#i am a little bit afraid that the purchase will raise some alarm and they will take it away again

[rohirric-hunter]

Somebody forgot to tell the folks at Amazon that the Riders of Rohan expansion is no longer something that's, like, for sale.

Riders of Rohan expansion comes with the Friend of the Mark title bundled. :)

#can i afford this? technically? no #but i did finish up a proof of concept for a very nice dice bag that i will sell for like $15 #materials cost ~$5 so two dice bags and thats my money back #its a justifiable expense i think #i am a little bit afraid that the purchase will raise some alarm and they will take it away again #but i also doubt somehow that they track purchases that closely #most likely if it does raise an alarm they will just tell the folks at amazon to stop selling the expansion #cool horse too but im mostly here for the title

[ennoshawty]

HQ CAPTAINS AS THINGS

i was bored and felt like doing a crackfic thing but i didn’t have any solid themes or good ideas

SO I PRESENT TO YOU - THE CAPTAINS. AS THINGS. IDK HOW TO WORD THIS BUT YOU’LL SEE AS WE GO ALONG.

warnings: VERY LONG, slandering a crybaby oikawa (lovingly), mentions f!reader, shitposting, mentions of violence in kita's, (a bit) yandere!kita, cursing, unedited, me being an idiot

officer!daichi

we are: vigilante/troublemaker

loving the enemies-to-lovers trope so much

nah bro you ain’t full criminal (bc my preppy ass could never) you just do the small vandalism things y’know like drawing peepees on government buildings and knocking over bins

u literally confessed to him by spraypainting the entire billboard by his workplace “I LIKE YOU” like way to go girl

He didn’t appreciate the creative graffiti but he rlly likes u so all u had to do was clean it and then next thing u know yall are out on a cute cafe date

but let’s talk about before yall got together

he’d CHASE u thru alleyways when he’d catch you writing “police sux” on the fuckin wall

bro is NOT AT ALL afraid to jump onto the roofs it’s FRIGHTENING to see this huge ass police officer storm after u

HES SO FAST HOT DAMN WOMAN HOW DO U GET AWAY FROM HIM??? USAIN BOLT WHOMST???

you’d almost always get away by a hair - he’s SO SO close

and it frustrates him but excites u oooooo arrest me shawty

and this would continue for a while

but yall have such fun fun banter - you’d tease him and he’d say something back and you’d bolt and he’d chase

some days he’d catch you. but in those times u slip away somehow

he’s having so much fun and doesn’t even know it

and then at one point he doesn’t even care about bringing u to justice anymore. he knows it’s bad for business and it’s unprofessional but he’s so attracted to u

he doesn’t even know it. HES IN DENIAL!!! his mind: “oh i’m just asking about her so that i know her motives” bruh no u just asked about our fav pastry this aint about crime anymore

and when he finally gets it,,,DINGDINGDINGDING SOUND THE ALARMS !!! MAN IS WHIPPED!! he’s more shy around u awww,,,doesn’t even want to chase u anymore but he will still engage in banter w u.

yall get a little peace treaty in the lil crush stage - you both are kinda aware of ur feelings towards each other but don't really wanna mess it up and jeopardize whatever's going on like bros PLEASE JUST KISS ITS INFURIATING

it’s more of a competition to see who will break the other first (and you lost he’s too hot)

he lets u joyride his cop car in an empty parking lot <3 he is the one <3 this is true love

u gotta marry him right now bro no excuses

u are no longer on the crime side of the law,,,u support him and only him fuck the rest of the cops (i’m jk of course...or am i)

u are his badass sidekick <3 unofficially of course until he marries u

u help him with the small things like helping lost children find their parents and helping old ladies cross the street

but you want to do the FUN stuff - chasing thieves and arresting drunkards.

unfortunately, he loves u too much to put u in danger so he keeps u from doing the dangerous things

after some protesting later, he trusts u to take care of urself. and now yall have a competition just like old times - whoever catches the most baddies at the end of the month wins (he WILL scold u if ur too reckless though)

THE TWO OF U ARE JUST GOOD COP BAD COP UHAHAHAHAHAHA

but it’s much more complicated than that - it’s either ur the laidback one and he’s the strict one or ur the fiery one and he’s the person like “calm down”

