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obsidianfr3sk · 4 years

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Beginnings and Endings (Part 1)

@renegadesnet event 2: august of anarchy

↪ [The Artino Brothers]

Summary: In the beginning, it was just the two of them: David and Alec, the Artino Brothers. Then, they brought anarchy into the world. Now, David is not sure if there would be enough of themselves by the end of it. "Don't call me Alec anymore. Now I am Ace. Ace Anarchy."

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25686343/chapters/62363560

This is my contribution to August of Anarchy. It will be a two-part fic about the relationship between Ace and his brother from David’s POV. We have little information about how their relationship actually was, so I had a lot of fun coming up with headcanons and that kinda stuff.

Thanks so much to @dawniebb and @healing-winston-pratt for the timeline they did that helped me with the creation of this fic. I actually also used it for my other fic, The Origins, but I didn’t remembered you guys did it and I just had the image saved on my phone lol (I can credit you for that if you want me to, there’s no problem with that!) Son las mejores <3

The start of the beginning

Age of anarchy Year 0

His fingers felt hotter and hotter with each golden thread they held. A light coat of sweat ran all over his body, but he wasn't sure if it was because he was nervous or because they didn't have air conditioning and it was midsummer.

It wasn’t like he had no reason to be nervous. He had never used his powers for something so important.

Alec watched every movement and noticed every breath. His dark eyes were slightly closed and his lips were pursed. David had the same face.

"Am I doing something wrong?" he whispered.

"You are doing a good job," Alec said. "Why?"

"Because you haven't stopped watching every move I make and—"

"Don't worry, it's not personal—" he pursed his lips more "—I'm always watching."

David rolled his eyes. "You're lurking."

Alec picked up a dry cloth on the splintered coffee table and rubbed it across his brother’s forehead. David thanked him.

"That's not true," Alec replied, "I just enjoy staring at people from the shadows. It is a healthy hobby ”

"I'm sure it isn't."

But hey, what did David know about healthy hobbies? All he had done in those last months was accompany his brother to work during the day and watch television until late at night. Those were his hobbies. And he wasn't even sure if the first one counted as one.

David had been expelled from his school more than six months ago after the principal found out that he was a prodigy. According to her, that was not the reason for his expulsion. It was that he had lied and it was illegal to lie about your status as a prodigy for profit.

"So you do accept schools for prodigies have a lower educational level than schools for non-prodigies?" Alec asked the principal with a defiant attitude.

When Alec tried to enroll him in another school, he discovered that she had already warned the entire school district about David and no elementary school would be accepting him in the near future. He refused to enroll David in a school for prodigies because he would only fall behind in his studies. Apparently, those schools did not receive half the funds that the other schools received.

"Because they’re for ordinary kids," said David, "and I'm not."

“You are not an ordinary kid, that's true. You are extraordinary. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise."

In the beginning, David had remained positive. It was fun to accompany Alec to work, just like the old days. But the weeks passed and it was increasingly difficult not to miss his friends, his favorite teachers, and the math lessons that he liked so much. How did Alec never get tired of the monotony?

"Look, it's already taking shape," Alec exclaimed.

He was right.

"Do you think it looks like the one in your drawing?" he asked him.

"I don't want to give a verdict until you finish it, but yeah, it's a lot like it."

For David, Alec was a great artist. He was also a good brother and a remarkable student, judging by the diplomas on the walls of their old house. At the time, he had also been a good son, although David could not give proof of it. And neither did their parents.

Seven years ago, their parents had died in an explosion at the offices of the organization they were part of. It was called "Prodigies for the Alliance with the Non-Prodigies". His father preferred to call it "Anarchist Group" because the original name was “fucking dumb”. Over time, David realized that the real reason he called it like that was that he liked to see his wife frown every time he referred to her as "fellow anarchist Bianca."

"We are not anarchists," her mother insisted as she used her powers to levitate her cup of coffee. When she was angry, her blue eyes turned red. "We are—"

"Anarchists" interrupted his father. He turned his spoon into gold and raised an eyebrow.

“It is forbidden to use your powers at the table, Alessandro. And no, we are rebels. ”

"Anarchist rebels!" Alec exclaimed.

"Alec, your cereal, you're going to spill it!"

That was his last memory of them.

The news said it had been an accident with the gas pipes. There were some other theorizing that it had been a dispute between members of the organization.

"After all, so many prodigies in one place cannot be trusted," said a young lady from the newscast. “The prodigies are violent, even with each other. They don’t always know how to con—"

Alec appeared behind him and turned off the television.

"Don't watch that. Those are lies."

They had just returned from the funeral. David had not taken off his coat yet.

"Really?" he asked.

His brother nodded. “It was not an argument or an accident. It was an attack. And I have evidence to prove it. ”

The next day, he took David to the police station. Alec explained to the policemen about the bricks thrown at the windows of their house, about the graffiti that appeared on the porch, and about the death threats, their parents constantly received. He even showed them a box full of evidence, with photos and letters. But the only thing the policemen did was laugh at him and knock both brothers out of the place after Alec had the great idea of using his powers against them. That definitely hadn't helped their case.

"Mom would have thrown a chair at that idiot officer, too," Alec told him as they drove back to the house.

"I envy you," David mumbled.

"Why?"

"Because you will always have something of hers that I don't," he answered.

"David, look at yourself in a mirror. You are her living portrait. That is something I will never have.”

From then on, he took David everywhere, to the park, to the bank, or to the two jobs he had so they could pay the bills. David asked who would take care of him when Alec left for college in the fall.

"I won’t be going to college," he replied. "I already have other plans."

After so long, David finally found out about his brother's plans. He knew every last detail. They had spent sleepless nights talking about it and wondering what their parents would think. David was convinced that his father would be delighted, but he wasn't quite sure about his mother’s reaction. Alec assured him she would understand.

They had already tried everything. It was time for someone to do something for real. And that someone, was going to be Alec.

Finally, the helmet materialized in front of them. It was made of the most precious gold of all and identical to how David had imagined it.

Alec closed his eyes and held out his hand. The helmet began to levitate and slowly settled over his head. The sun streaming through the window revealed tiny golden particles floating around him. When Alec opened his eyes again, he appeared more fierce than ever. However, David was not afraid; he was amazed at his work.

"Perfect," Alec whispered. "It feels perfect. Nice job."

"Thank you…"

Alec stood up and headed for the door. "Well, I guess it’s showtime."

David jumped up and hurried to put on his shoes to catch up. Alec was about to leave when he realized what his younger brother was doing.

"No, David, you stay," he ordered.

"What? Why?" he asked indignantly.

“It is not an appropriate show for eleven-year-olds."

"But-"

"David."

Alec had not inherited his mother's eyes, but he had definitely inherited that horrible look that could intimidate even the bravest of humans.

David backed away, feeling pathetic and childish. The fact he was wearing one shoe and had a yogurt stain on his shirt didn't make him look more mature. He sat down on the floor and hid his face between his legs.

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.

"But who's going to take care of me?" he mumbled.

His older brother rolled his eyes as he approached him. “You are old enough to be alone for a couple of hours. Or days. "

"Days?!"

He had never been alone for more than five minutes when Alec went to the store across the street. It was too much responsibility, how would he be able to handle it?

Then, Alec lifted him off the ground. David gasped. His brother had never been able to do that with such ease, but he had no time to be amazed, because judging by his expression, Alec was not looking happy at all.

“David, listen. This is not a game."

"I know," he replied, doing his best to imitate his mother's frown.

"I know you know it," Alec said. He hadn't intimidated him. “But I want to be sure that you understand the magnitude of what I'm about to do. It will be a massive change in the way the world is controlled. ”

David crossed his arms and looked away. Alec gently returned him to the ground and ruffled his hair, slightly chuckling. David couldn't help but smile. Just a little though. He didn't want his brother to think he agreed with the decision he had made.

There was no point arguing with him. The more time his brother spent there, the longer the beginning of the end would be delayed.

Immediately, he mentally corrected himself. Alec had said not to call it the beginning of the end. What he was going to do was not the end of anything; it was the start of the beginning.

"What do I do while you’re gone?" he asked, without turning to see him.

Alec put his hands on his shoulders. "Stay here as long as you can. Secure all doors and windows and don't go out unless it’s absolutely— ”

Somebody knocked on the door. Alec and David held their breath for the ten seconds that person stood outside their apartment. A couple of letters slipped under the door and the person left.

David wanted to go pick up the mail, but his brother's grip grew stronger.

"Don't stop to help anyone, David," Alec went on. "As long as I'm not there, you're the only one who can protect you. Do you understand? No one else matters, no one else will help you. Only you can help yourself." He took him by the chin to make him look him in the eye. "Understood, David?"

He had never seen his brother have such a severe expression. Alec had never spoken so seriously to him and had never forced him to look at him. For a second, David thought that it was the helmet that made his brother seem more frightening. But it couldn’t be that.

After all, the world was about to change. It made sense that Alec changed too.

Would David change?

"Understood, Alec," he replied.

"Don't call me Alec anymore." He released his chin and smiled at him. “Now I am Ace. Ace Anarchy. ”

"Ace Anarchy," David repeated. He let the name finish to visualize inside his head. "I like how it sounds."

Alec ruffled his hair once more. "I knew you would like it, my little nightmare."

#renegadesnet #renegades #archenemies #supernova #ao3 #fanfic #beginnings and endings #alec james artino #ace anarchy #david artino

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uhgoodmoni · 3 years

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Nothing That Lasts Forever

A BTS Horror Fanfiction

Warnings: Major Character Death, Blood, Demons, Fighting, Verbal and Physical Abuse, Mention of marijuana, Death, Cursing, Fire, Unintentional Self-harm, Gore. Yoongi's injury

Ao3 link - Wattpad link - Soundtrack

Trailer - ch1 - ch2 - ch3 - ch4 - ch5 - ch6 - ch7 - ch8 - ch9

Chapter Eight: 456782

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER INVOLVES HEAVIER TOPICS, as the author I got stressed writing this so if you get anxious easily then I don’t suggest you read any further. The next few chapters are very heavy, especially if you don’t like to see our boys hurt. Please remember that I have tagged Major Character Death. Please remember that this is an act of fiction and I do not mean any harm with my work.

Last warning: I - your author, genuinely cried writing some of the next chapter(s) . I'm still not trying to spoil anything but from here on out the story gets a lot more serious and heavy. I know I said I wouldn’t put warnings and author’s notes but I think that if you want to finish the story you should know it's not an easy ride. Anyway good luck.

Yoongi’s POV

I wipe my tears, spreading blood about my face. Unable to see through the red I use my sleeve to finally clean myself up. Though I wasn’t able to completely stop the tears. Turning away from the limp body, I look to Hoseok. He hasn’t moved from where Jungkook had pinned him. His body trembles, hands covering his face, soft sobs escaping to the floor.

“Hoseok.” I barely produce his name, my voice scratching out in the chilled air. He flinches as my fingers faintly tap his thigh. Swallowing, I shuffle over to him. “Hoseok.” This time I whisper, my hand hovering over his arm. His forehead is pressed hard against the floor, reddening his hairline. His eyelashes clump together through his tears, and I let out a weak breath.

“Hobi.” My hand gently sits on his, which covers his cheek. “It’s Yoongi.” He lets out a hiccup, curling into my knees. Swallowing, I think how I should probably ask him the important question. What is something only he knows about me? But as his tears soak into my pant leg I realize that now is not the right time.

For a long time I sit there, allowing Hobi to take the time to cry. I probably should too, but I’ve felt a weight lifted off of the room. The heater kicks on, as I squeeze Hoseok’s arm. He’s calmed down quite a bit, his hand falling from his face, revealing a deep blush, and bleeding gash on his cheek. His face is swollen on the left side. I take a pained breath for him, as I touch his cheek. He swallows, ignoring the ache.

He pushes my hand away, leaning on his arm to sit up. A few more tears trickle down his cheeks. He stares into my chest, eyes wandering in thought. I notice now that pink fingermarks stain his skin on his neck. He must have been choking him hard. My hand reaches up at my own throat, it probably looks the same. We sit together, maybe collecting our thoughts or maybe just trying to recover.

“Your hands.” He whispers, making me bring my eyes down to my palms. Blood, pouring from two slits almost the length of my whole hand. I squeeze them, blood dripping from the folds in my prints. The pain had subsided while I tore at my brain, though now it was returning. My back throbs from being thrown at the wall, and the cuts sting as if the glass were still sliding across my skin. Hoseok slowly wobbles into standing position, going slowly to the kitchen and coming back with wads of paper towels.

“Here.” He says, pressing them into my hands, and keeping one free of the blood. I nod thanks. “For your face.” He mumbles, holding up the other one. My eyes fall to my hands, blood sopping into the towels already. The towel nears my face, I close my eyes as he rubs at my cheeks and around my lashes. I sigh heavily, my entire body shaking in the breath.

“Sorry, it’s dried.” His voice is soft, setting the towel to the ground.

“I got contact with Namjoon.” He looks up, eyes slightly hopeful, but falling when they meet mine. “It didn’t last long enough for me to explain.” He frowns. “And then I smashed it with a rock.”

“My phone is somewhere.” He mutters, reaching to help me up. With the towels in hand, I take his, pulling myself up. Our eyes meet again, and we stand there for a moment. I take a step towards him, but he stops me with a shake of his head, turning around me and heading to the hallway. Slightly disappointed I bite my lip, turning in pursuit of him. I know he doesn’t mean harm, he probably just wants to avoid the… elephant in the room.

He steps into his room, me following. We shouldn’t split up anymore. After a quick search, we move on to Jungkook’s room. Both of us are hesitant to enter. Eventually, Hoseok goes in, walking around and flipping through drawers in search of it.

I stand at the bed, as Hoseok reaches Jungkook’s bag that was left behind. His eyes close for a moment, before tearing through the bag as well. He shoves it over in disbelief, unable to find it.

Unsure of what to do I stare at my feet, the dusty floorboards, and cobwebs much less disturbing now. My eyes widen at a new idea. Painfully I bend over. holding my hands tenderly as I lean down to look under the bed. There is a cell phone. My fingers creep around the frozen block shakily pulling it out.

I hand it to Hobi, who turns it on and unlocks it. Hovering behind him I see that he has 30%. Not that there is any chance that we could have service. I note that there are no bars, and I shake my head, there was no point in getting our hopes up anyways.

“Wait.” Hobi says, and I barely turn to him. He opens his settings looking for the wifi. There is it.

Glamping189.

He opens it quickly typing in the password. 456782. It loads, and the two of us stare at it as it spins. Contemplating whether or not to let us get through. Incorrect password for “Glamping189”. Hobi keeps the phone in his hand, staring as the screen for a moment before clicking ok. It doesn't exit the screen. Rather it turns black.

456782 pops up.

456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 45678 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782.2. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782. 456782.

Hobi’s face scrunches up in anger, his hand clenching around the phone. He doesn’t speak, pitching the phone into the wall. It slaps the floor, looking broken.

“What were we to expect?” I sigh, voice horse. He swallows, staring down at the phone. I look over him again. Blood is coming right through the towels left on his arms. His eyes flicker with pain. I fight back tears looking at him like this. Some of this is my own fault. I shouldn’t have left him alone. Twice now.

“So we walk.” He finally manages, turning his glance to the door. I shake my head, looking down at his ankle, the lump of socks still covering it. He looks at me, pulling my eyes up to his. “We don’t have any other choice.”

After a moment I nod, and together we hobble out of the room. I pull my gaze upwards as we start into the living room. I just can’t. I can’t. I can’t.

“He’s gone.” My eyes fall, despite my attempt to keep them up. Hobi is correct. Jungkook’s body isn’t there. I bite down on my lip, flipping around.

“Why?” I mumble, my eyes searching around the room. He isn’t here. But he’s alive.

Alive.

I didn’t kill him. Maybe we can all still get out of here together? Hoseok’s eyes do not change. Unhopeful. Even if he is alive. It’s. Not. Him.

“Let’s keep going.” Hoseok whispers, eyes looking towards the door. I nod, hesitant, it doesn’t feel right leaving behind one of us. We can send help. We can get out and send help. He’s alive and that’s all that matters.

We start towards the door, a breeze rushing through against us. It’s chilling to the bone. A wind that wants to keep us here. Jungkook’s figure hobbles in front of the door. After everything. I can’t be shocked.

His eyes are shadowed, barely open and glaring to the floor where his blood is smeared. He mumbles something that I don’t hear. I don’t know what to do. I… I stabbed him. I could swear that I brought that shard down into him. His body went limp and…

“We have to burn it down.” He mumbles, barely coherently. How is he even standing? He’s slumped over, leaning on the door frame. Despite being able to stand, he still looks awful. His skin is pale and his eyes barely hold themselves open.

“Jungk…” He throws something in front of us. A tank of gas, rolling over on the floor.

Slowly he lifts his head up, dim eyes meeting mine. “We burn it down.” I shake my head. This might not even be Jungkook. Jungkook could still be dead. This thing could be playing with us. How could we even trust him?

“After my graduation, we went out,” He coughs, hand hovering over his mouth, “we went out and you and Namjoon were teasing me about how I wasn’t legal yet, even though neither were Jimin and Tae.” I swallow, unsure of what to say to him. It was true. He slides into the door. “Is that good enough reason for you to help me light this fucked place up.”

I look to Hobi who seems unsure. “But there isn’t any gas, we could use the gas to fill up the car... “ I say remembering what Hobi told me.

Jungkook grits his teeth. “The car has more than a half tank. I checked.”

Hoseok doesn’t say anything, but glares at Jungkook. How could he have mistaken that? A lie? But Hoseok can’t lie. He can’t... I swallow noting that his eyes, yet again, look different from before.

Not again. I bite my lip. Who the fuck am I supposed to trust? I… I don’t understand. Only myself? Do I trust myself? After what happened in the basement? What happened to me during that time?

“Yoongi!” Jungkook shouts for my attention but it is too late. I gasp at the sharp pain in my abdomen. My eyes drop to the shard of glass in my left side, a stream of blood streaking onto it. My throat contracts as my hands clamp over the wound, looking up to Hoseok who is. Not Hoseok.

I gulp at the grin plastered on its face.

“Who? Koo?” It hums, mocking me from before. Fear and anger bubble up inside me. How long was Hoseok not here? How long has it not really been him? This whole time?

“Yoongi run!” Jungkook shouts from the door, tossing a rock at the forehead of the thing. I take my chance clutching onto the glass unsure of whether to pull it out and dash to the door. We step out into the black. The moon is not in the sky to light the woods. Jungkook pushes forward towards the car, and I race after him.

It’s fast on my heels and something meets my foot, bringing me down to the gravel on my side. I groan, pebbles and muck sticking to my lips. My hand lingers on the glass, if I had fallen on the opposite side it would have been lodged even deeper into my abdomen. Now or never. I take the glass in my grip, and with trembling hands slip it out.

“Ahhh fuck.” I grunt, pushing myself up from the gravel.

“FUCK OFF” Jungkook cries wielding a long stick, swinging at Hobi, and keeping him away from me as I recover. The stick in his hand wavers as his hands shake, whether from weakness or fear I don’t know. Hoseok’s smile doesn’t fade, as he looks at the meager weapon that Koo has taken up.

His hands in turn take the other end of the stick, yanking it and Jungkook forward. He’s weak and tumbles onto his knees. From behind him I see that despite how he looked, the wound that I had left him with was not there. Had I imagined it? Bringing the glass down into him?

Barely lifting his head up to the thing Jungkook bares his teeth. My stomach twists seeing the way Hoseok is looking at Jungkook. Pure lust for his suffering. His eyes glow with satisfaction, knowing that Jungkook is too weak to put up a fight.

“Hoba stop…” I mutter quietly, unsure of whether he’d listen. He does look over to me as I push myself up. I gulp, my eyes meeting his again. He doesn’t blink as he walks around Jungkook, still slumped. He surely wouldn’t have been able to defend against the strength of it. No. Neither of us can.

He gets up close to me, pushing my back up against the cold of the car door. His skin is pale, and seems to move on its own accord. I swallow, unable to bear the look of him and shut my eyes. I can feel him getting closer and closer. Do I dare run? Leave Jungkook to fend for himself… again. I grind my jaw. No. No. No.

Still. What can I do against this thing? Absolutely nothing. This is obvious as I am overpowered by him. His hands look frail, skin and bone despite the grip on my arms being stronger than anyone. My breath holds, though this time of my own accord. I can’t give this damn thing any reaction. It doesn’t deserve it.

“Leave us alone.” I mutter, staying stern as my body presses itself against the freezing touch of the car. He doesn’t respond as his bony fingers press up against my cheek, sharp nails poking at the flesh.

“Which one?” It asks laughing, taking its other hand and training it down my chest, to my abdomen. Taking its time until it reaches the wound. I swallow preparing for the pain. But with a grunt from Jungkook it never comes.

Hoseok’s body drops to the floor, and behind him Jungkook stands holding a log from the fire. We both look down to the thing, out cold. Slowly my body slides down beside him.

“What do we do?” I cough out, and Jungkook leans over himself closing his eyes. “Oh Koo I’m sorry. How are you even standing? Your back, how is it?” I try pushing myself up to see but he just shakes his head.

“Huh? My back is fine, it’s just,” He sniffs, “Something isn’t” He presses a hand against his stomach. “Something isn’t right.” As soon as I am completely up I circle around him, finding that there is no wound from where I had stabbed. A feeling of relief washes over me. So that wasn’t the real Jungkook? I glance down to Hoseok, who looks completely normal passed out on the gravel. So this isn’t the real Hoseok? Then where is he?

“I don’t… I don’t understand but I think we should lay him out in the gravel with some blankets and then burn the house down like I had said before. We double-check that Hobi isn’t in the house and then we drive, and send a rescue team after Hoseok, whether this is the real him or not I… I don’t know.” Jungkook regains his composer and reaches for the arm of Hobi.

“How will they know?”

“We send them with a pre-prepared question.” He answers before I can even explain myself. I want to disagree. I want to stay and find Hoseok but… if we take any more batterings…

“Okay..” I agree, taking Hoseok carefully by his other arm.

