for them through the plot. Its on them to strive for what their character wants- its on you to make them struggle but have the path to get there. For example, if a player wants to become a Baron, provide a political opening. Perhaps then by announcing their power, they have made a bigger name for themselves and it has become harder to hide. Perhaps by doing this, the kindred they owe a favor is suddenly much more vocal about it. 
Here are some suggestions for handling new players:
> You are going to have to handhold them through some things. New players to vtm won’t be able to see the cascading political web and how the consequences of their actions will ripple into waves. I like to use Wits+Insight and call it Common Sense. Common Sense was a merit in V20- and damn is it WONDERFUL. All they need is just 1 success (they can take half) to have you explain how whatever plan they just thought of is actually a TERRIBLE idea. 
> Do your RPG consent list. Know what is safe to discuss and what is off the table. I highly recommend utilizing something my Storyteller used for my first chronicle, and subsequently I use for all my ttrpgs now: Invoking the Veil. The metaphor is that you are slowly lessening the intensity of a scene- as if raising the opacity or looking through layers of fabric. Eventually, there is too much fabric and you can no longer see the scene. If something is too intense, the ST or the player may announce they are invoking the veil. Reduce the scene by lowering music, speaking in third person, or avoiding heavy descriptors. You can reduce it further to just dice rolls. Role play stops, and the consequences of the scene are solely dictated by the dice. Or fade to black. If a player is repeatedly fading to black on something- ask to talk to them about it. Clearly something is too intense and they are not having as much fun as they can. Debriefing after a session is also a good idea. Do something silly! Share and check all the memes in the discord chat. Its important to make sure you and your players know that at the end of the night- its all just a game.
> I find the sabbat and new players don’t tend to mix well. You may absolutely still use the sabbat in your chronicle! But the dogma and philosophical ideals of the sabbat can be offputting and downright upsetting to a first time player. You may absolutely build to it- that’s what I did to my players. And in the moment of the truth, they chose to cling to humanity. 
> The taking half mechanic is your friend! V5 says players may announce how many dice they are rolling- and if the dividend is greater than the DC- they auto succeed. This streamlines play. Of course, you as the Storyteller may say this is a roll they are not allowed to take half on. Usually these are contested rolls (combat).
> The three turns and out rule keeps combat intense but not too lengthy. It actually streamlines encounters super super well. 
> My ST used a phrase, “The quickest way to kill Cthulhu is to give it a healthbar.” If Methuselahs and Elders are involved in your game- avoid giving them stat blocks. This cultivates a conflict that new players must find a way to overcome without brute force combat. It makes them think critically and defy these super old antagonists through narrative means. This also gets the notion out of your and their heads, “if they die, its over.” Its never that easy. Never. 
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Here For You
Pairing: Denny x Fem!Reader
Request: Could you possibly do a denny from greys anatomy imagine where the reader is a doctor and was engaged to denny before he died which she blames izzy for. She's now dating mark sloan and gets in a bad wreck and is in kinda like limbo. She's watching mark and bailey and her friends trying to save her. While she watches mark yelling at her not to leave him, she hears someone talk to her and turns to see denny who's there to tell her its her time even though she says she's not ready. And just denny fluff.
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"So I guess I'll see you later?"
You smiled up at Mark, before pressing a gentle kiss against his cheek. "Yeah, see you tonight."
"I love you." He called as you strolled through the hospital doors.
"Love you too." You called back. 'Love', it was a peculiar word. And whilst the two of you carelessly threw it between each other, you knew that at this moment, it didn't really mean anything. It was merely a show of affection. The truth was, you weren't yet sure whether you loved him. Besides, it had only been just over a year since Denny had died. And you loved him, Denny. You were engaged to him for god's sake. And in a way, you still did love him. But you knew that you had to move on. You couldn't spend the rest of your life pining for a dead man. As you shifted through the car park, your phone sounded from inside your coat pocket. You smiled, pulling it out. You already knew who it was. Looking down at the screen, you felt your heart warm.
Mark: Miss you already ;)
Sliding into your car, you began to text him back.
y/n: Miss you too x
You tossed your mobile onto the seat beside you and secured your seatbelt around your body, starting the car. As you pulled out of the hospital car park, you heard your phone ping again. Whilst you were eager to answer it, you'd decided to wait until you were out of traffic before texting back. After a few minutes, you found yourself on an almost empty road, so you pulled over to answer your phone. It had not shut up the whole way so you had no choice but to answer it and end the incessant text messages that were likely to be from none other than Mark Sloan. But before you could even grasp the phone, you were being thrown forward and into the dark.
When you finally awoke, you were still sitting upright in the car. But how? You could've sworn something had just hit you. Maybe you'd just dreamt it, you thought. However, your worries were soon confirmed once you finally saw the shattered wind screen in front of you. No. This couldn't have been real. Stepping out of the car, you wandered around to the front of it to see yourself lying a few metres away. Your heart clenched once you saw the state you were in. You were unconscious, lying in a pile of shattered glass, covered in blood. It was unbelievable. How could you be standing there, watching yourself dying in the middle of the road? Within minutes, the driver of the vehicle that had hit you was racing towards your body. He appeared to be overwhelmed with panic and fear. You hadn't quite gotten to that stage yet. You were still trying to comprehend what had just happened. While the man waited for the ambulance to arrive, you just stood there and watched, as though you were in some sort of trance. How were you not freaking out right now? You could die any second, yet you still chose to watch mindlessly.
When the ambulance finally arrived, you watched as they hauled you into the back of the vehicle. The driver who hit you looked as though he might die himself. He'd turned a pasty white and looked like he was about to pass out. It was probably due to the shock of all of this. Then it hit you. How would everyone at the hospital react? What about Mark? It had never even occurred to you how your probable death would affect him. Filled with dread and worry, you waited impatiently for the ambulance to reach the hospital. Now, you were desperate to survive this.
Your stomach was doing somersaults as you watched the paramedics wheel you into the building. You'd already flat-lined once on the way here. There wasn't much time left. Following yourself into the hospital, you spotted Mark, and he'd obviously spotted you as he was now rushing to your side, water filling his eyes. "Oh my god, what happened?" He asked, desperation in his eyes.
The paramedics explained the situation before the trauma team began flooding into the room. You couldn't quite catch everything they were saying but you managed to hear a few important details: "Internal bleeding", "broken ribs", "severe head trauma". And finally, "We gotta get her to an OR, now!"
As they carted you off to the OR, you stayed and watched Mark for a few moments before inevitably being dragged away.
***
This was happening. This was actually happening. Your heart broke as you watched Mark with tearful eyes. He was sitting beside your broken body, watching helplessly as you slowly slipped away. They tried. They did everything they could, but the damage was too great. In the end, all they could do was close you up and provide you with some relief whilst you slipped away. As you watched, you began to think about your painfully short life. After Denny had died, all you could feel was anger. You were angry he'd been taken away from you before you could even get married. And you even blamed Izzie for his death, even though you knew that none of it was really her fault. You even felt guilty because as you stood there watching yourself, she was the one who kept checking on you the most. She obviously cared despite everything that had happened between the two of you. And as you stared at the unfortunate situation in front of you, you were filled with regret. You never even told Mark you loved him. Yes, you said the words, but neither of you ever meant it. And whilst you were still unwilling to let go of Denny, you did love Mark. And now he would never know. As you stood there drowning in despair, you caught a glimpse of someone passing your room. You quickly followed after the mysterious figure and you stopped once you reached a staircase. Your heart clenched in your chest as you stared up at the person sitting at the top. "H-hey." You whispered, the familiar feeling of heartache returning.
"Hey," Denny smiled.
"W-why are you here? How are you here?"
A sad smile appeared on his face before he answered. "I'm here for you."
You shook your head, tears filling your eyes. All of a sudden, you felt as though you were being crushed. "No." You choked out, staring up at him with tearful eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"No, I-I can't. I'm not...what about Mark? I-I still never apologised to Izzie. There's so much I have to do."
"You can't stay here."
"No, I-I have to." You said, quickly wiping the tears from your face and turning away. You began walking down the corridor back towards your room. When you got to your room, your heart was broken further with what you saw. He looked distraught, broken. He was falling apart and there was nothing you could do. "Please don't leave me, (y/n). You've gotta come back. I love you." He pleaded as he desperately clutched your hand.
"I love you too," You whispered, as you looked at him sadly. If only you could actually tell him that. All of a sudden, you began to feel different. You started to feel slightly more detached to the world. Like you were floating, fading away like breath on a mirror. Then you heard it, your heart slowing. Your life slowly disappearing. You had no choice now. It was time. Turning back around, you headed for the staircase. You headed back to Denny.
"Can't I fight?" You questioned, looking up at him.
"You'll lose."
"Can't I just stay here? Maybe he'll see me."
He shook his head. "You'll be alone. You'll be isolated forever."
"So?" You laughed, feeling your chest tighten.
"Come on. Just come with me." He said softly, standing up and extending his hand out to you.
"What so if I go up those steps, that's it?" You asked, finally figuring it out.
"Yeah, it's easy. All you gotta do is walk to me."
How ironic that the entrance to the afterlife was a damn staircase. Could this have been more stereotypical? You thought to yourself. It was kind of funny in a way. "What if I'm not ready?"
"(y/n), we don't have time."
"I know but-"
"You want to stay with him I know. But you can't. And if you love him, you'll let him go."
"But-"
"(y/n)."
Now you had to decide: an eternity alone or an afterlife with Denny? It should've been a pretty simple decision. But you just weren't ready to leave Mark yet. But it wasn't exactly like you had a choice. There was no way of ever really seeing him again. If you stayed, you'd be a ghost. Never able to touch or interact with anything or anyone. Finally, you decided what would be best. You just nodded before slowly ascending up the staircase. When you finally reached him, Denny gently encased your hand in his. And you felt a wave of happiness wash over you from the familiar warmth of his hands. "I missed you."
He smiled. "I missed you too."
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weirdsideblog · 3 years
Note
Hello! How would it play out (in the same timeline as your three part story) if Tony had to eat Peter again, but this time, had to act like it was dangerous in order to protect him?
Oh what an angsty idea!  Thank you for this!  The greatest struggle of a vore writer is figuring out “when the heck would they even need to do that?��� but I think I have a decent explanation, hopefully this is what you meant.