PLEASE HE HATES BRINGING U TO INTERROGATIONS he’s trying to be serious but you keep making him laugh istg he has to kick u out each time

u still make him laugh when u pout-glare at him thru the glass

bro says he’s not the stereotypical cop but the moment u surprise him with donuts and coffee in the morning he will make out w u right then and there

even though yall dating he still won’t let u play with his equipment

but sometimes u grab his walkie talkie when he’s not looking and prank call the others

and his coworkers know by now they’re like “oh it’s daichis gf” and go along with it HAHAHAHA “this is alpha 1, daichi just contracted ligma, over.” “roger, but what’s ligma? over.” “*inhale* LIGMA-” *daichi takes the walkie talkie back*

his coworkers are chill lmaoooo they love u two as a couple THEY ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE they planned a surprise anniversary party of when u joined the force (unofficially)

the juniors tanaka and noya are jelly ooooo but they respect their captain <3

u loooooove hanging out w the starry-eyed new recruit hinata and he’s bouncing around asking u personal questions “how did you date the commander!!! what’s he like as a bf??” he also accidentally exposes how much daichi talks about u in the office before he drags him away and murders him off camera

he does get u a walkie talkie that’s just connected to his line, tho. for emergencies. it’s ur second phone basically that only has his number in it

daichi LOVES it when u massage him after he’s had a long day but his shoulders are stiff as a statue,,,he’s also super stronk and can carry u anywhere <333

IMAGINE HE HAS A POLICE DOG - he doesn’t, but he’ll get one of his buddies to bring u a k9 unit so u can pet it and when he sees how happy u are he considers getting one PLSSS IT WOULD FIT HIM HELPPP

bro is VERY strict on safety. bulletproof glass in yalls house. alarms + cameras everywhere. trackers on every device. underground bunker. (just kidding lol)

daichi teaches u self-defense and gets u a bejeweled taser for ur bday <333 MARRY THIS MAN RIGHT NOW OR I’LL-

in other words i love daichi and he is husband material WIFE ME UP BUDDY

househusband!oikawa

we are: girlboss sugar mommy

somehow you tamed this bish to becoming your obedient malewife

and by obedient i mean whiny but compliant

IS MORE ATTACHED TO YOUR BLACK CARD THAN TO YOU. I SAID IT. THE TRUTH.

sure, he’s pretty and gives affection sometimes but the only time he’s bein cute and snuggly w u is when a new fendi purse came out and he wants it

his specialty is cooking but he’s so lazy he’s all “just get the maid to do it”

please give ur workers a raise he’s so demanding

when you take him to ur business parties hes ALWAYS bragging about you and ur large house with this and that and his favorite: indoor hot tub. he always brings up the indoor hot tub.

only reason you bring him is cuz he’s pretty and he whines when you leave him alone for too long

yall cant even stay for too long - he’ll practically drag u out of the building and whining that it’s too hot and his suit is too stuffy and to call a limo

he’s not afraid to embarrass u if u dont give him what he wants and he will spit out food at a formal dinner if its not to his liking

probably in competition w househusbands! makki and mattsun about who gets the best house so he’s constantly begging u for an extension to the house “please babe!!! makki has-” “no.”

8/10 times throws tantrums in public and 1465/10 times throws tantrums in the house

he wants to cry for the sake of crying. one time he lost his shirt and he wouldn’t stop bawling for 15 min

please find him a hobby

crybaby . the moment u give him the glare of death it’s over. but he’s got a cute crying face which makes up for his annoying whimpering

like he made the mistake of throwing a temper tantrum in the mall only for you to glare at him with a look that said “we’re discussing this when we get home and you’re gonna get your ass beat” and walk away. immediately stopped what he was doing and he was running after u, sniffling and mumbling apologies

please humble him and have him sleep outside. the couch is too luxurious to banish him to. he made sure of it himself. it’s reclining and has charging ports. he will not learn his lesson that way

does NOT want you to get a pet or a kid or even another sugar baby/househusband - he wants to be the center of ur attention

speaking of which he HATES it when you work for too long or work overseas. when u come back he’ll pout at u and give u the petty silent treatment

don’t bother trying to comfort him he thrives off of it and he’ll keep going so u can keep paying attention to him. if u just ignore him back he’ll come crawling back to u. “WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME IGNORING YOU?? DO YOU EVEN LOVE ME ANYMORE???”

one time yall got into a fight and he was all like “since ur being a rude mommy i’ll just find someone else !!!” inside u were like “oh god finally” but instead u said “okay”

ohmygod he panicked. he was rlly expecting for u to fight for him,,, but he doesn’t want to admit defeat first so he tries to go thru with it but you literally dont care. even when he has his chanel luggage packed and he’s standing by the door ur just like “ok bye bitch”

So he’s trying to stand by the door and wait for u to say that ur joking. ur not.

