#and do you know what else is funny about the nickname cut-throat bitch-

[hauntedmoors]

ohhhh they did not

#there are so many fucking references to amber’s fate from the very beginning of the season this is crazy #and do you know what else is funny about the nickname cut-throat bitch- #text #house md

[lilbabycee]

bunny // steve rogers (part two) 🐰

READ PART ONE

↳ summary: the reader gets an unwelcome visitor

↳ relationship: soft dark!steve rogers x brat!reader

↳ word count: 5.3k

↳ warnings: sugar baby au, eventual dark steve, daddy kink, eventual smut, mentions of substance abuse, unhealthy coping mechanisms + relationships, the reader is rich and a little bit of a bitch

↳ author’s note: it’s back! :) enjoy my loves! x

chapter two: it was for me too

---

"if you really listen, then this is to you mama, there is only so much I can do tough for you to witness it but it was for me too"

- r.i.p 2 my youth, the neighbourhood

---

You can do nothing but nod dumbly, eyes roaming the large figure standing in front of you. The only thing that snaps you out of your trance is Natasha’s quiet exhalation of breath through her nose, her little laugh making you woman up and place your hand in Steve’s larger one.

“Likewise,” you speak lightly, your words little more than puffs of air escaping your mouth. His eyes don’t leave yours for a second and the longer you look at his face, the more that you start to believe that you know him from somewhere. But he drops your hand the moment that recognition starts to claw at your brain and the up-and-down look that he gives you snaps you out of any deep thought.

“So, bunny,” a teasing voice comes from beside you, causing you to tear your eyes away from Steve’s. From the way he’s smirking at you, you assume that Sam was the one who spoke up. Turning your whole body away from Steve, you saunter up to the handsome man glowing like bronze underneath the warm light and take the drink he pours for you with a sultry smile - and you know that you should never take drinks from strangers but without really knowing why, you already trust this man.

“That’s me,” you throw him a wink, sipping from the glass slowly.

“Where’d you get a name like that?” He pats the arm of the sofa and as your smile grows, you perch yourself on it, crossing one leg over the other. Natasha follows your lead, situating herself on an armchair to your right, in between the couch that Steve sits on and the one that holds you, Bucky, and Sam. You open your mouth about to answer Sam’s question, but Natasha swiftly steps in.

“I gave it to her,” she grins, running a hand through her loose waves. You can see both Sam and Bucky’s eyes follow her movements which makes you laugh a little, the hunger displayed in both the pools of brown and blue almost overtly obvious.

“Why?” Bucky’s voice rasps, his tongue coming out to wet his lips. Your eyes can’t help but follow the movement - you’re not blind and he’s a very attractive man - but you stop short when you realize that someone is searing holes into the back of your neck. Looking to the side, you can see that Steve has sat down in his previous seat, hands resting on thick thighs and legs spread wide.

His eyes are on you - unflinchingly, you note, even as yours meet his; it’s obvious that he saw your eyes glued to Bucky’s lips. You engage in a quick staring match and even though you’re not usually the type to back down easily, the way that your face heats up and his gaze makes you feel has you looking away after merely a few seconds.

Your eyes refocus on Natasha and stay there.

“It’s because she’s like the energizer bunny,” your best friend snorts, taking the proffered glass of rosé from Sam’s hand and taking a sip. Her statement makes all the men laugh - apart from Vision because he’s too busy whispering in Wanda’s ear for him to be involved in the rest of the conversation and by Wanda’s reaction, you can tell that their conversation isn’t exactly fit for public consumption.

Natasha continues, tracing a finger along the rim of her glass, “Once she gets on something, it’s… she’s, like, stuck on it, you know? Can’t get enough of it - she goes crazy over it, gets super excited and stuff. It’s cute-”

You interrupt her with a groan, causing a chorus of laughs and ooh’s to rise from the group. “Nat- I-I don’t even like that nickname anyway. I’d rather you call me literally anything else-”

“Okay, bunny,” Bucky grins at you and you reach over Sam to swat at his very hard arm, all traces of your previous nervousness having dissipated with the alcohol. Your hand comes back sore but to humor you, you suppose, Bucky recoils from you and dramatically sinks down in his chair, wailing exaggeratedly.

“Sounds good, bunny,” Sam joins in, flashing you a cheeky smile that only earns him a blow on his equally thick bicep that leaves your hand stinging but he too rubs at his arm after drawing a sharp intake of air through his teeth. They’re funny, so you throw your head back and laugh - really laugh - and find yourself slipping off the side of the couch and into Sam’s lap. You let out a little squeal as Natasha and Bucky laugh at you.

“Whoa there, bunny,” Sam chuckles, hands immediately coming up to grip your waist tightly. “Slow your roll.”

You scoff and roll your eyes, but you’re only mock-annoyed: “Christ, Sam, take a girl out on a date first.”

The response you get from the man underneath you is mirthful - “You’re the one who landed on me, darlin’” - and causes you to smile, but then you feel it again , his eyes so intently focused on the side of your face. You choose to ignore it because if this guy has a staring problem, he can take it up with-

“-you,” Bucky flicks Sam’s ear playfully. “I get plenty of women.”

“Oh yeah, Barnes? ‘Cause your lap is lookin’ awfully empty -”

And the two go back and forth like this for what seems like an eternity. You know that you’ve lost Wanda to Viz , the seat that they once occupied currently vacant. You kind of want to be annoyed at her because she promised that she’d help you with what you really came here for in the first place, but you can’t because, for the past few weeks, you and Natasha have kind of maybe been avoiding her to some degree because, really and truly, she’s been such an uptight bitch - and you say that in the nicest way possible - so you want her to get some dick in peace so that she can release all of that backed-up tension.

You love her, really, but a sexually frustrated Wanda has the potential to rival your mother in terms of how completely unbearable they are to be around.

You turn to speak to Natasha but then Steve clears his throat loud enough for everyone to hear which causes all chatter to cease. He sighs loudly, running a hand over his bearded jaw before he speaks. You can’t help but take some more time to admire the beauty of his jawline, so defined and sharp that you wonder if it could cut up the skin on the insides of your thighs-

“I mean, while I’d love to continue this,” Steve checks his Rolex, “we should probably get down to what you girls really came for.” His eyes land pointedly on you, and you realize that you’re still sat comfortably on Sam’s lap. You sit back even further, wrapping your arm around Sam’s shoulders. Steve’s fists are clenched so hard that you’re sure that his blunt nails are digging into the palms of his hands.

You decide that you’re not going to move.

“Right,” your best friend leans forward to put her empty glass on the coffee table where your own lies and clears her throat. She then says your name and gestures vaguely to where you’re sitting, “she’s looking for an arrangement similar to what Wanda and Vision have-”

“-and since Wanda isn’t here to help us explain exactly what all of that consists of,” you butt in, pressing your long thumbnail to your lower lip and pushing it into your mouth, “we were wondering if you gentlemen would be kind enough to help us out?”

Natasha’s head snaps to yours, her eyebrow raised in a way that says this is not what we agreed on and you reply with it’s fine, but then she responds with why don’t we just wait for Wanda and you don’t even think that warrants a reply. You give her a deadpan look and she physically holds her hands up in surrender; you both know that Wanda’s not coming home with the two of you tonight. The three men around you look lost so you direct your attention back to them.

“So?” you follow up, sucking lightly on the end of your nail. Even from where you’re sitting, you can see Steve’s darkened eyes - his pupils are blown and they only leave a thin ring of blue around them. The rise and fall of his broad chest has gotten just that little bit faster.

He’s so pretty.

“The arrangements are different for all of us,” Bucky downs the amber liquid in his glass. “So it’d just depend on who you’re interested in gettin’ to know, doll. Got anyone in mind right off the bat?”

Oh wow - you didn’t expect to be put on the spot like this so early into this conversation. But you don’t mind; the pressure or awkwardness that should come with a question like this in a situation as unique as this one doesn’t come. You only smile coyly, batting your eyelashes and looking down.

“Oh, well,” you start shyly, swinging your legs innocently. “I don’t really know about all that yet-”

“It’s alright, bunny,” the voice ignites a fire in your veins so you know who’s just spoken. “We’ll make this decision easy for you. She’s mine, boys.”

This makes you choke yet again, causing you to clear your throat loudly. Your fingertips press down on your cheeks just to see how warm your face really is from this blatant stake of his claim on you. Normally, you’d be the first one to protest, completely indignant that this man thinks that he owns you in any capacity. But there’s none of that kind of passion here; rather, you’re more- no, probably not- no, definitely turned on by his words.

The two other men, much like Natasha did only a minute ago, throw their hands up in acquiescence. In fact, they both seem so moved by Steve’s words that they trip over each other to speak.

“Yeah, that’s all good, man.”

“Sounds good to me, pal.”

There’s a lull in the conversation while you all digest the implications of Steve’s exclamation. You twist your fingers together, scraping your nails against each other.

“So,” you drag out the last syllable. “Is there some kind of… contract or something?”

---

You wake up in a bed that feels far too crowded to be your own. There’s a body wrapped around yours, another set of legs intertwined with yours and an arm draped over your torso. In your groggy state, it takes all the willpower that you can summon to turn your head to the left and check who the fuck is sleeping in next to you in- your bed (???).

The hand of the arm that isn’t currently being pinned down by another human being comes up to rub at your eyes, clearing up your bleary vision so that you can try to successfully identify your intruder.

You could say that you’ve never woken up in a situation like this but that would be a lie and your New Year’s resolution this year was that you’d try to be more honest - so the truth is that this is definitely not the first time that you’ve woken up in a situation like this and if anything, this is probably the safest you’ve felt out of all of those scenarios.

Half of the person’s head is buried underneath the duvet so you squint a little in the obnoxiously bright morning light - you silently curse the sun for not wanting to take a fucking day off today - so that you can try to make out a defining feature of the body on top of you. Once your eyes focus, the mop of red hair spread across the white sheets makes you groan and close your eyes again.

You honestly didn’t have a game plan if it wasn’t Natasha.

Confused, you attempt to think back to exactly what happened last night. Since you’ve woken up with Natasha, you give yourself the benefit of the doubt and assume that nothing too compromising happened last night. After nights like Peter’s, you normally cannot immediately recognize the person next to you, so you’re going to take this as a glass half full kind of moment and call it a plus.

Nothing illegal took place as far as you can remember which is another first for you - apart from your excessive underage drinking but you turn twenty-one in a year so you shrug it off.

Wow, maybe I am growing.

After your conversation with those men - there was no contract - you had sent Wanda a text to let her know that you and Natasha were heading home. There was nothing at this party that you hadn’t seen before, so frankly, your work there was done and you had no more business at Peter’s. Speaking of, you did manage to run into him right before you left just to say goodbye to him - ever the gracious guest - and tease him some more about MJ. Naturally, he turned redder than the burgundy suit pants he was wearing and gave both you and Nat kisses on the cheek before almost running away from the two of you.

That gave you a good laugh.

You were halfway to Nat’s car when none other than Steve Rogers appeared from the shadows to put your number on his phone. He said nothing other than I’ll call you before walking further down the valet parking to get his own car. Natasha beeped her horn at you when she saw you lingering - you were staring at his ass - so you hurried to hop in the passenger’s seat of her black sports car after she shouted for you to get in the Porsche or I’m leaving your ass on the side of the road.

And now your phone rings; you can’t help that the weaker side of your brain wants so badly for it to be Steve. He left you with a promise - albeit a vague one - and you think that you’re going to hold him to that, although you don’t know how exactly how you’d go about that since he’s the one who has your number.

Shit.

Natasha groans loudly at the shrill noise coming from your phone speakers, grabbing a pillow and shoving it over her face.

She says your name exasperatedly, “I thought I told you to put that shit on silent-”

“Sorry, sorry,” you tell her, rolling your eyes because you don’t remember her telling you that, and then you sit up. At this moment, you realize that you actually aren’t in your own apartment and are in Natasha’s very grey and white bedroom that you always have something critical to say about. Reaching for your phone, you’re shocked that it’s not dead and is at a respectable 16%. The caller ID shows you nothing useful - unknown caller - and this only gives you some more hope that it’s the handsome man you met last night. You clear your throat before pressing that green button.

“Hello?” you wince at the dryness of your throat, spying an unopened water bottle next to where your phone lay. You grab it and pop the cap hastily, taking a swig while you wait for the reply of the other person.

A very distinctly feminine squeal makes you sigh in disappointment before you pause, the familiar voice making you smile sleepily.

“Shit- fuck, get out of my way- brother-” the person says your name loudly and you know by the rich accent and the impatient tone that it’s-

“Shuri,” you muster up as much enthusiasm as you can for a call this early in the morning - you pull your phone back from your ear to see that it’s actually already 10:33 a.m and wince - because you are actually genuinely excited to hear from your Wakandan best friend. Natasha pulls the pillow off her face at the sound of the girl’s voice through the speaker, and a grin of her own lights up her face.

“Hi, bitch!” Shuri yells and you close your eyes, shaking your head but smiling nonetheless. “I’m almost at your place - I’ll be there in ten.”

You can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of your chest and you rub the sleep out of your eyes. “Whose phone are you calling from? And Shuri, I’m not at home right now-”

“‘Koye’s - mine’s dead and in the back. Are you with Nat?”

“Well, yeah-”

“Are you two fucking? Without me? ”

The redhead next to you can’t contain her laughter either, curled up in the sheets next to you gasping for breaths.

“Sorry to break it you like this, babe,” you play along. “No, Peter had a party last night-”

“I know - I heard about it. Sounded like fun, but my Baba and I had to do some appearances in D.C yesterday before we came to this goddamn crowded city- brother, I’ll call it whatever I want to call it - Bast, get out of the car.”

There’s some rustling and the sound of a car door slamming before Shuri releases a deep, tired breath.

“I didn’t know you were coming this week,” Natasha has sidled up next to you, resting her head on your shoulder so that Shuri can hear her voice after putting your phone on speaker.

“Neither did I,” the Wakandan princess snorts, the sound of deafening car horns and faint yelling in the background almost drowning out her lilted tone. “It was kind of a last-minute decision. But enough about me - you don’t care about all this stuff. I heard you guys met with Bucky Barnes last night-”

“How do you know Bucky?” You frown, picking at your nails.

“Long story,” she says flippantly, sighing before clearing her throat. “But that’s not the point - I know what kinda guy Bucky Barnes is. What kinda business did you two have hanging around people like that?”

“Well, I wanna hear the story-”

“Shut up,” Natasha doesn’t even look at you when she says the words. “We’re- actually, it’s not even me- she’s looking for a-”

“-sugar daddy?!” Shuri exclaims so loud that both you and Natasha flinch as you move the phone further away from you. Maybe putting her on speaker was a mistake. “What- no, Okoye, not me...yes I’m sure,” the princess’ voice becomes more hushed, “bunny...what do you of all people need a sugar daddy for, miss princess of New York?”

Nat chortles louder than you like so you shoot her a glare, smacking a pillow over her face before redirecting your attention back to the confused girl over the phone. “Daddy cut me off and-”

Shuri;’s laugh is completely mocking and would definitely be offensive if it were anyone else, but you can do nothing but sit there and pout. Natasha’s laughter becomes louder and you roll your eyes, standing up and stretching your arms over your head. You throw your phone at your best friend, causing her to almost fall off the side of the bed trying to dodge it.

“Shut up, both of you,” you scowl. “Shuri, let me know when you’re here - I’m going to go take a shower and reflect on my taste in friends. You guys are both the worst-”

Already halfway inside the en-suite, you only hear a faint chorus of “ We love you too!” before the lock clicks behind you.

---

When you stroll out of the private elevator that leads directly to your apartment, you’re staring at something funny that Shuri’s sent you on Instagram as you walk through the front door, a blindingly white smile on your face. The chunky black and white Balenciaga sneakers on your feet pound the floor lightly and your hand comes up to tug absent-mindedly at one of the strings of Natasha’s black hoodie before running it down the leg of the matching cycling shorts. You push your sunglasses to the top of your head, the minty flavor of your gum filling your tastebuds and the loud sound of your nails clicking against your phone screen echoing against your high walls and tall ceilings.

The sound of a throat clearing makes you blink hard, your eyelash extensions brushing your skin as you look up to determine the identity of your intruder.

Once you see who it is, you physically are unable to prevent the loud “fuck” from falling from your lips. So when she stands up from your couch in your living room with her arms folded over her breast implants and her full, fake lips pursed while her eyebrows shoot to her hairline, you can’t help but laugh, surprised that she can still look like a raging bitch with all that botox in her face. 

Her grating voice squeaks your name indignantly making you roll your eyes as you drop your oversized black bag by your shoe rack. Kicking off your trainers, you breeze right past her and flop down on one of your sofas, the plush material soothing your aching bones.

It’s been five days since Peter’s party and since then, Wanda had given both Bucky and Sam your number upon their request - you’ve been texting them all week. As much as you love your friends, these men are hands-down two of the funniest people that you’ve ever met. Despite your frequent conversations with his two best friends, there’s been radio silence from Steve Rogers. You don’t want to give these men the impression that you’re desperate - even though that’s exactly what you are - but you’re getting impatient. You don’t chase anybody; not once in your entire life has anyone made you work for their attention, so this whole situation is making you antsy.

You’ve just returned from the gym with Sam and Bucky where you were shocked to turn up outside only to see the two men shirtless, a huge but not unwelcome surprise in more than one way - “you have a fucking metal arm?!” - and it was truly a gift from above to essentially watch them work out from your place on the treadmill. You couldn’t even run - you almost fell on your goddamn face - because you were so distracted by the strong, glistening men across from you. You had instead slowed to a walk, texting Natasha and Shuri, sending them videos of these gorgeous men lifting seemingly impossibly heavy amounts with such ease and agility.

You couldn’t deny that it was making you feel things.

They then insisted that you should come and lift with them because “it’s rude to stare, bunny” and that was definitely less fun than just watching them.

And now here you sit, lounging carelessly and purposefully ignoring the presence of the woman sitting across from you. She sighs loudly, drumming her freshly-manicured red claws on the armrest of the couch, her eyes glued onto your face. Clearing her throat louder this time, you can feel the heat of her gaze on your profile burn hotter.

“Honey, are you just going to let me sit here all day?” your mother whines - like a child, you think - and flicks her hair face from her face.

“Yup,” you pop the ‘p’ and then fall silent, chewing your gum audibly, satisfied when you see her eye twitch in your periphery.

The two of you sit like this for a while, the deafening quiet weighing heavily on your mother’s shoulders. She’s always been a woman who’s liked to talk, fill moments of peace with mindless chatter and you’ve hated it all your life.

“Stop slouching,” your mother suddenly snaps, letting out yet another sigh, but one of relief as if it’s been painful for her to hold in her chest. With the silence effectively broken, you give a sigh of your own and finally meet her eyes, the same pretty color as yours shining back at you like a mirror. Then you assess the rest of her: the bleached blonde extensions, over-lined lips, and the designer coral pantsuit. You hold her gaze as you slip further down onto the couch, your posture even more relaxed than before. She narrows her own at you and a Chesire cat grin spreads on your face.

“You didn’t come here to correct my posture, mother,” you tell her, looking back at your phone, “so to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You haven’t been returning my calls,” she arches an eyebrow, dusting an imaginary piece of lint off of her pants, “even though I told your dad to tell you when you called him a week ago-”

“You don’t think there’s a reason that I’ve been dodging your calls?” you ask rhetorically, running the pad of your thumb over an eyebrow. Your birth giver cocks her head at you curiously, as if she’s truly confused as to why you don’t seem to like her-

“I don’t know why you don’t like me,” she states airily, examining her nails contemplatively. Your eyes dart back to hers in surprise, your jaw literally dropping because you’re that floored. “I’ve been nothing but kind to you-”

“Get out,” you say quietly, immediately shutting her up.

“What did you say to me?”

“I said get out,” you repeat, tossing your phone onto the couch behind you and standing up swiftly. Your mother is still sitting across from you, so you gesture with your hands so as to emphasize your point. “You should be lucky I haven’t fucking blacklisted you from this apartment-”

She exclaims your name, “-don’t cuss at me-”

You power through, “-after all you’ve done to me - so what I mean, mother, is get the fuck out of my apartment!”

Your voice carries through your home. When the echoes finally stop, the woman in front of you turns her nose up at you, clutches her taupe Birkin, and clicks those stupid stilettos all the way to your elevator. When she presses the button, she turns around to glare at you, failing to notice your defensive stance or how you’re fighting tears that you thought you’d already spent years crying out.

“Your father will be hearing about this,” she smirks and the doors open, bathing the side of her face in bright, artificial light. You don’t even look at her as the elevator chimes and the rose gold doors slide closed. But when they do, all of the breath leaves your body in a loud sob, your shaking hands coming up to wipe at your eyes.

The ringing of your phone interrupts you, the caller ID a number that you don’t recognize. In your current state, you answer it unthinkingly, not even registering that you’re about to be speaking to a total stranger.

“Hello?” You sniffle over the phone, running your sleeve over your cheeks to rid them of any tear tracks.

The person over the line greets you by saying your name in a deep tone that shoots straight to your panties, meaning that you know exactly who this is. It’s the call you’ve been waiting for the whole week and of all times, this is when he decides to pick up his damn phone and remember that you exist?

Motherfucker.

“Steve,” you breathe, gulping down large amounts of air to try and keep any residual tears at bay. “I-, uh, hi.”

His chuckle on the other end of the phone causes your cheeks to heat up because it should be illegal to sound like that. “Hi to you too, bunny-” you interrupt him with a shaky breath that’s louder than you anticipate, “-hold on, have you been crying?”

Shit, you think, massaging your temples. “Yeah,” you admit, sniffing again. It’s likely that your ears are deceiving you, but you think that you hear him groan, a sinful sound from deep in his throat that makes even more moisture pool in your underwear. “It’s not a big deal though - it’s nice to hear from you.”

“Are you doin’ okay?” he asks softly, making your heart do little flips in your chest.

“I’m fine,” you state almost automatically, hoping to brush off any concern and move on. You walk over to your fridge, scanning the contents before your eyes land on the row of clear, blue-capped bottles with a pink flower on the front. You put your phone on speaker and place it on the counter as you snatch one of the bottles of water from the shelf, cracking it open and taking a long swig from it.

“You don’t sound fine,” Steve protests, sounding borderline amused. “Maybe you can tell me all about it when I take you out to dinner tonight.”

He tells you mid-swig and of course, there’s no way for him to know his, but you’re so taken aback that you falter, subsequently choking on all of the water in your mouth. The coughs that wrack your body are violent, and there’s a burn in your throat from the strength of your body’s automatic reaction. You have to shut the fridge door and turn around, bracing a hand on the island counter where your phone lies.

“Sweetheart?” he probes, probably holding back a laugh but you can’t really discern whether or not that’s true over the ear-splitting sound of your coughing.

“Sorry, sorry,” you apologize, wheezing through the paralyzing attack on your body. “That sounds great - where are we going?”

You finally recover, taking another - slower - sip of your drink, tears stinging your eyes.

“Hey now,” Steve laughs again, and you can’t help but notice how carefree he is now compared to the night you met him. It makes you smile. “That’d be telling. Just be ready by 8 - I’ll get my driver-”

“-oh no, that’s okay - if you give the location to my driver, he can take me-”

“No,” his voice is booming, even through the phone, and it gives you pause. His authoritative tone should’ve made you cry, especially with all that’s happened in your past, but instead, a tidal wave of desire makes you shudder and threatens to pull you underneath the surface. “My driver will pick you up at 8,” he repeats and you press the power button on the side of your phone so it shows you the time: 2:49, “and I’ll send over something appropriate for you to wear. Are we clear?”

“Yeah,” you exhale, sinking your teeth into your bottom lip.

“I asked if we were clear, sweetheart,” his voice has taken on a warning tone now and you can’t deny the heat that courses through you.

“Yes, sir,” you give him the answer almost instinctively, frowning afterward because you feel like you’re in school.

“Good girl, bunny baby,” he coos and it’s this that makes you almost audibly moan.

You? A praise kink?

Absolutely.

“I’ll see you then, hmm, honey?” he prompts you to respond. Normally, you don’t let anybody that you’re romantically involved with call you honey because it reminds you so acutely of your mother, and you suspect that she knows that which is why she keeps calling you that stupid nickname. But with Steve, you already feel like you’re in no place to be making demands.

And for the first time in your life, that doesn’t bother you all that much.

“Yes, Steve,” your eyelashes flutter and you squeeze your thighs together, trying to ease yourself of the growing discomfort at your most sensitive area.

“Good, good,” he speaks, sounding distracted. “I’ve got a meeting now, bunny - talk later.”

You don’t even get an opportunity to say your own goodbye before he ends the call. You save him to your contacts quickly before you forget, and then a thought hits you that makes you freeze.

How does he know your size and - more importantly - how the fuck does he know where you live?

tagged: @evnscvll​ @donutloverxo​ @stargazingfangirl18​ @literaturefeen​ @smutdiariess​ @90sinspiredgirl​ @cruelsummer-s​ @honnneyybee 

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers fanfic #steve rogers blurb #steve rogers blurbs #steve rogers headcanons #steve rogers headcanon #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers imagines #marvel cinematic universe #marvel fanfiction #sugar daddy au #soft dark steve rogers #sugar daddy steve rogers

[operationcavill]

Untangled - Part 2

“Would ya look who’s here,” Y/N’s heart drops and she can’t bring herself to turn around. There’s no way he’s here for a second time. “He’s wearing a white henley,” her sister leaves with hopes that her little sister gets some juicy gossip and most importantly, breaks out of her shell. A white henley was her weakness on any man but Henry, she was done for.

Inspired by: Butterflies // Kacey Musgraves

Y/N - Your name

S/N - Sisters name

B/I/L - Brother-in-Law

B/N - Brothers Name

It’s been exactly one week since Henry met that funny girl at the bar. Y/N. Even her name sounded sweet. He couldn’t help but think about her legs, and how nice her ass looked, but he also couldn’t knock the thought of how shy she was and how cute her blushing mannerisms were; her fingers fiddling with the neck of the beer bottle or thumbing at the necklace she wore. Y/N just radiated something, and it was too enticing to him. Those fingers and the way her nails would feel digging into his scalp when he,”Hey, Henry,” a PA snaps him out of his daydream, “it looks like rain isn’t letting up so they’re halting until it passes. See ya tomorrow.” He nods and sends a text to his brother who is currently keeping Kal company while he’s working overseas.

H: Did Kal get a walk in today?

B/N: Took him and the kids out twice. Checking in early today. Got plans this evening?

H: I haven’t decided but probably just going out to dinner with some work mates again.

B/N: Liar.

H: What?

B/N: You’re gonna go back to that bar.

H: Hey, it was a nice bar.

B/N: It was a nice girl.

H: I can’t forget a cute face.

B/N: Alright lol be careful out there

Henry slides his phone in his pocket and heads to his car. The grey clouds bring him back to that evening on the patio once again. He was so hung up, just after a couple of hours. What’s gotten into him? His drive back to the hotel was quiet. He was trying his best to concentrate on the car, just the care and nothing else. But maybe she’d let his hand rest on her thigh while he drives. Would she hold his hand on the way back his room?

He exchanges nods with the hotel staff he passes on the way to the elevator, being him usual polite self even when exhausted.

——————————

Henry watches a small group enter the bar and to his enjoyment, she walks in with them. He excuses himself to the restroom, but his fellow crew mates know better, he’s going after her. He rolls his eyes at their snickers but lets out his own chuckle.

“Would ya look who’s here,” Y/N’s heart drops and she can’t bring herself to turn around. There’s no way he’s here for a second time. “He’s wearing a white henley,” her sister leaves with hopes that her little sister gets some juicy gossip and most importantly, breaks out of her shell. A white henley was her weakness on any man but Henry, she was done for.

“Hey there,” He looked even better than before. The Shirt.

“Hello.” She hopes he can’t hear her heart pound in her chest, “Becoming a regular, are we?”

“What can I say? I like a good cocktail,”

“Benny does know how to make on hell of a drink.” She winks at the bartender and they share a laugh.

The bartender blows her a kiss, “Anything for you, Tequila Princess,”

He raises his eyebrow and smirks, “Tequila Princess? What is it about you and tequila?” He becomes confused as Benny scoots two shot glasses in her direction.

Y/N sighs as she turns toward Henry, “Thanks, Benny,”

He glances at the small glasses, “I’m actually not a tequila guy.”

She laughs, “These are both mine.”

“Oh,” He’s adorably wide-eyed, “is this that trick your sister mentioned?”

“Yes,” Y/N holds the two glasses in front of her face, “cheers, Henry.” After placing both shot glasses in her mouth, she rest her hands on her thighs, throws her head back and gargles the liquid before swallowing. She took the drink with absolutely no grimace or chaser, no salt or limes. Her face is completely still as if it were water. “and that is the trick. It’s not exactly mind-blowing and it’s a gross sound.”

“What the hell,” He backtracks in case he offended her “I mean, how are you not positively sick right now?”

“I can’t taste it.” He throws her a look, “It doesn’t burn or anything. So, in school I told a few friends that I couldn’t taste tequila. They dared me to gargle it to prove it, and being young and stupid, I did. That’s where the Tequila Princess came from.”

“Am I entitled to use that nickname?” He’s so handsome.

“Only if you want me to walk away right this second.”

He surrenders his hands in the air, “I shall never call you Tequila Princess ever again.”

“Good,” He offers her a beer but asks for a water instead, “thank you.” Henry looks visibly tense as the bar gets a bit more crowded. She can sense it in him, he’s getting a nervous. She assumed he would be used to it.

“Hey, look, our bench is free.” He liked that, that they had a bench. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been good, tired, but good.” He looks into her eyes and notices that they’re a darker shade than before, “How was your week?”

She smiles sweetly, “It was great, actually. Sorry to hear that you’re tired.”

Y/N is turning Henry into a puddle of mush with her kindness, “S’alright. We actually cut it short today cause of the rain.”

Pointing at her sister and brother-in-law, “Those two almost didn’t want to come this weekend because S/N hates driving in the rain.” He admires how close she must be with S/N, and wonders if they fought like monsters as he did with his brothers when he was young, do sisters do that?

“Do they visit every weekend?”

“No, you just happened to be here when they do visit,” Something splashes and she hears a playful, ‘oops’. She looks up to find a very beautiful woman holding an empty glass and a grin you could compare to the Cheshire cat.

“I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t ruin your, um, shoes.” She looks at Y/N’s boot with what seems to be distaste.

“It’s ok, we all get a little clumsy.” Y/N is not the type to be confrontational, especially when she knows people are watching, “I’ll just go get some napkins.”

Henry interjects, “Please, let me.” He gets up so quickly that the woman in the conversation can get a word in.

Her eyes follow his behind before turning back, “Listen, I don’t want to come across as a bitch, but there’s so many guys here at this bar that are on your level.”

Y/N raises her eyebrows, “My level?”

She clears her throat, “Yeah, like you’re super adorable but come on.” She’s younger than Y/N. She has those extra long legs and perfect eyelashes, her boobs still up to her neck.

The frustration in her chest grows as she tries not to put little miss spider legs in her place, “All I had to do was smile to get his attention. You had to interrupt us and spill your drink on my shoes.” S/N notices the glare in her sisters face, this doesn’t seem friendly at all.

She makes her way over, trying not let Y/N notice. She hears her hold her own, which isn’t surprising but she knows her anxiety can get the best of her. She almost wants to laugh at how bold this girl is. S/N knows she’s very nosy but this is her little sister, is she supposed to ignore such a situation? She peeks and sees Henry eyeing the two as well. He’s not that far away, he has to be hearing this.

Spider legs rolls her eyes, “He’s just really-“

Henry arrives with the napkins, bending down to wipe off her boot, “Really into the conversation we were having, excuse me.” He stands, turning his back to the woman before sitting down. He’s not sure who is more shocked, this rude woman or S/N as she pretends not to eavesdrop behind a topiary. “You are adorable, by the way,” He wipes her knee, even though there isn’t a trace of liquid on it, “Beautiful, really.”  The secondhand embarrassment is almost too much for Y/N to bear, why is spider legs still stand here? I feels like an hour before she finally marches off.

“That was sweet of you,” Her voice is smaller than he expected but he can see the rose tinge in her face, “thanks.”

He gives her a full smile this time, “I have a feeling things might have gotten a bit out of hand if I didn’t step in.”

She scrunches her nose, “I’m not exactly argumentative, but —”

“Not you, Darling,” Darling, “your sister his trying to hide, just there.”

Y/N watches her sister rush off from behind the plant and act like she didn’t hear a word, “Jesus, S/N.”

He was completely sure of it now. Henry was more than intrigued, he wanted every part of her, “You’re very feisty.”

“Feisty?” She’s never heard that one before.

Henry does his best to put on a feminine impersonation, “All I had to do what smile to get his attention,”

“Shut up,” She flirtatiously swats at his hand, “being shy or, like, reserved, doesn’t make you a doormat.”

Henry could grab her and kiss her right here on this bench, their bench. “Come on. Let’s get back to it,” He nudges her leg with his elbow, “what do you do? Tell me some fun facts.”

"Fun facts?” She clasps her hands, “Ok. Um, well, I’m a painter, sometimes photographer. I live in a tiny apartment with a loud neighbor. I like crime books, like to read when I can. This is not my natural hair color, and I actually don’t care for alcohol that much. People are usually surprised by my tattoos. I also have an obsession with travel sized toiletries. Hows that?”

He’s always gone for the creative type, he should’ve guessed it, “A painter with tattoos who likes to read, and likes tiny shampoo. Got it.”

“Your turn,” She takes a sip of her water, “oh, you can’t say acting because that’s too obvious.”

“Hmm, Ok, I like coffee over tea. I’m really into horror movies and gaming. I enjoy cooking but hardly get the chance. I hate running. I think people who sleep in socks are complete psychopaths. I also like to read. Like visiting home. God, I sound boring,” he laughs, “what else? Ah, I really like mornings. I like working out first time in the morning.”