Naturally this is still safe vore, but as the ask says, there’s a lot of talk about unsafe vore, as well as an evil character threatening it, so if you’re very squeamish about that, take care.  As always, not St*rker
Tony’s head ached. That was the first thing he registered. The second thing was that he was lying on a cold concrete floor, surrounded by concrete walls and a concrete ceiling, a cell of some kind. The third was that he was alone.
He couldn’t remember what had happened or how he’d gotten here, but he knew he’d been with Peter. At least he was fairly sure. Now Peter was nowhere to be seen. Tony flexed his stomach, just to check if he’d tucked him away without remembering it, but there was no Peter there either.
That could mean a number of things, and he told himself not to panic yet.  It was possible that his memory was wrong and Peter hadn’t actually been with him at all.  Or he could have escaped and might be planning a rescue. There was a good possibility that whoever had kidnapped them didn’t want them scheming together about how to escape, and was simply holding them separately, too.
Or Peter could be dead, but Tony instructed himself strictly not to go there.
He looked up quickly when the door opened, and his heart lurched. Two men, armed with guns, flanking a taller man with graying blond hair came into the room.  He recognized them.  It would be hard not to, after the narrow escape he and Peter had had before.
The blond man held a jar, with a tiny figure huddled inside.   They were still all the way across the room, but there was only one person it could be.
“Hello Stark,” said the man with the jar, and he came close, close enough for Tony to see Peter, who had scrambled up and pressed against the glass like he could force his way through. “I believe I have something of yours.”
He had to be careful now. Show too much attachment, and they would surely use Peter against him even more. Show too little, and they might decide he was useless to their cause and get rid of him. Tony said nothing, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Peter’s scared face.
“Don’t worry, I’ve seen the boy with you before. I know you work together.”
“We do,” Tony agreed. They could have that for free; it was no great secret anyway.
“I’m sure you remember when you escaped from us last month?”
Tony certainly did. They’d used a shrink ray on Peter then, too, and Tony had been so desperate not to allow him to be captured like that that he’d swallowed the kid whole. And now he had been captured like that anyway, just as Tony had feared.
“You’re lucky you got off so easily,” he said, forcing himself to look up from Peter. “People who try to kidnap me have a history of getting much worse.”
“I’m sure.” The blond man laughed. “But surely you won’t blow us up when I have this?” He gave the jar in his hand a little shake, and Peter lost his footing and stumbled.
“Ideally, no.” Tony watched Peter again, so tiny and vulnerable, and out of his reach. The kid had made it clear he had not enjoyed being eaten, despite knowing he was safe, but Tony wondered if he might want to be hidden now. Tony himself certainly did. “What’s the idea with having him so small,” he asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
“I thought this little intern could serve as a visual aid,” said the man. “You see, there you are. Tony Stark, Iron Man, top of the world, and people like me—we look like this to you, don’t we?”
Tony knew to let him have his monologue, watching Peter in the jar he held up, trying to think.
“You eat up dreams, you eat up lives, and they’re nothing to you. Why should they be, when you’re the man at the top? One might say you’re top of the food chain.”
Under different circumstances, Tony would definitely have laughed at that choice of imagery, but when the person talking about eating people was a possibly-unhinged stranger holding a tiny Peter, dread settled into his heart.
“People like me, we’re just like him to you, aren’t we?” The man gave the jar another little shake. “Bite size.”
Tony stopped breathing.
“I’d certainly love to take the illustration one step further.”
He started to unscrew the jar, and Peter scrambled against the side.
“No!” Tony started forward—the only thing keeping him in place before had been he unspoken threat of harm to Peter if he moved, but now—
“Come any closer and I drop him.”
There it was. Tony froze.
“As I was saying...” the man tipped the opening of the jar over his hand, and Peter only just managed to stay inside.
“I get your point.” Tony clenched his hands at his sides to keep them from shaking. “No visual aid needed.”
“Just to be sure.” The man tried to get Peter out of the jar again.
“Stop!”
“Hmm.” Mercifully, the jar was turned upright again and the lid screwed back on. Peter curled up at the bottom, arms wrapped around his head like he could shield himself. “I’d hate for such a perfect snack to go to waste. Maybe you could help me prove my point instead.”
“I-“
“Catch.”
Tony reacted just in time to catch the jar and its tiny occupant, his heart nearly beating out of his chest. He withdrew against the wall, holding the glass with shaking hands.
“It’s me or you, Stark.”
Did he mean... Tony couldn’t believe their good fortune, but he made himself look horrified anyway.
“You would be more fitting, but I’d be happy to assist if for some reason you’re not willing.”
“What the hell do you think I am,” he snarled, practically vibrating with the need to do exactly what was asked of him.
“It’s nothing you haven’t done before. Just more literal this time.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I’ll take him back, then.”
“No!” Tony clutched the jar to his chest, flinching when one of the other men pointed a gun at his head.
“I don’t think I made myself clear,” said the blond man. “You have three options. Eat the boy, give him to me, or die, and then I can eat him anyway.”
Tony was still. He had never wanted to swallow anyone more than he did right now, but he had a role to play. He was conflicted, after all, he was scared, there was no good option (ha!) and he needed to sell this more than he’d ever sold anything in his life, and he’d sold a lot of things. He looked at Peter in the jar and his scared face, and could only hope the kid was just playing along, too.
“Well?”
“He’s just a kid. Whatever you have against me, he’s got nothing to do with it.”
“That doesn’t sound like one of the choices I gave you.”
Tony made a great show of swallowing hard. “I can’t...”
“Then I’ll do it,” said the blond man, almost cheerfully, and now Tony really did feel sick. “Say your goodbyes.” He chuckled. “I doubt you’ll be one to mourn him for long.”
Peter’s mouth moved, saying what Tony guessed to be “Mr. Stark?”
“Wait.” He wrapped his hands around the jar as fully as possible. “Wait, I- he stays with me.”
“I’m sure you’ll be a very great comfort while you’re killing him.”
Tony said nothing. He wanted to get Peter out of the jar and gulp him down immediately, safe from anyone who wanted to hurt him, but the version of himself he was playing at the moment wouldn’t do that. He did tip Peter carefully out of the jar (he went readily) and hold him securely in his hands instead.
“You’re going to swallow him alive,” said the man. “More fun that way. If you try to put him out of his misery first, my man will shoot.”
If this was different...Tony tried not to think about that. Peter would be safe, so there was no need to think about what he’d do if he wasn’t.
“Don’t make me do this.” Please, please, hurry up and ‘make’ me do this.
“If you waste another ten seconds, he’ll be mine.”
“Kid…”
Peter was shaking in his hands. Surely he knew. He’d done this before, he had to know. Tony prayed his terrified expression was just him playing his own role. Playing it very well, too.
“Ten,” said the man, starting to count down.
“Mr. Stark?”
What would he say? What would he ever say, if this was real? Peter was staring at him, holding on tightly to his finger, his little chest heaving. (Please be acting, please be acting, please be acting.) Then he burst into tears. Tony’s heart sank.
...
Tony was a good actor. At least Peter hoped he was. Otherwise, he was so screwed.
It wasn’t hard to play along. Peter felt too small and helpless anyway, and he’d just had a complete stranger threaten to eat him multiple times. Unless there was something he didn’t know, he was about to be safe, but he was also about to be eaten anyway, and a little reassurance that the two weren’t mutually exclusive would be nice.
Experience told him he’d be fine. (Experience telling him he’d survive getting eaten, who’d have imagined it?) He’d done this before, after all, and been completely fine. He would have liked to hear it from Tony’s mouth himself, but surely, surely he’d be fine.
“Ten.” The blond man started counting down to when he’d take Peter away and then he wouldn’t be fine, and Tony just looked at him.
“Mr. Stark?”
Peter didn’t know what he wanted, besides Tony in general. He certainly didn’t want to be eaten by him, safe or not, but he definitely didn’t want the other man to get him, and he just—just—just started to cry, apparently. Great.
Tony smoothed his hair with the lightest fingertip, and that was good, that was nice, and then the blond man reached the end of his countdown and Peter shrieked as the world swooped and he was shut quickly inside Tony’s mouth.
That was gross. He’d forgotten how gross it was. It was even grosser when Tony’s tongue (dear God, he’d forgotten about that, too) moved under him, nudging gently at his chest, and maybe it was supposed to calm him down, but he just tried to hold it off. Tony thankfully got the hint and stopped.
Outside, they were demanding Tony swallow him, or they would shoot. His breath whooshed in the back of his throat, sometimes catching like he was going to cry, and he really was great at this acting stuff. Hopefully. Ninety-five percent certain. Maybe ninety.
Peter guessed he’d find out soon enough. At any rate, it was probably polite to make sure he went down (he shuddered) as easily as possible. He uncurled himself and stretched out, with his legs pointing toward Tony’s throat, and waited with his heart pounding fit to burst.
It happened all in a flash. He was squeezed against the roof of Tony’s mouth, a muscular ripple rolled over him, and his heart dropped into his toes. He twitched once, starting to fight, but he forced himself still again. It was Tony, and he was eighty-five percent sure that meant it was okay. And struggling wouldn’t save him anyway.
Everything around him lurched when Tony coughed, probably only slightly, but it was a massive sound to Peter. Before he had time to wonder if he’d hurt him somehow, an especially tight ring of muscle rolled over him and he tumbled into Tony’s stomach.
He’d forgotten just how gross this was, too, how slimy. He scrambled, completely disoriented in the pitch darkness and the slippery slime and the soft, yielding walls, fighting panic. (It was Tony, it was Tony, he was supposed to be safe here. Hopefully.)
“No!” Tony cried out, and Peter was thrown to the side with a sickening squelch. “No, you can’t!”
“Mr. Stark!”
He was struggling with someone, pleading with them, what were they doing to him? Peter was helpless.
Whatever was going on ended quickly, for better or for worse, and Peter tried to get his bearings again. Tony was coughing like he was going to throw up, but Peter stayed put. He hoped that was by design. Still, it sounded pretty painful, and he ventured to touch the wall of the stomach and just… pet it lightly. He couldn’t explain it, but it seemed like the thing to do.
“Are you okay?” he asked as soon as it was done.
