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#hello i love her and appreciate her and i think her hugs would kill me
moeblob · 6 months
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I forgot how to draw her so practice doodlin' for Camilla.
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portgasdwrld · 8 months
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Hello! I read older posts where you mentioned you weren't a fan of your writing. I think you're awesome though! Love your work. c:
I have a suggestion, if you happen to like it. Could we get Zoro (and any other characters) with a shy and aloof female reader who can't figure out they're being flirted with, even though they share the same feelings?
👩🏻‍💻Hey!! Thank you so much for your sweet words it means a lot to me🫶🏻✨ I’m super happy you love it! And yes ofc no problem!! I love the idea 🤭
📂 Zoro+ oblivious shy/aloof reader to his flirting
Featuring: Zoro+ f!reader Warning: none, fluff Note: I rewrote it and very much prefer this version, I hope you do as much as me
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Zoro was never the type of man to be outspoken about his feelings
His flirting is somewhat a bit clumsy and he gets frustrated with himself easily. He gets embarrassed by being open with how he feels.
It doesn’t help when you are clearly not reading in between the lines...
He even wonders if you are doing it intentionally to mess with him, but when you just give him a confused look or go on about your day like nothing happened, he questions himself 😭
A sigh leaves the swordsman's lips as his back leans against the railing of the deck. His thoughts wander and they always come back to one thing bothering him: you.
He starts to doubt himself as most of his flirting attempt were fails. A week ago, he complimented your outfit ,but you simple threw a short thanks with a smile as you walked away. Wednesday when he sat next you for dinner and brushed his arm against yours, you just apologized with a blush and slightly took your distance. Yesterday, when he asked to talk to you, but you stuttered a bunch of words and got away from him by grabbing Nami's arm.
He knew better than abandoning. In fact, ever since his feelings for you were revealed to him, all he could think of, was you. You occupied his mind when it wasn't focused on training, he found himself longing to hug you and smile when you do. Although, he thought about not pursuing you, scared it would ruin his focus on his goal. It was in vain, as he realized you were always very supportive of his goal and even cheered him to train harder and achieve his dream. He appreciate it a lot.
The sun is slowly setting on the Sunny, the golden light illuminating the boat. He looks far away, a hand on his swords and his head turns in your direction as your laugh echoes through the ship.
You are playing a card game with Robin, killing time before its time for supper.
His lips naturally curve into a discreet smile as he observes you complain about some move Robin did. You were accusing her of cheating with her ability, sulking over your lost as she quickly denies it with a chuckle. As he watches you, he notices that you did something different with your hair and decide to use it to his advantage.
He approaches you with his usual blank expression, but he slightly hesitate in his steps which caught Robins attention. You smile noticing his presence.
-What brings you here! Wanna play?
You ask him as you show him quickly the pack of cards in your hands with your infamous grin.
-Nah, I’m good. You..you did something new with your hair?
-Oh, yeah! You noticed? Robin said it looked good.
You reply in an excited tone as you touch your hair.
-Yeah, you’re pretty.
-Thanks! I appreciate it
You say with a slight blush due to the compliment, but an awkward silence falls. Zoro stays silent for a moment as he thinks of what he could ad to the conversation but you open your mouth first.
- By the way,..umm I'm sorry about yesterday, i hope it wasn't something important?
You trail avoiding to stare at him as you remember how you embarrassingly ran away too nervous to talk to him. When he pulled you to the side, his eyes staring deeply into yours, you felt like you couldn't breath for a moment. You didn't want him to obviously figure out you like him...
Robin gazes at Zoro before looking at you a small teasing smirk appearing on her lips.
-Oh...Yeah...I was hoping to talk to you, but...uh.
He says as his face gets red. He clearly hates the facts that Robin is here enjoying the little show while you are still oblivious to his advances.
-It can wait
-We can talk now if you want. We were done with our game anyway.
-I have to do something first, but you can meet me in the crow-nest in about 5 minutes?
He lies trying to give himself some time to think about what he's going to say. You nod agreeing with your usual smile that he loves so much.
-Alright then see ya
You watch him leave, curious about what he wants to speak with you. You shrug your shoulders ready to leave too, but Robin is looking at you with a small teasing smirk.
-What?
-Nothing~
She retorts sweetly before waving you off.
++++
The dark sky slowly sets over the head of the Strawhats as the delicious smell of the food fills everyone nostrils. You enter your room to put away your card and as you are about to leave, you take a moment to breath. You didn't notice how nervous you are until you felt your breath getting a little shaky.
Arrived at the location, you open the door and see him sat not too far from the window. He’s looking away but as he notices your presence, he invites you to sit besides him.
-The food smells good
You say breaking the silence. He nods and looks outside again. At around the same moment, an insect fly inside and run directly in your face, making you panic a little. Zoro is quick to catch it and throw it away, making sure you are fine at the same time.
-You’re okay?
-Yeah, it’s just a small insect, I'm good.
-Wait
He gets closer to you and clumsily fix your hair with the use of his fingers.
-Cool
He concludes with a small satisfied smile as he finishes placing your hair. You look up at him with a blush, eyes connecting with his. Zoro clears his throat as he leans back while you stare at your nervous fingers. Your heart is pounding in your chest as you stare now at your friend.
-So, what did you want to talk about?
You see him hesitate as he opens his mouth but close it quickly. His gaze shift from you to the view outside. He sighs and with a blush spread on his tanned cheeks, he finally speaks.
-I like you
Your eyes widen at his sudden confession, not expecting this at all. You furrow your eyebrows as your hand naturally covers your pounding heart.
-What??Since when!?
You ask completely confused. He chuckles a little astonished to your true shock to his confession. You really didn't notice his flirting tactics.
-I thought I made it obvious
-No?? How??
-Uh...with compliments.
-Zoro...
-I don't compliment anyone like the cook, I genuinely think you are pretty.
You gasp a little hiding your face in your hands, half of you not believing this is real and half of you realizing the cause of his strange behavior. You let your hands fall on your laps as you giggle.
-You're so bad at flirting
You joke to try to calm yourself down. Both of you start laughing as he admits it with a nod.
-You are so dense though
-Pfff, not at all
-You clearly can't take a hint
-Wha-
-Y/N SWANNNN, It's time to eat!
You are interrupted by Sanji's scream that startle you a little.
-Look like dinner is ready
Zoro concludes as he prepares himself to stand up, but you quickly grab his forearm pulling him down. You close the distance and give him a quick kiss on his cheek. He looks at you surprised, but he slowly start to smile.
-I like you too
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rubberfuckey · 1 year
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summary: After a worried phone call from Wheezie, you decide to come back to Kildare.
wc: 1.3k
a/n: This is set right after season three, let's pretend the time skip in the show doesn't exist (: This is my first post since 2020! Let me know what y'all think <3333 part two??? ;)
Eyes snapping open and with a rush of panic, you try to locate your piercingly loud phone tangled in the sheets somewhere next to you. Who the fuck would be calling me at whatever ungodly hour it is? Finally finding it, you damn near blind yourself with how bright it is and how unadjusted your eyes are. Squinting, too tired and agitated to read it, you swipe to answer the call like muscle memory. 
“Hello?” you huff.
“I’m sorry I know it’s late… but I have a favor to ask.”
“Wheeze? What’s going on? Are you okay?” Hearing her voice sits you straight up in your bed, she has never called this late or has ever asked of anything from you.
“I’m okay, kind of. I’m alive. It’s not me I’m worried about.”
“Wheezie-”
“I know,” she cuts you off, “nevermind it was stupid anyways.”
“No, Wheezie, talk to me.”
“It’s just, Rafe,” you flinch at hearing his name, “I’m scared. I’ve never seen him like this before. We know he’s already a pretty angry guy, but this is something different.”
You sit there quietly listening. You left Kildare a year ago, after a nasty breakup with Rafe and trying to break apart the unhealthy codependency you both developed. You transferred to a different state college but you always stayed in touch with Wheezie. Before you and Rafe went wrong, you were close with both his sisters and promised to stay in contact with the young girl you watched grow throughout your time with Rafe. No one knew of course, you and Rafe were completely no contact- opting to block his number after one too many heartwrenching voicemails while obviously under the influence of his favorite white powder. 
Sarah hadn’t tried to reach out, but from what Wheeze had mentioned she got herself distracted with a pogue-turned cop killer-who was proved innocent. What a shit show. You knew it all, countless Facetime calls caught you up to speed. You consoled her through the “death” of Sarah, the “death” of her father and what other trauma presented itself. Sometimes it was too much being constantly reminded of your ex, whom you still loved very deeply, but being there for this poor girl trumped how it made you feel. The feeling went both ways, she stopped you from coming back to the island quite a few times when she told you just how bad things have gotten, insisting that she would be okay, when in reality she really just needed a hug from her honorary sister. He was never brought up, you didn’t ask, she didn’t tell. Something in your gut told you it’s just better if you don’t know what had been going on with him. You appreciated her respecting that boundary. 
“The club is hosting some kind of party in Ward’s honor tomorrow. It’s weird, he was supposed to be dead months ago and the island is just now doing something in memory of him. Probably Rose organized it or something, who knows. Anyways,” she stopped and took in a deep breath, “Rose wants us all to be there and speak about him in front of everyone. I went to ask Rafe what he planned on saying to hopefully find some inspiration but he just went on and on about how ‘the pogues killed him on purpose’ and how ‘they have another thing coming to them if they think they’re just going to get away with it’. I’ve seen him mad before, I’ve watched him punch holes through the walls, scream, yell, and cry. But this…” she trails off, inhaling deeply after her fast paced rant. 
You sigh, not knowing what to say, “Give me some time to get a bag packed and get on the road, and I’ll be there.”
“I’m sorry, I wouldn’t bother you with his dramatics if I didn’t think it was important.”
“Hey, don’t apologize, I’m glad you told me. I’ll be there soon, just keep working on what you want to say. I’ll help you brainstorm tomorrow while I’m driving if you need me to.”
“Thanks, Y/N. You’re seriously the best.”
“Keep your head up Wheeze, get some rest and maybe steer clear of your brother for a little bit.”
After hanging up, you sigh and stare up at your ceiling. Shit.
-
The drive back to the OBX gave you time to think, what would you actually be walking back into? Was his grief manifesting itself into the kind of anger and violence that could be fatal to anyone he saw at fault? You shuddered at the thought. Pulling in to your parent’s driveway, you sent a text to Wheezie telling her you just got in and you’ll meet her at the country club. You could name about a thousand and one places you would rather be than under the same roof as Rafe Cameron for the first time in over a year, but you wanted to pay your respects and be there to support the people that had turned into your bonus family during your 2 year relationship with Rafe. 
“You ready honey?” your mom asks as you slip on your shoes to match the black dress you had chose. 
“As I’ll ever be.” 
The car ride was quiet, your anxiety was palpable as you bit your nails down and bounced your leg uncontrollably. Walking in the familiar doors, all you saw was the looks on people’s faces as they realized you were back on the island and here no less. Pretty much everyone knew who you were, your family’s status not much different from the Cameron’s themselves. You were known as the sweet girl from the affluent family who smiled politely at everyone who looked in your direction and would never hurt a fly. Rafe’s reputation was quite the opposite. When you and Rafe had made your first entrance together at Midsummers at the age of 17, it was the talk of the island. Ignoring the stares and whispers, you held your head high and looked for Wheezie.
Standing next to a huge photo of Ward leant against an easel stood Rafe, watered down whiskey in hand as he blankly looked around at the people in the room. If one more person awkwardly gave him a tight lipped look of sympathy, he was going to lose it. He heard people murmuring and the looks in his direction seemed to increase. Shaking off the feeling like everyone knew something he didn’t, he downed his drink and made his way over to get another. Sofia caught him before he reached the bar and assumed her position under his arm. 
“Maybe slow down on the whiskey?” She meant well, but damn did he need another drink. Looking at her blankly, he kept moving towards the bartender. His father was dead, who gives a fuck how much alcohol his grieving son intakes. Kelce walks into the room from the hallway, looking around frantically, catching sight of Rafe as  he beelines toward him, out of breath. 
“Yo, Rafe, Y/N is here.” 
Rafe nearly chokes on his drink as he looks at Kelce with an unreadable expression, “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Y/N, I just saw her walking in with my own two eyes bro.” 
He sets his glass back down and suddenly Sofia was right all along, he needs to slow down on the whiskey if you were really here. He thinks back to the last time he saw you, all the screaming and crying and pleading with you not to leave. Even with the past year's events, he puts losing you at the top of the list of the most painful things he’s ever been through. He understands why you left and couldn’t blame you, but damn did he miss you like you were the air he needed to breathe. You walked in, obviously looking for something or someone as he watched your eyes scan the room until they caught his. He immediately felt nauseous. I’m going to puke, you thought.
part two
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pascallatte · 1 year
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Love in Lockdown
Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Actress!reader
Summary: A series of events that had happened during the lockdown. (Part 1)
Date: March&April 2020
Warning: none just fluff
A/N: I don't really have anything to say other than the usual. SO, I hope you enjoy this. Please tell me what you think and stay tuned for more!!
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March 2020
Y/n was showing the final touches of the cookies she baked when a flour-covered hand was spread out from the right cheek to the left.
“Hello, Hello,” you said to the camera as soon as you started the live. Being stuck at home for a good few weeks now has taken a toll on you both the good and the bad. But let’s focus on the good thing, shall we? You see, you weren’t sure what type of person you were before this… thing happened. So, the pandemic not only helped you and Pedro get your well-deserved rest, but it also helped you know how much of a homebody you were. Now, here you were having your third live since the lockdown started.
Humming out a tune you were seen walking around before you placed the phone and a tray of cookies on your countertop. You were like always in a pair of comfy sweats and a very familiar shirt, however, you were also wearing an apron.
“Hiiii, I didn’t have anything better to d-,” you paused when you heard the door to your bedroom open,”-yeah, I didn’t have anything better to do... again, so I decided to make some cookies.” You said as you held out a freshly baked cookie to the camera. Like always, the comment section sent in comments of appreciation and love as well as generic questions.
“ I haven’t really baked cookies before since I’m a savoury type of girl. If this turns out bad, they’re just telling me to go and stick to what I know.” Placing your hands on your waist as you scan the cookies. You began explaining what you’ve done to make them and what recipe you followed after the comments were flooded after your declaration a while ago.
While you were doing your thing, a hand, also widely known as Pedro’s hand, was seen reaching for a cookie from the camera's left side. Turning to him, you gave him a disapproving look before pulling him closer, joining in with your live.
Pedro was now waving to the camera, giving the viewers his dimpled smile, and turned to you before looking down at the cookie in his hand as if asking for permission. 
“Pedro. Really?” You said looking up at him.
“Yesss, really. Well- I mean someone was going to have to eat them right?” He said holding the cookie up closer to his mouth.
Faking a frown, you looked at the camera, ��Look at what I have to put up with for almost a month now, not only does he take the food I make, but he also eventually makes a bigger mess than I.”
“Hey, don’t tell them lies, don’t believe her,” he shakes his head, before hugging you from behind, swaying you in his arms. You were now fixing up the bowls and utensils that you’ve used and him engulfing you in his arms, making it harder to move.
“Honey, let go of me for a moment.” You whispered to him as he leaned down to rest his chin on your shoulder. The cookie he took, is now near you as a silent gesture of telling you to take the first bite.
“Nah, you’re this big Cookie Monster, go take the first bite and tell me how I did,” you turned to look at him. 
“Should I take a bite of this?” Pedro asked the viewers, scanning the cookie very closely.
“Yeah, you should, but what if she added something that would kill me,” he joked as he saw the look on your face. Laughing, he stood up straight while also dragging a flour-covered hand on your cheek. How he got that close to the pack of flour you own, you don’t know. Making it the reason for the shocked look on your face.
Giggling to himself, he takes a bite of the stolen cookie. And just as he opens his mouth, you cupped his face with some flour of your own, making him stare at you with wide eyes. 
Since chaos has now started, the viewers would never know what the cookie tasted like because all they were seeing now was flour, flour, and more flour being thrown at each other as well as the joyous laughter that has filled the kitchen before the live had ended a few minutes after.
April 2020
Having a friend who owns a pool at their house is great, and being close to their house is even better. This explains the series of stories that Ana had labelled as intruders in her home, which consisted of you and Pedro.
Intruders really aren’t what you want her to call you two, but maybe a couple of friends who wanted to celebrate Pedro’s birthday with someone else other than the two of you in your penthouse back in the city.
Without more explanation, Ana posted a couple of short clips of your day’s stay at her place. The first one is a long and noisy one. 
Music was heard as soon as the video started, Ana, who was recording, was heard laughing as she zooms in on you dancing in the pool, wearing your favourite bikini. Pedro however was seated in the hanging chair near the pool, also having a good laugh as he records your antics as well.
Zooming in she calls out your name as you raised to sway your arms. “Y/n!! Mira aquí por favor,” she laughs when you turned to head at her dramatically. Gasping when you saw that she was also recording your dancing.
“¡¡Me dijiste que no grabarías estas cosas, traidor!!” gasping as you sank in the pool, reappearing after a few seconds to get up and out of the pool. You told me you wouldn't record these things, you traitor!!
“Eres demasiado linda para no hacerlo.” Ana explains herself but was cut off when you threw your drenched self over her making her screech. Pedro’s laugh was heard in the background. It stopped though as soon as you quickly went and jumped on to him also getting him wet in the process. You’re too pretty not to.
Ana, who was entertained, zoomed in on the two of you. Your arms were around his neck while he tried his hardest to push you away from him, still not in the mood to get wet.
His pleads for you to stop were drowned out by the laughs of the two females he was with.
The second video is a rare thing for people on the internet. Well, that’s what they say. PDA isn’t really a thing the two of you do, so a small kiss, hug, and hands intertwined were the only things they have seen so far. So when Ana posted this on the day of Pedro’s birthday as well as a tease to you, the fans can’t help but awe at the two of you.
Captioning the story with a “Happy Birthday, Pedrito” followed by a small “ah lovebirds” below. Ana who was at the other end of the pool, can only sit and watch as the sweet scene unfolds. It was basically the two of you clinging to each other exchanging smiles and sweet nothings as you leaned over the edge of the pool. 
Pedro was seen submerging into the water before shaking his head as he emerges, making you shriek as water splats on your face. You were about to say something but were pulled in by your partner. Staring at each other with smiles on your faces, you reached a hand up to tuck the now long-ish hair Pedro had, him doing the same as well as caressing both your cheeks.
As if Ana had sensed something would happen, she calls out Pedro’s name making the both of you whip your head in her direction. Clicking her tongue, she chuckles saying “Ay tortolitos,” making you wave and smile cheekily at her before resting your forehead on Pedro’s shoulder in embarrassment. Him also giving her a smile to hide his evident blush. Oh lovebirds
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captainlunaxmen · 5 months
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All for the Cameras
Chapter 5
Finnick Odair x reader
This is a repost since the old blog doesn't work anymore. 🥰
Chapter summary: we'll find a bit more about the reader's past.
Chapter warnings: murder, threat, well.. it's the Hunger Games.
⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️
I'll tag you all on this chapter again to let you all know.ow that this is the blog I'll post the next chapters from now on... since the other one is inoperable. ❤️❤️❤️
@guacam011y @justtrying2getby @idontevenknow1359 @alexandra-001 @bambikitten @maggiecc @redh00dsbf @haneybunny @1-800-styles @sisiking99 @merromimo @yourdailymemedelivery @regsg18 @gordorio @bambikitten @gracieeleanorr @shev3nom @honethatty12 @savingprivatecass @erindiggory @martahabla @sterredem @aawdrea @wpdarlingpan @strawberry--fawn @barbarathewanderer @ih8books @a-mysterious-potato @mayonesavegana @celinaiscrying @katherinejess
I'm sorry if it doesn't let me tag everyone 😔
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"Hi, my love."