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motherhenna · 4 years

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Writers Rants: Backstory

How to Smoothly Integrate a Character’s Past into the Narrative

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If you are even remotely interested in the process of writing, then you’ve probably heard this phrase at least a hundred times over: show, don’t tell. Such a vague sentiment, but hell if it doesn’t pack a punch. In fact, it’s probably one of the only “rules” of storytelling that ought to be followed as closely as possible and as often as possible—at least in my opinion. But what, exactly, does it mean? In layman’s terms, show don’t tell is a simple recommendation: that authors should actively illustrate a concept rather than passively explain it. Why? Simple. One leaves the reader more room for interpretation and draws them deeper into the action at hand, and the other just…well, tells them what to see and what to feel in the same way a set of DIY instructions describe how to make a quirky set of kitchen lights out of mason jars. While yes, you got a straightforward idea of what to expect, did you actually have fun reading it?

These basic concepts are important to understand if you consider yourself a writer of any kind, as they function as the foundation for a) improving your prose, b) strengthening your characters, and c) forming a flowing narrative that will catch and keep readers’ attention. And naturally, this also applies to the art of exposition.

Most people with even a cursory knowledge of telling a story know that characters should never be blank slates. If you have any desire to portray even a facsimile of real life, you have to put at least some effort into fleshing out the main characters. And when I say ‘flesh out’, I mean do more than just describing what they look like, a laundry list of personality traits, and what they’re wearing. I’m not going to go into this process deeply, as that’s a matter for another think-piece entirely, but it’s a starting point for the more convoluted parts to come. What I’m building up to is that your characters need a backstory, especially if they’re the one(s) through whom we, as readers, experience the story, i.e., the point of view (POV) character. This applies to both first- and third-person limited narratives, unless you’re going for a more anonymous / incidental narrator, like Mr. Lockwood in Wuthering Heights.

Now, these backstories don’t have to be a strict, detailed, chronological transcription of every year in that character’s life (though doing so certainly doesn’t hurt!) Rather, you should write it much like you would describe your own life if you had to plot it out on a timeline. At first, just stick with the most essential elements: where and when in history they were born, whether they have siblings or present family, and a simple list of significant events from various periods in their life. What specific things have most influenced who they are as a person, for good or ill? Next, it’s time to look at the family, since nothing impacts an individual more than how they were raised and how they were treated during their formative years. Were their parents present during their childhood? What was their parents’ relationship like before and after your character’s birth? Are they natives of the country in which the story is set, or did they immigrate—and if they immigrated, why did they do so? All of these and more are, to me at least, vital to developing a well-rounded and realistic character. I’ve even gone so far as to type out entire timelines for each character as well as their parents. Personalities, quirks, trauma—these are all just as hereditary as one’s genes, though this doesn’t mean that this inheritance has to be through blood. Nature vs. Nurture: they’re both equally important in the formation of an individual.

…So, what to do when you’ve finished all that? Do you dutifully transcribe it into the first chapter of your story? Absolutely not. Copy it into a separate document window and keep it there. A large chunk of this is for your benefit: most likely, less than half of it will make it into the written canon of the novel, and for good reason. All of that detailed history isn’t for the reader, it’s for you to use as a framework. Some of the most powerful elements to realistic characters are the unseen, the implied: all the hidden little things that lie just under the surface, but are never fully visible to the naked eye.

What a lot of inexperienced writers may not realize is that everything doesn’t always have to be stated unequivocally through dialogue or info-dumps. How often, in real life, do acquaintances explain upfront that this specific behavior they often exhibit is a result of how they were abandoned by their father and raised by an emotionally distant mother? Most people don’t psychoanalyze everything, nor do we ourselves do it to others—at least not often! Plus, it’s boring. Getting to know characters over the course of a story should be comparable to meeting a new friend. You find out the surface things at first, but pick up bits and pieces along the way that hint at what lies deeper inside. Little by little, you learn about their family, their hopes, dreams, fears…not always directly, and sometimes even in spite of their desire to keep up a front of normalcy.

With all this said, I think it’s become clear where I stand on backstory: it should be subtle, woven gradually into the narrative rather than stated by the character themselves or described by an omniscient narrator. Not only does this make the process of reading about it flow better and progress more naturally, it’s also far more interactive. Instead of being told why a character acts the way they do, the reader can catalogue said character’s actions, motivations, dialogue, and the way they interact with their surroundings, gradually putting the puzzle pieces together for themselves. In a sense, it’s almost a reward for those who read with a careful, inquisitive eye, and can be just as satisfying as solving a mystery before the detective does in a murder mystery.

I’ve used—and will continue to use—a lot of metaphors in this section because it’s the most thorough way I can to explain this process and why it’s so important. That being said, I approach backstory in the same way I might organize a scavenger hunt. It’s not about a treasure map, but rather an ongoing set of little discoveries without which the ultimate prize can never be found. But in keeping with this analogy, why would anyone want to take part in this if a) they’re just given the prize’s location outright, or b) don’t really care about the prize anyway?

When you’re straight-up told about character’s backstory within the first few chapters, there’s no groundwork for investment. Why should I care about this character’s history if I don’t even know them yet? Investment is a gradual process, and ought to be an interactive process too. One of the best strategies of implying backstory without stating it directly is illustrating how a character reacts to specific triggers. Yes, you can tell the reader in the character’s introductory paragraph that he was almost killed in a house fire as a child, which still haunts him to this day—but how else can you impart this information more effectively and poignantly? For some examples, he might…

Be too frightened to turn on the stove.

Avoid any type of matches or aerosol at all costs.

Get anxious when filling up his car at gas stations.

Constantly check and re-check the smoke detectors throughout his apartment

Panic when he smells her neighbor’s lit fireplace.

Why would we need to explain to readers what made him this way when we have all the evidence we need to figure it out for ourselves? Of course, there’s nothing wrong with, later on down the line, this character actively opening up about this trauma to a friend or therapist, as this is only natural and also supplies us with details we would have never known otherwise. This just shouldn’t be the first way we find it out.

Another efficient and interesting approach to gradual backstory incorporation is through dialogue. The way a character responds to nosy questions, criticisms, or simple observations tell a lot about the kind of people they are and how they’re coping (or not coping) with potentially painful parts of their personal histories / insecurities. For example, Character A can ask Character B, “Why don’t you want to go out tonight?” In truth, B is trying to back out of these plans because she can’t fit into a dress she was supposed to wear for the party, and is trying desperately not fall back into the pit dug by the various eating disorders she has suffered from since adolescence. She is afraid her friends will want to take group pictures, or remark on what’s she’s eating or not eating, or notice the extra pudge in her stomach. She remembers how her mother would chide her for eating second helpings when she was young, or all the times her ex called her fat. But B is not going to be capable of explaining all of this to her partner. So how does she respond?

1. “I just…feel tired all of a sudden…but don’t let me keep you from going. I don’t want to spoil your night.” Implication: saving face—she doesn’t want to reveal her real insecurities, so she uses a physical illness as a cover story.

2. “What’s it to you? If this stupid party so important to you, then you can just go without me!” Implication: defensiveness—she is uncomfortable being vulnerable, and lashes out instead.

Now obviously these are just two examples of a plethora of different responses a person might have to a question like this. But what matters is that each answer should give the reader some sort of information as to why said character reacts the way they do. And these reactions don’t have to have traumatic roots, either! Perhaps, because Character C’s older sister always encouraged them to stick up for and respect themselves, C is able to take that positive reinforcement and pay it forward, inspired to protect others who may not know how to protect themselves. Positive change ripples and spreads just as much as negativity, and should never be discounted just because a character has gone through their fair share of tragedy, too.

---

In short, there is nothing simple or easy about creative writing—there is so much nuance involved in every aspect, though that shouldn’t discourage newcomers from experimenting and taking everything step by step. There are no absolutes in writing, and every rule can be challenged, so take what I say with a grain of salt. But still, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of backstory when developing strong characters, nor how much more natural a narrative will feel when these things are integrated with subtlety and grace. Your characters should never be objects, concepts, or a means to an end: if you want to make them seem real to your readers, then they must first seem real to you.

...And real people all have their own stories: to find them, all you have to do is watch and listen.

#writing tips #creative writing #writing advice #I wrote this like six months ago but forgot to post it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯#motherhenna

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inevitably-johnlocked · 5 years

Note

Hello Steph, you wonderful person!! Thank you so much for all the work you put into your blog. It’s such an amazing resource for the fandom! I was wondering if you knew any fics where either John or Sherlock are super!BAMF specifically under the circumstances when the other is threatened. I’d love to read some kind of scenario where one of them is threatened and the other says something along the lines of “if you touch one hair on his head...” Thank you for any suggestions on this theme!

Hi Nonny!

AHHHH I love those kinds of fics! I think I classify those ones under “Protective Johnlock” so it’s sort of… shoved into those ones? LOL. I’ve recently posted a Protective Sherlock list, so you can check out that one, and see these others below! I know I have a tonne more but I am still sorting through all my fics, LOL. So I hope what I have sorted for you, hope that these are what you’re looking for!!

PROTECTIVE JOHNLOCK (BOTH)

See also:

Protective Sherlock

BAMF! But Insecure John

New World, Old Words by thedeafwriter (G, 641 w. || Deaf Sherlock, Sherlock Whump, Pining Sherlock, Marriage Proposal, Fluff, Always John) – It was disconcerting to experience. One second, he was laying on the table, breathing in the gas that would make him sleep, the next, he was dragging his eyes open to look around the bright room, trying to wake up.

Idiot by Anesthesiologist (T, 1,229 w. || Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Alternate TGG / Explosion, BAMF John, Sherlock Whump, Inner Monologue, John Saves Sherlock, POV Sherlock) – What the heck happened? He remembered the pool and Moriarty, but then what? Had he been dying?

29 January 2017 by wearitcounts (Sher_locked_up) (E, 1,765 w. || Anniversary, First Time, Insecure Sherlock, Love Confessions, Post-S4) – “That,” John says, “should have happened years ago. Maybe even the first time.”

Loudly Unspoken by Mount_Seleya (M, 1,871 w. || Post-TAB, Love Confessions, Vulnerable Sherlock, Frottage) – John confronts Sherlock about the words he left unsaid on the tarmac. Set immediately after TAB

The Rational Machine by Solstice Zero (K, 2,924 w. || Hurt / Comfort, Malnourishment / Fainting, Doctor / Minder John) – Sherlock passes out. John muses on the reasons why. Containing an absorbing case, two bags of shopping, and a few apples.

It Was All Right There In Front of Him (A Five Times Plus One Story) by bees_stories (T, 3,191 w. || 5+1, Protective Idiots, Grooming, Bed Sharing, Lestrade POV) – DI Greg Lestrade is a good detective. But sometimes he doesn’t trust the evidence in front of him, until there’s a compelling reason to do so.

Breakfast, acronyms and brotherhood by Rose de Sharon (K+, 4,074 w. || TBB Fic, Friendship/Bromance, Hurt/Comfort, Protective John, Fluff) – Set after The Blind Banker: my take of Sherlock and John’s conversation over breakfast. S/J friendship, bromance, no slash.

Unforgiven by 221b_hound (M, 4,721 w. || Marriage Proposal, Victor Trevor, Jealous / Protective John, Jealous Sherlock, Sherlock’s Past) – Sherlock’s latest case is for his ex boyfriend, the brilliant and handsome Professor Victor Trevor. John is not too happy about that. But things aren’t what they seem, an old friend of John’s is involved in the case, and John has a few surprises up his sleeve. Also - a proposal! Part 16 of Unkissed

The Refining Fire by Arwen Jade Kenobi (T, 5,451 w. || Post-TGG AU, Angst, Friendship, Alternating POV (Lestrade, Mycroft, Sherlock), Worried Sherlock, Hospital Recovery) – Fire can burn things to ashes, but it can also burn things together.

Coldness/Heat by agirlsname (E, 3,790 w. || Cuddling & Snuggling, Body Heat, New Year’s Eve, PWP, Bedsharing, Frottage) – The inn is booked up on New Year’s Eve. The train home is cancelled because of the snow. The only option is to sleep in the non-heated guest room of a client, and John and Sherlock are freezing. You know where this is going. Part 1 of New Year’s Kiss

And Here We Are by J_Baillier (T, 12,416 w. || ASiP Fic, Alternating First Person POV, Drama, Friendship, Mild Case Fic, Autism Spectrum Sherlock, Insecure Sherlock, Protective John, Pining, Homophobia, Loneliness, Angst, Humour, Domestics, Morbid Fluff, Kidnapping) – All the little things we never got to see when an army doctor and a consulting detective were adjusting to sharing a flat. And a life.

Just Like That by sussexbound (E, 8,442 w. || First Time/Kiss, Frottage, Virgin Sherlock, French Kissing, Anal, Emotional Lovemaking, Enthusiastic Consent, Tenderness, Crying John, Bathing/Washing, Insecure John, Toplock) – John doesn’t want to talk anymore. He wants. Oh dear god, how he wants. For the first time in what feels like years he WANTS.

Shuteye Shenanigans by Ayakae (K+, 13,263 w. || Post-TRF, Friendship / Epic Bromance, John’s Nightmares, Angsty Fluff, Bed Sharing, Humour, Cuddles, Taking Care of Each Other, Domestics) – John Watson has never slept with Sherlock Holmes. Never ever ever. And never will, thank you very much. Well, there was that one time, but John didn’t count that. It was completely different, just like the second time it happened. And the third. And the fourth. Epic bromance, but it can be read as pre-slash if you wish.

First Response by Arwen Jade Kenobi (T, 13,516 w. || Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Five and Ones, Whump / Injury) – Five times John had to perform first aid on Sherlock and one time Sherlock had to perform it on John.

In A Changing Age by allonsys_girl (E, 15,590 w. || Victorian AU, Virgin / Demi Sherlock, First Kiss / Time, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Mild H/C, Bottomlock) – Sherlock wakes up in the 19th century, with no idea how he got there.

Hellfire by testosterone_tea (E, 28,596 w. || Fantasy / Magic / Mages / Elementals AU || Mage Sherlock, Elemental John, Developing Relationship, Torture, Powerful / BAMF John, POV Alternating, Dark / Blood Magic, UST, First Kiss) – Sherlock is a Mage that gets involved with a case involving Dark Summoning rituals, leading him to John Watson, a man with Berserker blood. The only thing is, Berserkers have been extinct for centuries. And of course, nothing involving Mycroft and his interfering ways is ever simple. This time, even Sherlock may have bitten off more than he can chew.

(Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea by DiscordantWords (M, 39,968 w. || Post S4 Fix It || Grief / Mourning, Victor Trevor, Friendship, Sherlock is Not Okay, Nightmares/Flashbacks/Panic Attacks, Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, John Comes Home) – Baker Street is very much the same. Only different. And Sherlock is just trying not to drown.

The Real Great Perfumers by shelleysprometheus (E, 45,355 w. || Case Fic, Alternating POV, Gay Sherlock / Bi John, Canon Compliant with Divergence at TRF, Friends to Lovers, Oral / Anal, Pining, First Kiss / Time, Dev. Rel., Drugging, Body Worship, Bathing, Love Confessions, Travelling, Bottomlock, Cranky Sherlock, BJ’s, Alternating POV, Jealous John) – The case, this case. This extraordinary, fascinating, scintillating case. A house. Designed entirely by its eccentric owner, built by no less than five hundred expert tradesmen in the heart of Marrakesh. A house that had, seemingly not only driven its owner out, but also to his quite unpleasant death. And a perfumer, a chemist no less, the very thought of the secrets that house could reveal, would reveal was irresistible. Sherlock had to have this case … and it seems, he also had to have John! Part 1 of the Forethought and Fire series

A Hundred Crimson Sols by elldotsee (E, 55,536 w. || Astronauts AU || Mars Exploration / Space Travel, Slow Burn, Shy Sherlock, Scientist Sherlock / Biomed Engineer John, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, UST, Angst with Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injuries, Suicidal Ideation, Zero-G Sex) – Will Holmes is a chemical researcher recognized widely for his contributions to the new Mars exploration program. Thanks to his ground-breaking developments, the IMMC (International Mars Mission Corporation) is one step closer to Martian colonization. Will and his team of scientists are headed out on the first of three manned missions before the first group of settlers arrive. Three days before launch, one of the crew has to be replaced. Will panics because…new people. The replacement is of course one John Watson, biomedical engineer and space hottie who was pretty sure he had retired from actual space exploration and was now content to work in the nice, quiet research lab. Can the crew survive this TOTALLY ROUTINE trip? Will they be able to endure each other for the looooooong trip in close quarters? Gonna be a wild ride… prepare for blast off. Part 1 of the SpaceBois go to Space series

The Burning by SrebrnaFH (M, 60,658 w. || Reverse Reichenbach, Suicide, Depression, Hurt Sherlock / John, Separation, BAMF John, Good Big Brother Mycroft, Angst, Implied/Referenced Torture, Fake Character Death, Rescue Mission, Reconciliation / Reunion, Hospitalization, Marriage Proposal, Illnesses, Physical Therapy, Happily Ever After) – Something went very, very wrong. John had seemed, if not happy, then reasonably content with his life. Sherlock had never predicted something like THIS might have happened. Not in his worst nightmares. He was the lousiest friend ever, apparently. At least Mycroft found him something to occupy his mind with, so that he didn’t have to go back to 221B and stare at the walls and the chair, where John Watson would never sit again.

The Vapor Variant by 88thParallel (CanadaHolm) (M, 72,684 w. || Post-THoB, John Whump, Protective Sherlock, Guilty Sherlock, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD John, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Suspense, Virus, Sickfic, Big Brother Mycroft) – They stood face to face in the middle of a clearing. The dim light of the moon barely allowed Sherlock to see the glassy terror in John’s eyes and the sweat that glistened off his forehead. His nose was bleeding again, blood dripping in a slow stream from his right nostril. They were both gasping for air, John’s eyes locked on Sherlock’s. There was no recognition there, just wild animal fear. Time stood still for an eternal few seconds, and Sherlock took a shaky breath. “John—”Spell broken, John spun and bolted back into the woods. Still heaving for air, Sherlock took off after him.

The Cost of a Wish by slashscribe (E, 102,493 w. || xxxHolic Fusion || Spirits / Ghosts and Magic, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Soul Mates / Fated Lovers, Adventure, Immortal Sherlock, Powerful John, POV John, Frottage, Wish Granting, Angst with Happy Ending, Nightmares) – John has been plagued by a secret his entire life that has made him feel hopeless until he meets a mysterious, seemingly omniscient man named Sherlock Holmes who owns a wish-granting shop. Their meeting sets off a series of inevitable events that will change the course of both of their lives forever.

Two Two One Bravo Baker by abundantlyqueer (E, 114,574 w. || Military AU || Afghanistan, War Story, Thriller, Switchlock, Rimming, Emotional Lovemaking, Lots of Sex, HJ/BJ’s) – Captain John Watson of 40 Commando, the Royal Marines, is assigned to protect and assist Sherlock Holmes as he investigates what appears to be a simple war atrocity in Afghanistan. An intense attraction ignites between the two men as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens everything they’ve ever known, but Sherlock is as much hunted as hunter, and everyone close to him is in deadly danger. Can he solve the case in time to save himself and John? Part 1 of Two Two One Bravo Baker Universe

A Further Sea by i_ship_an_armada & ShinySherlock (E, 125,492 w. || Historical Pirates AU || Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Doctor John / Pirate Captain Sherlock, Sailing, UST / RST, Masturbation, Action / Adventure, Mild Angst & Peril, Romance, Shaving, Molly/Janine, Bottomlock, Hand / Blow Jobs, Past Drug Use, Slow Burn, Mild Violence, Happy Ending) – Here be a tale of adventure for both body and soul, but beware if ye be not of stout heart, for this be piratelock, ya savvy? Luckless ship’s surgeon John Watson takes a chance, and finds himself eye to eye with The Ghost, the scourge of the seven seas and a definite thorn in the side of the blaggard, James Moriarty. But when John finds there’s more to this most cunning pirate than be meetin’ the eye, he has to choose… is it a pirate’s life for him?

Unkissed Series by 221b_hound (T to E, 184,168 w. across 46 works || Established Relationship, Ace Sherlock) – Sherlock returned from the dead a year ago. John returned to Baker Street six months ago. They’ve been in a couple since then. or at least, not NOT a couple. For two smart men, they sure can be dumb. Luckily, an art thief tries to drown Sherlock, Sherlock has a fever dream and things are about to change.

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #my fic recs #protective johnlock #Anonymous #fic rec sunday

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mrs-mystica · 5 years

Text

Us Against The World [Demus/Dukeceit]

Pairing : Deceit and Remus

Alternative title : Fitting In | Deceit Edition

TW : Homophobia, mentions of porn, verbal abuse, cursing, angst

Author’s note : Deceit’s name in this OS is Damian. I will change it if we get a name reveal. In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy this OS ! c:

Masterlink

Human AU

Third Person POV

Damian always had a hard time to fit in. Through his life, he accumulated labels that only made his life harder. He always considered his existence a curse, as if someone up there hated him and wanted to see him suffer. Everything about him was seen as abnormal and unnatural by the society. First of all, there was his face. When he was younger, there was a gas explosion in his house. He was unfortunately there, half of his face burnt in the process. Doctors were proud to say that it was a miracle that he survived. Sometimes he wished he didn’t. He was stared at anywhere he went, making him stay mostly at his house. He didn’t go out a lot, but why would he anyway? He didn’t have any friend. His entire school life had been characterized by rejection and bullying. He never learned to make friends. Neither did he learn to trust others. There was a guy once when he was a kid who tried to play with him. Damian enjoyed his company, it was nice to not be alone anymore, but it didn’t last long. Peer pressure was too strong, and scared to be the next victim, he was gone the following day. The hardest part was hearing him insulting him the following week, to be accepted by the others.

Damian learned his first lesson. Humans are sociable creature and could die without it. People would do anything to feel accepted by the greater group, even if it means crushing the others who don’t fit.

He ended up leaving school. However, he never stopped to learn. He would spend his days reading and searching new things on the internet. He couldn’t satisfy his thirst of knowledge. He discovered himself a passion for snake and other reptiles. They were such impression creature. Whenever he would try to bring up the things he learned about reptiles, his sister would call him out for being a nerd. He thought it wasn’t a bad label, but what hurt was the laughters of his family. They mocked him on everything he liked. They told him it was a stupid hyperfixation. And when he acted offended, they brushed him off by saying that it would go away anyway and that, looking back, he will also laugh at himself, thinking it was stupid.

Damian learned his second lesson. Everything and anything said will be submitted to others’ judgement. And it didn’t matter if it was welcomed or not.