Tony didn’t answer, probably still being watched.
“Mr. Stark? Cough once if you’re okay.”
Tony coughed, very deliberately, and Peter breathed again.
“I’m like, mostly sure, but I’m okay, too, right?”
Tony coughed again.
“Okay. That’s- that’s good.” Peter leaned against him. “I thought so, but I wanted to make sure, cause, you know.” 
He shivered a little. If this was different... well, it wasn’t.  Peter tried to put the thought out of his mind. He was safe. Tony wasn’t going to kill him, or have to know that was going on and be powerless to stop it, and-- Peter squished himself against the wall. It was Tony, and he was keeping him safe.
It felt strangely familiar. Tony’s heartbeat, his breathing, the warm softness that almost seemed to cradle him, slimy and disgusting as it was. Peter found himself relaxing slowly. It was scary to be this small, and it was nice to be held by someone he could trust, even in such a weird way.
Just like the first time he’d been here, it was almost nice, once he got over the fact that he’d been eaten alive. Everything around him was Tony, and in addition to being just… really weirdly awesome, it was a very safe feeling, being kept securely inside his mentor like this. He was also very much trapped here until Tony chose to release him, but that added to the feeling of safety too.
He smiled. No way was blond guy getting him now.
Peter knew. Thank God, he knew he was safe.
Tony curled up on his side, difficult now that they had tied his arms behind his back, but he was harder to observe this way. They were probably going to leave him alone for a while now, to think on his guilt and…well. Best not to think about what this could be.
Peter snuggled up to him, quite safe, and so trusting, too. Tony curled around him, even though he was already around him anyway, and held perfectly still to feel his every tiny movement. After some time, Peter went very still and relaxed, and Tony suspected with no small amount of awe that he might be asleep.
He made a point of breathing more slowly so as not to disturb him. All the while, his mind raced with half-formed plans of how they might escape again.
Eventually, Peter stirred, and squirmed a bit. “Mr. Stark?”
“Right here,” he murmured, too quietly for anyone who might be spying on them to hear.
“Just making sure.”
They both jumped when War Machine crashed through the ceiling.
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urlocalnctstan · 4 years
Text
The Beauty And The Beast
Epoch 1
Autumn was here. The surroundings that were once green were now adorned in hues of orange and brown. Jaehyun flipped through the book he was currently reading, who's title went by 'Summerhill', subconsciously reminding himself to read it again as he finished it again for the hundredth time, to be precise, 113th. He sipped on his black tea as his eyes drifted towards the wooden window, observing the new change in nature. Neither seasons nor weather mattered to him, at the end of the day it would only be him all alone after all. His eyes lingered for a moment on the orange leaves until he felt the need to get up, debating silently on what library he should visit next, preferably somewhere desolate.
He despised human interaction; the hunger at times just kicks in when he can hardly control himself to stay composed. Things were not supposed to be this way, his whole family, his brothers would have been here if it were not for that dreadful malicious night. He passed through his library, the vintage touch of the best designers very prominent. The walls were transformed into wooden shelves, stained and burnished in textures of a brown oak tree. It was no surprise the whole library was filled with books, the shelves divided into 10 for all the brothers. Jaehyun did not reside on a specific genre, he loved to surf around all the categories, whilst the interests of others ranged from fantasies to science fiction. He liked the smell of the library, the odd scent of paper and wood subtly brought him comfort, for it would stage an illusion for him, making him feel that he was not the only one here. Living all alone for over 50 years has indeed made him more anti-social, his demeanor a big contrast to the one he had before all the tragedy occurred.
You on the other hand stayed still, cursing yourself for not arranging the books, and it was only seconds before the lady would recognize your negligence. You prayed, desperately clutched your hands, and silently kept praying, it was your only job and you cannot afford to lose it. As if in a response to your prayers, a man, probably in his mid-twenties entered the worn-out shabby premises, catching you off guard because literally, no one visits this rotten library. However, as he came closer, you felt your breath hitch as you took a nervous gulp; that man was breathtaking. His brown coat accentuated his broad build, the black hat perfectly resting on his black hair.
"I came to return this book," he scrunched his nose, it was enough for you to understand his distaste, slightly feeling embarrassed since you were the one who suggested it. Your manager lady similarly caught on the young man's comprehensible expression, shooting me a warning look that it could be my last chance to save my job. For a shitty library, it surprisingly paid you well.
"I am extremely sorry for my negligence sir, how about this, I'll bring you the newest and most popular books every week?" You anxiously fidgeted as you brought out the library logbook, scribbling down the return.
"I-uh...that would be very courteous of you. Thank you..." he eyes trailed on your tag, "Ms.Y/N."
"Thank you thank you thank you so much, young man, you're a lifesaver." You grabbed his hands, shaking them furiously in gratitude. His hands were oddly cold, too cold actually.
Jaehyun felt weird, it had been years since he had faced any human interaction. He quickly withdrew his hands, his now pink ears hidden by his black. Nonetheless, he was kind of grateful he would not have to face 2 hours long entourage to the library.
"I was about to lose my only regular customer, all because of your stupid choice," the lady scoffed, scrutinizing your every movement whilst you were cleaning the shelves. He was a regular but I never met him. "I shouldn't have fired the other one listening to you." She flashed you one last alarming look before storming out of the place. You let out all breathe that you had been holding while she was here, thanking heavens for not screwing up your life. While you held the book that read 'Summerhill', you could not help but let your mind wander to the only encounter you had today, apart from your manager lady's wrath. Why is it that I had failed to meet this Greek God in the past three months I’ve been working? You thought to yourself, organizing the suggestion shelf, the culprit which caused the book to land upon the hands of the Greek God, namely Jaehyun. With a loud audible huff, you decided it would be better to just organize the whole suggestion shelf, quietly reminding yourself to not be so biased on the books you chose just because the author was your favorite.
It was almost evenfall when Jaehyun reached back abode, the dilapidated exterior did no justice to its actual architectural essence, and the touches of the Victorian designs camouflaged by the overgrown bushes, the oak trees stood menacingly in the rear. At a glance, anyone would have thought it was a creepily haunted house, home to all the demonic supernatural things that could come to one’s mind. Jaehyun internally cringed for a brief moment, even after all these years, his laziness in keeping his home neat was still something he had to work on. Jaehyun felt shivers running down his spine as he thought how badly Taeyong would have reacted if he were to sight this view.
He felt his still heart tug, the probable scenarios of his brothers painting themselves in the back of his mind, how ecstatic and chaotically pleasant it would have been with them by his side, one and united again. For the first time that year, he went to the forbidden chamber in the mansion.
The room resided in the right west wing on the second floor of the villa. The long corridor that leads to the room barely had any light, the large velvet curtains were draped against the huge windows. With heavy steps he climbed up the wooden stairs, only the sounds of the woods creaking and his heavy breathing being audible. He wanted to retreat as he stood in front of the door, the wood had become too worn-out, the insects starting to make it their forever habitat. Jaehyun was unsure of the overwhelming emotions he was facing; he was hurt, scared but most importantly guilty. The fact that his brothers were in this state, all because of him, this guilt eats him up every day. He pulled the handle, the bronze material felt cold against his already cold pale skin. As he stepped inside, he was welcomed by all his brothers, standing still and lifeless. Jaehyun was cursed with loneliness for 51 years, all because he was too prideful and selfish to think of anyone else but himself. His brothers might have been the only exception; he treasured all of them with all of his heart. But he remained cold to the others, as he would call them 'outsiders'. At times when he would go out with his brothers, he would cross people suffering in cold or starvation, but never once did he have the heart to aid them with their trivial surviving necessities. Clouded in his superiority, he never claimed any of the girls he had been with, treated them as either one-night-stands or a way of passing his boring time.
One winter night, the heavens decided to test his limits of such obnoxious egoistic nature. A highly respected priestess roaming around the jungle seemed to have lost her way back, and thus decided she might just rest the night. She was always in her house, training to be more and more powerful until she became one. Completely inexperienced of human nature, her curiosity lead her to explore what it was like to live normally for a day, eventually leading to an aristocratic family's residence, the NEO Residence. They were the most powerful families of the 1800s, their fame and wealth being no new news to anyone. But she still decided to see if their wealth and fame were equivalent to their kindness. The priestess disguised herself in the clothing of a pregnant woman, her dress completely soiled and ragged; making her seem pitiful and powerless. She chanted something eerily magical, instantly transforming the calm snowfall into a vicious snowstorm.
Back at the NEO residents, the young men seemed to get baffled at the sudden change of demeanor of the weather. Johnny was the first to notice, keeping aside the book he was previously reading as he went over to the large windows of their house, the wood felt cold and beads of ice were already starting to form on the contrary side of the window glass.
“Taeil, Taeyong, what just happened?” He motioned the other two towards the window he stood in front, both failing to grasp the situation.
“Maybe it’s just an unprecedented snowstorm; don’t worry brother it’ll die soon.” He said despite feeling a bit uneasy for some reason. Neither Taeil nor Johnny could avoid their anxiousness; they felt something but could not quite comprehend the reason behind it. Similarly, the others started to take notice of the situation as well; Doyoung sprinting off to get Mark and Haechan from their rooms whilst Yuta stayed beside Jungwoo in case if he had a panic attack. But one seems to remain just as unbothered and lofty prideful as usual, Jaehyun. Winwin ushered Taeyong where Jaehyun was sitting, annoyed by his way too relaxed composure. Taeyong just nodded, as if he was telling Winwin that he would talk to Jaehyun for being like this yet again; at that point, it had become something very common for him.
“I don’t feel good about this,” Yuta sighed, rubbing the temples of his forehead.
“Neither do we brother,” Taeil said as he looked at Johnny, their worried glances meeting each other before the latter went over towards the window again.
“It is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.” Johnny inspected before pulling over the curtains; an attempt to calm themselves down by concealing the ruckus occurring outside.
“Aren’t you all tiring out yourselves a bit too much?” Jaehyun got up from his seat, swirling the red wine gracefully in the expensive sherry glass he was holding. “Come on, brothers, it is just a snowstorm. Nothing can ever happen to us.”
“Jaehyun, can you for once stop being so obnoxious and think rationally? Do you really think it’s just a normal storm going on out there?” Winwin exclaimed, his face filled with rage.