"Finnick." I shortly reply, using all my strength not to look at him.
There's a short pause before he speaks up.
"What did he want?" He asks.
"To remind me that after we're married I'll be... his." I sigh.
"He wishes." He lets out a soft laugh and I follow, "you look good in that." He then says, nodding to my outfit.
"I'll let you borrow it sometimes." I joke and he chuckles.
"Switching clothes... I like it. I'm sure you'd look a lot better with this on than me." He points at the fish net tied around him.
"Well, the Capitol seemed to appreciate you in it."
"I thought I've been clear earlier," he starts to get closer, "your eyes are the only ones I care about," he lifts my chin up to look at him, "and your lips are the only thing I can think of."
"Finnick..." I weakly warn and he pulls away, going to lean against the opposite wall.
"I could be dead in a week..." he starts.
"Don't say that..."
"I could be dead in a week," he ignores me, "and all I can think about is you. Being with you. All the things I would love to do to you right here, right now... well... actually all night and everywhere, "he laughs embarrassed, I don't think I've ever seen him embarrassed like this before, "I would love to scream to the world how much..."
"Stop it." I basically order him.
"I could be dead in a week." He bitterly laugh, "and I can't even get a kiss."
"Finnick..."
"I'm not blaming you, I want you to know that. If I were to kiss you right now, I don't think I would be able to stop and... they would probably catch us and... they could hurt you. Because I could be dead in a week, but you might have a chance anyway."
I just hug him. Tightly, like if I were to let go he would disappear forever. When I feel his arms around me, I sigh, feeling safe. He kisses the top of my head, holding me just as tight.
I pull away just enough to look at him.
"Don't you ever say that again, you hear me? I hear you say it again and I will kill you myself." I warn him, tears threatening to fall.
"Yes, ma'am." He smiles.
I nod and pull away completely, blinking away the tears.
"Tomorrow morning the training sessions start at 8. Not that you need any, but... it might be a good chance to make allies." I tell him, "just... put the flirting aside, okay?"
"Jealous?" He teases.
"I'm just trying to keep you alive, at least, until the beginning for the Games." I tease back, earning a laugh from Finnick.
"You can joke about it and I can't?"
"You weren't joking, Finnick." I reminds him.
"You're right." He smiles, guilty, "Thank you."
The elevator signals we're at 12's apartments.
"I thought you press for 4."
"What kind of gentleman would I be if I let a woman go home on her own?" He smirks.
I roll my eyes, failing in hiding a smile.
"Go get some sleep, gentleman." I say.
"Yes, ma'am."
The doors close and I head to the kitchen to get a drink.
"Well, hello." Haymitch greets me from his spot on the couch.
"Tell me you didn't finish the liquor already." I joke walking to the cupboard to take a glass.
"I actually prepared a glass for you," he tells me, showing me the glass, "c'mon. "
I playfully roll my eyes and walk to sit on the couch with him.
We just sit there. Keeping each other company until it's so late we can't do anything but go to sleep.
--------------
I walk around each station of the training rooms to see if anyone need help, but as expected, no one does. They all probably know this place like the back of their hand, being first tributes and then mentors.
I keep an eye on Katniss and Peeta, to see if they're actually putting an effort in making allies... Katniss especially.
I see them walking around, inspecting the other tributes. A good part of the tribute is trying to show off, to intimidate them, most likely. I see Johanna smirking in Katniss' direction, so I look up at Plutarch sighing. Making Katniss trust any of them is gonna be harder than expected... a lot harder.
Peeta is now talking with one of the Morphlings, by the camouflage station, while Katniss is talking to Wiress and Beetee.
In my opinion they're a good choice, they're brilliant, but they're not very strong, and they need some strength too. Unfortunately the strongest one are also the cockiest one.
Speaking of cocky victors... I can't seem to find Finnick anywhere.
But I notice Katniss walking to Mags.
I would choose Mags, but because I know about the plan... Katniss doesn't, I don't understand what she's doing.
I keep on watching everyone until I feel a presence behind me.
"What do you think her strategy is?" Finnick asks from next to me.
"I... I have no idea." I sigh defeated. "But I can't exactly blame her."
"How so?"
"Look at everyone. Each victor either has a cocky, a challenging grin, or a hateful grin on their faces. Not very welcoming. Especially when she has to choose who to trust." I explain.
"That's her only choice though." He replies.
"I know," I sigh again and turn to look at him, noticing just now the rope around his neck, "what the hell is that?"
"What?" He fakes innocence.
"I told you, not to joke about it." I sigh annoyed, walking away from him. Noticing Katniss went into the simulator.
"I was just practicing," He laughs, "you know this is the best knot to learn for the arena."
"I swear, half of the time all I want to do is punch you." I shake my head, stopping to watch Katniss practice.
"And the other half?" He asks, and I don't have to look at him to know he's smirking, proud of himself.
"Punch you harder." I tease back, earning a surprised chuckle from him.
As Kantiss starts more people gather around to watch too.
"She has trust issues, doesn't she?" Johanna stands beside me, looking ahead.
"Maybe don't smirk while wielding an axe next time." I sarcastically reply and she scoffs.
We all stand watching Katniss using her skills and once she's done, everyone is at least impressed, which makes me smirk, proudly. Wiress is actually cheering, clapping her hands and that makes me smile genuinely.
----------
"Good news!" Haymitch cheers as we enter the apartment. "At least half of the Tributes want you as an ally."
"Well, they saw her shoot." Peeta adds.
"Well, sweetheart, you got your pick of the litter." Haymitch tells her.
"Choose carefully." I suggest.
"I want Wiress and Beetee. " She states, with no hesitation.
"Johanna calls them 'Nuts' and 'Volts'." Peeta says.
"They're still the smarter out there. And you need smart." I, subtly, scold him.
"Well, okay, good. Now who else?" Asks Haymitch.
"Mags."
I have no argument to defend her choice... unfortunately.
Peeta turns around, frustrated. Well, I'd be too.
"All right, fine, then no one." Katniss sternly says.
Haymitch and I share a look. We already know we will have to do it ourselves.
"I'll tell them you're still making up your mind." He says before walking away and I follow him, after sending a reassuring smile to Peeta.
"What should we do?" Haymitch asks, once we're alone.
"We will have to make allies for them." I answer, crossing my arms.
"Yeah," he sighs, "I'll start with Johanna, you talk to Finnick."
"You talk to Finnick, I'll talk to Johanna." I tell him.
"And why's that?" He mimics me, crossing his arms, there's a smirk growing on his face.
"... no reason." I avoid his eyes.
"Mh mh..." he hums, "Are you going to be attending the solo performances?"
"Nope." I answer, "I have...wedding duties to attend to."
"Fuck..." he swears, "I don't wanna be in your shoes, princess."
"Yeah... tell me about it." I groan, fighting the urge to pull at my hair.
"What's the plan?"
"Venue hunting... I think... I don't know" I let out a puff, "or maybe, Cal wants to tell me what he decided."
"Sounds more like it." He pulls me to him for a reassuring side hug, "it's his wedding, after all."
"Yeah." I laugh, and pull away, "I'm just an accessory. He will probably decide my dress too."
"Of course he will." He sighs, before he can say more, an Avox approaches up with an envelope in hand, handing it to me.
"Speak of the devil..." I sigh, opening Cal's letter.
"I'm sure the devil would be offended by that." Haymitch playfully scolds me.
"Sorry, I'll apologise when I see him. I'd gladly go to hell than meet up with Cal." I joke back, still reading the letter. "He's apparently waiting for me... eagerly."
"How romantic." He mutters, "will you be here tonight? For the scores?"
"I hope so." I say, "I'll make sure of it."
"Still be careful, princess." He nods his head, "and keep..."
" 'those eyes open', I know." I wink and walk away to the elevator, hoping the day will faster than I hope.
-------------
I don't have time to even walk out of the elevator that Cal's hand is already grabbing my wrist, excitedly leading me to the big table in his huge apartment, where a well dressed man and two assistants, I think, stand.
"Come, come, my sweetness. Mr Travers, here, was just about to tell me a great news, apparently." Cal makes me sit in a chair in front of him, so he can rest his hands on my shoulders. The gesture only makes me feel more trapped.
"Oh, yes, yes." Mr Travers nods, proudly holding his hand out to his assistant, who immediately hands him a paper. "I was coming here with the intention of showing you the options I gathered for your special day, but..."
Capitol people and their fucking theatrical manner...
"But..?" Cal presses, getting impatient.
"But I received a call this morning, just when I put the last picture in the bag... from our so loved President Snow." Mr Travers announces and I tense, "he had an incredible idea, as always. He offered his mansion as a venue for your wedding." He put the photo of the mansion down on the table.
Of fucking course.
"Really?" Cal's hold on me feels even tighter than before... maybe it is, or maybe it's just Snow's control caging me in.
Once the man nods enthusiastically, Cal shouts excited.
"That's wonderful!" He turns to me, "isn't it?"
"Wonderful." I repeat with a forced smile.
"How generous!" He comments.
"He also offered to..." again with the theatre.
"Well?"
"He volunteer to formalise the wedding himself."
"He said that?" I ask, shocked.
"Exact words." Travers nods.
'Volunteer'...
"It's going to be amazing," Cal is back behind me, his hands around my neck in what could seem an affectionate gesture, stroking my skin gently, but it's actually more suffocating than a snake hold.
They both go on and on and on talking about the wedding, as if I'm not even here.
The cake's gonna be like this, the chairs like that, the flowers, the centre-piece, the food, the music...
"I'm gonna go to the bathroom, real quick, excuse me." I say standing up, and hurrying to the bathroom near the bedroom.
I try to take deep breath, looking at the time, the solo performances are about to finish. I need to find an excuse to get out. They're not even asking me anything... I scoff at my reflection in the mirror, then I wash my face and open the door.
I gasp when I come face to face with Cal.
"Cal!" I exclaim, immediately faking a laugh. "What..."
"He's gone. We almost got through everything." He tells me.
"Already?" I ask, pretending to be sad I lost it.
"Yeah, gotta be prepared. We should get married when the Quartel Quell is over, and we don't know how long it will last. Maybe two days or two weeks.. gotta be prepared." He smiles.
"Of course." I nod, "well, then I should go. I have to be present, you know, when they announce the scores."
I try to walk past him, but he doesn't move a muscle, enjoying the closeness.
He wraps an arm around my waist to pull me even closer, leaning down so our noses touch.
"How about..." he starts, "you stay here a little longer, uh? We could have some fun together. It's been a while."
"I wish... I really do," I try to come up with the most sorry expression I can, "but I do need to get back. And since we finished earlier than expected, I should take advantage of that. I still have a duty to do."
"Oh please! I miss you." His hold gets a little tighter and he pouts, "Stay. I miss you, I miss your touch... your body... fuck... you still have no idea what you do to me, don't you?"
"Cal, trust me, no one is more sorry than I am, but I have a job to do," I cup his cheek with one hand and he leans into my touch, "Snow counts on me."
"Not even a few minutes?" He tries again and I shake my head, "Okay..."
"I'm sorry." I say, even though inside I'm hitching to run out of here.
I gently pull away from him and walk to the living room to grab my jacket, all of this feeling his eyes on me, constantly.
"I'll go now." I turn to him, to check if he is far enough for my liking and walk back to the elevator.
"Sure."
Before I can walk into the elevator, he grabs my hand, spin me to face him and crashes his lips on mine. His hands grabs everything he can reach. I try to push him off, as subtly as I can, but his touch just intensifies.
Thankfully, before I start to fully panic, he pulls away, just a little, still touching my lips with his, slightly.
"Once we're married..." he pants, "I'm never... ever letting you go." He lets out a breathless chuckle that only makes my skin crawl. "And, hopefully, I'll have no more competition for your attention. I'll make sure of it."
"Yeah." Is all I can say.
Once the elevator's doors open I rush in.
Finally the doors are fully closed and I can breath again.
'I'll make sure of it.' He said...
Finnick.
---------------
"Hey," Peeta is the first one to greet me as I walk back into the apartment, "you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Uh? Yeah... yeah, all fine." I force out a smile, I notice Haymitch watching me carefully, with a look that seems to say 'we'll talk about it' and I just nod, "so... what did I miss?"
"Oh these two basically put a big target o their own backs." Haymitch states.
"We didn't..." Peeta starts, but Haymitch stops him.
"Our Baker here painted little Rue on the floor. Girl on fire over there hanged a mannequin," he pauses, "after painting Seneca Crane's beard and name on it."
I'm lost for words, I look at both Peeta and Katniss, Peeta doesn't meet my eyes, he doesn't seem remorseful, but still he probably doesn't want to see my discontent. Katniss look at me, no trace of remorse or sorrow, but kind of proud.
"Not a smart move, I give you that," I say to Haymitch who nods thankful, "but it was a damn brave one."
Haymitch looks at me dumbfounded and shakes his head, defeated.
Katniss softly smiles at me and Peeta finally look up at me with a proud grin.
"It's starting." Effie tells us, and we all gather in front of the TV and Ceasar starts listing the tributes' scores
"Has anyone ever received a 0?" Katniss wonders.
-----
It's 12's turn.
"Oh god..." I scoff at the perfect 12 score for both Peeta and Katniss.
"Here, I present to you," Haymitch points at the TV, "the consequences.'
"What do you mean?" Peeta asks.
"They didn't give you a perfect 12 because they were impressed by your performances." I say.
"They did that to make sure that now the other Tributes know who to aim for." Haymitch finishes. "Both of you."
I see Haymitch sends an accusatory look at Katniss knowing they just made our job at protecting Peeta harder.
"Well, the damage is done... better go all to get some sleep." I say with a sigh, "we'll have enough time tomorrow to get ready for the interviews."
Everybody nods and walks to the respective rooms. Effie walks past me, squeezing my hand, reassuringly, I smile at her and watch her go.
I turn around to Haymitch, already looking at me.
"Drink?" He sighs, I nod and follow him to the kitchen.
I sit by the counter as he pours two glasses of wine, I think... I don't really care.
"Thanks." I say as he hands me a glass.
"What happened?" He finally asks, sitting with me.
"Well... for starters the wedding venue is going to be, by courtesy of our kind President, his mansion." I start, then take a bug gulp of wine.
"How kind." Haymitch sarcastically comments.
"Then, since he is, oh so kind and oh so selfless, he will be the one to make us husband and... wife." I say the last part with a shudder.
"Control freak."
I nod and take another big gulp of alcohol.
"But I don't think that's what got you so jumpy." He puts his glass down and gives me his full attention.
"Cal was going through everything with the planner quickly, and they finished just as quickly, so I took the chance and said my goodbye. He caught me off guard and... well he kissed me and he then said he can't wait to be married and all... with no competition," I take a shaky breath, "he said he'd make sure of it."
There's a heavy silence, then Haymitch takes my hand.
"The fisherman is too stubborn to let some spoiled cunt take him out. In any way possible." He reassures me and I can't help, but smile at his choice of word.
"Yeah... maybe you're right." I say squeezing his hand grateful.
"He can't do anything to him from here. He can pay whoever he wants... but your man is hard to get rid of." He winks and I roll my eyes, "you should know that."
"He... he is not my man. Okay? I'm just worried." I defend myself.
"Sure... sure." He stands up to walk to his room, "get some sleep. So tomorrow you can warn 'not your man'. Just in case."
"Shut up."
He turns his back to me, but still raises his glass to me, and I softly laugh.
I decide to go sit by the window, to clear my head or just distract myself.
As I sit by the window with my glass, I take the remote so I can change the view. I skip a few until I get to one that actually makes me relax: the shore.
As I look out towards the artificial view I can't help to think back at when Finnick was announced winner of his Games.
After he was brought back, I managed to let him have a moment to realise he won. That time he hugged like he was afraid of being taken away again. He cried his eyes out as I tried all I could to reassure him. None of us knew what would've happened a few years later...
I almost drop the glass in my hand when I hear someone approaching. I relax once I notice it's Katniss.
"Hi." She says, "didn't mean to scare you."
"You never do." I gently smile at her, "is it the only way we can actually spend some time together?" I jest, remembering the night on the train.
"I'm afraid so." She jokes, "I needed a glass of water."
"Did Peeta need one too?" I ask, pointing to the two glasses in her hands. She seems taken off guard, but doesn't answer, she just puts the glasses down and come sit with me.
"Can I ask you a favour?" She softly says.
"I will try my best to save Peeta. Well, I'll try to get you both as far as I can, anyway." I tell her, thinking that's what she wanted to ask.
"No... no, I know you will." She says, "I wanted to ask you...."
"What?" I look at her, trying to make her feel safe enough to speak up.
"Would you look after my family?" She finally asks. I'm a little take aback by that, but my body relaxes more, feeling my heart getting warmer because she trusts me enough to take care of her family.
"You didn't need to ask me that." I gently tell her, "I would've, regardless."
"Really?" She asks.
"Of course, Katniss... I..." I take a deep breath, "I know what it's like to feel helpless and not being able to protect your family."
She looks at me, confused. "What happened?"
"I had a brother, Ray." I say, my voice breaking a little, Katniss' features soften, "do you know how I became Snow's 'protégé'?"
She shakes her head.
"My parents worked for him, apparently they were both very loyal and hard working." I start to explain, "when they died, he thought to take us in, to show Panem how generous he was, you know. It was all good for a while, he kind of taught me a lot, unfortunately, but the problems started when he assigned me to help the mentors." Kantiss nods as I speak, attentive, "after a while I couldn't take it anymore. I always got attached to the tributes, and seeing them killed in the arena was... devastating. And I made the mistake of asking him if I could stop. He didn't like it."
"He killed your brother for that?" She asks, I notice tears in her eyes forming.
"He imprisoned him, and threatened if I said no to him again he would've killed him." I tell her, "so I had to keep on assisting the mentors. Then... Finnick won. Which was the happiest day of my life, not only because I didn't want him to die, but also because I thought that maybe... just maybe, Snow would've let me see my brother. He didn't." I take a shaky breath, "when I turned sixteen he asked me to do something, he wanted to give me another 'assignment'... one I really didn't want to do. He had my brother brought into his office... then he had him killed." I notice a tear falling from her eyes as I wipe my own away, "he kept his word. He showed me he always kept his word. I wanted to die in that moment, I wanted to attack him so the Peacekeeper would shoot me, but he predicted that. Told me if I tried to get myself killed in anyway all my friends would die... and my friends included the tributes. Mentors I met, and tributes who won and I accompanied during the victory tour."
"He got you caged." Katniss says softly and I nod. "I knew I misjudged you when I first met you. But I never thought..."
"I know." I sadly smile at her, "I never blamed you."
"I'm really sorry."
"He keeps say that it's the things we love the most that destroy us." I look out the window again, "which is true... but as members of the human race we can't live without love. So I guess we are doomed." I bitterly chuckle.
"Love also makes us strong."
We both turn around to see Peeta standing there.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I also didn't want to interrupt." He apologies, genuinely sorry.
"It's okay. I care about you both, I wanted to share my story with you for a while, but I mean... it's not something you just casually say." I shrug.
"No, it's not. Thank you for trusting us." Katniss says.