He stayed at his family’s house until he was finally considered an adult. It was around that time that he found out about his sexuality. It’s not like he had the occasion of learning about it since he spent most of his journey inside his house, alone. He discovered it by surfing on the internet, finding more and more attractive men who would catch his eyes. And then, he wandered on some 18+ websites, confirming his sexual attractions. He never thought twice about it. He was really bad with social norms, since he never truly had a social life. Therefore, he didn’t know much about the heteronormativity of the society. So, when his mother told him it was time for him to have a girlfriend, he casually answered that he wasn’t interested in girls. He didn’t know that about the shitstorm that was coming his way. His mother screamed, insulted him, more than he ever was at school, and told him that no son of hers would be a fag. And nothing that Damian would say could change her mind, or even reach her ears.

Damian learned his third lesson. Humans hate to be proven wrong. Cognitive distortion can be such a powerful thing, making someone truly believe in their own lies and beliefs.

Damian moved out of the family house. It’s not like he had a choice anyway. He managed to find a job that didn’t require him to have a standard face. He was a mascot. It wasn’t so bad. His face was hidden and the pay was decent. He managed to live on his own. He still had a hard time to live his daily life, going to the grocerie being a nightmare with all the eyes staring at him. At one point, he considered doing his grocery in his costume.

One day, he had to buy new clothes. His old ones were ripped and he had avoided going to the mall long enough. He really had no choice but to get new ones. It took him all of his courage to get there. He was wearing a hoodie, his hood on his head, trying not to be noticed. He entered a clothing shop and started to look around. He was happy to see that the seller was already helping another customer, so she didn’t come his way.

As he was looking at a piece of clothing, he heard someone speaking behind him.

- Hello dear! Do you come here often?

Damian froze. Why on earth was someone speaking to him. At first, he thought the person was speaking to someone else. He put his hand on his burnt half and turned around a little to see the man behind him. There was no doubt. The stranger was looking directly at him. He had a wicked smile on his face and a mustache on top of it. His hair messy and his clothes were ripped here and there. He had a lot of piercings, two on one of his eyebrows, three on top of each ear and one of his tongue. The most unconventional ones were two piercings on both of his cheeks. He had a weird expression in his eyes. Damian answered with a shaky voice, clearly destabilized by the man in front of him.

- Um… Hello? Not really? I try to… avoid public place the best I can…

The stranger tilts his head a little on the side, seemingly confused.

- Well, why a beautiful specimen like you would to do such a thing?

Damian blinked for a second. Was he crazy or was the man in front of him… flirting with him? Was his hand really covering all his burnt? He thought it was, otherwise, why would this man find him attractive?

A mother and her daughter entered the store at this moment. The little girl stared at Damian and then pulled her mother’s sleeve to show her what she was pointing.

- Look! Look Mama! The man has a weird face! Is he a monster?

Damian cursed internally. No, his hand wasn’t big enough to cover his entire burnt. He pulled his hood deeper onto his head as the mother made her daughter exit the store, visibly uncomfortable. A realization hit Damian. Then, it meant the man saw his face… And he continued his flirting? He looked at the man that was still staring at him. Damian could feel anger rising in him.

- This is not funny. Go make fun of someone else.

The stranger laughed.

- Making fun of you? Why would I? I’m deeply serious, dude! You look great!

The man then took the opportunity at Damian’s confusion to take his arm and write his number down with a pen.

- Please, call me sometimes, I’d love to learn more about you~

He winked at his sentence and then left the store. Confused, Damian could only stare at him, walking away while swinging his hips. He looked back at his inked arm. What the hell had just happened?

***

It took Damian some time before he had the courage to call the mysterious stranger. But it was worth it. His name was Remus. He was the most eccentric person he had ever known. He didn’t care about any social norms. If he wanted to wear a skirt because he thought it looked cute on him, then he wore a skirt, and damn that he rocked in that skirt when they went to a coffee shop together for the first time. They learned a lot about each other that day. Damian didn’t feel like he had to hide anything from the other man. He never looked at him weirdly, he never commented on his scar and he didn’t laugh at his interest. He even winked and told him he would love to see his two pet snakes in his home. The conversation then turned a lot around Remus. His story was surprisingly similar to Damian’s, but the biggest difference between them was how Remus perceived his past. He didn’t miss his family one bit, even saying that he was glad that those toxic jerks were now out of his life. He told Damian how his household was a jail and how he could never truly express himself as a child. He was always compared to his twin brother, how he should be more like him and less like… himself.

- And now that they are fucking gone, I can finally do anything I want. Let’s say, if I wanted to jump on this table right now…

Remus then hopped on the table that was separating them, approaching dangerously his face to Damian’s face.

- …Then nothing would be stopping me.

He smirked as he noticed the blush on the other man’s face. Of course, all the eyes in the coffee shop were now on the weirdo on the table. But for once, it didn’t matter to Damian.

- Yeah, sure, but what if one of the employees asks you to get down?

Remus laughed even more.

- You really think they would do anything? Sure, it’s weird, but as long as I don’t break anything, they won’t do anything. People are too scared to act, they need a real reason to do so. Otherwise, they just watch.

Then, Remus moved forward and sat on the seat next to Damian. He then sat on the chair and put his shoes on the table, his hands behind his head. Damian couldn’t help but giggle at the sight.

- You sure are a unique individual.

Remus smirked as he turned his head to look at Deceit.

- Hey! If I’m gonna have a crowd watching, I better put up a good show, so they have a reason to watch!

The words really hit Damian. There was something wise in those words in which he could relate. Whatever he would do, people would always stare at him. If people were going to judge him no matter what he did, he shouldn’t care what he does and just be himself.

The two became quickly good friends. They would spend a lot of time together. Remus really helped Damian with his self-esteem issues. He pushed him to express himself more and to not be afraid to be who he truly was. He stopped being afraid to go out. He also started to wear bright colors, which he never did because he didn’t want to draw attention on him. He learned that he loved the color yellow and he loved how it looked on him. He started to wear fedoras, ignoring all the jokes he saw online about “fedora guys”. He felt better about himself. And it was all thanks to Remus.

One day, Damian was humming a song as he was picking up food in a grocery. He didn’t see the woman who was entering the same alley as he.

- Damian?

Damian jumped as he heard his name. He knew who that voice belonged to, but he had to look at her to make sure it was real. As he saw her face, his face lost all his colors. Her mother was there. He hadn’t seen her in a long time. And she had an even more disappointed look in his eyes than when he left her.

- What the hell are you wearing? Yellow, really?

Damian couldn’t move, nor could he spoke back. He was like a deer in front of a car at night, unable to look away from the light that was blinding him. The only person whose opinion mattered to him anymore was there. And she still wasn’t proud of him.

- You look even more like like a freak than the last time I saw you. Did your boyfriend tell you you looked good it this? He sure lied to you. If you even have one.

Anxiety was taking over his body. His mind was swirling with thoughts. He could feel his panic growing in his chest. It was too much.

- Hellooo? Earth to Damian? You became deaf or what?

Damian dropped the basket containing his grocery and then ran. He ran out of the store. He ran to his apartment that was far away. He didn’t care. He just wanted to run away from her. Tears were dropping out of his eyes as he ran. He felt ridiculous. His confidence was destroyed into crumbs. As he was running, he noticed the passers that were staring at him. They all thought like her, that he was ridiculous, that he looked ugly, that he looked like a monster. He wanted to run and hide. Hide away from everyone. He never wanted to see the light of day again. He was ashamed. Of what? Of his appearance. Of who he was as a person. Of everything.

He finally reached his apartment after minutes of running. He quickly closed the door behind him, falling into the ground as he was finally feeling safe. He cried louder. He couldn’t see anymore, his tears making it impossible to see in front of him. He had a hard time to breath, partially because he had just ran like a mad man, outstanding his usual running performance, and partially because he was having a panic attack.

He felt something vibrating in his pocket. He couldn’t hear the ringtone, he was too far gone. The sensation was unbearable. He threw the phone in front of him. The impact made the phone answer Remus’ call. He tried to say hello, but he quickly heard Damian hyperventilating through the phone. He said he would be there in a minute. But Damian couldn’t hear him. He was too far gone in his panic attack. He didn’t care, nothing else mattered, all he could think about was his mother. How she looked at him. How she made him feel like a failure. How he hated himself.

Remus was true to his words and he arrived at Damian’s apartment quickly. He didn’t bother knocking on the door. He swung the door open to reveal a curled up Damian on the ground, screaming and crying.

***

After a lot of efforts, Remus managed to calm down Damian. He was still crying, but at least he had regained contact with the reality. He was now sitting down into Remus’ lap while he was stroking his back. Damian’s head was laid down on Remus’ chest and he looked at the empty space in front of him, now feeling numb after crying all the tears of his body. After some long minute in silence, all Damian could say was sorry.

- I’m… sorry… I’m not as… strong as you… I can’t… I can’t just not care…

Remus stopped stroking his back. He didn’t accept his apology.

- You shouldn’t be sorry, none of this is your fault.

He clenched his fists, visibly angry.

- Screw her. And screw everyone else while we’re at it. If they all are too stupid to see the beauty in you, then they don’t deserve it. This world is crooked. It can only see people through predetermined boxes.

Remus took a deep breath to calm himself down. He then took Deceit’s chin in his hand to make the man look into his eyes.

- But we’re more than that. We are ferocious beast, we can’t exist in their world because we don’t fit in their boxes. I see you for who you are. And the real you is beautiful. If no one else is able to see you like I do, then it will be us against the rest of the world. Together, we can be stronger than them.

Remus approached Damian’s face. The poor man was a blushing mess as he looked deeply into his eyes. Remus wiped a residual tear that was on Damian’s cheek with his sleeve and then whispered to him.

- What do you think? Let’s say fuck the society, you and I, together.

Damian couldn’t help but giggle a little at the other man’s words.

- That must be… the most anarchist confession I’ve ever heard… And it’s perfect like that.

He then smiled and kissed the man. Remus was more than happy to kiss back. They could feel a shiver going through their bodies, as if electricity was going through their veins. They kissed passionately for god know how long. They broke their embrace after a while to regain some air. They were both panting. They both laughed as they looked at each other. They felt so lightweight, it was like something heavy finally left them both. Damian then puts his hand on Remus cheek and smiled at him. He then looked at him with a determined look in his eyes.

- Okay. Let’s try this again. This time, together.

It was Remus’ turn to look at Damian with a tender smile as he put his hand on Damian’s burnt cheek.

2880 words

#sanders sides #fanfiction #demus #dukeceit #romantic #sympathetic remus #sympathetic deceit #deceit sanders #remus sanders #deceit #remus

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do-what-the-knight-tells-you · 5 years

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Elements from the Broadchurch novelization that were of particular interest::

- Ellie is a bit uncomfortable returning to work because her “suit feels strange after three weeks in a bikini and sarong”. You go get it, Ellie. Anyone wanting to write confident-and-body-positive-knows-she’s-got-dem-curves Ellie, here’s your semi-canonical backing. mother of two, rockin’ a bikini. Excellent.

- Although the division of work/responsibility between her and Joe worked for them, Ellie Worries that ppl will “think he is emasculated”, or that he will begin to feel “emasculated”, so while “the other wives are on the phone begging their husbands to come home in time to put the kids to bed, she is virtually throwing him out of the house and into the pub”, really trying to encourage him to hang with the guys or whatever, whenever the opportunity presents itself.

- Hardy is already on the edge when we first see him, talking to the farmer whose tractor has had its gas siphoned. He’s carefully staying away from the edge of the cliff, scared it’s going to induce vertigo and heart palpitations.

- The sections that are a close POV on Hardy have way more detail about the Sandbrook case than was originally clear in S1 (I assume, because the book was published after the bulk of the writing/story construction stuff was finished for S2). For instance, When Hardy is first inspecting Danny’s room, he’s struggling, trying not to think about [Pippa]’s room (she’s not named here, but it’s clear that’s the child he’s referring to). in the midst of this turmoil, he notices the height measurements on danny’s doorframe, and is overcome by the realization that there will never be any more above them. And then there are these heart-wrenching sentences: “For some people, tears dam behind the eyeballs. But when Hardy wants to cry, he has to hold them in using the back of his throat. He sometimes feels it’s the only strong muscle in his body.” yeah, c’mon, just fuck me up.

- Maggie being into women is present from the beginning here! She has a partner, Lil, whom we see/meet several times! First time she is referenced is when Rev. Paul Coates invites Maggie and everyone to that first church service about Danny. She mentions that a predecessor of his made it clear she was unwelcome there, once. He assures her that’s not him, and that she is welcome, and Lil too. She says something like “as it should be, “ and ends the convo without indicating whether or not she will come. Excellent.

- At one point the inside of Ellie’s car is compared to the inside of a bin/trash can, with empty cans and food wrappers strewn about. This further reinforces my theory that Ellie and Alec need each other to balance out their eating habits to something actually healthy. He eats very well, as far as nutrition is concerned, but he just sort of stops eating when there is work to be done. She is going to eat, goddamnit, come hell or high water, but it is plenty likely to be anything from an entire loaf of bread to whatever the vending machine has. It’s a wonder neither of them has died of malnutrition. (she also makes mention that she’s lost weight, in a probably unhealthy way, by the end of the investigation, and has a sudden realization that she’s maybe kind of, turning into Hardy).

- End of Chapter 17, Ellie offers a hand to help Hardy in or out of a boat, he has a realization “unexpectedly painful” that he cannot remember the last time he held a woman’s hand.

- In general the poor bastard really is constantly on the edge of vertigo and panic attacks.

- Reminds me again, whatever did happen with Ellie’s sister??? did we ever see any kind of furtherance or resolution of her gambling issues in the later seasons?

- Oh Shit. “I didn’t take your money.” The money Joe gave Danny, that SOCCO found taped beneath his bed, that was Ellie’s holiday money, and she assumed her sister had stolen it. Shit. What a shitbag.

- One of Hardy’s favorite things about Tess was the ability to come home, throwing last minute ideas and theories at each other, being able to pass idle thoughts back and forth, turn them over, hear them in a new light, and see what they grow into. (incidentally, exactly what he’s developing with Ellie)

- The exchange between Alec and Ellie after SOCCO Brian hits on her is great here as well. She giggles, he asks her why, she figures she needs to share this with someone, and tells him. she thinks “his face froze in another one of his Does-Not-Compute expressions”. So he seems just as weird to her as to us, does a terrible job hiding the awkward nerd within. And she totally thinks it’s cute. Bet me. Goes on to think, after they talk about SOCCO having dirty hands, “ ‘Dirty Brian’, Hardy says, with a playful roll of the ‘R’ ”. They’re totally playing with each other and it’s adorable. “She thinks to herself that it’s the first moment of genuine humor they’ve had between them, so of course she immediately messes it up.” asking about Sandbrook.

- Oh Shit, Jack’s wife shows up at his funeral. hides her identity the entire time, and Spits in Karen-the-reporter’s face before she gets in a car and disappears again.

- Hardy has a panic attack after calling Daisy and giving up for the night. “I can’t do this, Hardy hears himself say, and the words are followed by an agonizing pain, a huge fist squeezing his heart to the bursting point. He staggers back until he hits a wall, and slides helplessly down it. Hardy assumes his childhood comfort position, knees pulled up to his chest, so close that he can rest his chin there. Experience tells him that he can hold this pose for hours and hours. He remains motionless amidst the debris of his investigation until his heart rate returns to its version of normal. By the time he gets up with a low wheeze and click of joints, it is dark outside.”

- Ellie calls Joe to say she’s still stuck at her desk and she’ll be late, on the night Susan Wright is arrested. He says it’s okay, but she can hear in his voice that it is not. (So, is that the last straw? she keeps staying late, it’s clear that this shit is going to drag on forever, and his family and life are NOT going to return to normal, no matter if he keeps getting away with his crime? And this is the window, his only window maybe, where she might be too busy to intercept if he confesses? This is the opportunity to confess to Hardy, and not her?) because very shortly thereafter (and leaving his kids alone and unwatched???) they receive the call from Danny’s mobile, and they catch him out at the cabin... and holy shit, even knowing it’s her (and he must know it’s her), he slams the cabin door open into her face, probably hard enough to beak her nose, and then minutes later shoves her to the ground so hard the reader spends a moment wondering if she’s broken her wrist.

- AND THE FUCKER TENDERLY PICKS GRAVEL OUT OF THE CUTS THAT NIGHT

- (if someone wanted to write an AU, one where he is also injured that night, and his failure to hide that injury tips her off the next day, or that night, and so she is the one to put together the pieces.... and arrest him? god that would be heartbreaking. But perhaps would enable a situ where she doesn’t beat the shit out of him in custody, thereby invalidating his confession, so that shit actually sticks...)

- When Hardy gives the interview to Maggie and Ollie, the book makes it clear that he expects his confession of being cheated on is going to cause them to regard him with pity and shame. He is embarrassed to have been cheated on. He calls himself a cuckold in his head. poor bastard. so confused when they respond with empathy and admiration for him, and disapproval and dismissal toward his wife.

- Happily, an answer to the argument Jack saw, between the Postal worker and Danny. Turns out, the punk had had his truck keyed, and knew Danny on his paper route was one of the only ppl who would have been out and about at the right time of night/morning to have done it. he confronted Danny, and that’s what Jack witnessed. He comes clean to the police towards the end, insists that that is as far as it ever went, and admits that he lied because he was afraid that having had that argument, having had sort-of-a-motive, that would make him a suspect.

- Fuck, I mean, we all know Joe is dangerous, but talking Danny back off the cliff and back into the house consciously with his paramedic voice, with the kind of experience and calm honed over years of professional work... goddamn, so many ways in which he had power over young Danny.

- The moment she believes Joe could have done it. She says it can’t have been him, because the boat was burned while she was away. He would have had to leave the kids alone while he did it, and he would never take that risk. Hardy confirms that he did, that he left them, and Ellie (immediately believes Hardy, btw) finally truly understands that the moral partner she’s been building a family with no longer exists, if he ever did in the first place.

- Hardy briefly considering telling Ellie about Tess, to empathize with her pain and betrayal, and immediately knowing the situations are too different to be useful. being disappointed in himself for having thought it. pulling on every little bit of experience and training he’s ever had to try to get through the conversation.

- Oh shit. the slug trails. the slug. that little bit of symbolism didn’t feel established in the tv series, she just squishes a slug the last time she enters the house. but in the novel, her merry war trying to find the slug is a constant recurring thing, seeing the trails on the carpet, but never able to find it, the thing only coming out when they’re asleep, Joe cleaning up the slug trails after they come back from vacation. Her staring at them in despair as she cries into the carpet one night, over Danny. and then, after Joe has been revealed, she comes home and there the bastard is, big fat slug that’s been lurking in her house all this time, sitting, glistening, in plain sight. and she squishes the hell out of it. And I was so caught up in the story that, even though I BEEN KNEW how it was gonna end, I never picked up on the fucking foreshadowing until that last moment. Am I just dense, or is it just good storytelling? XD

#Broadchurch #ds ellie miller #di alec hardy #it was well worth having read the novel #orlistened to it #actally #since that's what I do #my meta #broadchurch resources

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final-fantasy-mama · 5 years

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Target Sighted (Ch.1)

Emet selch x Mature/Machinist WOL

I have revised this chapter, new pov, some rewording at the end. Previous version will be deleted.Enjoy!

"Look it did cross my mind to simply side with Vauthry and kill you all. But that's no different than what Lahabrea did, and we all know how well that ended for him. And so while it is liable to be troublesome, I have settled upon a different approach.....cooperation." ~ Emet Selch

With the light warden of il Mheg slain and night returned to the Crystarium, the exceedingly happy and somewhat miraculous event brought with it something else: Emet-Selch. And that was something more a danger than any light warden nature could throw at the Hero. It wasn’t the first time a enemy just came right out and introduced himself but this one was a bit different. Instead of outright violence and another throw down between enemies, he offered something mutually beneficial. A sort of partnership that got more than a brow raise from her and her friends. But how on earth could they trust him. He was an enemy, after all, an Ascian loyal to Zodiark, the polar opposite of the Hero’s own goddess and benefactor Hydaelyn.

In a even more bizzarre turn of events, she accepted his offer of a suedo friendship, if that’s even what it could be called, with almost no hesitation. It was no question that at some point Emet Selch was going to turn the whole thing on its head, to his benefit exclusively. She knew more than likely she were going to end up being used, but she respected his odd turnabout approach and thus entertained his odd request. If anything it would keep him in her line of sight. She had already made short work of his other compatriots, so it’s not as if she couldn’t feasibly kill him should he betray her. Perhaps that was overconfidence on her part, but when one goes toe to toe with the Crown Prince of Garlemald and lives, Ascians seem like small business.

For now though, that was a problem for the future and she put it out of mind when she sat in her private quarters of the Pendants. In her oversized white nightshirt and hair slightly damp from the shower, she sat at her writing desk reading over a letter that was months old but always kept on her person.

The dim light of the gas lamp and the refreshing night breeze from the open window was a relaxing contrast to what was blinding daylight that plagued the land for nearly a century. She sighed happily as she read the letter and pondered how she should respond. Then the air in the room stirred and she felt a presence that was familiar, but not whom she would expect in the middle of the night. Honestly though, she shouldn’t have been surprised. The way Emet Selch looked at her upon their first meeting, was the way a thirsty man looked at a tall glass of water.

“Shouldn’t the hero of the hour be resting?” Emet Selch pointed out. She didn’t bother turning around but did a quick mental inventory of her gun locations, the one by her writing set being closest, the second closest squeezed between the mattress of her bed.

“Shouldn’t you knock before entering?” The hero said back in a disinterested tone. She took a clean sheet of paper from your writing desk and prepared your ink and quill. The small rimmed glasses on her face slid down and she pushed them back up without thinking.

“Afraid I might catch you doing something unmentionable?” He attempted to joke but it rolled off her. She didn’t care for his humour.

“Are love letters considered such?” She said back and dipped her quill in ink.

There was a small pause before he started again. “Ohhhhhhh? And who is the lucky recipient?" the tone of his voice way to curious for his own good.

The hero set the quill down with an exasperated sigh and spun her swivel chair around, giving him a good once over as if she were an executive sizing up a potential employee. The fact that he didn’t scare her nor impress her was plain on her face while he caught an eyeful of bare legs and shoulder, scarcely covered by her loose white shirt. She knew she looked sexy with the lamplight casting harsh shadows on her lythe body but she didn’t care, Emet Selch was not on her menu.