“Not my problem, ya’ll go ahead tire yourselves out.” Jaehyun pursed his lips before returning to his seat, filling up his empty glass yet again.
Just then, they heard soft knocks coming from the main door of their house, followed by pleas for help. Taeyong rushed to the door, quickly opening as he was welcomed by the whirl of the snowstorm and a young poor pregnant lady. He quickly brought her inside before calling over Johnny and Yuta to shut the door, the force of the storm was a bit too much.
“I can’t find my way back to my house, please, let me stay for just one night.” the lady pleaded, barely holding herself up.
“Sure, no problem. We’ll ma-”
“No.” Jaehyun abruptly cut off Taeyong, staring at his intently at the lady. “You don’t have the right to, look at yourself,” Jaehyun scoffed as he stood up. “Do you really think you’re worth enough to stay here? Really?”
“Jaehyun stop it! Enough already!” Taeyong shouted, his loud voice echoing throughout the whole house. “For fuck’s sake, she’s pregnant, stop it.”
“Don’t try voicing out your opinions on me Taeyong.” Jaehyun now shifted his gaze towards his older brother, who was clearly outraged by his imprudence “Pregnant? It makes me not let her stay, even more, at least she’ll give birth to a normal human, unlike us.” He scoffed. “Or she is just gonna leave her child alone, just like our mother did.
“Stop it Jaehyun, you’re crossing it,” Taeil said calmly, contrasting his fuming self.
“Why big brother? Finally, feeling sorry for your girlfriend? Should have thought before he fed on her.”
“ENOUGH!” the lady yelled, her voice changing to her original. “My, my. My instincts were indeed right about you.” She chuckled as she looked directly towards Jaehyun, her green eyes glowing menacingly. The storm outside seemed to have shifted inside now, a tornado of green wind and sparkling dust surrounding the lady, the middle glowing with such tremendous light that the men had to cover their eyes in fear that they will go blind. As the tornado stopped, their faces went pale, they knew who she was.
“High Priestess Valery..” Haechan’s eyes widened in realization. The priestess smiled, clearly knowing the effect of authority she had on them
“Jaehyun it is huh?” She walked further towards him, whilst he still stood high despite the unsettling feeling he was then starting to feel in his half functioning heart. “You really think of yourself this high? No wonder even the headquarters nicknamed you imbecile.”
“We apologize for his gaffe, high priestess.” Taeyong knelt, the others following him.
Jaehyun felt his throat form a lump, he could not voice out an apology as he knelt for forgiveness. Disrespecting, that too the high priestess of the clan was a great omission; an act equivalent to committing high treason. Jaehyun knew he was doomed, he felt sicker and sicker as he thought about what could possibly happen next.
“I was actually looking forward to you know, rectify your spoiled little brother, but it seems to me that it is quite a handful of work.” She remarked, her bracelet with various initials glowing.
“We promise, we’ll discipline him more, high priestess.” Taeil pleaded. But Valery seemed to ignore all of their pleas.
“He needs to learn it by himself,” She said. “But you all are not quite the innocents as well.” Valery did something with her hands, fumes of lilac, and blue clouding around her fingers. A loud sound erupted as the gaseous colors spread throughout the hall, flashes of various images appearing. “Look carefully you foolish beings, look what you have been doing because of your monstrous selves.” “It wasn’t our fault, we were completely clueless as to what we were doing, and we knew nothing about our kinds,” Haechan exclaimed sorrowfully. “You kill innocents to satiate your beastly taste buds and still dare to say you’re not at fault?” Valery bellowed. “A death caused by accident or impulse is still nonetheless death to me, a murder.”
“As for you,” Valery said while pointing her forefinger towards Jaehyun. “You have shown me that not only you’re a beast outside, but also inside. I condemn you to eternal loneliness; your only family turning into lifeless statues, they can’t converse, eat, and sleep, a curse that shall remain for a lifetime if not broken within a span of 51 years, a curse that shall be broken only if a maiden chooses to fall for you despite your beastly nature.” And in a blink of an eye, she disappeared.
Jaehyun felt numb, his limbs paralyzing as he propped to the ground, seeing his brothers’ bodies turning into stones. Taeyong’s eyes glistened with tears, as it rolled down his cheeks, Jaehyun wondered if he would ever be able to free them from the wrath that befell them only because of him.   
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afterglowlws · 4 years
Text
Lily Luthor
(I never write fanfics, nor really read them, so sorry if this idea has been done before. I started writing out of boredom in quarantine and figured I’d share it. So enjoy some Supercorp ❤️)
Kara gasps for breath as her eyes fly wide open, her vision slowly focusing in on the flickering lights on the ceiling above her. She feels the cold ground beneath her, but when she sits up and looks around she can’t quite place where she is. As she scans the room she finds its mostly empty and abandoned with not a soul in sight.
She had chains around her wrists that were bolted to the floor, and just long enough for her to stand up and move around a little. They were lined in Kryptonite, so there was no point in trying to break free. The lights abruptly cut off before coming back on a moment later, Lex appearing a few feet away from her.
She can already feel the rage taking over. Had he drugged her? Knocked her out? She couldn’t recall how she got there. All she knew is that she wanted to freeze breath him until he slipped into a hypothermic coma. She was still groggy so Lex kicked things off.
“Supergirl, fancy meeting you here.” He said with his signature, smug smirk.
“What do you want?” Kara spit out through clenched teeth.
“Actually, I think I have something you may want.” His tone was a bit less playful this time, business-like almost.
“What could I possibly want from you?”
“Information.”
There was a brief pause and she looked at him inquisitively, not exactly sure what game he was trying to play.
“I don’t trust any information that comes from a Luthor.” She stated sharp and firmly.
“Even if it’s Lena?” He questioned, knowing it would absolutely strike a nerve. He saw the fire practically light up in her eyes at the mere mention of her name.
“Don’t you dare bring her into this.” Kara warned, her glare becoming unnerving even to Lex.
“Have I struck a nerve, Supergirl? She is my sister after all. It’s my job to protect her. Especially from Kryptonians like you.” His remark caused her cheeks to display a bright shade of pink, he assumed it was the rage showing itself.
“You lost the right to call her your sister the moment you decided to hurt and manipulate her. She has a family now, and it’s not the Luthors. So don’t you dare talk to me about keeping my Lena safe. I’d die for her, and we both know it, don’t we?” She had stepped closer to him during her furious rant, she was practically yelling in his face. It only infuriated her more that he seemed somewhat amused by it.
“I know you would. It’s sad really..that you’d give up everything for her while she’s still lying to you. Unrequited love is truly one of life’s greatest travesties isn’t it?” He said, obviously amused with himself.
“I’m not that naive, Lex. If anyone is lying, it’s you to yourself. She killed you for me, remember? You don’t know anything about us, she loves me with her entire heart.” Lex was annoyed by the arrogance of her statement, she was going to be harder to manipulate than he anticipated. He hoped that after all the lying and fighting they did, that she’d still be really skeptical and on edge when it came to Lena. But on the contrary, she had more faith in her than ever. He should’ve known Kara would dive straight back into her blind and unwavering love for Lena, she could never help herself. He just didn’t expect her to be completely and totally wrapped back around her finger already.
“She may have killed me for you, but that was before she knew you betrayed her. She never stopped working with me. She’s been lying to you all this time, and really it wasn’t hard. I mean how long did it take for you to forgive her after all that she did to you, like one day? You make it way too easy, Kara.” He let out a haunting chuckle, and she was equally as annoyed as she was irritated now.
“I don’t believe you.” Was all she cared to say, she didn’t have to explain her reasons to a psychopath.
However, he already knew why. He had held this card for a long time but he was about to play it, she needed to be thrown off her game. “Of course you don’t. Why would you want to believe the woman you’re in love with is deceiving you?”
Kara just froze, not even knowing how to react to what he just said. “I..I..what? I’m not in love with her. She’s my best friend.” She tried not to seem shocked, but the stuttering and the bewildered look on her face betrayed her.
“Is that what you tell yourself? Red Daughter read your diaries and she seemed to think otherwise. In fact, Red Daughter was weirdly obsessed with Lena. I didn’t quite understand it at first until I realized she’s just a blank-slated copy of you. And it finally made sense.”
Kara never trusted a word out of this mans mouth, but for some reason she could tell he was telling the truth on this one.
“I’m not gonna argue with you, Lex. You’d say anything to divide us and I won’t let that happen. So you might as well let me go.” She huffed out, just bored of his antics at this point.
“Fine. I didn’t want to have to do this, but I guess you leave me no choice.” He paused for dramatic effect before continuing, he always liked to put on a show. “Lily, come on out.” He called out. A very strikingly beautiful girl walked into sight, she looked like a teenager.
Kara looked at the girl and immediatley sensed something familiar about her. It wasn’t until she locked eyes with her that she started to peice some things together and she just wanted to burst into tears, but she tried to keep her composure as much as possible. Although she knew the look on her face had to be giving her shock and confusion away. When she looked into this girls eyes she just froze dead in her tracks, the same way she did when she first locked eyes with Lena that day at L-Corp all those years ago.
Lily had Lena’s eyes, there was absolutely no doubting that. Kara had stared just a little too deeply into Lena’s eyes just a little too often to not see it. They were big, bright, and round, but more distinctly she had one eye that was green and one that was more blue. She couldn’t even find the words to say to Lex. She wasn’t even sure exactly what this situation was, but what she knew without a doubt was that this girl was a Luthor.
“Who...who is this? Do you have a daughter? Or another sister I didn’t know about?” Kara questioned, a puzzled look still on her face.
“No, no. I don’t have a daughter. But you do now.” He motioned to Lily with his eyes and Kara’s mind was racing so fast she was pretty sure she almost passed out from forgetting to breathe. The echo of Lex’s thunderous tone bounced off the walls and back to Kara, but the word daughter would’ve still been ringing in her ears anyways, though. She was flooded with a myriad of emotions that she couldn’t seem distinguish from each other.
“Lex, what the hell are you talking about? What did you do?” Her tone was demanding but her face was pleading for answers.
“I did what I needed to do. I needed an enemy that even the girl of steel couldn’t defeat. You have two weaknesses in this world, Kara, your family and Lena. So I figured..why not combine the two? So I stole a DNA sample from you and Lena both and voila..the first lab grown baby was made.”