“You’re not boring at all,” She smiles, “I can’t say that I like working out. I like to cycle, but that’s about it.”

He blurts out, “That explains it.” Oh no. Did he just accidentally talk about her ass?

“What?” To his horror, he has no way to recover from his remark.

He tries to change the topic, “Oh, nothing. You need another water?”

Y/N narrows her eyes, “No, explains what?”

As her sister walks by and hands Y/N a plastic cup full of lemons. She matter of factly states, “He’s talking about your ass, idiot.”

“Ohh,” This time they both blush. Henry hasn’t had cheeks this rosy since he was a boy.

“I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.” He awkwardly bites his lip and tries not to die of embarrassment, “Well, um, anyway, I’m, uh,” Y/N looks up at the sky and jumps as she gets a chill. He watches her tear into a lemon wedge, “Are you just eating lemons?”

“I like sour things,” Her eyes squint, as if she’s expecting something.

He tries to see what she’s seeing, “What are we looking at?”

“It feels like it’s gonna rain again.”

He shakes his head, “Nah, I think we’re ok,” He watches her eat another wedge, “do you two have some sort of lemon ESP?”

“Of course, we’re sisters. I didn’t check the weather but it definitely seems like it’s gonna rain storm.” She scrunches her nose again, he takes note that it must be a habit of hers.

“I hope not, I like sitting out her with you.” Henry listens to her go one about how her and her sister have always just ‘got’ each other, more so than others with their own siblings. She has a best friend, B/F/N, that she has a very similar relationship with. They share stories of their teen years and the dreaded mishaps that are the early twenties. Henry, with beer in his mustache, says, “I should’ve grabbed more napkins,” he wipes his mouth, letting Y/N see the time on his watch. She grabs his wrist to get a better look, but doesn’t state the time. He looks, “Oh, it’s almost 3 hours since I got here,” He checks his phone to see that his fellow co-workers let him know they were headed back to the hotel. It’s just him now.

She opens her mouth to speak but a large rain drop hits her forehead, making her go a little cross eyed, “Well, would ya look at that?”

“I’m sure it’s just a little bit of sprinkling.” Theres a sudden crack of thunder and the sky lights up, welcoming an instant downpour.

He makes sure Y/N gets back inside first, wishing he had a jacket to cover her with, “I told you it was gonna rain.” He absentmindedly tries to cover her head with his left arm, but he was too late. Her hair has fallen victim to the chilly October rain, as has Henry’s clothing.

She can’t help but look at his body, just like the rest of the women in the bar, “You alright?”

“Yeah, just a little cold,” She wants to tell him that his shirt is sticking to him, making him look like a greek god. That god damned henley.

Henry awkwardly shifts, pulling his shirt from his skin, “It is kind of cold, isn’t it?”

S/N arrives and he knows this is his last chance with Y/N, “We’re gonna go back to the hotel before it gets bad out here. Johnny said he’d stay, if you want to stay.” S/N Looks at Henry and back her Y/N, wanting her to take a chance.

“No, I’ll come,” She looks at him, hoping to God her mascara didn’t run too much, “Well, um, I’m going to go before it get worse but it was wonderful seeing you,” She touches his arm only for a few seconds, “maybe I’ll run into you again.”

“Hopefully,” He watches her leave, thanking whoever invented the stationary bike, but already missing the conversation. Her icy fingers gave him goosebumps of his own, but he welcomed it. They were soft and he liked her sparkly nail polish. It reminded him of a hot wheels truck that his nephew gave him. He loved how cozy she looked and, shit, Henry didn’t give her his number. He forgot twice. He thinks to himself, “What the fuck is the matter with me?”

[Note: Please excuse any writing mistakes. Thanks for reading 💕 ]

#my posts #henry cavill #henry cavill x you #henry x you #henry cavill x female reader #henry cavil fanfic #text #henry cavill fluff #untangled #writing #my writing #hc #fluffy #DC #superman #actor henry

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Humans are Space Orcs, “Tanana.”

This was super fun to write this morning. A little bit funny, and I always enjoy hurting Adam a little, accept in a fun way this time no angst.

Hope you guys like it :)

Just a little bit closer.

The small creature looks on innocently munching on a crop of moss. It has four large eyes, two on either side of it’s head, six legs and is about the size of a small to medium-sized dog. It has really long ears, and if it stays still long enough, it’s going to be my dinner.

I scoot closer over the rock arm raised to the low ready, the spear clutched tight in my right hand.

The creature lifts its head.

Shit, it must have heard me. In my panic, I make a decision out of haste and throw the spear. It goes wild and clatters across the stone. The Drev rabbit takes off, and I am left standing stupidly in the middle of the open field weaponless and looking like a jackass.

“Tsa din dasdarish darat?”

I nearly leap out of my skin, turning around to find Hijan standing a few meters behind me near a coiltree.

“Shit, hijan, do you really have to sneak up on me like that.” 

The old drev looks at me in amusement. I Know she doesn't understand most of what I am saying, but somehow I  think she still gets it.

“Zha deengan.” I say, one of the first phrases I learned how to use. Being able to say I’m hungry is very important in any foreign language.

She tilts her old wizened head at me, “tsa tin danehanish ee dengish?” You were going to kill and eat that?

I shrugged, “Yid zha deengan.”

She crosses her arms, a habit she’s picked up from me, “ene tsa deengan datadish zha dadee sa deeng datahaik.” IF you were hungry I would have given you food.

I sigh, she wouldn’t get it, but still she walks over and hands me a miss twist. I call them that because of their distinct shape, kind of purple and in a strange sort of spiral. When you dry them out they are crunchy like chips though not particularly salty.

I munch absently on the weird plant? Fungus? And she absently plays with my hair. I try to shrug her off, but she’s a lot like my mother in the way that she won't let me be. I am about 100% sure she thinks I am one of her Drevlings. Which has caused a bunch of interesting changes in my life as of recently, not one of which was her decision that I wasn’t colorful enough.

Apparently Drev see humans a lot differently than we do. They can see the way the UV light interacts with our skin. She describes thousands of little spots which turn into swirling stripes. When I asked her to describe the color she said it was similar to turquoise or blue, though I obviously can’t imagine it.

Makes me jealous as hell though.

However, she said my “Carapace” wasn’t colorful enough. When I asked her what she was on about she clearly meant my hair and my nails, which are made up of similar stuff to the Drev carapace.

Long story short, I now have green hair and nails.

Yeah yeah, laugh all you want, but whatever the hell she put in my hair is not coming out. And when I say green, I am not talking like a nice moss green or forest green. I am talking like the color you paint your new Lamborghini kind of electric green.

Not to say that I haven't had my nails painted before, but never this color, and never in tandem with bright flaming green hair. Don’t know why everyone associates me with the color green. I would say it was only my second or third favorite color. Either way, I look super weird as of late, green hair green nails, no shirt, no shoes, and a slowly expanding five-o-clock shadow.

You know I am not a big fan of beards, mostly not a big fan of them on me, but I forgot to bring a razor, so in that department I am kind of fucked.

I mildly wonder if she is going to make me dye my beard green when it finally grows in.

She makes me grab my spear, grabs me by the hand and drags me back towards the village. She doesn’t let go of my hand. I don’t try to fight her, she is stupidly strong, and despite being a grown ass adult, I am apparently her child now.

The other drev find her adopting me very, very funny, but at least now that she has they don’t call me dazhit anymore. The last time someone called me a bitch in front of her, she kicked the crap out of them. I thought it was pretty funny personally. They danced around the circle like a loon expecting her to be weak in her old age, and she just stood there then jabbed them in the throat with the butt-end of her spear when they weren’t expecting it.

I laughed so hard I cried.

Ever since, they have treated me with a little more respect. 

We make it to the village, and with one hand she pushes me off towards the training grounds as if to say, “Go join the other kids.”

I sigh and roll my eyes but go.

The last time I tried to skip out she almost had my hide.

I go at her bidding meeting up with the others who are around my height. Hijan watches sometimes, and she has made it very clear that the kids deserve to get the shit beaten out of them. I don’t like it much, but these kids don’t seem bothered when you knock them around. In fact, most of them like it.

I think our trainer is a bit mad that I can actually fight.

I smile to myself 

Now that I do fight, I am at the top of the class.

The kids think I cheat, difference is I have different training than they do, and a lot more experience in combat despite what the Drev seem to think.

“Tanana! Naktan ts adon.” Tanana, my nickname, or my drev name I guess means alien. Hijan doesn’t like the name much, so she calls me tsata which means gift. Personally I am pretty flattered she thinks that about me.

I walk into the circle at our leader's orders and Dark ‘the other kid’ steps into the circle across from me. He’s an ugly little shit, and I’m not just saying that. He’s a dick to me on most occasions. When our teacher isn’t looking sometimes I make fun of his coloring, that usually shuts him up. I should probably feel bad for making fun of a kid, but I really don’t. He's a dick and everyone knows it.

Problem is now he has a bit of a vendetta against me, and is pretty hell-bent on putting his spear through my throat.

Good thing we only fight in hand-to-hand combat these days.

“Aleeshazh!” 

The kid does not wait till the end of go before he is charging at me hands wide Some of these kids are under the impression that guarding your center is like…. Dishonorable or something. They would be wrong because even Drev now it’s stupid to come in arms wide open. However, at this point I’ll take what I can get.

I dodge past two sets of arms and come in sharply towards hims middle. He has reach on me, so I go in close and brutally aim for what I am hoping is his liver, if Drev have them. My single punch has him staggering back across the circle gasping.

The teacher does not look happy.

I feel kind of smug.

Of course the little brat won’t give up, I’ll give him that, he isn’t a quitter, and charges for me again.

He’s making this too easy, 

I wouldn’t call myself a martial arts master or anything in the slightest, but before he knows what’s happening, he’s on the ground with my legs across his chest. I pin his lower arms with my right leg squeezing his upper arm between both. I have tight hold of his wrist, and just as he begins to squirm, I slowly place upward pressure on his elbow by arching my hips upward.

If I wanted to I could snap the joint.

Damn I love a good arm-bar.

He squirms and squeals for a couple of minutes as I continue to apply pressure until the teacher eventually tells me to knock it off.

I let go and he frowns at me. He doesn’t approve, but there isn’t uch he can do. My move wasn’t against the rules or anything.

He looks at me for a long moment eyes narrowing at my unconcealed expression of pride, and a hint of smugness.

I can see he wants to wipe the look off my face, “zha jasti tsa jej atatchan teeya dzhalakat.”

I grin, “Of course I am too skillful for children. Surprised it took you so long to see that.”

He does the drev equivalent of a frown. I know he can understand most of what I am saying, unlike others, but I think it still annoys him when I speak English.

Tough luck bro, my mouth goes way faster than my brain, its one of my worst qualities. If it didn’t I’d speak Drev More, but for now it was going to take practice.

“Ene tsa ditan atatchan juhkee tsa tehish zheengat s dzhal.”

Well shit. 

His if you are so skillful than you can fight with the adults was not an encouraging statement.

I honestly hadn’t meant that to come out as dickish as it did, but now  I was definitely already regretting my decision to be a smug bitch.

Guess that is what karma does to you.

I see Hijan at a distance, watching as I am dragged over to the next training field. The Drevlings follow at a distance chirping to themselves excited to see me get my ass beat.

We come up over the rise just as one of the training circle is in session. 

Two Drev go at each other with spears so hard sparks are flying. Their feet cut tears in the moss as they push each other across the stone. As we come up one of them is hit in the head so hard they are knocked completely out of the circle.

“Dazhit.” I mutter

Our teacher and their teacher stop to speak at each other. I can see them staring at me pointing and speaking quietly with each other. 

The older class adjusts themselves and looks on in great interest.

I don’t know these guys well, but I am pretty sure I am about to know the butt of their spears pretty well.

I sigh and shoulder my own spear, which…. Is significantly shorter than everyone else’s.

I’m not self-conscious.

“Tanana daeen hajish.”

I walk over as ordered my spear still over one shoulder.

“Tsak nantan tarik.” Your new teacher 

I lower my head, “Tarik”

She seems amused and motions towards the circle, “Tanana ts adon. Zha nin tsa tehish darat zhegingi jastat.” get in the circle, I want to see what you can do.

Oh, great.

I do as told stepping into the circle as she calls one of her students forward. She’s a light colored Drev, the color of cream/orange rose petals. I am pretty sure the Drev would consider her pretty…. Did I mention that she’s at least two feet taller than me?

No

Well she is.

She rams her spear butt into the dirt, and I swallow hard.

The Tarik waves a hand and we begin to circle.

I hold my spear like they taught me, though I am much better at hand-to-hand combat. We test each other for a minute moving forward and back, watching each other’s guard. Of course, she strikes first though.

I dodge out of the way quickly, expecting to come in and wrap her across the back of the knees, but she spends around and blocks me at the last moment. We connect together so hard that my hands go almost immediately numb.

She brings the butt of her spear around, and I am just barely able to duck under it. She comes at me again, and I step back as the spearhead slices past my chest.

My eyes go wide as I stare at my almost evisceration.

I barely look up in time to block her fro the side.

The hit makes my bones hurt.

I flick my spear up trying to catch her in the face, but she knocks me away with impunity.

She has me backed against the edge of the circle.

She doesn’t expect me to make it out. Too bad I have seen way more action movies than she has. As she cuts over me, I slide under the cu on my knees skidding over the rock and past her into the center of the circle. 

She turns to find me and barley blocks my strike.

I’m doing pretty good.

This isn’t so bad.

That’s when the kid gloves come off, and she strikes me so hard and fast I can barely raise my spear to block her. A vicious second later she comes in with the killing blow, or the crippling one.

Did you know you can knock someone out by hitting them hard enough in the liver?

Yeah I didn’t know that either, apparently the body sense major trauma and is just like nah fam I am not about that life. The vagus nerve gets activated too.

So there I am lying on the moss and the dirt curled up in a ball trying not to vomit or pass out.

I can hear that little gremlin Naktan laughing in the background.

God I hate him.

And I am in SOOO much pain. I am pretty sure my liver has been ruptured pretty sure I am going to die right here on the face of the planet.

I groan, “Hijan… help…. hijan .”

Yeah yeah practically crying for my mother like a wuss. I know no need to point it out 

But guys, I am dying. Or at least I am pretty sure I am.

Luckily for me she shows up and eventually the others leave. I can feel her running a hand through my hair, which would be nice if I wasn’t pretty sure I was dying 

Turns out though, I wasn’t dying, I am just pathetic 

[psycho-slytherin]

Last words

You go undercover and encounter the last thing you’d expect as an assassin– competition.

Pairing: Spy!Jungkook x Assassin!Reader

Genre: Angst, idiots to idiots


Warnings: Strong language, violence, murder


WC: kill me 8.9k


|mlist|

“Please let me go. Please! I have a family! My husband, my daughters…” tears stream down your target’s face as he struggles with his restraints.

“Your family isn’t paying me,” you reply, finger twitching on the trigger. Why is he trying to evoke sympathy? You don’t do sympathy, and you certainly don’t let targets go.

“I-If it’s money you want, I’ll pay!”

You lower the muzzle. “How much?”

“Uh, twenty thousand? Please, just spare me!”

You suck on your teeth, raising the gun again. “No can do, they’re paying me more.” Maybe if he’d suggested an offer worth considering, you’d take longer to think about it. As it is...

“Wait-” But the man is cut off when you pull the trigger, and a neat hole appears in his head. His lifeless body slumps forward, but given that he was already on his knees he doesn’t have far to fall. The range was close enough that your bullet went right through him, and you pick it up with gloved hands. It’s always a good idea to collect whatever evidence you can. 

People seem to think that a person’s last words are thoughtful, deep, artistic. You’ve been present for a lot of last words, and they’re rarely beautiful. Usually wait or no or fuck you. There’s little glamour in your line of work– unless your clients pay extra.

You pad downstairs. The old warehouse you brought him to is scheduled to be demolished in five hours. Another clean hit, and some good commission.

~~~ Three weeks later

“What’ve you got for me?”

You can hear AD typing quickly over the phone. “You’re in luck. Where are you?” Code for new assignment. Are you alone?

“I’m safe.” You’re staying at a farmhouse, far from civilization as you wait for your next hit. No cameras, no mics, no company. 

“Alright, name’s Bang Si-Hyuk, he goes by ‘Hitman’ Bang ‘cause he plays dirty with his guards. He hires killers-turned-security, and he’s always surrounded. The man’s got half the underground– and way too many politicians– in his pocket.”

“Dude. Are you giving me an assignment or a goddamn death sentence?”

“It’s a forty-five thousand dollar job. What are you gonna say to that?”

You whistle. Your assignments usually range from fifteen to thirty thousand– above forty is halfway to ridiculous. “Yes sir.”

AD chuckles. “That’s what I thought. We’re gonna send an anonymous death threat his way so he starts hiring again– you’re playing bodyguard, got it?”

“I got it. Rough-and-tumble.”

“Yep. Your character is basically gonna be you, but lamer. We’ve got documents and ID waiting for you at the drop location. Your interview is this Friday, dress code is mean. I’m sending all the info to your phone.”

“Sounds good. How long will this take me?”

“However long it takes for you to get close to Hitman. Y/n, be careful, okay? You’re gonna be surrounded by a lot of professionals with your background. You have to confirm Hitman was your kill, so don’t let anyone get to him first. And you can’t afford to let your cover slip.”

You scoff. “When have I ever let my cover slip, AD?”

“Just take care. If you get hurt, I don’t want to have to pick up the pieces, figuratively or otherwise.”

~~~ Friday

“Next!” 

You stand and stalk into the gym. It’s empty, save for two men sitting behind a desk and a gigantic guy in the boxing ring.

“Name?”

“Kang Soo-Jin.”

“Yeah, we got her,” one of the men says, shuffling some papers. “I thought she’d be bigger.”

“I thought she’d be a man. So, Kang,” the first man looks you up and down from over sunglasses. “What’ve you got?”

“I was a killer-for-hire for five years,” you recite in a bored voice. You’re using enough of your real life to ensure your character’s authenticity, but not so much that they’ll recognize your reputation. “Forty confirmed kills. Turned to security after a jail scare. I’m fluent in six languages, and I can bullshit my way through four more. Trained in multiple martial arts– fighting dirty’s more fun, though– and ‘bout every weapon I could get my hands on. I’m educated enough to talk smarts and lived on the streets enough to talk shit. What else you wanna know?” Technically your kill count is sixty-two, but you’re supposed to have retired from the life you’re leading now. Like AD said– yourself, but lamer.

Sunglasses flips through your profile. “Can you fight in that outfit?”

You’re wearing black boots, sweatpants, and a longsleeve with a leather jacket. Gotta look the part, and the dress code was mean. “Better than anyone.”

“You’re confident, girlie. Prove it. Get into the ring.”

Thanks to AD, you knew this would be part of the interview. You’re not worried– you’ve been fighting men bigger and stronger than you since you were a kid.

“Are you armed?” Sunglasses asks as you shrug off your jacket.

“Is that a trick question?”

“Very funny, girlie. This is hand-to-hand only. No guns, no knives. No tasers or other bullshit.”

In view of the three men, you remove two handguns from their hidden holsters and a knife from a sheath on your hip. You’ve got another knife on your thigh, but they don’t need to know about that. You slip into the ring, stretching your arms above your head to loosen up. 

“Alright, Kang, let’s see what you can do. No killing, try not to break any bones– besides that, fuck shit up.” Sunglasses signals, and the giant in the ring stomps towards you.

He’s big and strong. You’re small and fast, and unarmed.

“If you can’t win, run. If you can’t run, hide. If you can’t hide, fight. If you can’t fight, lie.” Such is the assassin’s motto.

Wasting no time, the giant swings a fist at you. You jump backwards, ducking and weaving around an onslaught of blows. This guy is trained, well enough that you can’t afford to slip up. Still, you’re not one to go all-out unless you need to; you need to fight just well enough to get hired, and badly enough that you can take your employers by surprise if you must.

The next time he throws out a hook, you duck and roll forward, ending up behind him. He turns around, shifting his weight onto one foot as he steps, and that’s your chance. You swing your leg down and around, connecting solidly with the back of his knee. 

“Ugh!” With a grunt, he falls forward. Like any trained fighter would, though, he begins to rise right away. You know grappling is a big no-no for opponents bigger than you, but he’s right there, and given that you’re not allowed to put a blade in his back, it might be the quickest way of ending this performance. In the split second before he’s standing, you leap onto his back, scrambling until you’re sitting on his shoulders. You have to move fast– if you can’t neutralize him quickly, he can just fall backwards and pin you down, or grab your legs and launch you forward. You lock your legs around the giant’s neck and squeeze– it’s what you’ve nicknamed the Romanov chokehold, given how much the Avenger utilizes this inconvenient move.

The giant gasps for air, punching and slapping at your legs. You hiss, withstanding the blows of a struggling man. You can feel his strikes growing weaker as you keep up the pressure, squeezing your thighs tighter around his throat. 

Are you actually going to win a fight with the Romanov chokehold? You’re gonna owe AD fifty bucks, dammit.

Suddenly, you feel the man’s arms snake upwards and grab your hands, which were locked under his chin. He pulls hard, yanking you off– you land flat on your back, the wind knocked out of you. You can hear Sunglasses and the other man chuckling. Ugh. You don’t like embarrassing yourself, but whatever it takes to convince them you’re not a threat. 

If you can’t fight, lie.

You get up, chuckling ignoring your aching back. “Nice. I bet you win all your fights this easy, huh?”

The giant raises his fists, tensed, on guard. “You ain’t distractin’ me, girl.”

“Who says I’m trying to distract you?” You throw a quick punch, aiming right for the center of his face. Conventional deflections mean that he’ll parry to one side or the other. Lucky for you, he’s conventionally trained. As your fist glances off his block, you use the movement to grab his ear and pinch his earlobe between your nails. You’ve got a lot of experience with which body parts can withstand the most pain before there’s a protective reflex. Earlobes have one of the lowest thresholds, which means...

“Ah! What the fuck?” He claps his hand over his ear, forcing you to let go. Perfect. He’s right where you need him. With his arms raised to protect his sensitive ears, you have a chance to lunge forward. He might think you’re going for his eyes or throat, but you have another goal in mind. 

You open your mouth and bite down hard on his bicep, your canines grinding together as though trying to meet through his flesh. You know from your training, and from personal experience, that biting this particular bit of skin and muscle hurts like a bitch. The giant roars in pain and stumbles in an attempt to pry you off of him, and you use his imbalance to grab his shirt and pull him backwards. He lands with a resounding THUD and, teeth still digging into his arm, you press your elbow into his throat, cutting off circulation for the few precious seconds that you need...to...win. As soon as his eyes flutter closed and his head falls back, you release your hold. 

You climb out of the ring to see Sunglasses and the other man staring at you.

“I broke skin, you’re gonna want to make sure he gets that disinfected,” you supply, reaching for your jacket.

“You… you pinched and bit him. What kind of fighter are you?” Sunglasses scratches his head, his voice revealing disbelief.

“The kind that does what she has to do. You told me not to break bones or kill. All I did was fuck shit up.”

Sunglasses whistles. “Welcome to the team, Kang. You’ve got the job.”

~~~ Monday

You’re dressed in your new uniform. Sunglasses, whose name you’ve learned is Agent Jung, introduces you to “the team”: Agents Kim, Kim, and Kim; Agent Park; and Agent Jeon. Of course you’re the only woman on a seven-person team. In your line of work, that’s not uncommon. 

“I’m in charge around here. That means I say jump, y’all ask how high, got it? Aight. Here’s the deal– three guards will be present with Mr. Bang at all times,” Agent Jung says. “The other four of you will be split into pairs to patrol the area. Six-hour shifts, and you will work two shifts per day. Agents Kim Taehyung, Park, and myself will take the first shift with Mr. Bang. Agents Kim Seokjin and Namjoon, take the east half of the estate. Agents Jeon and Kang, the west half. Stick together so nothing goes wrong. Meet back here in six hours to exchange posts. Dismissed.”

Dammit, how easy would it have been if you had the first shift with Hitman? It’s fine, you’ll just play along as a good guard until you can get closer to your target. 

You follow Jeon through the labyrinth of a house, which seems more like a castle. Where is this guy getting his money?

“Okay,” Agent Jeon says, stopping suddenly. “Let’s split up.”

What? “Jung said not to.”

Jeon folds his arms, raising a brow. “And you’re going to obey?”

You exhale sharply. “I’m going to do the job I was hired to do.” Splitting up and disobeying on your first day will cast you under scrutiny and suspicion. You have to play the good girl for now. 

“Whatever,” Jeon chuckles. “I’m going.”

“Really, dude? You’re gonna get me in trouble. At least wait for a shift when we’re not paired together.”

“Why should I care about a girl who can’t even fight?” Oy vey. Is he provoking you on purpose? “I can fight fine, man.”

“Prove it.”

Why is he challenging you? What is with him? “We’re on duty,” you snap. “Quit slacking off and let’s do the work we’re paid for.”

Jeon whistles. “Feisty.”

“Shove it up your ass, Agent. I don’t need another man telling me I’m in the wrong line of work.”

“Oh, so I’m just one in a long list of shitheads, huh?” Jeon leans against the wall. You remain standing straight up– you don’t know the last time you’ve let down your guard. 

“You wouldn’t make top twenty,” you reply. 

“Yeesh. I get the message. Well, since we’re gonna be stuck together for a while…” Jeon sticks out his hand. “Call me Jungkook.”

Unexpected. But okay. “I’m Soo-Jin. Are you new, too?”

“I’ve been here about a month. The longer you’ve been here, the more they trust you as one of the boss’s personal guards. Trust me, you’re gonna be stuck on perimeter patrol for a while,” Jungkook says, as though he knows what you’re thinking.

Dammit. This job is going to cost more time than you were hoping. Still, 45k, 45k, eye on the prize.

“So, six hours. Do we talk, or…?”

Jungkook shrugs. “Do you want to talk?”

“Not if you’re going to keep on with the misogynistic digs.”

“Gotcha, gotcha. Sorry about that,” Jungkook says, laughing as he raises his hands in surrender. “I’ll be less of an asshole, promise.”

You smirk, turning to scan the halls. “It’s so empty.” Two cameras on the eastern wall. A big mirror at the end of the hall– is it a two-way mirror? Probably. The ceiling is well supported by strong beams. You could probably escape to the roof if you needed to, but how much of an escape is that? 

“So what’s your thing?” Jungkook asks suddenly, snapping you out of your stupor.

“What d’you mean?”

“I heard you’re an ex-assassin, and like, all of the best have a thing. Did you mark your bullets?” Jungkook taps his gun. “Were you a Robin Hood? Did you kiss all your victims?”

“Gross, man!” You laugh. Clearly the only experience he’s had with your line of work is through movies. Why’s this puppy working for Hitman? “No, I never kissed a dead body. Never stole from the rich and gave to the poor, unless the poor was yours truly and the rich were stubborn clients. And marking bullets messes with the aerodynamics.” You’re worried that you’re being too honest, telling him about your life– what if he’s an undercover cop? But Hitman’s men were double- and triple-checking applications, according to AD. Besides, Hitman has every police department in the area feeding from his hand. 

“So what was your thing then? Did you have a signature?” In Jeon’s eyes you can see the excitement of a child. 

“The best signature for someone like me is the lack of a signature. And what’s got you so happy?” You ask amusedly. 

“Oh, I mean…” And Jeon’s voice has dropped again to that of a seasoned guard. “I grew up thinking I’d be a cop. Circumstances didn’t work out, and I landed myself a security job. I always wanted to do what you did, though. Never had the guts for it.”

“Trust me, it’s nothing to be jealous of.” You think of cold evenings on rooftops, unnerving undercover work, hopeless spirals with the monster in the mirror. “It means a lot of lonely nights.”

“Well, you won’t be so lonely anymore,” Jungkook says, before turning red. “Wait- that came out wrong. I’m not hitting on you, I swear!”

“Good, ‘cause you’d be doing a terrible job.”

“I’m a great flirt when I want to be,” he replies, his tone dramatic.

You snicker. “I’d take a page out of your book and ask you to prove it, but I’d hate to watch you embarrass yourself in front of a pretty girl.”

Jungkook whistles. “Did you just insult me and compliment yourself in the same sentence? It looks like I’ve met my match.”

Oof, cute and funny. And he hasn’t called you “girlie” once. You’d better end this before you let yourself get too carried away. It’s just a job, and he’s just an obstacle between you and your 45,000-dollar target.

“It looks like you’re slacking on the job, Jeon.” You’ve reached the end of the hall, and so you spin on your heel and begin marching back the way you came, scanning your surroundings. If another assassin got to Hitman first, your prize money and reputation would go down the drain. Play the character, don’t be suspicious, and don’t get attached. 

“Sheesh, don’t be so uptight,” Jeon says, hurrying after you. 

“Whatever, let’s just patrol.”

“Yes ma’am,” Jeon replies sarcastically.

The rest of the shift is spent in relative silence. After several hours, you and Jungkook head back to the main room to meet with the other agents. This transition period might be the best time for you to strike, you’ll have to mention that to AD.

The next shift is your break, and after commenting about how tired you are, you head ‘home’. That is, you drop your things at a safehouse, along with any identification, and change into civilian clothing: baggy, boring, anonymous. You fit your earpiece in and contact AD.

“Y/n?”

“AD, hi. I’m gonna scout the perimeter of the estate now, alright?”

“Keep me posted, I’ll be on the line.”

“Yep.”

It’s well past midnight when you arrive at the estate again. You always spend the first night on an undercover job toeing the property line, so to speak.

“It’s like robbing a bank,” you murmur as the house comes into view. “Only harder, ‘cause at least in a bank the only armed murderer is me.”

“Eyes on the prize, y/n.”

“Yeah, whatever. Cameras on the southern and eastern walls. The gate’s heavy– I could climb it, but…”

“Hitman got one of the best security firms in the country to rig it, that shit’s electric.”

“Right. The grass is soft, not a great sign… maybe if I wore the work shoes they gave me? I’m leaving footprints either way.”

“Those shoes are your size, and it’s not amateur hour ‘round here. Did you manage to get the WiFi?”

“They didn’t give it to us. But there’s a network called ‘Bang 5G’ so at least you know it’s there– hey!”

“Y/n? What’s going-” you don’t hear him, you’re too busy sprinting after a black-clad figure. With gloved hands, the person gets a grip and vaults clean over the gate, landing on their feet on the grass beyond.

“AD, someone just scaled the electrified fucking gate,” you pant. Even with gloves, that’s crazy.

“Go after them! You can’t let someone get to Hitman first.”

“How do I get over the gate?”

“I’m not the legendary assassin with sixty-two confirmed kills! Figure it out!”

“Dick.” You look around wildly– the gates are connected at the corners of the estate by brick pillars. Good. That’s something. You run at the pillar closest to you and leap, scrambling up and over it using only the power of adrenaline and your poor fingertips. You land hard, sinking into the soft grass of the lawn, and look up in time to see the figure running along the edge of the roof. How did he get up there? And where’s his climbing gear? The walls are smooth, vertical, with no handholds to speak of on the lower fifteen feet. 

If you can’t get up, bring them down. You withdraw your handgun and line up your shot. You might not be an acrobat, but you can shoot.

You pull the trigger, the bringer of death a familiar weight in your hands. You don’t kill unless you’re paid for it, though. The bullet grazes your target and you see them stumble, clutching their side. With one backwards glance at you, they catapult themselves off the roof and land on their feet on the other side of the gate. What the fuck. What kind of strength does this person have?

“Y/n? I heard a shot, what’s going on?” AD speaks urgently into your ear.

“Abort.”

“What?”

You start running back to the gate. “Fucking abort, AD. We’re done for tonight. Someone else is after Hitman.” You launch yourself at the brick pillar and land hard on the sidewalk outside the estate. 

“Shit. But we knew this could happen, he’s not exactly popular.”

“Fine, but tonight was supposed to be a casing night. My footprints are on the grass!”

You hear AD mutter something like “amateur” as he types. “Did you get caught on camera?”

“Probably? I also shot a guy, if that’s relevant.”

“It’s really not. Okay, I’m gonna hack into their system– which would be easier with the WiFi password, by the way– and keep you off the footage. Your excuse for your next shift is up to you. Take a couple hours and sleep it off, y/n. It’s not like you to be this reckless.”

“Fuck you.”

~~~ Six hours later

“Agent Jeon, Agent Kang, take the east wing of the estate. Dismissed.”

“C’mon, this way.” Jungkook leads you down a long corridor as you begin your next shift.

“Right.”

“Hey, you okay?” Jungkook looks at you with concern. “You seem tired.”

“Six hours of sleep will do that to a person, dude.” Six? Try three, if you got any at all. You’re exhausted, yeah, but you’ve never let that stop you from doing your job.

“Heh, yeah. This work schedule is intense, but the pay is good.” 

“And not much seems to happen, huh?”

Jungkook shrugs, then seems to wince. “Not since I’ve worked here. We get trespassers sometimes, but they just leave when we tell them to.”

“You okay?”

Jungkook looks at the floor. “Yeah, turns out I fell asleep on top of my dog’s toy. The only time I get to sleep, and I wake up hurting like a bitch. How’s that for unfair?”

“Aw, poor baby.”

Jungkook pushes you playfully. “Hey!”

The contact sets your nerves on edge. Danger. You grab his outstretched arm and twist it behind his back, pressing hard enough to almost dislocate his shoulder, your vision is cloudy, tinged red–

“Ow! Kang– fuck! Soo-Jin!”

You blink once, twice. What… what are you doing? You release your hold on Jungkook; did you really just break character like that? No, wait, you can make this work. “I’m sorry– ah, shit.” You step back. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine…” Jungkook groans, rubbing his shoulder. “What was that?”

“Just an instinct. One of the leftovers from the person I used to be.” You avert your gaze, your body language ashamed. Jungkook seems to take the bait. But… how much can it count as bait, if it’s so true it hurts?