“fine! I’m leaving now!” “okay.” “...*sniffles*” “tooru, go.” “WAAAAH NO IM SORRY I DONT WANT TO-”

u knew this was going to happen sadly. u even hid the keys to all of the sports cars u own just in case he was actually going to go thru with it

tries to get in the gossip circle with the neighborhood trophy wives but they don’t think he’s cool enough. they like u though. they think ur hot asf and oikawa doesn’t like them no more bc theyre hitting on his ATM. but thanks to that u know all the gossip and shit even though u don’t ask for it

Every time u pass by a store where he thinks he wants something he’ll just cling to u and give the puppy dog eyes. like it could be out of nowhere and u see it and you’re like “where. which store.”

bro once he went luxury he never went back. he wouldn’t EVER step foot into a grocery store ever again congrats he’s been bimbo-ified

beat him with ur gucci belt pls it’s so funny

also please please PLEASE discipline him. tell him it’s NOT okay to just randomly purchase the entire swarovski store or to throw a party at ur house just bc he’s feeling petty about u being at work for too long. ofc he’ll bitch about it but you need to be firm

but don’t worry,,,he’ll get the idea when u take away black card privileges and slap him around (lovingly)

now he has to ask permission like a good boy. he’ll kneel and hug u and give a lil pout and whine

you got a bigass man child i’m sorry maam u should’ve picked tobio or ushi

ceo!kuroo

we are: secretary

bruh keeps it mostly professional during work hours

but that all gets shedded off like a snake when we on break

one minute he’s all “get these papers done by today or i swear on all that is holy i will destroy you” and then later he’s all “hey sweetheart wanna grab a cup of coffee”

flirty flirty FLIRTY FLIRTY AAAAA HES A MENACE

but you’re less than impressed bc y’know when the time clocks out and its time to go back to work he’s ruthless once more

HUMBLE HIM FOOL only when you’re on break though

will NOT stand for anyone else in the workplace bullyin u - NO WAY. only HIM

he’s got TONS and TONS of dirt on everyone in the office - NO ONE is safe so they wouldn’t even dare

RIP janet from accounting

that dumb bitch made the mistake of insulting u to ur face and in front of him. never heard from her again

it’s not even limited to the other employees - he’s not afraid to go off on a potential business partner if they dared disrespect you

bruh tries to call u on ur off days for the most randomest shit and to get ur attention

*picks up phone* “sir?” “ah! my favorite secretary ever! listen, i need you to grab my pens from my desk at the office and bring them to my place.” “...with all due respect, it’s 2 am, sir.”

but u have to comply with his ridiculous demands cuz he’s the bank

and he depends on u completely. as much as he hates to admit it - u have his schedules, itinerary, provide coffee, performance rates, stock info, you name it.

once u were out sick and he had the worst management - he’s not used to working without you

def tries to get some of ur workload off of u bc he’s worried that the stress of working for him made u sick + he doesn’t want to go thru scheduling again

prolly gets bored in meeting rooms and sends u little smirks and wiggles his eyebrows and weird looks while he’s sitting and ur standing in the corner like bruh pay attention

maybe sometimes he’s secretly makin fun of the presenter and doodling on his spare sticky note something funny to make u crack a smile

he’ll tease u for it of course “oh, secretary! you should be paying more attention! what would you do if this was important?” bruh i can multitask now keep airdropping me ur selfies i’m saving all of them (news flash: u dont save his dumbass selfies otherwise his ego will inflate too much)

sometimes likes to pull u aside from work to hug u - you say it’s highly unprofessional but he says it’s his stress reliever

you ALMOST got caught by one of the newbies and he was kabedon-ing you

he tries to play it off (since u were embarrassed too) but u know better,,,DO NOT LET HIM FORGET ABOUT IT he turns red and embarrassed every single time USE THIS TO UR ADVANTAGE !!

never goes into an elevator without you bruh is so attached to u n holds the doors open for you

but you have to open normal doors for him if he doesn’t know how it works (hint: manual doors. “why isn’t it opening on its own?” “sir, there’s a handle.” “but?? what does it do??”)

bruh acts like a dumbass sometimes so you can baby him :/// wtf man just because you’re rich doesn’t mean i’ll- ...wait...how much did you say…? that many zeros? HAND ME THAT FORK YES I’LL FEED YOU COME HERE- HERE COMES THE AIRPLANE BITCH

brings u to overseas trips and he spoils u too

no matter how much you insist that you’re ok he gives u a lot of luxurious items. “think of it as a bonus from me.” NOW YOU JUST HAVE A COLLECTION OF NICE SHOES/BAGS/JEWELRY AND HE LOVES IT WHEN YOU WEAR THEM TO WORK IT MAKES HIM SO HAPPY UGHHHHH