She tried so hard to push the tears back but some of them surfaced anyways. She was trying really hard not to look at Lily, it only made it worse. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to tell him that he had no right to violate their privacy and steal DNA. That he had no right to have a child for them. As much as she daydreamed every single day that Lena would marry her someday and have adorable half kryptonian babies with her..she wanted Lena to choose to do that with her. She felt like she had been stripped of any ounce of free will she had.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed Lex but that is no baby. This doesn’t make any sense.” Kara said trying to make any sense out of this situation at all but failing.
“Well a baby wouldn’t be of much use to me. I may have stolen some tech during my brief visit to the waveraider during the last crisis, so I was able to go to the future and get Lily once she turned 16. But don’t worry, baby Lily is still safe in the lab. For now.” His haunting revelation sent chills up Kara’s spine. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She already dreaded the fact that she had to find a way to tell Lena all of this.
“Lex, I swear to god if you’re telling the truth and you hurt our baby..I will show you no mercy.” Kara growled menacingly. She looked at Lily again, more tears threatening to spill. It blew her mind that the girl standing before her was half herself, and half the woman she’d been in love with for years now. She’d always viewed Lena as such a pure soul despite the darkness she’d experienced all her life, so the thought of something happening to the girl that shared half of her DNA..it made Kara’s blood boil.
“Well, Lily was alive and well with her siblings when I went to the future. That means if you do everything I say, she’ll be perfectly fine.” He threatened, his tone was sadistic in nature. Kara was stunned when she heard the word ‘siblings’ but she honestly didn’t want to know anything more, this was all too much already.
“Lily, why are you working with him?” She questioned, looking at the girl with pleading eyes. The girl, however, stayed stone faced.
“Don’t bother, Kara. Sweet Lily here only does what I tell her she can do. Q Waves are a very wonderful thing.” The words spilled happily from his mouth, this is the exact exasperated reaction he’d hoped to get from the Kryptonian.
He took a few more jabs at the girl of steel just for fun before finally letting her go, of course not releasing her until he was somewhere out of sight and safe. Coward, was the only word Kara was thinking. He may have let her go, but it was on one condition: she goes to tell Lena the information she just learned. The thought of the conversation had Kara in tears already. There were so many thoughts swirling through her head that she could barley fly back to the DEO without running into a few buildings. Nothing about this was right. What if Lena was upset they had a baby together because she didn’t love her back? Knowing that this meant the world to her, but could possibly mean nothing to Lena terrified her. She obviously wanted kids under extremely different circumstances...but once again she couldn’t not love anything with Lena’s DNA in it.
She landed on the DEO balcony and just stood there frozen for a moment. Alex and Lena, who were conversing nearby, noticed Kara standing out there in deep thought. She looked conflicted and upset. They both stopped their conversation to walk over to her worriedly. Kara looked up and locked eyes with Lena as they made their way over, and Lena noticed her eyes started to water more. Seeing Lily’s eyes only moments before, and seeing the way they paralleled with Lena’s, made her feel like she was going to break down before she even got to start.
“Kara, what’s wrong?” Alex queried with her signature sisterly concern. “I, um..Can I get a moment alone with Lena?” Kara fidgeted nervously, she looked like she was ready to crawl out of her own skin. Now Lena was even more concerned than before. “Yeah. Of course.” Alex was just more worried now than she was, but she’d just have to wait for an explanation.
“Kara, you’re worrying me. You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.” Lena took a step closer to her, it always made Kara feel weak in the knee’s when Lena got that serious look on her face, or just got anywhere in her personal space at all. It took her a solid few months of friendship to learn to form a coherent sentence with Lena that close to her.
“Not a ghost...your brother. He..Lena he went to the future.” Kara’s anxiety was spiking by the second.
“To the future? What could he possibly want there?” The inquisitive look on Lena’s face started to contort into pure concern, especially because Kara looked like she might faint once the words finally left her mouth.
“Kara, what did Lex take from the future?” Lena pressed harder, her unease taking over her normally stoic exterior.
“Our daughter.” Kara finally spit out, she almost dropped from relief until she saw the puzzled look occupying Lena’s face.
“What? We don’t have a daughter?” Lena was trying to make sense of this in any way she could, she was being flooded with a lot of the same emotions Kara was now.
“Not yet.” Kara gulped and studied Lena’s face, trying to figure out what she was thinking, but to no avail. Her face was too many things at once to pinpoint.
“We..if we have a daughter does that mean we...?” Lena motioned between the two of them before she trailed off, but it still sounded like a question she expected Kara to answer. Kara wishes she didn’t know exactly what she was talking about. But she did. She was being confronted with the thing that terrified her more than anything else in the world: admitting her feelings to Lena. Maybe she could beat around the bush and avoid it, but she knew that at some point during this situation it would come out, even if it wasn’t right at this moment. She had a decision to make. It didn’t help that Lena was staring at her with those eyes that made her absolutely melt.
“Um, I..uh..I don’t know. He used our DNA to make her in a lab. But he did mention Lily had other siblings in the future.” A soft smile dared to surface on Kara’s lips at the thought of raising a family with Lena.
“Lily?” Lena asked, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth too. She knew she should probably be freaking out at the whole lab baby revelation, but all she could think about was how cute a baby that was half Kara had to be. She was also smiling at the fact that she’d always wanted to name her first born Lily. She was glad to know her future self got to do that, even if it wasn’t in the most conventional way. It made Kara give a real, big smile this time. “Yeah. She’s beautiful, Lena. She looks just like you.” Kara grinned with a softness that gave Lena way too many butterflies.
“Really?” Lena questioned with a slight blush.
“Mhm. I don’t know where she got the auburn hair, but she has your eyes. I knew she was related to you before Lex ever even opened his mouth. I could recognize those eyes anywhere.” Kara heard Lena’s breath hitch and her heart rate increase. That tended to happen when Kara complimented her.
“Is she as sweet as you are?” Lena flirtingly grinned at her, grinning even bigger when she saw Kara blushing.
“I would hope so. But I didn’t get to talk to her. Lex is controlling her using Q waves, so she just stood there silently.”
“So he’s turned our daughter into his personal robot? Why?”
“Because he wants to take me down. That’s why he went to the future and got her once she turned 16. He wants to use her as a weapon, and he knows that the second I look into her eyes.. I won’t be able to fight her.” Kara’s admission made Lena want to melt into a puddle of emotions.
“I know you don’t want to hurt your own blood Kara, but we have to be prepared for the fact that he will make her hurt you.” Lena’s tone was soft and sympathetic.
“It’s not that, Lena. I...Can I admit something to you? So you can understand why I’m so worried?”
“Of course.” The intensity of her gaze made Kara’s entire body feel like it was on fire.
“Several months ago when we were still fighting, I got another visit from Mxyzptlk..he told me he could send me back in time to try telling you my secret earlier, to fix things. But it seemed like no matter when I told you, things always went wrong. So I thought maybe you’d be better off if you had just never met me. But when I went to that timeline.. you were a dictator. You’re family had kidnapped and tortured you and you went down a really dark path. You had a Kryptonite heart and you were blasting me with it. But I...I just took it. The second I looked into your eyes..I couldn’t make myself fight you. Even though it wasn’t the real you I just couldn’t do it. I would’ve died if Mxy hadn’t of gotten me out of there in time.” Admitting this made Kara want to fall over and die in this timeline too, but she needed Lena to understand why she was so worried. Because no matter how much she didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of her crush, they were in this together. Lena was the only one that truly understood the weight of this situation.
Lena just stood there stunned. “Wow..I-I don’t know what to say. I think I’m flattered?”
“You should be, I wouldn’t have done that for anyone else.” A blush was rising in both of their cheeks now. Lena tried to hide it by changing the subject back, but the smile on her face spoke volumes
“So if he got her from the future then where is baby Lily?” Lena always enjoyed flirting with Kara, but right now her worry for her daughter was plaguing her mind.
“He said he has her in his lab.”
“What? We have to go get her! We might not be able to take down teenage Lily right now, but we cannot let Lex near our baby.” Lena was slightly panicked now that she realized Lex had baby Lily too.
Lena was taken back by the grin on Kara’s face, so she spoke up again. “Kara, he has our baby, how are you not panicking right now?”
“Sorry, I am. I just.. Im not used to hearing that.” She still couldn’t wipe the grin off her face, even as panicked as she was.
“What?”
“Our baby.” Now Kara wasn’t the only one smiling.
“Yeah, it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” Lena didn’t understand how she was so excited and so terrified at the same time. She was terrified at the thought of being a mother, because she never had an example of what a good mother looks like. But the thought of having Kara to figure it out with? That made her stomach erupt with butterflies.
“It does. We need to go let the team know what’s going on so we can come up with a plan. And then you and I have a lot to talk about.” Kara’s tone was more serious this time, she was in mission mode now.
They went and gathered the team together and gave them a run down of the situation. Their faces looked just as shocked as Kara and Lena’s did at first. Most of them knew Kara and Lena were in love with each other, but they didn’t expect their first child to happen this way.
“Brainy?” Lena asked as they were all gathered around the table brainstorming.
“Yes Ms. Luthor?”
“Did you know?” Lena’s tone wasn’t accusing, just genuinely curious.
“I was aware that in the future L-Corp created the technology to create offspring from two female organisms, however I was not aware that Lex was responsible for Lily’s conception. I was not entirely sure how she was conceived until now, actually. I was afraid to ask.” Brainy wished so badly he could comfort them by telling them the truth about the future. That they end up having the cutest wedding he’d ever witnessed, and had 3 beautiful daughters together. Kara had insisted they all take on the Luthor name, to show how proud she was to help her rebrand it as a source of good. To show her how proud she was to be with her. They were the true definition of happily ever after.
“He..he’s not responsible for the others right?” Kara was embarrassed to even ask for a multitude of reasons, but she had to know.
“Wait, others?” A confused look was evident on Alex’s face.
“You don’t have to worry, Ms. Danvers. Lucian and Lexa Luthor were entirely your own doing.” Brainy’s answer cleared up Alex’s question while also raising about 50 more.