He stood across the room with his hands casually tucked behind his back and hunched over as he was wont to do. Oh how tempting it was to march up to him and straighten him out, slouching was her pet peeve and the reason she wore corsets and stiff leather bodices.

"Before I answer that, where are your manners Solus. Zos. Galvus.” She drawled out his full name. “You come into a ladies room in the middle of the night with nary an offering?”

He raised a brow and gave an innocent, as much as an Ascian was capable of, smile. “Ah, you know the imperial protocols. Forgive me.” and then he snapped his fingers. In his hands appeared a box of fine chocolates and bottle of wine. “Will these suffice?”

”Imperial or not its uncouth for a man to visit a lady without gifts.” She chided and took off her glasses.

He handed the items to her as she set the bottle on the desk and settled the chocolates in her lap, smiling when she saw the Garlean label. Eager fingers helped themselves to the first piece. With the smooth rich taste on her tongue she gestured for the man to sit down on the bed, the only other place that was comfortable at the moment. He gave a small bow as he did just so.

“The letter is for my daughter.” The Hero said simply, eating another piece.

He gave her an odd look. “Our hero is a mother?“ he asked carefully. His face showing obvious surprise.

She grabbed the wine bottle of the desk and walked over to your dining table where your glasses lay and popped the cork as she poured two flutes of wine. The Ascian’s eyes followed her carefully. "She is 8 years old and lives in Ishgard with her god parents.” and then she handed a flute to him and sampled your own. The crisp taste was a nice pairing with the chocolate. “I send letters to her often and don’t consider my being trapped in the 1st a good excuse for shirking that. When this is all over with, I will see her again and share with her all my adventures.”

”You hail from Ishgard then?” Emet Asked.

She had to laugh at that question and pointed to herself. “Please! Do I look like I hail from a place as stuck up as that?”

He gave a small apologetic wave.

”I hail from Gridania and so does my daughter.”

“Need I ask about the father?” Emet asked as he sipped his own glass.

The lady shrugged casually. “Nothing much to say there, he’s been out of the picture for a while.” And with that she flopped herself back down into the chair.

“A failed marriage?” He prodded.

“Are you just making conversation or are you seriously interested in that story?” She scrutinized with obvious disdain. It was rude to pry to deep into a women’s business.

“I thought I should take an opportunity to get to know our Hero, foster some sort of understanding and common ground if you will.” He smiled as he finished his glass and then stood up to refill it and then curteously walked over and refilled hers before sitting back down. She have a small nod at him for that and continued.

“Let me then ask you first.” She dared. “Considering that you were also married at one point in time, Did you love the Empress?”

He didn’t need to think on it. “She had her charm as well as her uses. She was a impeccable lady, passionate, demanding, devoted…..”

“That’s not answering the question.” she pointed out.

“I suppose I did, though it wouldn’t be what most people would call conventional or romantic. We enjoyed our time together and our shared passions but in the end it was rather political. I needed a strong women to lead the empire and mother my children and my decision on wives was rather on the pragmatic side.” He explained.

She gave a small off hand gesture. “Fair enough.”

“It’s your turn.” he pointed out as he reclined on the bed, stretching is long body out on your duvet and tucking his arms behind his head.

For a moment she wondered how honest she should be with him. It was really none of his business but she wanted him to have nothing to use as ammo against her later on. So she settled for complete and utter truth. “My Ex Husband was a good man, a hard worker, decent fellow…but he could never please me, despite all the promises he made. He was so caught up in always trying to make it big, strike it rich that he perpetually ignored me our entire 10 year marriage. After my daughter was born, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was pulling the weight of three people in the family, his job, mine and taking care of my baby. And when I explained to him how I was feeling he kept feeding my one liners like: I promise tomorrow will be better. It was never better, he knew how he was treating me and figured if he fed me enough lies I’d just become complacent. It backfired on him. I took my child and the clothes on my back and left. He wasn’t a bad person but god was he a shite husband.”

That got a raised brow from the Ascian. “That was a exceptionally candid answer….”

“Satisfied enough to change the subject?” She asked with a hint of anger.

“If you wish.” He waved his hand in the air. “But I just gave you some rather sensitive information, can you not offer me something similar in return?”

“Sure but not in regards to my lackluster love life.” she laughed.

He rolled onto his side and rested his head on palm. “Something entirely different then. When we first met in the crystarium, Admittedly i tried to probe your aether and you effectively pushed back and cut me off. That is no small feat as most people would not recognize if someone were invading their aetherical aura.”

Oh yes, she remembered. When he first revealed himself in the crystarium he had mentally sized her up. His yellow eyes damn near staring holes through her very soul. She had felt it plain as day, like a pressure over your entire body. It was an annoying feeling so she shot it right back to him, all the while sending him the telepathic message: back the fuck off.

“My echo ability, aside from seeing memories of others is the retention of memories from my past forms.” You easily admitted. “One of which was a very powerful mage by the name of Lucyna. She was a soldier for a very prolific army and had several arcane abilities not limited to sensing the unseen. Though I choose not to use magic in my current life it wouldn’t be a far cry for me to do it again channeling her memories and abilities.”

“How deep do those memories go?” He asked with a straight face but just for a split second something changed ever so slightly. His thin eyebrows arching in surprise as something seemed to cross his mind but he quickly fixed his expression.

The hero gave him a coy look. “Oh please do you think i’d tell YOU that of all people?”

He gave a sly chuckle. “Can you blame me for trying?”

A half empty glass forced her to refill it. “Tell me something of equal value then.”

"You’ll have to be more specific dear.” He said.

“Oh I don’t know…” She sighed as she offered to refill his glass again, feeling her own drink now warming her body and loosening the tongue. “I could ask your favorite color but I think the answer is obvious judging by your current attire. Or I could ask you about your favorite food but I suppose those things don’t matter to a Ascian…..or your favorite hobbies other than spying and plotting….”

“You’re babbling hero.”

“I’m getting drunk sweety, don’t interrupt.” She scolded him as if he were a child.

“You truly have no fear do you?” He asked in a amused tone. A Hyur scolding the emperor of Garlemald of all things! He could have had her executed for the slight if he were still on the throne. Not that he would have, that sort of bravery was a turn on for him. Instead he would have tried to conquer her, as he had done before with other strumpets who showed attitude.

“Of you? No.” She stood over him and smirked.

“Dare I ask why?"

"One, You’re too curious about me to kill me and Two, I’ve dealt with your great grandson. He is far more terrifying than anything I have ever faced in this world or the source. Third…..Is a secret.” she smiled oh so sweetly.

“I suppose I should apologize for that as i’ve not had a big influence in either Zenos or Varis’s lives.” Emet admitted sadly.

“Well technically you are supposed to be dead…Do you have any idea how much trouble that Great Grand kid of yours has given me? He was well deserving of the spanking I gave him.”

“Knowing him he would have enjoyed it.’

She shuddered at the thought but admitted, “He probably did.”

“But do I sense a bit of fondness mixed in there?” Emet teased.

“Absolutely not.”

The Ascian’s face softened as he looked her over. “You amuse me Hero.”

She wasnt sure how to answer that but the way he looked at her was nothing short of flirtatious. “Yay for me.”

A white gloved hand suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her down onto the bed. She landed flat on top of her Ascian Visitor, face to face and mouths so close if she had puckered up you would have been kissing him. Her head spun for a moment with the wine and when she realized the positition she was in, her cheeks lit up. She fought to keep her poker face on. One of his hands snaked across her lower back keeping her pinned to him and the other one rested on her bare thigh.

“What is the third reason I fail to evoke any terror in you Hero?” He breathed against her mouth, eyes half lidded and the ever so smug half smile on his face. If he was going to try to play her like a fiddle she were more than happy to throw it back in his face. A warrior, mother, gunner, savior of the world she was but she was certainly not an easy conquest.

She smiled as sweet as she could muster and bent to reach his ear, whispering,“ I have a secret weapon….”

“Do tell.” Emet cooed as his hand slipped further up her bare leg and stopped suddenly at the contraption hugging her upper thigh. Oh, a derringer belt. He heard the telltale click of a hammer being pulled back and felt something metallic and cold press against his jaw.

“I’ve got guns….lots of them…and i’m sure they’re bigger than yours.” The Hero joked as he put his hands up to fain innocence. She sat up and straddled him while keeping the small single bullet pistol aimed at his face.

He rolled his eyes. “Oh come now do you think shooting me will be of any avail?”

“No but it’s a inconvenience to you and will force you to find another body. Frankly I’d do it just to annoy you!” She smirked. “Besides, I’m a mature woman with mature tastes so don’t get fresh with me.”

“What a coincidence.” He smirked right back, something playful in his eyes. “I’m a mature man with mature tastes more than adequate to satisfy women like you.”

She visibly cringed and had to ask. “Do you even function in that way?”

He rolled his eyes at her and huffed. “Did I not just say I sired children?”

“Maybe you grew them in test tubes like you do these bodies of yours.”

“Zodiarks mercy…..” he groaned. “While that could be done…some things are best achieved the old fashion way!”

She had to pause and stare the man she sat on to consider it. "Emet Selch, you’re good eye candy but wayyyyy too old for me and i never thought I would have to say that because usually its the other way around considering im no spring chicken.”

“Oh is a few millennia too much for you?” He teased. “Think of all the experience.”

“Well…it takes the term grey fox to a new level…” She agreed but then shook her head. “I’ll pass on that. I’ve had my share of genocidal aristocrats.”

“What a cold woman you are.” Emet scowled sarcastically and conceded, his hands dropping to his chest in exasperation.

“That’s your type though apparently.” She surmised as she hoped off of him and opened her door, ushering him to leave.

He got the message and stood up, giving a small bow as he headed out but turned to her before leaving. “Come seek me out when you have time Hero. I’d like to talk to you again.”

“Annnnd If I refuse?“ She dared to ask.

He stood up to his full height, staring down at her so you could feel the weight of his presence and power. Something in his eyes glinted as he towered over her small hyuran fram and in a tone that was menacing said, "I’m a very patient man. I could wait for eons if need be. Something about what and how said it made her shiver a little and she watched him carefully as he turned away and vanished into thick wisps of black Aether.

When she closed the door, she let go the shiver and audibly gasped. All the tension she were secretly holding onto released as she put her derringer back into the leg holster and glanced at the bed Emet had been lounging on. She mentally high fived herself for being able to act so casually during what normally would have been a “interesting” situation.

“Who is this guy?….” She asked herself as she searched her own memories. Had there ever been anyone like him before in her life or any of her shards?

Though the memories afforded her were numerous not all the information they contained was useful. Sometimes it was simply the memory of a phrase, a name, a place that had no crucial meaning, and other times it was faces of people long since passed. The name nor face of Emet Selch had no meaning to her and yet there was an air of familiarity about him. She tried to dig a bit deeper in her mind for the answer but hit a mental wall, there was simply nothing to be found. The night was dragging on and she had bigger fish to fry and more light wardens to slay. So the puzzle of Emet Selch was one she could ponder on another night.

#emet selch #shadowbringers #finalfantasyxiv #fanfiction

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hysterialevi · 6 years

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Lotus pt. 1 (Batjokes)

Author’s note: Well, a lot more people were on board with this idea than I was expecting lmao I’m still kind of testing the waters right now, but I hope you guys like the story anyways and please, feel free to send feedback anytime. Enjoy! -Levi

From Waller’s POV

CITY HALL

“Secure the perimeter!” I ordered, sending agents scrambling all over the place. “Lethal force is authorized. Do whatever it takes to find the mayor. We CANNOT let that maniac kill him! Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Agent Fox,” I called out, marching towards her, “any updates on Wayne?”

She tapped her tablet a few times before responding, concern plastered all over her face. “My drones have scanned the building top to bottom, and it looks like Wayne’s trapped the mayor in his own office. He’s injured him pretty badly, but he hasn’t tried to kill him yet. It’s almost like he’s...waiting for something.”

I rubbed my chin in thought, the gears turning my head. “Why wouldn’t Wayne just shoot him? If he really wanted to kill the mayor, he would’ve done it already. No...this must be a trap. He wants our attention. He wanted the Agency to come here. These theatrics are nothing but bait. Well, we’ll worry about that later. Right now, our top priority is saving the Mayor. Understood?”

Tiffany gave me a firm nod. “Understood.”

“Good. Then let’s get to work.”

Tiffany let out a disappointed sigh, her head sinking with sorrow. I paused for a minute.

“Everything all right, agent?” I checked.

She frowned. “It’s just...I grew up with Bruce. He was always like family to me, and to my dad. I know he’s been mixed up with some shady people in the past, but never in a million years did I think he’d become like...this.”

She gazed up at the night sky in a helpless manner, her shoulders drooping despondently. “God, what did that virus do to him...? What did we do to him? We should’ve just ended his misery when we had the chance. Bruce might not’ve been a saint, but he definitely didn’t deserve this.”

I was silent in response, earning an apology from Tiffany.

“I’m sorry, Director. I know I have to set my personal feelings aside. I can’t let them hinder my judgement when dealing with Bruce, no matter how close we used to be. I just wish it didn’t have to end like this.”

I folded my hands behind my back, softening the tone of my voice. “I understand, Tiffany. I don’t think there’s a single soul in Gotham who hasn’t been touched by Bruce somehow. It’s heartbreaking for all of us to witness what he’s become, friend or foe. Let’s just hope we’re able to put a stop to this madness before it’s too late. Gotham’s already on the brink of war with the Joker running about, and this pandemonium with Wayne certainly isn’t helping. It’s the Agency’s duty to act. Fast.”

“I’m ready when you’re ready.” Tiffany said, regaining composure.

“That’s what I like to hear, agent.”

Before we could continue with our plan any further however, the distant sound of an explosion suddenly erupted from the top of City Hall, causing every electronic within a five-block radius to shut down immediately. Streetlamps, billboards, indoor lights, pylons, all of it -- just dark. We were stuck in pitch blackness.

“What the hell just happened?” I blurted out, my voice echoing eerily. I quickly took out my pistol, checking its condition. The lights were red.

“Dammit,” I cursed, holstering the useless weapon. “That must’ve been an EMP blast. I see Wayne hasn’t given up on his old tactics. We’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way.”

“Wait,” Tiffany said, showing me her tablet, “my devices have EMP shielding. They were able to survive the blast. I can still keep an eye on him while the other agents fetch the mayor.”

A sense of relief washed over me. “Good thinking. Things will be a hell of a lot harder without our tech, but at least we can monitor Wayne.”

Just as we were about to calm down a bit, the screen on Tiffany’s tablet began to glitch suddenly, bringing us back into panic mode as a broken, deformed voice came through the speaker. It sounded like Bruce. He must’ve been hacking her tech from City Hall.

“--Just as you always do.” He fired back, his tone low and stoic. “I figured the Agency would be experts at this by now. All you did for an entire week was monitor me. Watching, and waiting. Standing idly by as I rotted away...don’t deny that you relished it.”

I glared at the screen. “What do you want, Wayne?”

“What do I want?” He repeated. “I’m surprised you ask. You didn’t seem to care back when I was suffering in your secret lab -- when all I wanted was a little mercy...”

A dark chuckle escaped Wayne’s lips.

“But now that I’ve stoked the city’s fire with its own fuel, and sent your own organization crumbling around you...now you care. Because you’re afraid. Because you know what kind of a monster you’ve created, and you know what I’m capable of. Isn’t that right...Director?”

“Enough, Bruce,” I said firmly. “It’s time we settled this, but I want the mayor first. He’s not a part of this. Leave him out of it.”

Bruce laughed, though not in an amusing manner. “Even now, she still makes demands...when I’ve clearly got the upper hand. You’ll have to learn someday, Waller, that barking orders isn’t enough to push through life. Though, it can certainly push some people.”

Bruce sighed in frustration. “Fine. You want your beloved mayor so much?” He was quiet for a second, probably setting something up.

“...then you can have him.”

Splitting the darkness, the upper floors of City Hall were illuminated with a single spotlight as one of the windows slid open from the inside, revealing Wayne himself. It was hard to see what he was doing from this distance, but it appeared as if he was hauling something quite heavy around.

For a moment, I had no idea what that “something” could’ve been, but the minute Wayne hurled it over the window’s edge, and it caught on the rope holding it, I immediately felt my stomach churn. A unanimous gasp could be heard from the other agents, and everyone began murmuring as we tried to process what we were looking at.

Slowly turning to me with a horrified look and all the color drained from her face, Tiffany brought a hand over her mouth, nearly fainting on the spot.

She shook her head in disbelief.

“Oh...oh, god.”

From Bruce’s POV

ONE WEEK AGO - WAYNE ENTERPRISES

Pain. Heat. Anger.

All of these things rushed through my body as I struggled to open my eyes, my vision doubled and blurry. My hearing was muffled except for a sharp ringing noise, and the room around me seemed to pulse in sync with the throbbing ache piercing my skull. It must’ve been from Harley’s hammer.

I rubbed the side of my head, wincing at the touch. Goddamn. She really hit me hard. The woman herself however, was nowhere to be seen right now...and neither was her partner, “Joker.” I guessed they fled after knocking me out, leaving nothing but a trail of death behind them.

Barely lifting my head, I saw the aftermath of John’s attack scattered all over the floor, making me want to gag. Along with the blood splatters and vomit staining the carpet, the room was also littered with fresh corpses -- both from mine and Joker’s side. They were all bleeding from the eyes, nose, and mouth, and a permanent expression of agony was stuck on their faces. It made my insides boil.

I could hardly believe it. Every. Single. One of my colleagues -- even Regina...was dead. Just like that. And for what? To get a point across?

I felt a certain rage bubbling inside me -- the same one from when I first learned of my father’s criminal history. Not only was I angry, but I also felt betrayed. After all the things I gave him, after everything we went through...and this was how John repaid me? If I didn’t have a code against killing, I would’ve strangled the clown myself.

...But deep down, I knew I could never truly harm John. As much as I despised to admit it...I was in love with that freak-show. Something about John just...drew me to him. Like a moth to a flame. He was everything I ever wanted in person, but he was also everything I stood against. And to see him running around with someone else, to know that he did all of this purely because he hated me...to know this was my fault -- it made me feel helpless.

How was I supposed to destroy something I helped build? Or hate something I loved? I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this lost, and to be honest, I just wanted to give up. I wanted to walk away from this city and never look back, but I knew I couldn’t. Not with Gotham counting on Batman. It needed him now more than ever, and I owed it to everyone who had died so far to save this city. Especially Lucius.

Pushing myself up from the table, my body turned out to be much weaker than I anticipated, causing me to collapse right onto the floor with a heavy thud. The fall certainly didn’t help with my headache or the ringing in my ears, but as soon as I made impact, I could hear a pair of frantic footsteps heading in my direction. It looked like a couple of agents, and both of them were protected with gas masks.

“Oh my god...!” one of them exclaimed. I recognized her voice. It was Avesta.

“Blake,” she said, “he’s...he’s alive! Go find Director Waller! We need to get him out of here immediately!”

“Right. I’m on my way.” He bolted out of the board room in a heartbeat, leaving me alone with Iman as she gently secured her arms around me and lifted me into a sitting position. I groaned in pain.

“It’s okay, Bruce,” she reassured, looking into my eyes compassionately. “It’s okay. Waller’s here. We’ll get you somewhere safe. I promise. You’re going to be all right.”

Avesta cursed in a language I didn’t understand, muttering to herself.

“...I thought you were dead. How are you alive...? Anyone touched by the Lotus virus is instantly killed. Could it be that you’re...? No...it must be the gas mask. But wait...”

She leaned forward, observing the mask John gave me.

“There’s a crack in the glass. It couldn’t have saved you. So what did?”

I took a breath, my lungs burning as I tried to speak.

“What...” I coughed, “what are you...talking about...? What’s going on...?”

Avesta hesitated for a second and glanced around the room as if she’d find an answer hiding somewhere, unsure of how to break the news.

“Bruce,” she put a hand on my shoulder, barely able to make eye contact with me, “...I-I don’t know how to say this, and I don’t mean to frighten you, but...you’ve...you’ve been infected with the Lotus virus.”

My heart stopped.

Lotus? As in the one Riddler and Freeze contracted? Shit.

I gulped out of fear, my chest beginning to feel tight as the news finally sunk in.

Oh, shit. No, no, no, NO. That couldn’t be right. Everyone else died the minute the virus was released. Why didn’t the same thing happen to me? I couldn’t be infected. It had to be from when Harley hit me. Surely, that was the reason why I was so weak. I wasn’t infected with...with Lotus...right? They had to be wrong. They had to be. Oh, god. What was I going to do? What was I going to tell Alfred?

“Bruce?” Avesta said, interrupting my thoughts. “...are you okay?”

I snapped back to reality and shook my head, looking at her desperately.

“Iman...please, you have to help me.”

She scooted closer. “Don’t worry, Bruce. That’s what we’re here for.”

“No...” I grit my teeth, the pain increasing with every second, “that’s not what I meant. I mean...you have to...” I trailed off for a moment, wondering if I should even ask this, “...you have to...kill me.”

Avesta almost seemed disgusted at the request. “What?” She backed away slightly. “No! No way, Bruce. I’m not going to do that.”

I persisted. “Look at me. I’m already a corpse, Iman. With the Lotus virus inside me, I’ll either end up dead...or insane. I don’t want to lose my mind. Please, just...just shoot me before that happens. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

The agent sighed morosely, still refusing to do what I asked.

“I’m sorry Bruce. I can’t. I understand you’re afraid, but the Agency needs you alive. The more we learn about this virus, the higher our chances are of curing you -- completely. I’m just curious about how on Earth you survived in the first place.”

“We’ll figure all that out later,” Waller dismissed as she marched into the room. “For now though, we just need to focus on getting Wayne to the lab. He may be alive, but he’s in a critical condition. And it’ll only worsen if he stays here. Not to mention it’s a risk to us as well.”

Avesta nodded, helping me to my feet. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good, then let’s get a move on. We have no time to waste.”

Waller brought her attention to the other agents, ordering them around and giving commands whilst Avesta lugged me away from the grotesque scene, both of us still shocked at what’s unfolded.

“I want bio-scans on Wayne as soon as possible,” Waller shouted behind us. “Learn everything you can about the virus, and do NOT let him leave his cell once he’s locked in. We don’t know how fast this virus can spread, and I certainly don’t want to find out.”

I turned to Avesta, croaking out a few words with what little energy I had left.

“...you’re...putting me...in a cell...?”