BRUH just a sugar daddy at this point “you have to look presentable for the next focus group so here’s a nice rolex watch” “sir, i don’t need-” “ah ah ah - it’s my treat.”

it’s pointless to refuse him but he still teases u for it like what???? “if i didn’t know any better, secretary, i’d say you’re just doing it for my money and not my fabulous looks and personality.” “exactly.” “hey!”

yall go for drinking parties a lot. whether with the whole branch or just the two of u

KARAOKE W KUROO AFTER A LONG DAY OF WORK <333 becomes a ritual between the two of u

he’s so silly when he’s drunk lmfaoooo goofy ass mf

but that’s only when it’s the two of u. he controls his alcohol around others and his uncool side is only for u <3

also ur the only one he trusts to take him back to his place and handle him

it’s the other way around too - when u drink a lot he looks after you <333

you have a higher tolerance than him and sometimes u have competitions between the two of u on who can drink more but then yall always end up shitfaced

HES the one who has a crush on you

you know the drill - gaslight gatekeep girlboss

he’ll do anything for u but wouldn’t ever admit it he simp

offers u the keys to his estate and offers for you to LIVE with him

bruh just marry me already ok WAIT WE’RE NOT EVEN DATING YOU NEED TO WORK ON THAT SIR-

he’s so awkward tryna confess to u,,,he may be this big hotshot ceo but he’s acting like a schoolgirl in love

probably prints u a confession when he asks u to go to the fax machine lmfao what a nerd

in other words ceo!kuroo is a nerd and you need to top him immediately get that bank

dog hybrid!bokuto

we are: owner

Husky-malamute breed!!! BEEG DOGGIE VERY HAPPY N DROOLY <333

OVERLY HYPER. JUMPS ON ANYONE AND U AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT

he’s well trained i swear but the moment he sees something of interest then i’m sorry you just lost him

please if a robber came in he wouldn’t even attack them he’d just tackle them w hugs

he loves loves loves snuggles <333 u busy? nope!!! hug time!!! cooking something?? oo lemme see!!! whoops look at all those tomatos on the ground. u got a deadline coming up and u really need to focus?? CUDDLE TIIIIIIME- w-wait - huh?? why are u shoving me off?? do you - do you not - huh?!?! WHY ARE YOU LOCKING ME OUT OF THE ROOM?? NO!!!! I LOVE YOU!!! IDK WHAT EXAMS ARE BUT I WANT CUDDLES!!! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME????!!!

the WORST things u could ever do to him is leave him and call him a bad boy

HE CRIES ON THE SPOT </3 HOW COULD YOU </3

soso bummed when u go out of the house without him </333 waits by the door patiently waiting for u to come back </333 sob sob

the moment he hears the door unlock he LEAPS and his tail is wagging like CRAZY

he is SO STRONG. almost always knocks u over whenever he jumps on u

destroys EVERY toy u bring him. u leave him for 5 seconds and there’s stuffing all over the floor and whatever u brought him is nonexistent

tugs on the leash when u walk so much that it SNAPS

loves romping w the other dogs in the dog park but he needs to tone down on his friendliness he almost killed a lil orange chihuahua

gets distracted by EVERYTHING. ooh, squirrel! oo, butterfly! OOO HUMAN CHILD!! MUST EAT!!!

ok while he might be friendly, he still gets super super jealous. you both were outside and u were petting the neighborhood black cat and bruh almost swallowed his head

which u thought was weird bc the two are normally friends and are pretty nice around each other

so now he’s more feisty around him and any other cat that’d get ur attention

If it was a person, then that’s another thing. He’d be very friendly at first but then slowly realize that ur attention is more directed on them than him. then he’d go ballistic

but when u scold him for practically assaulting the poor dude and call him a bad boy,,,he’s lost it

u have to lock him in the other room and he’s crying and whimpering, scratching at the door. all he wanted to do was protect u from that bad bad man who took away his owner’s attention !!!

def snarls at the dude next time he comes into ur house/apartment...dude never came back

“GRRR” “AAAA GET UR FRIGGIN DOG B-” “he don bite” YES IT DO GET UR-”

doggie bokuto rlly tries to be slick...it doesn’t work. like he tries to do that thing when he’s a total demon towards the guy but then act like an angel around u but it doesnt work bc he’s not smooth

doggie intelligence: 2 IQ. one time u got him a puzzle box and hid a treat in it but bruh couldnt figure it out just straight up monched the entire puzzle simply bc he smelled his fav bbq treat in it

speaking of intelligence - he only knows how to say a few words like ur name and incomplete sentences. speaks in barks and whines and sometimes a word