“I have about a million questions and as much as I want to unpack this, we need to start moving within the hour. I’ll be damned if I let Lex hurt my neice.” Lena and Kara recognized Alex’s protectiveness, they’d seen it with Ruby many times before. It made Lena so happy to know that Alex would be an amazing enough aunt to Lily to make up for the fact that her uncle was insane.
They all came up with a game plan and we’re getting ready to move soon. At this point Kara was just a bundle of nerves. Lena noticed, so she went and got a peice of tech she’d been working on. It only took about 15 minutes of tinkering to code it to what Kara needed specifically.
“Hey Kara, before you go..” Lena pulled the small peice of tech from her pocket and presented it to Kara. “I know you’re worried that you won’t be able to fight her if you have to see her eyes, so I made you this.”
“What is it?”
“It’s called ArkAngel. It’s still in its trial run stage, but it’s normally for parents who want to censor obscenity from their children. It blocks out stressful stimuli from the users vision. I wired it to block out Lily’s eyes. You’ll be able to see her, but from the nose up she’ll be blurry.” Lena explained.
“Wow, thank you. You’re a life saver.” Kara said grabbing it from her.
“I just need you and Lily to make it home safe. I can’t lose you again, Kara. And I can’t lose our daughter before I’ve even gotten the chance to meet her.” Kara could see the emotion swelling up in Lena’s eyes. Lena tried to present herself as cold and stoic, but Kara saw the real her. The Lena that was sensitive and compassionate and loving. Seeing that side of Lena for the first time all those years ago is what changed her small crush into being full on in love with her.
Kara engulfed her in a tight hug. “You won’t lose me, Lena. I will always come home to you. And from now on so will Lily. I swear to you I will protect you both til the very end.”
Lena was so consumed with emotion she didn’t even know what to do with herself other than just cling as tightly to Kara as she could. “You’re still my hero, Kara Danvers, I hope you know that.“ Kara thought her heart was gonna explode. All she wanted to do in that moment was pull away from the hug, grab her face, and kiss her like she’d never been kissed before. But she knew it would leave her dizzy, and the last thing she needed to do before a mission was distract herself. So she settled for a sweet and loving kiss on the forehead. Lena pulled away to give her one last longing glance before she inevitably had to leave.
Kara flew to Lex’s lab and it was much bigger than she expected. She wandered around for what felt like an enternity trying to figure out where Lily might be, but in reality it was only a few minutes. She finally saw a sector of the building that was completely shut off by a big steel door. She knew that’s where she had to be. She walked up to it and saw a keypad that prompted the user for a 5 digit code. She knew it would take forever to try every 5 digit combination imaginable, so she asked for Brainys help over comm’s. He was able to disable it so it didn’t trigger any alarms. However, Kara wasn’t prepared for the fact that Lex had a failsafe. The minute she walked through the door an alarm starting blaring, announcing that Kryptonian DNA had been detected. First Clark had a Luthor protocol at the fortress, and now Lex had a Super protocol at his lab. ‘What is wrong with these guys?’ Was Kara’s first thought. Her second thought was pure panic. She knew she needed to find the baby and get out as quickly as possible. Teenage Lily would surely show up at any minute now.
After walking further down the hall, she heard a baby cry. Bingo! She knew which room she was in now. She went to bust through the door when she was flung back by a whirl of cold breath. Crap, Lily had the same superpowers as she did. “Not so fast, mom.” Lily called out menacingly. Kara had to keep reminding herself that this wasn’t the real Lily, this was all Lex.
“I know he’s controlling you, Lily, but you have to fight it. I don’t know you yet, but if you’re anything like Lena then I know you’re strong. You can beat this.”
The pep talk didn’t help, and Lily started charging at her. Kara had to pretend that she was some random villain to keep herself from breaking down. The fact that she was hurting her own daughter made her want to cry on the spot. But she knew it needed to be done. She finally had her pinned down and was about to knock her out when it happened. Lily smiled at her..and Kara froze. She wishes now that Arkangel had blurred out her entire face. She had Lena’s smile and dimples too. Crap.
In the few moments Kara hesitated, Lily was able to wrestle out from underneath her mothers strong grip to try and attack her one last time. As much as Kara wanted to break down and cry, she thought of her baby sitting in the other room alone and scared, and it gave her a second wind. She gave Lily one last devastating blow, enough to knock her out. It gave her enough time to go grab the baby and get out.
It didn’t fully register that she was holding a baby, her own baby, in her arms until after she was flying towards the DEO and out of harms way. She finally sighed a breath of relief and looked down at her baby for the first time. Even as a baby she looked so much like Lena. Her eyes were teary already. Partly because she just harmed her older daughter, and partly because her baby daughter was now safe and in her arms. Lily had stopped crying and was much calmer now, flying seemed to soothe her. Kara was just in awe.
She landed on the DEO balcony for the second time today, but this time she landed as a mother. She wasn’t sure what to make of that, but she couldn’t wait to see the look on Lena’s face when she saw their daughter for the first time.
Everyone came running up, but they stopped once they reached the door and let Lena have her moment with Kara first. “Kara you’re bleeding, what happened?” Lena said placing a hand on Kara’s cheek and stroking it gently.
“She apparently has your smile and dimples too, is what happened.” She grinned a little before more tears swelled up in her eyes.
“Even as a baby, she’s just as beautiful as her mother.” Kara added and now Lena was teary eyed too. She looked down at the baby in Kara’s arms and was just instantly infatuated. “Wow..” Was all that managed to escape her lips.
Both of their hearts were so full in that moment, it was a feeling neither of them had quite experienced before. While it may not have been the most conventional way to have a child, it still felt like the happiest day of their lives. Everyone was watching from afar, just absolutely swooning at how adorable this was.
“I love her already.” Kara was absolutely beaming now. “And I love you too, Lena Luthor. More than I’d like to admit.”
“Well I think finding out we have children together in the future kind of takes the surprise out of it but.. I love you too, Kara. I’ve been in love with you from the start.”
Kara looked up and locked eyes with her, her gaze was more intense than she’d ever seen it. This was it, she thought, it looked like the woman of her dreams was about to do what she’d been fantasizing about for years now. Lena gently grabbed her face and kissed her, and suddenly it felt like everything was right in the world. Kissing her soulmate made it feel like she was surrounded by magic. Like symphonies were playing and folktales were being written about their love.
The kiss was soft, loving, and sweet. Kara had never been kissed quite like that before. She just melted into it. When Lena pulled away she craved her taste her for just a second longer, but she was quickly snapped back into reality when she heard everyone awe’ing in the doorway. It just made Kara and Lena smile at each other. “Come on over, guys.” They said and everyone ran over to see the baby excitedly.
They spent several hours out buying baby stuff to take back to Lena’s apartment, and before Kara knew it she was agreeing to move in with her. She knew she still had to worry about teenage Lily tomorrow, but for the night she was just soaking up her newfound motherhood with the love of her life, who was now officially her girlfriend. She couldn’t have been happier.
After some long nights and tiring days, they eventually took Lex down and returned Lily safely to the future. Over the next 5 or so years, they added two additions to their family just like Brainy had said. Lexa and Lucian Luthor brought even more joy to their lives than they could’ve imagined. They were insanely, grossly happy. After everything they’d sacrificed and been though and lost, they were finally getting their fairytale ending.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading and I really hope you enjoyed it! Did anyone catch the Black Mirror reference? 😅
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petitelepus · 3 years
Text
His Beloved And More, Part 8
Sometimes the greatest show of love is to let go.
WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH, BEGGING FOR DEATH AND JUST IN ALL BAD TIMES WITH SPRINKLE OF SAD TIMES
The next day actually came quicker than he could have ever hoped. He was so excited that he didn’t even go for his morning rations at the canteen. Someone could have his portion, he didn’t care! He had many more important things to do! Like strapping you to a chair.
You chirped and chittered, not liking the restrains squeezing around your wrists and ankles or enjoying the feeling of having your ability to move taken away from you. You were a quick one, you liked to move a lot, was it on the floor or the ceiling you weren’t picky. You didn’t even want to nearly come when Brainstorm had called you, but with a rat, as bait, you came running to him. You clearly regretted it now as he adjusted the helmet to your head.
”Now sweet spark, I know you don’t like this, but this must be done so you can get your memories back!” The scientist sang to you in a playful manner as he tightened the strap under your chin. Your chirps turned to hiss when the helmet pressed tightly against your skin, but Brainstorm ignored your discomfort. It was for your best after all.
He walked to his computer and dug out his file filled with memories from your brains. With a grin on his face, the scientist grasped the needles he used to store your memories after your temporary death and plugged the wires into the needle's blunt heads. He turned the power on and carefully moved the needle tips until they touched each other, shooting out small sparks of electricity.
Brainstorm heard a hiss and turned to look at you, only to see you spitting and fighting against the restraints on the chair. The mech smiled, his optics filled with sympathy and he approached you, ignoring how your feral eyes followed the needles in his hand as he reached to scratch your chin.
”It’s alright sweet spark, I won’t stick these into you while they’re on! That would be inhumane!” He giggled gleefully, walking back to the computer to shut off the power and then turned back to you. You whined in fear and Brainstorm felt his spark quiver in sympathy. He took off his mask and leaned down to sweetly kiss your cheek.
”I know this is scary, but I need you to be awake for this so your brains can take in everything bit of information. Then, after that, we can talk again and go outside…! We can show others that you are fine! You can joke in Swerve’s bar again, play with our friends and we can be together forever…!”
Yes, those were the thoughts that encouraged him to throw away the last bits of his sanity and keep going forward. He was making sacrifices for you both so you should be ready to do the same! After all, love was all about hardships you could conquer together, wasn’t it? This was just one last obstacle between your two’s happiness! The goal was so close that he could already touch it…!
So with your best in his mind, he stuffed your mouth with a gag so you wouldn't be able to bite your tongue, took the first needle, and stuck it into your head with inhumane accuracy.
The scream you let out was outright feral and could have probably broken glass if he hadn’t had stuffed your mouth full. The whole chair you were straddled on shook as your body spammed in pain, but without a further wait, he stuck the second to your temple.
This went on for a good while, with you screaming and such. Brainstorm was thankful for gagging you because at this rate you would have actually bitten your tongue off. He got good ten needles into your brains, minding your delicate parts so you wouldn’t lose your ability to move or speak.