“Hey, it’s okay. I shouldn’t have startled you.” He flashes you a grin, and you feel your heart do something funny in your chest. “I can’t imagine the stuff you’ve been through.”

Why is he acting sympathetic? You don’t do sympathy. But yeah, getting closer to the other guards can’t hurt on a mission like this. You’re in this for the long haul, if last night’s acrobat doesn’t get to Hitman first.

“We’ve all got our own shit to deal with,” you reply.

“Well, if you ever need someone to talk to…” Jungkook shrugs, wincing again. “Goddamn Gureum, leaving his toy on my bed.”

You laugh. “I’ll keep it in mind, but I don’t think therapy will add to my intimidation resume.”

The hours pass quicker once you allow yourself to talk to Jungkook more. You know he has to be cold-blooded, and a skilled fighter, if he landed the job. But every time he laughs, every time he stares out into space and seems to forget even to breathe, you wonder where he hides his bloodlust. 

“Damn, I never knew an assassin could have a sense of humor,” Jungkook says eventually. “None of the other agents here ever want to do anything except patrol.”

“Gee, I wonder why,” you say dryly, rolling your eyes. “That is our job.”

Jungkook sweeps his arm grandly, displaying the estate. It’s empty, save several guards. “Ah yes, look at the multitude of threats we face.”

You think of the acrobat from last night. “Right.”

“Anyways, wanna fight?”

For a second you think you’ve misheard him. “Excuse me? Haven’t we been over this?”

Jungkook shifts his weight, cracking his knuckles. “I heard you bit your way to a win during your interview.”

“So what?”

“I want to see your fighting style– c’mon, how does a professional assassin take someone out with teeth and claws? You’re not a cat, there’s gotta be something else to you.”

“I hate to break it to you, but there wasn’t a lot of close combat in my work. A good assassin never fights fair. And, if you haven’t noticed…” you step up close to him, your eyes only level with his collarbone. You’re so close you can hear his breathing become ragged, shallow, as you continue: “I’m small. Shooting from a distance, backstabbing, incapacitating my targets– that’s what people like me do.”

In truth, you’ve had your fair share of combat. But letting Jungkook see that side of you? Not a good idea.

“Then why quit?”

“What?”

“I get it– you’re an assassin, not a fighter. But why go into security?”

“I almost got caught,” you recite automatically. “My skills aren’t super transferrable– I didn’t have a lot of options.”

“Speak for yourself, I think you’d make a great birthday clown,” Jungkook laughs, and you smile along with him. Too bad he doesn’t know the real you– or maybe it’s a good thing. No one could love a monster.

You knew what you were getting into when you started down your path. You accepted that you’d be a changed woman– what you didn’t know was that your eyes wouldn’t be the same as they were before. Each time you see yourself anew, you confront the humanity that’s drained from your face. Your eyes have begun to resemble your targets’– dull, unfeeling, dead. 

You’re a monster. A killer. You snuff out lives for money. There’s no going back to the girl you were, and no point in regret. And so each morning, you take a deep breath and lie. To yourself, AD, and everyone. It’s okay. I’m okay.

Fuck, maybe you should see a therapist. 

After your shift, you spend the next six hours staking out Hitman’s estate. The acrobat doesn’t return, and you grind your teeth together with anxiety. “AD, did you see him on the footage that you hacked?”

“Just the mask. His body language is right-hand and left-leg dominant. This guy’s training is super unconventional; I haven’t seen that climbing style anywhere.”

“Ugh, so weird.”

“Says you.”

“Shut up, asshat.”

AD sniggers. “Look, you did shoot this guy today. Have you considered that you’ve either, like, injured him badly or scared him off?”

“No. He’s still around, and he’s going to try again.”

“How do you know?”

Because he’s like me. “I just do.”

You can almost hear AD’s shrug. “Aight, trust your instincts. Your next shift is soon, though. Better get ready.”

You groan. “This work schedule is brutal.”

“And you’re spending your time off stalking a ghost. Are you planning on getting any sleep?”

You hesitate a second too long. “Yes.”

AD sighs. “Take care of yourself, idiot. You can’t guard the house 24/7. You’re spending half the day working, remember?”

“That’s what I’ve got you for. Keep an eye on the cameras.”

“Get me the Wi-Fi password and I’ll think about it.”

You roll your eyes before heading back to your safehouse, changing, and returning for your shift. Here we go.

And there you went. The next week passes much in the same fashion– patrolling the wings of the vast estate for six or twelve hours, sleeping the bare minimum you need to survive, and returning to your target’s house to make sure the mystery acrobat doesn’t get to Hitman first.

You spend most of your patrol time with Jungkook; it makes sense, you’re the two newest recruits. For a security goon, he’s pretty funny. You’ve dealt with security guards in the past for your jobs, but most of your interactions involved them trying to kill you– or vice versa. For all that you’re undercover as Kang Soo-Jin, you’re actually enjoying spending time with Agent Jeon Jungkook.

“Why are you working for Mr. Bang?” You ask him on Monday morning. You haven’t spoken with Jungkook in a couple days, as you were paired with Agent Park for your last several shifts.

Jungkook cocks his head as you stroll together along the west side of the estate, a route you’ve already committed to memory. “What do you mean?”

It’s been bothering you for a while. “Mr. Bang tends to hire killers, mercenaries, people like… well, me. Why did you take this job?”

Jungkook chews on his lip thoughtfully as he stares out of the window. “I mean… the pay is good.”

You shove him playfully. “C’mon, man, there’s gotta be something else.”

“Alright, alright!” Jungkook raises his arms in surrender, laughing. “You know I wanted to be an assassin. I was too chicken, and never knew how to get started. When I heard about Mr. Bang, and his reputation, I applied because I wanted to meet people like you. I told Agent Jung I had lots of experience and loose morals, and bada-bing-bada-boom, I get hired.” He does what you assume would have been jazz hands, if not for the gun held tightly in his grip.

“Oh my fucking god, you’re such an idiot,” you snort. “When most people try to meet their idols, they go to concerts, not to a den of killers.”

“What can I say? It’s one of my many charms,” Jungkook replies, winking. Your heart does another thing in your chest. It reminds you of the feeling of jumping into a cold lake– as though your whole body has come alive.

You hope that once you carry out your mission, you won’t have to hurt Agent Jeon along the way. 

“Hey, so…” Jungkook asks after several minutes of patrolling in silence. “What are you doing after your shift?”

“Huh?” For a second, you think you’ve misheard him. “You mean in the twelve hours until I have to be back?” You pulled a double shift– it’s nearing noon, and you’ve been working since midnight.

“Dummy, we don’t have work this weekend,” Jungkook says. “Mr. Bang is going on a business trip. Weren’t you paying attention during the briefing?”

Not even a little were you paying attention– you were too focused on escape routes. You might be able to drug his food? “Sweet.” And you mean it: With Hitman gone, you can catch up on sleep and plotting without having to worry about your competition.

“Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out– y’know, outside of work? I really want to get to know you better.”

“Uh…” Huh? This isn’t part of your plan. You don’t hang out with targets during a mission. So you should say no, right? But… what harm can come from spending time with your coworker? After all, you are undercover. And if Hitman is leaving for the weekend…

You realize you’ve been silent too long when Jungkook begins to backtrack: “I mean- Soo-Jin, sorry, I wasn’t trying to imply– you know what, never mind-”

“Yeah, okay.” 

“Wait, what?”

You allow your lips to curl upward into a smile. “Sure, why not?” There’s no way it can endanger your mission.

“Awesome!” Jungkook returns your grin enthusiastically, and for the rest of the shift he walks with a spring in his step. It would be endearing, if your heart weren’t frozen and locked in your chest. “Maybe we can do lunch or something. Is tomorrow okay? Do you want me to pick you up at your place?”

“No, that’s okay,” You say hurriedly. Definitely not, no one can know the location of the safehouse. “Lunch tomorrow sounds good, we can meet there.”

“Ah- okay, yeah.”

As your shift comes to an end and the guards reconvene, Agent Jung calls you to attention. “Aight, everyone. As you know, Mr. Bang will be going to the city tomorrow morning for a business meeting– the organization is providing its own security forces, so your services are unnecessary until Monday at 6am sharp. Understood?” “Yes sir!”

Tomorrow morning? Wait, that means you might have a chance to strike in the few hours before he leaves. You know the best time to strike any target is during a period of transition. While everyone is hurried, packing and organizing, Hitman will have his guard down. 

Once you’re changed, you head out the door. Jungkook catches your eye and waves, and you feel your face heat up as you offer a cheeky salute in response. It’s not you’re fault, that toothy grin is so contagious.

Once you’re safely holed up at your base–

“AD, you there?”

“Sure am. What’s up?”

You walk calmly around the safehouse, marking things off your mental checklist. “I’m gonna go for it tonight.”

“Damn, that was fast. What’s going on?”

“We know the location of cameras and the guards’ schedules. Just cause I haven’t met the guy in person doesn’t make this too fast.” Ammo, rifle, scope, suppressor, stand– check. “He’s going on a business trip in the morning, and once he steps out of the house, that’s gonna be my best bet. Besides, now that I’m sure there’s someone else after Hitman, I gotta get to him first.”

“Sounds great. Where do I come in?”

“Can you get me satellite images of my cover options within, say, a kilometer of his door? I tried checking, but his house doesn’t show up on Google Maps. I need a roof where I won’t be interrupted.” You had hoped to pull the infiltrate-eliminate play, but if you have a chance to snipe the Hitman, you’re gonna take it.

“Classic. Yeah, I can do that. I’ll get his schedule too, lemme send that to you.” You hear AD typing quickly on the line. “There’s a car scheduled to pick up Hitman and Agent Jung at 5:30 in the morning.”

You glance at the clock. It’s 1:30 in the afternoon, which means you’ve got sixteen hours to plan your highest-paid killshot of the year. 

Your security uniform shines like a beacon, draped over your chair. It’s a shame you won’t be able to make your lunch appointment with Jungkook tomorrow. You’ve got to be out of the city before Hitman’s body is even cold. Maybe in another life, you could have spent more than a week with the man whose company you find yourself enjoying increasingly each day. 

“AD, let’s take a bit of a break after this one, okay?”

AD chuckles. “With a 45k job, you can take as long a break as you want. Good luck, y/n.”

You spend the afternoon organizing the hit, with AD’s help.

“Jeez, his security on this trip is a fucking brick wall,” AD groans in frustration. “Y/n, if you don’t make the shot when he’s leaving, you’re not gonna have another chance.”

“Mm.” You’re distracted, measuring the angles from a printout of your rooftop perch. AD secured you entrance to a quiet office building three blocks from Hitman’s estate. You’ll have to set up at the southernmost corner of the roof to have the biggest advantage. You’ll go there around midnight– you don’t want to give Hitman a chance to leave early.

Hours pass, and the clock ticks closer to midnight. “I’m headed out,” you say, hoisting your equipment over your shoulder.

“Cool. I’ve got one of my men on the door to the building– give him the password, and keep your head down. Take the stairs, the elevator is monitored. There’s a fire escape on the roof if you need to get down fast. Good luck, y/n.” 

“Thanks.”

You arrive to the building with little trouble, your high-powered rifle concealed in pieces within a worn-out backpack. 

You knock three times on the back door to the building, and immediately a man opens the door. “What do you want?” he growls. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Sorry, I’m lost,” you reply calmly. “I’m looking for the post office.”

The man gives you a quick once-over, eyeing your backpack appreciatively. “You can send letters from here,” he says, stepping back to let you in. You nod, pulling your hood lower over your eyes as you make for the stairwell.

Ten stories later, your legs are burning and your shoulders ache from the weight of your weaponry. But at least you’re on the roof, with a perfect view of Hitman’s brilliant estate. 

“AD, come in.”

Your earpiece crackles to life. “Wassup?”

“I’m in position,” you reply as you unload your backpack and begin to fit your rifle together. “It’s gonna be quiet for a couple hours. Take a nap, man, you’ve earned it.”

At your words, you hear AD yawn. “Good idea. Talk to you later.”

The line goes dead as you finish setting up the rifle stand, careful to aim it so your bullet will strike Hitman as he leaves the house. 

Deep breaths. It’s just another kill, just another target, and more money than you used to make in a year. 

You settle in by your rifle for the five-hour wait. The cold bites deep into your bones– but at least it keeps you from dozing off. 

Around three in the morning, you’re half present, half floating off into a world of your own creation, when a blur of motion darts across your line of sight. What? What? Something’s going on, what–

You press your eye to the gun’s scope, magnifying your vision. A figure creeping down the block, dressed in all black, their movements strong and familiar– the acrobat is back.

“AD?”

Silence on the line. He must still be asleep. You’ve got a couple hours before Hitman leaves, enough time to get this guy and return to the roof. 

Grabbing your handgun and a dagger, you race for the fire escape, skipping steps, practically flying down the stairs. He’s got a headstart on you, but he’s injured. If your earlier bullet hit true– and it always does– too much exertion will reopen his wound. You’re a hyena, stalking your prey, wearing him down until there’s little work left for you to do. 

Your target slows to a walk, still a block ahead of you as you reach the sidewalk, closing in on Hitman’s estate. Finally reaching the ground, and with your heart hammering in your chest, you duck behind a parked car and peek out. Has he seen you? You don’t have a mask, just your hoodie. He’s wearing a crude ski mask– covered except for his eyes and mouth. How unprofessional.

He continues walking, his body language relaxed. How can he be relaxed right now? You move from behind the car to the middle of the sidewalk, hiding in plain sight. You jam your hands in your pockets, letting your hair fall in front of your face as adopt a drunken stumble. If you can’t run, hide. You sense your target turn around and spare you a glance. All he’ll see, though, is intoxicated, unthreatening idiot. Your opponent ignores you and keeps walking, his left hand going up to clutch at his side. Bingo. 

You continue trailing him, hanging back just far enough to not arouse his suspicion. Once he gets to Hitman’s estate, and to that electrified fence that he can somehow scale, you’re going to lose him. 

You need another advantage. 

You secret the knife from the sheath on your hip, subtly increasing your pace until you’re about twenty feet away from your target– about the farthest you’ll trust yourself to throw a knife accurately. He’s close, so close…

You whip your arm around and send the knife sailing. It flies through the air, headed right for his midsection, when suddenly… what?

Your target’s arm reaches out almost in slow motion and grabs your dagger by the handle, stopping its flight mere inches from his flesh.

“I haven’t forgotten your other present,” he growls as you close in on him, his voice inhuman. “Leave now. You’re not going to win this fight.”

This bitch…

In your mind, you hear every girlie, every sweetheart, every condescending chuckle. You see the disrespect in a thousand eyes, the endless doors closed in your face. And you snap.

Your body seems to melt into the shadows— you’re made of fire, of darkness. Energy courses through your veins, and you suppress the urge to laugh. It’s been a while since you’ve gone all-out. If you can’t hide, fight.

The acrobat cocks his head. “You’re not running?”

In lieu of a response, you make a show of withdrawing your handgun. On seeing the weapon, the acrobat flashes his own gun, leveling the barrel at you.

What he doesn’t know, you think, running your other hand over the military-grade smoke grenade in your pocket, might hurt him.

The acrobat’s arm twitches, the kind of twitch that’s been burned into your memory. You see the path of the bullet before he pulls the trigger; you drop to the floor, his bullet missing your head by inches. In the same movement, you pull the pin on the grenade and launch it at him. With a loud hiss, thick plumes of smoke begin to pour from the capsule. You hear the acrobat curse. His mask proves to be his downfall: he’s blinded and coughing, although his covered nose means he can still breathe. You don’t have a mask with you, but you do have excellent hearing— and so you drop your gun and charge towards him, your eyes shut tight. 

Time seems to slow down. The smoke burns your lungs even though you’re holding your breath, but all you can focus on is your opponent’s heavy footsteps, unsteady and pained. His earlier wound must still be bothering him, which is probably why he’s still on the ground. With his skill set, you’d have scaled the fence and been gone by now. 

Wait. The fence. No matter his skills, the guy isn’t immune to electricity. And you’re right in front of Hitman’s estate.

Your lungs protest— you’ve been holding your breath too long. You need to end this quickly, while you still have the advantage of your smoke cover. Your ears pick up a tiny shift in weight in front of you— he’s a smart assassin, he managed to stop coughing. But it’s not enough to save him, not when you’re in your element. You circle around silently until he’s in between you and the fence.

“Come on, man,” your opponent speaks suddenly, his voice distorted. A voice mod? “We can spar later, I got shit to do.”

Fucking asshole. You barrel forward, lowering your shoulder and catching him right in the gut. You hear a metallic skitter; your attack forced him to drop his gun. He’s unarmed. 

“Oof!” The acrobat grunts in pain, stumbling backwards even as his gloved hands snake forward to wrap around your throat. Shit. He starts squeezing, and you gasp for air, your tortured lungs protesting further abuse. He’s almost right up against the fence– you just need him to take one...more...step. You can hear his labored breathing right in front of you. He must still be blinded, which means you can take him by surprise. Perfect. 

You plant your hands on his shoulders and, instead of pushing him away like he surely expects, you pull him close and press your lips to his, kissing him with all the desperation of a girl with her life on the line. The move is a double-edged sword: if you can’t distract your target sufficiently, you’re close enough to be KO’d. But if you do your job well… it’s practically a given win. Your opponent’s grip on your throat loosens and you feel him relax into the kiss– and return it with fervor, biting lightly on your lower lip. Well, he’s certainly distracted. You use the opportunity to shove him backwards, and with his guard down, he takes that last crucial step to steady himself.

ZZZAP!

You wince at the crackle of electricity. It’s not enough to kill, but that’s gonna hurt like a motherfucker. He collapses without another sound, just as the smoke begins to dissipate.

“Did you hear that?” You hear a shout from inside the estate.

“Someone set off the fence!”

“Well, go check!”

Oh, Christ. You can’t leave your opponent there; his injuries will prove that someone else was with him, they’ll check the footage before AD can edit it. You bend down– grabbing your discarded gun while you’re at it– and pick your opponent up in a fireman’s carry, lugging the dead weight several buildings down and into a back alley. By the time you get there and set him down, you can hear him groan. He’ll be coming to soon. You touch your earpiece to contact AD.

“AD? You awake?” You rasp, your throat still hurting.

AD sounds groggy. “Good morning to you too. Yeah, I’m here.”

“I caught our acrobat.”

“No shit! Is he dead?”

You peer at the groaning, half-conscious figure. “Almost.”

“You’ve got the go-ahead to neutralize him. I’d recommend doing it fast, though.”

“Yeah, I will.” You check the clock: 3:44. This guy’s taken up way too much of your time. Glancing down at your fallen opponent, you see his hand begin to twitch. Let’s see what kind of amateur assassin almost took my kill. You sit on your heels in front of him and reach out, pulling off the ski mask with ease.

“Oh…shit.”

“Y/n?”

“Uh…” sitting in front of you, a trail of scarlet blood dripping down his chin, is Jeon Jungkook. “AD, I’ll call you back.”

“Wait, what’s going-” Click.

You rub your eyes miserably, wishing that the smoke was still blinding you. Jeon Jungkook. Agent Jeon. The dork from work. An assassin?

Then that means… you tug up his shirt, exposing sculpted abs that you wish you didn’t notice along with thick bandages wrapped around his midsection. You can see dark blood seeping through on Jungkook’s left side– where you’d shot him last week, where he said he’d fallen asleep on a dog toy. And like an idiot, like a sentimental amateur, you believed him. You believed that he actually liked you, actually cared. But he’s a liar, a monster like you. The realization that it was all an act hurts more than your bruised throat ever could.

“Ngh…” your heart seems to drop into your stomach. The voice mod must’ve been in his mask, because now you can recognize Jungkook’s groan as the one you’d heard so often during dull shifts. “Hey… hands off the goods.” He swipes weakly at your arm and you pull away, letting his shirt fall back down over the wound that you caused.

Half of you wants to laugh, and the other half wants to… what, cry? Why did it have to be him? 

You pull back your hood and tuck your hair behind your ear. “You’re such a fucking idiot, you know that?”

At last, Jungkook’s eyes snap open and he stares straight at you, his face betraying a mix of horror and fury. “Soo-Jin?”

He’s going to die anyways. You might as well tell him the truth. “Actually, my name is y/n.”

“No.” Jungkook gapes, seemingly at a loss for words. “No. Dammit. Fuck! Fucking anyone but you!” He tries to get up, but he doesn’t get very far before he falls back and slumps over, his expression heartbreaking. For once, you can do nothing but watch him. “I knew it was one of the guards,” Jungkook continues, clutching at his wound. “Namjoon has good aim. Jimin, he’s fast. I didn’t want to hurt you, Soo-Jin–” his voice breaks. “Or, I guess, y/n.”

“I didn’t want to hurt you either,” you admit, the gun in your hip holster feeling heavier by the minute. “But I had to do my job.”

“Wait a second…” Jungkook hesitates. “Y/n? As in y/n l/n, the master assassin? Sixty-two confirmed kills? You’re that y/n?”

“You’ve heard of me?”

Jungkook nods as much as his weakened state will allow. “Everyone in the business has. Your aim is unmatched. They say the only time y/n misses a killshot is when she’s trying to miss– oh.” Jungkook smiles sadly. “I’m just postponing the inevitable, huh?

You nod, smoothly withdrawing your gun and pointing it at his head. Sure, midsection is more of a surefire hit, but a headshot will end it quickly– and for the first time in a long, long time, you realize that you care about his suffering. 

Jungkook looks up at you, his eyes revealing a softness you can’t understand.

“Y-you’re not scared?” You ask. Why isn’t he trying to escape? If you can’t win, run. It’s the assassin’s motto. But… he’s not running?

Jungkook shrugs, groaning in pain. “I lost. You won. We had the same target, so killing me is your right. Besides, if it had to be anyone…” Jungkook winks. “Might as well be you. Even if you are a dirty liar.”

You draw yourself up, affronted. “Excuse me?”

He laughs and then coughs. “Miss I don’t kiss my victims went and pulled that? Sure, Jan.”

You suppress a giggle. “You’re postponing again. I have to get back to Hitman.”

“Right, sorr-” BANG!

You pull the trigger, the gun so familiar in your hand that it’s like an extension of yourself. And your aim, as always, is perfect.

Jungkook is shaking. He looks up at the black mark where the bullet struck the wall, not half an inch above his head. “Y-y-you missed.”

“I’m y/n l/n,” you reply, holstering your gun. “I never miss.”

“Wait, so you saved–”

“Someone’s gotta fix this bandage, shit,” you interrupt, kneeling down and examining his wound, which has continued slowly bleeding through its dressings. “Goddamn amateurs, I swear, ruining the trade–”

Suddenly, Jungkook reaches out and cups your cheek.

“W-what are you doing?” You squeak, embarrassed. He’s so close you can feel his body heat, so close it feels like you’re the one who’s disarmed.

“Making sure you won't regret sparing me,” Jungkook mutters in response before capturing your lips with his own. You didn’t notice the first time, but he tastes like cherries. 

You know you should pull away, a good assassin never lets down her guard, but– “Fuck you,” you mumble against his lips, linking your hands behind his neck. Heat courses through your body as you kiss him back. Maybe, for once... you can just relax. You feel a bit of something hard pass from his mouth to yours. A hard candy? Who cares, you’re kissing him and kissing him and you really like kissing him, fuck.

Eventually Jungkook pulls away, a bright smile on his face. “Look at me, the amateur that tamed the expert.”

“You didn’t tame shit,” you reply, getting up. For a second your vision swims before you. Damned iron deficiency. Checking the time, you start. “I gotta get going.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Jungkook responds, standing up. What? His injuries should have kept him down.

“I’ve still got a target to off, hon.” You salute him, your head aching. You wish you could spend more time with him, but it’s not your path. You’ve got a job to do.

“I said,” Jungkook replies, walking forward. “You’re not going anywhere.” His gait isn’t casual anymore, it’s threatening, and all your instincts are screaming danger.

“Or what? Do the math. I’m armed, you’re not. You can’t do anything.”

Jungkook smiles coldly. His eyes– they’re dark, emotionless. The kind of eyes you see in the mirror everyday. The eyes of a killer. “Oh, but I can. And I did.”

“W-what?” Your heart feels weak, and your breathing becomes labored. Your chest is unnaturally tight. “What did you do to me?”

“All the best spies kept cyanide pills in their mouths,” Jungkook replies with a shrug as you fall to your knees, too dizzy to stand. The world is spinning, tilted, and your chest feels like it’s burning. Jungkook leans down, his tone malicious. “And I’m one of the best. After all, I killed y/n l/n, didn’t I?”

Cyanide. Poison. How can you fight against poison?

Jungkook is still talking. “If you can’t win, run, right? Guess what, girlie? Guess why I didn’t run?”

You can’t breathe, it feels like you’re drowning, you lost.

“I didn’t run because I could win. And I’ll win again, once Hitman is out of the picture. You’re not the only one with money on the line. Though I have to say, it’s really a shame.” He flicks your forehead, but you can barely feel anything anymore. “You were cute. Oh well, any last words?”

This is it. The end of y/n l/n, master assassin. Your eyes flutter closed– he won. “Fuck you.”

#jungkook #bts #jeongguk #bts fic #jungkook fic #jeongguk fic #bts fluff #bts angst #bts au #jungkook fluff #jungkook angst #jungkook au #assassin!jungkook #spy!jungkook #bts x reader #jungkook x reader #jeon jeongguk #bts drabble #jungkook drabble #jungkook fanfiction #bangtan #bangtan boys #jeongguk angst

[ironblccded]

     One thing I REALLY HATE about the anime is that no one will ever understand how truly STRONG Akame is actually. Like yes, we see great feats of strength and speed, but as far as she was in the manga? She is so damn underpowered it’s not funny. For example! 

     In the anime, when a person is CUT with Murasame, it’s a slow acting poison, where it slowly creeps along the body. Where you have almost a couple MINUTES to reflect your life before succumbing to the poison. In truth, it’s more terrifying, sure, but to SMARTER foes, that’s not a good thing, because they can overcome it by things like amputation, etc. We look at Esdeath for instance in the anime, where she cut off her arm seconds after noticing. She was able to WATCH it creep along her arm, and then react. More on this in a moment though. 

     In the manga, this was not the case. Her poison in the manga? Was instant. In the first instance we saw someone hit by it, where she killed three BANDITS threatening to R.APE her, she slit their throats instantly. But, one of them DIDN’T die, he lived. Lived long enough to turn to try and kill her, but then instantly was hit with a fast acting poison that spread to his heart. He only had the second to utter a couple words before succumbing and dying in seconds. It wasn’t drawn out. But then, they were just grunts. So we move on to something more hard hitting: ESDEATH. Like I said up in the previous paragraph, in the anime, she was hit in the arm and amputated her arm, yes? She had time, etc. 

     This happened in the manga too...but she did NOT have time to watch it creep, or feel the poison effecting her. 

     The only one to LAND a decisive blow was Akame, out of MILLIONS of foes, and as stated, this poison is SUPER fast acting. So, in this position, where even ESDEATH was caught off guard, what must she do? She doesn’t have time to react. She will die in an instant. After all, One Slash Certain Kill is the nickname of her blade. 

     Simple: Esdeath wastes her one time a day shot of her TRUMP CARD to save her life. 

     To those who are unfamiliar with MAHAPADMA, this is a special ability created by Esdeath that she can use ONCE a day, to stop ALL TIME around her as she sees fit for several minutes if she so pleases. But once more, it can only be used once a day, and it takes A LOT of her energy to do it. So what did she do? She had to FREEZE TIME to stop the flow of the poison fast enough to take off her own arm. 

     This poison is NOT weak by any means, as no antidote in the entire world can be made to combat it. Because it isn’t a true poison: it’s a CURSE in the acting form of a poison. And there is no antidote, and no way to combat it. 

     Esdeath is the only one able to fight it off, because she is able to treat the wounds with her Ice Magic. For instance, she also gets several fingers cut off in the future fight, when she mistimed a dodge, and Akame’s speed once more catches her off guard. On the spot, she freezes her fingers over and creates ice digits to take position of the fingers. 

     Now then, the LAST point this post will touch on, is her CURSE FORM, or Trump Card, Ennoodzuno. Anyone who has followed me knows I’ve spoken about this at length many a time, but not once on this blog, and though in the future I WILL make a lengthy, full explanation of this form, this one will be just a small excerpt of the longer one being made. 

     The form is SUPER DIFFERENT between both Manga and Anime. And this one seriously pisses me off cause it shows how lazy the makers of the anime wanted to be with this form and this fight. But let’s get into it. 

     In the anime, we watch Akame activate this form after a not-so successful one on one fight with Esdeath as her normal self. This was not a thing in the manga. In the manga, Akame and Esdeath NEVER had an upright duel until she already activated this form. In the manga, MILLIONS fight to keep Akame secret, and let Akame rush around through their shadows and around their bodies. She kept her aura hidden, and she kept her BLOODLUST gone, and she waited for an opening. She waited. She watched. Esdeath was a monster on the battlefield. She was able to BEAT all the millions of foes around her with EASE, and only when she saw that opening did she STRIKE. And we see the conclusion. 

     Tatsumi in his Tyrant form, breaks through MAHAPADMA, and Esdeath drops it in time to fight back. But this results in Tatsumi being thrown aside. When Akame rushes to him, she is assaulted by him, and here is where we once more differ to the manga and anime. 

     In the anime, by this point, Tatsumi is already dead. He died saving the Imperial City from the First Teigu crashing down onto it after defeating it. He dies in her arms, even, and she SCREAMS in tears that he promised to return home to her alive. She couldn’t lose another friend. It devastated her. But this is when Esdeath arrives, and turns her back even on the empire she serves, WIPING OUT her own soldiers and the soldiers of the revolution, to block herself and Akame in and fight her one on one. Now, this is partly correct to the manga, but we move on. 

     After Tatsumi loses control to Tyrant, he BEGS for Akame to kill him. Because he doesn’t want to fade away. He doesn’t want to lose control again and kill her or anyone else. And so she does: and this is where her true TRUMP CARD activation kicks in. In the anime, all she had to do was CUT HERSELF and succumb to her own poison. Her body would be strengthened by it. But she could only do it one time: logically, that doesn’t make sense. If you overcame the poison ONE time, why can’t you many other times? Even after the effects of it wear off and her curse is branded on her, she STILL logically could do it again, and risk death even more. But it’s still possible. 

     The manga is different though: the true activation is in killing the one CLOSEST TO HER HEART. Because she casts off her humanity to do this, and becomes a true DEMON, in a sense. She becomes a true WIELDER OF THE DEMON SWORD. And then the fights truly start, both anime and manga. 

     Now, in the anime? She is seen going toe to toe with Esdeath, the two are now equals...and this is shown in the gifs I have down below. none of which are sped up, by the way. I made sure to grab gifs ACCURATELY representing the exact speed of the anime fight.

     Now all of this? This is all wrong. This is where the anime pisses me off. Because this is not at all the case. These two should NOT be on par with one another at this point. ‘But Wolf, Esdeath clearly is stronger, so shouldn’t they be on par with Akame in this form? They are equals now! Two demons on the field!’ Great question in theory.

     In the manga, not only is the parameters of the change different, but so is the actual change and activation. In the anime, Akame is consumed by her poison and put through severe pain. A mist forms around her body and face, and she is changed. In the manga...no. She literally EXPLODES with energy on a nuclear level. To the point that Esdeath, in the HEAT of her warhungry bloodlust, PAUSES from killing a person in her grip, and TURNS with fear towards her. 

     This alone is a huge change, but then we add on this: Akame is literally FLOWING with dark energy. And it’s not just like, the mist of the explosion. She BURNS an aura of pure darkness. And if this wasn’t enough, ESDEATH cannot even see her fighting. Esdeath is the strongest fighter of the Empire, she is a menace...and even SHE cannot fight Akame now with how fast and strong she has become. 

     Super sonic speeds is an understatement now. 

     Now, we are nearing the end of the SMALL version of this topic. This all shows how DANGEROUS that my little Akame truly is. But, here is where we conclude it: the difference in their strength is literally day to night. 

     And I will touch on all of this sometime this weekend. So do feel free to look forward to that!~ 

     TLDR: DO NOT fucking test Akame. You will fail. Because though she is HUMAN, she can fight on par with some of the most dangerous characters alive in any anime or manga. I have even come to realize, she could beat ICHIGO KUROSAKI, probably my most powerful muse on my blog, with ease. Because she is all about skill, not strength or power. Yes, she has power, but if you have to worry about SKILL, this bitch will beat you in EVERY way possible. Her skills are NOT in assassinations. They are not in combat. They are not even in swordplay. 

               Her true STRENGTH...is just in BURYING her target.

                                 No matter the METHOD needed.

#Blood Stains Her Hands || The Sins Of The Many Lives Taken Weigh Heavy On Her Soul (Akame) #Each Of The Pack Has A Story To Tell || Listen And Learn From All Around (Headcanons) #General With A Heart Cold As Ice || The Strong To Consume The Weak (Esdeath || Adrosetum)

[softxharry]

Blacklist (three)

Harry Styles, one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals turns himself in– and all he wants to do is speak with one rookie agent.  

It’s her job to figure him out and it’s his to protect her from her past, but all secrets have to be told eventually.

AN// You can keep up with this story here via the tag HSBlacklist or on Wattpad at brutallybeautiful !

Chapter Three

Grace

Harry wasn't lying. Within an hour of our conversation in the cold confinements to the black sight, Kurt Weber had picked up the General's daughter from soccer practice and they were quickly heading out of the city. And here I was again, hours later in front of this fucking smirky British boy trying to figure out why he was here and why he turned himself in.

"How was lunch Gracey?" he asked, cocking his head to the side as I walk back into the warehouse. I can't help but roll my eyes at him, his comment, the nickname.

"How did you know that Weber was going to take that little girl?"

He looks up at me, not wavering under the fact I'm practically in his face now. "I'm the one who got him in to the country," he said flatly.