SO BIG THAT HE GRABS FOOD FROM THE TABLE WHEN YOU’RE NOT LOOKING

u had some delicious beef steak? oh dear, where did it go? there’s ur puppy kou with steak sauce all over his lips

big fan of hiking trips, sports, literally anything that involves going out

he LOVES getting dirty outside playing. boi cant control himself from rolling around in the mud

hates baths at first but then he likes how u spray the water on him and giggles awww he likes bath time now

we all know he’s not the brightest pup of the pack but,,,he’s somehow psychic. he knows when ur taking him to the vet

HE THROWS A BIG FUSS ALL THE TIME - sometimes he tries to hide but his huge tail under the couch gives it away

and he knows when ur thinking of taking him on a walk. he also begs u to take him outside by settling his head in ur lap and pouting until u give him what he wants

he likes the big ol doggie sweaters/pjs u buy him...but he always ruins them. no matter how much u buy him, they’re all ruined. he complains how scratchy it is and it feels weird on him

knows LOTS of tricks but if u teach him more than what he already knows he will forget one of them he’s like a damn pokemon

he feels ur emotions :((( if ur mood is down his tail droops :(( and he gives u cuddles and tries to make u feel better

he even likes to make a fool out of himself and be silly if it makes u laugh :((( he’s so precious

in other words i love doggy bokuto

pirate!ushijima

we are: kidnapped

ah yes we’re are captives of the most fearsome pirates of the seas: shiratorizawa

just so you know, tendou was the instigator. he was all “let’s kidnap a noble’s kid and get the ransom money!” (whether you actually are a noble or not is up to you)

thing is, nobody’s willing to pay (if you aren’t a noble) or the pirates really pissed off the folks in charge and are now doing a manhunt

so yeah you aren’t going back anytime soon

but he’s a pretty good sport about it - very hospitable

he notices the little things u like and gets them for u <333 sighs <333

he saw you reading that book? wow look at that, there’s suddenly a stack of them and the same genre he saw you reading

but you definitely shouldn’t test him. he’s SUPER scary when it comes down to it

you saw how ruthless he was with the rogues that had dared to challenge him on sea

mf made them walk the plank

you help on the ship bc u wanna be useful and also shirabu keeps being mean

he asks u to teach the crew how to read cuz theyre dumb as shit and only know water and treasure

speaking of treasure - when he leaves u on the ship to explore a cave, he gets u really pretty jewelry <33 anything u ask for

“oh, welcome back captain. how was your mission?” “i brought back a few trinkets i thought you might like.” *reveals whole chest of priceless gems* “are they to your liking? if not, we can set sail for something else that might interest you.” “I-”

bruh got a pet eagle - u ask the crew and they dont even know how tf it happened

hell, even he doesn’t know how it happened wtf. “oh. one day it flew down to me and i fed it. that’s all.” wtf

equivalent to diluc’s bird - he didn’t even give it a name so he gives u the honors

U name him rigatoni (you got a great naming sense btw)

oh my god oh my god oh my god HE TRIES TO PROTECT U WHEN PPL WERE TRYNA INVADE THE SHIP

it was the first thing he did no cap - burst into ur room and scoops u up <33333

“what the-” “we need to get you to safety. we are under attack.” and holds u close to his chest AAAHSIDHFPSDHFN OH MY LORD YES

HAS THE TEAM GIVE U SELF DEFENSE LESSONS AFTER THAT

tendou tries to give u a sword but ushi says no “she could hurt herself.”

“but ushiwaka! we can teach her not to hurt herself” “...it’s my orders.” “c’mon, be more honest, ushiwaka! what’s the real reason?”

he goes quiet then looks at u “...i’ll always be there to help. she’ll have me.” AOISHSDHFSNDF

HELPPPPP SIOJFDSKFJP HES SO CHARMING AND HE DOESNT EVEN TRY

but the rest of the crew are like “then what’s the point”

but tendou sneaks u a dagger just to be safe

sorry ur apart of the crew now - but they’re like a family even if they did kidnap u

oh whatever your life before wasn’t as cool as this (no offense)

they are given orders to protect u at all costs

speaking of which - ushi isn’t all that great w guns

almost blew his own head off tryna figure out how it works before reon snatched it from him

he brings you with him to towns and cities and he likes taking u to the markets to get you stuff

ushijima tell me your love language is gift-giving without telling me your love language is gift-giving-

he finds out you’re pretty good at bargaining and brings you onshore a lot more

is mesmerized at how you absolutely BERATE the merchant who was tryna rip you off like sis where is this violence coming from??? he loves it??