"No." I shake my head, "Thank you for trusting me."
They both smile at me.
"Do you want us to keep you company?" Peeta asks.
"Go get some sleep, you need it. I'm okay." I reassure them.
"It's not a problem." Katniss tries.
"I'm fine." I smile at her, "I better try to get some sleep myself, anyway."
I stand up, Katniss soon follows, and walk with them until we're in front of Peeta's room.
"Goodnight." I smile at them.
"Goodnight."
"'Night."
-------------------
I'm bouncing my leg as I wait for the elevator to stop at the 4th floor so I can finally talk to Finnick.
Once the doors open I rush in finding Finnick with Mags at the table. I stand here a moment, looking at how normal they look, talking. Like a family, and not like two people about to be sent into a deadly arena.
Then, Finnick's eyes move and lock with mine. His smile brightens for a moment, before noticing my fidgeting hands, then it turns serious.
"Y/n?"
Mags turns to me too, she stands up once she notices my nerves.
"I... I need to talk to Finnick." I say.
Mags walks past me, after giving my hands a good reassuring squeeze, then she leaves us alone.
"Is something wrong?" Finnick asks, standing up too and walking to me.
I lead him to the window so we can sit and talk.
"I... well...uh... yesterday I had to go see Cal," I start, and notice Finnick jaw already tensing, "for the wedding... he and the planner finished rather quickly and when I was leaving... uh..."
"Did he hurt you?" He asks, immediately looking for any sign on me.
"No, no, no." I quickly assure him, "it's what he said."
"What did he say?"
"He said he can't wait to marry me and to finally have me all to himself... with no competition." I look him in the eyes, he frowns, "he said he would make sure of it."
"What... what does it mean?" He asks.
"It means... you need to be more careful in the arena." I sternly say.
"Do you think he would try something?"
"I don't know. He does have enough money to corrupt any other Gamemaker, but the last word is always the Head Gamemaker, but... uh... just be careful." I say, with a soft voice, "Please..."
He looks at me with his sweet eyes and takes my hand in his.
"I will."
"Promise me." I literally order him.
He holds my hand tighter, serious eyes locked on mine.
"I promise you."
I nod, taking a deep breath, not relieved, but a little calmer.
"Thank you." I let out a big sigh and pull myself together, "Alright, uhm... the interviews will start at 8... the usual stuff, you know the drill.." I stand up.
"Thanks." He smiles, standing as well.
We look at each other, the world seems to disappear, his eyes are all I care about on this moment. I make the mistake of looking at his lips for a second, my eyes move quickly between his eyes and his lips, anxiously. He notices and comes closer, taking my hands once again.
"It's okay." He whispers.
"It's really not, but I appreciate the lie." I sadly chuckle, and he does too, caressing my hands.
"You're right, it's not okay. But it's not your fault." He reassures me, "okay?"
I nod and he pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around me reassuringly.
"You're the one who has to fight for his life... and here you are... comforting me." I mutter, pulling away.
"Yeah, well... you're the one who'll have to deal with Cal Kingslay, not me." He jokes and I laugh, showing his slightly.
"Hard to tell which is worse." I play along.
I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder, I turn around to Mags worried face.
"It's okay." I tell her, she then points at me insistingly, "I am okay, I promise."
She smiles sweetly at me, then points at Finnick then at herself, with a determined look, to tell me she's going to take care of him in the arena.
"Take care of each other. Okay?" I ask her and she nods.
"We will." Finnick rubs my arm, comforting.
"Okay... okay, I do have to go and get my tributes ready" I tell them.
"We'll see you tonight then?" He asks as he leads me to the elevator.
"I'll be in the audience." I smile at him.
"The only reason to be on that stage tonight." He grins, "so I can properly look at you."
"Finnick.." I playfully warn him.
"What?" He fake innocence, "I will flirt with you for as long as I can."
"You're insufferable." I roll my eyes and enter the elevator. "Careful on what you say tonight."
He nods, a sweet childish smile grows on his face.
"I'll see you tonight, my love." He says just before the doors close, preventing me from scolding him more.
I shake my head and deeply sigh. As the elevator goes back up to 12, I start to think of a way to properly protect them all in the arena. I know Plutarch will help, but too much help will get suspicious... and if Cal manages to pay someone, it would get harder.
I'm not losing any of them.
I'm not losing him.
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Text
Until you come back home pt.2
John Egan X Female! Reader
Summary: Y/n received a letter from Bucky, but it was enough to push her into madness...
Warning: Obsessive love disorder/ mental institution/ electric shock/ freezing bath/ 1940s asylum treatments/ use of Y/n/
Word count: 1.9k
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When Harry Crosby came in her room with his letter, she couldn’t believe it. She was going crazy without him. Harry had to argue with the Colonel that she was still sane and still able to do her work, even though it was a lie. She snatched the envelope from his hands and quickly opened it. ‘’Told you he wasn’t dead, Croz, I was right’’ she said, smiling.
My darling Y/n,
I hope you’re doing well; I’ve read every single letter you sent to me. I miss you like crazy, say thank you to Crosby for me, I know he’s taking good care of you, and I’m grateful for it. I’m going crazy too, you know, I miss you so much. I miss everything about you, the conditions are awful here; we only eat potatoes and the other day, we have to kill a cat to eat its meat. It was disgusting, the mattress is so uncomfortable, my back hurts, and I can’t sleep well without you. On a good note, Buck is alive, and he’s here at this camp. That helps a little, but I’m still going crazy. I’m going to try and come back to you, in the meantime, I’ve sent you my necklace, it’s in the envelope, it’s not much but I hope it helps you. I think about you all the time, I’ve started to do the same thing as you, calling your name, until I come back home. I’m driving the guys crazy, but I don’t care. It keeps me sane. We have to keep hoping, I feel that we’re going to see each other again, and when we do, we’re going to get married, and we’re going to live together. I love you, my darling, so much it drives me crazy. Until I come back home; Y/n, Y/n, Y/n…
She hugged the letter before showing it to Crosby. Something in her eyes wasn’t right, something changed. The last bit of her sanity evaporated with the letter, she opened the envelope, taking the necklace and putting it around her neck. ‘’We’re going to get married, Croz’’ she giggled maniacally. ‘’Y/n are you okay?’’ he asked, very concerned with his best friend’s attitude. ‘’Bucky, Bucky, Bucky’’ she kept calling his name, over and over again. ‘’You’re scaring me! Are you okay?’’ he raised his voice. ‘’Never better, Croz’’ she smiled. It pained him, but he had to place her somewhere, she didn’t look okay, and frankly, Crosby was afraid that she would hurt herself, and others. So that night, he went to talk to Colonel Harding, and then, went to his desk, to write a letter.
When Bucky saw that the letter he got was not from Y/n, he was confused. When he saw that it was from Harry Crosby, he was worried. He quickly opened the envelope to see why his girlfriend wasn’t writing to him.
Hello Bucky,
Sorry for not being Y/n. I appreciate your kind words in her letters, I tried to look after her in the best way possible, but after your letter, she’s gone mad. And I don’t mean it lightly, I was afraid for her security, I thought she was going to hurt herself and others on the base. That’s why Colonel and I found it better to send her away, where she can get the help she needs. I wasn’t happy doing it, I felt really bad, but trust me, she needed it. The psychiatrist told me she has an obsessive love disorder. It is easy to cure, but it’s going to be hard. She will still be in love with you because I can tell she truly cares about you. The problem is she’s obsessed with you. She can’t live with the idea of you being dead or injured. She can have self-destructive behavior, so that’s why we decided to send her away. I visited her often. The first weeks were hard, but today marks the second month she’s been there, and I can tell she’s improving. I hope you’re okay, I’m going to try to keep you updated on her progress.
Harry Crosby
They put her into a mental institute. He couldn’t believe it, she wasn’t crazy, she was in love. Even if it made him angry, he understood why he did it. Bucky was just hoping that she was okay, and that they weren’t torturing her.
Electrical shock, that’s how they were ‘curing’ her, by electrocuting her. They also put her into an ice bath. But the doctor said she was getting better at first, she fought the guards, but by the time she did her fifth treatment, she grew tried of fighting them, so she stopped. Today was important for her, she was going to be evaluated by the psychiatrist and he was going to determine if she could get out of here, she needed to be on her best behavior. When guards came in her room, she was sat on her bed, ready to be escorted to his office. When she entered the room, she was nervous, her hands were shaking, and she felt like she was going to throw up. ‘’Hello Y/n, how are you today?’’ Dr. Phillips asked. She cleared her throat before speaking. ‘’Hi Dr. Phillips, I’m quite well, how are you?’’ she spoke nervously. He pressed his elbow in his desk, looking at his notes before responding. ‘’Good, thank you. So do you know why you’re here today?’’ she nodded and gulped. ‘’You’re going to tell me if I’m crazy or not’’ she whispered. Dr. Phillips laughed. ‘’Oh, Y/n, you’re not crazy, who told you that?’’ he laughed. He did, multiple times as he gave her shocks. ‘’Trevor did’’ she lied, Trevor was her only friend here, he was here because he could hear voices. Trevor claimed that he was blessed by the gods. ‘’Y/n, I’m the one that can say if you’re crazy or not, and from what I’m seeing in your file, you’re not crazy anymore’’ she shifted in her seat. She fixed her hair, looking at the ground. She couldn’t look at Dr. Phillips in the eyes, she was scared of him. ‘’Can I, uh, can I, g-g-get out?’’ she stuttered, whispering. She was afraid that he was going to give her an ice bath. ‘’Yes! That’s why I wanted to see you, I wanted to tell you the good news myself, your friend, Harry Crosby, is waiting for you in the lobby.’’ Dr. Phillips exclaimed.
His feet were bouncing on the ground, he couldn’t wait to see her. Harry Crosby got a call yesterday, saying that Y/n was going to be released. When the door opened, he saw her. She looked weak, fragile and tired, what the hell did they do to her. She was skinny, did they feed her? Her cheeks were hollow, and she had purple circles under her eyes. But when Y/n saw her best friend, she smiled, that was the first real smile she had in weeks. ‘’Crosby!’’ she exclaimed, walking towards him. ‘’Hey you! It’s so good to see you!’’ he exclaimed, trying not to show his concern in front of the doctor. ‘’She’s all good and ready to go home, take good care of her.’’ Dr. Phillips patted her back, but she flinched.
The second they were inside the Jeep, Harry drove far away from this place, he was going fast. ‘’Are you okay? What did they do to you?’’ he asked, concerned. Y/n turned to look at her friend. ‘’They cured me’’ she simply said. He sputtered. ‘’Do you still love him?’’ he asked, scared of her answer. ‘’I think so’’ her gaze was empty, it wasn’t normal, something was off.
Gale Cleven escaped, he managed to escape and now he was back on the base. He looked for Y/n, Bucky asked him to go check on her. He knew she had been in a mental institute, but when he saw her, getting out of Crosby’s Jeep, he felt sick. It wasn’t the Y/n he knew, who was this woman. She was walking towards him, smiling, but her eyes were numb. ‘’Gale! How are you?’’ she asked him, smiling. ‘’I’m good, Y/n, how are you, you look hungry’’ he stated, seeing how thin she was. ‘’I’m well, but I am hungry, can we go eat?’’ her tone was monotone, like a robot. It was like her brain was fried. ‘’I gotta go, please can you try to get information on what happened there’’ Harry whispered in Buck’s ear, he nodded as they both walked towards the cafeteria. Since it wasn’t the rush, the cafeteria wasn’t crowded.
She took a bite of the food and smiled. ‘’It’s good?’’ Buck asked. She nodded. ‘’Very, I only ate porridge and bread’’ she admitted, unknowingly. ‘’You look better, Y/n, what did they give you?’’ he asked, hiding his concerns. ‘’Stuff’’ she took another bite of her food. ‘’What kind of stuff?’’ he asked. She zoned out, she thought about the shocks and the freezing water on her skin, her eyes filled with tears. ‘’Baths and a painful treatment’’ she mumbled, but Gale understood every word.
When Bucky came back on the base, he couldn’t wait to see his girlfriend, but Harry Crosby stopped him. ‘’Bucky, wait, we have to tell you something’’ he grabbed his arm. ‘’What Cros?’’ he asked, annoyed that he couldn’t see his girl. He tilts his head to tell him to go into another room. The Colonel was leaning against the table, Gale was seated on a chair, Harry closed the door and offered Bucky a chair. ‘’Major, I would sit down if I were you’’ Colonel Harding ordered. Bucky was confused, what the hell was going on, where was his girlfriend. ‘’Where’s Y/n?’’ he asked. ‘’She’s in her room, but she’s different, Bucky. That place changed her’’ Buck started. ‘’How could they change her?’’ he chuckled nervously. ‘’I didn’t know what kind of treatment they were administering her, but she told Buck everything’’ Crosby started. Bucky looked at his friend, he had his head down. ‘’Electrical shock, ice baths, steam baths, they gave her shock, they almost fried her brain. They fed her porridge and bread; they wouldn’t let her sleep’’ he explained. John Egan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. ‘’H-how’s that legal?’’ he exclaimed, nervously. ‘’But the problem is, the treatments worked, but we don’t know how she’ll react to you being there, Major’’ Harding explained.
Y/n was sitting on her bed, reading the letters she missed when she was away. She heard a knock, and she turned around. There he was Bucky was in front of her. She got up from the bed and smiled. ‘’You’re alive?’’ she choked up on emotions. ‘’I am, darling’’ he said, cautiously, not wanting to trigger anything. ‘’You’re real?’’ she asked. He nodded, she carefully walked up to him, she took his hand, she was making sure he was real. His hand was warm, and his skin was soft. Her eyes filled with happy tears as she looked at him. He gently put his hand on her cheek, wiping away the tear with his thumb. ‘’I love you so much’’ she breathed out, before hugging him. In his arms, every shock, every bath and every torture went away. He was back, she was hugging him, he was real. ‘’You came back home’’ she cried out. ‘’Told you I was coming back, darling’’ he softly whispered in her ear. ‘’Never leave me again.’’ She pleaded. ‘’Never, darling. Because I don’t wanna live forever if my life is not with you’’
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getmeoutofhell · 4 months
Text
Ethan Landry x Shy F reader
warnings: mentions of reader getting killed at end
a/n: i tried my best to make this a “shy” reader. i’m terribly sorry if this is not the best.
requested by: @smoothestkoala
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it was 1:00pm and you were getting ready to go and visit ethan at his place for the first time.
you guys starting ‘talking’ after you met him at sara’s place a month ago. you were hella nervous since this was your first time ever going to any guys place.
you did have a little crush on him. but you didn’t plan on telling him anytime soon for your own sake.
you headed to your car to head over to ethan and chads place.
gosh your nerves were bad. you didn’t understand why your body acted this way, especially around boys. but now was not the time to complain. hopefully you don’t embarrass yourself in front of him or anyone else today.
you then knock on the door. you waited for about 10 seconds until you heard someone on the other side. “hello? it’s y/n.” you felt a little embarrassed for waiting outside the door, but didn’t wanna think to far into it.
a few seconds later ethan opens the door.
“hey y/n. sorry it took so long i was in the middle of something.” you smiled at him. “no worries it’s okay.” he the opens the door fully to let you in.
“you can come and sit anywhere. make yourself comfortable.” he states to you, trying his best to not be awkward.
you slowly walk over to his couch and have a seat. you then take your phone and sit it next to you on the couch. “so ethan, how have you been?” you ask him, hoping the awkwardness would end.
“i’ve been doing pretty good i guess. how have you been? you go anywhere lately?” he looked at you with curiosity, waiting for a response.
you softly chuckled. “i don’t really go anywhere much. but i’ve been pretty good.” you smiled. “that’s great. would you like some water, pop, or something?”
“yeah i could use some water.” you thought his gesture to give you water was very sweet of him. you watched him get up and disappear behind the corner.
you were strolling on your phone when you saw ethan head back in with two bottles of water. “here you go.” he hands you one, then sits next to you again. “thank you.”
“would you like to watch something on tv? we have netflix.” you looked at him. “yeah sure.”
you ended up staying at ethan’s till around 6 and headed home. you thought he was sweet and kind, and wanted to go back to his place again in the future. your crush on him started to get worse and worse over time as you guys started talking.
*time skip some weeks*
overtime, you stared opening up more to ethan, telling him about you and your past and what you wanted to do in your future. he always listened to everything you told him, giving you hugs and words of comfort.
you eventually started heading over to his place every weekend, sometimes spending the night if he asked.
it was now around 9, and you were saying your goodbyes to ethan, getting ready to head home.
“i’ll text you later.” ethan told you.
“okay. thanks for letting me come over again. i really appreciate it.”
“you’re welcome beautiful.” you felt your face heat up, and your stomach turn at his kind words. before you walked out, ethan walked up to and gave you a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. you had the ugliest grin on your face as you walked to your car. maybe you’ll confess your feelings sooner than you thought.
*ethan’s pov*
after y/n left i went and sat back down on the couch. i took a long deep breath, and sighed. since the first time i saw her, i knew i would have a hard time. she’s a beautiful women. full of love and happiness, and i have to take it all away.
i feel my stomach turn in disgust thinking of the fact that this was all a set up. apart of our plan. she has no idea. no clue. that her days are coming to an end.
i can’t do it, i won’t do it. she’s the first girl i felt that actually likes and cares for me. i have to tell my dad i can’t do it. i can’t take my loves life.
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@smoothestkoala i’m so so sorry is this is not what you wanted. i’m trying to get better, and thank you for requesting!! ❣️❣️
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uranianshivers · 1 year
Note
Hello!! Hope you’re doing okay! I’m so glad I found another good twst wonderland author 🥺
I read the rules and I’m not sure whether this is okay or not, but could I please have Dorm Leaders (or just Riddle, Vil, Idia and Malleus if it’s too much) with a magical girl s/o? Pronouns she/her please! Like she transforms with a magical accessory, i just think it would be so funny while, in the middle of an overblot, reader’s like “oh, well ig this is where I come in!” And then just transforms. And because nobody knew she was a magical girl, they’re all staring in disbelief. Comedy + Fluff please <3
sorry for the huge word dump, take your time with this!! Make sure to take care of yourself :3
thank you!!
Hi! I'm glad that you liked what I write, I appreciate your words and I hope you like this! (Also I will add Hcs and a little scenario for the overblot part thanks to I didn't understandt if you wanted an one-shot or just headcanons, also sorry if this is short, I run out of ideas)
Warnings: use of female pronouns, mentions of injuries and blood (?).
Notes: I don't know very much about all the magic girls thing so I tried my best, pls if you find any errors make me know.
Pd: I didn't put neither Azul and Kalim because I was struggling with them)
Riddle Rosehearts
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he felt like something was off with that rose you had always in your hair
Never really questionated it thought, maybe just aesthetic thing?
Really didn't matter about it, you focused in your studies, followed the rules and loved him, it was just a flower after all, right?
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You looked at him in awesome, you never thinked you really needed to do this but it seems like you were wrong "with the power of mind and heart!" you shouted while everyone looked at you weirded out "is she crazy?" some students said before the petals in the rose you had all the time in your hair started to be around you and slowly your normal school uniform fade away and in place let you with a pretty red dress and the stem transformed in a long spear with a sharp tip which you holded with an iron force, surprised stares directing at you "YOU COULD DO THAT?" Ace screamed to you in deslief thinking in all the moments him, Deuce, Grim and you were in trouble and you just choose did this now, you started to give atacks of different elements fast so Riddle can focus on you while you said to your friend to atack him directly to finaly give a powerful atack fulled with magic directly to his heart.