I was growing increasingly frustrated by the minute with him. I take a step back, my hands on my hips as I look at him.

I was trying to figure out clues to him. Nervous ticks, facial expressions and their meanings, but all he was was stone cold.

"And what do they want with the little girl?" Agent Cooper's voice bellows behind me. His voice is much stronger and more convincible than mine. Harry looks beyond me in confusion, cocking his head. He wasn't going to speak to Cooper, I knew because he looked me in the eyes to answer.

"That's all I know." He smiles at me.

"What do you want, Styles?" Cooper asked. "What is in it for you?"

Harry rolls his eyes, shakes the curls from his forehead and takes a deep breath. "Owen, may I remind you of my initial request? I speak with Agent Tyler."

He is undoubtedly annoyed, both Harry and Cooper.

I look back at Agent Cooper and he nods, pointing to his ear to remind me that I can hear them in my headset. I felt like I was actually doing something right for once. Or maybe Harry was letting me think that to gain my trust and get under my skin. I nod at Cooper, letting him know that I understood his silent communication before I turn back to Harry, repeating the same question that Cooper posed. Harry smiles.

"Immunity," he says calmly. "In exchange for names. On my terms."

A deafening no sounds in my ear from Cooper before I can even respond to the ridiculous request. He must know that we won't give him immunity, he can't be that stupid.

Absolutely not." I cross my arms over my chest. "You're mad."

He laughs again, sending shivers down my spine. "Very well." His eyes advert down to my hands and he raises his eyebrow.

Her blood will be on my hands. I know. I turn around and storm out of the giant openness of the warehouse. Suddenly it smelled like metal and anguish in here, like the smell her blood would be on my hands and now it seemed suffocating, like it was caving in around us forcing us tighter together, the little girl's blood and myself.

I don't know why I felt so attached to the girl and her death that may or may not happen. Perhaps, it's because I held too much empathy for people I don't know. Perhaps because she's only 7 years old, someone's daughter, and she has so much left to do in this world.

I can't imagine her father never seeing her walk at graduation in her cap and gown, her never knowing how to open a locker in middle school or graduate or get her heart broken or actually live.

Harry could be leading us down a dead end road, on a fucking rabbit chase for all we know. But somehow, if for some reason he wasn't lying, I wanted to take a chance to save this girl. Because I wouldn't be able to live with myself if we didn't. I run my hands over my face in defeat and push the door open to Cooper's office. Everyone is looking at me through the giant window before I'm through the door.

"You have to make a deal with him," I breath out before the door is closed behind me. Agent Hunter is already on my case before I get the words out. "No," he says flatly. Harry is tapping his foot loudly on the floor in the warehouse. I know because they have cameras pointed at him to watch his every move and he's purposely tapping loudly to annoy us.

"May I remind you that you're running out of time here, she'll be dead in less than 18 hours."

We all stop talking and turn our heads to look at Harry. I can't describe the look of pure muse on his face, this was a game for him. I knew it was.

I'm storming out of the office now and my hand is around his throat as soon as I'm close enough to touch him.

"Fucking tell us where that little girl is." I am practically spitting in his face. And now, even with my hand cutting off the airflow to his lungs, he's still smirking.

I don't know what's gotten into me in this moment. But I can take a pretty good guess. The pressure of this girls life on the line, the fact that he's playing a game with it, or both.

"How about a trade? You help me and I'll help you," he chokes out. I let go of my grip on his throat, but not without giving it an extra push inward to cause him a jolt of pain.

"Fine. Help me," I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest. His eyes advert down to his hands in confinement and then back up at me. I shake my head at him and take a deep breath.

"You're really pushing yourself here, Harry."

-

"Ah, ugly bastard." Harry leans in closer to the photo of Weber taped onto the glass.

A small smile draws on my lips. He was a funny looking guy, oval shaped head, nose too big for his face, small thin-lined lips, just a few grey hairs pocking out of the top of his head. Nobody was denying it.

Harry is walking slowly around all of the glass boards, looking at each and every one of the photos of evidence, humming to himself. He takes one off, struggling a bit in the confinements of the handcuffs.

"This is wrong," he said. He moves the photo to a completely different board.

"This," he said as he places the photo, sliding his thumb gently over the tape. "This is Carrie. She's most likely moving the money." He looks back us, as if to clarify. "For the girl."

"She left MIT to work for a Russian named," he pauses and picks up another photo. "Artem Mikhail, he builds bombs. A cock, too." He fakes a Russian accent, laughing at his own joke.

Hunter and Cooper are leaning against one of the many desks behind me as they watch Harry connect the dots that we couldn't. Cooper looks interested, nodding along to everything that Harry was saying, sometimes mumbling quiet words to himself. Hunter looked like Hunter, pissed off. His face was contoured into a scowl at Harry, either he has an extreme resting bitch face or he's just a really angry person.

Harry's looking at me with his eyebrows raised. "I said, what do you know about Kurt? The girl?"

I clasp my hands together, pretending that I wasn't just spaced out. "Given your 24 hour timeline, I would suggest this is a singular event. I'm not sure how the girl fits."

He points his hands up to glass again.

"What about Carrie?"

I turn around and walk closer to the glass, glancing over the photos of the woman. I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"She's important, well paid. Some sort of ransom?"

He shakes his head in disappointment. "Think like a criminal, make it personal."

The way he looks at me is encouraging, like he wants the pieces to turn and click inside my head. He knows, but he wants me to figure it out. But why? I take a few moments to think over everything I know.

Kalmin Brown has secrets. The General has fucking secrets.

"Kurt, he was disciplined in Germany. For initiating a wrong attack on a town." I look over at Agent Cooper. He nods proudly, silently telling me to go on. Harry's looking at me too with a smile on his face.

"Weber's home," Harry mumbles.

Click. I felt like I had just found a solution for world hunger or something. So much so that I can't help but excitedly shout out the answer.

"It's about his family." I'm walking between monitors and the boards, looking for every bit of information that I can. I stop at a photo of Weber's family.

"They died and he survived," I mumble. "This isn't about a ransom. It's about revenge."

I look over at the picture of the little girl, Jamie, and place my finger on her cheek.

My shoulders fall at the sad realization of what's about to happen. My eyes linger on the little girl and the room seems totally silent as everyone else comes to the same one.

"He's going to use her to get back at Brown."

#hsblacklist #hs #hs1 #harry styles #harry #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles au #harry styles fanfic #harry fanfic #harry au #one direction #one direction au #one direction fanfic #one direction fanfiction #1d #1d au #au #fanfic #fanfiction #1d fanfiction #directioner #directioners

[pwnyta]

Full Endgame spoilers/review:

(TL;DR: It was really fucking good. Theres some bad obviously but overall worth it. Even after reading the spoilers and feeling like I may not like it as much as I thought I would... I actually liked it more.)

- - So as I said I loved the movie I had some gripes but overall I thought it was one hell of a fun, entertaining movie. I'll go by each characters story in my review saving Cap and Tony for last.

Natasha- Honestly? Though I think the MCU dropped the ball on the 0G6 being a believable family... I think Nats role in this movie was sweet. I really like the scene where Tony Nat and Bruce were laying down talking about Strange and the stones. It was really cute but it really made me wish we got to see this earlier. Joss dropped the ball hard in AoU. Ive said it one and I'll say it again. AoU should have been the movie where the Avengers were a solid unit throughout the movie.Nats death was... heroic but honestly her and Clint beating the shit out of each other because neither could stand the thought of the other being sacrificed was kinda funny and cute which is jarring to the story. It kinda sucks that she was fridged before the final battle though.

Clint- What are the fucking odds that every one of his family was dusted? But w/e. Clint having a wild sword battle in Japan... it was ridiculous and weird and IDK what they were thinking with that scene but it was played really dramatically but I laughed? Cuz it was so over the top and silly... even though he just slit that guys throat and Nats like :c Clint~ honey no its fine... and they hold hands over the guys warm corpse. LMFAO WHAT!? Im at least happy his kids got him back if nothing else.

Bruce- ... Bruce with Hulks big green body? NICE. Thats gonna have some interesting fanart I can already tell and I lift my glass to you. I once tried to draw a little comic where Bruce and Hulk separated but also had swapped bodies.... so Bruce had Hulks body but I never did finish it I wonder if I still have it saved somewhere. Anyways. Honestly? I found Bruce in this movie to be equal parts funny and annoying? Like it was a bit jarring sometimes that he was so lighthearted despite everything.

Thor- When I read the spoilers I thought I was gonna really dislike Thor but watching it I understood where Thor was coming from and I couldnt really blame him for spiraling and its not like anyone close to him seemed to even check up on him despite clearly knowing where he was. Im really sad that it took all those years and only until he was needed for someone to try and talk Thor through what he was going through. Im not annoyed with Thor. Im annoyed with the rest of them (minus Tony and I guess Clint? Considering.). Bruce was his friend in Ragnarok, Nat keeps talking about them being family, and Steve is their leader where the hell were they? Unless im missing something... I guess Valkyrie too but shes been picking up his slack as a leader and was holding the Asgardians together so I can cut her some slack. ANYWAYS. Thor was kinda funny in the movie but it was kind of hard to enjoy his goofiness. It kind felt like Tony in IM2. Speaking of Im glad Tony seemed really tolerant of Thors drunk behavior... I was sure he would throw a lot of shots like Rocket did. I wish they had a moment to talk about Thor self medicating with booze... Tonys been there. I get why they couldnt really but.. His scene with Frigga was really nice. Frigga is a bad bitch raised by witches and shit.... she knows all~ A wise woman that Frigga.

Scott- HOLY SHIT Did I love Scott in this movie. He was soo funny and cute... and bullied a lot. You know I have a thing for easily bulliable character. And Scott just got spanked left and right. His helpless goofiness reminded me of Harry from KKBB a little. He bounced off everyone well and it makes me kinda wish he was one of the OG6 instead of Clint. He was more of the heart that kept the Avengers together than anyone. Also him and Tony talking about Caps ass? HILARIOUS. Bisexual icons honestly. 'That suit did nothing for your ass.' 'No one asked you to look!' 'I think you look great Cap as far as Im concerned thats Americas ass!' and then later Caps all 'That IS Americas ass.' Unbelievable. But his best scene is still him reuniting with Cassie. She was so big! Im so happy she got her dad back... but Bruces failed time travel machine scene.... that was a close second. 'Somebody peed my pants... idk if it was baby me or old me........ or me me.' Also the 'whats up regular sized man' scene is longer and more hilarious than the preview showed. FUCK YOUR TACO SCOTT. At least Bruce is nice to him. I ship GreenAnt a little. Rocket petting Scott and mockingly calling him a puppy. SAME.

Rhodey- JESUS RHODEY. Speaking of hilarious idiots. Im glad he got a bigger roll in this movie but he didnt hug Tony when he got back so whats the point? BUT W/E... He was hilarious and amazing. It was nice to see him step up as one of the sorta leaders after the snappening. But he was also A HUGE FUCKING DORK THE ENTIRE WAY THROUGH. Thinking that a secret cavern with a spooky name would be boobytrapped like in Indiana Jones and trying to convince Nebula to be careful. Naming a bunch of shitty time travel movies to prove a point about time travel (with Scotts help) and going back in time to kill baby Thanos...and Bruce was like 'yeah... no...' and him fucking TRASHING the magic of the iconic opening scene of the first GotG where Quill is dancing.... 'so hes an idiot?' RHODEY PLEEEEAAASSSEEEE have mercy. Him and Nebula are a trip. Also I made a note to mention Don Cheadles BEAUTIFUL soft voice. So here it is. I love Don Cheadles beautiful soft voice. He had too few scenes with Tony but their first scene when Tony starts freaking out and hes trying to get Tony to calm down was pretty good... and god that ending.... ;-; How come Rhodey got NO lines while Tony was dying? But also in the same position I dont think Id have any words either. I too would just cry. And did... for Tony. But yeah besides his lack of scenes with Tony I really loved Rhodeys scenes. I usually do. Hes adorable.

Nebula: Sweetie... You are just amazing. Shes legit one of the best most solid characters in the movie. The opening scenes between her and Tony? FUCKING adorable. Im sad we dont see more of them after the time skip. I also wish we got a longer scene of Neb and Rocket talking when she gets to earth... I guess just seeing them sit together sadly was enough to portray the emotions but.... I MEAN. More Nebula wouldnt hurt anyone. Having to see two tortured versions of Nebula was upsetting. Future Nebula who lost so much and past Nebula still under Thanos' thumb. 'You can change!' 'He wont let me' OOF. Im sad that past Nebula was killed... but appreciate that even in that moment past Gamora was upset to see her be killed. Im glad with Present Neb, Gamora was so easily heel-face turned. She loves her sister. Also their moment after past Gamora beats up present Quill was hilarious 'Really? This is the guy?' 'The choices were him or a tree.' WHAT ABOUT DRAX, NEBULA?! I know I said I may not watch any MCU movies after this but I might tune in for GotG3 for Nebula (and Thor).

Steve: I actually ENJOYED Steve in this movie for the most part. For the first time in any movie... even by himself I kind of enjoyed Steve. Especially the scene when hes fighting himself and his past self says 'I can do this all day' and hes like 'Tst... yeah I know... okay' Like he was sick of his own damn bullshit. And frankly? Same. Also him whispering 'Hail hydra' to get the scepter? Hilarious. I cant help but see it as a knock at that shitty Hydra Cap comic that everyone hated. But despite me enjoying Steve for most of the film... the MCUs inability to write a good romance and pretending like Steve and Peggys relationship was a peak or something completely undoes it all. It would still NOT BE GREAT regardless but the fact the RUSSOS are the ones who brought Sharon into TWS in the first place makes it SO MUCH WORSE that Steve dipped out. Steve should have moved on... even if it wasnt with Sharon. They could have at least MENTIONED HER but they knew they couldnt because then it would be too highlighted that Steve is a fucking FUCK BOY who used the niece of the woman he loved as a surrogate and that him going back to the past means hes gonna be meeting little Sharon at some point. Also? Really? Steve you have this whole new family you supposedly love and can live your life with but you rather go back in the past because the first woman who was nice to you was there? Move on. Its so fucking weird that hes so obsessed with her. You have your childhood friend and the rest of your new friends... and supposedly a girlfriend. IDK how anyone could be happy with that ending for him. But I guess its in character... remember the note he sent Tony 'I've been on my own since I was 18.' What about Bucky? He was there with you and you had family in the Avengers supposedly. Natasha seemed to think so. YOURE SUCH A FUCKIN SCUMBAG STEVE. Jesus.

Tony: First of all Id just LOVED his scenes with Nebula as I said. He sat there patiently teaching how to play paper football and held her win. It was REALLY cute. When he passed out she picked him up off the floor and sat him down on the chair and pat him. REAL CUTE. He nicknamed her 'The Blue Meanie' its cute and he tried to give her the last of their food but she insisted he eat it. Bobbos eyes never looked more gorgeous than in that scene where Carol finds them honestly. Tonys I told you so was really really sad. It had a lot of feeling like that scene in AoU when he laughs hysterically and starts ranting? Rhodey tried to calm him down but he just ripped into Cap. Also he yanked off his arc reactor and I FULLY JUMPED IN PANIC because I forgot it wasnt in him. I fully flinched. But he pulled his heart out and gave it to Steve and then passed out. Tony and Peppers daughter is ADORABLE. And her interactions with Tony are so sweet. Domestic Tony is lovely. I love that when Steve and the gang roll up on him Morgan runs out during their discussion and is like 'Mom told me to come and save you....' and hes like 'Well Ive been saved!' REAL CUTE. Also he swore and his daughter copied him and hes like NOOOOO!!!!!!! LMAO. LANGUAGE Tony. Tony is motivated to fix things seeing that pic of him and Peter. Hes such a softie. IM REALLY REALLY SAD that we finally see Pepper kinda GET Tonys need to be Iron Man and is like 'But could you rest?'. The one time she encourages him to go back to be Iron Man and he fucking DIES. Im so sad for Pepper. But that scene between them where shes like 'We'll be ok.... you can rest now.' FUCK. Im crying again. That scene between him and Steve- 'Someone shoula warned you~' 'You did...' 'Oh did I? Thank god Im here' has the same energy as 'Who taught you how to dance?' 'You did.' 'Well Ive done a marvelous job!' It was pretty great. Tonys nicknames for Scott are 'Pissant' and 'Thumbelina.' Im not OVERLY fond of his scenes with Howard. But honestly? My brother is the same way with our dad... he just chooses to forget the bad stuff and focus on the few good times. I cant do that but if it made Tony happier then VERY WELL. I wish Tony coulda talked to Jarvis too tho... just a word... anything? Best Tony scene is Peter babbling about how he musta passed out because Tony was gone and and and and Tony just hugs him so tightly and Peters hugs back and is like :D 'this is nice'! Though that STARK contrast of them after Tony uses the gauntlet... and Peter is like 'Mr Stark... we won... we did it... no Mr Stark...' Big Simba and Mufasa feels (and kind of Hughes and Elicia tbh). Not cool Disney. I was already crying. Rhodey was the first to reach Tony and Tony couldnt say ANYTHING to anyone and Rhodey just pets his cheek... Tony was just looking around as his family just has to watch helplessly as hes dying and Pepper tells him its ok. His funeral was really nice. He recorded a message for everyone kind of like his message for Pepper on the ship. Everyone was there... I think even Harley (Im really sad we didnt see them get reunited even once). The scene with Happy and Morgan was really sweet. 'I'll buy all the cheeseburgers you want....' It was cool to because... ya know.... Jon Favreau. He got a really beautiful end. I wish he could just retire and live with Pep and Morgan... but if he had to die... that was a really lovely sendoff. SO ALL IN ALL. Awesome movie. I didnt get to see past elderly Steve passing the shield off to Sam... I'll have to rewatch it again when theres a better version. Especially for that fucking STUNNING end battle. Even with the shitty cam I watched it looked AMAZING and I cant wait for it in HD.

#Endgame Spoilers

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Wan High Weeping (Part 48)

Kay, so holy shit, this is the longest chapter I have ever written I think lmao.

‘Do you know what you’ve cost me!?’ The message appeared in her inbox on several sites and on her phone. She was very well aware and it satisfied her to the core. Chan had told her; “you got her kicked off of the team, you know?”

At the time, she had not, but she was more than pleased to hear it.

“And what about you?”

“Yeah, me too. They didn’t want that kind of image for the team.”

For a second she felt bad. But really, what did they expect to come out of nudging and jabbing at her when she was already down? Did they think that she would remain embarrassingly passive for good?  Another message appeared from Usha. The girl was all over Azula’s pages, apparently her lesson wouldn’t be learned until after the trial took her down a couple thousand dollars. At least the others had the brainpower to keep quiet and let Usha fuss alone. Even Kori had nothing to say these days. Azula was under the impression that Kori was well aware that she was in the line of fire and if she stepped on Azula’s toes she’d be in the courtroom too. ‘Fucking bitch!’ Usha seethed from behind a screen.

Azula wondered if Yue would find this to be of any interest.

“Who are you talking to?” Zuko asked.

“No one, Zu-Zu.” Azula replied, slipping her phone back into her pocket.

“Thanks for driving me today.” He smiled.

“Don’t thank me yet. You’re driving me to the next one.”

Zuko laughed, though Azula didn’t know what was so humorous about it.

“I figured that I would be.” He noted.

Truth be told, it was kind of nice going with him to the sessions. It was convenient, it saved on gas money, and she didn’t feel so awkward and alone. Granted, this was only the second time they had driven to the session together.

“What are you seeing a therapist for anyways?” It was the second time he had asked.

“Father.” She said, simply. A safely broad answer.

“What did he do to you?”

Azula stood up. “It’s almost four, I think that you should head to the rehab side.” She caught Zuko rolling his eyes at the timing. But he couldn’t argue because, by all means, she was right. “I’ve got to get to my own session.” She started to walk away, turning around only to say, “meet me back here when you’re done.”

She gave Yue’s door two soft knocks and the woman beckoned her in.

“What happened?” Azula asked after taking her seat.

Yue cradled her casted arm. “I was in a car accident over the weekend. It wasn’t too serious, but I’m going to need a new car. I hope that your weekend went a little better.”

“It was fine. Zu-Zu, is living with mother and I now.”

“Your brother?”

Azula nodded. “That is his nickname.”

“How is that going?”

“Fine, so far. We drive here together.”

Yue smiled. “That sounds like a good thing. It looks like your hands are healing.”

Azula looked at the backs of her hands. The scabs on her knuckles had cleared completely. Granted, volleyball had given her a new bruise to take their place. “Yes.” She agreed.

“I take it, you have been sticking to the meal plan?”

“I have been, yes.”

“I can tell.” Yue noted. Before Azula had a chance to leap to conclusions, Yue adds, “your voice sounds less scratchy too.” She pauses. “Doesn’t it feel better?”

Reluctantly, Azula agreed to that as well. She did feel better, her throat wasn’t sore, her stomach didn’t ache, and she didn’t have to deal with cramping, so long as she didn’t pull something during practice. Practice, which she had the energy for.

She wasn’t constantly thinking of food either.

“It has only been a few weeks and you’ve already made a lot of progress. You realize that don’t you?”

It was in the back of her mind, yes, but she hadn’t really had the time to truly consider it. Not until Yue brought it to the foreground. Indeed, she was feeling more like herself. In most regards anyways. “But--.”

She didn’t have to finish for Yue to know. “You’re still worried about your weight, aren’t you?”

At that point, worried might have been an understatement. It was more or less and underlying dread.

“Give your body time, remember? You’ll find that the body is very effective at sorting itself out, given optimal conditions.” She drew out a few files. “Based on what your doctor has forwarded me, you are in very healthy condition, all things considered.”

“I know…” Azula trailed off. She can feel that much.

“Let me ask you something else.”

“Go ahead.”

“Has anyone made any comments about your weight?”

Azula thought for a moment. Neither Zuko nor Ursa had said anything. Nor had Iroh. She thought back to her reunion with Chan. The boy made no comments either, but she was almost certain that he was thinking it. “Not out loud.” She finally answered.

“I promise you, that you are the hardest on yourself.” Yue had said that the last time too. Apparently, a reminder wouldn’t hurt. Azula thought that she could use a reminder. “Just give yourself a little more time.”

“How much time?” Azula asked. She liked to think herself a patient person. But she was running low on it. She just wanted to be Azula again. Truly, Azula.

“It’s hard to say.” Yue admitted. “But you are doing very well, I’d say that your body is already mostly used to eating correctly again.” She peered at Azula’s medical files again. “In other words, I’d say you are at the point where your weight is going to flatline instead of increase. If you stick to your volleyball routine, perhaps add a morning jog on the side, an I think you’ll start to see the results you want sooner rather than later.”

It was the most reassuring thing she had heard all week.

“Two days from now, I’ll be at my first game of the season.”

“That’s wonderful news.” Yue grinned. “You’ll have to let me know how that goes.”

“We’re going to lose.” Azula replied flatly. “But it won’t be my fault. I don’t think that the rest of the team is trying as hard as they could be…”

“Have you considered that this is a good thing?”

“It makes me feel better about myself, I suppose.”

“You need to learn to play for fun before you can play competitively again. I’m under the impression that your father took something you enjoyed and turned it into something that came with a lot of stress. You need to reclaim what you enjoyed.”

Azula sighed. Now that she had at least somewhat of a handle on her eating habits, the woman wanted to start talking abuse. “I already have.” She said. “I like my new team…even though they have no hand eye-coordination whatsoever.” Frankly it their dreadful playing almost made her happy. They were less tense, they made jokes and jabs that were actually funny.

They were comfortable.

“I’ll give them this first game to mess around.” Azula declared. “But they will learn to play good.”

Yue snickered. “I’m sure that they will.” Her smile faded after a moment. “Can we talk about your father, Azula?”

.oOo.

Zuko took a seat and took a gander around the room. It was cozy with a shelf of books and a mural of a dormant volcano.  His new therapist sat behind his desk stroking a silvery beard. “Welcome, Mr. Kasai, I’m Dr. Jeong Jeong.”

“Zuko.” He returned.

“I do hope that we will get along better than you and Dr. Pakku did.”

“We can’t possibly get along worse.” Zuko replied.

“Alright, so what did and didn’t work when you talked to Dr. Pakku?”

“Nothing worked; he never let me finish talking, he always made assumptions, I don’t think that he wanted to work with a former heroin addict.”

Jeong Jeong scrawled something down in his notebook. “I will let you talk for as long as you want, Mr. Kasai...or would you prefer Zuko? Just let me know if I have cut you off or have made an assumption, I will do my best to correct it.”

“Zuko is fine.” He answered. “And I will.”

“Feel free to talk whenever you are ready.” Jeong Jeong prompted. “I would love to know what started your addiction in the first place, so we can cut away the root problem.”

“My family. Especially my father.” Zuko began. “I was pretty young when my mom left, I was about eight years old. Before she left, I always heard them arguing. He would get really loud and I didn’t understand what was going on. I don’t remember what he was yelling about but mother would usually cry. Most of the time, my sister would come into my room because they were being too loud for her and she couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t help because I was afraid too.” He paused. “A lot of the times I think that they fought over me and Azula. About how he was raising Azula wrong and how he was giving her too much attention and giving me none at all. My mother fought him because he put too much pressure on us and we were just kids. I thought that they just screamed at each other. But one day my sister went downstairs--I don’t remember why. I just know that she came upstairs and asked why daddy was hitting mommy…”

Jeong Jeong nodded. “Do you want my input or do you have more to add?”

“I have more to add.” He replied. “After that, I started noticing it more. I would listen for slaps and I would have to keep Azula from going downstairs, because I was afraid he would hurt her too. He smacked me when I went down for food while they were arguing.” He was getting a little ahead of himself. “So I stayed upstairs and sometimes I could hear him throwing things. After awhile mother left, I don’t think that she wanted to, because she wanted to protect us. But my father got the divorce papers and they were in court. She didn’t have any money and she couldn’t prove the abuse, father stopped hitting her around when he decided that he was going to take her to court. So he got custody of us. My mother filed for a restraining order and my father let her get it so he wouldn’t have to waste anymore time.” Zuko stopped to let the man finish writing. “After mom was gone he started abusing me instead, and, I think, my sister too. Father liked to get in her head. She liked being the favorite and he got her to help him hurt me. She mostly said things that hurt. Father did things that hurt. I have scars on my back from his belt. I have them on my sides too. A few years ago we were learning about drugs in my health class. I found out that a lot of people use heroin to get rid of physical pain.

I decided to try it for myself.”

Jeong Jeong took all of that down.

“I am done.” He replied.

“Very well.” Jeong Jeong replied. “Have you since taken steps to protect yourself from your father, because that would be a good start. I would also advice accepting that you shouldn’t crave acceptance from your father.”

“But I do!” Zuko burst out. “I hate him. But I do. I want him to value me.”

“Do you?” Jeong Jeong asked. “Do you really want to be praised by a man like that? A man who would hit his wife? A man like that will only accept a man who does the misdeeds he does.”

Zuko stuttered to form a defense. “Well…”

“Do not defend a man who will not do the same for you. Do not fight to earn the praise of someone who won’t respect you. Do not looking up to a man who looks down on you. Are you getting the picture?”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“That was not my intent.” Jeong Jeong replied. “I do not mean to sound condescending. I was simply trying to tell you that you are a respectable man so you should treat yourself with respect and take less consideration into those who won’t.”

His mouth ran dry. “I.” He tried. “I didn’t think about it like that.”

“Have you taken steps to distance yourself from your abuser?”

“I live with my mother now.” He replied. “And my sister and mother are taking him to court. I plan on testifying.”

“Good steps. Wise ones, it sounds like you have a support system.”

“My uncle and my boyfriend have been really helpful.”

“And what about your sister? You mentioned that she helped your father abuse you?”

“Until this past summer.” He replied.

“And then what happened?”

“She bothered me less when she found out that I was on drugs. I think that she was concerned right before I ran away. She was the one who told my uncle to find me. I think that it’s because he, father, started treating her like he treats me and...she’s different now.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“I think so. She drove me here today.”

Jeong Jeong jotted that down. “I think that what you have going is a good start. Make amends with her. The closer you are to your sister and mother, the less power your father will have. I can get you your file, if that will aid in the court process.”

“That would be great!” Zuko smiled. “The trial is next Saturday, if you can get it by then.”

“That is possible.” Jeong Jeong promised. He looked at the wall on the clock. “For now, Zuko, I would like you to maintain and strengthen your support system. The larger and sturdier it is, the easier it will be for you to stay clean.” He stood up. “And congratulations on one month.” He extended an arm. “You have my respect.”

Zuko shook his hand. “Thank you.”

Jeong Jeong nodded. “Thank yourself, Zuko, you have done most of the work. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“You too, Dr. Jeong Jeong.”

“I will see you on Tuesday.”

Zuko closed the door behind him. Jeong Jeong definitely suited his needs more than Pakku did. Respect. Self-respect. Why hadn’t he considered the concept before?

.oOo.

Azula laced up her shoes and slung her bag over her shoulder.

The bus was about to leave and she couldn’t get the nervous flutter out of her tummy. She didn’t recall ever having felt so nervous before a game. But then, she had never been so out of shape for one either. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she was doing this for pleasure, not for competition. At least for now.

“You okay?” Chinami asked.

“I’m fine.” Azula replied.

She watched Zirin rummage through her backpack, declaring that she was going to finish her homework during the bus ride. Ikue and Ryoko shared headphones, listening to their music loud enough for Azula to hear the lyrics as well. That left Chinami and Shoko for company. Coach Ruka ran through her pep talk and then left them to socialize. Chinami spent much of the ride showing she and Shoko her favorite cat videos. Azula didn’t protest, she could use the distraction.

Stepping back onto the court in front of a crowd was surreal and disorienting. She scanned the crowd and found Ursa. she caught her mother’s eye and the woman waved. She nudged Zuko who gave a wave of his own. She returned it. She caught TyLee wheeling Teo next to them.

It was her first game in ages.

And the first time her mother and Teo would ever seen her play.

Was she going to lose? Most certainly, but at least it was a game.

At least she was on the court again.

Azula was to make the first serve. She wished that she could pull off a jump serve. Instead she settled for a topspin serve.  She scanned the court for an opening and hit the ball. The opposing team was a speedy lot, they hit it back with ease. Zirin returned their defensive strike. Azula watched the ball go over the net a few times before it came back within her reach. She bumped it back, aiming for the small spot they left undefended. The ball hit the floor with a satisfying thump.

Azula didn’t know who blushed more when Ursa started hollering, she or Zuko.

“Man, I wish my mom loved me that much.” Zirin mumbled, letting the volleyball land on the ground next to her. “Whoops.”

“Zirin, pay attention.” Azula hissed.

“Sorry.” She winced.

They rotated positions and it was Zirin’s turn to serve. She hoped that the girl could at least make it over the net, with her it was always hit or miss. Tonight, seemed like a hit kind of night. Again the ball came in Azula’s direction, a fast hit. Faster than she could manage in current.

The other team made their serve. Another fast strike that evaded Ryoko and Ikue. But Azula wouldn’t let it evade her, not a second time. She spiked it back, throwing just as much momentum into it as they had served the ball with.

She managed to score them another point.

The only other point they managed to steal for the rest of the game.

Azula sighed, that was definitely the worst she had ever done. But at least she had managed to do something. Apparently her teammates begged to differ.

“Wow, that was our best game in a while.” Chinami noted.

“Have we ever scored more than one point before?” Ryoko asked.

“I think that there was this one time when we scored three points.” Ikue pointed out.

“But that was the longest, we’ve ever kept the ball from hitting the ground.” Shoko noted.

Zirin came up behind Azula. “You are good at volleyball!”

“I used to be better.” Azula frowned.

“I don’t know, you’re still really fast. I feel like they wouldn’t have scored as much if we were that fast.” Zirin disagreed.

“Thanks.” She replied. “And, don’t worry, you will be.”

“See, now you’re scaring me…”

“Good.” Azula smirked. “We will be practicing on weekends, starting after this weekend.”

“We will?”

“I will send all of you my address. You all will learn to score points.”

Coach Ruka laughed. “Azula, stop threatening your teammates with the possibility of success.” And then in a mumble she replied, “trust me, it doesn’t work.”

“I’ll get it to work coach, and you will have a team that can make it, at least, to regionals.” Azula vowed. “They’re good at this, they just don’t want to admit it because…” she paused. “Because it’s safer not to. They just need to put some real effort in.”

Coach Ruka grinned. “Please tell them that, they need to hear it. This team, they’ve gotten so used to losing that they just gave up entirely. They have fun and everyone says that that’s what counts. But I don’t think it would hurt to reignite some ambition!” She turned her attention away for a moment but seemed to remember something at the last minute. “Maybe while you teach them to take things more seriously, they can help you learn to play for fun. I don’t want you to make a chore of this.”

Azula nodded. But she did find it enjoyable, the prospect of being able to train a team from the ground up. It was something she didn’t get a chance to do with a group of girls who were so naturally talented. She spotted Zirin conversing with her little brother and her parents. Each of the girls seemed invested with their own families. It appeared that Chinami had a few friends in the crowd, Nagako among them. And for once, Azula had a family to talk to. She wandered over to them. “When did you get here?”

“Towards the middle.” Iroh answered. “I would have been here sooner if my tea kettle didn’t boil over.” He looked as though he were on the verge of tears. “I have not overcooked my tea in years.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. “It had to happen some time.” He turned to Azula. “I thought that you said you weren’t any good anymore.”

“Perhaps that was an exaggeration.” Azula replied. “Still, I’ve played much better in the past.”

“You did wonderful, dear.” Ursa pulled her into a tight hug.

“Mother, please.” She muttered.

Ursa let her go. “Sorry, I forgot that you don’t like hugs. Congratulations on your first game.” She handed Azula an armful of flowers. Teo and TyLee offered her two more small bouquets.