When he was finally done, the scientist took a step back to look at you. He took out a small flashlight and flicked it over your eyes to inspect your state. You were shivering but still, your pupils were as big as they could be but they did react to light as he watched your pupils shrink. It was a good sign.
"Almost there, my beloved...! Now we just need to turn on the electricity and the computer will transplant your memories and everything else into your brains and we can be together again, just like we used to be!"
You weren't answering, but Brainstorm didn't expect any words coming from you so he walked up to the computer and looked at you.
"I love you." He said before pressing the button and the electricity shocked your brains and your whole body convulsed as it was being shocked. Brainstorm looked at the computer screen and watched how the little loading bar filled second after another. Finally, the computer peeped and the electricity cut off on its own.
Brainstorm run to you and carefully pulled the needles off one by one before taking off the helmet and the gag from your mouth. Your head rocked from side to side in incoherent fashion until your lover grasped your head and looked at you in the eyes.
"Come on sweet spark...!" He wished out loud, "Talk to me...!"
You blinked slowly until your eyes suddenly focused and you came down from the high pain clouds. He saw you look at him and he could tell that you remembered him by the way your eyes widened.
”…h…!”
You were trying to speak! His experiment worked! Brainstorm beamed as he tried to coax the words from your mouth that you hadn't used until then in anything else than hissing and eating. Finally, you choked and coughed before shouting, "Hurts!"
Brainstorm blinked and you cried again. "It hurts!" You screamed as loud as you could and trashed in the chair. The flyer scrambled as he started to undo your restrains but as soon as your hands and legs were free, you fell on the ground and curled around yourself, still in pain.
"Kill me!" You wailed with tears streaming down your face as you looked at your lover, begging him to do the unspeakable. The scientist watched you in horror until he remembered that he had stolen medication for human pain!
"H- Hold on, I have medicine!" Brainstorm said and quickly ran to his closet and took out everything he had before running to you. He quickly took out the syringe, filled it, and pumped you full of the powerful pain medication. After a moment your trashing died down, but you were hugging and shivering over yourself like you were still in pain.
"It hurts...!" You still whimpered and Brainstorm was filled with dread as he watched you holding yourself. He wanted to give you more medicine, but he learned that too much medicine might just kill you when he had done his research on these things.
No, he wouldn't let that happen! Not anymore! This was the closest he got in bringing you back to life, he wouldn't let you go!
"My beloved, I can't give you any more medicine or you die...!" He cried and you rolled to your side so you could look at your... Whatever he was to you anymore.
"Then kill me!" You wailed with tears streaming down your face as you looked at Brainstorm, begging him to do the unspeakable.
"N- No! I- I can't...!" Brainstorm cried, horrified beyond belief. He had gone through all those failures...! He couldn't lose you again! Then it hit him! He should take you to Ratchet! The medic could make you feel better, he can save you if the scientist couldn't!
"H- Hold on! I'll take you to Ratchet and he will fix you!" He tried to pick you up, but no matter how gentle he tried to be you would cry as if he had stabbed you.
"It hurts too much...!"
"Please, just bear with me! Soon you will feel good again!" He tried to pick you again, but you smacked his servos away and he pulled back, giving you space.
"Brainstorm... My love... Please..." You begged and sobbed as you looked at him through tears, "You have to let me go... Please... Release me from these pains...!"
"I-! I can't!" Brainstorm cried back. He was about to try and hold you gently like you were a hurt bird, but like a hurt bird, you cried in agony. He was running out of options... Should he try to get Ratchet or Perceptor to help? But then they would find out what he did and Brainstorm would no doubt get locked up and sent to some sort of facility.
"Brainstorm..." You whimpered and looked at your former lover with your tear-stained eyes. "If you have any love for me... You kill me...!" You begged and he finally understood what you meant. If he loved you, he wouldn't let you suffer like you were right now. He couldn't afford to be selfish. If he kept you like this then you would no doubt grow to despise if not even hate him.
"Very well..." Brainstorm picked the syringe and filled it with the pain medicine. You rolled on your back with great pain and offered your arm to him. Gently, he took a hold of your arm and you cried out briefly as he injected the medicine into your bloodstream. As soon as he pulled the syringe out he took off his mouthguard so he could smile at you for the last time.
"I really love you..." Brainstorm confessed and tears came down your face as you smiled one last time. "I love you too..." You whispered when your eyelids felt too heavy and slowly you closed your eyes and stopped breathing. Brainstorm looked at you before his frame started to shake and tears streamed down his face.
"Sleep well my little sweet spark..."
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anemonenemerosa · 3 years
Text
The Spare - Chapter 12
Here we go! Thank you, @lumosinlove for the SW-verse!
Chapter 12
Out of precaution, Regulus decided to sneak into Malfoy Manor through the kitchen window. He scoffed at the thought that everyone always assumed he was a model son. Sure, he kept his head down, all appearances and he was once very eager to please his parents but that didn't mean he hadn't a rebellious streak.
Sirius often got caught trying to sneak out the house... through the back door... too obvious. Idiot. But he learned over time. Regulus, on the other hand, learned to pick locks and sneak out of windows quiet early on. It was much stealthier and more unsuspected from the obedient, quiet kid.
Around 16, Regulus did this very often, trying to live a little under the thumb of his parents and while pretending not to. Sirius was bold, brave and often getting shit for it. Regulus was collected and sneaky. His escapades went unnoticed. It was all about the right balance. He asked to go out often enough to be considered normal. His parents said no more often than not and Regulus just had to ask for events he was not really interested in. When they said no, he would obediently stay at home and just sneak out to the stuff he actually wanted to go to. Unsuspecting.
He went to several high school parties and concerts, albeit hating crowds, because that was what teenagers did right? What they enjoyed. Regulus did not enjoy the drinking, the stuffed rooms and the gross drunk make-out sessions. Maybe he was born as snarky old man, always been more of a Waldorf, in need for his Statler.
Once in his room, Regulus showered, changed and was just in time for Lucius to take him to practice.
The mood in locker the locker room was disgustingly cheerful. Several Death eaters were reciting their favourite slurs against Sirius and all the “faggots”, how they called queers, in general, accompanied by hollering, whistling and applause.
Regulus thought of Sirius, of Ben and Mateo, how kind and loving they treated him, and it took all his badly patched up self-control to keep his expression blank and polite. This is not right.
He did not return to the shire this evening. Instead, he spent a long time running in the neighbourhood of the Malfoys, trying to sort through the last days.
When he collapsed exhausted into bed this evening, he came to the conclusion that there was actually no way he could get through the mess in his very own… The psychologist-thing was meant as a joke at Thanksgiving, Black…
                                                    oOo
The next evening, he nervously rang the bell besides the name tag Hayes/Alves, not knowing whether someone is even at home but he was let into the building and a moment later he found himself unable to knock on the door to their flat. These people owed him noting, why would they even let him in again after he practically stormed out yesterday?
The door was yanked open anyway and a relieved looking Mateo pulled him inside. “There you are, we were worried!”
“What? Why?”
“You were rather upset when you bolted yesterday” Jo provided from the kitchen, a spoon in her mouth and an almost empty can of ice cream in her hands.
“Hey, there you are!” Ben chimed happily, stepping out of the bathroom in his pyjamas and towelling his hair.
“Are you guys mad?” Regulus blurted suddenly, “You don’t know me, I stormed out yesterday after all you have done like an ungrateful asshole and you are actually happy that I'm back?”
“Sure.” All three answered as one, baffling him completely.
“Why?” He was almost desperate, “You have absolutely no gain from me being here... I am just a rookie so no one will buy my secrets from you, I am rather rich but you have nothing to properly blackmail me so what do you want?!”
“Are you serious?” Jo asked after a short silence.
“No, that’s my Brother, I am Regulus.” he answered absentmindedly. Ben and Mateo snorted but Jo just looked puzzled.
Regulus looked back, similarly puzzled. “Sirius Black, the famous, freshly outed, Captain of the Gryffindor Lions?”
Still nothing but a furrowed brow... “NHL?”
'Yeah, yeah, heard of it but hold on, your full name is Regulus, like your real name? And your brother is, in fact, named Sirius, that’s not a fake, too?”
“That is your Question? And no, its Sirius Orion and Regulus Arcturus Black, actually.” Jo anything but shrieked, joining the other two hobbits already shaking with mirth by now.  
“Ok, that’s - that’s just bad, I'm sorry” she wheezed after a few minutes.
“I always thought these were aliases… I see that I need to revaluate my bad-name categories.”
“Alors, I call you Josephine from now on?” Regulus was met with a surprisingly deathly glare that sent Ben and Mateo straight into another fit.
A grin started to tuck at the corner of Regulus’ lips but there were still pressing questions.
“Jo, you have no idea of the disaster that went on? You didn’t even check Twitter?”
“Nah, I don’t frequent social media. While I prefer to limit my direct interaction with other people, assholes accumulate there and throw all their bullshit around, guarded by the anonymity of the internet. I think a dentist appointment is less annoying.” The grin tucked again. This weird mixture of slang and hoity-toity wording was just gold.
“But you do watch ice hockey?” He was not sure why that was important for him. Maybe to find out, what she knew about him, maybe because to find out more about her.
“Sometimes yeah. For me you are Reg, the rather giant dude that slept on our couch, that prefers his tea bitter and gross and does not say thank you. The guy with the enjoyable dry humour and good taste in literature that luckily balances his abysmal taste in movies.”
At that Regulus laughed, too. He didn’t know, why exactly but he felt giddy with the idea that these were the first people who wouldn’t define him through hockey and his family.  That although they knew of his profession, here was just Reg, not Regulus Arcturus Black, Son of Orion Black, number 72 of the Snakes. Maybe I can have this, after all.
Is this, what Sirius had with his team, with Remus? Another pang of guilt let the laughter die in his throat, his eyes welled up. Not again…please.
But there was no time to recompose himself. Quickly, he was shoved onto the couch, wrapped in the chicken-blanket and surrounded by these idiots caring for him for some reason he still did not understand.
For the third time, his walls broke. Where there even walls by now? Regulus felt rather leaking with emotions.