You obviously go to comfort him after all that, he don't know if he was more stunned by all the overblot thing or the fact that you got magic power, a weapon and a whole outfit only by saying a phrase and the innocent looking rose in your hair
Definetly will ask what was that, you can use magic and no one knowed?
Why did you use it only now and not every other time you almost got killed?
You were powerful but why only now?
After all what happend the answer that you were just worried for him and actually cared for him that much to reveal that to the entire school maked his heart warm.
You two have a long conversation talking about your now not so secret identity and all what maked him overblot before (mother issues included, yes, it was very long).
Leona Kingscholar
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He didn't even care about the artificial bone that were in your collar
The maximun he cared about it was when hewas hugging you when going to take a nap and that was itching his chest
Maybe asked you about it once because you carried it everytime
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Ruggie was hurted and everyone was scared but you, you holded your collar tightly and putted it out, the fake bone converted in a beautiful trident and with a spin a gorgeus dress appeared on you instead of the simple school uniform "is that a trident?" Deuce asked like you didn't just transformed your whole outfit only because of an spin "So you think you're better than me?!" Leona said before trying to convert you into sand, well, this is gonna be hard to you.
You definetly got some injuries after that (probably because of trying to make you disapear)
"You think i'm an awful person now, don't you?"
He was curious about what the heck was that when you fighted him but was more worried about you goting injuried because of him and you hating him now.
He tried to hide how worried he was about you, he was feeling awful, his girlfriend, the person who love him not because of his status or anything to beneficiate herself injuried because of his anger.
Evitated you for a little period of time before getting the courage to speak to you and apologize to you.
Very most worried about what he has done to you more than the fact that aparently you had some type of magic that also changed your outfit, hair style and make up when you used it, there are most weird things here (Talking cat who breath fire) most probably waited for you to explain it.
Vil Schoenheit
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Even whe he feeled suspicious he just thinked it was a pretty accesory.
Never really thinked so much about the apple brooch you had in your hair, probably most focused in you brushing your hair and using selfcare products correctly.
He didn't understand why you were so negative with not using it but eventually just helped you find clothes to match up with the brooch.
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Everything was destroyed by his anger, his still gorgeus form floating above chaos, you tried to rasonate with him but nothing seemed to work "well, it looks like I have to go for the hard way" you said to yourself before touching the beautiful broosh two times and do a little dance, making a light purple smoke appears making you un-noticeable, students looking with a mix of confussion and fear because of the overblot. The smoke finally dissapeared after a few seconds letting everyone see you now with an purple and gold dress, a wand as beautiful as your dress being hold tightly by your hand, Vil's angry just growed by it "you dare to trying to look more fairiest than me?!" Vil screamed at you, maybe this was not the best moment to reveal it...
It was a hard fight, Vil's anger thinking you were trying to look better than him definetly difficulted more the fight.
But hey! You succesfuly winned and now you have to explain a few things to him.
Also you have to take beauty tips for not ruining your clothes while fighting, he was not gonna let you comfort him very much for a while.
"You were awesome and gorgeus in battle, my dear! But we have to change of how you do that spin when avoiding atacks"
Idia Shroud
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Probably thinked the weird skull pin in your shirt was from some video game or anime.
Asked what was the name of the game or anime of your pin with that idea too.
He got a little dissapointed when you said it was just a normal pin, maybe he can show you some really cool animes with cool skull symbols.
"You know? There is this cool anime I discoveredafewagoaboutaboywhodiscoversasupercoolruinandagodoffershimtobehisrighthandandafterhegiveshimaweirdlookingthingwithmagic" yes, is with a very fast talking.
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Look the good part! Idia finally got the chance to be the super cool looking powerful villain he wanted to be in sometimes, but looking at the bad part he will probably kill someone in that state, you guessed it was your time to shine. You touched the pin and with a spin your uniform got transformed into lightly cyber themed clothes and blue tinted shades appeared, it wasn't the best for when you have to identify a color but you didn't have to do that now tho "Y/N don't touch the blue thing!" Ace yelled at you, dammit, you were already having problems with beating your boyfriend and this didn't help.
So... Uhm... This is awkward, you were comforting him while he was struggling with understanding what happened with you.
"So it's like the animes?" "Yes, Idia, it's like the animes"
Still trying to understandt while you tried to communicate with him.
You finally could comfort him and got him venting after explaining how it worked all the magical girl thing.
A few days after that you heared "Yes! And she had this super cool glowing blue smoke around her and- What?! I am not lying!" when he was talking with his online friends.
Malleus Draconia
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You have this necklace with a dragon in it, do not expect him to not ask.
"It has some meaning?" "where did you get it? " "it involves some tradition in your world?" "why a dragon and not a bat for example?" "why..." "how?" "where-" "who?" "when..."
He is curious about his girlfriend, don't blame him.
Probably finded out what is the function of it even before you had the oportunity to tell him but never telled you he knowed.
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It was a while since he overbloted, nothing seemed to work. Lilia, Sebek, Silver and you already tried to talk with him but he simply didn't listen, many of the students were hurt and many also had fear, including you, he was one of the most powerlful mages after all, luckily he hasn't killed anyone yet, the circumstances maked you take a decision, you got off the necklace "Victory shall be mine" you whispered to yourself and lights started to glow off the little dragon in your hand and when everyone getted the vision back which was taked away because of the light they could see you wearing gorgeus black and green clothes, a proud dragon made of rock in the tip of your trident "HUMAN YOU COULD DO THAT AND YOU DO IT NOW?!?!" Sebek with a bandage in his arm yelled at you, you had to explain to more than one person apparently.
It was very hard, you admmited it, you even got injuries because of the fight! Maybe you should keep putting that bandage in your leg, you don't wanted to clean blood after all that.
He already knew so he wasn't that surprised.
You had to listen and comfort him for like 2 hours after he screamed to you worried about if you were hurt only to him saying "you were gorgeus!" after crying in your shoulder for 1 hour straight.
"Wait, you knew?" "of course I knew! You're my girlfriend" you had more questions than him probably.
You probably had to sleep with him, he didn't want you to get more hurt while he wasn't at your side.
»»————> sorry for the waiting! I had a creativity block, I hope you liked it even with the long waiting.
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lunamadhatter99 · 5 months
Text
All for The Cameras
Chapter 5
Finnick Odair x Fem!reader
Hello, loves! It took me a while, I'm sorry, I spent most of the time being sick... so... yay. But here we are!
Let me know what you think and if you want to be tagged in the next chapters 🥰
Chapter summary: Here, we'll find a bit more about the reader's past.
Chapter warnings: murder, threat, well... it's the Hunger Games.
Tag list: @guacam011y @justtrying2getby @idontevenknow1359 @alexandra-001 @bambikitten @maggiecc @redh00dsbf @haneybunny @1-800-styles @sisiking99 @merromimo @yourdailymemedelivery @regsg18 @gordorio @bambikitten @gracieeleanorr @shev3nom @honethatty12 @savingprivatecass @erindiggory @martahabla @sterredem @aawdrea @wpdarlingpan @strawberry--fawn @barbarathewanderer @ih8books @a-mysterious-potato @mayonesavegana @celinaiscrying @katherinejess
I'm sorry if I can't tag everybody.
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"Hi, my love."
"Finnick." I shortly reply, using all my strength not to look at him.
There's a short pause before he speaks up.
"What did he want?" He asks.
"To remind me that after we're married I'll be... his." I sigh.
"He wishes." He lets out a soft laugh and I follow, "you look good in that." He then says, nodding to my outfit.
"I'll let you borrow it sometimes." I joke and he chuckles.
"Switching clothes... I like it. I'm sure you'd look a lot better with this on than me." He points at the fish net tied around him.
"Well, the Capitol seemed to appreciate you in it."
"I thought I've been clear earlier," he starts to get closer, "your eyes are the only ones I care about," he lifts my chin up to look at him, "and your lips are the only thing I can think of."
"Finnick..." I weakly warn and he pulls away, going to lean against the opposite wall.
"I could be dead in a week..." he starts.
"Don't say that..."
"I could be dead in a week," he ignores me, "and all I can think about is you. Being with you. All the things I would love to do to you right here, right now... well... actually all night and everywhere, "he laughs embarrassed, I don't think I've ever seen him embarrassed like this before, "I would love to scream to the world how much..."
"Stop it." I basically order him.
"I could be dead in a week." He bitterly laugh, "and I can't even get a kiss."
"Finnick..."
"I'm not blaming you, I want you to know that. If I were to kiss you right now, I don't think I would be able to stop and... they would probably catch us and... they could hurt you. Because I could be dead in a week, but you might have a chance anyway."
I just hug him. Tightly, like if I were to let go he would disappear forever. When I feel his arms around me, I sigh, feeling safe. He kisses the top of my head, holding me just as tight.
I pull away just enough to look at him.
"Don't you ever say that again, you hear me? I hear you say it again and I will kill you myself." I warn him, tears threatening to fall.
"Yes, ma'am." He smiles.
I nod and pull away completely, blinking away the tears.
"Tomorrow morning the training sessions start at 8. Not that you need any, but... it might be a good chance to make allies." I tell him, "just... put the flirting aside, okay?"
"Jealous?" He teases.
"I'm just trying to keep you alive, at least, until the beginning for the Games." I tease back, earning a laugh from Finnick.
"You can joke about it and I can't?"
"You weren't joking, Finnick." I reminds him.
"You're right." He smiles, guilty, "Thank you."
The elevator signals we're at 12's apartments.
"I thought you press for 4."
"What kind of gentleman would I be if I let a woman go home on her own?" He smirks.
I roll my eyes, failing in hiding a smile.
"Go get some sleep, gentleman." I say.
"Yes, ma'am."
The doors close and I head to the kitchen to get a drink.
"Well, hello." Haymitch greets me from his spot on the couch.
"Tell me you didn't finish the liquor already." I joke walking to the cupboard to take a glass.
"I actually prepared a glass for you," he tells me, showing me the glass, "c'mon. "
I playfully roll my eyes and walk to sit on the couch with him.
We just sit there. Keeping each other company until it's so late we can't do anything but go to sleep.
--------------
I walk around each station of the training rooms to see if anyone need help, but as expected, no one does. They all probably know this place like the back of their hand, being first tributes and then mentors.
I keep an eye on Katniss and Peeta, to see if they're actually putting an effort in making allies... Katniss especially.
I see them walking around, inspecting the other tributes. A good part of the tribute is trying to show off, to intimidate them, most likely. I see Johanna smirking in Katniss' direction, so I look up at Plutarch sighing. Making Katniss trust any of them is gonna be harder than expected... a lot harder.
Peeta is now talking with one of the Morphlings, by the camouflage station, while Katniss is talking to Wiress and Beetee.
In my opinion they're a good choice, they're brilliant, but they're not very strong, and they need some strength too. Unfortunately the strongest one are also the cockiest one.
Speaking of cocky victors... I can't seem to find Finnick anywhere.
But I notice Katniss walking to Mags.
I would choose Mags, but because I know about the plan... Katniss doesn't, I don't understand what she's doing.
I keep on watching everyone until I feel a presence behind me.
"What do you think her strategy is?" Finnick asks from next to me.
"I... I have no idea." I sigh defeated. "But I can't exactly blame her."
"How so?"
"Look at everyone. Each victor either has a cocky, a challenging grin, or a hateful grin on their faces. Not very welcoming. Especially when she has to choose who to trust." I explain.
"That's her only choice though." He replies.
"I know," I sigh again and turn to look at him, noticing just now the rope around his neck, "what the hell is that?"
"What?" He fakes innocence.
"I told you, not to joke about it." I sigh annoyed, walking away from him. Noticing Katniss went into the simulator.
"I was just practicing," He laughs, "you know this is the best knot to learn for the arena."
"I swear, half of the time all I want to do is punch you." I shake my head, stopping to watch Katniss practice.
"And the other half?" He asks, and I don't have to look at him to know he's smirking, proud of himself.
"Punch you harder." I tease back, earning a surprised chuckle from him.
As Kantiss starts more people gather around to watch too.
"She has trust issues, doesn't she?" Johanna stands beside me, looking ahead.
"Maybe don't smirk while wielding an axe next time." I sarcastically reply and she scoffs.
We all stand watching Katniss using her skills and once she's done, everyone is at least impressed, which makes me smirk, proudly. Wiress is actually cheering, clapping her hands and that makes me smile genuinely.
----------
"Good news!" Haymitch cheers as we enter the apartment. "At least half of the Tributes want you as an ally."
"Well, they saw her shoot." Peeta adds.
"Well, sweetheart, you got your pick of the litter." Haymitch tells her.
"Choose carefully." I suggest.
"I want Wiress and Beetee. " She states, with no hesitation.
"Johanna calls them 'Nuts' and 'Volts'." Peeta says.
"They're still the smarter out there. And you need smart." I, subtly, scold him.
"Well, okay, good. Now who else?" Asks Haymitch.
"Mags."
I have no argument to defend her choice... unfortunately.
Peeta turns around, frustrated. Well, I'd be too.
"All right, fine, then no one." Katniss sternly says.
Haymitch and I share a look. We already know we will have to do it ourselves.
"I'll tell them you're still making up your mind." He says before walking away and I follow him, after sending a reassuring smile to Peeta.
"What should we do?" Haymitch asks, once we're alone.
"We will have to make allies for them." I answer, crossing my arms.
"Yeah," he sighs, "I'll start with Johanna, you talk to Finnick."
"You talk to Finnick, I'll talk to Johanna." I tell him.
"And why's that?" He mimics me, crossing his arms, there's a smirk growing on his face.
"... no reason." I avoid his eyes.
"Mh mh..." he hums, "Are you going to be attending the solo performances?"
"Nope." I answer, "I have...wedding duties to attend to."
"Fuck..." he swears, "I don't wanna be in your shoes, princess."
"Yeah... tell me about it." I groan, fighting the urge to pull at my hair.
"What's the plan?"
"Venue hunting... I think... I don't know" I let out a puff, "or maybe, Cal wants to tell me what he decided."
"Sounds more like it." He pulls me to him for a reassuring side hug, "it's his wedding, after all."
"Yeah." I laugh, and pull away, "I'm just an accessory. He will probably decide my dress too."
"Of course he will." He sighs, before he can say more, an Avox approaches up with an envelope in hand, handing it to me.
"Speak of the devil..." I sigh, opening Cal's letter.
"I'm sure the devil would be offended by that." Haymitch playfully scolds me.
"Sorry, I'll apologise when I see him. I'd gladly go to hell than meet up with Cal." I joke back, still reading the letter. "He's apparently waiting for me... eagerly."
"How romantic." He mutters, "will you be here tonight? For the scores?"
"I hope so." I say, "I'll make sure of it."
"Still be careful, princess." He nods his head, "and keep..."
" 'those eyes open', I know." I wink and walk away to the elevator, hoping the day will faster than I hope.
-------------
I don't have time to even walk out of the elevator that Cal's hand is already grabbing my wrist, excitedly leading me to the big table in his huge apartment, where a well dressed man and two assistants, I think, stand.
"Come, come, my sweetness. Mr Travers, here, was just about to tell me a great news, apparently." Cal makes me sit in a chair in front of him, so he can rest his hands on my shoulders. The gesture only makes me feel more trapped.
"Oh, yes, yes." Mr Travers nods, proudly holding his hand out to his assistant, who immediately hands him a paper. "I was coming here with the intention of showing you the options I gathered for your special day, but..."
Capitol people and their fucking theatrical manner...
"But..?" Cal presses, getting impatient.
"But I received a call this morning, just when I put the last picture in the bag... from our so loved President Snow." Mr Travers announces and I tense, "he had an incredible idea, as always. He offered his mansion as a venue for your wedding." He put the photo of the mansion down on the table.
Of fucking course.
"Really?" Cal's hold on me feels even tighter than before... maybe it is, or maybe it's just Snow's control caging me in.
Once the man nods enthusiastically, Cal shouts excited.
"That's wonderful!" He turns to me, "isn't it?"
"Wonderful." I repeat with a forced smile.
"How generous!" He comments.
"He also offered to..." again with the theatre.
"Well?"
"He volunteer to formalise the wedding himself."
"He said that?" I ask, shocked.
"Exact words." Travers nods.
'Volunteer'...
"It's going to be amazing," Cal is back behind me, his hands around my neck in what could seem an affectionate gesture, stroking my skin gently, but it's actually more suffocating than a snake hold.
They both go on and on and on talking about the wedding, as if I'm not even here.
The cake's gonna be like this, the chairs like that, the flowers, the centre-piece, the food, the music...
"I'm gonna go to the bathroom, real quick, excuse me." I say standing up, and hurrying to the bathroom near the bedroom.
I try to take deep breath, looking at the time, the solo performances are about to finish. I need to find an excuse to get out. They're not even asking me anything... I scoff at my reflection in the mirror, then I wash my face and open the door.
I gasp when I come face to face with Cal.
"Cal!" I exclaim, immediately faking a laugh. "What..."
"He's gone. We almost got through everything." He tells me.
"Already?" I ask, pretending to be sad I lost it.
"Yeah, gotta be prepared. We should get married when the Quartel Quell is over, and we don't know how long it will last. Maybe two days or two weeks.. gotta be prepared." He smiles.
"Of course." I nod, "well, then I should go. I have to be present, you know, when they announce the scores."
I try to walk past him, but he doesn't move a muscle, enjoying the closeness.
He wraps an arm around my waist to pull me even closer, leaning down so our noses touch.
"How about..." he starts, "you stay here a little longer, uh? We could have some fun together. It's been a while."
"I wish... I really do," I try to come up with the most sorry expression I can, "but I do need to get back. And since we finished earlier than expected, I should take advantage of that. I still have a duty to do."
"Oh please! I miss you." His hold gets a little tighter and he pouts, "Stay. I miss you, I miss your touch... your body... fuck... you still have no idea what you do to me, don't you?"
"Cal, trust me, no one is more sorry than I am, but I have a job to do," I cup his cheek with one hand and he leans into my touch, "Snow counts on me."
"Not even a few minutes?" He tries again and I shake my head, "Okay..."
"I'm sorry." I say, even though inside I'm hitching to run out of here.
I gently pull away from him and walk to the living room to grab my jacket, all of this feeling his eyes on me, constantly.
"I'll go now." I turn to him, to check if he is far enough for my liking and walk back to the elevator.
"Sure."
Before I can walk into the elevator, he grabs my hand, spin me to face him and crashes his lips on mine. His hands grabs everything he can reach. I try to push him off, as subtly as I can, but his touch just intensifies.
Thankfully, before I start to fully panic, he pulls away, just a little, still touching my lips with his, slightly.
"Once we're married..." he pants, "I'm never... ever letting you go." He lets out a breathless chuckle that only makes my skin crawl. "And, hopefully, I'll have no more competition for your attention. I'll make sure of it."
"Yeah." Is all I can say.
Once the elevator's doors open I rush in.
Finally the doors are fully closed and I can breath again.
'I'll make sure of it.' He said...
Finnick.
---------------
"Hey," Peeta is the first one to greet me as I walk back into the apartment, "you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Uh? Yeah... yeah, all fine." I force out a smile, I notice Haymitch watching me carefully, with a look that seems to say 'we'll talk about it' and I just nod, "so... what did I miss?"
"Oh these two basically put a big target o their own backs." Haymitch states.
"We didn't..." Peeta starts, but Haymitch stops him.