Though she hardly thought that she had put on a flower-worthy performance the sentiment was nice. “I am going to Zirin’s after game party. I might spend the night there.”

“Alright, just call me before bed. Just so I can sleep easy.” Ursa requested.

“Sure.” Azula replied.

She followed her team back to the bus. They were extra talkative this time around. They were in better spirits. Zirin slung her arm over Azula’s shoulder. “Azula says she’s going to help us win the next game.”

“I’m going to try.” Azula replied as Ikue decided to grace the rest of the team with her music. Wan High’s team had never done an on-bus sing along. Azula didn’t think she had ever cringed so hard in her life.  She had certainly never enjoyed doing so.

She certainly didn’t think that she would cave and sing a number with Zirin.

Their spunk tapered off towards the end of the bus ride, it was getting rather late and the energy spent in the game started to catch up. Shoko was out rather cold, snoring silently to herself. Ryoko and Ikue returned silently to their music and Chinami was nodding off.

Zirin continued to speak with her until she joined Shoko.

Left to her own thoughts, Azula pondered upon the game. All in all, she supposed it had gone pretty well. She wasn’t in condition for her jump serves nor her more advanced play strategies. But she hadn’t stumbled around and missed any defenses as she had thought she would.

Perhaps she hadn’t lost as much of her progress as she had anticipated. She just needed to brush up. She would have more than enough time to do that when she began weekend sessions with the other girls.

She tried to think about that instead of fretting over seeing Ozai again.

The bus pulled into the school parking lot. Chinami stretched and yawned before heading to her car.

“You haven’t been to my house yet.” Zirin noted. “It’s pretty close by here, just follow the rest of us.”

Once at Zirin’s home, Azula found a spot to lay her sleeping bag before joining the others in the kitchen. “My mom made cupcakes and we have chips and dip. Oh and, by Shoko’s request, we have brownies too.”

It all sounded enticing, but Azula opted to sit at the end of the table with only a cup of juice. She had eaten before the game.

“Don’t you want anything, Azula?” Zirin offered.

“I’m fine.” Azula replied.

“We just had our first game! Treat yourself, girl.”

Azula sighed. Treats weren’t in her meal plan. She supposed one that brownie couldn’t hurt, she’d just have to keep herself from eating the rest of them. She picked it up and took bite.

“Good right?” Shoko asked. “Zirin’s mom can cook.”

Azula nodded.

“Do you not like, sweets?” Chinami asked.

Azula thought of the question for a moment, deciding that she has known them long enough to just come out with the truth. “That’s, basically, the opposite of the problem.” She confessed. “I miss practices on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s to see a therapist for my bulimia.”  

.oOo.

Zuko was left to assume that Azula’s party had gone well, she was in a pretty good mood when she entered. Zuko was in a decent mood himself save for a bone deep tiredness. Jeong Jeong had prescribed him medication for insomnia, informing him that insomnia, depression, and irritability were all lingering withdrawal effects. Frankly, he couldn’t wait to be free of those.

He made his way into the bathroom and tugged of his shirt. His scars glared at him from within the mirror. He tried his hardest to keep his eyes from wandering to them, it was what Ozai had wanted when giving them to him; to give him a steady reminder of why and how he’d gotten them.

Slipping grades and a lack of natural academic skills. He’d only proven the man right in dropping out. He turned the shower knob and allowed the water to heat back up. It was fine, he told himself, next year he would be going for his GED. And then he could move onto college as he should have done this year.

He stepped into the shower and shampooed his hair.

He grabbed the bar of soap and lathered his body, taking care not to dwell on the ugly pockmarks on his arms. He hated them almost more than the scars his father gave him. At least the slashes on his torso and back were a sign of perseverance, and withstanding. The small indents on his arms, those were a display of weakness and failure. He wondered if he could find a cosmetic to make them less pronounced. He didn’t want his heroine abuse to be displayed so prominently; who would let a former heroin addict onto their campus?

He turned the water off, stepped onto the floor towel, and rubbed a different towel over his hair. He used it to dry the rest of him and then drape it around his waist. He peered at his phone just on time to see a text alert disappear.

He unlocked the phone, hoping that it was Hahn.

‘You ought not to meddle in things that have nothing to do with you.’ The number was a throw away one, but he had an inkling as to what name he could attach to it.

Like hell, the trial had nothing to do with him.

He wandered downstairs to see his sister putting a bowl in the sink.

“Hey, Azula?”

“Hmm?”

“Did you get any texts this morning?”

“Two.” Azula replied.

“What were they!?” He demanded.

“You’re intense today.” Azula replied. “Shoko is sending me memes and Katara told me that Sokka is stuck with a criminal record and community service...and that his daughter was born prematurely while he was on trial.”

Zuko blinked. “That family is having worse luck than ours.” It had been such a long time since he talked to any of them. The last time he’d seen Sokka was when the man was threatening to kick his ass for flirting with Katara during an off phase with Mai. It hadn’t been his proudest moment, especially considering how much he used to pester her for being a stony prude. His cheeks flushed. “I haven’t seen them since...you know.”

“Since you were a complete, jackass?” Azula smiled smugly.

He rolled his eyes. “Since when do you talk to Katara? Last time I checked, you were a jackass too.”

“True.” She replied. “Anyways, why did you ask about the texts.”

“You have your secrets, I have mine.” He wondered if it was safer to let her know about Ozai’s texts or to not give her an extra thing to worry about.

“That’s fair.” She shrugged.

.oOo.

Since the game, practices have been coming easily to her. She liked to think that she was getting back into the swing of things. School itself was going well enough. They had worked out a way to transfer her assignments seamlessly. On a few days she had lunch with Hakoda and a few of her other teachers doing mostly makeup assignments to pick her grades back up to where she wanted them. That Thursday she was back in the cafeteria with the rest of her team and Nagako.

“I keep forgetting to ask.” Ikue spoke up. “Was that your brother who came to our game?”

“Yes, why?” Azula replied between bites of food.

“He’s kind of cute.”

“And suddenly, I’m not hungry anymore.” Azula grumbled. “Luckily for you and I both, he’s taken.”

“Lucky?” Ikue asked.

“Zu-Zu is...he’s Zu-Zu.”

“Good to know.” Ryoko commented as the bell rang.

Zirin hustled to finish the last of her lunch. “I’ll see you girls at practice.” And to Azula. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow. Good luck with therapy.”

After her last class, Azula hurried to her locker. If she was quick enough she’d have enough time to stop at home and get a few assignments done before her appointment. She shut her locker and made her way to her car and to Ursa’s home. Her mother wasn’t home yet so she fixed herself a snack, something to hold her over until dinner time. She used to have snacks, so she’d allow herself one every once in a while. She wondered where Zuko had gone, perhaps to visit Hahn before his appointment. Azula had barely gotten a chance to put her food on the table before she received a text. Pulling out her assignments for the afternoon, she swiped at the screen.

She arranged the assignments from the most tedious to the least tedious and peered at her phone’s screen. It was a clips from her volleyball game. She hit play, hoping to see a recording of her scoring a point. Instead the clip rolled on to remind her of the point she’d let the other team score. It played in a loop, only interrupted by a new text alert. ‘It’s a shame. All of that wasted talent.’

Azula put her pencil down and swallowed.

The man wasn’t done with her. ‘You would probably be faster, more efficient, if you weren’t so heavy.’ She pushed her phone and her snack to the side and snatched up the most difficult of her assignments. It left little room to think about anything else. Not like the reading assignment, that allowed her mind to wander.

She was glad that she was alone.

.oOo.

Zuko tried to slip by as quietly as possible. Azula had never cried in front of him so openly, so he knew that she hadn’t noticed him yet. He didn’t know if he should put the fandom merch Hahn had given him away and return downstairs or if he should put it away and stay in his room. Comforting a venerable Azula seemed like a job for mother, but Ursa wasn’t home.

He rubbed his hands over his face. He had no idea what could even be bothering her, she was doing so well since her game.

His phone sounded, a welcomed distraction until he saw the nameless number. He caught only a glimpse before deleting the damn thing. ‘Street trash,’ ‘disappointment’, ‘worthless dropout’. It was nothing that he hadn’t heard before.

It was the sheer influx of these messages that was getting to him. Every time he blocked the number a new one would appear. Or the number would unblock itself. His father worked with electronics, of course he had the know-how and the resources.

Another text pushed him to approach Azula. He had a good feeling that she had gotten a message or two and he was starting to regret not warning her.

“Azula?”

She wasn’t crying so hard anymore.

“When did you get here?” She didn’t turn around.

“A while ago…” he trailed off. “I didn’t think that you wanted me to see…”

“You are correct.”

He looked at the clock, if anything they could finish their conversation in the car. “What did he say to you?”

“The same things he always says, Zu-Zu.”

“Yeah, he’s been doing the same to me. I tried not to look at them, but I’m pretty sure I got a death threat.”

“I was doing so good…” She mumbled more to herself.

“What do you mean?” In asking he hadn’t expected her to open up as much as she did. He hadn’t expected her to tell him that she didn’t want to go to her appointment because she didn’t want to have to tell Yue that she had thrown up again. “Did you do...that alot?” Was all he could ask.

“Almost daily.” She muttered.

“That’s why they sent you to therapy.” He said quietly.

“That’s part of it.”

“Part of it?”

“They took me away from him because I tried to…” She paused. “I tried to kill myself.”

His stomach lurched. While he was off doing drugs, she had tried to end her life. What kind of older brother was he?  No. What kind of father was Ozai to put the two of them in such places and to try to do it again. “I relapsed too.” Zuko tried. “And I didn’t even need Ozai’s help to do it.”

But he knew his sister well enough to know that even a minor relapse wasn’t acceptable. He didn’t know her well enough to know how to comfort her. “Why don’t we head to therapy, Yue can probably help better than I can.” He wished that it wasn’t true.

“Whose turn is it to drive?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Zuko replied. “I’ll drive.”

.oOo.

“One time isn’t going to set you back, Azula. Not unless you make it into a habit again.” Yue declared firmly. “Promise me that you won’t make this a regular occurance?”

Azula nodded. She did her best to keep eye contact.

Yue cupped her hand over Azula’s, “do you mind.”

Azula shook her head so Yue kept her hand in place.

“You’re handling this very well. There aren’t many people who broke the habit as fast as you have. I’m not that worried about you?”

“Why wouldn’t you be?”

“Because you didn’t try to keep your relapse a secret as some of my other clients have. I can tell that purging didn’t make you feel good, did it?”

“No.” She replied. “It didn’t.”

“Would you like to do it again?”

“Not particularly.” Azula replied.

“Do you want to tell me why you purged again?”

She found it hard, at first, to come out with it. But she decided to rip the band-aid. It was infinitely harder to admit to herself that all the guilt had come crashing down on her with Ozai’s simple message. That she felt bad for treating herself so many times, even if it was just an occasional, perfectly normal thing. The entire session was more uncomfortable than it had been in a long while. She left herself wondering why she had to be this way.

Azula appreciated Yue’s patience and the respect she still gave her. At least she could fall with some dignity. Yue let her go with a promise that she would eat a full dinner that night, perhaps with a desert if she was comfortable enough.

Ursa made it surprisingly easy to feel comfortable.

The woman served stake and ice cream. Azula tried not to think too much about when she was doing, in dipping her spoon into the ice cream. Her mother provided a solid enough distraction.

Her sheer outrage when both she and Zuko showed her the texts was almost comical.

“Just wait until your uncle hears about this.” She muttered to herself. “I swear.” She was pacing and making wild gestures and suddenly Azula knew exactly where Zuko had picked up on that habit. “I will find that man. Did I ever tell the two of you what drew your... ‘father’ to me in the first place?”

“No.” Zuko replied quietly.

“He met me in high school. I was in theater.” Azula couldn’t gauge where the woman was going with this. “He saw me on the stage and said that he had never seen such aggression and passion from one woman.” Ursa paused, leaving Azula and Zuko with enough time to exchange sideways glances.

Azula sucked at what remained of the ice cream on her spoon.

“That aggression was acting. He is about to see real aggression.” The woman sat back down. “Are the two of you enjoying desert?” She asked more cheerfully.

“Yeah, it’s great mom.” Zuko replied.

“Pretty good.” Azula agreed. A bit of an understatement. She did miss vanilla ice cream. She tried her hardest not to let Ozai make her feel bad for enjoying it. But it refused to leave the back of her mind. The trial was in two days and she was going to have to see him in person having made no progress…

No visible progress, she reminded herself.

She had made a lot of progress otherwise.

“Do you want to stay in my room tonight?” Zuko offered.

“What?”

“Like when we were kids. When we heard dad and mom arguing, you used to sleep on the floor…”

“I’m already seeing a problem there.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. “Fine, I can stay in your room and sleep on the floor and it will be sort of like old times.”

“Better.” Azula replied. “Alright, you can stay in my room tonight.” She could use the company. If her thoughts became too much, she could pester him about how his date with Hahn went.

She dressed herself for bed and handed the bathroom over to Zuko, not quite understanding why he just couldn’t use one of the other bathrooms. She had herself draped in blankets when her phone buzzed. She almost didn’t want to look at it, but she picked it up anyhow.

‘So, how many ass-kissing points do I earn if I beat your dad up?’

Azula sighed, wondering what her father was up to on the social media pages to draw Chan’s attention. ‘Depends’, Azula replied, ‘how and when are you beating him up?’

‘I don’t know...honestly, he’d probably kick my ass. But I’d try if it makes up for anything.’

‘Go to bed, Chan.’ Azula rolled her eyes and set her phone to the side. She hated when he did stupid things like that, things that made her remember how things were before her accident. Things that made her smile when she didn’t want to.

Not that she wasn’t going to make him grovel and beg a little more.

Zuko entered the room. “You feeling any better?”

“I’ll be fine, Zu-Zu.” At the very least, she would be eventually.

.oOo.

Zuko eyed Azula curiously. She stood with her head held high, looking for all the world, as if she had no fears at all. She held her hands behind her back, the red power suit and heels worked very heavily in her favor to annunciate a confidence she may or may not have. Mother stood closely next to her as they ran through the opening statements.

For himself, Zuko was dreadfully nervous. He liked to think that his suit was just as sharp as Azula’s and that is posture was as rigid and ready. He didn’t think that Ozai stood much of a chance now that Ursa had financial stability. And even less of a chance with the files Jeong Jeong had given him on Thursday. Yue’s presence wasn’t going to do him any favors either.

Zuko let his gaze fall on Ozai. The man met his eyes and gave a smile with all the friendliness of a vampire. The man had even styled his beard for the occasion. Not that Zuko hadn’t done some self grooming of his own. The man looked eerily like Azula in his manner and he thought that Azula might be trying to outshine him...to out intimidate him.

But she was still Azula and he was still Ozai. Azula had warmth in her that Ozai did not, Zuko knew that Ozai could detect it through her cold demeanor. Zuko listened in on their verbal exchange, finding that Azula was every bit as slick as her father. Every bit as smooth and undeterred in her speech. He only knew that she was nervous because she had mentioned it in passing some hours prior.

“Is it true, Mr. Kasai, that, at one point, you had put locks on the fridge?” The judge asked.

“I have.” Ozai confessed. “But not for the reasons you think.”

Of course the man would lie under oath.

“What reasons could you possibly have for doing so?”

“I have locks for everything, your honor. The fridge was no different. People want what I have. Should someone successfully enter my estate and steal from me, I would at least like to have a meal while thinking things over.”

The plaintiff attorney spoke. “Would you like to tell us when you had the locks installed?”

“I do not recall the exact date.” Ozai spoke. “It is a trivial matter.”

“Can you tell us when he had them installed?” The judge addressed Azula.

“The night after Halloween. November first of this year.” She paused. “I had gone to a party and binged. It was posted on social media. My father had happened upon it and instilled locks afterward.”

Zuko was surprised at how smoothly, how unwaveringly she recounted it. As though it didn’t bother her even slightly.

“By ‘binged’, you mean…?”

“I am bulimic.” Azula replied. “I have a therapist.” She motioned to Yue.

“The courtroom would like to hear from her.” The judge replied as she gave Yue a quick once over. “But first I would like to know what led you to see a therapist and what has prompted your case of bulimia.”

“I had an accident over the summer. It caused some weight gain.”

Zuko hoped that he could be that forward when making his statement.

“Between my father and a few of my peers, I decided that I wanted to lose it quickly. Things weren’t going as I wanted them to. I was hoping for fast results. Father was expecting them. But I wasn’t able to get them. He would make remarks and the like and I would try harder. I would refuse food until I couldn’t anymore. And when I couldn’t resist, I would sneak meals. Halloween was one such time.” She paused. “The morning after, he pulled me out of my room--I hadn’t finished dressing--and made me weigh myself. He installed locks that night. And I overdosed later that week. That is why I started therapy and why I was placed under my mother’s care.”

“On what day, did you make your attempt, Mrs. Kasai?”

“Wednesday, the 4th of November.” Azula answered. “I have documentation.”

“I would like to see it.”

A few hours into the dialogue, the conversation turned to him, “is it true, that a few years ago CPS came to the estate regarding you?”

“Yes.” Zuko confirmed. “Uncle...my uncle, Iroh, called them.” Taking a page from Azula’s script he added, “I have documentation of it. Along with the rest of my profile.”  He passed the files Jeong Jeong had acquired for him. As the judge looked it over he continued. “He has been abusing me since I was around eleven years old. I think, maybe even earlier than that.”

“You have a history of running away?” The judge looked up.

“To escape from this.” He lifted his shirt some.

Ozai scowled. “The result of a car accident.”

“Objection, your honor.” Spoke their attorney. “The only record we have of a car accident involving the Kasai family is one that had been thoroughly examined and proven false. There are, however, reports from neighbors and psychologists, of domestic violence and child abuse. Mrs. Kasai has a restraining order filed against her former husband.”

“One I willingly gave her.” Ozai cut in.

The judge bangs her gavel once. “Wait your turn, Mr. Kasai.”

Zuko caught Azula’s eye. Something about her composed posture comforted him. Something about her expression, leaves him feeling more secure.

And he recalled that this was how she looked at him just before Ozai jumped in and took her side in an argument. How she looked before scoring a winning point.

He held his head higher when the judge came back to him, because Azula knew that they were going to win. And because she was so sure, he was as well.

When they did win, he could finally move forward.

All three of them could.

As a family.

Unburdened and unhaunted by a common tormentor.

He would have a real chance to thrive. He and Azula both.

#Avatar #Azula #Zuko #Ozai #Ursa #Katara #Sokka #Suki #Aang #Toph #Mai #TyLee #Fanfiction

[cohentoplaywithmagic]

gotta lash out | kitty/tina

WHO→ Tina Cohen-Chang and Kitty Wilde WHERE→ Undique Stadium WHEN→  Monday 21st January, Daytime WHAT→  The two girls have a lot of tension built from their long months apart. WARNING→ Violence.Religion, Homophobia Slurrs. Repressed Sexuality.

After Tina got changed Kitty dragged her to the training room at Undique. She ignored the shrieky secretary and kicked out the witches who were in the room she wanted to be. They looked mad but they could come for Kitty later. They didn't though and Kitty knew why, because she was that bitch. She finally let go of Tina's wrist and flung the other girl into the empty space. "You better not have become rusty." She glared at Tina, angry for so many reasons. "Who knows since you've been hiding out in that cesspool with that mongrel." Kitty was talking smack about Santana. She got into her position and pulled out her cross. Lord, I'm ready.

Surprise, surprise Kitty as annoyed at Tina but like really? Did Wilde even think about the reason she had been in a barricade? She had summoned Tina to a training room and of course, they were going to fight, they were always going to fight.Tina quickly summons herself up something appropriate  to wear to fight. "Happy new year to you too Wilde," Tina rolls her eyes, anger and frustration building at the sight  of her. "Please I'm just as good," she lies but has to sound confident as she could. "Please, like you would actually know what was going on."  She draws her phone ready to summon something.

Kitty wrinkled her nose at Tina. 'Why is she saying Happy New Year to me? What does she want from me?' Ever since the weird gifts at Christmas, Kitty was on edge. Not only her but her club mates were brattier than usual too. Everyone was just getting on her nerves, Trashy the most. "Are you looking down on me?" Kitty snapped and held her head up high. "Don't you know who you're speaking to? I'm bloodline royalty, baby." Heavenly Father, I'm but your humble servant, lend me your power. Fill your holy vessel with your magnificence!

@kitty:  1d7-1  = (5)-1 = 4

@Tina:  1d7+1  = (5)+1 = 6 

There was something different about Kitty, had she always been this angry and high and mighty? Something was certainly off about her. "What?" She scoffs, "You are not bloodline royalty Wilde!" Tina does blush a little at being called baby, but it was meant in a boastful sense," Trust me the only time I'm gonna look down on you, is when you are beneath me....baby." She throws the nickname back at her.  Spark back Tina calls upon little sparks, to create a little glow on her arm that reflects Wilde's attack in hopes to push it back onto her.

@tina:  1d7+1  = (2)+1 = 3

@kitty:  1d7-1  = (4)-1 = 3

Kitty's spell didn't full connect. How dare those words leave Tina's lips. This is why everything still needed Kitty's intervention. She would never get respect unless she forced respect. No one was going to give it to her without her fighting for it. "Bitch, I am." Kitty believed in those words and snarled at Tina's reply. How impetuous. She was hit by Tina's reflection attack and all Kitty could think of was the stupid message Santana Lopez sent her. The seemingly nice guy message Blaine Anderson sent her. Sister Quinn and Brother Hunter's absent mother and father routines. Who were they to make themselves be Kitty's supervisor?"You and Baby Anderson plotted to give me those stupid gifts huh?" She yelled, getting red in the face. "Do you think this is funny? That you're going to be kicked out of the school, and you're going to have to leave? That we're all going to get freaking killed by monsters? That you haven't prayed hard enough to God and He's already chosen your path for you?" Kitty's eyes were wild as she whispered to herself. "Oh my god, you're my freaking serpent. You are, aren't you." Kitty's dreams were making sense now. This girl was Satan trying to play with her moment of weakness. Alena, get out here now. Kitty called Alena from the Aether and looked at Tina with a crazy look. "I won't let you defeat me, Santana's I mean Satan's cherub." She had been working on her magic by herself and knew God had chosen her for a reason. Soul armament. Alena was swallowed up in a beam of white blue light and Kitty brandished her shiny glaive.

Tina watches as the attack dissolves far to quickly, maybe she had been out of practice for quite a while now. Maybe she could give Kitty that one. She raises her eyebrows in confusion as she begins going on about something but Tina does not interject not even for a moment because what she could be saying would have an answer. "First bitch you are not," Tina again repeats the name because it is only fair," Blaine and I plotted nothing, we're been busy talking other thing. I would never give you a gift unless it was something that I meant. Unlike you, I'm not made of money," Tina confesses. She bites down on her lips as Wilde gives her a few home truths that have been playing in her head," It's not funny, I know it is not funny and I'm not leaving anytime soon, no freaking way.It's not going to happen...I won't let it happen." Then she spoke about death and something that drifted into God and being her serpent, "I choose my own path, Wilde, no one else." Frustration grows with her,"Stop trying to find a blame for whatever it is going on with you. You have no one to blame but yourself." Though her eyes widen as she summons her soul armament,  Kitty, Kitty was that powerful already. She swallows a little in her dry throat. Okay this was both good and bad.    Two could play that game  🔮⚡️⚔️⚡️🔮, as she summons a pixilated sword in her own hand. Close combat would be interesting.

tina:  1d7+1 Sword HP = (3)+1 = 4

Kitty:  1d7 + 1d10  = (7)+(2) = 9

"Of course you'd say that," Kitty spat and swung her icy glaive around in a circle around her. "Talking other things like selling witches out to devils and demons. That's who I should go after next, those unholy fiends." Kitty was looking around her. Evil was everywhere. "Tell me then, what is your record currently? What is it?" Kitty armed her glaive and pointed the tip right at Tina's chin. "No, the Heavenly Father would never lead me wrong. So it has to be you. You wear those...just to mess with my head, don't you? You think it's funny to watch me sweat." Kitty's breathing came up shallow when the sharp point of the glaive poked up into Tina's bottom lip. Not enough to pierce the skin to draw blood. But Tina moved. Kitty saw the pixel sword and tensed up, drawing the glaive back. "But not as fun as it is watching you sweat in fear!" Heavenly Father, I'm but your humble servant, lend me your power. Fill your holy vessel with your magnificence! She swung her glaive right down on Tina's sword. Sparks and pixels jumped off when their blades hit.

Her glaive is pointed under Tina's chin as Kitty begins to talk about her next target trying to make it sound like another excuse to defend 'witches'. "You only mean Bloodlines," Tina spatters back, careful with it tucked under her lip. Her heart drums against her chest as her hands begin to become a little more clammy. "Two strikes- one because of you. It's always you. You are the one who keeps messing with my head. It's you," Tina's voice cries but she creates some distance, clinging tighter to the pixilated swords. Sweat is trickling down her face, as with one from Wilde and her sword dissolves into pixels, grazing her every so slightly.

Kitty knew something was up. Tina said she had done something but Kitty couldn't remember. "New Age mind tricks? I should have known, you untrustworthy magic stealers." Kitty pushed back at Tina with the blunt end of her weapon and asked, "How have I messed with your head?! Was I in your dreams? Stop dreaming about me, lesbo!" Kitty pushed Tina with every word she said. Tina making distance didn't work. Kitty's glaive was long enough to reach and the hooked curve on the blade caught onto Tina's clothes. "Summon something else why don't you. Summon everyone else but me like you always do." Kitty challenged Tina.

"I would never do that Kitty," Tina told her even though coded deep in her phone was the mind scramble spell she could use, but aether she never dares to touch magic like that.  Stumbling back at the push from Kitty's weapon,"You just do, you always get under my skin," ...and clothes,"Trust me I would if I could, I don't want you there." Wilde was pushing her limits 🔮⚡️⚔️♞⚔️⚡️🔮 she summons one of her knights to her left. "What...what do you mean everyone else but you?" Tina's voice shifts needing to know the answer.

Tina:  1d7+1 Knight HP = (1)+1 = 2

Kitty:  1d7 + 1d10  = (2)+(7) = 9

Kitty narrowed her eyes at the summoned knight which appears in front of Tina. 'Oh how cute another stupid white knight in my way.' Kitty thought and gripped her weapon tighter. She could feel Alena in her head trying to get her to calm down. 'Shut up, Alena! Whose side are you on!' Kitty couldn't even trust Alena anymore.  "I can't trust you, I can't trust anyone. No one says what they're going to do like that. You're a liar. Now repent!" She spun her glaive around, cutting through the summon. "Don't play dumb. I know you're talking with your oh so cute Blainey Waney Plainey and that bitch Santan...why do we have this socius pactum?"

Wilde cuts through her summon with such ease as dissolves into binary code. Kitty was ruthless with a pissed off attitude none the less. Something cut through Tina too with Kitty's words too. "You can trust me. I want you to trust me," Tina means it with sincerity, "I won't lie," she does lie about that. "Are you....are you jealous, Kitty?" Tina blinks thinking she has put the pieces together, "Because we are good together...and I need you like you need me." Thunder, Tina casts in hopes to shock the girl enough to get her to stop this lashing out.

Tina:  1d7+1  = (3)+1 = 4

Kitty:  1d7-1 + 1d10  = (6)-1+(5) = 10

Kitty let out a laugh. "Jealous? Me? Of what? You? No?" Kitty was scanning around, seeing if there were any one watching them who was going to point and laugh at Kitty. "Is this a set up?" Kitty asked when Tina cast her spell. Kitty was lucky or under the watch of God since she lifted up her glaive and sliced the spell into two. Tina's spell dissolved. "So this is a set up...you're trying to get me to lose my guard so you can out me, so you can livestream it and make me look bad. You never cared about this team, only I did. I was the idiot who thought we could be something fierce together!"

Tina is concerned with the paranoia that Kitty seems to have, thinking that this was some kinda livestream and set up. Se tup for what exactly.  She gets drops her phone to the floor, showing her it was off. " Kitty....this isn't a set up." She speaks softly. Magic seems to be failing her so may as well stick to common ways. Tina steps forward, placing her hands on Wilde's shoulders, slightly fearful what the girl was going to do to her still she began to shake her a little. "Stop it, stop it now! I care about this team more than you even know. I care about you a lot." Tina looks her straight (lol) in the eyes, "You are not an idiot you are just acting like one . You and I are something, just not whatever this is right now." She held a stance a little more strong, readying to distance herself if the girl was to lash out in her angered furry.

Kitty shook her head. "Yes, it's a set up, you all want me to fail and make an idiot of myself, I know you, you and everyone else." She was whispering like a madwoman. Tina was getting closer to her. Kitty raised her glaive to warn Tina not to get any closer. However she missed the timing or maybe she let Tina get the upper hand.  Or in this case her shoulders. When Tina shook her, Kitty felt strangely back in her own body. "What is this right now?" Kitty asked, and blushed when she saw Tina so close. "Cheese and rice, wh-what are you doing," Kitty gently nudged off Tina's hands, which she saw were battered because of their mini fight. She didn't mean to hit Tina so hard. Alena's voice finally reached her. 'Kitty, are you ok? I tried to communicate with you but your thoughts blocked me out...I'm here for you, you're not alone.' Kitty felt her breath rush out of her heavy body. "So there's no one here but us?" Kitty asked and lowered her glaive. She sighed and let go of the staff. Alena, come back. The glaive grew into a beam of light and turned into bubbles. Inside one was Alena. Kitty put her hands hovering over Tina's. Heavenly Father, I'm but your humble servant, lend me your power. Fill your holy vessel with your magnificence, heal the wounded with your Grace. Her hands glowed as she healed Tina. She didn't know what came over her. Before Tina touched her, all Kitty could hear were the whispers of the people she knew made fun of her. But Tina wasn't one of them, that's what the girl said. Could Kitty trust that.

Kitty:  2d41  = (23+37) = 60

Tina hates that Kitty thinks this way that everyone thinks that she was an idiot. How could anyone say that with the changes that she made in her short time being here? She kept shaking her and shaking but there seemed to be something that shifted with Kitty, almost as if she had not known what had been going on. Was she, was she under a spell? Tina, this time catches the flushness in Kitty's cheeks but does not bring it back. She steps away when being pushed,"There is only us. You and me." Tina breaths gently smile with relief.  There was a softness that same with her when she healed her. Tina felt all the pains and aches ease from her body, "Thank you, Kitty." She wants to ask her what happened, maybe even hug her quick but she reframed looking at her, at least things were back to their twisted normal.

Kitty couldn't. She pulled her hands away and shook her head. "If you ever have a message for me from...that bitch, don't tell me. You talk to me for you, got that memorized? Take care of yourself, Trashy." Kitty looked back over her shoulder once and ditched the New Age witch. There were so many things going on in her head and Tina Cohen-Chang was one of them

#social:kitty #gotta lash out #para:gotta lash out #nyadatraining

[bvidzsoo]

Gucci Lane (4)

     Thank you @everythinkpop for always making these amazing moodboards for me!

 Author: bvidzsoo

 Warning: swearing, light violence

 Pairing: Oh Sehun x female reader

 Word count: 3,940

 Summary:  High school is supposed to be easy, right? Not when you are classmates with EXO. They are the typical bad boys, whipping girls off their feet with their looks. You hate bad boys ever since your step brother tricked you, you hate them with all your heart. One day Oh Sehun suddenly enters your life. You must babysit his younger sister, because he is an irresponsible bad boy. I guess there’s a thin line between love and hate…

 A/N: Okay, this came fast because I was really excited with this part and even stayed up late yesterday to write it...I’m actually pretty proud of the ending, I hope you will like it too!

    “I miss Minseok” I whined as I threw my head back.

“If I didn’t call you over, you wouldn’t even have known he was here” Chanyeol said with a chuckle.

“Fine” I rolled my eyes “But I still miss him”

“Yeah, I do too” Chanyeol’s eyes roamed the Cafeteria, probably looking for his friends.

“When is he coming back?” I sighed, resting my chin in my palm. Irene and Seulgi were still in class. Chanyeol and I have Psychology together and the teacher dismissed us earlier.

“I don’t think he is” Chanyeol sighed “I talked with him yesterday and it seems like he isn’t planning to come back”

“Well, than I’ll go to him”

“He wants you to be happy” Chanyeol smiled at me.

“I want the same for him” I shrugged, starting to feel bored. There were ten more minutes until classes ended. I opened my mouth to say something but was interrupted when Sehun plopped down in front of me. I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering what he was doing here.

“Yo, did you skip class again?” Chanyeol turned towards Sehun as they bro hugged.

“Yep, wasn’t in the mood for maths” Sehun shrugged, playing with his ring from his index finger.

“You can’t fail that class, Sehun” Chanyeol shook his head “Your dad will go ballistic”

“When did I care?” Sehun rolled his eyes, his gaze stopping on me.

“You should care” I spoke up, glaring at him.

“Oh” Sehun smirked, at this point I’m sure he only is doing this to provoke me as much as he can “Bubble butt, enlighten me then”

“Bubble—butt!” Chanyeol chocked on his coke as his eyes were wide. I gritted my teeth, my palms balling up into fists.

“Because—I already told you. You need to socialize with your parents and sister more. You really are an asshole Oh Sehun”

“Oh, look” Sehun scoffed, his eyes turning darker as he glared at me hard “Princess is back with her life stories when she can’t even fix her problems with her big brother” The breath was caught in my throat as my eyes widened. Chanyeol beside Sehun visibly stiffened.

“Sehun, don’t” Chanyeol muttered lowly.

“Oh, so she’s all free to attack me without getting scolded but I’m not allowed to do this?” Sehun chuckled humourlessly  “I already told you, Y/N. Stick to your problems and leave me alone. You aren’t important, just because you work for my parents and take care of Lisa doesn’t mean you have the right to go around and scold me like you know everything...or like you care”

“Sehun, please—” Sehun abruptly stood up as he didn’t let Chanyeol finish. My hands were shaking and I was holding back from punching him.