She gave me an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Bruce. It’s the only way we can contain the virus.”

I still wasn’t entirely sure about the idea.

“But the city needs me,” I protested, coughing faintly, “...it needs...B-batman...”

Avesta gestured to me. “Look at yourself, Bruce. You can barely walk, and Batman’s no use to the city if he can’t fight. You need to rest.”

“...but...but...I...”

Before I could even talk anymore, the edges my vision suddenly began to darken once again and the world felt like it had fallen from underneath my feet, swirling around me in a sickly manner. I started to slip from Iman’s grasp.

“Bruce...?” Avesta’s voice bounced off the walls of my head, muffling more and more.

I crashed onto the floor and went limp, a dozen agents instantly clamoring over to me as my brain shut down and everything went black. What was going on? Was I...was I dying? Was the virus finally taking its toll? Had my wish been granted?

I closed my eyes and willingly let the virus’s cold clutch steal me away from consciousness, my entire body going numb as I fell into Limbo. Despite all the panic that was happening around me, I somehow remained calm, and even welcomed this sensation that I mistook as death, greeting it with open arms.

All my fear, hatred, rage, love, everything...it was just...gone. I felt lifeless, and yet, I had never been more alive. It was as if my soul had floated away from my body and was now watching from afar, waiting to see what I’d do next before meeting it on the other side.

I didn’t know what the Agency had planned for me, or how I was going to be affected by this virus, but there was one thing I knew for sure. No matter what happened in the future, or how much torment I would have to endure, Gotham was never going to be the same again. And neither was I.

#telltale games #telltale batman #the enemy within #bruce wayne #john doe #joker #batjokes #fanfic #story #lotus

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god217 · 6 years

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Guardian▪Vanderweek Day 2

This is from the POV of my OC Cassy (Yejin Kim), a part of the fanfiction I’ve been planning for almost two years but will probably never actually write.

Just a very quick summary: Cassy’s father was in the Korean mafia, and when she was 13 both he and her mother were killed. Taegeun, the mafia leader, found Cassy and took her in, telling her that a rival group had done it. In reality, he’d been the one who’d ordered it.

The scene is just after Cassy pleaded with him to allow Vanderwood to just leave (as she was meant to kill them), expecting him to allow it, but instead she eventually found out the truth and he set out to finish the job himself.

Now she’s trying to get to them before he does.

@vanderweek

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Her whole life, ever since Taegeun had found her, Cassy had been on her own.

She’d liked it that way.

She’d never had anybody to rely on, and nobody had ever relied on her.

Every success and every mistake she’d ever made had been hers. And hers alone.

But now things were different.

Now her own safety wasn’t the priority anymore.

And her own safety wasn’t the one in danger.

Betrayal, that was the only thing in her mind.

Her entire life, all she’d done was blindly follow Taegeun’s orders, pledge her undoubted loyalty to him.

She’d called him her uncle.

She’d trusted him.

He’d promised he’d take care of her, and help her get revenge on those that took out her parents.

Nothing but lies, all those years.

It’d been him all along.

He’s used her just like he’d used her father, and now he was throwing her away just the same.

She should’ve never told him.

All this time, she’d been making herself believe she didn’t trust in a single person in the world but herself, but she’d been wrong.

She’d trusted him.

She’d loved him like family, and she’d thought he saw the same in her.

She’d actually believed he’d make an exception for her, let her save one person in a hundred.

All her life, Cassy had been nothing but loyal.

Yet even to the girl he’d practically raised, he didn’t have an ounce of mercy.

He was long gone when she reached her car, out of sight when she drove out of the lot and onto the street, slamming down in the gas pedal as hard as she could.

She knew where he was heading.

And she had to get there first.

She had to warn them.

It didn’t matter to her that she’d have to reveal her secret, her true identity. It didn’t matter that they’d hate her once she did.

It didn’t even matter if she died, as long as only she could save them.

Because once Taegeun had a target, it was over.

He was ruthless, and his eyes were everywhere.

There was no escape from him.

But he’d made one mistake still, and even though he wouldn’t admit it, it was one that was fatal to him.

Because he’d trusted her too.

And she knew him.

She knew exactly what he was planning to do.

And she wouldn’t let him.

There was a reason he’d chosen her as his right hand after all.

To everyone else, he was the boss. But Cassy was his equal.

Taegeun had murdered her parents, for her father choosing his family over his job.

She wasn’t going to let him touch the one she loved.

#mysme #mystic messenger #vanderwood #yejin kim #vanderweek #vanderweek 2018 #i don't care if this isn't what i'm supposed to be doing for this week #i'm enjoying this a lot

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imaginemedreamingstuff · 6 years

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Stuck in Love || Daniel Howell

A/N: Hi this is a very cool request that I got! Also Merry Christmas my lovely readers!

Word Count: 1.4K

POV: READER

MASTERLIST

“Y/N are you finally ready to go?” Dan asked and held back a groan as he took a quick glance at his watch.

“Just give me one more sec!” I shouted as I stuffed a thermos bottle filled with fresh hot tea and some biscuits into my huge travel bag

My long term boyfriend Dan and I had a long trip ahead of us and I may had made us late by 30 minutes already.

“Almost done.” I assured him as I jumped into my boots and wrapped a thick woollen scarf around my neck.

Dan’s family had invited us to spend Christmas Eve with them at their remote and idyllic cabin on a little mountain. It was a peaceful and romantic getaway and the perfect place to escape the busy London.

“Let’s go.” Dan exclaimed even more excited than how I expected him to be.

It was already getting dark outside when we got into the car and started driving, I hated how early the sun sets in winter.

“Turn it up louder!” I said with enthusiasm, making Dan let go off an exaggerated groan.

I had put together an hours long Christmas playlist that we could listen to during the whole car ride.

Although Dan acted like he was annoyed at first, he started loudly singing along to ‘Jingle Bells’ a few minutes later.

In the meantime it had become pitch black outside and some houses at the side of the road had turned their beautiful Christmas lights on. Although I was a little bit tired I couldn’t stop myself from staring out of the window the whole time. I didn’t want to miss a single bit of this beautiful scenery.

“Oh my god, Y/N. Look!” Dan suddenly shouted, pointing to what was right in front of him.

My eyes widened at the sight as huge smiles spread over both of our faces.

It was snowing.

Dan’s parents had already let us know that it had snowed a lot over in Dan’s home town, but when the first snowflakes hit the front window Dan and I felt like little kids again.

We hadn’t had seen snow all year and now we were seeing our first one on Christmas Eve. It was truly a magical moment.

“It’s so pretty.” I awed as our headlights made the tiny snowflakes visible that were dancing in the air.

I lightly kissed Dan’s cheek, glad to be able to share such a wonderful moment with him. My little kiss made him smile widely, revealing his pretty dimple.

The closer we got to our destination the heavier it started to snow. The flakes got thicker and the trees, streetlamps and rooftops were all covered in a white snow blanket.

The new weather conditions slowed us down immensely, since Dan had to drive much slower and more carefully.

I felt bad for making us half an hour late in addition.

I could tell that Dan got more and more frustrated the later it got. His family was waiting for us, the opulent dinner that was expecting us was probably getting cold as we were driving and we didn’t want to spend our whole Christmas Eve inside of a car.

When the clock read 10pm Dan was deeply frowning and groaning. We should have been there at 8 pm.

“Hi, Mary. It’s me Y/N.” I spoke into my phone, talking to Dan’s mother.

“I’m so sorry that we’re so late. We didn’t expect it to be snowing this heavily.” I let her know. Being the lovely lady she was she was just glad that we were fine.

“It hasn’t snowed this hard in years actually.” She admitted, sounding a bit worried about us.

“We’re almost there, see you in a bit.” I said and hung up after we had both said our goodbyes.

Soon the window wipers had troubles dealing with the immense amount of snow that hit the front window even though it was working on its highest speed.

It was soon to be 11pm when we had reached the bottom of the mountain that the cabin was on top of.

Dan’s whole body language signalized that he was nervous and stressed, not even me lightly petting his arm to calm him down could make him untense.

Our engine and tires started making worrying noises as the road got steeper. The road was covered in ice and thick snow.

Dan was tense as he was making his way up the hill, driving extremely slow. His eyebrows were furrowed together and he was biting his bottom lip in concentration. Dan’s brown orbs were entirely focused on the steep path ahead of us.

We were so close to the cabin, already halfway up the hill when Dan stepped into the gas pedal, but we didn’t move. I grabbed onto my seatbelt and took a deep breath.

The tires started to spin, whirling up some snow. Dan tried to accelerate again and again, but with no success.

We were stuck.

“Fuck” he groaned in frustration as he hit the wheel.

“Dan, baby. Everything is fine. I’m just going to call your parents and they’ll come and get us.” I explained and tried to calm us down.

There was no need to freak out right?

“Nothing is alright, Y/N.” Dan whispered, extremely annoyed by this situation.

I saw him take a quick glance at the clock. It was 11.05pm already.

He swallowed hard and hid his face behind his palms.

“This is absolutely terrible.” He breathed.

I got out of the car and called Dan’s parents. His dad told us to just wait there and he’d come and get us in his cross country vehicle.

“Look, it’s all good.” I told my boyfriend after I had hung up.

“We just got to wait until he get’s there.” I said and felt relieved.

“But I don’t have that much time.” Dan sighed as he looked up at the sky as if he was expecting to see something there.

It was now 11.10pm.

I followed his gaze and as if he knew it would happen, fireworks started to go off, lighting up the pitch black sky.

It was a beautiful explosion of colours and shapes.

“Omg Dan, look! It’s so pretty.” I awed amazed by the spectacle.

“Very pretty, yeah.” He said but didn’t sound anywhere near as excited as me.

“Does this happen every year?” I asked him, still looking up.

“It doesn’t. Just this year.” He mumbled.

Suddenly the fireworks formed a giant red heart, making my eyes grow wide.

It was breath-taking.

There was a little pause that made me think it was over but then I could hear a few fireworks go off at the same time.

I raised my head again and as I started into the night sky, the fireworks spelled out:

Dan + Y/N

My heart skipped a beat.

“Dan what is this?” I breathed totally moved.

I turned around to face him, but instead of being eye to eye with him he was kneeling in front of me.

We were in the middle of the woods, half way up the hill and stuck in this huge amount of snow. Our car and the fireworks were our only source of light as snowflakes were still dancing around us.

I couldn’t help but gasp and covered my mouth with my hand.

“Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N, I had a perfect plan about how this should’ve went. I wanted to ask you the questions of question after dinner in front of my family. I would have taken you onto the balcony. At 11.11pm I wanted to propose to you because of two reasons. Firstly because I could have made a wish and I would have wished for you to say yes. Secondly because I organized the fireworks to go off at that exact time.”

I swallowed hard as I stared down at the love of my life that was still kneeling in front of me. The first tears were dangerously close to spilling from my eyes.

“Maybe this is even a way better engagement story. And I’m just talking because I am so nervous.

But Y/N, I am so in love with you. So, I’m now asking you.

“Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N, will you marry me?”

I could feel my heart race as a giant smile appeared on my face. I vigorously nodded as happy tears streamed down my cheeks.

“YES, a thousand times yes!”

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what-do-1000-swords-look-like · 3 years

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Completely agree that all the enjoyment of Dany as the dark fallen character she is with all her once great potential for good, is completely ruined by her cult. I have to say it though, Dany's ADWD full out turn to openly profiting from the sale of slaves and employing forced unpaid labor was hidden by the show. Considering that we are still fighting for equality, this was a direct ploy to keep Dany popular to maximize profits off her cult fans. It's unforgivable and heartbreaking.

Hey, Nonnie! Oh, absolutely. I really feel like they not only hid many important details about Dany up until the end and like you said previously, her whole "Myhsa is Master" arc (which I agree they totally downplayed), so not only did it screw up the messaging and makes tons of GA confused but they also sold out to maintain some sort of sympathy for her in the end while also appeasing those particular viewers that wanted the Mother of Dragons (and all her other titles) to be the one standing in the end. Dany by far became their most popular character and as much as I love the show and don't mean to insult the cast and crew, I'm not sure it would have the same status it did (before that mess of a last season) had they not played up the dragons. The merchandise galore for Dany alone, never mind the dragons...I mean, you can't throw a snowball without hitting a Dany-themed piece of merchandise. And funnily enough, by the last season, Dany's story line and POV engulfed the entire eight episodes. I still steam about it to this day whenever I think about how they denied us the scene where Sansa and Arya find out the truth about Jon, and at David Nutter's nonsense explanation: "The audience knew this information already." WHAT? They built up to that reveal only to remove it because they were pulling the same crap as they did in season 7 with the Sansa & Arya reveal with Littlefinger. Because they were hiding something for Jon *cough* pol!Jon *cough cough* (because I cannot imagine what else it could be but there was definitely something they were keeping carefully hidden for him) Then in 8x03 they planned to show Ghost and other wolves in battle with the wights and then they removed it!!! So I get to see Rhaegal, Drogon, and undead!Viserion in battle, but not Ghost? Ghost who when we see him next is all cut up and lost the tip of his ear? The show always explained away the wolves' absences in later seasons due to budget (vs the dragons who always won that battle, no pun intended) but HBO said they offered D&D more $ to keep the seasons going, GoT was arguably one of its most popular shows at the time, I highly doubt they were burdened with a tight budget, as tight as say a show like The Flash on C*W or something like that. Then of course they cut the Sansa fighting wights with Tyrion scene after shooting it but kept Dany fighting with a sword in! They did everything they could to mute and nullify everyone else to serve Dany's story. And then they didn't even handle her final dark turn properly. I just...

Sorry, I'm getting off point, but you are absolutely 1000% correct. They absolutely prioritized Dany due to her popularity and to maximize profits, and I believe that's why they kept her sympathetic to the end (besides Emilia's request for that dialogue in the throne room scene to be changed). In order to tell the real story the way it was meant to be told, they should have included very important pieces of her entire story, not only because of how important the messaging is and what the moral of her story is but also there would have been way less confusion at the end. Not all other character arcs would have needed to suffer for hers. Pol!Jon or whatever would have been able to be revealed, and not many people would have screamed "WHAT?" when she torched KL or again when Jon had to kill her. Not as many people would be rushing to defend and excuse a massacre and the horrible things she's done. And like you said, during this time, to do that, to purposely keep things like that suppressed, is horrible and incredibly hurtful and harmful. And all for the almighty buck. Quite honestly, they should be ashamed of themselves.

As I've said before, I do love the potential of dark!Dany but one thing that I never considered was how she addressed slavery and how she really is a Master in the end. I have to be honest with you, not only do I not care for that particular part of her arc and dark or not, I can't get behind her character on that one (not meaning get behind her as in supporting her, meaning that I won't enjoy her dark turn when it comes to that topic, because no matter what it's completely wrong, I haven't read ADWD yet but I can only imagine when I come to that part when I do how much it will make me sick to my stomach). I will say that one part of Dany's showverse character that I did notice is that it wasn't just the IT that she viewed as hers. I believe she viewed Missandei as hers as well. That scene in the tent where Dany meets with the Second Sons and one of them slaps Missandei on her rear - I know the show displayed it as Dany didn't want men touching women, especially her friend, without their consent or disrespecting them - but to me, when she turns to Barristan and says "Kill that one first" with that look of simmering rage, I felt was more about "You don't touch what's mine." We never see her check in with Missandei, with a look or anything, to make sure she's okay or for reassurance. Something a friend and supposed champion of the people would have done. Maybe had the scene continued, we might have seen something, but I highly doubt it. Especially, since they chose to have Dany hold up Missandei's collar in 8x05 when talking to Grey Worm, as the only thing that Missandei supposedly brought with her across the sea, "her only possession." And she gives it to Grey Worm! The man who loves her who was once a slave himself. I would just love to know what the writers were thinking on that one (was it D&D? if so, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but wow). And Grey Worm is the one to throw it into the fire, not her! That whole scene to me just confirmed for me what I had suspected. She may have loved Missandei as a dear friend on some level, but Myhsa is Master. And then they follow it with the whole intimidating Jon scene, another one of her possessions. I just...

To me, the show heavily promoted "Breaker Of Chains" for her but in the end, I didn't see it. Even when Missandei tells her "Dracarys" before dying in 8x04, Nathalie's Will Smith gif tweet after 8x05 aired made so much sense. Missandei was appealing to that Breaker Of Chains to kill the "evil men" she saw Dany do in 3x04. And yet, I've seen some people excuse Dany's actions in 8x05 with "Missandei told her to do it. That's why she told her 'Dracarys'" or they even blame Missandei for Dany doing what she did lol. In 6x09, Dany wasn't concerned for the Mereenese people when the Masters were attacking; she was concerned for herself, her hold on the city at large, and went right for the ships after Tyrion talks her into another plan rather than return the cities "to the dirt." To me, the signs are all there for someone who was no longer the Breaker of Chains.

Sorry for my long rant, Nonnie, but the point is I am in complete agreement with you. I wish the show had handled this ending better and told the story the way it was meant to be told so it would get the full message intended across. But one thing I've learned over the last couple of years is that some showrunners just don't give a flying fig and some have egos the size of mutant rhinoceroses, and most networks and/or studios don't care about the actual product or messaging but how much $ it can bring them. Just like you said, all about maximizing profits and making $ off of the masses who continue to increase their ratings and line their pockets. Ugh.

I hope you have a good rest of your night, Nonnie! <3

#ask #got

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elizabethrobertajones · 7 years

Text

Pre-Wayward Sisters Rewatch Notes

1x09: HAVE SOME PATIENCE WHILE WE GO TO MISSOURI

I've been through here so recently but it still cracks me up in the intro when it recaps that Mary "is never coming back", and then the ground it goes on to cover with her which is literally just her season 12 arc she returns to deal with properly. It's pretty much neither here nor there, and while technically I'm rewatching this for Missouri, I have to admit I'm like 90% coming back here because of the phone call parallel to 13x01's prayer because I like tormenting myself and that really sealed the deal on if I would come back to rewatch, since I covered seasons 1-4 in the hiatus.

It's interesting to me that the recap covers so much of the already established Winchester Family History circa 1x09 because it's going over the mythos of the family that led us to this point where we go to the home to explore all this and dig down into the emotional drama behind everything... To actually expose some of the things that we've been sitting on until this point. Our first sight of John since the Pilot, and Mary's last moments in her chronological story until 11x23. And beginning to get into the mystery of the evil that was done to Sam, and Mary's part in it.

The reason I say all this is because obviously when we get to the season 13 episodes introducing us to our Wayward squad, the recaps of the episodes are going to have to cover this same ground - to tell us who everyone is, to bring them into the fold and to tie their stories together. Hopefully by the proper Wayward Sisters episode when we've had all the new girls' stories, we'll get a recap with a very similar feel: just a straightforward "this is the family, do you want to find out more about them?" sort of explanation.

I also remember from the rewatch I did in the summer that the Home one stood out to me for being so focused only on the Winchester mythos and the surrounding ones were more about the monsters and fighting and "saving people hunting things" that the family focus felt far more important here even before the episode started.

It's weird, it makes me preemptively excited to see the family come together just because I know they'll have to do the montage, and like this one was in a low key way, it will high key be a special event, because it will be ABOUT the new family we care about.

I am momentarily distracted by how this episode opens on Sam's vision and then him obsessing over drawing the tree from outside the house over and over. I watched 1x17 last night with my mum and it reminds me of this season's great subtle mirroring and repetition of moments and ideas and motifs, when Dean is obsessing over his mystery symbol. That was the silly example of this to break the tension but to keep consistency through the season, subtly repeating ideas in a way that just keeps it all kind of the same aesthetic, of Sam and Dean doodling on motel paper... Anyway, reminds me of Dabb era's methods but they have 12 seasons of past canon to play with and in season 11 it was extremely blatant the way they revisited old ideas and told us they were shaking them up and doing them differently or just bringing them back for our consideration. I wonder if anyone ever collected up all the ways season 1 internally mirrors itself. It's really just a spiral of mirrors that unlike the character development spiralling closer and closer to a desired end, this spirals out and out that the more canon there is the more there is to reference and repeat, and so it grows exponentially in mirrored subject matter...

At this point Wayward Sisters is going to have a bit of a job navigating the story to tell its own stuff in a fresh way without falling back on the repeated ideas - I don't know if we should be looking for mirroring or if introducing the characters as part of Supernatural's main canon means they can be used by the narrative in this way but only when they get to their own show will they then build their own language. The new show means they can play around with new ways of telling things and the tropes will probably be very different all over the place. Like, for once I'm not expecting a new psychic character to massively mirror Sam, even though Home and how Missouri and Sam bond over his powers is obviously like the main reason to come back here to rewatch before we get an episode where she does it with her own granddaughter. I don't think there's anything evil behind Patience's powers especially if we're assuming they're inherited from Missouri and they're not going to introduce some weird ideas about where those powers came from - it's enough having them I think :P

On the other hand if Patience is being hunted by a hungry wraith that likes her powers then it IS a parallel to all the interest in Jack for HIS powers. We'll see how it shakes out but once they're in a show where they're the main characters (and I really hope Patience is the POV character - I think actually not long after I was talking about that somewhere I saw an interview suggesting she WOULD be, which is AWESOME) then the fact that Patience is/was a Sam and Jack mirror will be utterly by the by. Really I just hope they don't bend her to meet the perfect criteria for a mirror but develop her for herself and put Sam and Jack in her shadow.

Sam realises they need to go home and this is the motivation to reveal that he has been having psychic nightmares - the fact that someone is in trouble and needs saving and the only way to explain to Dean why he knows this is because he suspects he's psychic. For narrative parallels to whatever might happen in 13x03 purposes, I'm interested in how Patience's story compares to Sam's, as she is reconnecting with Missouri by the sounds of things, and has her own issues with being disconnected from her family probably - this episode is still filled with massive disconnects and both of their parents withholding information or just outright avoiding them, seemingly for their own protection. (Mary being rather more direct about protecting them in a heroic way than John, hiding in the shadows refusing to confront them with the mytharc knowledge about Sam). Patience is prooobably going to be out of the loop on what's happening to her, or out of the family loop, which means that this is going to be personal discovery for her too.

Oh hey and then Sam gets them through the door into the house by using a conditional amount of the truth (they're sam and dean winchester and they used to live here) just like in 13x01 Dean just used the truth to the sheriff and got her on-board and them out of jail with that frankness... Sometimes it pays.