But of course, he could not keep it in around them and spilled all his life to the three of them, not in as much detail he told Mateo in the hospital but also not keeping his role of Sirius’ outing to himself. Once all was out, there was a tense silence... of course there was, he just told the gay couple in front of him that he forced his brother out to be tormented by a crowd of imbecile haters on the internet.
Regulus was sure, his little excursion into a happy family ended now. Just as he guessed on the first evening here but instead of scolding and disapproving, cold glares he found himself hugged by Ben, again. He gives good hugs; his brain supplied uselessly.
“It’s a shitty move to out someone Reg, there is nothing to sugar coat.” Ben sighed.
“But what they did with that information and how the people online reacted is not your fault.”
Regulus said nothing, just closed his eyes and buried deeper in the shoulder of Ben, who practically sat on his lap to reach the height for such an embrace.
“But your feelings were hurt, too at that time and a lot of people used you. Fuck your family. You know what, I’m your mom now!”
Regulus just continued crying silently into Ben’s Shoulder, Mateo’s hand rubbing slowly over his back, chuckling at Ben’s statement.
“Mother hen.”
This showed what he had suspected for a while now, proof that his parents were not just a little strict. That something in his childhood went horribly wrong and he has no idea what to do with that information except crying it out.
When he calmed down a bit, Ben and Mateo got up to make some tea and finish dinner while quietly talking in Portuguese. So, it was something he was not meant to understand. His stomach knotted uncomfortably.
“Reg?” Jo tried quietly, she had not reacted in any way so far. He had even forgotten that she was still perched on the carpet beside him and somehow, he dreaded what was to come next.
“Hm?”
“Earlier, at the door, as you said that you do not know of what use you are for us as we cannot even blackmail you... you were not joking?” He shook his head, new tears threating to well up. How were there still tears left and what happened to his composure again?
“You really expected us to just care for you as long as we could gain profit?” There was no accusation in her voice just sadness and concern. He shrugged his shoulders; did he think that? No, but this was the only form of interaction he knew, everything always came with a price, an expectation.
The next thing he felt was Jo not practically but literally perched on his lap, straddling his hips, wrapping her arms around him and leaning her cheek against his temple. He knew already that, opposite to her brother, Jo was not the touchy feely type with strangers.
He was not considered a stranger anymore, after a day?
“I don’t know if there is anything one could say to make it better, so I will just keep my mouth shut and hug you until you believe that we like you and care for you. Just like that. As long as it will take.” She wiggled a bit to demonstrate getting comfortable.
There was nothing sexual about the embrace although they were pressed together from shoulders to hips und she just wiggled in his lap. It was completely opposite to the girls that approached him at the parties he sneaked out to. These were eyeing him hungrily, like a trophy. Some of them (very drunk, to their defence) even told him how similar he looked to Sirius… and how sexy they found his brother. He shivered a bit at the memory and gladly went back to reality.
“You might die of old age while waiting.” Regulus lifted his head to check the effect of his attempt in humour on her face but she just tucked his head back, giving a soft huff.
“Nah. 'M convincing but probably need to excuse myself to the bathroom or the fridge in between”
He closed his eyes again, wrapped his arms around her waist and relished in the hug without questioning why this hug felt different, more intimate than Ben’s or Mateo’s.
After an undefinable amount of time, the men came back with plates of Vegetable Quesadillas and Guacamole.
“Comfort Food, my avozinha’s recipe.”, Mateo commented
Instead of answering his question for cutlery, Ben met his eyes, pointedly grabbed a Quesadilla, dipped it in the guacamole and shoved the whole thing in his mouth without breaking eye contact.
Reg snorted with laughter.
                                                oOo
Of course, Ben spilled more than just a little on his shirt.
While Ben and Jo were cleaning the dishes and Ben, Mateo came over with a fresh cup of tea.
“Hey” Reg lifted his head. “I’m talking now as your fried -or co-mom, apparently- that just happens to also have studied medicine” he nodded for Mateo to continue.
“You went through a lot. Not just lately. And you struggle to cope.” Alors, the poker face seems to be gone…
“I do not say that you are weak, you are not! But you might want to consider the help of a therapist to sort through your feelings and your past. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of knowing your boundaries and taking care of yourself. I do not want to talk you into this, you need to want that for therapy to help. So, take you time to think about that, if you need. You can always come to us to talk but no one here is a therapist so we can only help you so far. OK? We are not disposing you to a shrink. Our door is open for you but you might want to have different type of help.”
Reg sat the in silence after this speech, hand running through his hair and rubbing his neck.
He had thought about that, more and more serious since Thanksgiving but hearing it and having the confirmation that he was welcome here …a thought formed in his brain, shortly followed by his usual determination.
"I want this to stop. I want to get better." He looked at Mateo and was met with his signature genuine, warm smile.
"You have a team therapist, don't you? It might be the fastest way to an appointment."
Reg grimaced at the thought of Dr. Slughorn. Generally well-meaning but when in doubt always humouring Riddle.
"I wouldn't trust him with taking the trash out." Regs grimace it met with a raised eyebrow.
"Do you want me to help you find someone else?" Mateo asked carefully and after a relieved nod from Reg, continued. "OK. Good, this is really good. Now for the next part."
Reg furrowed his brows
"Ben and I talked, and we want to offer you to stay here for a while after All Star, out of the clutches of your family. Of course, you have to go to practice and stuff but maybe it would be healthier for you to feel less controlled, less suffocated by them. We would find something else for you to sleep on than the couch, of course." Mateo joked.
Reg blinked at the guy in front of him in disbelieve.  Encore: What the hell? "You would do that? Let me stay?"
"Yep. We are your moms now, after all." Ben all but yelled over from the kitchen.
 This isn't a fever-trip. This is a dream, and I hope that I will not wake up too soon.
This night, he spent in Jos bed.  
"The couch is lumpy so we will share that bed. I'm not ruining my neck for you." Was her announcement before she marched off, Reg in tow.
He was led into the room, expecting a bedroom and was greeted with a little bureau.
"Erm..." Was all Reg could say.
"Well I only stay here during semester breaks so it's mor like a multi-purpose room." Jo seemed to miss the point entirely.
"But there is no bed?!"
She gave him an odd look and... folded a mattress out of the closet? "You've never seen a Murphy bed?"
"Obviously."
A little while later Reg squeezed himself beside Jo in the double bed. How does such a small person take up so much space?
“Won't it fold up in the night and swallow us whole?" The thought made him nervous, but he was greeted with the Hayes™ way of soothing. Bullying into feeling better.
“Not with your fat ass in here. Sleep or I send you back to the couch.”
They did not sleep for a long while.
Instead the talked a lot like on the first morning that felt like years ago although it has been just two days. In these days, his life was turned inside out, fortunately. He liked this version better.
The more they talked and bantered, the more Reg understood, that she really did not calculate her moves but just did what seemed the honest, right and fair choice… which is why she was horrible at the midnight chess match: Not thinking a few steps ahead and no intention of sacrificing figures or threatening enemy figures… irritating and endearing.
Also, she had quite a lot of very good burns but apologised every time afterwards. Hilarious... too nice for her devilish mind.
The next morning, he woke up around four, with Jo's back tucked against his side. He had slept about two hours, not able to sleep any longer anyway but he stayed in bed, secretly enjoying the feeling of a warm weight beside him.
Thoughts about his brother were still omnipresent in his mind but right now, other thinks demand his attention. Reg was pretty sure that he was falling for Jo.
He had had one or another crush in school but what he felt now was magnitudes stronger. Coming to think of it, his feelings about Ben and Mateo were also magnitudes stronger but... different. The idea of the girl he just met not being within an hour driving distance, once she returned to Boston, left a weight on his chest, accompanied by an unfamiliar longing.
But that was not the point... everything would be OK with that point. The point was, it's not the same as he heard all the other guys in school, in the locker room talk about girls… he didn't get off imagining her naked, or both of them having sex, he never thought that about anyone, actually, and was convinced the boys boasting about how they want to hit all these girls and how they got horny every time some girl with a too-short-to-be-comfortable skirt walk by, were just exaggerating… or were they not? Was there something he just didn't understand, hadn't experienced yet? It's not that he hadn't had sex before and it was nice enough, but he never quite understood why people would go absolutely nuts about this past-time exercise. It was basically wanking with extra steps.
Hell, Reg felt not even aroused by Jo's ass pressed to his thigh in her sleep but he was very sure that he wanted to hold her close, feel her skin under his hands, her body pressed to his, to kiss her and be definitely more than friends with her; And he had absolutely no idea how to explain this to her and still hope for a chance of dating her eventually... This was not what people were looking for in a partner, was it?
He groaned... was there nothing simple on this world for him?
But then again, Jo was different, that's why he liked her, she had this no-bullshit attitude that let her stomp on several feet regularly. She was the only person he knew that would most likely appreciate if he just spoke his mind about the situation and have a balanced, rational and decidedly calm discussion about their feelings. He silently laughed. The thought about such a conversation was ridiculous but fairly simple. Maybe this would be easier than he first thought. He was not sure on what terms they would end but the situation would be evaluated and free of misunderstandings at the end.
He would talk to her after All Star, after facing his brother and trying to... what?
                                                     oOo
Telling Lucius and Narcissa that he wanted to stay elsewhere for a few nights went smoother than expected. After a short call with his mother she agreed to give him a bit of freedom. After the outing, his parents seemed to be eager to keep Reg as the good son. So, Walburga was in kind of open for some little claims. Of course, she wanted to know where he was staying so he pretended to need alone-time after the shock of his brother's outing and booked a hotel room until All Star as cover. He was definitely not risking his Mother taking this very fragile attempt of escape away from him.
Reg quietly packed a bag with clothes to take with him directly from the airport after All Star and spent his waiting time at the airport on the phone with Mateo, looking for a therapist. He would meet Dr. Bones close to the Hospital, Mateo worked at, next Thursday.
The flight with Snape was horrible. Reg tried to keep his thought about Sirius at bay, not checking social media at all but Severus kept sneering about Queers in general and Sirius. He laid open all the information he could dig up out about Remus and even announced proudly, that he forwarded it all to the commentators of the red carpet
Oh… merde. C’est pourri! They are in for a shit-show.
But Reg would not have to opportunity to contact Sirius before that.
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