“Oh” He turned back, his hands balled into fists as well “My parents will be gone tonight, mom will be waiting for you at seven o’clock. Don’t be late!”

“Y/N” Chanyeol sighed, stretching across the table and patted my hand “He is a good guy, you just need to work a little to get to the real him”

“Good guy my ass” I muttered standing up and gathering my things “I’ll see you around, Chany”

I left the Cafeteria fuming, feeling more eyes on me. I didn’t miss one though, that being Sehun’s one.

    Hanging around at Irene’s before going over to the Oh mansion was a good idea. I could relax and therefore, I could be more positive around Lisa.

“This is our third date so far” Seulgi called from the bathroom. She was getting ready for her date with Jongin. Those two lovebirds actually work out well. Jongin is actually serious about her and I’m more than glad...I don’t want blood on my hands.

“Hopefully you do something else than just eating each other’s faces off” Irene muttered, her head buried in a maths textbook.

“Irene!” Seulgi groaned, coming to a stop in the doorway “On our second date we went to the Carnival, okay?”

“What about your first one” Irene snickered when Seulgi stuck her tongue out at her.

“That’s our problem what we did and what we didn’t” She glared at Irene before sitting down beside me. I was sprawled out on Irene’s bed, on my stomach, checking out my Instagram.

“Why are you so quiet?” Seulgi tapped my butt as she leaned over me “Something bothering you?”

“No, not really” I muttered with a small pout. The girls were silent, their eyes on me. With a sigh I put my phone away and looked at them.

“Well, Minseok came home. We spent the evening together yesterday, it was nice seeing him after so long”

“Still alone?” Seulgi raised her eyebrows.

“Um...I didn’t ask him” I chuckled, sitting up “But probably yes, otherwise he would have said something about it”

“When is that boy getting himself a girlfriend? I mean he’s old—”

“He is not!” I exclaimed offended. After spending so much time with Minseok, and people calling him old...I kinda got used to defending his age, he would always get grumpy when someone calls him old.

“I know” Seulgi chuckled “But I think getting a girlfriend would help him”

“Or maybe—Y/N could help him” Irene turned around in her chair, wiggling her eyebrows at us.

“No!” I exclaimed, my cheeks heating up “That will never happen”

“Oh please!” She exclaimed “You like him”

“I don’t know—I’ve known him for so long…” I sighed, leaning against the headboard “I’m not sure I’d be comfortable dating him”

“It’s never late to try” Seulgi smiled at me cutely.

“Nope” I shook my head, running a hand through my hair “He’s busy with university and all”

“Then—have you got anyone on your mind?” Irene raised her eyebrows, leaning back in her chair comfortably.

“No” I shook my head slowly, blinking away the thoughts. I did not just think of Sehun, oh hell nah! But his body—that god like body. Wide shoulders, well defined chest, sharp jaw, those kissable lips, sharp eyes that are just captivating and that little scar on his right cheek I just saw yesterday when he pulled me close—what the hell are you doing Y/N!

“Who are you thinking about!” Seulgi screamed, shaking my shoulders forcefully.

“No one!” I exclaimed, feeling flushed “Stop it! Irene help!”

“Nah, imma just watch” She smirked, letting Seulgi shake me.

“You definitely just thought of someone” Seulgi huffed, finally stopping. I glared at her, refusing to answer. I knew that my red cheeks gave it away.

“Sehun?” Irene looked at me seriously “It’s Sehun, isn’t it?”

“What!” Seulgi exclaimed, eyes falling out “You’ve got to be—”

“I don’t like anyone, okay?” I hissed, crossing my arms in front of my chest “Stop it, it’s really annoying”

“But you keep denying it and that’s really just—”

“You can’t stay for longer” Irene cut Seulgi off “I have something to do in one hour”

“Oh?” Seulgi looked at her, leaning towards Irene “What are you doing?”

“Nothing interesting—”

“Is it Junmyeon?” I raised an eyebrow at Irene. She gulped, looking away. Payback is a bitch.

“Actually—” She abruptly looked at me with a scowl “Yes, it’s him. He’s tutoring me in maths”

“Isn’t he one year older?” Seulgi thought aloud.

“He is and since he’s head of his class he can help me very well” Irene shrugged, turning back around.

“You don’t have to get so worked up” Seulgi huffed, I rolled my eyes taking my phone.

“I have to go” I stood up “I’m taking care of Lisa tonight, bye”

“Bye” Seulgi waved as Irene mumbled a goodbye.

     “Hello Mrs. Oh” I smiled at the middle aged lady as she opened the front door.

“Oh, my dear” She chuckled, stepping aside “Come on in”

“Thank you” I took off my shoes and turned back around, almost falling down when Lisa jumped on me.

“Nini!” She exclaimed, hugging me.

“Lisa, hey” I laughed, hugging her back.

“Unnie, I missed you!” She pouted, looking up at me “You should visit more”

“Oh, I see you two get on well” Mrs. Oh smiled at us “I’m glad, Lisa is not very fond of new people”

“I love Y/N” Lisa smiled at her mother.

“That’s great” Mrs. Oh smiled, she kissed Lisa’s cheek and headed for the front door “I’ll be leaving now. My husband is on a business trip and I have a meeting with a few directors, I’m not sure when I’ll be back”

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Oh” I shrugged, taking Lisa’s hand in mine “I can stay for as long as you want me”

“I will hurry though, you have school tomorrow” Mrs. Oh called as she rushed to her car.

“Bye mom!” Lisa and I waved at Mrs. Oh as she left. Lisa quickly closed the door and smiled up at me.

“Nini, let’s play!” She beamed up at me.

“Nini?” I asked amused “That’s a funny nickname”

“Do you like it?” Lisa with a pout “I’ve been calling you like that since you were here last time—Sheun thinks it’s hilarious and stupid”

“Sehun?” I raised my eyebrows.

“Yes, I heard him once saying your name when he was speaking on the phone” Lisa twirled a strand of hair between her fingers “So I asked him if he knew you, he said yes...Are you friends?”

“Oh” My eyes widened a little bit “We aren’t friends, we just go to the same school”

“But he said you are cute” Lisa’s eyebrows furrowed, my breath caught in my throat “and also very annoying”

“He really said that?” I asked quietly.

“Sehun is a good boy, just very cold” There it is again, he’s a good boy…

“Let’s play, okay?” I smiled at Lisa, walking up to her room. She giggled and ran past me, singing happily to herself.

“Do you like bacon?” I asked, my back facing Lisa.

“Yes” She hummed quietly, the only sound in the kitchen made by her flipping the pages of a fashion magazine and me cutting the bacon.

“Great, I will put some bacon in the sauce” I glanced back at her, at the same time checking if the tomato sauce was already boiling. Lisa asked me to make her some spaghetti so I decided to use my own recipe.

“These ladies are so pretty” Lisa said with a sigh, holding her chin in her small palm.

“The models?” I asked, putting the bacon in the sauce and stirring it for a bit.

“Yes, they dress pretty”

“Of course, because it’s their job” I explained, turning around and leaning against the counter “They are dressed and their make up is done so they’d look pretty in the pictures you are looking at right now”

“I want to be pretty like them” Lisa sighed with a pout.

“You are very pretty, Lisa” I smiled, her big eyes looking at me curiously “Never compare yourself with anyone else, okay? You are perfect the way you are!”

“Thank you, unnie!” Lisa smiled brightly “You are so good and pretty...Sehun was right”

“Oh, thanks” I chuckled a little bit uncomfortable and turned around to stir the sauce again.

“Nini, can you braid hair?” Lisa asked curiously, her voice louder than before. I hummed and nodded.

“Can you braid my hair like this?” She pointed at a crown like braid.

“Of course, next time I’m coming I will do it” I winked at Lisa, making her smile widely.

“You are the best!” She giggled, flipping through the pages again “If Sehun was friendlier—would you be his friend?”

“What” Her question took me by surprise, I paused pouring the sauce on the spaghetti.

“You know...if Sehun was nice would you—consider dating him?” Lisa looked so innocent asking, while my eyes almost fell out of their place.

“You know, people usually date when they like each other—Sehun and I aren’t exactly—”

“Getting on well?” Lisa asked with a small smile. Why does this girl look like she knows something I don’t.

“Let’s not speak about your brother” I winked at her “Here, eat well”

“Thank you” Lisa smiled, taking a bite of her dinner.

I sighed as I closed Lisa’s door. She fell asleep after taking a shower and me reading her a fairy tail about some princess. Lisa is a cute girl, she really deserves all the best from everyone. It’s a shame Sehun never spends time with her, she really misses him. Everyone is telling me Sehun is a good boy, but all I see is a rude guy who doesn’t give a shit about his family and can’t wait to leave everyone behind and do whatever he wants. I closed my eyes for a second, deciding to go downstairs to the living room. I got a message from Mrs. Oh saying she won’t be back for another hour. As I was halfway down the stairs, loud music started blasting, scaring the shit out of me. I jumped, before quickly turning around and walking back up. Lisa was sleeping, it can’t be her, right? But then—was there anyone in the house? Did someone break in? I am not dying, hell, I will beat anyone if they think of hurting Lisa. I quickly passed Lisa’s room, checking if she was still sleeping. The loud music was coming from the end of the hallway, the last room on the right. I speed walked down the hallway, halting in front of the room. Was—was Sehun home all this time? I pushed the door open, the loud rock music blasting in the room. The room was dark, the street light the only one that illuminated the room. There was a figure on the bed, laying down. I didn’t miss the gagging smoke in the room. The first thing I did after recovering from my initial shook was to turn down the music. I walked up to the desk, where his phone was connected to the speakers and unplugged it. I turned towards the dark figure on the bed, glaring hard even though he couldn’t see me in the dark.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” My voice was cold, scolding.

“Oh look, it’s bubble butt” Sehun giggled, raising his hand and tracing something invisible in the air.

“Sehun—what the hell are you doing” I huffed, walking closer to him “Lisa is sleeping”

“Babies sleep, adults have fun” Sehun exclaimed, smoke coming out of his mouth.

“Oh my god” I sighed, stopping beside his bed “You are high”

“High as fuck, so what?” Sehun giggled again, taking another drag of the cigarette.

“Put it away, now” My tone was hard as I crossed my arms in front of my chest.

“You are not my mom, so shut up” Sehun huffed, taking a drag again.

“I’m not, but this is bad for you—stop it” I huffed, leaning down and turning on the light. Sehun closed his eyes, groaning loudly.

“Turn it off” He whined, covering his eyes “I hate the light, turn it off!”

“Put that thing away and I will” I muttered, eyeing his hand that was holding the cigarette.

“You are a liar bubble butt” Sehun scoffed, opening his eyes slowly. I took the chance to look at him fully as he took another drag. He was wearing a black shirt with white strips, unbuttoned all the way. I could see his chest and abdomen. I almost chocked when I saw his abs, my eyes stopping at the tattoo on the right side of his ribcage. It was a compass, with a rose, it was beautiful.

“You like it?” I heard Sehun asking, his eyes on my face. I quickly snapped my eyes back to his face, and glared at him.

“Put it away, I’m not going to repeat myself” I hissed, leaning a bit closer towards him.

“No, bubble butt” He smirked, his eyes narrowing. I scoffed, licking my lips angrily. He made me do it! I leaned down, resting my hand beside his head as I swiftly and quickly caught his wrist holding the cigarette. Sehun chuckled, looking up at me. With my other hand I pulled it away, placing the cigarette on his bedside table. Before I could pull away, I felt myself flipped, landing on the soft mattress that smelled like Sehun and the thing he just smoked. My breathing caught in my throat as Sehun loomed over me, holding my wrists beside my head, legs on either side of me.

“Get off, Sehun” I growled, looking up at him.

“You said the other day—I could touch you” He said, his eyebrows furrowed.

“I told you already why I said that” I scoffed, wriggling my arms to no avail.

“You are so annoying, you know” Sehun muttered, his voice deeper, eyes darker “You always catch me in a wrong moment, when I’m feeling like shit. And then you just manage to piss me off even more—if you were a boy, I would have bruised your face so many times”

“You think girls are soft?” I chuckled “Not all are, you wouldn’t be able to beat me”

“We both know I’m way stronger than you” Sehun chuckled, his eyes looking down between our bodies.

“You have no rights to touch me” I muttered again, wriggling my wrists stronger “Get off me”

“Why are you like this?” He suddenly spat, his grip turning stronger. I winced as I felt pain shot through my hands “Why do you always make me feel so—self conscious, regretful and like a bastard? I hate you for it, so so much!” I felt something like a pang in my heart, why is that? I don’t even like this boy.

“I just want what’s good for you” I spoke up, my voice so soft it surprised me “I want you to have a better life, I-I don’t know why. I just—your sister loves you and needs you, Sehun. Your parents are suffering because of you...I don’t know what made you like this but—you need to stop it. You are killing yourself”

“Oh, bubble butt” Sehun chuckled lowly, leaning closer to my face, his eyes showing anger “You are lecturing me again? Seriously? You are just another stupid girl who thinks its tough and can help everyone. There’s no such people, you are just as broken as I am. I don’t need help and I don’t want to change. You think I don’t know all the things you just told me? I am very conscious of them!”

“Then do something about it!” I exclaimed, my eyes widening “If you don’t change, don’t expect anything from others”

“I don’t want to change!” He shouted, his grip tight “Can’t people accept me the way I am? Everyone is just a dickhead, you too bubble butt”

“Fine, you know what?” I chuckled with a scoff “I will let you kill yourself, just do it. Smoke, do drugs, fuck every girl you find in a street corner. Who am I, right? We’ve only known each other for a week. How can this bitch show up and tell you, the oh mighty Oh Sehun what to do and don’t...My mistake, now, get off!”

Sehun stared at me, eyes glaring hard. His grip made me gasp silently as his nails dig into my skin.

“Sehun” I called quietly “You are hurting me” He growled, his face inches from mine.

“Get off me—It hurts!” I exclaimed, pulling my hands forcefully just worsening the pain.

“What made you like this?” Sehun asked quietly, making me stop “You are strong but if you look closely, it’s all in your eyes and—actions. You hate guys touching you, you hang out with girls, you are close to two guys and they are both your childhood friends. What—no, who made you to be like this?”

“Get off” I muttered quietly. I gulped when instead of seeing Sehun’s face I saw Taeyong’s. It’s not real, Taeyong is not here, this is Sehun—this is Sehun.

“Taeyong? Your step brother, it was him, huh?” Sehun muttered, his eyes narrowing.

“Get-get off” I gasped quietly, close to tears “It’s none of your business”

“So it is him” Sehun chuckled “Who would have thought? This indeed is something, he must have—”

“Shut up you fucking bastard! I said get off” I exclaimed, pulling my hands violently “Don’t you ever dare to say his name again! You know nothing about him, you have no idea-no idea what he did. I was—young and naive and he just—you are like him. Problematic and benefiting from others! You can’t take care of yourself let alone of others! I wouldn’t even be surprised if your parents would be relieved if you just disappear. It wouldn’t matter how, you know? You would be just, gone! And then Lisa, she would probably be—”

“Shut the hell up” Sehun growled, his voice shaking, his hands too. I glared at him, but was surprised when his wide eyes were welled up with tears.

“Sehun—” I said too much. I hurt him, I’m an ass. I’m nothing better than him.

“Shut up!” Sehun shouted, raising his hand, letting go of my wrist. I closed my eyes, out of reflex hugging him with my, now, free arm. My heart was beating quickly as I buried my face in his naked chest.

“Don’t hit me” I whispered, gulping hard “Please, don’t hit me”

“I would never hit a girl” Sehun whispered, his raised hand coming around me. I gasped quietly when he squeezed me close to him, still holding my other wrist.

“I-I care...I do, I just—can’t stand getting hurt” Sehun’s voice was quiet, almost a whisper “I hate people who hurt others just to feel better later and laugh at them”

“I’m not-not always afraid of boys. I just—hate boys like you. Who think they can get anyone and destroy themselves. I don’t want to get hurt anymore—I’ve-I’ve had enough of that” I whispered into his chest. I heard some sniffling, and pulled away with wide eyes. Sehun chuckled embarrassed, wiping the tears away.

“I think we are both fucking broken” He chuckled, looking into my eyes deeply. My fingers itched to touch his cheek but I held back.

“Go home, I will look after Lisa” Sehun got off me, running a hand through his hair.

“I can’t” I sighed, sitting up “You are high”

“I think I’m much sober now” He chuckled and stood up abruptly, turning to look at me.

“I can’t risk it, sorry” I almost smiled “Your mom will be soon home, it’s fine” Sehun nodded, looking at me intently. It was the same confused expression like yesterday when he helped me with Baekhyun. Suddenly he took me by my arm and pulled me up. I stared at him, heart beating quickly. What was this feeling? Why was my heart like this? What was happening to me? Did Sehun feel it too? My jaw fell open when I felt his lips on my forehead. They lingered there, making me more confused. Why would he do that if he hates me? And why did I let him do it if I hate him? He pulled away, his eyes looking behind me. I licked my lips nervously before stepping away and quickly heading for the door.

“Do me a favour” I muttered, stopping at the door “Open the window”

“Okay” I heard him faintly say as I closed the door after me. I have absolutely no explanation for what just happened.

~Previous Part~Next Part~ 

#bvidzsoo #exo scenarios #exo one shot #exo smut #exo fluff #oh sehun #kim jongin #do kyungsoo #park chanyeol #byun baekhyun #kim jongdae #zhang yixing #kim junmyeon #kim minseok #red velvet ot5 #exo ot9 #exo sehun #sehun pairing #sehun mini series #exo bad boy au #exo high school au

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

Confessions Come Crashing Down

Title: Confessions Come Crashing Down

Word Count: 1,701

Warnings: Coming from one of my million AUs this has a LOT OF ANGST! The main conflict is infidelity so be warned there! Also cursing because of anger and I have made Aranea the antagonist so some in-character hate there! (I love her for real though!! I was just too tired to create a new villainess!)

Ship: The Storyteller and her Shield (Gladio x myself) ((Even when writing angst, Gladdy brings me comfort!)

Summary: The night was just like something out of a fairytale, although in real life people rarely receive those perfectly happy endings that come from these beloved books

The giant open floor made of monochromatic tiles shimmered from the many twinkles of the diamond chandeliers that hung high above. Even if they were dimly lit, the chandeliers bathed the rich forest green walls of the main room of the royal ball with a breathtaking romantic aura which made it perfect for the many couples that were in attendance.

One of the couples was that of the King's ever loyal shield Gladiolus Amicitia, and his girlfriend Rebecca Grace Stinheart who was making a name for herself as the belle of the ball with the way her glowing personality shone just as warm as the artificial stars above her.

The two looked like the picture perfect couple as they glided across the floor. The cloth of the young lady's midnight blue dress trailing after her small steps while lightened rose locks contrasted the pitch black of the tuxedo that they rested against. One of Gladio's large hands held his partner's waist with a protective firmness while the other had enclosed around her small hand of ivory, wordlessly guiding her.

The two had been this way since the beginning of the night, not leaving the other's company for more than a few minutes and only when it was necessary. Although it's rare that such a peaceful night end in the same way that it had begun, not without something to disrupt it, and for these two this was exactly the case.

Chaos approached in the form of a silver-haired woman draping herself on the side of the tall, mahogany haired, man. The blood-red accents of her sweeping black dress only further spelled out doom for the petite woman trapped in Gladio's hold, as the moonlight haired lady remarked, "Funny seeing you here, Pretty Boy. You should've told me you were coming, we could have had so much fun already."

Catching on to her suggestive tone, hickory pools filled with unspoken questions met with the woman's emerald ones. Rebecca then lifted her head and shot her boyfriend a raised eyebrow and questioning glance.

"Aranea." Gladio's deep voice stated, obviously not wanting to engage with her further.

"It's been a bit since I last saw you, especially not next to the prince." She replied, subtly jerking her head towards the shorter raven haired male who was laughing with some other colleagues that they all knew. "I missed you."

Rebecca's heart had been tied down with heavy weights when this mysterious woman approached. It now had sunk down to her stomach while the woman kept getting flirtier with her partner as if she didn't even notice that the young woman was there. Doing her best to shush her own impatience, Rebecca finally spoke up with a question of who this lady, Aranea, was.

"Oh, you didn't tell her?" Aranea purred with a seemingly mock surprise.

Gladio pulled back the shoulder that Aranea leaned upon, almost disgusted to have felt her touch for that long. "Now is not the time for this." His voice was dangerously calm, the only thing that revealed the true extent of his anger was the immense emphasis on the word 'not'.

"Time for what? Tell me what?!" Rebecca spoke again, this time not caring about hiding the increasing frustrations that she harbored. "Can someone please fill me in here?!"

Curiosity was a killer of many things and Rebecca would be no exception. Aranea's eyes narrowed and her ruby painted lips twisted into a vicious smirk like she was about to land the killing blow on one of the many enemies she had faced. "Gladio and I know each other as far more than just friends and have spent many dark nights together. You're a smart girl so I've been told so I shouldn't have to spell it out."

"Aranea!" Gladio reprimanded with a raised voice, pulling his girlfriend closer to him like that would've blocked out what she had said.

A breath that was caught in Rebecca's throat escaped through her lips while her heart freed itself from the heavy shackles and began to pound against its cage. Gently pulling away from Gladio's stature, she took a step back to see if her own terrible thoughts were true. With the way his bright eyes had darkened and the deep scowl that was set into his features, it was obvious that her horrid fears of her partner being unfaithful were coming to life before her eyes. Ebony eyes were already blurred from the tears that threatened to spill, met with Gladio's amber ones before they hastily fell to the hard floor under her. The subtle taste of lipstick filled her mouth the harder she bit her lip. She wouldn't make a scene here to ruin everyone else's night, and she couldn't break here, not in front of these two.

"You've been... cheating on me?" She managed to say, with her frail voice still revealing a noticeable crack.

With a triumphant confirmation from Aranea and ashamed nod from Gladio himself, all of her questions were laid to rest. Still biting her lip in a way that had Rebecca surprised she hadn't drawn blood, she forced a trembling smile upon her lips.

"I see," She breathed deeply, desperately trying to maintain composure even as she felt her sunken heart being ripped to shreds. "Well, I don't wanna keep you two any longer. I, uh... I just wished you could've been honest with me Gladiolus." Rebecca looked upwards with her teary eyes squeezed shut and the fake smile stretched across her lips.

The way she had used his full name instead of one of her affectionate nicknames was enough to have Gladio recoil. But to add the clear sight of her positive facade shattering before him and knowing he was the reason why made him sick. Gladio had wanted to explain the whole situation to his girlfriend since the first time it happened, but every night that he had been on his own when Aranea showed up made it that much harder to cut himself away from the web of lust he had created.

By the time he got over the sudden feeling of nausea, Rebecca's form was already fleeing away from the party and towards the large open doors that revealed the oncoming darkness of night. He yelled out her name to get her to stop as he followed after her. That only made Rebecca's fingertips dig into and nearly rip the soft cloth that covered her as she held it up to steady her steps.

"Rebecca, listen to me!" Gladio pleaded once they were outside and just past the grand entrance, although his words sounded more like an angered demand. His tone only caused the already shaken girl to flinch. His large hand reached out to take her hand once more but Rebecca jerked hers away, clutching it to her chest as if she were about to touch poison.

"Why?" Her chest heaved, letting go of the sobs she had suppressed. "You should be back inside fucking your mistress or new girlfriend or -- what even is she? Obviously better than I am, I know!" Gladio had heard Rebecca's venom a few times before when she confided in him about the troubles she faced. Yet having it used on himself twisted the knife deeper than any wound he had received physically. The few stray rays of light that came from inside caused the tears running down Rebecca's face to glisten as she went on, "All I ever wanted was for you to be honest with me! I told you this repeatedly! Tell me you found your happiness so I could go and find my own, someone who thinks I'm enough. BUT NO, YOU STRUNG ME ALONG AND KEPT ME DREAMING UP DELUSIONS IN THE DARK!! YOU COULDN'T EVEN TELL ME YOURSELF, THAT BITCH HAD TO! AND DON'T GIVE ME THAT, 'I DON'T LOVE HER, IT WAS A MISTAKE!' CRAP BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE KEPT DOING IT!!" Rebecca paused to rub away the tears that froze her cheeks, muttering how she was glad she didn't wear any eye makeup because she would have looked like more of a mess than she already was.

Gladio wanted to comfort her, explain how he had felt nothing but lust and now anger towards Aranea, yet he knew that his words would fall on deaf ears. He wanted to hold her, to keep her warm from the chilling winds that whipped around them both, but what he saw in those dark eyes that he loved was a gaslight fire of negative emotions that would burn them both alive.  

"You should go back inside, don't wanna keep your princess waiting." Rebecca chided with that bitter venom drenching her words. "Just letting you know that when you go home, I won't be there so you don't have to be concerned about me ruining your fun! Have a good night, Mr. Amicitia."

Even with everything that was building up in his chest, only the sound of Rebecca stepping down the stone stairs mixed with the howling wind could be heard. Gladio couldn't even comprehend all that just had taken place. To go from having the girl he loved in his arms one minute then watching her want nothing to do with him in a matter of minutes, it all seemed like a nightmarish haze to him. He wanted to continue after Rebecca, even just to make sure she got home safe. Perhaps even just have her stay one more night where he could really show her the whole picture, yet his feet couldn't move one step in any direction. He just stood and watched his love vanish into the night and it was only after she was gone that he even felt the frigid raindrops that pelted his clothes and face. The last thing he could even remember was those sinisterly concerning green pools eyeing him down as Chaos in human form guided him back inside...

#ship: the storyteller and her shield #Self Insert #Selfshipping #Selfship #self ship #selfship community #selfshipdom #self shipping #Gladio x myself #angst #a lot of angst #cheating #infedelity #hurt #breakup

[proxylynn]