OH GOD Dean having to relive the fire by telling it to Sam... and 13x01 starting with Dean re-imagining/dreaming/having a vision about it again :<

I swear I started this trying to tell myself I would not make this about Man Pain because this is the Wayward Sisters watch but I am an addict

Dean goes to make the call and there's a big blue shipping container thing beside him and it's so claustrophobic, like he's chosen the most confined secret space to make the call... It's in total contrast to the vast open space he prayed in - but he STILL shuffled into the shadow of the (blue) building in order to make the prayer and get that illusion of privacy and confinement. The wide shot as he goes in here shows him behind the car and weaving between gas station junk and between these two buildings/large structures. In 13x02 just the random car parked at the back stops Dean from being entirely alone and exposed. I'll take that as a commentary on his layers and how open he is being, although it's sort of awkward when both times, of course, he's going for a super private call that he's going to open himself up for completely, revealing deep down things that have never been exposed before.

People literally started loving Dean about this exact second of the show because he broke so wonderfully to cry and reveal he's not all his top layer stuff. I think someone on the superspecpod (2 of them?) said/agreed on this moment.

Of course we can assume Chuck is listening and not acting, not just because he's omnipotent and abnormally attached to Dean of all humans, but also because John literally did hear this voicemail and either already was in or came straight to Lawrence.

God the fact he makes the call in front of the men's room but then it's the buccaneer's room in 13x02... what a goofy episode... I hate it... Pfft

THIS IS SO HARD TO WATCH.

I rank Dean's pain proportionate to his experience, and this is definitely the worst he's ever been at this point, mostly because we never see him cry until then.

He certainly is dealing better than in 13x02 because he still has a job to do and it might be hard but at least he has some sort of focus and a reason for being there, and even if everything is all messed up (he has to be back here AND Sam has just revealed he's psychic) that's not completely and utterly unbearable in the same way losing Mary and Cas (and even Crowley) has made him shut down so hard in season 13. There's no forward momentum for him. Jack is not enough of a motivation >.>

SAM: All right, so there are a few psychics and palm readers in town. There’s someone named El Divino. There’s, uh –-[He laughs.]—there’s the Mysterious Mister Fortinsky. Uh, Missouri Moseley—

Dear lord bring back these other guys just to kill them off for the epic 13 years of continuity you could get for free.

El Divino would be hilarious because I'm guessing the divine -> cas connection would be especially hilarious to play on

These lines are moments apart:

SAM: [reading] I went to Missouri and I learned the truth. [...] DEAN: Why didn’t you tell him? MISSOURI: People don’t come here for the truth. They come for good news.

Yeah, not that she gave John any.............................. or did she not tell him EVERYTHING she suspected/read about what had happened to Sam in that night? Exactly how far-ranging are her powers? Could she have seen what Azazel did by proximity to the attack around the time it happened and to John? She could see that dude's wife was having an affair, which is out of his knowledge range, so does that mean she knew about Mary's deal, which is loosely coded as infidelity to John with Azazel?

Gaaaah.

but oh NO - Missouri takes one look at Sam and Dean and specifically analyses Sam's woes as missing his dead loved one and Dean's as his missing parent...

*flippy flippy to season 13's entire framing of their loss*

TBH Missouri getting annoyed at Dean asking where their father is is probably specifically because she knows exactly where he is, aka hiding in the spare room upstairs doing whatever angsty things John does, and she's trying to shake Dean off of asking, and she is probably not that great at lying when she is in the middle of it all instead of just cheerfully telling people what they want to hear.

Maybe the whack you with a spoon thing was also to make Dean so uncomfortable with her he wouldn't keep bugging her for info about things she did not want to admit right then.

Keep them on track

I do feel like she was here to challenge them, not to nurture them, and I think it's weirdly the same issue people are having with Mary in season 12 and Dean "parenting" Jack in season 13, where she is not actually meant to be a motherly character, and I have historically had no issues with her in the past, before fandom and everything needing to be tuned to being good to your fave or otherwise the Worst. She's interesting and introduced even just with that guy she lies to as being mercurial and emotionally untrustworthy. She lets them behind the veil as it were since they know she's really psychic but clearly using that power carefully and not being too accurate all the time for people when the truth hurts and her powers can be better used for reading people and working out what would be best to tell them... But for hunters it's a different story... but that doesn't change her default personality... Especially as the end of the episode reveals she has been withholding literally the object of this season's quest from them at this early stage. She literally plays them like her customers except with the personal plot info she can't tell them.

So when she goes through the door saying Dean's not the sharpest tool the shed, she is not a person in a position of emotional responsibility to them, we just see Sam and Dean as scared confused little ducklings (like Jack in season 13) and people being harsh with them, especially I think when we come back to them with years of seeing them grow up and grow harder, so they're all soft and fluffy and mostly unharmed at this point, it's so easy to be defensive of them... And I mean I AM because DEAN, but not so much I think this means Missouri is a horrible person or that she's cruel or Dean shouldn't give her the time of day in season 13 or whatever. I find her to be interesting and she's an obstacle they DON'T overcome because she is twice as fast as them with her psychic advantage so she can help them for the GREATER GOOD, but conceal their much more personal issue from them, making her a minor (friendly and great good-motivated) antagonistic as far as the stuff that matters on the character side of things goes.

In season 13 she has nothing to lose in hiding things from them or lying to them, I bet, especially as she appears to be the one asking them for help rather than them coming to her, so I assume she will be more open, and I also assume that with 13 years space in between, Dean is not going to hold a serious grudge for the way she treated him - because those words are just a few from a one-off meeting with her rather than a childhood of negging or something. Like with Mary she doesn't have responsibility over them as adults, or a moral obligation to them in the same way a recognised caregiver would.

If she can read inside their heads and treats Dean this way she is doing it for a reason and she's running circles around them to not reveal that John has been in contact with her or that even at this point perhaps she knows he's already in town.

OH NO the nursery scene... This is where it all happened. A dark energy in the room...

And now we know that Jack being born and sloping off to the nursery to hide in the corner was heralded by a wave of powerful GOOD energy, not the "toxic" energy of Lucifer and the same thing that Azazel corrupted this room with.

Also Missouri calling Dean an amateur for using an EMF meter might be more of the negging but this scene is Missouri being a serious professional at the ghost hunting thing just by being herself... I think since she's coming back and it will be a less personally charged episode - pretty much has to be - then her natural competence at hunting will be an asset. She might not be able to handle wraiths as easily as ghosts but she certainly has a whole load of real spell ingredients and knowledge about things that really work for actual hunting. She's not a hapless bystander even if her day job is fortune telling...

Oh and then we have Sam out-psychic-ing Missouri. Probably because he's got demon blood but it is interesting what might happen with Patience - if she's more sensitive than Missouri as well, or if they have the same level of talent. It would change from being ominous about Sam - with Missouri as our default example of what the generic psychic of this world building can do as the season 1 intro of such a character, and how Sam is unnerving because he can do more - to a story about outgrowing the talent of your elders and forging your own way in the world with your own strength that only you can define since help can only go so far when you outshine them... In storytelling purposes I can't really imagine they won't make Patience as good as (but with a better innovative mindset) or better than Missouri (in raw power) just because "oh here's a slightly less psychic character" just doesn't really sparkle off the page as a hook. We'll see, but I can imagine it being kinda like the stuff that happens with Sam here, but not in an ominous way, just in a way that Patience is going to move on and join the Wayward Sisters.

Of course Missouri could just die and motivate her even if she has average/normal powers, because she won't be measuring herself against Missouri and it would be a motivation to be as good as she was from a start where her powers are a bit wonky.

(Although with Jack around I can see them being veeery tempted by her being super powerful but not knowing how to control it yet just for the sake of having a parallel.)

I am still not over Sam saying he can "see" Mary now before she appears to him, neatly book-ending this scene and 12x22 and Dean asking Mary to see HIM, and basically the fact they stole literally Mary's entire arc in season 12 from the staging of this scene.

And if you want to keep recycling it in reverse, she burns up again in 13x01 in Dean's dream, to cap that all off.

Wheee

It's weird having Mary on screen in this over-dramatic OMG it's MARY way where it's the most amazing thing that's ever happened, and then we got a whole season of her where she was just kinda around :P

SAM: What’s happening to me? MISSOURI: I know I should have all the answers, but I don’t know.

And yep she's still lying to them and hiding everything she knows, and as such even though she's kinder to Sam since he's probing her less and less snappy than Dean, she doesn't give him the exact advice and information he needs even though apparently she and John knew a hell of a lot for ages...

You know what I would like? This is a total pipe dream, but for her to tell Dean what she actually knew when they met her, and maybe even apologise for withholding information because John said it was for the best and all. Because Sam was FUCKED UP by all this and honestly considering it's all one emotional arc right through the show it makes you wonder what Sam being given actual information by someone other than Azazel when it amuses him to do so would have ever done to help him figure out who he was, what was happening to him, and how he should react to it.

He's sitting on these steps feeling probably somewhat the same as Jack did in 13x02 where he was sitting on that crate in the alley, although from a less aggressive situation, just, kinda reflecting on everything that happened. He sees there's a pattern in everything kicking off, and now Mary apologises to him... And he's got these powers he's only just daring to even voice exist and grappling with what will be his myth arc for basically ever... And Missouri lies to him and withholds information he needs. John knows stuff about Sam - he DIES knowing more about Sam than they ever did until waaay too late. He probably knew BY THEN that Sam had demon blood, which wasn't revealed until the end of season 2, but logically follows from John's last words to mean that whatever reveal about Sam came at the end of the season, this is what he was worried Dean had to save Sam from (or kill him) at the start of the season when he could last have any input on that. And he spent most of season 1 chasing Azazel or working out how to kill him rather than researching Sam so I go back to wondering if Missouri put most of it together herself.

I wonder how much she didn't tell John.

I wonder what she DID tell John the moment the credits rolled on the episode and they were free to talk plot without spoiling anything for us. Did Missouri get him a cup of tea, sit down with him and tell him her full professional opinion of Sam which kicked off the entire everything else John did re: Sam? It's only a couple of episodes before he's on the other side of the country chasing leads on Azazel.

I wonder if she'd tell us any of this 13 years later...

...

I bet she says basically nothing, but these are my hanging questions about season 1 and 2 which ONLY she can enlighten us on.

"Don't you boys be strangers!" "We won't." "See you around!"

welp, sorry Alpha Vampire and "see you next season" but this absolutely and emphatically takes the cake now she is actually returning at long last and it's not just an amusing line about her never coming back - it's an amusing line about her not coming back for thirteen freakin years.

Oh look it's JDM

This rewatch is so weird and messed up about what characters and plot things we're going to pass through. Sure the Wayward Sisters are utterly embedded in the show and even w/o the Patience thing go back more than half it's run - 3/4 of its run in fact - but they appear in such strange places tangential to massive happenings that following the characters around is going to be The Most Chaotic Rewatch Ever, for someone who likes meta-ing patterns.

I mean after this my next episode is to hop along to Claire's intro.

Anyway, John resisting going to see them but "not until I know the truth" which I assume is not the reason Chuck is being hands off in season 13 but I assume he thinks he has his reasons not to intervene.

John learned the truth from Missouri about monsters and the like, but now he's chasing the much bigger, plot important truths... It's going to mean he basically never sees his sons again, except for the prolonged contact at the end of this season/start of the next where he's sitting on whatever he knew about Sam which prompted his last words to Dean. I seriously, SERIOUSLY wonder if him saying he needs to know the truth ties back to "I went to Missouri and learned the truth" and that she DID tell John that Sam has demon blood and she put it all together between their initial contact and meeting Sam with his powers activated in their present day.

Oh gosh, I am sure someone has come up with that before, probably 13 years ago, but still. That's a good conspiracy to end on...

#1x09 #spn rewatches #I mean to post this last night and I'm already another episode through this thing :P #I'll keep adding the parts to this post #I hope I can do them all at the very least by the next time we see a wayward sisters episode #even if I don't think I can watch them all by Friday #at the very least this was the most important one to do for Patience's sake #:D #wayward sisters

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katymacsupernatural · 7 years

Text

Undeniable Heat Chapter 63: Searching

Jensen Ackles x Reader

1300 Words

Story Summary: You’ve just gotten a job as one of the makeup artists on the set of Supernatural. Nervous on the first day, you become completely awkward, winning the affection of the divorced Jensen Ackles. You try to fight your desire for him, but he thwarts you at every turn. Will you be able you separate work and play, or will you let Jensen win?

Catch Up Here: Masterpost

Making your way off the floor was one of the hardest things you had ever done. Your entire body was on fire, sore from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Your lip was bleeding, as was the knot on your head. Your entire face felt swollen, and with each movement your ribs cried out in agony.

With tears storming downing your cheeks, you used the wall for support. With each step utter torture, you finally collapsed on the bed, the ruined wedding dress right in front of your face. Wiping away your tears, you stared at it. The symbol of your freedom, torn beyond repair. Reminding you that you were just a puppet, and Brad was your master. There was no hope in fighting any more. Jensen probably had no idea where you were, and by the time he found you, it would be too late. You would be married to Brad, on your way to Alaska. Or dead.

Somehow, the last thought didn't bother you as much as it should have. It was a welcome relief, and you knew you would prefer that then being tied to Brad for the rest of your life. It hurt, realizing you would never see Jensen again, but you would rather give up your own life than be at the hands of Brad. Besides, you would probably anger him again, and his anger might be too much the next time.

Knowing you didn't have very long until Brad came to take you to the ceremony, you grasped the silky material in your hand, wondering if you could somehow fix it. Brad was true to his word, he would no doubt make you walk out there naked if you weren't able to fix it.

With shaky hands and painful movement, you began pulling at the material, grateful that the under slip was still in one piece. Standing up, you almost fell back down as pain radiated through your body. Groaning, and almost blacking out, you slipped out of your clothes, pulling the thin slip over your bra and panties. The rest of the dress was useless, but you were able to take a piece of the skirt, wrapping it around your shoulders to ward off some of the frigid air creeping into your room.

A smudged mirror sat atop the dresser in the corner, and you hobbled your way over to it, trying to peer at yourself in the dirty glass. What looked back at you was disheartening. Your hair was in tatters around your head, matted with blood or standing on end. One eye was almost completely swollen, your cheek already turning a brilliant shade of purple and blue. Bruises were visible underneath the thin and revealing dress. You looked a nightmare, which fit your life right now.

"Y/N!" Brad called out, knocking on the door. "The priest is on his way! In thirty minutes you will be mine forever and always."

Jensen's POV

Daylight was beginning to show by the time we made it to the sleepy town on the coast. Cars lined the streets, people just beginning to move about for the day. I kept my eyes moving, hoping for a glimpse of the car, Y/N, or even Brad. Anything to let me know we were in the right spot.

I knew that we were close to finding them, and stopping Brad. But without her safely in my arms, it didn't feel like a victory at all.

"Cliff, did they say where the car went?" Jared asked, being the brains while I sat her, my mind frazzled with fear.

"No. This was the last place the car had been seen. We're going to have to try and figure something out." Cliff muttered, making my jaw clench. I wanted to know exactly where the bastard was. The faster I could find him, and get Y/N back, the better.

"So what? Are we just going to drive around town until we see the car?" I grated, frustrated at how things were going.

"We're going to stop, and I'm going to talk to some people. The cops, gas station, those type of people. See if they've noticed anything weird." Cliff explained, easily ignoring my temper.

Staying silent, I watched as he pulled to the side of the road. "Shall we split up?" Cliff asked as soon as we were out of the car.

"Cliff, why don't you go on, I'll stay with J." Jared suggested. Watching as Cliff walked down the street, heading towards the police station, I turned to Jared.

"Where should we start?" I asked him, staring down the street, seeing so many buildings, so many people that might have noticed Y/N. It seemed daunting, but I was willing to do anything to find her.

"Gas stations and grocery stores." Jared suggested. "Should be the first place he would stop when in town. He needed supplies I would think."

"There's a gas station down there." I told him, pointing to the brightly lit sign.

Taking off down the street, I pulled out my phone, making sure it was on a recent picture of Y/N. Stepping inside the gas station, I went straight to the clerk, Jared standing beside me, offering support. "Excuse me, have you seen this woman?" I asked him, and the bored man leaned over, giving me phone a quick perusal before shaking his head no.

"How about this man?" Jared asked, holding out the picture of Brad the police had been circulating.

"Nope, neither one of them. Now listen, either you buy something, or I'm going to need you to leave."

Frustrated, I went back outside, showing Y/N's picture to people as I past them by. Each person said the same thing, making me wonder if we were even in the right spot. The right town.

"Look, don't give up hope yet." Jared insisted as he we began the trek to the next gas station. "Just because they haven't been seen there doesn't mean anything."

"I know Jared. But she's been with him too long, and I'm scared. He's so violate."

Stepping into the last gas station on the road, my heart sinking all the way to my boots, I went up to the cashier. She was an older woman, gray streaking her brunette hair. A pair of fancy glasses sat perched on her nose as she perused the gossip magazine in front of her. Glancing up, her eyes widened as she saw both Jared and me.

"Oh my... it's you!" She exclaimed. "I watched you on that soap opera, and then when you started on Supernatural! I can't believe you're in my tiny little gas station!"

"Hi." I said warmly, hoping that she would be able to help me. "We're looking for someone, and I was hoping you could help."

"You mean Y/N, your fiancée? The two of you are so lovely together." The lady purred. "It made me wonder what she was doing in the back of that SUV with that horrid man."

If you’re enjoying this story, maybe buy me a coffee! :)

Dean/Jensen Tags: @acreativelydifferentlove @a-girl-who-loves-disney @akshi8278 @anokhi07 @bebravekeeponfighting @colette2537 @deanwinchesters-impala67 @ikeneasul11 @its-not-a-tulpa @lenaabs @love-charmer-sketch @ruprecht0420 @sizzlingbearpolice @sleep-silent-angel @sortaathief @superseejay721517 @thesaneone @queen--glitch

Undeniable Heat Tags: @abbessolute @andreaaalove @anxioushomosapien @attackonmikaelson @attractiverandomness @anxuanpham @beatlesobsessionlove @beckawinchester @beltz2016 @bikylove @blacktithe7 @bowtiesarecool6288 @canadianjelly @colette2537 @crowleys-niece @dailyn32102 @dancingalone21 @dancing-b @dancingcapricorn @darcy4 @daughterleftbehind @deansgirl215 @dylanosprayberry03 @earthtokace @fandomlover03 @fangirl-who-dreams @flawsweirdo @gallxntdean @ginger0222 @harleenquinzzel @hillface89 @hotwinchester @iamnotsaneatall @i-is-for-inspiring @imaginesofdreams @imagine-inc @iwriteaboutdean @jarpadobrien @just-another-winchester @katrena7 @keepcalmandbeajunkie @keikoraventeller @kiejera @laurenw1025 @likesiriusly @little-anthony-tommy-ding-dong @lexie-mo @lucifersimapala @madhattercheshirecat @mariazintili @mariajoseplg @mbowles23-blog @mcnuttynut @mellowlandrunaway @miatortilla246 @moonlitskinwalker @my-squirrel-and-moose @mysteriouslyme81 @nayamoralesx3 @peachy-jordyn @petiteserpent @phoenixiax @posiemax @pottergirlpotterworld @redeyedvixen @rosie21395000 @rvenhaighter @satan-squared @shadyshadesofblack @sizzlingbearpolice @sleepdeprivedchildren @snarkpunsandsarcasm @spn-ficfanatic @star-gazer178 @superromijn @superwholock1983 @the-doctors-fallen-angel @theridiculouspanda @thevioletthourr @todorath @vaisabu @vh1015 @wayward-ella @waywardswain @winchesterprincessbride @winvhesters @xdifsx @xthefuckerysquaredx @zima-soldat

Forever Tags(Closed): @16wiishes @amanda-teaches @andreaaalove @angelsandwinchesters @anxuanpham @artisticpoet @atc74 @babydanixox @bambinovak @bea789 @be-amaziing @beltz2016 @benjerry707 @bish-its-me @bohowitch @boxywrites @bradygabrielle-blog @brooke-supernatural16 @brunettechick @buffytheangelslayer @camelotandastronauts @cantsleepian @cascar24 @castielhasthetardis @captainaudreystark @captainemwinchester @captainradicalpassion @chelsea072498 @clairese1980 @createdbybadappreciation @criesateverything @crystal923 @darthdeziewok @delessapeace-blog @destiel-addict-forever @disneychic8 @dixonsvixon2017 @docharleythegeekqueen @dontslurp @dslocum89 @duckieburns @easelweasel @edward-lover18 @eiskeks202 @emmazach @emoryhemsworth @emmysthougts @evyiione @essie1876 @extreme-supernatural-lover @faegal04 @freakintasticfan @freddy-fuckboy-tammy @gabriels-trix @gaia4life @generalgoldfishldrm @ginamsmith @gloria1097 @goldenolaf25 @growningupgeek @haleyhay96 @hetsgrinch @hollandisstilinski @hunterpuff @iliketowrite02 @imboredsueme @impatient-witch @inlovewithbja @iriyelle @ithinkimadorable-67 @iwriteaboutdean @jarpadandjensenaremyheroes @jayankles @jenna-luke @jensen-gal @juatanotherbandgirl @just-another-busy-fangirl @karlee-fay-my-wayward-son @katelynbkool @keelzy2 @likesiriusly @linki-locks11 @li-ssu @littleblue5mcdork @livingasafangirl @loricwizardbluetoastedcake @love-untiltheresnoloveleft @lowlyapprentice @magicalunicorn84 @mariahoedt @marvelandwinchesters927 @maui137 @melissaj616 @mellowlandrunaway @mogaruke @moosesamdeancasbees @mrsbatesmotel53 @mrssamfuckingwinchester @mrswhozeewhatsis @myplaceofthingsilove @my-squirrel-and-moose @nanie5 @naviwhite @nerdybookwormsinger @ohgodjensen @oneshoeshort @padackles2010 @pancake-pages @percussiongirl2017 @pizzarollpatrol @plaid-lover-bay25 @pretty-fortune @procratsinator @quiverhope @randomthings077 @ria132love @riversong-sam @rosegoldquintis @roxyspearing @sai-kida134 @samisimportant @sammysgirl1997 @sandlee44 @saoirsewhittle @sgarrett49 @sgtbxckybxrnes @shamelesslydean @simplycheyenneautumn @spnbaby67 @spnbaby-67 @spn-dscc @starstruck-sugg @summer-binging-spn @superbadassnatural @supernatural-jackles @tardis-full-of-fallen-angels @tatortot2701 @thebikiniinspector @the--blackdahlia @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @thoughtsoftheantagonist @tokentransboy @trashforwinchesters @tunadean @upon-a-girl @vvinch3st3r @walkslikesummeractslikerain @waywardmoeyy @winchester-writes @wonderange @zombiewerewolfqueen

#undeniable heat #jensen ackles x reader #supernatural x reader #supernatural reader insert #supernatural rpf #katy writes

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inevitably-johnlocked · 5 years

Note

Hello, what's the most recent fanfiction you've read?