"Our Baker here painted little Rue on the floor. Girl on fire over there hanged a mannequin," he pauses, "after painting Seneca Crane's beard and name on it."
I'm lost for words, I look at both Peeta and Katniss, Peeta doesn't meet my eyes, he doesn't seem remorseful, but still he probably doesn't want to see my discontent. Katniss look at me, no trace of remorse or sorrow, but kind of proud.
"Not a smart move, I give you that," I say to Haymitch who nods thankful, "but it was a damn brave one."
Haymitch looks at me dumbfounded and shakes his head, defeated.
Katniss softly smiles at me and Peeta finally look up at me with a proud grin.
"It's starting." Effie tells us, and we all gather in front of the TV and Ceasar starts listing the tributes' scores
"Has anyone ever received a 0?" Katniss wonders.
-----
It's 12's turn.
"Oh god..." I scoff at the perfect 12 score for both Peeta and Katniss.
"Here, I present to you," Haymitch points at the TV, "the consequences.'
"What do you mean?" Peeta asks.
"They didn't give you a perfect 12 because they were impressed by your performances." I say.
"They did that to make sure that now the other Tributes know who to aim for." Haymitch finishes. "Both of you."
I see Haymitch sends an accusatory look at Katniss knowing they just made our job at protecting Peeta harder.
"Well, the damage is done... better go all to get some sleep." I say with a sigh, "we'll have enough time tomorrow to get ready for the interviews."
Everybody nods and walks to the respective rooms. Effie walks past me, squeezing my hand, reassuringly, I smile at her and watch her go.
I turn around to Haymitch, already looking at me.
"Drink?" He sighs, I nod and follow him to the kitchen.
I sit by the counter as he pours two glasses of wine, I think... I don't really care.
"Thanks." I say as he hands me a glass.
"What happened?" He finally asks, sitting with me.
"Well... for starters the wedding venue is going to be, by courtesy of our kind President, his mansion." I start, then take a bug gulp of wine.
"How kind." Haymitch sarcastically comments.
"Then, since he is, oh so kind and oh so selfless, he will be the one to make us husband and... wife." I say the last part with a shudder.
"Control freak."
I nod and take another big gulp of alcohol.
"But I don't think that's what got you so jumpy." He puts his glass down and gives me his full attention.
"Cal was going through everything with the planner quickly, and they finished just as quickly, so I took the chance and said my goodbye. He caught me off guard and... well he kissed me and he then said he can't wait to be married and all... with no competition," I take a shaky breath, "he said he'd make sure of it."
There's a heavy silence, then Haymitch takes my hand.
"The fisherman is too stubborn to let some spoiled cunt take him out. In any way possible." He reassures me and I can't help, but smile at his choice of word.
"Yeah... maybe you're right." I say squeezing his hand grateful.
"He can't do anything to him from here. He can pay whoever he wants... but your man is hard to get rid of." He winks and I roll my eyes, "you should know that."
"He... he is not my man. Okay? I'm just worried." I defend myself.
"Sure... sure." He stands up to walk to his room, "get some sleep. So tomorrow you can warn 'not your man'. Just in case."
"Shut up."
He turns his back to me, but still raises his glass to me, and I softly laugh.
I decide to go sit by the window, to clear my head or just distract myself.
As I sit by the window with my glass, I take the remote so I can change the view. I skip a few until I get to one that actually makes me relax: the shore.
As I look out towards the artificial view I can't help to think back at when Finnick was announced winner of his Games.
After he was brought back, I managed to let him have a moment to realise he won. That time he hugged like he was afraid of being taken away again. He cried his eyes out as I tried all I could to reassure him. None of us knew what would've happened a few years later...
I almost drop the glass in my hand when I hear someone approaching. I relax once I notice it's Katniss.
"Hi." She says, "didn't mean to scare you."
"You never do." I gently smile at her, "is it the only way we can actually spend some time together?" I jest, remembering the night on the train.
"I'm afraid so." She jokes, "I needed a glass of water."
"Did Peeta need one too?" I ask, pointing to the two glasses in her hands. She seems taken off guard, but doesn't answer, she just puts the glasses down and come sit with me.
"Can I ask you a favour?" She softly says.
"I will try my best to save Peeta. Well, I'll try to get you both as far as I can, anyway." I tell her, thinking that's what she wanted to ask.
"No... no, I know you will." She says, "I wanted to ask you...."
"What?" I look at her, trying to make her feel safe enough to speak up.
"Would you look after my family?" She finally asks. I'm a little take aback by that, but my body relaxes more, feeling my heart getting warmer because she trusts me enough to take care of her family.
"You didn't need to ask me that." I gently tell her, "I would've, regardless."
"Really?" She asks.
"Of course, Katniss... I..." I take a deep breath, "I know what it's like to feel helpless and not being able to protect your family."
She looks at me, confused. "What happened?"
"I had a brother, Ray." I say, my voice breaking a little, Katniss' features soften, "do you know how I became Snow's 'protégé'?"
She shakes her head.
"My parents worked for him, apparently they were both very loyal and hard working." I start to explain, "when they died, he thought to take us in, to show Panem how generous he was, you know. It was all good for a while, he kind of taught me a lot, unfortunately, but the problems started when he assigned me to help the mentors." Kantiss nods as I speak, attentive, "after a while I couldn't take it anymore. I always got attached to the tributes, and seeing them killed in the arena was... devastating. And I made the mistake of asking him if I could stop. He didn't like it."
"He killed your brother for that?" She asks, I notice tears in her eyes forming.
"He imprisoned him, and threatened if I said no to him again he would've killed him." I tell her, "so I had to keep on assisting the mentors. Then... Finnick won. Which was the happiest day of my life, not only because I didn't want him to die, but also because I thought that maybe... just maybe, Snow would've let me see my brother. He didn't." I take a shaky breath, "when I turned sixteen he asked me to do something, he wanted to give me another 'assignment'... one I really didn't want to do. He had my brother brought into his office... then he had him killed." I notice a tear falling from her eyes as I wipe my own away, "he kept his word. He showed me he always kept his word. I wanted to die in that moment, I wanted to attack him so the Peacekeeper would shoot me, but he predicted that. Told me if I tried to get myself killed in anyway all my friends would die... and my friends included the tributes. Mentors I met, and tributes who won and I accompanied during the victory tour."
"He got you caged." Katniss says softly and I nod. "I knew I misjudged you when I first met you. But I never thought..."
"I know." I sadly smile at her, "I never blamed you."
"I'm really sorry."
"He keeps say that it's the things we love the most that destroy us." I look out the window again, "which is true... but as members of the human race we can't live without love. So I guess we are doomed." I bitterly chuckle.
"Love also makes us strong."
We both turn around to see Peeta standing there.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I also didn't want to interrupt." He apologies, genuinely sorry.
"It's okay. I care about you both, I wanted to share my story with you for a while, but I mean... it's not something you just casually say." I shrug.
"No, it's not. Thank you for trusting us." Katniss says.
"No." I shake my head, "Thank you for trusting me."
They both smile at me.
"Do you want us to keep you company?" Peeta asks.
"Go get some sleep, you need it. I'm okay." I reassure them.
"It's not a problem." Katniss tries.
"I'm fine." I smile at her, "I better try to get some sleep myself, anyway."
I stand up, Katniss soon follows, and walk with them until we're in front of Peeta's room.
"Goodnight." I smile at them.
"Goodnight."
"'Night."
-------------------
I'm bouncing my leg as I wait for the elevator to stop at the 4th floor so I can finally talk to Finnick.
Once the doors open I rush in finding Finnick with Mags at the table. I stand here a moment, looking at how normal they look, talking. Like a family, and not like two people about to be sent into a deadly arena.
Then, Finnick's eyes move and lock with mine. His smile brightens for a moment, before noticing my fidgeting hands, then it turns serious.
"Y/n?"
Mags turns to me too, she stands up once she notices my nerves.
"I... I need to talk to Finnick." I say.
Mags walks past me, after giving my hands a good reassuring squeeze, then she leaves us alone.
"Is something wrong?" Finnick asks, standing up too and walking to me.
I lead him to the window so we can sit and talk.
"I... well...uh... yesterday I had to go see Cal," I start, and notice Finnick jaw already tensing, "for the wedding... he and the planner finished rather quickly and when I was leaving... uh..."
"Did he hurt you?" He asks, immediately looking for any sign on me.
"No, no, no." I quickly assure him, "it's what he said."
"What did he say?"
"He said he can't wait to marry me and to finally have me all to himself... with no competition." I look him in the eyes, he frowns, "he said he would make sure of it."
"What... what does it mean?" He asks.
"It means... you need to be more careful in the arena." I sternly say.
"Do you think he would try something?"
"I don't know. He does have enough money to corrupt any other Gamemaker, the last word is always the Head Gamemaker, but... uh... just be careful." I say, with a soft voice, "Please..."
He looks at me with his sweet eyes and takes my hand in his.
"I will."
"Promise me." I literally order him.
He holds my hand tighter, serious eyes locked on mine.
"I promise you."
I nod, taking a deep breath, not relieved, but a little calmer.
"Thank you." I let out a big sigh and pull myself together, "Alright, uhm... the interviews will start at 8... the usual stuff, you know the drill.." I stand up.
"Thanks." He smiles, standing as well.
We look at each other, the world seems to disappear, his eyes are all I care about on this moment. I make the mistake of looking at his lips for a second, my eyes move quickly between his eyes and his lips, anxiously. He notices and comes closer, taking my hands once again.
"It's okay." He whispers.
"It's really not, but I appreciate the lie." I sadly chuckle, and he does too, caressing my hands.
"You're right, it's not okay. But it's not your fault." He reassures me, "okay?"
I nod and he pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around me reassuringly.
"You're the one who has to fight for his life... and here you are... comforting me." I mutter, pulling away.
"Yeah, well... you're the one who'll have to deal with Cal Kingslay, not me." He jokes and I laugh, showing his slightly.
"Hard to tell which is worse." I play along.
I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder, I turn around to Mags worried face.
"It's okay." I tell her, she then points at me insistingly, "I am okay, I promise."
She smiles sweetly at me, then points at Finnick then at herself, with a determined look, to tell me she's going to take care of him in the arena.
"Take care of each other. Okay?" I ask her and she nods.
"We will." Finnick rubs my arm, comforting.
"Okay... okay, I do have to go and get my tributes ready" I tell them.
"We'll see you tonight then?" He asks as he leads me to the elevator.
"I'll be in the audience." I smile at him.
"The only reason to be on that stage tonight." He grins, "so I can properly look at you."
"Finnick.." I playfully warn him.
"What?" He fake innocence, "I will flirt with you for as long as I can. You can't stop me."
"You're insufferable." I roll my eyes and enter the elevator. "Careful on what you say tonight."
He nods, a sweet childish smile grows on his face.
"I'll see you tonight, my love." He says just before the doors close, preventing me from scolding him more.
I shake my head and deeply sigh. As the elevator goes back up to 12, I start to think of a way to properly protect them all in the arena. I know Plutarch will help, but too much help will get suspicious... and if Cal manages to pay someone, it would get harder.
I'm not losing any of them.
I'm not losing him.
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hugsandchaos · 11 months
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I recently saw a TikTok edit with J and N and that “you are Athena” song playing, and now I love it. I love the idea of N being accepted into J and V’s squadron and the two somewhat teaching him things. They don’t bully him, but tough love is pretty common with them.
On a side note, I think this would go well with the storyline of J and V having a more peaceful meeting with Uzi and becoming her friends as well. Or maybe they’d just bring her to the spire and be like “We can’t have you being scared just to say what you want or being lonely when we’re not here, so we brought you a friend” and N jumps up and goes “UZI!!!” And snatches her away in a hug. Then he explains that this angry worker drone saved him once and he saved her in return and ended up becoming best friends before he was accepted into their squadron. They’re a bit surprised, but hey, they hit the bullseye.
“Are there any other worker drones that are your friends we should know about?”
“Well, there’s Thad. He’s great! Very good company, and a good sport. He loves racing with me, even if he knows he’ll loose. And there’s this guard drone named “Ron”, and I think he’s starting to like me? He just gives me stuff to draw with if I’m waiting on Uzi or Thad. And I don’t think Uzi would appreciate any of us killing her dad, so I crossed him off my list, even though he hates me and all.”
I suppose what I’m trying to say here is when I think of a more peaceful timeline where J wasn’t shot, I think of “Badass lesbian power couple trying to make their traumatized, self-blaming son/little brother happy”. Things like J having a word with Khan when N returned to the spire thinking he might one day actually hurt Uzi after what Khan said to him, V giving him dating advice with Uzi, the two of them having their first sparring session with him and being really impressed considering N talked down on himself a lot, and sometimes N being the only murder drone who can actually fly and can’t handle sunlight so the two make sure he gets back to the spire before sunrise like a pair of passive aggressive mothers or sisters or checking on him if he crashes into something while flying.
“Hang on, I got a call from J. Hello?”
“Where are you?! It’s almost sunrise!“
“Sorry! Sorry, sorry, Uzi and Thad were telling me about this thing called “sleepovers” and lost track of time! I’ll head back home-- I mean the spire!”
“...How much oil do they have there?”
“Huh?”
“How much oil do they have there?”
“Hang on... Uzi said each worker drone has around 3 gallons of oil incase of an emergency situation. Why?”
“....Congratulations, N, you’re getting your first sleep over. Don’t talk to strangers, stab anyone who tries to hurt you, and call me or V if you get into any trouble.”
“Really?! Thank you so much!!”
“Don’t mention it. And make sure you get some sleep, young man!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
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Ribbons and Rainstorms
Epilogue - 2000 years later...
----
Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this far!, since you've made it here I'm assuming you enjoyed my fic, but hey! Consider reblogging? Or leaving me a nice comment? Thank you to everyone who gave me advice and support whilst I wrote this, it wouldn't be the same without everyone in the Big Bang server helping to make this happen <3
Do read this epilogue, though, I personally think its worth it :D
I can't remember who it was who suggested the names for the characters in this chapter, but I love you, and thank you so much.
This fic is my child, I even have a wall in my bedroom dedicated to it, so, you best appreciate it or I'll be coming for your kneecaps!!
<- Previous | Masterpost
----
“You sure it’s this way?” Lara said, turning to her companion, who was squinting at a map as he deftly avoided the thick plant roots that seemed perfectly placed to trip up a person.
“Certain,” he replied, “But— Lara— are you sure we should be doing this? The forest— eugh— definitely doesn’t seem to want us here.”
“Sure, it’s a pretty dense forest,” She said, “But I don’t think forests are sentient, Nathan.”
“Right, right,” Replied Nathan, before he stepped straight into a muddy ditch, getting the stuff all up his trouser-leg, “Why are we doing this again?”
Lara rolled her eyes, “The locals tipped us off about an ancient temple in these woods, it could be the discovery of the century! Don’t you want to be famous?”
“Not if it means getting killed by a forest that seems far more dangerous than it should be,” Nathan said, glancing back at his map, “We should be nearly there— just up this hill, if this temple even exists.”
Half an hour of trekking through the forest that just seemed abnormally out to get them, the pair of archaeologists finally came upon the temple. The place was old, black marble chipped and no longer shining, the braziers fixed to the pillars rusted and filled with ash and fuel long since burned out. The inside was dim, filled with dust and the smell of mildew. Vines and plants trailed across the floors and up the walls, hugging the pillars and walls with thorns and probing shoots. The place was certainly old, and certainly abandoned. 
“Wow…” Lara whispered as they mounted the crumbling steps, clicking on her torch as they entered the dark space.
“We— we should check that the walls are structurally sound before we go in here,” Nathan protested, staying back at the entrance, Lara turned back, rolling her eyes.
“It’s not like we’re taking a sledgehammer to it,” She said, “If it hasn’t collapsed in the time it’s been standing here, I doubt it’s gonna collapse now.”
She dumped her pack on the ground, fishing around inside until she pulled out a high-grade camera. Quickly flicking up the lens cap so she could take photos of the space. 
In one corner was a pile of moth-eaten blankets that barely resembled blankets anymore. A closer look revealed that they had become home to a fair few critters over the years. Nathan deftly cut a sample of the material, running his fingers over it and calling out that it was certainly a good two-thousand years old. Frankly, he was astonished any of it was still here. 
“There’s not much else here — I don’t think,” Lara called, running her hand over the crumbling stone altar. The draped fabric had been entirely eaten away, but the priceless metal decorations — the candelabra, the bowl, the chalice, still remained, “I bet these would fetch a pretty penny, I wonder if the British Museum would be interested.”
Nathan scoffed, “As long as it’s stolen from a native people, I’m sure they will be.” 
“Okay, maybe not the best idea, but we should— we should definitely report this to the historical society.”
“Yeah, good idea— hey Lara— what’s that?” Nathan asked, gesturing behind her. 
“What’s what?”
“Behind you, on the wall.”
Lara turned around, stepping black so the beam from her torch could light up most of the wall. 
Against the back stretch of wall hung a tapestry, a tapestry that depicted two figures holding hands, one with flowing black hair, dressed in beautiful robes that fit the fashion two millennia ago, and the other with tan skin and dressed befitting of a prince from a fantasy book. 
“Oh how beautiful,” Nathan whispered, the sight taking their breath away, “What a lovely tapestry…”
“Can you tell when it was made?” Lara asked.
“Well— based on their dress and the needlework—" he said, slowly approaching the tapestry and running his hand over it, before lifting up the bottom corner and checking the back, “And the wool, it looks to be from a few thousand years ago, but…”
“But what?”
“The fabric has almost no wear and tear whatsoever, the colours are exceptionally bright…” Nathan mumbled, “If someone told me this was made yesterday I wouldn’t be surprised, based on condition alone.”
“How is that possible?” She asked slowly, joining him in front of the fabric to run her hand along the edge, “It should’ve been ravaged by the elements, moths, other forest creatures— but it’s not damaged in the slightest… not even frayed…”
“Very strange,” Nathan nodded, stepping back again to see what it depicted, “Do you think they were friends?”
Lara looked at him with an odd expression, before letting out an exasperated sigh, “‘do you think they were friends’ no friends look into each other’s eyes like that— they’re holding hands— are you dense?”
“Okay okay ,jeez,” He raised his hands in surrender, “Who were they, do you think?”
“Perhaps the ones who live in this temple?” Said a voice from behind them. Both archeologists turned in sync, wide eyed, to stare at the tall figure in the doorway. When he took a step forward — into Lara’s torchlight — they both gasped, because he almost perfectly matched one of the figures on the tapestry. Dress and all — he looked like he’d just stepped out of a storybook, he was almost glowing. 
“Who are you?” Nathan asked hesitantly.
“Why, I’m Ro, of course,” they said, “I know mortals have been severely lacking in whimsy the last few centuries, but surely you haven’t forgotten us all completely. Also, I thank you for correcting your friend, that is in fact my husband.”
“Wait— slow down— just a little bit,” Lara said, raising a hand, “This tapestry is two-thousand years old, you’re saying you are this person— and the other is your husband?”
“Precisely,” Ro said, as though the information made any sense at all, “See?”
He gestured to their hair, where an elaborately designed crown sat atop his bun — the only thing about his appearance that wasn't depicted in the tapestry. It seemed to be made from gold and silver embellished with red and purple gemstones. It looked… incredibly expensive. 
The archeologists didn’t know what exactly the garment meant — unfortunately the culture around hair accessories had been lost to time, and now there were only brief records of the practice — but they could easily assume it was special to this strange person. 