UNDERFELL: FILE NAME NOT EDGY ENOUGH part #5

Chapter 5: Mercy WARNING: I WANT NO RESPONSIBILITY OVER SPOILING THINGS FOR OTHERS. THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS HOW FILE NAME NOT FOUND WOULD FUNCTION IN THE AU OF UNDERFELL. BEFORE YOU READ THIS, UNLIKE THE NICE TIME OF UNDERTALE, THIS WORLD IS KILL OR BE KILLED. THIS STORY WILL BE GRAPHIC, GORY, USE SWEARS LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS, AND DEAL WITH SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE READ THE FILE NAME RELOCATED SPOOF WILL KNOW HOW I PICTURE THIS VERSION OF LYNSIE COMING TO THE UNDERGROUND. IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT. IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING DUMB. IT IS BECAUSE SHE CHOOSES TO END HER LIFE. SO TAKE THIS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. I MADE IT BECAUSE I NEEDED TO LET SOME OF THIS EDGINESS OUT OF MYSELF. WHICH I GUESS MAKES UNDERFELL LYNSIE EVEN MORE TRUE TO WHO I REALLY AM. ANYWAY, ENJOY. ^_^ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Time passes here in the Underground with no notice. I'm not sure what is a day or night from down here. Though my iPod has a watch function, I'm not sure if I'm able to trust it after drying it out. There's no internet signal for it to sync up with, so I don't know if the time it tells me if what it really is or just the continuation from when it got waterlogged. I'm just grateful it still works. Would've hated to lose all my tunes. Does suck I can't get a radio signal either, but you win some and lose some sometimes. Flowey has been helpful in adjusting to how things work down here. He's a real treasure trove of things. He tells me ways of improving my stats because apparently, I'm super weak by monster standards. Every being, humans, and monster, has a set of basic stats. HP. ATK. DEF. LV. EXP. HP is the level of Endurance that determines the damage a person can take before dying. My maximum HP is at 20 and, what Flowey tells me, will only increase when my LV does. Resting will fully heal and raise HP 10 points above its maximum amount. HP can also be restored through consumable items like food and drinks. An attack hitting the receiving party lowers their HP. The loss is dependent on the attacking party's ATK and that of the receipt's DEF. Upon reaching 0 HP, that's it, you die. It doesn't matter if you're human or monster. There's no coming back when your number is up. ATK determines the damage output of the attacking party. My base ATK is 10 and, like with the HP, can also increase with LV. But that's not the only way. Equipping a weapon can raise ATK, as well as certain ACTs or consumables but that's only a temporary thing. When ATK is high enough, one can spare an opponent without needing to use the ACT button. This rule is true even of monsters that have a non-traditional sparing method. DEF determines the damage input for the defending party. My base DEF is 10, and again, can increase with LV or equipping armor type items such as the ribbon in my hair. Just like with ATK, can be changed temporarily with certain ACTs or consumables. DEF is subtracted from the damage output of the attacking party. However, it cannot lower the taken damage to a value less than 1. LV increases HP, ATK, and DEF when it rises. All humans and monsters start at LV 1 and can raise it as high as 20 or so Flowey assumes, he's unsure if it can exceed this amount or not. And of course, EXP is gained by killing. When you accumulate enough EXP, your LV increases. So in a way, it is like experience points...for murder. However, there are other stats that one doesn't outright see when in the midst of a fight. INV is for Invulnerability. This determines the number of moments an attack cannot hurt the victim after they receive a hit. It is a hidden stat that apparently can only increase through certain Armor items. SPEED, as the name implies, determines the velocity someone can move at while in a fight. It is a hidden stat that can temporarily increase with certain ACTs and consumables. Lastly, the creepiest one of them all...MDR, or better known as Murder Level. It is an entirely internal statistic that tracks the progress of death when someone kills. This stat begins at 0 because no one can knowingly kill at birth. So in that aspect, it shares a similar trait with LV. Knowing this, I now have some tough choices to make. I still don't intend to kill, so that means I'll gain no EXP and my LV will remain at 1, thus I'll remain weak compared to everyone else. Nothing but LV will increase my HP and that sucks big time. So this means I'll need to increase my DEF so that the damage I do take isn't as strong as it should be. I'll need to find these Armor items or in the very least train my ass off to increase my SPEED. Because you can't hit what can't be caught. Toriel has also been one I try to learn from, all be it with caution. I tend to go about this like child since she sees me as one. I go to her bookcase, select a book, read it, then pretend to not understand so she'll read it to me, and then ask her about it while also sliding in other off-topic questions along the lines of things I do want to know. Of course, I do mix this tactic up every now and again. Otherwise, it would become too obvious what I'm doing. When not trying to prob her mind, I get a feel for Toriel as a person. And yes, I know that came out dirtier than intended, but fuck you for thinking about it. Toriel is a, for lack of better words, a decent cook. When it comes to sweets, she's epic. Other things, not so much. Also, she has this unusual appetite for eating slugs or snails if she can't find any slugs. While she doesn't try to shove them down my throat, watching her eat them makes my stomach twist to the point it gets hard to eat. Toriel is rather intelligent when not touched with moments of madness. This side of her actually backfired on me. Believing my inquisitiveness to be a cry out for teaching, she now schools me with a curriculum she's had prepared for just such a reason. There is a good thing to this though, as it imbues Toriel with more trust in me. This trusting faith allows me to venture around without her needing to watch over me or allow me a certain distance away past the big tree. But you might be wondering how she keeps tabs on me if she can't visibly see me. Simple...She gave me a cell phone. It's a really old thing that probably fell down here, it's clearly seen better days as the body and tiny screen are cracked, but it still works. I've also taken it upon myself to give her a nickname, Nanny. Get it? Because nanny is another way of saying female goat. No? At least she thinks it's funny. But yeah, now my days are amuck with class time with teacher Toriel and workout training with Flowey. The training is both worth it and yet not really. On the plus side, my stats do increase. The negative side, the rate at which my stats increase is bullshit. In the amount of time of what feels like a week, my base stats of HP 20, ATK 10, and DEF 10 increase by a total of 6 points. HP 24, ATK 12, and DEF 10. Flowey does tell me that DEF will increase over time, but at a much slower rate than the other two. He estimates along the line of about four weeks of training will equal enough effort to better my DEF. So think about that for a second. Four weeks to get a single point on my DEF stat while HP and ATK keep increasing? I know right? You'd think they'd be more evenly gained. But no! Argh...There's gotta be a better way that won't take so long. Maybe if I work out a bit before bed, add in some extra hours by cutting down on other things? Fuck it! Math was never my forte. Today I feel lazy. I don't feel like doing anything. But sleeping all day wouldn't be a thing I could do because Flowey would bitch at me and then Toriel would nag me. So I stare aimlessly in thought into the fireplace. More freaky shit's been popping up in my life. There's the voice that whispers in my ear at random with even more random things to say. Like, I walked out of the bathroom the other day and stopped to check myself in the hallway's mirror. No more than a couple seconds in did that voice chime in. {It's you!} Freaked me out a bit. Now when I go near it, it says something else. {Still you, Lynsie.} Cocky little shit. If I ever see what is making that voice, I'm gonna beat some manners into it. I know it's not Napstablook at least. After some time, the ghost was willing to come see me again. Had to apologize out the ass for making him so uncomfortable last time. Though he's not without his moments for making me uncomfortable either. Often times I can't get to sleep due to my random insomnia and I'll find him watching me from across the room. He plays it off as he's only doing what I asked, for him to watch over me, but I really should've been more specific. Because the creepy part is not knowing for how long he watches or where he watches me at. I mean, I like the guy, but I really don't need to think a ghost is watching me shower. I just don't. At least Blook-man isn't a jerk like the weirdo that sometimes pops up in my dreams. That creepy voice is beginning to sound more clear the more I dream about it. I haven't seen where or what makes this voice, but the clearer it gets, the more this dude sounds like he's got a big stick up his annoyed ass. Yet I know the inevitable is coming. Soon I'll end up seeing who this condescending creep is. I dread that moment. My dreams are not under my control anymore. This voice is forcing me to interact with it and that makes my blood run cold. I can't control my subconscious. I can't stop these moments from happening. I can't do anything! I'm not in control anymore! What is ̡hap̴pe͞ning ̨t͘ò m̵e͝?͏!̷ "My child? Is everything all right?" Toriel's been sitting in her chair and reading for a couple hours now. Flowey's taking a nap in our room. "I'm fine, Nanny." "Are you sure? You've been awfully silent for a long time." "I'm fine, Nanny." She frowns as I try to clear my head of all this madness. "Um, I want you to know how glad I am to have you here. There are so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot." I don't say anything. I just keep my eyes on the dancing flames. "Want to know what I have been reading?" I shrug. "It's called 'Beyond The Slime: Snails, Slugs, and other Gastropods'. How about it? Would you like me to tell you bits of it?" "If you want to, go ahead." "All right, here's an exciting snail fact. Did you know that snails...Talk. Really. Slowly?" Not as interesting as you think Toriel. Wait...they can talk? "Just kidding, snails don't talk. Interesting yes?" And just like that, I'm bored. Her jokes are usually more entertaining than this. "Snails are distinguished by an anatomical process known as torsion, where the visceral mass of the animal rotates 180° to one side during development, such that the anus is situated more or less above the head. This process is unrelated to the coiling of the shell, which is a separate phenomenon. Torsion is present in all gastropods, but the opisthobranch gastropods are secondarily de-torted to various degrees. Torsion occurs in two stages. The first, mechanistic stage, is muscular, and the second is mutagenetic. The effects of torsion are primarily physiological - the organism develops an asymmetrical growth, with the majority occurring on the left side. This leads to the loss of right-paired appendages (e.g., ctenidia (comb-like respiratory apparatus), gonads, nephridia, etc.). Furthermore, the anus becomes redirected to the same space as the head. This is speculated to have some evolutionary function, as prior to torsion, when retracting into the shell, first the posterior end would get pulled in, and then the anterior. Now, the front can be retracted more easily, perhaps suggesting a defensive purpose. However, this 'rotation hypothesis' is being challenged by the 'asymmetry hypothesis' in which the gastropod mantle cavity originated from one side only of a bilateral set of mantle cavities." Huh...I guess that's kind of neat. "Gastropods typically have a well-defined head with two or four sensory tentacles with eyes, and a ventral foot, which gives them their name (Greek gaster, stomach, and poda, feet). The foremost division of the foot is called the propodium. Its function is to push away sediment as the snail crawls. The larval shell of a gastropod is called a protoconch. The principal characteristic of the Gastropoda is the asymmetry of their principal organs. The essential feature of this asymmetry is that the anus generally lies to one side of the median plane.; The ctenidium (gill-combs), the osphradium (olfactory organs), the hypobranchial gland (or pallial mucous gland), and the auricle of the heart are single or at least are more developed on one side of the body than the other ; Furthermore, there is only one genital orifice, which lies on the same side of the body as the anus." I snicker a tiny bit at the mentioning of anus...I'm such a child. At least that perks her up a bit. "Okay, how about this? Courtship is a part of mating behavior in some gastropods, including some of the Helicidae. Again, in some land snails, an unusual feature of the reproductive system of gastropods is the presence and utilization of love darts. In many marine gastropods other than the opisthobranchs, there are separate sexes; most land gastropods, however, are hermaphrodites." "That's due to the odds of them finding a normal member of the opposite sex would be impossible because of how slow they are. So it's not uncommon that they have both sets of genitalia. The funny part is, when two meet up to have relations, they wrestle each other for dominance. The winning partner gets to be the male and the loser becomes the female." "...Have you been reading this without me?" "I watched a lot of TV growing up. It practically raised me." She puts the book down. "Child, come here." I sigh and roll myself near her, being super lazy about this. She pulls me up when I'm close to her chair and sits me on her lap. "Is something the matter? You are not as cheerful as you normally are." "I don't know." "Do you want to talk about it?" Not really, but I'll humor you a little, Toriel. "Nanny...Ya ever have one of those days where you don't even feel like getting out of bed? One of those days when so much is on your mind that it cripples you to the point of wondering why am I even bothering to get up today?" This strikes a nerve with her and she puts me down. "Come. Follow me for a moment." I'm confused but go along with it. She gets up and I follow her out the door. We walk out past the old tree and make a left down a small hall, encountering a single Froggit that flees in terror the moment it sees Toriel. I feel for ya little froggy dude. Entering a doorway leads us to an overlook of what I can only describe as an abandoned city. "Whoa..." "This is where we monsters lived when we first came to the Underground." "You're using past-tense wording. What happened?" "As ages passed, monsters changed and thrived with the blessing of children. Fearing the humans no longer, we moved out of the old city we called HOME. We braved harsh cold, damp swampland, and searing heat...Until we reached what we now call our capital...NEW HOME. Though the ones that choose to stay here, still live in their homes like time never passed. Only now, the streets are empty. The sounds of life are dull. I brought you here because this is a place where I come to relive days long ago and release such negative feelings. I pray it can do the same for you, child." Whoever is naming things around here is not very creative. It's still cute, but not creative. "So...This is your venting spot?" "More or less." "Not sure I can while you're here. Or how I'd even start." "That is fine. I merely wanted to show you that there is always something you can do when those bad moments happen." I smile softly. "Thanks, Nanny." We look out at the city, different thoughts in our heads. Though something she brought up tickles my curiosity. "So...There's more to the Underground than just the Ruins?" She flinches and grips the lookout's ledge a little bit. "...Yes. B-But it is much too dangerous for you out there. The monsters out there are not like the ones in here. They...They do not fight fair. You will not last long if you leave." Oh shit, did I trigger her? Quick you fool! Fix it! "I never said I was leaving. Why would I? I doubt anyone out there is as cool as you are." That settles her down for now. Better switch the subject anyway to be sure. "Is there anything else you want to know?" "Well, I did have one more thing that's been bugging me a little." "And what's that?" "So I've noticed I've been eating a lot and yet needing to go to the toilet less. I'm I dying or something?" She blushes before laughing. "*giggles* Heavens no, child. You're not dying." "And just like that, I feel like the world's biggest dumbass." "Let me see, how do I put this?" She takes a moment to think. "Well, we monsters use magic to make our foods and drinks. While still being physical enough to consume, it doesn't remain as such once in the body. Once consumed, the magic begins to dissipate as if it never existed. It still gives the body the nourishment and all other needs it requires, but since there's no mass to the magic, there's very little to pass out the body. So that may be why you're noticing less usage." "Huh. And if I ate human foods?" "Hard to say. No one knows if human foods would reverse this effect. Mainly because such foods are not available down here." "Nanny..." "Yes?" "Magic is cool." She snickers. "Nanny..." "Yes?" "I want to let you know I'm grateful for you taking Flowey and me in. A total stranger, and a human no less. I know it's against the law for you to be doing so...but...Thank you for caring." This seems to strike a chord within her. "C-Child...Do you really mean that?" "I do." She catches me by surprise with a sudden bear hug. "Thank you. Thank you so much." My first instinct is to return this affection to her, which I do. But my heart just isn't into it. The shadows in my mind begin to whisper things. Look at this, a stranger loves you more than your own family. How long has it been now and still no sign of any search party? Face it, they never loved you. You were a waste of life that took up space in that house. No one cares about you. Not even death wants a freak like you. "Child? You're trembling. Is everything all right?" I bite my tongue hard. If I open my mouth now, nothing good will come out. But Toriel is persistent and it doesn't help that my grip on her is clenching harshly. "Child, please. Just speak to me. Tell me what's wrong." I can't hold this anymore. I shove away from her to face the city and let it out. "I hate you! I hate all of you! You fucking pieces of shit! Why?! Why is it so hard for any of you to care?! I've been missing for days or weeks and none of you care! *sobs* Did you ever love me?! Why did you even bother having me if you don't even care that I'm gone?! *bawling* Why? Why? Someone tell me why...please..." I break down, crumbling right there to cry on my knees like a helpless babe. Toriel is shocked by my outburst. Her instincts unsure if she should let me cry this out or come over with comforting motherly tenderness. She picks a different option. "I know this isn't the most pleasant of times to ask...But since we've come to know more about each other, I have been curious about something." I can hardly look at her. "The humans that fall down here...They tend to not fall down for the happiest of reasons. If it is not too painful...Can you share with me your reason? What made you come to a cursed mountain where none ever return from?" My eyes sting, I can't keep them open for very long. "*hard sniffling* They used to care. I used to know what it was like to know others cared. I can't remember when they started to pull away. When I became invisible. I just want to know why. Was it something I did? Did I do something wrong? Did I not make them proud? I thought I did everything right. I was a good girl. *voice cracking* I'm a good girl. Aren't I?" I can't see it due to the tears blinding me, but I can hear it. Toriel is crying. No sound leaves her past her lips but I can hear the droplets fall to the floor. "Oh, my...You poor thing..." I feel her hug me from behind. "I do not know the life you have lived. I do not hold the answers you seek. But what I can tell you is this. You are a good girl. If you were my daughter, I'd always let you know I care for you." "*sniffles* Y-You...You would?" She rests her head on mine and I stiffen with tension. "I would. A mother should care for her children and never let them feel such sadness." Well, in the Ruins of the Underground they say, that the human's small heart grew three sizes that day. "How do you feel now, my child?" "...Meh."' "Any better at all?" "...A little. But I'm trying to be cool about it so you don't think I'm so pitiful." "My child, you are not pitiful. It takes great strength to admit such hurt." "If you say so." Her hold on my grows stronger. My sourness is something she doesn't like. It makes her have an idea. "Child...Would that make you happy? To call me... 'Mother'?" I feel my heart breaking. "Are you...Are you being serious right now? Because if you're toying with me...!" "Lynsie..." I think that's the first time she's used my name since being together. "I mean it. I know I am not your real mother. But I can be a real mother to you. If you allow me to. Now, what say you to this silly old woman?" I'm so close to weeping again it ain't funny. "You're...*soft sigh* Heh...You really are something else...Mom." She looks at me surprised, but smiles and nuzzles the top of my head. I feel like such a little kid right now. I can tell this made her happier than it made me. But I guess in time I'll work out these family issues I have and I'll be able to thank her for it. We sit there for a while, her just holding me and me just trying to return to my usual composure. Then she stands up. "My child...Would you like to help me with lunch?" I remain seated but look up at her. This is unreal. She's unreal. No way in hell that any human on earth even comes close to her. I owe her. "Know what? Let's flip the script. I'll make lunch. You do enough as it is." Her eyes sparkle till she notices I'm not getting up. "Are you not coming?" "In a moment..." I look back at the city. "I just need one more minute." She holds a breath, resisting the urge to smother me and drag my sorry ass home. But the trust we've made has gotten to that level where she knows such actions aren't necessary. "Very well...I will be waiting at home. The flower is probably worried sick." I chuckle at that and listen to the sound of her steps leave the area. Once things go quiet, I stand up and take a couple of deep breaths before I let out on last bit of venting. "*loud aggressive roar*!" While very relief inducing, such a harsh forced sound fucks up my throat and I cough like a chain smoker. "*coughs* W-Worth it...*gasp* So worth it." Turning on my heel, I'm about to leave till something wedged into the corner of the overlook. Upon closer inspection, it ends up being a hand grip. So I yank on it. It refuses to cooperate till I really give it a hard yank and pull this metaphorical sword from the literal stone. Turns out, it's toy weapon. Neat. "Huh...Okay? Weird, but mine now." [You equipped the Fake Knife.] [You gain 3 Attack.] "Really? That's the same increase as the ribbon. Wonder if they're a set?" [Made of plastic and not very good for killing. A rarity nowadays.] "Heh...Good thing I don't aim to kill. It's perfect." [CHECK selected.] [You now have HP 24, ATK 15, and DEF 13.] I slip the dagger into my lower side pocket with a smile and make merry way back home. When I get there, Toriel is making sure Flowey's soil is fresh before watering him. I end up making a bunch of grilled cheese sandwiches with slices of tomato between the cheese slices, at least on half of them. Though I do have to wonder where this food comes from, but she did say it's magic made, so who knows. The rest of the day is pretty chill. Toriel and I hang out some more before I spend the rest of the evening with Flowey. Since I apparently slacked off, he decides to cram some extra FIGHT knowledge into my messed up noggin and then gives me a rapid-fire pop quiz about it all. Aside from the normal Bullet Hell that I'm used to dealing with, there are seven different colored magic that can alter the attack to either hurt more or hurt less. White attacks are the most basic form of attack monsters can do. And if it hits you it will only do normal damage. The only way to counter white attacks is by dodging them. Gray attacks deal no damage and are used when the monster is unsure how to respond in their turn. More or less, it's like their way of skipping their turn. Red attacks do not deal damage but are used to warn of upcoming attacks. The warning can take on several forms, such as an attack itself flashing red, a simple red outline bordering the area of the attack, or a red rectangle with an exclamation point in the center and a flashing sound effect. Green attacks heal damage by varying amounts depending on the will of the attacking monster, the progress of battle in some way, or both. Light blue attacks, also known as just blue attacks, do not deal damage so long as you remain completely still. Orange Attacks do not deal damage so long as you remain moving. And purple attacks apply a 'poison' effect that gets worse the more you're hit till your HP is drained. Yet he tells me to take the purple attack with a grain of salt as he isn't sure it really exists outside of rumors. This is what Toriel meant when she said the monsters outside the Ruins are too dangerous and don't fight fair. If an LV level 1 monster like Napstablook can kick my ass to 1 HP, I don't think I stand a ghost of a chance against harder monsters. I need to do more training. [Time Skip] Life as the adopted daughter of a monster is something I never thought I'd be when I grew up, but it's something I have come to really enjoy. Toriel's been true to her word. She shows her care for me every day in small ways. She did do it in a big way once but I told her wasn't necessary. That and I felt bad we couldn't eat the whole cake before it spoiled. Toriel has gotten a bit more intense sometimes. I'm sure it has nothing to do with Napstablook randomly popping in and out of my room without asking her for permission. Can't be that...Sarcasm. Speaking of her, my time with Toriel has been most enlightening. Aside from the normal schooling, she also has taught me much about the history of the Underground. Or as much as she's willing to tell me, she isn't too detailed on somethings, makes me curious as to why. But what she, Flowey, and Napstablook all confirm with me is this. The King of the Monsters, Lord Asgore, has called a war on humanity once again. So if freedom were ever attained with the breaking of the barrier, then they wouldn't leave this place peacefully. Blood would be spilled, thick enough to swim in as they hear the lamentations of their conquered foes. This is not so far off from happening either. The King so far has in his possession six human souls and only one more is needed to break the barrier completely. When I bring such topics up in conversation, Toriel is always upset. Badmouthing Asgore and then running off to let out some steam either at the overlook or in the basement. I can tell she fears me falling into his grasp. She fears to lose yet another child. That's another thing she's taught me. While it is the law that humans at to be killed and their souls harvested for the freedom of monster kind, she never supported this. She's tried to keep the other six before me from leaving the Ruins, but they all left her anyway. The dumbasses. Why leave this poor wonderful woman? But humans are not the only loss she's had. I know the look of greater hurt when I see it. She's suffered heavy loss. I dare not ask her about such pain. It is not my place to speak of. All this pain Toriel has been through, she is covering her hurt with a happy Jekyll and crazy Hyde complex. She has yet to move on to the final stage of grief...Acceptance. Another thing she has begun to teach me is the basic use of magic, mostly SOUL magic as it's the simplest form and a good base for beginners as she put it. Not that I can complain, I mean, I'm learning freaking magic! Flowey is first apprehensive about this. Mentioning something along the lines of I have a freaky soul as it is and shouldn't mess with it. But I counter this with, well if my soul is so fucked up then wouldn't it be best to train it so that it isn't a problem? Needless to say, I won that argument, yet I also find out what Flowey meant by me having a weird soul. It seems that my soul is able to change color depending on what emotion I feel the strongest at the time and each color has its own power associated with it or trait as they're called. She only knows of a few colors due to the humans that fell before me and my soul during our magic training sessions tends to stick to being a light blue color. But of course, Flowey fills me in on the other ones I haven't seen. When the SOUL is red, it seems like any normal soul and behaves normally. It does get a slight boost in power and added precision when it comes to making quick moments. This power is associated with the emotion of Determination. When blue, the SOUL is affected by gravity. This allows one to move beyond the Earth's normal gravity, like being able to jump as if on the moon. This power is associated with the emotion of Integrity. When green, the SOUL it can produce a kind of shield but at the cost of being unable to move. While in this state, one can only dodge in a stationary way or block the incoming attacks. This power is associated with the emotion of Kindness. When purple, the SOUL is focused and can only allow movement to the left and right from where one is standing. It's a very intimidating soul to most as it gives you a handicap and makes you look skilled if used correctly. This power is associated with the emotion of Perseverance. When Yellow, the SOUL is filled with magic power and is flipped upside down like a monster's SOUL, so the heart's point is directed toward the foe. In this state, the soul grants the ability to shoot a projectile that can destroy certain oncoming projectile attacks. This power is associated with the emotion of Justice. When the SOUL is light blue it will appear to make you weaker and slow down movements. But this is a ruse as the SOUL is storing energy from not moving around so much. This allows for stronger block and defensive counters the more power is stored. This power is associated with the emotion of Patience. And lastly, when the SOUL is it will appear to make you stronger and increase movements. This SOUL will also store energy but only while the user is moving around. This allows for stronger attacks and parrying counters the more power is stored. This power is associated with the emotion of Bravery. There is a catch to all this too, as some monsters are able to force such SOUL MODES onto humans and render the human unable to break free from such control till the fight ends. All this, Monsters and Magic, it's become my new normalcy. And looking back on how I was living before, I can honestly say I don't miss the surface at all. This is the life I've always wanted. A life in which the world isn't trying so hard to crush your hopes and dreams. A life where I know what love is. A life where one can truly live when not being threatened with death. But this doesn't stop my curiosity. The one thing I can't get her to talk about is the staircase to the basement that she herself often sneaks away to. Whenever I even hint at it she tells me to ignore it and don't go down there as it's not safe. "No good will come if you venture down there." Out of respect, I do as she says. I would never dare disobey her and yet I feel something trying to draw me down there. Maybe it's the little things like how she's able to go down there and I'm not. Maybe it's because I can sometimes barely hear her talking to either herself or someone else. Whatever the reason is, it's driving me crazy! Each passing day I find myself closer and closer than the last time I've done this. Just testing how far down I can go before Toriel notices. But the more I do this, the more I think she's catching on. Her steps get quicker and I have to be careful not to make a sound when I rush back up the steps. This has become a routine every time she heads down there. She goes down there. I follow up to a point. I stop in an odd pause for a couple minutes until I hear something. Then leave in a hurry This is insanity! Why do I keep doing this and how do I make it stop?! Today is no different, with the exception of Flowey joining in on my madness. After the lessons, schooling, and my workout training, I hold his pot while gazing over the edge of the banister. I don't know where Toriel is. Either she's down there or making her rounds in case another human falls. Not likely that'll happen. But not knowing her location has me weary on being bold enough to go down there. "So...This is the dangerous thing you told me about?" "Yep." "And you never go down there?" "I do...But not very far. I don't want Toriel to freak out if she sees me." "You do know she'll totally lose it if she ever finds out you do this, right?" "I know." "Then why do you do it?" "I don't know." He's confused. "What do you mean, you don't know?" "Don't act like you didn't understand. I said I don't know why I do this because I really don't know why I do this! If it's not one thing like the fucked up dreams, then it's the voices in or out of my head that nobody else hears. And if it's not the voices, then it's this freaky feeling to go down there. So do forgive me, oh all too perfect flower, for I am flawed and often don't know what the fuck I'm supposed to do!" He flinches at my snap and looks away in shame, making me feel like shit. "*sigh* I'm sorry. I'm just...really stressed out. Between all the training, my emotional baggage, and weird shit that I can't even tell if it is really happening or not..." I hang my head. "I...I need a break before I end up broken." "Hey..." Flowey rubs my hands comfortingly. "Just relax. It's going to be okay. I didn't know you were going through so much." "You should know by now I don't talk about my feelings and other junk. My burdens shouldn't have to bug anyone else." "If it helps...I know what's down there." "...What?" "There's nothing down there. It just leads to the door that heads out to the rest of the Underground. She keeps it shut. Not wanting others to leave and end up killed." "...So that's it? A door?" "Yep." "But...That can't be all there is." "What do you mean?" "She talks to someone down there." "Huh? Are you sure you weren't hearing things?" I glare harshly. "I know the voices I hear. There might be a lot of them, but I know them all. And she talks to someone I don't know." "Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to take it the wrong way." "We're going down there." "Wait, what?!" I head to go downstairs but Flowey blocks the entryway with vines. "Are you out of your mind?! What if Toriel finds out?!" "At this point, I don't care anymore. Nothing makes sense. So why would she react the way we think she will?" "Do you hear yourself? This will, without a doubt, make Toriel snap!" "And how would you know?" "Because I..." "what are you doing?" We both freak out at the sudden utterance of Napstablook, me more than Flowey. So much so that I drop Flowey, not that it matters as he's gripping the railing with his vines, and I take a tumble down the first part of the stairway down. "Holy crap! Are you okay?" "*groan* I fucking hate stairs..." "oh, shit...I-I-I didn't mean to..." I pick myself up shakily. "Nah, dude, you're okay. It'll take more than a little trip to hurt me." "uh...you're bleeding." "From your forehead." I rub it away. "Still there?" They shake their heads. "Then we cool. You cool. Me cool. We all cool." I wobbly head towards the rest of the way down. Flowey lowers himself and whacks me with his pot. "Okay, now I know you have brain damage. Go back upstairs and go to our room to sleep this off." "Look, I get it. You're scared. You don't have to come along if you don't want to." "Don't be so stupid, you idiot! I'm trying to keep you alive! You have no idea what kind of awful, messed up, nightmare-inducing things will happen if you go down there!" Flowey huffs and puffs, but I'm already halfway down by the time he notices. "*snarls* You! Ghost!" "me?" "Are you able to carry me?" Napstablook looks at him funny and scoffs. "probably. why?" "I need to go after her. That dumbass is going to get herself killed if she doesn't get out of there." Napstablook's eyes widen and he grabs Flowey's pot. Just then, the tumblers in the house's door began to clatter with the sound of a key being inserted. Panic washes over them. Napstablook moves quickly, yanking Flowey from the railing and speeding down the stairs as the door starts to open. Toriel enters. "Hello? My child? I have returned home." Only silence greeted Toriel. Perhaps the human was in her room asleep. Poor thing hasn't been the most well rested as of late. Those bags under her eyes looking darker by the day. The girl needs all the rest she can get. Toriel heads toward the kitchen, to start making a batch of cookies to surprise her happy little family. But the surprise was on her. She almost didn't see it. The joy of her delight almost blinded her to something that now has her breaking into a series of nervous twitches. Small smudges of crimson now discolor the pale cream that makes up the home's interior. "No...No, no, no, no, no! Not again!" The panicked parent rushes in the hopes that she is not too late. That she won't have to lose another life. Me on the other hand, I've been walking for a while now. The path under the house is much longer than anyone would guess. Probably the result of digging for open pockets in the mountain. Flowey chased after me, like a bitch, and dragged Napstablook along. "Human! Toriel is coming!" "Yeah, right." "he's not lying. she just came back. I hope she didn't see us." I roll my eyes not believing them, until... "Child!" [You felt your sins crawling on your back.] "Run!" The three of us make a break for it the end of the of the hall...only to be blocked by large stone doors. "Shit..." "My child..." We turn around and see the frightened Toriel now behind us. Dear god, this woman is fast as hell! Napstablook lets fear get the better of him, fading away and making me dive to catch Flowey before his pot shatters. "Nice catch." "*whisper* Praise my SPEED stat later. Shit's about to hit the fan." "Lynsie...My little girl. Why are you down here?" Her eerie calm is disturbing. I need to think of a lie and think it up quick. Or speak the dumb truth. Whatever will work best at this moment. "I fell down the stairs." Her expression softens slightly. "Why did you not come back upstairs?" "I...I didn't know how you'd react if you saw me. I got scared." She calms down and approaches. "Child, I meant not to instill such fear in you. I want you to know you can come to me whenever you are in need." "And you won't be upset?" "I...I will do my best to understand before reacting." "Thank you, Nanny." She pats my head and places a hand on my back to get me to follow her back up to our home. "I do have one question for you, my child." I tense up. "Yes?" "What were you doing by the stairs in the first place?" "I...I got curious." Her hand on my back flinches. "Curious about what?" Flowey is trying to mime to me to keep my mouth shut. But I'm not very good at following his orders. "You come down here a lot. You never say why or what happens. I just...I thought I could hear you talking to someone and wanted to meet them too." Her hand pushes me roughly so I'm ahead of her towards the stairs. "You heard nothing, child. There is no one down here. Run along and freshen up. We'll bake together shortly...I have to do something first." She turns around, heading back towards the doors. I should go upstairs. I know I should. But I can't. "Oh no. I know that look. Don't do it." "I'm gonna do it." "Don't!" "Too late." "Why do you do this?! Why don't you listen to me?!" "Because if you don't act then you're just as wrong to ignore what's going on. Sure, it's likely safer to just do as you or Toriel say. But that's just choosing to hide. To let the problems around me win. I've lived like that already. To sink into myself and the darkness. I won't do that again. I won't let others go through it if I have the chance. So get mad all you want. I'm not going to stand by while they do things that will only make them suffer." Flowey just stares at me. Thoughts running through his mind as I sprint after her. "Nanny!" She pauses. "I told you to go upstairs." "Not without you." "Tell me, child. Do I not provide enough for you? Are the Ruins not good enough? Do you seek your own death that badly?" [You felt your sins weighing on your neck.] I glare at her in annoyance but she continues. "Ahead of us lies the end of the RUINS. A one-way exit to the rest of the underground. I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again. Now be a good child and go upstairs." "No." She looks at me over her shoulder, her own eyes glaring back at me. "No?" "I will not leave you down here." She huffs through her nose. "Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die. You naive child...If you leave the RUINS...They... ASGORE...Will kill you." "You underestimate me." "Please don't piss her off." She snarls at me. "I am only protecting you, do you understand?" "No, you understand! I will not allow you to use me as an excuse. I am an adult. I can make my own choices. I will embrace the consequences of any action I take. I am responsible for my life. Not you." "...Go to your room." "Make me." The intensity of our glares can generate harsh sparks. "Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning." She runs for the door and now I'm pissed off. "Don't you turn your back on me, bitch!" Flowey is stunned by my snap but doesn't get a chance to respond. I drop Flowey's pot and give chase to Toriel. I never even hear the clay pot shatter. I speed up to make sure Toriel won't do something stupid. "Don't ignore me! You fear something you can't control. You're letting the fear win. You're acting as stupid as the humans that banished you!" She flinches for a second before turning around and facing now in front of the door that she despises. Though now that I see her and the door together, I notice the door bears the same symbol as her robes. "You must really be unhappy. You want to leave so badly?" "What made you get a moronic idea like that? Fuck no, I don't want to leave. All I want is for you to get your fuzzy ass upstairs so we can make cookies and read books." "Hmph. And why should I believe that? You are not the first to tell me such lies." "Oh for fuck's sake. I have been trying for god knows how long to be sweet with you because, in case you haven't noticed, I like you and consider you my freaking mom! So stop this nonsense and get away from that stupid door!" She snorts, anger in her eyes. But then...she starts to giggle. The giggles then become manic and loud. Now I'm on edge. "You...hehehe...You are just like the others. To think I was worried you wouldn't fit in out there...Eheheheh! You really are no different from them! Ha...Ha..." I growl in annoyance. Is she really mocking me right now or is she losing her mind? I don't know. But it's really ticking me off either way. "There is only one solution to this. You...Prove yourself...Prove to me you are strong enough to survive." I scoff. "I don't have to prove anything to anyone. Not even you." "Prove to me you are strong enough to survive!" Her voice shirks harshly and my soul appears in a glow of red. Seems we're fighting now. Just great. [HEARTACHE begins to play in the background.] [Toriel blocks the way!] "Are you for real right now? You're really going to fight me over this crap?" [Toriel prepares a magical attack.] "*sigh* I guess you're leaving me no choice but to beat some sense into you. Very well...Bring it on!" Her paw-like hands catch fire and she sweeps them in an arc, casting a trail of fireballs that are launched towards me. Simple enough to attempt evasion on their own, but then I find out that the fireballs can bounce off of the walls. I get hit a few times by these rouge ricocheting balls of flame. [HP ███████████████ 15/24] [Toriel looks through you.] "And you criticize me for being nuts. Are you seeing this bullshit, Flowey? ...Flowey?" Only now do I realize that I don't have the pot with me. "Ah, fuck my life. Flowey! Hey! You okay?!" I shout into the hall behind me. Seconds later he pops out of the ground, meaning this floor isn't solid. "You jackass! I can't believe you dropped me!" "So you're fine? Good. That makes one of us. Two, if you count Napstablook fleeing when he had the chance. Lucky bastard." "Make your move, child!" Flowey takes notice of what's going on. "I told you! I told you and you wouldn't listen!" "Oh my god! Stop nagging me like you're my wife! Just support me and keep out of fight radius!" [FIGHT] [ACT] [ITEM] [MERCY] "Okay, what are my options?" [ACT selected.] [New options available.] [CHECK] [TALK] "That's it? Fine. Simple is as simple be." [TALK selected.] [You couldn't think of any conversation topics.] "This is pointless. I know you don't want to hurt me and you know I don't want to hurt you either. So let's stop this now before it gets crazy." [Toriel looks through you.] She launches the same attack as before. Only now there are two rows instead of one, but the pattern remains the same. This is a good thing. [HP ███████████████ 15/24] "You've really gotten fast, human." "You sound surprised? Did you really think I didn't try with all that training?" "Uh..." "Fuck you, Flowey." [TALK selected.] [You tried to think of something to say again, but...] "Quit wasting time doing this, Nanny. At this rate, we won't even have time to eat if we ever get cooking." [Toriel takes a deep breath.] "Geez, woman. You're like ice. So cold." Her stony expression doesn't change as she unleashes the same attack yet again. Same pattern. Same spots of bounce off. Same easy steps to dodge. [HP ███████████████ 15/24] "This isn't a fight. It's not even a tussle. It's just sad." "Are you really disappointed she's not trying to kill you?" "I know how it sounds and as fucked up as it is, yeah." "...Why?!" "Because I don't like it when someone pushes me to do things with them, only to slack off while I do all the work. It pisses me off." "While that does suck, you shouldn't feel that way right now. She doesn't want to hurt you and you don't want to hurt her...right?" "Of course not. I don't want to hurt anyone. That's why I'm trying to talk to her." [TALK selected.] [Ironically, talking does not seem to be the solution to this situation.] "Why won't you listen to me? Are you even able to hear me? Say something! Anything. Do something other than just stand there like an emotionless statue!" "..." [Toriel is acting aloof.] The same attack is sent my way once more. It's gotten to the point where I just stand still and deflect the fireballs with my knife. I'm losing my patience with this repetitive shit. "The hell am I suppose to do here? Die of boredom?" {You can't reason with her when she gets like this.} I flinch. "So...You're chiming in now? Of all times?" {You look like you can use all the help you can get.} "*scoff* Do you not see my skills? I can do this no problem. I just can't understand what option I need to select." "Human? Who are you talking to?" To Flowey or anyone else for that matter, I'm chatting with no one. "Oh, just a voice that seems to have random timing." {I don't have random timing. It takes a lot of energy to manifest like this.} "Wait, manifest? Are you a ghost?" {I guess? Not really sure. I mean, I was dead. Fairly sure I still am. I don't even know how or why I woke up. I just...did.} "You are one confused dude, ya know that?" "They're not the only one." I snarl at Flowey. {I might be confused on some things, yes. But I'm not as confused as you.} "Don't start shit with me, dude! I am so not in the mood and I will kick your dead ass if I have to" {I'd like to see you try, punk.} "Alright, what's your name, asshole?! I wanna know what to write on your headstone along with all the shit I'm gonna mock you with!" {My name? It's Chara.} "Well then, allow me to say this then...Fuck you, Chara!" Just like that, the room goes completely dead. The air stills, the temperature chills, and the thrills are less than wanted. In an instant, the world that I know of goes dark for me and my body stands in a painful slump. Flowey's eyes widen in shock and Toriel finally does something other than stay still. "C-Ch...Ch...Chara...? My boy...he's here...?" A hauntingly dread hangs in the air like a thick miasma. Flowey only seems to realize that things are not what they seem when my red soul begins to tinge darker and darker. The color being swallowed by shadow until it is nothing more than a black heart. "A black soul? How...Is that even possible?" I twitch for a moment before coming back to life. "Human? Are you okay?" I shake my head and rub my eyes. My head really hurts. Looking around I see Toriel, her face is sorrowful and her eyes are pleading. "Chara? Where is my son? Chara?" Chara was her son? This woman was holding out on me when I asked if she had a family. Not cool. Still, she's calling out for a dead kid, right? Do I not matter? I'm right here. I thought she cared about me. Thought she loved me. I've been trying to be a good girl and talk to her. But maybe she's... [Not worth talking to.] I stand strong and leer at this woman whom I gave trust to. This seems to strike her attention. "My child? Why are you looking at me like that?" {Yeah, why are you looking at her like that?} I snarl. "I am not your child." My voice is different. More darker, colder, and deadly. [FIGHT selected.] Flowey attempts to question me but I take off at her in the blink of an eye, knife in hand. She's stunned. Hardly able to register the dark blur that is me till I'm in her face. There's a quick instance of time, a glimpse of what's to come, and she's able to move in time just as the knife is swung. I miss hitting her yet she now has a slash across her robe. "Next time, I won't miss." {What the hell are you doing?!} "Y...You...at my most vulnerable moment...you...really hate me that much?" I turn to head back to my starting point. "Don't flatter yourself. I don't care enough to hate you." She frowns. "Child..." "No! Don't you dare say that!" I face her again and whatever hateful look I have on my face is enough to make her back up in intimidation. "I trusted you. I let you in. I thought you'd be different. Monsters are so much better than humans. But you...*growls* You're no better than they were. You never cared about me. I was just a replacement. A placeholder for the kid you lost." "B-But that's not true." "You've shown no emotion since this fight started. You've been ignoring me this whole time. But the moment I say Chara, you get all teary eyed and talkative? I let you call me your daughter and you forget me the moment a ghost from your past pops up! You're no better than them. You never cared about me. No one cares about me. I am the abandoned one. I am unlovable. You broke my heart when I didn't think it was possible for it to shatter anymore than it already was. So congratulations. You managed to hurt me like no one has. And now...Now I will make you feel my pain. One turn at a time." I walk back to my original position and she begins to cry, holding her muzzle to keep the sadness in. Flowey is just dumbfounded by my sudden turn to the dark side. "What the hell are you doing?! I thought you weren't going to...kill...?" The icy stare down I'm giving him chills the life out of him. "Y-You...Wh...What are you...?" I merely grin and the whites of my eyes begin to fill with blackness. This terrifies the poor flower-boy. "T-this...feeling? Why am I...Shaking? Hey...S-s-stop making that creepy face! This isn't funny! You've got a SICK sense of humor!" {I agree. This isn't how you win this.} I growl to myself. {What is with you? I swear to god if you hurt my mom, I'm gonna kill you.} "I'd like to see you try, brat." {Stupid reckless jerk. I'm too dead for this crap.} [Toriel prepares a magical attack but is weary now.] Streams of fireballs fall from the top of the room in a crisscrossing double-helix pattern and accumulate at the floor. The streams have holes in the middle of them to dodge through. Heck, there are even two safe spots near both corners. This doesn't bode well for Toriel. [HP ███████████████ 15/24] "My turn now." {Hey, wait!} "What?" {You don't have to fight her.} "Not much else really on the table for choices." {Okay, talking isn't going to work, we know that! But if you really mean what you say and don't want to kill...You'll have to do something else!} He's calling me out. Damn him. But he's right. I mean, what the fuck am I doing? I tried to strike Toriel! I could've killed her from my level of intent! That isn't something I'd do. That isn't me. This isn't me at all. "No...No, this is wrong. This is all wrong. This isn't me. This isn't me! THIS ISN'T ME!!" My head hurts! I grip my head in one hand and my soul in the other. The black that makes up its color struggles to remain. My chest tightens in pain and I roar. The black in my soul swirls into its center and is flushed away by the encompassing blue. Once it's all gone, I feel drained and yet better at the same time. {You...You okay?} "I...I don't feel so good." "Lynsie? Are you normal now?" I look at Flowey and he sighs with relief. "Phew! That creepy face is gone. What happened back there? You were so...different." "You think I know?" I look at my hands and the fake knife that's clasped so tightly that my fingers are stiffly locked around the handle. "I...I was going to do a bad thing. Wasn't I?" "Yeah...But that wasn't you. It was...Whatever that was." I glare at the knife and put it back in my pocket. I don't need it. I don't want it. I will not attack her. But if talking won't work, what will? Let's see...No to FIGHT. ACT is a waste of time. I don't have any ITEMS. So that just leaves MERCY? But that's usually SPARE and FLEE. And I doubt I can FLEE from this fight. Not after all the crap that just went down. I need to check this. "Yo, ghost-boy." {Huh?} "What do you think of this course of action?" [MERCY selected.] [New options available.] [SPARE] [FLEE] {You're going to run? Not a bad idea, but not a winning one either.} "No, not that one. This one." {Spare? Worth a shot. I mean, what else is there really?} "I know right?" "You still talking to Chara?" "We're agreeing on a plan." "And that is?" "You'll see." [SPARE selected.] Toriel looks at me funny. Not surprising as I've gone from trying to talk to her to then trying to kill her. "...? What are you doing?" "What's it look like? I'm sparing you." She eyes me funny. Contemplating so many things. "I don't understand." "What's so hard to understand? I didn't want to fight you. I don't want to fight you still. I don't want to end up hurting you. So I'm done. I'm done trying to do anything. I offer you mercy. What say you?" She pauses for a while. Time seems to stop. But then she makes her move. She attacks similar to her last attack but it's a little different. Thicker streams of fireballs, too thick to dodge through, but they do not sweep back and forth. Allowing careful me to keep safe between the streams only after finding it once I got hit a couple times trying to fit into it. [HP ███████ 7/24] "*panting* Okay...ow...Took more damage than I thought." {Not bad though. That was some pretty fancy footwork you did there.} "Thanks." "You okay, human?" I give Flowey a thumbs up and get ready for more junk to come. [SPARE selected.] "What are you doing? Attack or run away!" "I choose none of that." She hurls more of that same hard to dodge fireball streams. Only thing is now I know what I'm doing, so I only get hit once by the time her turn ends. [HP ███ 3/24] I can barely stand. I'm singed and searing in burn pain. I can't take much more of this. If she keeps this up, I'm as good as dead. Damn it, woman, accept my mercy already! {You're doing great. Keep this up and you're golden." "If this keeps up I'll be joining you in the afterlife, ghost-boy." "Child...What are you proving this way? Fight me or leave!" "There are more choices than that, Toriel. If I don't want to fight, I don't have to. If I don't want to leave, I don't have to. Problems don't just go away because you kill them or run away. You face them head on and never back down until their resolved." "Can't you see that's not how the world works down here? I don't want to see you die. I need to know you are strong enough to make out of this wretched place alive. And I'm willing to give you my power if it means you'll survive." "I will not kill my MOTHER!" That slipped out of me but I don't regret it. My words pack enough of a punch that has her faltering. "Stop it. Stop looking at me that way. Go away!" She attacks again, yet something isn't right. The fireballs fall haphazardly from above but deliberately move away if they come close to me, making it impossible to take damage even if I move closer. I think I'm finally getting to her. I need to keep this going. [HP ███ 3/24] "Please...just go upstairs now. I promise I will take good care of you here. I know we do not have much, but...We can have a good life here." "I know that. I don't want to leave. I want to make this work. That's why I'm trying so fucking hard!" [SPARE selected.] I start to approach her and she trembles, either in fear or worry, I know not. So she attacks again, but again the flames avoid me. [HP ███ 3/24] "Why are you making this so difficult? Please, go upstairs." "I can say the same to you." [SPARE selected.] I come to a stop in front of her and she meets my gaze with her own. Such sadness smears her features. Her hands tremble and the fire they hold flickers out. She crumbles right there, falling to her knees. "Urgh...You are stronger than I thought..." "I told you not to underestimate me." "Listen to me, small one...If you go beyond this door, keep walking as far as you can. Eventually, you will reach an exit." "Exit?" "ASGORE...Do not let ASGORE take your soul. His plan cannot be allowed to succeed." "War on humanity? Yeah, not the best plan since that didn't work out so well last time. Heh, funny enough, if you guys wait long enough we'll all end up wiping ourselves out for one dumb reason or another." "You will be good, won't you? My child." "You talk like you heard nothing I said. Damn it, Nanny, do I have to spell it out for you?" I put my arms around her and embrace her tight. I will not let go until she comes to her senses. I refuse to let her remain like this. Her eyes widen and her face contorts with mixed emotions before settling on a defeated weak smile. "Ha ha...Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child." "Mother..." "No, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped down here. The RUINS are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this. My expectations...My loneliness...My fear...For you, my child...I will put them aside." "Toriel..." "If you truly wish to leave the RUINS...I will not stop you. However, when you leave...Please do not come back. I hope you understand." "Mom!" She trembles hard when I snap. God, she still doesn't get it. This woman is as messed up as I am. Maybe that's why I care about her so much. Maybe in the depths of my soul, it believes that by saving her I'll be saving part of myself. I don't know. I ain't no psychologist after all. "Let me make this as clear as possible for you. I. AM. NOT. LEAVING. YOU!" Her eyes water and I let her go. "I know I'm not really your kid. I said and did some messed up shit. I regret it a lot. I let my feelings overwhelm me in the worst ways. But I want to make it right. I want to earn your forgiveness. I want to earn the right to be your daughter. Will you let me do this after the things I've done? Can you give me another chance, Toriel?" She whimpers. "You...you're really going to stay?" "Yes. I told you before and I'll keep saying it if it helps. I am going to stay with you as long as you'll keep me. I'm not lying. I speak only truth. I am not leaving you. This is my home for as long as you'll have me stay. You will be my mother and I'll be your daughter for as long as you wish it to be so. Please, believe me." {I think you've done it.} She begins to cry, her arms go around me and nearly smother me in a warm healing hug. "Lynsie, my child...Thank you. Forgive me for my earlier behavior. You were right. I was brash, unfeeling, and callous. I am appalled to call myself a mother. I attacked my own child. How are you able to still want to be around me after such happenings?" {Now seal the deal.} "No one is perfect, Nanny. We all make mistakes. It's how we learn from them that makes the difference. We can either learn to do better or end up repeating the same thing again. I can forgive you because I understand why you are the way you are. You have been through so much. You've loved. You've lost. You've tried to help. And yet fate has been so cruel to you. It forced you into this lonely home where all you see is danger outside its walls. You're scared of losing any more of those you end up close to. So you lash out because you don't know how else to respond to those feelings. I can't be mad at you for that." She smiles softly and pets my head. "You truly are a sweet child." "I try." {Thank you.} [YOU WON!] [You earned 0 XP and 0 gold.] Things revert to normal and I help her up to her feet. "Come on, mom. Let's go back upstairs." "Yes. I would like that very much." "Holy cow! You actually did it!" We look over at Flowey. "Crap, we need a new pot for him." "I am sure we can find something for him upstairs." "Do ya mind waiting a little bit down here till we bring back something?" "I don't mind really. It feels nice to let my roots stretch out." We head back upstairs and return to life as before. Toriel is more relaxed now that her fears have been put to rest. I've doubled my efforts around the home to make amends for my actions in the fight we had. I sowed up the cut in her robe, even though she said I didn't have to. But she surprised me by sowing my shirt as well. As if showing the new bound we made, she sowed the symbol on her robes onto my shirt. She tells me it's called the Delta Rune, the emblem of monster kind. I wear it proudly. Chara talks to me more frequently now. Toriel often talks to him too and I have to tell her what he says. She was skeptical at first, hard to imagine a dead kid talking to your adoptive one, but he has me tell her things that only they'd know and it all set in there. The odd thing is that Flowey will talk to him too. The conversations they have, they're so personal. I feel uncomfortable being this third wheel. But the more they all talk, the more I learn about them. Things I won't share with anyone else. Like how Chara tends to call Flowey the name Asriel. I learn from Toriel's chats with him that this was the name of her biological son with none other than King Asgore. Yeah, that was a big fucking bomb drop. Toriel, this lonely hidden away woman, is the Queen to an entire race that is going to try to kill me. Yay! Flowey got his pot replacement so he was able to come into the house again. We still train together, all be it a little intensely. I mean, I'm willing but he's less to do so. My guess is because he's afraid of losing Chara. I hate this feeling. Being a host to someone that others want more than they want me. It's when I have these moments, I go to the lookout of the old city and I talk to Chara. Just us. He's rather understanding. Like he's gone through a lot of the same things I have. I don't pry too much into his past and he doesn't push me on my reasons for trying to die. We are the same in a lot of ways. We both are haunted by the ghosts of our past lives on the surface. He's nice to have around for these chats even if I feel weird about having yet another guy follow me around at times where I'd rather be by myself. But at least Chara agreed to not pop up when I'm in the bathroom. Napstablook on the other hand...well...I have no clue. He's MY buddy. He only comes around for me. That much I enjoy. It feels oddly nice that a dude, even if he's a ghost monster, pays sole attention to me. Makes me feel wanted. And if I have to be girly, as is my gender, it makes me feel pretty too. God, feelings are weird. After the fight, Toriel allows me downstairs now. She still worries about me leaving, but the trust is there that I won't. Flowey and I use the larger space for better workouts. It does pay off in the long run. My stats increase more. I'm now HP 28, ATK 17, and DEF 13. The weird part now out of all this is, the more we train down here, the more I get curious. I'm now tempted to go beyond the door and see what's on the other side.