HAHAHAH OKAY SO. I was legit just going to do “Last XX Bookmarked Fics”, but then I checked when I last did this list and it was in November 2017. I usually wait until people ask me this very question before I post them up. After some deliberation… WE’RE DOING ALL the bookmarks I’ve saved since my last one over a year ago! I’ve been reading longer fics lately and RE-READING some faves because I have this thing where if I read ONE fic I don’t enjoy, I go on this huge spree where I re-read a lot of my bookmarks to counter it, hence why I’ve only under 100 bookmarks in over 1 year, LOL. Anyway, enjoy, in word-count order as per usual! These are ALL fantastic reads, so check them all out!!

I-J’s LAST 86 BOOKMARKED FICS (Nov. 2017 to Jan. 2019)

John Will Never Forget by gelos (bia_mpinto) (NR, 244 w. || Fluff, First Time, Love Confessions) – John will never forget Sherlock’s everything.

New Year, New Beginning by DaisyFairy (T, 810 w. || New Year’s Eve, John POV, Post S4, Friends to Lovers) – New Year at a crime scene and John makes a decision.

Bands by dragonQuill907 (T, 1,017 w. || Established Relationship, POV Sherlock, Anxious Sherlock) – “Her wedding ring. Ten years old at least. The rest of her jewelry has been regularly cleaned, but not her wedding ring. State of her marriage right there. The inside of the ring is shinier than the outside – that means it’s regularly removed. The only polishing it gets is when she works it off her finger.”

The First Night by TheForerunner (NR, 1,043 w. || First Time, Fluff, Non-Explicit, Prose, ACD Canon) – When all was over, Sherlock reached to dress again and John reached to stop him. They sat at opposite ends of the bed and one set of eyes surveyed the other’s set of limbs, and they were quiet in the downbeat, melody suspended. Sherlock was sheepish, and this confused John, who now smelled of his companion and felt they were part of one another.

Secrets by 796116311389 (G, 1,084 w. || Drunk Sherlock, Drunk Confessions, Angst, Fluff, Happy Ending, Pining Sherlock) – “He is the best person in the world and sometimes I get sad because I’m not. Not his best person.”

I love you, I say by khoshekhskitten (G, 1,576 w. || Pre & Post TRF, Hurt / Comfort, First Kiss, Love Confessions) – “I love you” is a phrase that follows John Watson through his life with Sherlock Holmes.

Lost and Found by jaradel (G, 1,750 w. || Post-HLV, John Whump, Est. Rel., Hurt/Comfort) – He’s honestly not sure what’s worse, right now - being where he is, the beaten kidnap victim, or being where Sherlock is, trying to rescue him before it’s too late. Unwillingly his mind offers up the image of Sherlock in a video message, tied to a chair, bruised and bloodied. John squeezes his eyes shut to hold back tears. No, he decides. That would be so much worse.

Like Euphoria and Scotch by FinAmour (M, 1,856 w. || TSo3 Fix It, Five and Ones, Drinking, Pining, Second Person POV Sherlock, Armchair Sex, Cracky and Fluff, Sherlock’s Imagination, Happy Ending) – 5 different ways it all could have gone + the one way it actually works itself out.

Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil by PipMer (T, 1,895 w. || Deaf John, Mute Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, Romance, Fluff and Angst, Character Study, Morse Code, Love Confessions) – John is deaf. Sherlock is mute. There are no two people more suited for each other.

The Lie-In by KendylGirl (M, 2,000 w. || POV Sherlock, Bed Sharing, Fluff, True Love, Introspection) – Five months after his return, John and Sherlock spend a day in bed. Part 2 of When to Let Go

Husband by jinglebell (E, 2,003 w. || Est. Rel., PWP, Anal, Multiple Orgasms, Fluff) – Sherlock orgasms when John refers to him as ‘husband’.

Hell or High water by bluefire301175 (E, 2,250 w. || PWP, Frottage, Alley Sex, First Person POV John, Case-ish Fic, Mutual Pining, Bed Sharing) – John wants. Sherlock wants. Plain and simple.

A Study in Lace by KarlyAnne (E, 2,320 w. || Est. Rel., Crafty Sherlock, Tiny Lace Panties / Lingerie, Domestics, Experiments, Oral, Masturbation) – “Why do you suppose he was doing that?” “Why do I suppose who was doing what?” “The room. The lace. The secrecy. He was playing with fire in everything he did, and didn’t care one bit. But he had a secret chamber, carefully concealed, solely for the purpose of making lace lingerie. Obviously for personal use. Why?“ Part 1 of The Unintentional Crafts of Sherlock Holmes

Thief by KendylGirl (M, 2,430 w. || Rev. Reich., Heavy Angst, Regret, Grief / Mourning, Pining Sherlock, Implied Drug Use, Self-Flagellation) – John has been gone for four months, and Sherlock is not dealing well with it. When he finds a personal item of John’s, the situation reaches a crisis. Part 3 of When to Let Go

Undercurrents by entanglednow (E, 2,996 w. || Disturbing Things, Crime Scene Fetish, Pseudo-Necrophilia, PWP, Masturbation) – “There, that’s it, perfect, shut your eyes and don’t move - and don’t speak.”

Untouched by KittieHill (E, 3,239 w. || Kissing, Frottage, Virgin Sherlock, Body Worship, Sherlock’s Scars Mentioned, Masturbation, PWP, Rimming, Multiple Orgasms) – Sherlock leaked a lot. John had never needed lubricant. John loved watching it, had once spent an entire afternoon edging Sherlock so he could watch as the thick precome drip, drip, dripped onto Sherlock’s belly.

Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down by standbygo (M, 3,282 w. || Post-S4, Five Plus One, Missing Scenes, Parenthood, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hurt/Comfort, Declarations of Love, Fluff, Food, John Whump) – Five times when Sherlock and John ate together, and one time they didn’t. A history of the boys, in food.

The Bee Charmer by dreadpiratewatson (M, 3,314 w. || Est. Rel., Captain / Soldier John, Idiots in Love, Domestics, John in the Army) – Greg goes to 221B to check up on Sherlock after a strange phone call pulls him away from an important case, and is stunned to find himself in front of a gun brandishing soldier with a sleeping Sherlock on his chest. John Watson is a doctor, a war hero, a husband, and the only one in the world who can soften Sherlock’s heart.

Apodyopsis by QuinnAnderson (E, 3,347 w. || PWP, Rough Sex, Table Sex, Anal, Sexual Tension) – Apodyopsis: (æpəʊdaɪˈɒpsɪs) noun. the act of mentally undressing someone. Part 2 of Undressed

Paranoia by Ewebie (M, 3,789 w. || Humour, Drinking Games, Scotland Yard Gang, Jealous / Posessive Sherlock, Inappropriate Questions, Embarrassed John, Matchmakers) – John and Sherlock join the gang of Scotland Yard for a night of drinking, and it gets a bit personal and revealing.

Coldness/Heat by agirlsname (E, 3,790 w. || Cuddling & Snuggling, Body Heat, New Year’s Eve, PWP, Bedsharing, Frottage) – The inn is booked up on New Year’s Eve. The train home is cancelled because of the snow. The only option is to sleep in the non-heated guest room of a client, and John and Sherlock are freezing.You know where this is going. Part 1 of New Year’s Kiss

Jukebox by standbygo (T, 3,990 w. || Fluff, Singing/Music, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Hurt/Comfort, Humour, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss) – After the music halls of Sherlock’s mind palace get damaged by accident, John learns that Sherlock never forgets a song. Even the ones he’d rather forget. But the random singalong brings some unexpected benefits.

Tree Topper by May_Shepard (E, 4,017 w. || Christmas Tree, Christmas Fluff, Drunken Shenanigans, Smut, First Time, Friends to Lovers) – Sherlock and John are celebrating Christmas the best way they know how–alone together, with booze. They’ve almost finished decorating their tree, but John is determined to find the best way to top it.

Things That You Can’t Say Tomorrow Day by PsychGirl (T, 4,022 w. || Post S4, POV John, Cuddling / Snuggling, Hypothermia, Snowed In, Angst, Romance, First Kiss/Time) – Things go horribly wrong while John and Sherlock are on a mission for Mycroft. Now they’re out in the woods in the middle of winter with no coats and no shelter. However will they stay warm?

Lingerie by Sexxica (E, 4,135 w. || Valentine’s Day, Lingerie / Women’s Underwear, Mildly Public Masturbation, Picture Texting / Sexting, Bottomlock, Body Worship, Anal Sex / Fingering, Rimming, Orgasm Delay / Denial, Est. Rel.) – It’s Valentines Day and Sherlock is taking John to Angelo’s for dinner. Sherlock also happens to be wearing a garter belt, stockings and a rather small pair of women’s underwear under his clothes. There’s no dessert at Angelo’s because John needs to get Sherlock home just as quickly as he can before they both lose their minds entirely.

If He Knows by shamelessmash (M, 4,513 w. || TSo3 Fic, Pining Sherlock, Bed Sharing, Angst, Sherlock POV, Texting, Internal Monologue, Blanket Forts) – I imagine mornings: John handing me a cup of tea, hair sticking out at odd angles. How he would bend down to kiss me, smiling fondly as he pulls away. The way his skin crinkles at the corner of his eyes, the way his skin looks in the morning light. The soft sigh as he sits in his chair with the morning paper, the way his toes curl in the carpet, the way he rolls his shoulders before sinking deeper into his seat. I watch him, how he is when he is content, as it should be. As he deserves. Happy. With me.

Captain John Watson, Genetics, and Other Crazy Things by cyerus (M, 5,581 w. || Torchwood Crossover || Humour / Crack, Jealous Sherlock, Sexual Magnet John, Captain John, UST / RST, Three Continents Watson) – The explanation for John “Three Continents” Watson? Jack Harkness is his father. Sherlock doesn’t know whether he’s going to die from jealousy or sexual frustration first.

Times Two by WhimsicalEthnographies (E, 5,595 w. || Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Victorian John, Modern John, Sherlock has a Good Imagination, PWP, Bottomlock, Spitroasting) – “But you’re not that John…”“Of course I am,” John’s lips and mustache brush against Sherlock’s mouth as he talks. “All us Johns are that John, now. That John is in every room in your Palace.” He leans in for another messy kiss, tongue swirling all around the inside of Sherlock’s mouth. “In fact,” he moves to suck on the sensitive skin underneath Sherlock’s ear. “I think I hear him coming right now.”

The Only Available Transportation by blueink3 (T, 5,379 w. || Post S4, Fluff and Angst, Insecure Sherlock, Caring John, Parentlock, Sherlock’s Birthday, Family, Misunderstandings) – It’s possibly the desperation that’s seeped into his voice despite his best intentions, or perhaps it’s just a mother’s intuition, but she knows that whatever he’s calling about is Serious, hangover be damned. “What’s happened?” she asks, tone soft and as comforting as a hot cup of tea on a cold winter’s night. “Mummy,” he begins, voice catching. “I think John may be moving out.”

Talk by illwick (E, 6,364 w. || Dirty Talk, John’s Giant Junk, PWP, Light BDSM, Size Kink, Oral / Anal, Rough Sex, Dirty Talk, Established Rel.) – Sherlock was never much for dirty talk… until an unexpected visit yields unexpected results. Part 20 of Unwind

5687 (Approximately) by prettysailorsoldier (T, 6,771 w. || Est. Rel., Alternate Canon, Christmas, Pining, Fluff, Soldier John) – When John’s leave request for Christmas is denied, Sherlock is nothing short of devastated, not that he’s letting it show. The holiday season now something he’s just waiting to end, Sherlock doesn’t think anything can possibly make it worse. That is, until he realizes no one in his life believes his army “boyfriend” is even real, but, luckily, everyone is in for a surprise. Part 13 of 25 Days of Johnlock

A Kiss and a Cuddle should be Sufficient by Evenlodes_Friend (E, 6,853 w. || Gay Sex Club, Fake Relationship, PWP, Orgies, Rimming, BJ’s, Violence, Case Fic, Voyeurism) – Going undercover, Sherlock and John pursue a vicious killer to a gay group sex party. Not unexpectedly, things get a little out of hand. Set after Baskerville, but before the Fall.

Full Disclosure by Itsallfine (E, 7,032 w. || Bars & Pubs, Fake Relationship, First Kiss / Time, Love Confessions, John’s Army Mates, Three Continents Watson, Semi-Public Sex) – John’s army mates get together for the first time post-discharge and invite John “Three Continents” Watson to join them. If John shows up alone, he knows he’ll be the object of non-stop ridicule all night. Sherlock plays along. John tests the waters.

where the good things grow by anchors (M, 7,066 w. || Tea Shop AU || Alternate First Meeting, Magical Realism, Gardens, Tea, Friends to Lovers) – “I have a magic garden.” As come-ons go, John’s heard worse.

Speak My Language by Itsallfine (T, 7,479 w. || Thanksgiving, Love Languages, Love Confessions, First Kiss, John Experiments in Sherlock) – When Mrs. Hudson introduces John and Sherlock to the concept of the five love languages, Sherlock descends into a dark mood and John’s curiosity gets the better of him. What is Sherlock’s love language, and why does the whole concept set him so on edge? Part 1 of A Holiday Triptych

The doctor is in by PlainJane (E, 7,581 w. || Omegaverse || Sex Therapist, Anal, Hand Jobs, Frottage, Virgin Sherlock) – Sherlock is a young alpha with an aversion to his cycle. John is a gender medicine specialist. Nothing could possibly go wrong… Part 1 of Doctors and detectives

On Favors and Keeping Score by Ewebie (G, 7,622 w. || Hurt/Comfort, Sick Fic, Fluff, John Whump) – John woke up to the horribly unpleasant sound of his clock alarm. Which meant he’d slept through his phone’s alarm. And for a moment he glared blearily at the noisemaker before smacking at it with his palm. Ugh, he felt like rubbish. The back of his throat was burning with the irritation that heralded a proper dose, his nose was threatening to drip every few seconds, and he had the uncomfortable flush that normally suggested a fever. Nothing high, just uncomfortable. Nothing deadly, just irritating. Nothing worth calling in sick with, just a full day of discomfort in the face of other people’s discomfort. It was going to be a day where he was forced to bite his tongue from telling people off. “You’re not as sick as I am, so off you pop.” Part 7 of Tumblr Shorts

On the Steadfast Approach of an Oncoming Darkness by 2bee (T, 7,772 w. || Apocalypse, Minor Character Death, Sort of Parentlock) – The world is ending. Not fast, but slowly, like falling asleep with a fever.

Caves in the Mountains Are Seldom Unoccupied by starrysummernights & TheMadKatter13 (E, 7,925 w. || Were-Creatures, Werebear John, Pseudo Bestiality, Rimming, Dub Con, Rough Sex, Come Inflation / Eating, Size Kink, PWP, Bratty Sherlock, Rutting) – “This isn’t something to play at, Sherlock,” he snapped. “If it doesn’t work out- what you’re asking of me- we can’t shrug and say ‘oh well, at least we tried’. If we do this… I could seriously hurt you. Do you understand? I could lose control. I could… I could kill you.” (This one is… REALLY REALLY kinky, heavy dub-con warning)

Every Night I Look for You by destinationtoast (E, 8,377 w. || POV John, Post-TRF, Angst, Mystery, Unsafe Sex, BAMF John) – Every night, John looks for familiar hints of Sherlock in the men he meets in bars, and he does with them all the things he wishes he’d done before. Eventually, he stumbles into a situation that Sherlock would know how to handle, and John must decide whether he can handle it without him.

Galapogos by anchors (E, 8,460 w. || Hurt/Comfort, Angst, 5 and 1, John Whump) – Somewhere in the depths of the universe, and somewhere in the middle of Sherlock’s chest, a star goes into supernova.

He’s Not Paid Enough to Deal with This Shit by janonny (T, 9,828 w. || Personal Assistant AU || Humour, First Meetings, Snarky John) – One of the first things John did was to write up step-by-step instructions on how to conduct a proper job interview before handing it over to Mycroft for his perusal. There were no kidnapping, deserted car parks or stolen therapy notes anywhere on that list. (Or the one where John returned from the war and ended up working for Mycroft as his personal assistant slash doctor on retainer. Everything was fine, until he was sent to post bail for one Sherlock Holmes.)

How To Give Your Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Know He’s Your Boyfriend the Best Valentine’s Day Ever by unicornpoe (T, 9,832 w. || Valentine’s Day, Fluff and Crack, Soft Sherlock, POV Sherlock) – Sherlock is pretty sure that John Watson is his boyfriend. He’s also pretty sure that John doesn’t know it. But with a little help from a magazine, some friends, three crepes, five dates, one awesome CD, and a stalker van, John is bound to realize just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Rainbow Hearts Retreat by PajamaSecrets (E, 11,638 w. || Fake Relationship, Case Fic, Undercover, Fluff and Smut, Bed-Sharing, Therapy, Humour/Crack, First Time) – “It’s a same-sex couples retreat. For those experiencing troubles in their relationship. Consists of group and couples therapy as well as encouraging socialization between the couples. It’s all in their incredibly dull brochure.” “Rainbow Hearts Retreat,” John read. “Sounds… quite gay.”

Fucking Cake by Random_Nexus (E, 12,965 w. || Pre-Slash, Humour/Crack, Inanimate Object Smut, Frottage, “For a Case” / “Experiment”, PWP / Kinky, Mutual Pining, Fluff) – Sherlock brings home a chocolate cake, John finds him about to have sex with said cake, then exceedingly weird hijinx ensue. Part 1 of “Fucking Baked Goods” - Sherlock BBC

The Nutcracker by Odamaki (T, 13,758 w. || Nutcracker AU || Christmas, Dark Magic, Dolls) – Sherlock is unimpressed with Uncle Rudy’s present. A doll? What does he want with a doll?

I Will Take Care Of You by SailorChibi (T, 16,664 w. || Hurt/Comfort, Sick Sherlock, BAMF John, BAMF Lestrade, Reunion Fic) – Two years after Sherlock’s death, John comes to find him on the sofa. Wounded and ill, Sherlock is convinced he’s hallucinating and refuses to share any details about Moran or the fact that Mycroft has been compromised. That doesn’t stop John from stepping up and taking care of the last of Moriarty’s web, BAMF-style.

Software Malfunction by tiger_in_the_flightdeck (E, 16,679 w. || Android Sherlock, Love Story, Unhappy Ending, Angst) – “You think I can’t love you? Just because you’re made with metal, and detailed programming?” The doctor propped himself on his elbow, and looked down at it. “I am nothing but blood and bone, and tissue. Things just managed get mashed together in a manner that made me like this. Just like you were put together to make you how you are. When I kiss you-” he did so, briefly, to prove his point. Then more deeply, and lingering, because he could. “When I touch you, or smile at you, does it make you feel different from when others have done it in the past?”

Best of Three by SilentAuror (E, 17,473 w. || POV John, 3G Moment, Porn with Feels, Post HLV, Rimming, Denial, Anal) – “You want to have sex with me,” Sherlock announces one evening about a year after John’s divorce. John’s vigorous denial sparks a three-day wager wherein Sherlock is determined to prove his point, and John is determined to hold onto his heterosexuality. Set well after HLV. (Canon-compliant). PORN. With feels.

Between Friends by SilentAuror (E, 18,036 w. || Post S3, Alternating POV, Friends to Lovers, John in Denial, Abduction, Awkward Situations / Miscommunications, Porn With Feels, Blowjobs, Pining, Unrequited, Angst With Happy Ending) – Sherlock gets abducted. As John discovers him tied up naked in an empty storage facility and comes to rescue him, Sherlock’s body has an unfortunate reaction which triggers a series of events. John is convinced that everything will be fine as long as they never discuss it. Sherlock isn’t as sure…

Uncharted Territory by J_Baillier (T, 19,603 w. || Dystopian Future / Black Mirror AU || Alternate First Meeting, Angst, Drama, Homophobia, Bisexuality, Technology, Humour, Romance, Near Future, Happy Ending) – The System puts people through a series of assigned relationships in order to determine who their Perfect Match is. John believes that it works; Sherlock really, really doesn’t. One of them is probably going to be wrong.

whiskies neat by Ellipsical (E, 20,660 w. || Alternate First Meeting, POV Second Person Sherlock, Slow Burn, One Night Stand, Rimming, Blow Jobs, Anal, Soldier John, Crying, Emotional Lovemaking, Switchlock) – Home and hearth and whiskies neat, or, alternatively, Sherlock Holmes falls in love.

When to Let Go by KendylGirl (M, 22,109 w. || Friends to Lovers, Reverse Reichenbach, Sacrifice, Forgiveness, Angst, Love, Implied Drug Use) – What if it were John who had to die to thwart Moriarty’s plans? John’s supposed death shatters Sherlock, and when he returns, it will challenge the pair to forge a path of forgiveness, to peace, and to find a way back to each other. Part 1 of When to Let Go

Dropping the Act by jadztone (T, 27,258 w. || Parentlock, Fake Relationship, Mary’s Family, Post-S4, Cuddling & Snuggling, Bed Sharing, Pining, Christmas) – Sherlock and John are quite happy living together with Rosie in Baker St. They might be even happier if they didn’t act towards each other like their love is only platonic. Mycroft brings troubling news in the form of Mary’s parents wanting to know just what their grandchild’s home life is like. The boys decide to spend Christmas pretending like they are in love in order to seem more like a “normal” family. It’s easy enough to pretend when all you’re doing is dropping the act.

Another Auld Lang Syne by DiscordantWords (M, 30,234 w. || Post S4, Mutual Pining, Alternating POV, Introspection, Parentlock, Christmas, New Year’s, First Kiss, Past Drug Use, Angst with Happy Ending, Drinking, Sherlock Whump) – There had been years of missed chances.