“Now,” He said, reaching behind him and drawing a sword that was as thick as both Lara’s arms and twice as long, “Do you wish to do harm to this temple?”
—-
Lara and Nathan left the temple with no clue how to explain to the rest of society that they had just met — talked to, been threatened by — a God, but they would have to work it out before they got back, because that was without a doubt what had happened to them today. 
----
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pantherlover · 9 months
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An Artificial Night Re-Read: Part 3
Hello again! Onto part 3:
Chapter Seven:
'The odds are against me ever having a knowe of my own' I don't know, Toby, I think there's at least a non-zero chance at this point.
Toby's definitely gotten better at eating whenever she can than she is in this book.
I wonder if Fetch's names are always connected to the person they've copied.
Did Sylvester mention Amandine because he thought she wouldn't like Luna sending Toby into danger, or because he thought she'd be able to stop Blind Michael?
Okay, it makes more sense that Toby was so blase about Blind Michael in the first book if most of the time he was 'old man yelling to get off his lawn' levels of nuisance.
I'm honestly super curious about what Luna's relationship with the Luidaeg looks like. Luna's Blind Michael and Acacia's daughter, so does Luidaeg fight with herself about liking a descendant of Titania, or is Luna being a child of her favourite brother enough to make her at least neutral to her? Luna seemed okay enough with her that she wasn't worried about sending Toby to the Luidaeg for help; have they interacted with each other at all? Or do they politely pretend that the other one doesn't exist?
Chapter Eight:
Can we talk about how Toby and Luidaeg have only known each other for, what - two years? A year and a half? - and Luidaeg already feels comfortable enough with Toby that she doesn't assume that Toby's calling because she needs her? I know Luidaeg is terrifying, but her capacity to love is pretty awe-inspiring.
Also Luidaeg has to help kill her brother! Her favourite brother, one of her only siblings left, because she knew her brother would eventually become a monster and she's the only one who can make sure Toby has a chance to do it.
Luidaeg calls Toby a child of Oberon and Toby ignores it. Luidaeg might not have given the most direct hints, but she really did try to tell Toby about her heritage when she could.
"He'll hold them until Halloween night... and then they'll Ride. It's [Blind Michael's] way of remembering our mother. Her Rides were always held on Samhian night." This is kind of surprising to me, given that we just learned in the latest short story that part of the reason he became Blind Michael in the first place is because he went to his mother for vengeance after his children were murdered and she turned him away.
I have to try to pay attention to when a fancy knife is described now, just in case the knife Luidaeg commissioned to kill Eira with shows up.
Chapter Nine:
Raj!!!! I forgot how many characters we were introduced to in this book!
OOF, Raj is having a *bad* day. Have Raj, Dean and Chelsea argued over who was having a worse time when the met Toby?
Chapter Ten:
"The Luidaeg is the only Firstborn I've ever dealt with on a regular basis, and her power is subtle, damped down until she can seem human to the casual observer. [Acacia's] power wasn't hidden at all." Given that Toby's regularly been around *two* other Firstborns at this point, this makes me wonder how Amandine and Evening were able to hide what they were for so long. I could see Amandine being able to hide her power through some type of blood magic, but what about Eira? Part of it could've been explained by Toby just not having a good grasp on what a normal Daoine Sidhe's powers looked like compared to Evening, but Evening hid it from *everyone*. Were her illusions just that good?
"It's Raj. I... the forest is very dark." Oh noooooo Raj would HATE it but I want to bundle him up in a blanket and hug hiiiiiiim
'"My father says Uncle Tybalt's friend October is an adult." He paused. "And a hussy."' I realize there's no way I could've appreciated this enough the first time I read this, given we hadn't met Samson yet, but this is seriously SO funny. I desperately want to know what Tybalt's behaviour looks like from his Court's perspective during this time period.
Chapter Eleven:
"[Blind Michael] hadn't just changed them on the outside. He'd changed them all the way down to the bone." Do we know what Blind Michael's first children were/what they could do? What Toby's doing here sounds like some kind of blood magic, but I don't think Maeve's descendants are really known for that; plus, everything Toby's ever about her powers are that you can take away a bloodline but you can't add one, which is exactly what it sounds like Blind Michael did. Is it just a really extreme form of transformation?
There's something extra brutal about Blind Michael taking one of the few Roane left, possibly during one of his first Rides. I wonder if that's what caused Luidaeg to try to kill him?
"You're Amandine's daughter, aren't you? You are. I can smell it on you. Why are you here? She never came, and once a road is set aside, no other feet should claim it." So THIS implies that Amandine had a road she could've used to save kids before, or at least used to visit Blind Michael's lands. I would've guessed it was the Blood Road, but as far as I remember the only issue was using that road was that Toby ran the risk of bleeding out before she got back, not that it was closed off from anyone to use. So if it wasn't the Blood Road, could it be a road connected to Janet?
That's it for now! Please feel free to come to discuss things with me. See you next time!
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eggcompany · 25 days
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Jaskier and his Snuggly Wuggly Killing Machines Part 13
Another Spinoff of our first fic- Jaskier and his snuggly wuggly killing machines.
Jaskier searches for the man the babes call 'papa' Vesemir. He eventually finds out he was adopted out to a woman who lives only an hour away! How do the babies react to getting reunited to their papa?
Lots of crying and cuddling and caring loving witchers.
Jaskier likes talking to the babes. Jaskier likes hearing about their time chasing birds and hunting bunnies when they were young. Jaskier loves hearing about the good things and he appreciates when they talk about the bad things. Bad things being experiments and trials and them getting turned into heartless killers. But Jaskier gets over it because they’re getting better. 
However when the babies talk about these times at Kaer Morhen Institute, they often speak of one man (both bad and good). Vesemir. They said he was an older man who was rather fatherly to them and that he was remarkably smart. They told Jaskier that Vesemir knew about every beast that’s walked the earth and that he knew everything about plants. They spoke of him in rather high regard. 
One day while Jaskier was brushing the boys’ hair and humming an old song, Geralt spoke to Eskel. 
“Do you ever miss Papa Vesemir?” Geralt said as he braided a small section of his hair. 
“Yeah… Do you think they hurt him when they raided the keep? I wish I could give him another hug.” Eskel said and looked down sadly. Jaskier smiled sadly at them. 
“Well do you know if he was out on a farm or an adoption center? Maybe we could find him.” Jaskier said and watched all three of them start to get excited until all three were wagging and nodding their heads smiling. 
“He went to a place for old service pets!” Eskel said and looked at Jaskier. 
“Oh Daddy can you find him? Please please please!” Chanted Geralt. 
“Of course my loves. I’ll call around in the morning. If he’s still retired we might be able to have him over for a day. But remember we might not find him, okay? I’ll try my best but still.” Jaskier said and that was that. 
That night while the babies got comfy in their bed Jaskier was on his laptop. There were four retirement centers for pets. He wrote down their numbers and called in the morning. 
One said they didn’t take in witchers and hung up on him. One said they never had a Vesemir but they had another witcher who had passed away. The other two said they would get back to him once they checked their current and previous records. 
He didn’t mention it to the babies until he knew for sure. The next day one center called. No Vesemir previous or current. The last one called him during dinner. Wilbur’s retirement center for pets and service animals. 
“Hi, is this Mr.Pankratz? You were asking about one of our previous retirees, Vesemir of Kaer Morhen?” The woman said when he said hello. 
“Yes, yes that’s me. You had him? Is he okay? Did he get adopted or pass awa-” Jaskier asked in a flurry as he walked into his recording room. He didn’t want the babies to hear if it was bad news. He was cut off by the lady. 
“Sir, we contacted his current owner and she said Vesemir is doing quite well. She also made it very clear that Vesemir will not be sold. She did ask quite a few questions about you though. She said it would be great if we gave you her number.” The lady said and Jaskier jumped for joy. The babies will be so happy to know their papa is alive and well! Jaskier grabbed a notepad and a pen and quickly wrote down the number and the name of the lovely amazing woman who took in the old wolf. He thanked the center worker immensely and wrote on his pad to send them something nice. 
When Jaskier walked back out to the babies who looked quite nervous and they pushed around their food. Jaskier sat down and took a deep breath. 
“That was the last of the retirement centers.” Jaskier said and watched the boys look at each other. 
“Vesemir was adopted three months after he finished his behavioral training and is happy and healthy living with one Miss Tsuki Moon. I’ll be calling her tomorrow morning. I think she might let us see your papa!” Jaskier said and smiled widely. 
The boys didn’t react for a moment. Lambert broke out in laughs and smiles. Eskel smiled and joined in his baby brother’s laughter. Geralt was silent as he looked down at his plate, hair covering his face. Jaskier got up and came to bend down beside him. 
“Bear, baby, are you not happy? Bad memory or..?” Jaskier said and sat his hand on Geralt’s back. 
Geralt shattered. Sobs racked his body and he looked up to show rivers of tears flowing down his face. Geralt wailed and grabbed around Jaskier’s tummy and shoved his face into Jaskier’s sweatshirt. Lambert and Eskel smiled on and whispered to each other as Geralt sobbed and soaked the front of Jaskier’s shirt with snot and tears and a bit of drool. Jaskier rubbed his back and cooed lightly trying to calm the baby. 
“He was very close to Vesemir… We all kinda assumed the worst. But… papa’s alive. He’s alive. He’s healthy. He’s somewhere with someone nice.” Eskel said and a tear stained down his face too. Lambert was smiling widely and sniffled too. These were Vesemir’s boys too. Vesemir was their papa. 
“Bea-r, Geralt, can we take a breather? You’re gonna hyperventilate, sugar bun.” Jaskier said and pulled back and held onto Geralt’s hands. The boy’s face was a disaster. Snot and tears and drool were all over and his face was splotchy. Jaskier got down so they were face to face and did over dramatic big deep breaths until Geralt was breathing a little better. 
“Papa ‘live. Papa. Papa.” Geralt said and Jaskier got a napkin from the table and wiped his face. 
“Yeah he is. You really love him huh?” He said and Eskel came over to kiss his bubba’s tears away. Lambert leaned over in his seat so he was laying against Geralt’s back.
They got their baths and did their night routine but Geralt stayed unusually quiet and still. 
“Hello! I’m Jaskier or Julian Alfred Pankratz. I was asking about Vesemir yesterday? The people at Wilbur’s gave me this number.” Jaskier said when a small voice answered the phone on the first ring. 
“Oh wonderful! Yes! I’m Tsuki Moon! I’m Vesemir’s caregiver! He’s so happy to know someone asked for him. Him and myself are both curious though for why you called. He’s not for sale and he will not be interviewed for the experiments done at Kaer.” The small crackly voice said. She sounded excited and Jaskier could tell she was walking. 
“Well Ma’am I recently adopted a few witchers that were taken from Kaer Morhen and they have been asking about Vesemir. They refer to him as ‘papa’ and were wondering if you would ever consider letting them see Vesemir?” Jaskier explained and chewed his lip nervously. 
“One moment dear I’ll ask him.” The woman said and he could hear her speak. ‘ Hey darling, it’s the man who was asking about you. He says he has a few pups from the Kaer. He wants to know if you’d like to see them?’ Jaskier heard a deeper rougher voice. ‘ Oh dear Miss Tsuki may I speak to him?’ And Miss Moon spoke again. 
“Julian, would you mind if Vesemir spoke to you himself? I would be happy to have you and the pups over but it’s all up to Vesemir.” The lady said and Jaskier answered with a short “I’d love to talk to him!”. 
“Hello? Mr. Pankratz?” Vesemir said into the phone. His voice was deep and old, used. Jaskier smiled. 
“Hello, Master Witcher, I’m Mr. Pankratz. It’s an honor to speak to you.” Jaskier said and heard a slow laugh on the other end of the line. 
“It has been many years since I’ve been a master witcher, boy. Miss Tsuki tells me you have some of my pups. Who? How are they? When can I see them?” Vesemir said. His voice was heavy with concern. 
“I have Lambert, Eskel, and Geralt. I did know of one other Wolf but he has passed on, his name was Coen. But Geralt is doing well, Lambert is gaining weight, and Eskel is always learning more from reading. They had… a rough go at life after the keep was raided but they’re doing well now. You can see them as soon as I get an address. Oh do you know if Miss Moon has a computer?” Jaskier said and heard a sigh of relief. 
“It’s sad to know about Coen, he was a baby, but I am so glad Lammy and Bear and Eskel are doing well. They are… resilient. Especially Geralt. I will ask for Miss Tsuki’s laptop but why?” Vesemir said and he groaned, he probably stood up. 
“I can skype you! You can see the boys! I’ll go get my laptop and rangle up the pups, they’re playing in the- They are digging a hole in the backyard right now actually. I’m gonna put the phone down and you get a computer and pull up skype!” Jaskier said and ran out to the boys who were standing about a pretty large hole. It was five feet across and probably three feet deep. 
“Boys what are you doing?” Jaskier asked and all the boys smiled widely. Lambert, who was sitting, pointed and said “Hole!” And the other two nodded in agreement. 
“You three… Well I’ve got big news!” Jaskier said and watched them wag and wipe the first off their hands onto their jeans. 
“Vesemir’s on the phone and he’s about to call us on the laptop. Come on and we can see papa!” Jaskier said and stopped the boys when they got to the door. 
“I’ll get you a change of pants. Just put those on the toy bench.” Jaskier said and the boys shucked off their pants and threw them onto the bench. Jaskier fetched his laptop and three pairs of elastic waisted shorts. The boys chatted happily and excitedly as they washed their hands. 
Jaskier tossed their shorts at them while he pulled up Skype and held the phone on his shoulder. He asked Miss Moon for her Skype and the call rang once, the boys were jumping purring. Two rings and the face of a small older woman popped up. Jaskier smiled and hung up the telephone. 
“Hello Miss Moon! These are the boys! Lambert, Eskel, and Geralt! Say hi boys.” Jaskier said and moved so the camera caught all three boys. Geralt had tears rolling down his face but they all smiled and waved. 
“Aw so cute! What pretty boys! And I suppose you all know this cranky old uncle.” Miss Moon said and turned the laptop over to where an old man was sitting at the table. He had one ear that was half cut off and when he smiled he had dulled teeth but he smiled widely. 
“PAPA!!” The boys all called out and cried. Geralt tried not to sob but he was crying hard. Lambert was purring and conked his head against the screen. Eskel was yapping happily. Vesemir smiled and tears pricked his eyes. 
“Boys! You look so healthy! Oh you all… Bear you grew out your hair! Eskel, poor baby. Lammy you look so pudgy! Good boys! You all look so well fed! Oh boys. Boys. My boys. My boys.” Vesemir said and they all smiled and nodded and then the boys grabbed Jaskier to show Vesemir. Eskel was the one to do the talking. 
“Papa, this is daddy! He makes us bread and gets us sweet things and gets us all sorts of stuff like blocks and we have beds like like real beds! Daddy even lets us sleep in his bed with him!” Eskel said and smiled and Jaskier looked at his babies, eyes full of love. Vesemir smiled as tears slid down his face. So many of his boys were gone. His heart was full of ghosts and broken hopes until now. 
“That’s amazing! You seem so happy there! I’m happy here too! Miss Tsuki gave me a room and she lets me spend all day in her library and she buys me plants and lets me cook. Do you boys remember the sweet rolls I would make? Maybe I can make us some when you come over?” The elder said and smiled. The three babes yipped and yapped and jumped. 
“Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh papa yes yes yes!” The three said. Geralt was full out crying now. 
“My papa loves me still” is all he said before letting the sobs take over. Vesemir smiled at him and a few more tears slid down his scarred cheeks. 
“I do love you Geralt. I’ll always love you all so so so much. I love you all so much.” Vesemir said and sniffled a little bit. Geralt was sobbing loudly and clinging onto Jaskier. 
“I’ll let Miss Tsuki send you the address. When can they be here? Miss Tsuki, do you care when they come to me?” Vesemir asked Jaskier and then looked off to the side. They heard the older woman speak. 
“Anytime they want, darling. Julian? Julian, hun, it’s 327 Melantonsa Drive in Blaviken. We live down a bit of a drive but you can see his windmill from the road. How far do you live from u-”
“DADDY AUNT YENNY LIVES BY THERE” Lambert hollered out over Miss Moon. The boys jumped around and ran off to get their backpacks and get their stuff. Leaving Jaskier laughing a bit. 
“I promise they aren’t heathens. My best friend Yennefer lives over there. We live in Oxenf urt. 001 Lettenhove Lane. We live in the old Pankratz house. I painted it and remodeled it. I think the boys are packing their backpacks. We will be there in… maybe an hour? Maybe less. We’ll see you soon Miss Moon, we’ll be there soon Master Witcher.” Jaskier said and heard thumping and happy yips and rumbling noises from the bedrooms upstairs. 
They said goodbye and Jaskier walked up the stairs. 
Eskel was shoving his favorite soft blanket and some candies into his bag, Geralt was sitting on his floor with his stuffed rabbit putting a brush and one of his other favorite snugglies, a grey and blue fluffy cow, into his bag, and Lambert was putting a few pairs of his thick wool socks and one of his many ‘Comfy’ brand hoodies into his bag. 
Jaskier got his bag. He had each boy a change of clothes, a towel, a few pull ups (sometimes babies have accidents), binkies, and some emergency water and snacks. He walked back out to see the boys helping each other put their shoes on. 
“Do we want to bring papa anything? We can stop by the store if you’d like?” Jaskier said and watched the boys pull on their backpacks. They all were wagging like crazy and Geralt’s face had been cleaned but he was still teary. Jaskier walked down the stairs with the babes behind him. 
“We can always bring him other things if we’re welcomed back. Okay, load up, in the car you go.” Jaskier said and watched the boys climb into their seats in his new ‘mom car’. 
After their first outing he had bought a new car to replace his Lexus, he bought a Volvo XC90. It had much more room and Lammy likes to sleep in the third row sometimes. 
“Okay, off to see papa!” Jaskier said and started to make his way to Blaviken. 
The drive was quiet. The boys looked nervous and picked at their clothes. Eskel had changed into a pair of black sweatpants and his favorite red and black tie dye hoodie shirt. Lambert put on his green joggers and a black oversized hoodie. Geralt had opted for a pair of black lounge shorts and a plain white t-shirt. Jaskier turned on some low quiet music. The boys got antsier and antsier the closer they got. 
When Jaskier told them to look out for a windmill, each boy had his face to the window. When Eskel called out and said he saw it Jaskier turned down the short gravel drive. Soon they were parked in front of a large old stone house that had vines and plants curling around the walls. It had a sort of story book kind of energy about it. 
Miss Moon, who was actually a quite small woman, was standing on the porch. She had on a lovely floral red dress, which Jaskier commented on saying it was beautiful. Miss Moon came to the boys’ shoulders. 
“Come in babies. Vesemir’s in his room getting a few things. Do you boys do the nesting thing?” Miss Moon said as she stopped them in front a pair of wide wooden doors. 
“Y-yes ma’am” Eskel said shyly. Miss Moon smiled then and opened the door. 
“Good! He was running around like crazy trying to get it perfect!” Miss Moon said and let the boys pile in. The doors led to the library. The high walls were covered in bookcases and there was a chair and small table to one side. In the middle there was a huge nest. Blankets, quilts, sheets, pillows, couch cushions, and a few large pads that looked like mattress toppers. 
The boys gasped and dropped their bags at the edge and looked around. When they heard the doors on the opposite side of the room open and a voice call out “Miss Tsuki! I need to find my old journals, my boys-” The boys were running and tackling the older man. 