he also likes to stop by some pretty islands and imagines just settling down in such a nice place w you <333 SIGHS <333 VERY <333 LOUDLY <333

no matter how much he likes you...he will NOT let you drive the boat under any circumstances </3 its his livelihood c’mon man

whenever you have to stay on the ship while he’s away he sends rigatoni to give messages and the two of u talk thru messages

speaking of which rigatoni is fierce and can definitely sink his talons and his sharp beak into any bastard that dares get near you while the captain is away

wakatoshi “swimming is for pussies” ushijima - he’s water resistant

bruh so powerful he walks on water

second coming of christ who

IM JUST KIDDING he does swim but we hardly ever see it

legends say (tendou says) he looks rlly awkward doing it and only knows how to doggie paddle

speaking of our homeboy tendou - he loooves spooking the team (and especially you) with scary stories . don’t worry tho - this is all a ploy to get the beeg pirate husband to comfort u at night ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) he is ur wingman u can count on him. but his suggestions are ridiculous

“Jump off the deck and see if he’ll catch you!” um excuse me- THOU SHALT NOT PUT BIG HUSBAND TO THE TEST

he’s got good intentions...i think…

but everyone literally knows he would dive after you

in other words pirate!ushijima is a softie at heart but goddamn he probably secretly has a pet shark so dont test him or u goin overboard

mafia leader!kita

we are: associate from different group/family

kita highly respects u and yall have been acquainted since u were young with the alliance of ur families

so in a way ur childhood friends but yall do have lil bit of friendly rivalry a bit

arranged marriage whuuuutttt...yeah thats what happened but u love him <3

nobody else knows about ur arranged marriage but you two

POLITE GENTLEMAN <333 !!! HNNNNNNNN his granny raised him right even tho he’s a mafia leader

RICH BOY RICH BOY RICH BOY- ALWAYS DRESSES DASHINGLY AND SMELLS GREAT MMMMMM

he owns the majority of the underground casinos

and has lots of connections with others. countless, might i add.

you on the other hand specialize as an arms dealer so he cherishes your services the most

prob has the traditional tattoos allllll over his back and shoulders w like a dragon or sm and def a fox or kitsune

when u two were little he asked ur favorite flower and GOT THAT TATTOOED ON HIS BACK <3 probably secretly has your initials hidden in there somewhere

u both have a silent understanding of each other and he talks to u more than he does anyone

before he used to smoke but once he figured out that you didn’t like the smell of cigarettes he quit just like that

his underlings, the miya twins are so confused on how kita switches from totally brutal and ruthless to so soft around u

they can’t tease him for it, though, cuz he’d pulverize them

but they want to know more about u,,,you mysterious enigma,,,but kita would kill them if they dared asked about you

so they go to inarizaki’s most secretive informant/cyber mercenary, suna rintarou

and suna knows all about you. he saw you one time and he was curious about who you were and is now rlly scared of you because he dug too deep and you’ve got LOTS of history

he doesn’t dare tell the twins what he found no matter how much they bug him

until they bribe him at just the right price

and when aran finds out and tells kita?? ohhh boy it’s lights out for all three of them

oh my god ,,, would kill for u he loves u so much

one time you were kidnapped and held hostage

bro saw red

MAFIA ANNIHILATION SPEEDRUN ANY % NO GLITCH

he got world record time

wiped out the entire conglomerate behind it - nothing and nobody left behind after that

and of course, made sure you were safe.

yandere? ofc not...i mean...just look at him...so innocent...he would never...sharpening that knife...with splattered blood all over him...

is now joined at the hip with u,,,no matter how much you tell him you’ll be fine now and that you have tons of reliable bodyguards he won’t let it go

“don’t you have to go back to your place?” “this is my duty as both a fellow associate and your future husband.” aww,,,ur so sweet...but BRUH PLEASE GO HOME ARAN IS DOING EVERYTHING OVER THERE

makes sure to build a headquarters DIRECTLY NEXT TO YOURS so that its faster

and it’s not long until he just signs a deal to merge ur factions together (since yall getting married anyways)

and oh my god...ur underground wedding is SO SO PRETTY

absolutely DOESN’T care if he’s smuggling jewels from different countries - he’s having your ring CUSTOM MADE and the way you want it. “the diamond is too small? sure thing, darling, i’ll have it 7 times that size.”