Love or What You Will by miss_frankenstein (T, 31,987 w. || College/Uni AU || Professor John, Ph.D Student Sherlock, Pining John, Poetry, Falling in Love / Slow Burn, Light Angst, Happy Ending) – John is an English professor who specializes in War and Post-War Literature and Sherlock is the brilliant yet impossible Ph.D. student assigned to be his TA because no one in the Chemistry Department is willing to put up with him. And - somewhere between Waugh and Plath, e-mails and takeaway, novels and villanelles - they fall in love.

Chaperones by MissDavis (T, 34,114 w. || 11 Years Post-S4, Fake Relationship, Parentlock, Disney World, Bed / Room Sharing, Friends to Lovers, Fluff, First Kiss, Obsessive Sherlock, Insecure John) – Right. Of course. Everyone assumed they were a couple and no one would question it. John put his elbows up on the table so he could rest his head in his hands. “You want to pretend to be a couple so we can chaperone a trip to Disney World with Rosie’s class and you won’t have to share a room with a stranger?” “Exactly.” Sherlock beamed at him. “Don’t worry about the cost. The Birmingham case last month paid more than enough to cover expenses for all three of us.”

Malediction by MapleleafCameo (M, 36,680 w. || Ladyhawke AU || Magical Realism, Romance, Curses, Eventual Happy Ending) – Cursed to a half-life, John and Sherlock must fight the forces of evil to be reunited once again.

The Unfinished Letters by SilentAuror (E, 37,391 w. || Post S3 / S3 / HLV Fix it, Angst with Happy Ending, Romance, Infidelity, Depression, Case Fic, POV Third Person Sherlock, Love Confessions, Pining Sherlock, Letters) – A fire at Baker Street leads John to read something he was never intended to see: a notebook of half-written, unfinished letters Sherlock wrote during his time away…

Nothing to Make a Song About by emmagrant01 (E, 36,833 w. || Post-TRF, First Time, Reunion, Jealous John, Pining Sherlock, Romance, Angst with Happy Ending) – When Sherlock returned from his faked death, John could not forgive him for the deception and broke off their friendship. Ten years later, John returns to London in search of yet another new beginning. Sherlock, not surprisingly, is waiting.

Set in Stone by SilentAuror (E, 39,309 w. || Romance, Wedding, Therapy, Fluff and Angst) – Sherlock and John are back from Ravine Valley and planning their wedding. However, as they move past the trial of the human traffickers, Sherlock can’t help but wonder if he’s imagining that John is becoming a little distant. Surely he isn’t getting cold feet about the wedding… Part 2 of The Ravine Valley series

In the Still of the Night by SilentAuror (E, 42,234 w. || S4 Fix It / Post-S4, Sherlock POV, Angst, Drama, Romance, Virgin Sherlock, Awkwardness, Misunderstandings / Miscommunications, Case Fic, Travelling, Pining) – As locals on the Northeastern coast begin to report UFO sightings, life at Baker Street becomes significantly awkward as John brings up his desire for more than friendship and Sherlock refuses him. They embark on the investigation from the confines of the tiny cottage Mycroft has rented for them, attempting to navigate both the clues of the case as well as their own inability to communicate…

Bloody But Unbowed by BeautifulFiction (E, 43,211 w. || Abduction, John Whump, Mild Torture, Background Case Fic, Friends to Lovers, Post-TRF / S3 Rewrite, Hurt/Comfort) – When a familiar argument threatens to destroy the last remnants of John and Sherlock’s failing friendship, both men are left questioning their worth to one another. Before either of them has the chance to make amends, circumstance intervenes. John is left at the mercy of his abductors, and this time, he’s not sure Sherlock will bother coming to his rescue.

Lost Without My Blogger by starrysummernights (E, 52,155 w. || Rev. Reich, PTSD, Hurt / Comfort, Fluff / Angst, Psychological Torture, Reunion Fic, Friends to Lovers) – John is abducted and declared dead. How will Sherlock cope without his blogger? How will he react when John comes back from the “dead?” Drama and angst with a healthy dose of romance. Part 1 of I’d Be Lost Without My Blogger

floating through a dark blue sky by Lediona (M, 58,966 w. || Notting Hilll AU || POV John, Celebrity Sherlock, First Date / Time / Kiss, Past Drug Addiction, Angst with a Happy Ending) – Of course, I’d seen his films and always thought he was, well, brilliant – but, you know, a million miles from the world I live in. Or, when John is the owner of a travel book shop and the famous Sherlock Holmes stops in one day.

The Book of Silence by SilentAuror (E, 60,056 w. || S4 Fix It / Post S4, Virgin Sherlock, Rosie / Parentlock, Domesticity, Fluff, Praise Kink, Sex Toys, First Person POV) – As spring blooms in London, John and Sherlock begin to take new cases and cautiously negotiate this new phase of life with John living at Baker Street again. Despite how well it’s all going, John struggles to forgive himself for the way he treated Sherlock following Mary’s death as well as trying to figure out how to finally put his long-time feelings for Sherlock into words. Part 1 of The Book of Silence/Rosa Felicia

Scars by SilentAuror (E, 60,493 w. || Rape / Non-Con / Abuse, Gaslighting, Manipulation, Dub Con Elements, Homophobia, Angst With Happy Ending, Mary is Not Nice) – S3 rewrite, showing Mary’s manipulation of John as he realizes his love for Sherlock. Mary is not having it.

Summit Fever by J_Baillier (M, 78,802 w. || Mountain Climber AU || POV John, Angst, Tragedy, Suicidal Ideation, The Himalayas, Mountain Guide / Doctor John, Mount Climber Sherlock, Loneliness, Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Injured Sherlock / Sherlock Whump, Pining John) – After graduating from medical school, John Watson followed his heart to the Himalayas. Ten years later, he’s a haunted cynic working for his ex-lover’s trekking and mountaineering company. Will leading an expedition to Annapurna I—the most lethal of all the world’s highest mountains—shake John out of his reverie, and who is the mystery client added to the group at the last minute?

Uphill by scullyseviltwin (E, 84,945 w. || Olympics AU || Sherlock POV, Skier!Sherlock / Medic!John, Rivalry, 2014 Olympics, Happy Ending) – Sherlock Holmes is striving for gold in this, his fourth and final Olympics as a downhill Alpine racer.

31_Days_of_Porn_Challenge_2017 Series by distantstarlight (E, 96,540 w. across 31 stories || Prompt Ficlets, Assorted Kinks, PWP) – A collection in response to the 31 Days of Porn Challenge issued by AtlinMerrik! Thanks for doing that because this has been buttload of fun (that joke never gets old). All stories will be brief stand-alone one-shots.

The Baker Street Nativity by SwissMiss (E, 99,662 w. || Nativity! AU || Teacher Sherlock / TA John, Pining, Sherlock POV, UST, Angst, Christmas, Music/Song Fic, Anal / BJ’s, First Kiss / Time) – Fusion between Sherlock (BBC) and Nativity! (2009 movie starring Martin Freeman). Sherlock is a primary school teacher and John is assigned to be his classroom assistant. Together, they are charged with putting on the school’s Nativity play. What could possibly go wrong? Part 1 of The Baker Street Nativity Verse

The Wedding Garments by cwb (E, 105,390 w. || Alternate Future AU || , Alternate First Meeting, Dating / Arranged Marriages, Romance, First Kiss/Time, Heavy Petting, Cuddles, POV Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn / Falling in Love / Dev. Rel., Nervous/Anxious Sherlock, Jealous/Cranky, Hiking, Vacation Homes / Honeymoon, Sherlock’s Family, Horny John/Sherlock, Patient John, Massages, Hand Jobs, Assassination Plots, Hand Jobs / Oral Sex) – This is the story of a young consulting detective who wants nothing to do with marriage and an army doctor who wants to find true love. It’s 2020 post-Brexit England and the British government is encouraging arranged marriages. Candidates meet through state-run agencies and date in hopes of finding love (and tax benefits). Sherlock doesn’t need or want a spouse, at least not until John Watson shows up. Hesitant to give in to his more carnal urges because of the way they derail his mind, how will Sherlock progress toward the more intimate aspects of a relationship? The answer lies in a very special wedding gift. (I’m about a ¾ done this fic and I already know I will be bookmarking it, so here we are! Additional tags will be added to subsequent recs of this fic

Maintenance and Repair by patternofdefiance (E, 106,650 w. || FutureAU, Augmentation || Augmented John, Depression, Body Modification, Slow Burn, Worldbuilding, Sci-Fi, Self-Care, Body Dysmorphia) – John wants to explain the rush of sensation and data, which is just another form of sensation (or is it the other way around?). John wants to say:Augmentation circuits report temperature, pressure, various forms of quantitative input. Sudden changes are reported as pain, since sudden changes are dangerous, and pain is the quickest way to encourage reflexive extraction. But all John can manage is, “Nng.” Because this sudden touch is not reporting as pain. Part 2 of STATIC

A Study in Winning by Jupiter_Ash (E, 106,658 w. || Tennis AU || John POV, Dirty Talk, Mutual Pining, Misunderstandings, Happy Ending, Sherlock Speaks French, Switchlock, Wimbledon) – John and Sherlock are professional tennis players and it’s Wimbledon. One is a broken almost was at the end of his career, the other an arrogant rising star tipped for greatness. It should have been a straightforward tournament. It really should have been. How were they to know that a chance encounter would change everything? Part 1 of Tennis

Eyes Up, Heels Down by CodenameMeretricious (E, 107,845 w. || Sports Equestrian AU || Fluff, Angst, Humour, Rider!Sherlock, Groomer!John, Show Jumping, Slow Burn, Happy Ending) – Sherlock is a top eventing rider currently training at Baker Farms. John is the new groom who’s been told to steer clear of the surly rider and his horses. Part 1 of Baker Farms

The Burning Heart by May_Shepard (M, 119,150 w. || Canon Divergence, Post-TRF, John’s Sexuality, S3 Rewrite, Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV John Watson, John’s Gay) – When Sherlock dies, John Watson feels like his life is over too. He’s completely shut down, until Mark Morstan, a new nurse at John’s medical clinic, catches his attention, and helps him uncover the long buried truth of his attraction to men. Although he’s certain he’ll never get over Sherlock, John plans to move on, and build a new life with Mark, unaware that Sherlock is not quite as dead as he appears, and that Mark is hiding secrets of his own.

The Swan Triad by Pennin_Ink (T, 121,660 w. across 3 works || Swan Lake AU || Magical / Fairy Tale AU, Romance, Falling in Love, Pining, Psychological Torture, Transformation) – Sherlock and John grow up spending every summer together. Their mothers’ attempts to play matchmaker only fuel their mutual resentment and scorn. But then, one summer.

The Horse and his Doctor by khorazir (T, 129,003 w. || Horse / Vet AU || Magical Realism, Horses, Vet John, Horse Sherlock, Implied Alcoholism) – Invalided after a run in with a poacher in Siberia, veterinary surgeon John Watson finds it difficult to acclimatise to the mundanity of London life. Things change when a friend invites him along to a local animal shelter and he meets their latest acquisition, a trouble-making Frisian with the strangest eyes and even stranger quirks John has ever encountered in a horse.

Colors by Quesarasara (E, 140,537 w. || Pleasantville-Inspired AU || Soulmates, Colour Bonds, Alternating POV, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Case Fic, Medical Procedures) – Everyone on earth is born with eyes that see in black, white, and an endless series of greys. When you meet your soulmate, you finally see the world in color. We’re all searching for the person who brings color to our lives. John and Sherlock are no exception. Part 1 of The Colors 'Verse

How to Build a Heart out of Ashes by Teumessian (E, 144,931 w. || Changling AU || Slow Burn, Drug Use, Mentions of Child Abuse / Bullying, Mentions of Student/Teacher Relations, Uni-Age) – In an AU where a small number of the population become Changelings at a young age, at 17 John Watson believes he’s destined for Normal life but then the Change takes him and he is sent to the Baker Institute. There he meets Sherlock Holmes.

Gimme Shelter by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (E, 159,368 w. || 70′s Surfer AU || Period Typical Homophobia, Hawaii, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Professional Surfers, Gay John / Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, John was a Sailor, Misunderstandings) – All John Watson wants is the feeling of a freshly waxed surfboard under his feet and the hot California sun baking down onto his back. To finally go pro in the newly formed world of professional surfing and leave the dark memories of his past behind him as he rips across the face of a towering blue barrel. To lounge beside the beach bonfire every evening with an ice cold beer tucked into the cool sand beside him and listen to Pink Floyd and the Doors while the saltwater dries in his sun bleached hair. That’s all he wants, that is, until the hot young phenom taking Oahu and the Hawaiian shores by storm steps up next to him in the sand in the second round of the 1976 International Surf Competition.

Mise en Place by azriona (M, 161,004 w. || Restaurant (Kitchen Nightmares) AU || Sherlock is Gordon Ramsay / Celebrity Sherlock, Restauranteur John, Harry Plays Prominent Role, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, Cranky Sherlock, Bed Sharing, Slow Burn) – John Watson had no intentions of taking over the family business, but when he returns from Afghanistan, battered and bruised, and discovers that his sister Harry has run their restaurant into the ground, he doesn’t have much choice. There’s only one thing that can save the Empire from closing for good – the celebrity star of the BBC series Restaurant Reconstructed, Chef Sherlock Holmes. Part 1 of Mise en Place

Sketchy by serpentynka (E, 184,053 w. || Post-TRF, Post-Mary, John Whump, Slow Burn Love Story, Case Fic, Art, Porn With Feelings, Switchlock, Travelling, Career Change, Family Secrets, Illness / Health) – What (and who) will be left when nobody cares about your Work? A slow-burn fic with cases, places, mistaken identities, unfair choices, essential changes, violent feels, blatant lies, fearless portraiture, family secrets, high-risk bespoke gifts, durable friendships, bedtime stories, foreign travel and tongues, sickness (and health), and the significance of things which are slow to unfurl – but cannot be ignored. Oh, and…porn. Part 1: Sherlock takes on an obvious case (barely a 4) and meets someone who will force him to re-examine what it means to see. Part 1 of Sketchy

The Gilded Cage by BeautifulFiction (E, 326,887 w. || Omegaverse || Omega Sherlock / Alpha John, Friends to Lovers, Dub Con, Reproductive Rights) – In a world where Omegas are the property of the elite Alphas, locked away and treasured by those wealthy enough to buy them, John never questioned his flatmate’s secondary gender. Sherlock Holmes was an Alpha through-and through. Wasn’t he? A chance discovery turns the world on its head, and John is left grappling to come to terms with Sherlock’s past as events conspire to threaten their future.

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #last bookmarked fics #my fic recs #january 2019 #long post #shakespeareatbakerstreet

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deactivated4179291 · 6 years

Text

The Cure - Part 10 (H.S AU) “Gas Stops and Revelations”

Maverie’s POV

I was awakened to the brisk jolt of the rusty truck stopping. Yawning, I took a look at my surroundings. A metal and red roof structure covered our heads and boxes with hoses that had metal pumps attached formed rows. Addilyn had long fallen asleep in the back of the truck, safely guarded by her sons. Surely she had only been riding up front to try and make me feel more comfortable given the fact that Harry basically hates me. Speaking of the devil, I glanced to my left slightly and noticed him jam the car into park.

“Gas stop,” he said sighing, as he hopped out of the truck, closing the door behind him. I took the opportunity to hop out as well, noting the scattered cars that filled the road near the lot. Surely one of them had to be hot-wire-able. I trudged around to the back of the truck and was immediately met by Mason’s bright smile. He must be a morning person, I thought as I took in the fact the sun had yet to fully rise.

“Morning sunshine!” he said sarcastically, as he took in my tired form. I merely groaned, rubbing my eyes. I noticed he had woken his mother as he received looks from Mitch and Martin.

“Mason, keep your bloody voice down!” Harry whisper-yelled from his stance beside the truck, as he fiddled with what I assumed was a gas pump. His eyes held fire as he was in no mood to tolerate any slip ups this early in the morning. Bags had slightly formed under his eyes and for a moment he appeared something he never would be, which was almost vulnerable.

“Someone else can take the front seat- I’m gonna go look at those cars,” I whispered to the group nodding in the direction of the cars. Harry crossed his arms and stared at me for a moment, before pointing to Mason and beckoning him to join him near the strange structure, forming a come-hither motion with his index finger. Mason sighed before approaching our leader with his hands on his hips. I couldn’t tell what he’d said when he leaned down slightly and whispered something in my friend’s ear, but he soon came jogging towards me before running a hand through his chocolate color curls,

“I’ll go with you, don’t forget I am the one with the lighter,” he said quietly with a smirk. My eyebrows furrowed as I turned back toward Mason who shrugged whilst fighting to get gas out of the black hose. I shook my head confusedly, and turned around following Harry in the direction of the pile-up. The cluster of vehicles included two more pickup trucks – one silver, one black, both Chevys, and a silver Honda Civic.

Harry inspected the area with a dangerous level of stealth, and flagged me over when the coast was clear. We swung the doors of the first car, the Civic, both climbing in practically bumping heads. I was on the passenger side, as Harry examined the inside of the car, reaching his hand somewhere underneath the steering wheel ripping part of it to reveal a bundle of colorful wires that I understood like the back of my hand. He turned his head back to face me, and our faces were merely inches apart. For the first time I had noticed just how beautiful he truly was…his eyes seemed less dark than they had in previous encounters, and his soft plump lips had grown a deep pink from all of the times he would bite and chew his lips as he concentrated on the road.

“You know how to do this, right?” his voice was a mere whisper, and I swear I thought I saw his eyes flicker down to my lips for the briefest of seconds.

“Ya,” I responded at the same volume, nodding slightly.

“Okay, switch then,” he said with a nod, scooting up onto his feet so we could climb passed one another into the opposite seat. Our feet were squeaky against the leather and for a moment I nearly slipped face-first onto the pavement outside the door with a quiet gasp. A firm hand wrapped itself around my arm just above my elbow, pulling me back up. I turned and looked at a wide-eyed Harry.

“Y’alright?” he asked. I nodded quickly.

“Ya..’m sorry,” I mumbled back.

“Don’t apologize,” he responded straight faced. It was so odd, the sudden change in his mood. Surely if I ate it against the pavement he would be..happy? I sighed, stepping out of the car, and lying back so my head was beneath the wires. Looking up, Harry pulled the lighter out of his pocket and handed it to me, before letting me go to work. It was silent for a few moments at I cut the certain wires and tried to start up the vehicle, with my concentrated face in tact.

“I know about your deal with Mason…teaching him how to shoot and what not,” Harry said, finally cutting the silence, I froze for a moment wondering whether he was mad, or he was just stating facts. His voice was monotone yet he almost sounded concerned about the proposition between Mason and I – me teaching him how to shoot and him teaching me how to use a knife, my thoughts were interrupted though as Harry began to speak again, “been thinking I should help him too. We can split the work fifty-fifty, that way you can get more rest when we get to our next stop,” I slowly continued working but took a moment to look up and nod at his idea, “….and, I’ll uh, I’ll help you learn your way around other defenses as well,” he added. I froze, surprised once again. Harry was full of surprises. I lowered my hands altogether and shook my head in confusion.

“Why?” I asked him quietly, sitting up, “…I mean…you hate me.”

“Hate’s a strong word Ms. Jensen,” he said leaning back in his chair. He eyed me with a cheeky half-smirk across his lips, I rolled my eyes but smiled slightly at the fact he was comfortable joking with me. Sitting up still, I grabbed a hold of both wires and by some miracle, started the car. The engine rumbled quietly underneath my legs making me smile. My eyes go wide as Harry says, “I can train you in ways that Mason never could.” I felt my cheeks turn red, but soon realized it wasn’t mean to be suggestive, before turning my head over my shoulder to se him smiling at me over his shoulder before closing the passenger door behind him as he hopped out.

Shaking it off, I slid out of the car, but left the door open for whoever was driving. By the time I caught up the slight hill to the truck Mason had managed to siphon the gas into the truck somehow, as Harry was instructing him and the others to take the car with the full tank of gas. They all made their way over to the Civic, filing in. Mason stared Harry down over his shoulder when he realized I was still riding in the truck, causing Harry to roll his eyes, muttering “Calm down lover boy,” before opening the passenger door for me and nodding for me to get in. I turned back to Mason and nodded assuring him I would be fine, before slipping inside the passenger seat, closing the door behind me before Harry could. I didn’t know that the next few days to come would be the worst of this entire voyage.

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The car ride was silent as we began to finally reach Nevada, and crossed the California border. This may not make sense but trust me when I say we walked a lot, through California and were practically two days away from where we currently drove. The road had been quiet as well- without any signs of human life, nor any of what seemed like the millions of dead that we normally encountered. Harry had been for the most part, not a complete jerk as he had made some small talk with me.

With driver rotating across the next few days we had made excellent progress in our overall journey with two more gas stops throughout. When it finally came time for Harry to drive the truck with me riding shotgun again, he seemed off – as if he had been arguing with someone in the other car about something. Normally, the Civic would lead, in case we came across something that the human blood bag (aka Me) needed to avoid. Given that we had yet to come across anything unusual, Harry started up the truck, and took off with a jolt, causing me to grip the side of the car as the turn had tossed me slightly. He mumbled a quiet sorry, before looking back to the road. The Civic took off following us, as we drove for the next 6 hours or so. The further we drove, the tenser Harry seemed to grow. His knuckles grew tight around the steering wheel. He seemed the most tense when we stumbled across a city sign that read Cherry Creek. He visibly hesitates and closes his eyes for a moment before the truck skids to a stop. I brace myself once more, and send him a confused look. His expression nearly mimics mine as he stares at me opening his mouth to say something before the Civic stops behind us. He purses his lips before yanking the keys from the ignition, and practically jumping out of the car, slamming the door shut. I see him begin to pace with his pointer finger to his lips, as the other tightly grips his hair. Mitch approaches him with his hands placed at his hips, cautiously making his way towards Harry. They appear to argue for a few moments before Harry seems to calm down, re-approaching the truck.

Not a word is spoken as we begin driving once more. The next couples minutes are silent as we enter an abandoned city. A small bridge that Harry tells me used to be for a metro has collapsed into some smaller office buildings. We cautiously make our way through the rickety section of the city and enter a less damaged portion, with boarded up windows, and only scattered cars for us to weave through. We finally reach what appears to be an old bridge, and once we’ve crossed the small city is no longer a threat to us. The next city we reach has an exit to get back on the freeway, which we are about to take when the first living human we’ve seen since the lot of us met comes into view.

#hs fanfic

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