“Papa! Oh Papa!” There were cries and the sound of kisses and giggles and laughing. Jaskier ran over, fearing the young ones hurt the eldest witcher. 
“Boys! Boys, be more careful you could have hURT-” Jaskier was pulled down into the pile. He was also kissed and nuzzled and licked. Miss Moon whistled loudly and all four witchers stopped. And sat up. 
“Good boys! Nest up and I’ll bring some food. Julian dear, come help me.” The older woman commanded. Jaskier stood up and the boys pulled Vesemir to the nest. They all giggled and laughed. They formed a cuddle pile and kissed and licked and nipped and purred. Tails were swooshing and ears were down and relaxed. Jaskier jumped up and followed the short caregiver. 
“They’re so happy. Sorry they got so excited. They’ve told me a lot about Vesemir. I’m so glad you found him so soon. I just recently found the boys. Such terrible things they do to the poor Witchers.” Jaskier said as he followed Miss Moon to the kitchen were bowls of fruit and a bowl of dried meat. 
“Yes. They put Vesemir through some terrible things too. Behavioral training, pff, more like beating the instincts out of him. I let him do what he pleases. He’s old like me, he can do whatever he wants. He used to go hunt birds now he just plays with slow moths. They even neutered him, everyone knows witchers are sterile.” Miss Moon said as she grabbed a big bowl of fruit. Jaskier agreed and managed the two other bowls of fruit and the bowl of meat. 
“Puppy boys! I fixed a few bowls of fruit, I hope you like fruit, and a nice big bowl of Vesemir’s jerky! Aw you three are such darlings.” Miss Moon said when the young witchers stood up to get the bowls. All four tucked in and started to eat. Miss Moon pulled a chair in from another room and put it next to the one that already occupied the room. 
They watched the boys quietly. They ate and then the boys remembered their backpacks. Eskel pulled out his blanket and wrapped it around Vesemir and then poured the two handfuls of candies into a pile in front of the eldest. Vesemir smiled and thanked him but Geralt was already shoving his stuffed cow into his hands and moving to sit behind him to brush his hair. Vesemir groaned and closed his eyes but Lambert poked his cheek and he opened his eyes again. The youngest pushed away Eskel’s blanket and Geralt’s hands and he pulled the incredibly oversized Comfy hoodie over his head. All three other witchers laughed at him. Geralt situated Eskel’s blanket back and went back to carefully brushing Vesemir’s white hair. Lambert also struggled a bit to pull the wool socks onto Vesemir’s old crankly feet so Eskel helped.  
Vesemir was so relaxed and happy. Once Geralt was done he pulled a big cushion around so Vesemir could lay against it. Then the oldest opened his arms and all the boys piled in and cuddled up to their papa. Small whispers radiated from them. Jaskier caught a few ‘ I love you papa’ ‘I missed you so much’ ‘Gimme ‘ nother kissy’ . He assumed the last was Lambert. 
Jaskier looked over at Miss Moss who was elegantly dabbing at her tears with her sleeve. Jaskier reached over and put his hand on her arm. She looked over at him and he nodded toward the door. They got up and went into the sitting room. 
“You’ll come back, yes?” Was the first thing Miss Moon asked when sat down. She looked concerned. Jaskier smiled and pulled out his phone. 
“We visit my best friend often and she lives only a few roads away. We would have never found you or him. We visit her and they usually stay the night there. Maybe Vesemir could have a sleepover with us one day? I’ll come get him and bring him back here, of course. Hell, if you watched them I could run home and get their overnight bags, if you so wanted.” Jaskier said and the older woman smiled and grabbed his hand. Her hands were so small and thin…
“You are a blessing Julian. A true blessing. I will tell the pups. You hurry back! I’ll have a proper dinner prepared by then!” Miss Moon said and hugged him. They were eye to eye when he was sat down. Jaskier nodded and made his way to the front door. 
Miss Moon would get absolutely sick of them always coming over...
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multicolour-ink · 11 months
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Hi, how are you? I've been seeing your blog and I love what you write, your AUs are very interesting and I love your characterization of the brothers.
You know, with a friend of mine we were planning an AU but due to the movie we weren't able to pull it off.
It was basically an "Injustice AU" where Fawful came back and wanted to destroy the MK. In this AU Mario and Peach were married and expecting their first child.
The story was that Luigi saves the princess, takes her out of the castle and tells her to evacuate the kingdom trying to stay hidden, and he gives her time by taking her place by disguising himself as her and letting himself be captured. He just wanted his sister-in-law and future niece/nephew to be safe. Mario goes to rescue him believing that it is Peach, and falls into a trap set by Fawful, who through mind control makes Mario believe that "Peach" is an enemy that he must defeat, so Luigi ends up dead and that activates a bomb that destroy the kingdom. 5 years pass and both Mario and Peach have become extremely strict regarding the laws and overprotective of both their child and the kingdom (also both...went a little crazy). Then, a Luigi from the past (before Mario and Peach got married) arrives in that present by an accident in his present, and Mario flatly refuses to let him go back to his time or even let him out of the castle. So Mario from the past must rescue him.
With my friend we were going to start the AU, but we saw the movie and...we didn't have the heart to continue. With my friend we looked at each other and she told me "I think, even with mind control, even if Mario can't recognize Luigi, he could feel him, and he wouldn't hurt him" and I couldn't help but agree. I think that drew me to your blog in the first place, how you show that bond in your writing...You made me feel so much better, so thank you.
Hello there! 👋 I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know that you enjoy my stuff, and that it has helped you. It really does warm my heart, so thank you 💗
You know anon, your AU sounds really good. There's defiantly a lot of potential here! With just a few tiny tweaks, it could work. There's nothing wrong with revising a creation a little.
If it's ok with you, I would like to offer some of my own input:
Perhaps with instead of tricking or brainwashing Mario to kill his brother, Fawful just straight up kills Luigi himself, as a way to break Mario down. Mario can only watch as his brother and the kingdom is seemingly blown up; Mario defeats Fawful in a fit of rage.
In regards to Mario's extreme reaction to past Luigi - yes it doesn't really feel in Mario's character to become obsessed with keeping Luigi there, even if he's grieving. I feel like, despite it being his brother, Mario is aware that it's not the Luigi from his time. It's still a different Luigi and therefore deserves to be back with his brother. Perhaps they team up and get Luigi back to his time (and emotional angsty hugs and tears ensue), or past Mario teams up with his own brother and future self to re-write the timeline?
Just my own ideas: you don't have to use them at all if you don't want to, but I just wanted to see if we could possibly work around the small issues that you brought up.
When it comes to my AUs, most of them come to me because, truthfully, I see something and immediately think "What would happen if this was with the Bros?". And then overtime it becomes an opportunity to explore different themes and scenarios regarding their bond, and how the characters would deal with it all.
My Mario Dæmon AU explores the concept of being able to touch and hold the soul (dæmon) of someone you really care about. To be so close to someone and love them very much to the point that you can interact with someone of their very spiritual nature. I think that it's such a powerful and beautiful idea to use with the Bros (especially as in the source material it's considered taboo).
In my Split Timeline AU, this was more just based on the story and ideas from "Your Name", but it was the idea of the angst that made me push forward with it. The triple angst is that the Bros are of course related. Just the idea that they are separated across different timelines through a force greater than their own, and vow to reunite and save everyone, even having to deal with the horror of having their memories wiped of each other....OOF it's good angst with so much emotion 👌
The Cursed Immortal AU is not something I usually come up with (and will likely never continue), but I had to do it just for the one idea - Mario giving up his mortal life just to be with Luigi, after the latter is transformed into an evil life force draining monster, with no cure. Sure it's a very extreme choice in the grand scheme of things; but with the Bros it totally makes sense! Of course neither would be willing to let the other suffer alone, and neither can they bare the idea of being told to leave the other. They would totally rather be together in a cursed state than ever be apart. They ride or die with each other for life.
And lastly, the AU of them becoming dragons for a thousand years just to stop an evil deity. This one is based on heavy spoilers from Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, so I encourage you to just go and check it out in my pinned post, just to save me from spoiling anyone who has not yet played or finished the game. But long story short, it's another one of those "I would rather be with you in another state together than let you go alone." I think that sums up the brothers best.
check out my AUs on my pinned post
I'm also starting to realise as I write this that I love exploring AUs where the brother's bond is tested when one chooses to make a sacrifice for the other (obviously not when one has to die!). It's the type of AU I love doing because it's a "How far will these Bros go for each other?" idea.
And the answer is: to the end of the universe.
Nothing can ever keep these two apart. If done right, an AU has so much potential to explore ideas you would never see with them in the Mario franchise. I love when we fans can do that because I certainly love to make new stories, and AUs are just a huge cooking pot of opportunity.
I truly do encourage you to maybe look at your AU again, anon. There is some good stuff there! Maybe you and your friend can rework some things. I understand if you want it to stick to movie canon (I'm also picky when it comes to keeping things in canon when I'm sticking to in-universe stuff), but there's nothing wrong with changing it up a little. You could set it years after the events of the movie. Or just another universe altogether. It's entirely up to you and your friend :) Good luck 👍
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swan-of-sunrise · 1 year
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Endgame (Chapter Five)
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Summary: Alongside Bruce and Rocket, (Y/N) travels to New Asgard to recruit Thor and after a nerve-wracking but successful time travel test, the Avengers decide to move onto the next phase of planning their time heist.
Pairing: Steve Rogers X Reader
Word Count: 4.7k
Warnings/Disclaimers: Disclaimer for a scene depicting unhealthy coping mechanisms and grief disorders
A/N: This was a tough chapter to write and I’m sure that it won’t be easy to read, so here’s a little heads-up for you before you begin (and you might wanna grab a tissue or two btw). Thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter Five (Previous Chapter)
“Sunshine, are you sure you’ll be okay in New Asgard?” Steve suddenly asked, his brows furrowed in worry as he watched (Y/N) sling the strap of her overnight bag onto her shoulder and anxiously twisted his gold wedding band around his finger. “Thor could barely look at you after he killed Thanos, much less speak to you. You’ve got such a big heart, (Y/N), but I just…I don’t wanna see you get your hopes up for nothing and wind up getting burned for it.”
Touched by her husband’s concern, (Y/N) smiled and reached up to cup his smooth cheek. “I’ll be okay, sweetheart. I’ll have Bruce and Rocket with me for moral support, and I have complete faith that the three of us working together can convince Thor to help us out.” Her fingers moved to hold his chin as she stood on her tiptoes and softly kissed his lips. “I love you.”
Steve gave her another, much-longer kiss of his own, the corners of his azure eyes crinkling when he finally pulled away and smiled down at her. “I love you too, baby. Good luck.”
As (Y/N) made her way out of the Avengers Facility, she was greeted by Nebula and Rhodes, who had just arrived to begin helping Tony construct the new Quantum Tunnel he designed; since she knew that her furry traveling companion would begin growing impatient soon, she gave them both a brief hug and farewell wave before hurrying outside the compound.
“That’s…a spaceship…” Scott numbly remarked from one of the outdoor benches, a dumbfounded expression on his face as he stared at the Benatar parked in the middle of the compound’s overgrown lawn. “A spaceship flown by a talking raccoon…”
“His name is Rocket, and I recommend not calling him a raccoon to his face; he’s pretty sensitive about it, you see.” Scott arched a bewildered brow but managed a nod, causing (Y/N) to lightly chuckle. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Scott. Don’t let the others do anything stupid until I get back, okay?”
“Sure thing, Mrs. America!”
(Y/N) gave Scott a quick fist-bump and trudged across the weed-covered lawn towards the towering spacecraft, where an exasperated Rocket was waiting for her on the steps. “Took you long enough, (Y/L/N)!”
“Hello to you too, Rocket,” She replied, ascending the stairs and pausing to secure her overnight bag in the ship’s lounge before following the raccoon into the flight deck. “How’ve you been?”
“Pretty good, but I thought I was gonna die of old age waitin’ for you to finish smooching Captain Jawline back there goodbye.”
Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at Rocket’s dramatics, (Y/N) held up the lunchbox she’d packed earlier and gave it a little shake. “And here I went to all the trouble of packing you tacos and nachos for the trip. Maybe Bruce will appreciate them more-”
“Hey, hey, hey, let’s not get too hasty now, Professor.” Rocket’s swift backtrack made (Y/N) grin in amusement; she handed the lunchbox over to the raccoon and began strapping herself into the vacant chair in between Bruce and Rocket. “So, time travel? You know, I’ve seen and done a lot of weird shit across the galaxy, but even I didn’t think that time travel was a thing.”
Bruce nodded. “Science has always classified it as a theoretical possibility but up until meeting Scott, it always sounded like it would remain science fiction to me. We’ve got the foundations of a good plan, though, and now that Tony’s back, we’ll figure all the tricky logistics out in no time!”
The spacecraft’s engines roared to life and while they took off into the clear blue sky, (Y/N) only partially listened to her companions’ discussion, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Thor and what they might be faced with upon their arrival in New Asgard. Over the past five years, she’d done her best to keep in touch with all her super-powered friends and acquaintances, which included Brunnhilde; the fearless Valkyrie established the Asgardian refugees who survived both of Thanos’ attacks a secluded settlement in Tønsberg, Norway, where they founded a flourishing fishing community and slowly acclimated themselves to their new home, and although she’d done her best to keep an eye on Thor, it sounded in her letters that the king of Asgard had fully isolated himself from his people. Steve might end up being right after all, she silently ruminated, I’m one of the last people on Earth he’d ever want to see because I’m a reminder of his self-declared failure.
A small nudge on (Y/N)’s arm brought her back to reality and when she glanced around for its source, she saw that Rocket was holding his Vanished friend Quill’s old Zune out for her to take. During one of their visits to Earth, Nebula told her that one of the reasons Rocket tolerated her company the most was because she reminded him of Quill; they both loved music of all kind and both used music as a coping mechanism since childhood and although he never mentioned a word of it to anyone, Rocket deeply missed his found family and sought out his own unique ways to manage their loss. The raccoon’s eyes were diligently trained on the viewport ahead as he continued piloting the Benatar, but his offering of the distraction of music still touched her. Checking that the outdated device was plugged into the spacecraft’s speakers, she scrolled through the over three-hundred songs downloaded onto it and soon found the one she was searching for, smiling to herself as the comforting tune began to play throughout the flight deck.
“Let me take you on a little trip, my super-sonic ship’s at your disposal if you feel so inclined, well all right. We’re gonna travel faster than light, so do up your overcoat tight and you’ll go anywhere you want to decide, well all right…”
Bruce hummed along to the upbeat song and out of the corner of (Y/N)’s eye, she watched as a rare smile spread across Rocket’s fur-covered face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hours later, they landed the Benatar in a vacant field just outside of Tønsberg and hailed the first truck they saw driving down the small country road. The friendly Asgardian fisherman at the wheel allowed the three of them to clamber into the truck bed and drove them past the village border; Bruce was forced to hold his knees to his chest, a grumbling Rocket was crammed in next to (Y/N) and the weighed-down truck bed created sparks each time it scraped against the road but all that combined couldn’t stop her from enjoying the stunning landscape surrounding them. It’s not quite the same as Asgard but it’s a wonderful place to build a new home, she thought to herself, smiling when they turned a corner and got their first glimpse of New Asgard.
Bordering the chilly North Sea, the small city-state of New Asgard was made up of dozens of structures and homes, with modern fishing equipment and delivery trucks lined up along the man-made bay and touches of traditional Asgardian designs in the architecture of its buildings. Asgardians and Sakaarian refugees looked up from their work and watched their truck pass by with curious eyes; with a loud thump against the side by Rocket, they slowed at the pier and the three of them gracelessly clambered out of the truck bed with a quick word of thanks to their driver before he sped away.
“Kind of a step down from the golden palaces and the magic hammers and what not…”
Bruce frowned at Rocket’s callous observation. “Hey, have a little compassion, pal. First they lost Asgard and then half their people, they’re probably just happy to have a home.”
“Besides, the Asgardians don’t consider their home to be lost,” (Y/N) added, pulling the edges of her knit sweater tighter around her as a frigid gust of wind blew. “To them, Asgard’s not a place but a people; wherever they are, Asgard is too.” The raccoon muttered something about mushy sentimentality under his breath and (Y/N) threw a chuckling Bruce an exasperated look.
“You shouldn’t have come.”
The three of them turned to see Brunnhilde standing at the edge of the pier; she was emptying a full fishing trap into a crate and instead of the impressive battle armor of the Valkyrie, she was dressed in the functional clothing of a fisherman with her long dark hair braided away from her face. Contrary to her standoffish words, the Valkyrie stepped forward and met (Y/N) halfway, hugging her tight and giving her a smile when she finally stepped back. “It’s so good to see you again! How’ve you been? It’s great to see that New Asgard’s thriving under your watch.”
“Ah, I’m just the one keeping an eye on things; it’s them who’re making all this actually work.” Brunnhilde’s smile faltered as her dark eyes filled with sympathy. “You said in your letters that you’re doing okay, but…well, I know better than most how easy it is to hide behind those words. Are you all right, (Y/N)? Truly?”
A lump formed in (Y/N)’s throat at the Valkyrie’s concern for her well-being. “I haven’t been, but I think I will be soon.”
“Ah, Valkyrie!” They both glanced over as Bruce approached them with his muscular arms spread wide in welcome. “Great to see you, Angry Girl.”
She studied the scientist’s changed body and bit back a smile. “I think I liked you either of the other ways.”
“This is Rocket.”
Rocket gave her a little wave. “How you doin’?”
If Brunnhilde was surprised to see a talking raccoon casually leaning against one of her fishing crates, then she did a remarkable job hiding it; instead, she pursed her lips and looked between both (Y/N) and Bruce before speaking. “He won’t see you.”
“It’s that bad, huh?” Bruce’s smile fell.
“We only see him once a month, when he comes in for…” Brunnhilde trailed off as she glanced over at a nearby stack of beer-filled kegs. “Supplies.”
(Y/N) felt her heart sink into her stomach at the implications behind her words. “It’s that bad.”
“Yeah.” The Valkyrie crossed her arms over her chest and raised a curious brow. “I take it this isn’t a social call?”
“We think we might’ve found a way to bring everyone back, but we need Thor’s help to do it,” (Y/N) replied, shuffling her feet and giving Brunnhilde a pleading look. “You know that I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe that our plan could actually work. We need Thor, that’s true, but maybe he needs us just as much.”
After a long moment, Brunnhilde released a sigh and nodded once. “I suppose if anyone could get through to him, it’s you guys. He lives in a cabin at the far end of the bay; just head down the shoreline, you can’t miss it.”
They thanked her and after promising to keep her informed on the progress of their time heist, the trio walked through New Asgard towards Thor’s secluded home. It was a small cabin, not as large or grand as the other buildings in the village, and much of its exterior showed signs of neglect; with a hesitant glance at (Y/N) and Bruce, Rocket stepped forward and knocked on the wooden front door. When no one answered, the raccoon pushed the door open and stepped inside, and (Y/N) followed close behind; as the scientist ducked to fit through the doorway, she glanced around the cabin’s cluttered entryway at the piles of discarded pizza boxes and liquor bottles and wrinkled her nose when the unmistakable scent of body odor filled her nostrils.
“Whew!” Rocket recoiled in disgust and waved a hand in front of his pointed nose. “Something died in here…”
Bruce looked down at the mess spilling out into the entryway, concern etched across his face as he glanced up and called out, “Hello? Thor?”