makes sure everything is perfect in ur wedding <333 its very extravagant and even though its not really his style he’ll do anything for you

he absolutely WOULD take your last name if you wanted. FIGHT ME ON THIS

takes you to his private island for ur honeymoon so that the two of you don’t have to worry about work

meanwhile aran is scrambling around the place trying to cover for the both of you

he’s a VERY romantic husband - NEVER takes off his ring even for security. he says its practically a part of him just like you are <3

the ring has a built in tracker connected to an app. possessive? noooo...

in other words this escalated pretty quickly but i aint complaining if it gets me married to kita

--

--EXTRA EXTRA!! other characters’ roles!!--

officer!daichi:

karasuno squadron consists of:

cops: daichi (duh), asahi (mostly patrol, he hates confrontation), tanaka & noya (mostly accompanied by ennoshita), hinata & kageyama

investigators/detectives: sugawara, ennoshita, yamaguchi, tsukishima, kiyoko, yachi

surveillance: narita, kinoshita, tsukishima too

househusband!oikawa:

makki and mattsun are also househusbands

iwaizumi is a malewife fhasodjkasdhf-

ceo!kuroo:

lev is the newbie that walked in on u two-

janet still a bitch

kenma is his fellow ceo buddy. he also owns a multimillion dollar company and kuroo’s and his have a sort-of contract so you see him a lot in meetings

yaku is like one of the top performing managers so whenever yall have branch meetings he’s there

dog hybrid!bokuto:

kuroo is the black neighborhood cat bokuto almost murdered cough cough i did that on purpose yes i did

kenma is also another neighborhood cat. you don’t see him around that often but now that bokuto got jealous he stays far away.

hinata is the orange chihuahua i briefly mentioned

i couldn’t decide whether akaashi would stay human and be his previous owner or also be a cat/dog/owl. so lets say he’s ur human friend that is your bestie and comes over a lot. bokuto likes him, though. still gets jealous a bit.

pirate!ushijima:

tendou is practically is right hand man

the rest of the team have something to give idk how to explain pirate team members okay-

BUT BUT BUT- they do have sea rivals which are the seijoh pirates. you ran into them one day and oikawa thought you were kidnapped (you were, but you liked it there) so he tried to do you justice and failed miserably. ushijima ragdolled him into the ocean when he flirted w you.

mafia!kita:

the twins are something akin to mercenaries basically. or just plain lackeys.

suna is an informant/cyber mercenary. he gathers information about ppl which is how he knew about you. and he’s a hacker lol.

aran is his second-in-command, omimi + ginjima are his bodyguards

a/n: im going to regret posting this

#haikyuu #haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu x you #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu captains #daichi sawamura #oikawa toru #kuroo tetsuro #kita shinsuke #ushijima wakatoshi #bokuto kotaro #x reader

[justthehiddleswrites]

Accidently Married | Tom Hiddleston x OFC | Chapter 2 | Be Careful with Clive, I Have Grown Attached to Him

A/N:  Tom makes certain comments about an ex (who is unnamed).  It is a fictional girlfriend, take from it what you will.  Keep your hate to yourself.  

SERIES MASTERLIST HERE

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x OFC (Molly Bishop)

Summary: Tom is stuck in a news cycle from hell; Molly is stuck in the dead end job of bartending with a pile of student and credit debt.  Tom has an idea to solve all their problems.  Get married, get the paparazzi off his back, divorce after a year and Tom pays off Molly’s debts.  Tom has everything figured out, that is until he sees Molly as more than a just a friend and so does someone else.  In this vying for affections who will win, the handsome Brit or the boy from Boston?

This Chapter: Tom and Molly are now married.  Surprise! These two talk about the logistics of Tom’s half-baked plan.  And Molly moves to London to face the firing squad, aka the paparazzi.  

Warnings: fake marriage, smut (vaginal sex), mentions of:  child abuse/neglect, foster care, substance abuse, cheating.

TAGLIST IS OPEN! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED!  THANK YOU FOR READING!

–

After they signed the license along with the apostille, there had been dancing. That much Molly remembered. And drinking. Specifically drinking champagne. Tom danced with abandon, pulling Molly into the whirlwind of activity he created around him.

But now it was morning, and Molly woke up in a bed that wasn’t her own. She groaned as her head pounded, having forgotten that champagne and her have a love-hate relationship. Molly saw the faint outline of Tom asleep on the couch, his long body stretched out, still wearing his suit from last night. After glancing at the alarm clock, Molly fell back asleep.

Several hours, Molly woke up again and headed to the bathroom, not noticing the now opened curtains.

“Hey good lookin, Whatcha got cookin,” Tom’s voice twanged as he stepped out of the shower. His head pounded a bit, but not the worst hangover he had.