#undertale #underfell #Lynsie #Anomaly #sans #papyrus #gaster #grillby #grandpa semi #Asriel #asgore #toriel #chara #frisk #mettaton #napstablook #alphys #undyne #flowey

[darlingpetao3]

For Asgard (Chapter 28/?)

Summary: What if Odin had banished Loki to Earth instead of Thor? The story of how you, the Reader, meet and help Loki on his quest to return to Asgard.

One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty Twenty-One Twenty-Two Twenty-Three Twenty-Four Twenty-Five Twenty-Six Twenty-Seven

A/N: Without wanting to spoil anything, warning, this chapter contains sexual content.

As far as you're concerned, your duty is done.

Lorelei has been brought safely to the palace of Asgard (and has taken her sister's fancy guest bedroom with glee). It's as if someone you both know wasn't totally murdered in front of your eyes! This woman irks you just as much as her elder sister. You silently fume while in her presence, which hopefully won’t be for very much longer.

Undoubtedly though, you feel it to also be your duty to disclose to Odin the death of Loki (through a copious amount of tears). The old King must think you're so pathetic right now, but so what? Nothing matters, especially his opinion of you. Your words of the tale are clipped and are straight to the point, making the conversation quick so you don't have to torture yourself any longer.  You don't stick around long enough to hear what he has to say, fearing it'll cut open your heart even more.

Running back to your chambers, your hand covers your mouth to stop the noises and sobs from falling out of your mouth. Do not make eye contact with the guards. Frankly, you're shocked they haven't arrested you since you were an accomplice to committing treason, but they aren't moving in on you, so you keep going. In your room, you throw yourself onto the bed face first and let it all out into one of the pillows.

It's funny, you hadn't thought you'd completely forgiven Loki for all he'd done in the past, but gods, it’s not even a concern anymore. What you wouldn't give to have him here again with you.

Alive and well.

Through your muffled cries, the sound of large wings flapping comes from outside your open window. You look up to find an eagle now sitting on the window sill. Could it be the eagle that followed you from Svartalfheim? The animal cocks its head, then flies into the room, creating a big gust of wind.

"Stay back!" you yell, frightened. Are eagles here deadly? They certainly are huge.

The bird flies up and lands on your bed.

"Stay back you filthy creature!"

"I cannot say that is the first time someone has uttered this phrase to me," it says.

It speaks? Wait... No...

The foreign eagle transforms before your very eyes through the course of a glittering magic. An incredible whoosh of relief and joy leaves you upon seeing the miracle in front of you.

You jump on top of your miracle – Loki. You hold his face in your hands and kiss every single inch of it in case it disappears on you again.

"You were dead!"

Kiss. Kiss.

"I saw it with my own eyes!"

Kiss.

"How are you here?"

Loki smiles wide at your welcome and has to hold you back from attacking his face with kisses in order to answer your question.

"One might say it is the oldest trick in my book. And yet... people still seem to fall for it. Every. Single. Time."

"I'm so happy." You hug him tightly. “You have no idea, Loki, oh my God.” You never want to let him go.

"I feared you had not quite forgiven me for, well, everything," he says, caressing your cheek.

"I wasn't sure, myself, really. Until now. Losing you...? Now I know it would be the end of me."

Loki lowers you both down so you're laying on your sides, face to face on the bed. You're holding his hands, afraid to lose him again. Then, a thought comes to mind, of which you voice.

"What about Amora?"

"What about her?" He sounds confused.

"You don't... You don't have feelings for her?"

Loki looks at you like you've completely lost your mind.

"Amora had never sparked an interest of mine, romantically speaking. We studied magic together in our younger years. We had a mutual love for the craft. Always looking to better ourselves. And, naturally, she was only ever with me as a convenient way to get to Thor."

What. A. Bitch.

"Throughout the course of my very long life, I can say with all honesty, which is a gift I only bestow to you, I have only ever had eyes for you, my darling."

"Keep going," you joke, loving all the nice things coming from his beautiful mouth.

“The love of my life,” Loki continues. "My Midgardian princess.” He pauses. "My Mistress."

"Oh God!" You turn away and hands cover your face in embarrassment and shame. "I thought I could successfully go the rest of my life without hearing that nickname again!" Loki laughs heartily, then hovers over you with only love in his eyes. Nothing wild or untamed.

Just love.

“Death really puts perspective on a person’s life...” Loki says slowly, searching your eyes, “and I cannot imagine what my life would be without you in it... That is something I never want to learn.”

Is he-?

He can’t be...

“A-Are you proposing to me?”

He gives a small laugh this time. “Yes, I believe I am.” Loki hops off the bed and positions you to sit facing him. He makes direct eye contact with you as he continues, “My lovely (Y/N). Will you do me the honour of being my bride, my wife, and partner in life?”

You could have sworn he was going to say partner in crime.

Loki kneels - something you know for a fact he wouldn’t do for anyone else. You let out the breath you had been holding in your throat.

“Loki, I can’t imagine my life without you either. Of course, of course I’ll marry you!”

Good gods, you think you’re going to cry! Loki gets up and kisses you joyfully, his lips grinning this massive smile against your own. Have you ever seen him this happy?

Have I ever been this happy?

He holds your face so gently in his hands, his thumb rubbing your cheek lovingly. You smile and reignite a string of kisses between you until it’s clear you’re about to celebrate your devotion to each other in the best way possible.

Loki lowers you back until your head meets the plush pillow. He looks upon you like you’re the most beautiful creature these Nine Realms have ever seen and you think your heart is going to explode. You pull him down to meet your lips again. You need him. You need to feel his love.

Instantly, you start to shed your Asgardian dress, but Loki lends his magical assistance by waving a hand and making your clothes (and his) vanish into thin air. At first, you expect to feel the breeze from outside cool your skin, but that is not the case. No amount of cool air could turn down your rising body temperature. While one of his hands rests on your hip, the other snakes up your side. Loki’s touch is slow and considerate and everything your first time with him wasn’t. The way he handles you, hell, even looks at you, makes you feel like a princess.

Oh God.

You’re going to marry this man. You really were going to be a princess. Loki catches the look on your face and smiles, then places a kiss to your cheek.

“What are you thinking, darling?” he asks. You press your lips together in a quick smile.

“I’m thinking of how much I love you.”

If an exhale can sound happy, his most definitely was this. His thumb brushes the corner of your lips.

“Great minds think alike, or so they say.”

You throw your arms around his neck to bring him in closer for a deep kiss. You press yourself against him, the friction of your chests meeting kickstarts the pulsation between your legs. You exhale a shaky sigh.

“Loki… please…”

His hand wanders south to feel you. Upon his findings, you notice his eyes darken before your very own.

“Fear not, my love.”

And he’s right. He’s not dead and you’re not dying from a magical element. There really is nothing to fear. Not anymore. And certainly not when he gives you all of himself.

Loki goes on to love you with such attentiveness, a tenderness that honestly brings tears to well up in your eyes. One lonely, yet happy tear starts to fall down your cheek, but the god kisses it away. You don’t even need to explain the reason for it. He knows.

The way he is with you, the sounds he’s making, the way he feels inside of you - everything is heightened in the moment. It’s all so beautiful. It’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before in your life. A surging wave of love floods every inch of you and it becomes too hard to contain, so instead, it flies off your tongue in the form of words.

“I love you. I love you, gods, l love you.”

“My heart. My love,” Loki replies. “My everything.”

Through the final throes of passion, through deep kisses, outcries and shudders of pleasure, you both reach a whole new level of your proven undying love of each other.

Loki crawls up next to you after experiencing one of the most magnificent moments of your life. You nuzzle your face into his neck, the most fulfilled smile on your lips. His arms pull you in closer to his body. Neither of you says anything for a little while as you bask in your happiness.

"What will you do now?" you ask eventually.

"Well, I was hoping for a round two..."

The God of Mischief, he’ll always be.

"No," you giggle, "I mean now that everyone thinks you're, you know, dead? And you... not actually being dead. What's the plan?"

Your gorgeous fiancé leans on his elbow and tilts his head on his shoulder, looking suspiciously like he has another one of his tricks up his sleeve.

"Can you keep a secret?"

~

Part 29

A/N: Look! Things got happy again! Yaaaay! :P And this is the end of the Dark World chapters. We’re heading into fresh, new territory, baby!

Tag List: @gerardwayisapotato  @theloneavenger1995 @magellan-88 @saraholdtheh972 @ha-tep @white-chocolate-mocha-fan @jemjem-chan @sagekoooon @1800-fight-me

#reader insert #loki x reader #Loki Laufeyson x Reader #loki imagine #loki fanfiction #marvel imagine #marvel fanfiction

[imrvbtrashdealwithit]

Survival and Perseverance: The Great War Part 3

Elizabeth has another chat with David, they talk more about Ethan, and she gets a late night visitor.

  Part One Part Two I FIGURED OUT HOW TO LINK STUFF! 

“Are you okay, David?” She asked, he had a busted lip and a cut over his eye, there were a few stitches going across his nose. He looked more inconvenienced than actually hurt. He was wearing his armor, which was dusty and looked like it had dried blood caked onto it.

“We just got into a skirmish with the enemy is all.” He sounded tired, of course he was tired, seemed like he had a harder day than she did. The mission at the bridge was a success, no fire exchanged. Elizabeth gave a sympathetic sigh as David began to remove his armor.

“Everyone make it out okay?” She asked as he slung his chest plate down on his bed. David looked at her from the corner of his eye but nodded.

“Fortunately.” He clipped, bringing his leg up and hitting the button that loosened the boots on his feet and pulled them off.

“Everything going smoothly over there?” David asked and Elizabeth nodded.

“For once.” She told him. He gave a weak smile and pulled off his gauntlets, then his arm guards.

“That’s good, Patches.” David told her. She gave her own weak smile.

“You coping well?” She asked and David froze. He knew exactly what she meant. He rubbed the back of his neck roughly.

“About as well as I can be with you so far away from me.” David said, his pretty blue eyes dull and downcast at the floor.

“Sometimes… I just can’t accept that he’s gone.” David spoke softly, standing and coming over to his desk. She looked across hers, up to the wall, plastered with hand drawn photos. One of Ethan stared down at her, his mellow eyes gazing towards the viewer of the photo. Ethan’s eyes always had a certain weight to them. Almost like he was too young for what he was doing but was shouldering it anyways. It had surprised her when Ethan told her he was only a year older than she and David.

“I know… it happens to me too.” She said.

“Are you sure you didn’t love him, Elizabeth?” David asked softly as he took a seat at his desk. She gave a heavy sigh. Right before the end of their deployment with Ethan, she may have been developing romantic feelings for Ethan, seeing him through David’s eyes as he talked about him to her late in bed at night. She felt that old ache in her heart.

“Maybe I did?” She spoke to him uncertainly. His eyes softened and his mouth turned in a soft smile.

“I think he loved you too. He loved both of us.” David told her. She felt tears prick her eyes and her throat tighten. She wanted to scream, feeling frustration well in her stomach, almost making her want to puke.

“I never told him.” She said, her voice tight, squeaky even. Here would be when David would place a hand on her shoulder, then slowly wrap her in his arms and hold her to him if they were together. She could tell by the look on David’s face that he wanted to and was frustrated that he couldn’t.

“I think he knew.” David said, trying to comfort her. She shook her head then buried her face in her hands, sobbing. He didn’t know. How could he have? She didn’t exactly wear her heart on her sleeve. Yes she was emotional, but that wasn’t the same thing.

“Elizabeth…” David wanted to say something but he really didn’t have anything else to say. There was nothing to say. The way she worked, she would pretend like she was okay and keep going until she completely cracked under the weight of what she was bearing. He remembered late nights after the death of the rest of the platoon before Ethan’s arrival when she would just shake and sob in the bunk next to his. David would slip out of bed and glue himself to her side, squeezing himself onto the tiny bunk and hold her to him. He liked to think it helped because most of the time it would quell her sobs, tears would still slip silently down her cheeks, but she seemed better.

But now they were light years apart from each other, for the first time, and she was crying on the other side of a computer screen and all he could do was watch helplessly as she broke down. He stared at her in silence, feeling every ounce of pain she felt.

“Is there someone there? Someone you’re close to?” David asked as she wiped at her tears with her fingers, breathing shaky breaths as she tried to compose herself. Her eyes lit up in a way that he knew.

“Yeah… there is. But I don’t want to burden him with my shit.” Elizabeth told him, wrapping her arms around herself.

“If he cares about you he won’t mind, Patches.” David told her, the corner of her lips tugged in a sad attempt of a smile at the mention of her nickname.

“He’s a subordinate, it would be indecent.” She insisted. David sighed, then reached up to unzip his undersuit.

“We’re already close though. I don’t know. I don’t want to scare him away… I kind of have… feelings.” Elizabeth squeaked. David’s face lit up like the fourth of July. He smiled blindingly.

“Way to go, Patches! You have to tell me about him!” David said, the somber feeling of the conversation lightening and Elizabeth smiled outright this time, deciding to tell David about Sam.

“Have you drawn him? Holy shit, let me see!” David demanded, she had, as a matter of fact, drawn Sam. She kept it hidden because she knew that he somehow had the code to her room. She trusted him, but she didn’t want him to see any drawings. She pulled it out of her desk and held it up to the camera.

“He’s got this beautiful voice. The kind that just sinks into you and makes you feel warm.” She told David, laying the drawing down on the desk. David beamed at her, a goofy grin playing on his face.

“So this is what it’s like.” He commented. She cocked her head to the side, looking at him funny.

“What?” She asked.

“I always wondered, how it felt to be you, watching me and Ethan fall in love. You always seemed okay with it, happy even, and I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. I would swear up and down that you were angry about it. But… you’re there, head over heels for this guy, and I couldn’t be happier for you. I’m no less in love with you now.” He told her, tears glistening in his eyes, smiling so much it had to hurt. She laughed at him, carefully tucking the drawing back into its place in her desk.

“Wanna see pictures of the rest of my squad?” She asked. David nodded and she grabbed the sketchbook by her side and starting flipping through pages, showing him the two privates in her squad, their names were Miles Jackson and Rosalie Courts. Then she showed him the picture of Felix. She didn’t have to be overly fond of people in order for her to draw them.

“Oh he looks like trouble.” David said. She snorted.

“Yes, he is. God he is obnoxious. Thinks he’s better than everyone else.” She

commented, looking at the portrait of Sergeant Gates. God he was a prick, a little endearing though. She flipped over to the next page and saw the picture she drew of the squad together, showed it to David.

“That one’s Sam, this velociraptor looking son of a bitch is Felix, Miles in the purple, and Rosalie in grey.” Elizabeth said, pointing at each person in armor.

“I assume the other one in green is you.” David asked and she nodded as she put the sketchbook down. She stifled a yawn, Elizabeth was exhausted, but she didn’t want to hang up, from the looks of it, David had just gotten off rotation. They usually had a few hours before bed in between shifts.

“Patches, you need to go to sleep. You’re a soldier just like me. You need to rest.” David told her. She looked up at the computer screen, seeing David’s gentle look. Damn it she wanted to be with him so bad!

“I don’t have to do anything tomorrow.” She insisted.

“You’re in the middle of a war, Elizabeth, you still have to be ready for a fight.” He told her.

“Don’t make me hang up on you, sweetheart.” David continued sounding soft yet lovingly stern, her heart swelled, eyes falling to the floor below her feet, then nodded.

“Bye David, be safe. I love you.” She told him.

“Love you too.” David said and they hung up. She stretched and stood, going to her bunk and climbing in. The video chats made her feel better during them, however, she felt sad, and maybe a little empty afterwards. There was a knock on her door and Elizabeth looked up, grabbing her piece and going to the door. She looked through the peephole, her eyes widened. What was Sam doing? She gave a sigh and opened the door. David had basically given them the green light. It felt strange to be on this end of things.

She was standing watch in the tower, gazing over the toiling ocean. Far below, she saw David and Ethan. They were standing, talking to one another in the courtyard of the base. It was too quiet. This place should have been alive with the hammering of tools and the rumble of Warthogs and Mongooses. There should be the buzz of chatter coming from a multitude of soldiers. The call of the birds should be barely audible instead of scraping against her eardrums.

“Hey, Lizzy! What are you doing up there?” David yelled from the base of the watchtower. Elizabeth’s heart skipped a couple of beats and she looked around frantically, as though a mere shout would cause immediate retaliation from the enemy.

“Damn it, David! We are in the middle of a war zone! You can’t just go around shouting!” She hissed over comms. David was quiet for a moment, then she watched him enter the building. Ethan stared up at her from the ground. She gave him a nod. She was fond of the guy, getting your ass saved by someone multiple times and doing the same in turn would do that. She heard David’s footsteps coming up the stairs, huffing and puffing.

“God I hate these stairs.” She grinned at his annoyance.

“You’re a Marine, David.” She called down to him. He groaned, then the hatch flew open and David’s helmeted face popped up. She stared at him for a moment or two, he was expecting help wasn’t he? She readjusted the SAW in her arms and offered a hand. Her husband took it and she essentially pulled him out of the corridor onto the perch.

“Hey… so all joking aside, Elizabeth. I want to talk, seriously.” He told her, reaching up and taking his helmet off. Elizabeth did too, he looked at her, eyes softening, love mixed with something else.

“I love you.” He started, she grinned, blinking at him.

“I hope that’s not what you came up here dramatically to tell me about, David.” She said, reaching forward and touching his face, he smiled, giving a low chuckle, wrapping his fingers around her wrist, placing a kiss to her skin.

“Seriously, I want, need, us to be serious for like ten minutes.” David asked. It was a staple of their relationship, just trying to make each other laugh, doing everything they can to bring their spouse joy. It was also a survival technique.

“Okay David. What’s wrong?” She asked, slipping just a little closer to him, putting a kiss to his throat and nuzzled against his jaw. David wrapped his arms securely around her.

“You know I love you. I love you so much. I would die for you.” He told her, the thought of that being a very real possibility passed through her head but she ignored it and focused on David.  

“Yes, I know.” She said softly, for a moment if she closed her eyes and thought really hard, Elizabeth could make herself feel like she was on a beach with her husband on Earth. But the heavy feel of her armor, no matter how hard she tried to imagine it away, refused to disappear.

“So you know I would never want to leave you.” David continued, his hands on her hips, fingers digging lightly into the mesh of her undersuit.

“Of course.” Elizabeth replied.

“I have feelings for Ethan.” David said and she pulled back, looking at him, she tilted her head, seeing the guilt on her husband’s face.

“I love you, I fucking love you so much, but I see him and I feel the exact same way about you. It’s driving me crazy, Elizabeth. Help me.” He begged. She smiled softly, leaning forward and kissing his nose.

“David, love, it’s okay. It just sounds like you’re poly. We’ve been together for as long as I can remember, if I can’t trust you, then who can I trust?” She asked, David’s arms tightened around her and he relaxed, having had every muscle in his body tensed.

“You aren’t mad?” He asked “You don’t hate me?” He continued, eyes big and wet. Elizabeth shook her head.

“You don’t hate Ethan?” David continued, Elizabeth reached up, nuzzling into his neck again.

“No. Sweetheart, there’s no one I trust you with more than Ethan.” She said, “Now go tell him you two idiots have my blessing.” Elizabeth said, giving her husband a playful shove. He stepped back, a grin growing on his face and then ducked back down into the stairwell. She watched them from her perch. David approached the SPARTAN, and simply wrapped his arms around the trunk of Ethan’s body the best he could. Elizabeth smiled. She liked seeing him happy.

And David wanted to see her happy. Opening the door meant that the possibility for her own happiness, the kind she saw in David with Ethan. She put the piece down and punched in the code in, she trembled with nervous energy as the door slid open. Sam looked at her.

“What do you need?” She asked, trying to sound inconspicuous. What if she was reading this whole situation wrong? What if he was just a soldier concerned about his CO? They had talked about life after the war but that’s just what soldiers do. They had talked till the stars blinked out and the sky turned pink, but that was only because they were patrolling together.

“May I come in?” He asked, his voice soft. She stepped to the side and he entered. Her heart hammered in her chest. A million thoughts passed through her mind at once as Sam looked around. He was nervous too. Sam tried to hide his feelings, obviously, as a soldier, wearing your feelings on your face was a bad habit to have.

“Is everything okay, Sam?” She asked.

This isn’t right, it’s not fair… he’s your subordinate. You’re ten years younger than him. Is what you think happening even happening- Her mind went blank as his fingers interlaced with hers, his other hand touching her face, just barely, almost like a ghost. Everything about this felt wrong, but the look on his face was calming, like the peace of an early morning. She was breathing heavily, chest heaving as she stared at him.

“Is this okay?” He asked her, Elizabeth’s panicking gasps paused as he spoke softly. She went rigid.

“Y-yes.” She said, steeling her nerves and looking him in the eyes with determination.

“With David as well?” He asked, her ears pricked at David’s name. She nodded.

“I just got off a video chat with him.” Elizabeth told him, Sam looked away from a moment. He cleared his throat, lovely cocoa skin tinted with crimson as he swallowed thickly.

“I know you’re my superior, Elizabeth, but I care for you, about you, romantically,” A beat of silence, “I believe.” Elizabeth smiled at him, feeling a bit of laughter rise in her throat as a smile pulled at her lips. Sam gazed at her intently, terror barely disguised in his greyish green eyes.

“I- I feel the same, Sam. I care about you, romantically, as well. And I’m not your direct superior either.”  She told him tenderly, squeezing her fingers around his a little tighter. His fear seemed to subside just a little, as his eyebrows managed to descend about a millimeter.

“So you’re okay with-?” He started to ask, then she nodded, stepping a little closer to him. Sam worried at his lower lip with his teeth.

“Nervous?” She asked softly as he lowered his gaze from her. He looked up at her through half lidded eyes and nodded. Elizabeth placed a hand on his arm, giving him a soothing rub.

“We’ll take things slow.” She told him. This seemed to bring him comfort for his shoulders went slack and he gave her the smallest of smiles.

#Survival and Perseverance #original character rvb #locus rvb