“Are you here about the cable?” The Asgardian’s deep voice slurred from the next room. “Cinemax went out two days ago, and the sports are all kinda fuzzy…”
The three of them exchanged a look before making their way into the cabin’s den. Sitting on the dilapidated couch were Korg and Miek, two former Sakaarian gladiators who helped the Revengers defeat Hela and save the Asgardians and who later aided in their escape from Thanos, and they were in the middle of playing a video game on the television in the corner. Their view was blocked by Thor, who was reaching for a bottle of beer from the bowl of ice on the coffee table, and when the three of them entered the den, the Asgardian straightened and turned to face them.
Brunnhilde’s words of warning about Thor’s well-being proved to be an understatement; Thor had gained a considerable amount of weight in the past five years and while that alone wasn’t necessarily a need for concern, his overgrown hair and beard, his wrinkled and stained lounge pants and the overpowering scent of alcohol wafting off of him told (Y/N) that her old friend was in a very dark place and had been for a long time. Her eyes stung with unshed tears but she was quick to blink them away as Thor’s drunken face illuminated with the sight of them and he held his arms out in welcome. “Guys! Oh my god, it’s so good to see you!” He gave a stunned Bruce an enthusiastic hug before looking down at Rocket and laughing. “C’mere, you little rascal!”
He enveloped the raccoon in a suffocating embrace that he unsuccessfully tried to escape. “Yeah, no, I’m good, I’m good! This really isn’t necessary!”
Chuckling, Thor finally released him and pulled (Y/N) into a tight hug, enveloping her in a pungent cloud of alcohol. “Writer (Y/L/N)! How’s my favorite writer doing?” He hiccuped and leaned back to examine her. “Ah, just as beautiful as the day I met you. Rogers is a lucky man, indeed!” Before she could think of something to say, he gestured towards the Sakaarian refugees seated on the couch. “You guys know my friends Miek and Korg, right?”
“Hey, guys!” Korg greeted and Miek squeaked as he munched on a slice of pizza. “Beer’s in the bucket. Feel free to log into the Wifi! No password, obviously-” The Kronan cut himself off, holding his headset with one hand and pointing at the television screen with the other. “Thor, he’s back. The kid on T.V. just called me a dickhead again.”
Thor’s mismatched eyes narrowed. “NoobMaster.”
“Yeah, NoobMaster69. Called me a dickhead…”
The Asgardian marched across the den and snatched Korg’s headset, and the three of them watched in bewilderment as he yelled at the child on the other end; Rocket threw (Y/N) and Bruce an unsettled look and with an inward sigh, (Y/N) leaned closer to Bruce and murmured, “He needs help, Bruce, but I don’t think he can get it here.”
Bruce nodded in agreement but before he could reply, Thor turned back around to face them and brandished his unopened beer bottle. “So, do you guys want a drink? What’re we drinking?” He popped the cap off with Stormbreaker’s blade and took a long drink. “Beer, tequila? You seem like a whiskey sort of woman, Writer (Y/L/N)…”
“Buddy…” The scientist took a step forward and rested a cautious hand on Thor’s shoulder. “You all right?”
Thor swayed a little as he chuckled good-naturedly. “Yes, I’m fine! Why? Don’t I look all right?”
“You look like melted ice cream.”
(Y/N) shot Rocket a disapproving glare while the Asgardian snorted in amusement and took another drink. “So, what’s up? You guys just here for a hang or what?”
Anxiously fiddling with the sleeve of her sweater, (Y/N) moved to stand beside Bruce and mustered up a smile for her old friend. “We need your help. There might be a chance we could fix everything.”
“What, like the cable? Because that’s been driving me bananas for weeks-”
“Like Thanos.”
Bruce’s words hung heavy in the air as Thor’s smile slowly vanished, replaced with a grief-stricken expression that (Y/N) knew all too well; it was the same expression she saw reflected back at her in the mirror every morning for the past five years. With his eyes filled with unshed tears, Thor grabbed the collar of Bruce’s sweatshirt and pointed at him as he choked out, “Don’t…D-Don’t you say that name…”
Korg slowly stood and slipped off his headset, warily looking between both men and shrugging his rocky shoulders. “Um, yeah, we don’t actually say that name in here.”
The scientist remained unfazed by Thor’s angry outburst and delicately wrapped a large hand around his wrist. “Please take your hand off me.” He gently eased his fingers off the sweatshirt and (Y/N) could hear Rocket slip his blaster back into its holster when he finally let his hand drop. “Now, I know that…guy might scare you-”
“W-Why would I be scared of that guy? I’m the one who killed that guy, remember? Anyone else here kill that guy?” Thor backed away when Bruce attempted to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder and shook his head. “Nope, didn’t think so. Korg, why don’t you tell everybody who chopped Thanos’ big head off.”
“Um, Stormbreaker?”
“Well, who was swinging Stormbreaker?”
Rocket opened his mouth to speak but (Y/N) bent down to rest a halting hand on his arm, shaking her head when the raccoon’s brow furrowed in confusion and silently gesturing to Bruce as he followed the distraught Asgardian; Bruce’s gaze was filled with warmth and understanding, but Thor was steadfastly avoiding it as he took a long swig of beer. “I get it, you’re in a rough spot. I’ve been there myself, and you wanna know who helped me out of it?”
Thor chuckled humorlessly. “I dunno, Natasha?”
“It was you. You helped me.”
Shaking his head, Thor walked over to the den’s window and looked out at New Asgard in the distance. “Well, why don’t you ask the Asgardians down there how much my help is worth?” He lowered himself to sit in a nearby armchair. “The ones that are left, anyway.”
(Y/N) found herself crossing the messy den and kneeling beside Thor’s armchair, gently resting a hand on his and rubbing circles across his skin with her thumb. “When we were on the Statesman, I told you about the Sokovia Accords and how Steve and Tony weren’t speaking to one another. When I confided in you that I didn’t believe there was an easy way to fix everything, you said to me, ‘Hope can be just as powerful of a weapon as any sword or blaster and as long as we hold onto it, anything is possible.’” Tears started to roll down her cheeks but she ignored them as she tightened her hold on his hand. “For five years, I believed that any hope I had of seeing my daughter again died the day Thanos destroyed those stones. But this plan we’re working on…it renewed my hope, Thor. I think we can bring them all back.”
“Stop. Stop, okay?” Thor pulled his hand from hers and refused to meet her gaze. “I know you think I’m down here wallowing in my own self-pity, waiting to be rescued and saved, but I’m fine, okay? We’re fine, aren’t we?”
Korg waved a hand. “Yeah, we’re good here!”
“So, whatever it is you’re offering, we’re not into it, don’t care, couldn’t care less. Goodbye.”
(Y/N) wiped away her tears as Bruce took a step closer to them. “We need you, pal.”
Despite the conflicted expression beginning to form on Thor’s face, he didn’t respond to the scientist’s words; with a small sigh of exasperation, Rocket stepped forward and crossed his arms over his chest. “There’s beer on the ship.”
The corner of the Asgardian’s lips curved upwards at that. “What kind?”
(Y/N) stood and exchanged a knowing look with Bruce; while Thor’s mental headspace was questionable at best and he’d forced them into empty bribery, the God of Thunder had agreed to join their self-described time heist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gritting her teeth as her biceps strained with the effort of tightening the bolt in front of her, (Y/N) gave her wrench one final twist before releasing the breath she’d been holding. “Okay, Tony, how’s that?”
“Perfect. Good work, Austen!” Down below, Tony looked up from the newly-constructed Quantum Tunnel’s control booth and chuckled. “You can dismount the super-soldier now.”
Steve made a disgruntled sound as (Y/N) rolled her eyes and tucked the wrench into her toolbelt. “You couldn’t have phrased that sentence in a way that didn’t make us sound like perverts?”
“Hey, I offered to go fetch you a ladder but Capsicle insisted on this little Cirque du Soleil routine. I think he just likes showing off the super-strength; remember how he ripped that log in half on Barton’s farm?”
The super-soldier removed his hands from (Y/N)’s calves and she hopped down from his shoulders, falling for less than a second before he deftly caught her in his arms and grinned. “Or maybe I just like carrying my gorgeous wife around, Tony.”
A giggling (Y/N) gave her husband an over-exaggerated kiss on the lips as the billionaire pretended to retch and wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her down the Quantum Tunnel’s ramp. “The grease-covered overalls are really doing it for you, aren’t they?”
“Baby, let’s just say that you’d give Rosie the Riveter a run for her money,” Steve replied with a wolfish grin that instantly made her face warm; he finally set her down on her feet and they held hands as they walked over to the control booth. “How’re we looking?”
Tony flipped a couple of switches and jotted a figure down on his tablet. “We’re almost good to go, just as soon as Ratchet checks on the breakers and the Jolly Green Giant finishes prepping Clint’s new Quantum suit.”
(Y/N) pursed her lips but remained silent, not wanting to alert the two men to her disapproval of their changed plan. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Clint’s capabilities but as was the case with the Asgardian currently sleeping off a hangover in one of the hangar’s parked Jeeps, she wasn’t sure if the archer was in the right mindset to take part in such a dangerous experiment that involved traveling back in time to his family’s farm. Now that Tony and Rocket’s Quantum Tunnel was fully constructed and all the Avengers were finally assembled, they decided to use their only spare Pym Particles to conduct a time travel experiment; if they were successful and could definitely prove that the Quantum Realm could allow them to travel through time, then they would begin planning out the next phase of their time heist. Scott was their designated test man but Clint insisted on taking his place, and (Y/N) had a feeling it was partially because of the guilt he felt over his vigilantism.
When the Benatar arrived back at the Avengers Facility after their visit to New Asgard, Natasha had already returned from her solo trip to Japan; Clint was beginning to reacquaint himself with his old teammates and getting to know more about the newer ones, but it was obvious that a part of him felt out of place after all he’d done since the Snap. (Y/N) ran into the archer on her way to the kitchen in search for a non-alcoholic beer for Thor, and it was then that the two of them were able to talk for the first time in seven years.
“It’s good to see you again, (Y/L/N),” Clint beamed before giving her a brief hug; his dark blonde hair was shaved on the sides of his head and long in the center, and one of his arms was entirely covered in tattoos. “And congratulations, by the way, Cap told me that you two got hitched a few years back. Couldn’t figure out why Scott kept calling you ‘Mrs. America,’ but now I guess that’s why.”
“Ah, Scott’s a sweetheart.” (Y/N) chuckled. “I’m just grateful he hasn’t started calling me Lady Liberty or something.”
They both laughed but after a moment, Clint sobered and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Cap also told me about Carina.”
Her smile slowly faded, and she carefully considered her next words before finally speaking. “I can’t speak for the others, of course, but I don’t blame you for what you’ve done.” Clint looked up at her in surprise but remained silent while she continued. “The only reason Steve and I were able to live with the grief of losing Carina was because we had each other to lean on. If either of us had Vanished along with her…well, it’s not too much of a stretch to see what we would’ve become. But we’re all here now, Clint, and that’s what matters. We’re together again and by working together as a team, we’re going to get our families back.”
The teary-eyed archer gave her a thankful smile and gestured towards the kitchen. “Wanna help me make a hangover cure? It’s been a while since I’ve had to make one, but I think the big guy might need one if he’s gonna help us out with all this time travel stuff.” (Y/N) nodded and after looping her arm around his, the pair walked down the hall to the kitchen.
“All right, Red and I set the breakers and checked on the emergency generators,” Rocket called out as he and Natasha entered the hangar. “We’re good to go.”
Natasha moved to stand beside (Y/N) and mumbled, “Did the raccoon seriously just call me ‘Red?’”
“Hey, at least you’re not ‘Big Green,’” (Y/N) muttered back with a small smirk.
Steve sighed in exasperation. “Or ‘Captain Jawline.’”
The trio watched as Clint, Bruce, Nebula, Rhodes and Scott filtered into the hangar and joined the rest of them at the control booth. “Like I said before, you’re gonna feel discombobulated from the chronoshift but it’s nothing to be worried about.” Bruce fiddled with the controls and gave the equipment one final go-over as he spoke. “I’m giving you one minute to walk around and find something you can bring back as proof of a successful test, and then I’ll bring you back. Got it?”
Clint nodded. “Yep, I’m good.”
“Good luck, Clint.” Natasha reached for the archer’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “And be careful.”
He gave her a fleeting smile and squeezed her hand back before dropping it and walking up the Quantum Tunnel’s ramp, standing at the platform’s edge as he anxiously waited for Bruce to start the experiment. Out of the corner of her eye, (Y/N) noticed a bleary-eyed Thor warily join the small group crowded behind the control panel, feeling Steve’s hand tighten around hers as Clint’s helmet enveloped his head and the Quantum Tunnel whirled to life.
“All right, Clint, we’re going in three…two…one!” In the blink of an eye, Clint shrank into nothing and everyone watched the platform with bated breath while Bruce began his next countdown. “And returning in three…two…one!”
There was a sudden flash of light and the archer appeared on the platform, hunched over on his hands and knees as he struggled to regain his breath; Natasha was the first of them to sprint up the ramp and she immediately crouched down to help her old partner stand. “Hey! Hey, hey, look at me! You okay?”
“Yeah.” Clint was panting and his eyes were filled with stunned disbelief as he nodded and held up a hand, his fingers tightly clutching a child’s worn baseball mitt. “Yeah, it worked.” Natasha’s jaw dropped and the archer tossed the baseball mitt to a beaming Tony. “It worked!”
With an incredulous laugh, (Y/N) turned and threw her arms around Steve, holding tight as the super-soldier pulled her close and lifted her off her feet; she could feel the elated kisses he pressed against her neck and hear the thankful prayers he mumbled into her hair, the both of them reeling with the knowledge that they were now even closer to getting their daughter and all of their friends back.
“Now that we’ve got confirmation that this insane plan can actually work, we’re gonna need to figure out where and when we’ll find the stones,” Bruce remarked as he finished checking Clint’s vitals.
Tony looked over at (Y/N) and grinned. “Then it’s a good thing we’ve got an award-winning novelist and kick-ass history professor to helm that phase of our time heist, isn’t it?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: That’s right, (Y/N)’s going to take charge of planning the time heist and put all her teaching/researching skills to good use! Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!
Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5L6MERx3PIydW3FyNPqYvl?si=ad6c46de8e954c11
Chapter Six
“Endgame” Masterlist
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landosgirl97 · 1 year
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DCC Part 2- Jake Seresin
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A/N: As far as I know, the Chiefs and Cowboys have never played each other in a season opener, but Glen is a Cowboys man and I’m a Chiefs girl so it works. Also, I have a lot of personal stuff going on, but I’ll do my best to update when I can.
When Taylor woke up, Rooster changed her diaper and we got her ready for the event. Y/N had laid out a “Biggest Dallas Fan” onesie and gray joggers with tennis shoes. We got her ready and fed her some leftover chicken nuggets per Y/N’s instructions. When Taylor was in her chair, Rooster cornered me in the kitchen. “Okay, be real with me. What are your intentions?” I rolled my eyes at him. “You know as well as I do that I don’t normally go for women with children. If my intentions were just to sleep with her, I wouldn’t be putting out all this effort.” He smiled at me, patting my shoulder. “Fine. But if you break her, you deal with me. Understood?” I nodded. I may not have been scared of Bradley in the air? But on the ground, I know he can take me. Especially when it comes to the only family he has left. We got done feeding Tay, and left to go to the Meet the Team event. When we got there, we met up with Rooster’s aunt and uncle who had a huge sign ready and they were all decked out in Cowboys gear. As we walked the stairs, I made conversation with her mom while Rooster talked to his uncle. “So, you’re the one my nephew talks about all the time. Jake, right?” I laugh, nodding my head. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. My daughter mentioned that you’re watching my granddaughter tomorrow?” I nod again, “Yes ma’am. I promise I will take great care of her.” She turns her head and smiles at me. “I have no doubt. You seem like a southern gentleman. You and my daughter should get along great if Bradley doesn’t scare you off.” “Ma’am, Bradley could never scare me. But ultimately, that will be up to your daughter. I personally think she’s gorgeous but I also want to let her lead the way.” She nods, smiling at me as we take our seats. A few minutes after we sat down, the coaches came out to introduce the team. I watched as the girls did their entrance, my eyes immediately falling to Y/N. It’s like she was made for this. She was smiling and sassy and absolutely killing it. They did they’re first routine in the triangle and I leaned down to talk to her mom. “She’s pretty darn good for a rookie!” Her mom shook her head and looked at me. “She’s a returning vet. They’re calling her a rookie because she left and had a baby and came back. But she has been on the team before.” I nodded along to what her mom said and watched as she danced her heart out on the field. After the event, we made our way down to the field, waiting for them to leave the locker room. I was engrossed in a conversation with her dad when we heard Y/N behind us. “Jake, Dad, there’s someone I want you to meet!” We turned around and my jaw dropped, next to her stood the Cowboys head coach, Mike McCarthy. I was in awe. “Hello sir! Nice to meet you!” I said, shaking his hand and looking at the both of them in shock. Mike turned to shake Y/N’s dads hand. “Jake, we would like you to be on the sideline tomorrow with Bradley. We appreciate and love our service members. We feel like it’s the least we can do.” Once again, my jaw hit the floor. “Ummm yes sir! I’d be honored, thank you!” He nodded, giving Y/N a side hug and walking away. “Ho- what- what just happened? You KNOW coach McCarthy?!” Y/N giggled, “of course. He came to training camp this year at training camp.He’s so excited to have you guys here tomorrow! Let’s get back so everyone can get some rest.”
———-
The next morning we woke up and Y/N was already gone. There was a note on the kitchen cabinet. “Morning gentlemen! There is breakfast already made and sitting in the microwave, I left everything out for coffee and Taylor’s breakfast. No need to wake her, she sleeps in on Saturday’s. Enjoy your morning and see you soon!” I couldn’t help but smile at the note she left for us. I went to throw it back on the counter when I noticed something on the back. “P.S. Jake, here’s my number. You said you’d send updates. ;)” I bit my lip and tried to fight off the smile making its way across my lips. Rooster walked out not long after, running a hand through his hair and I handed him a cup of coffee. He picked up the note and began to read it, smiling to himself. “She’s such a good mom. I’m so proud of her.” “Sounds like you guys are pretty close.” I asked him, taking a sip of my coffee. “Yeah, she’s like the sister I never had. We’ve been close our whole lives. That’s why I’m so protective of her.” I nod my head, finally understanding. “I get that. I promise to be good to them. I won’t do anything to hurt her, especially with Taylor involved.” He nods, patting me on the back and going to sit on the couch. I texted Y/N and let her know we were awake and listening for Taylor to wake up. She texted me back saying thank you and to keep an eye on Rooster too since he can bee a pain. I laughed at that, going to sit next to Rooster on the couch, deciding to watch tv until Taylor woke up. About twenty minutes later she walked out of her room and rubbed her eyes, walking straight to Rooster and crawling into his lap. I. Took that as my hint to go make her breakfast. I sat it on the table and she came in and sat down to eat. “You’re the one my mom likes?” She asked, casually taking a bite of her cereal. My eyes widened at that, “I must be, but it’s good to meet you. You ready to hang out with me today? I have lots of fun stuff planned for today. Rooster and your mom should be back this afternoon. She smiled up at me, nodding her head and digging into her cereal. I took a photo of giving a thumbs up and sent it to Y/N. Today is going to be a test for sure but I’m ready
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