“AHHH!!!” Molly screamed as she stepped into the bathroom.

They both froze, which was more embarrassing for Tom, as at least Molly was still wearing her dress from last night.

“You’re naked.” Molly blinked, her head darting around the room until she focused on an interesting corner of the room.

Tom chuckled, grabbing a towel and wrapping it loosely around his waist. “I don’t normally shower in my clothes. You can look back now.”

She slowly turned back around. “Sorry.” She shuffled her feet. “I should have knocked.”

“It’s quite alright.” He moved towards the door. “Shower is yours and we should talk things over.”

Molly nodded. “We should.”

While Molly showered, Tom dressed in the other room. After finding a clean t-shirt for Molly to wear over her dress until she could change, he called the airlines and changed his single ticket for that morning to a later flight for two, fishing Molly’s ID out of her wallet.

“Thanks for the shirt.” she stepped out.

“It looks good on you.” Tom gestured to the sofa. “Sit. Would you like some breakfast?” Her stomach growled. They both laughed. “That would be a yes.” Tom shoved the room service menu. “Order what you like.”

She selected an egg white frittata while Tom got the pancakes. Tom put in the order and returned his attention to Molly.

“So let’s talk about how this will work.” Tom shifted in his seat.

“An excellent idea. You mentioned living together in London. When do we leave?”

“This afternoon.”

Molly coughed. “That quick?”

“I’m afraid so.” Tom’s hands fidgeted in his lap. She noticed he was still wearing the spider ring. “I have work obligations back home and in order for it to be believable you would need to live with me.”

“Naturally.” Molly slapped her thighs. “So after breakfast, I can head back to my apartment, pack up what little I have, say goodbye to my roommate, and change into appropriate clothing. And you need to get us some proper rings.” She waved her hot pink ring in the air. “Unless of course you intend for your bride to wear a ring from the top of a cupcake.”

“Only if I get to keep my ring. I’ve grown quite attached to Clive.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You named the spider?”

“Yes.” There was a knock on the door. “That will be the food. Allow me.” He disappeared and returned shortly with a rolling table, ladened with food. Tom poured a cup of coffee and offered one to Molly.

“I don’t drink coffee.”

“I can have them bring up a teapot.”

“I’m pretty sure there are some complimentary ones in the room. Now,” She cut into her food and took a bite. “how will everything else work? Living with you, your life, the paparazzi? That is the whole point of this charade.”

“You do get down to business. So yes, I would expect you to live in my home. In a separate bedroom, I can set up another room as an office for you. We would need to attend events together and generally appear as a loving couple on the outside.”

“And my debts? That is part of the deal, right?”

“Right,” Tom gazed over at her while eating his pancakes. “I would assume the payments while we are together, and after the divorce is final, I would pay off any balance. I would also take care of your daily expenses while we are married. You are welcome to work if you want, but I will give you spending money.”

“So I would be a trophy wife?” Her brown eyes glinted.

Tom waved his hands in front of him. “Not that is not what I meant… I…”

“I am kidding, Tom. If you prefer, I can not work. I don’t mind. Give me some time to figure things out.” A thought came to her. “What about…” Molly searched for the words. “… other needs? Or if you wish to engage in a romantic relationship?” Her cheeks blushed as the words fell out of her mouth.

Tom blushed as well. “I have great self-control and I think if either of us get to that point, we can discuss it. I don’t want you to feel trapped.”

“And I don’t want you to be trapped either. I guess that is as good of an answer I could expect. Anything you want to ask me?”

Tom stared at Molly. The air hung heavy. “Do you regret saying yes?”

“No. Do you regret asking?”

“No.”

Molly downed the rest of her juice. “Well then, it is all settled. I am going to take off to pack. And you have some shopping to do. My ring size is a 7.”

Tom finished up the last bite of pancakes. “Right. We need to leave here by 3 to make it to the airport.”

“I shouldn’t be more than a few hours. Do you have a key to the room I could borrow?”

Tom fished one out of his discarded jacket’s pocket. “Here I will have the front desk make me another one.”

She tapped the key against her nails. “Thanks, Tom. For the help and for being a decent guy.”

“I should be thanking you.”

“You already have.” She grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

-

Tom headed downstairs, asked the front desk for a new key to the room, and also inquired where the nearest jewelry store might be. The front clerk handed him a key and directed him to a small collection of luxury stores in the hotel. He found Tiffanys and purchased a classic platinum solitaire engagement ring and plain platinum band for Molly and a yellow gold band for himself.

Molly wasn’t back when he returned, so he set about packing up for the flight. His phone buzzed. Luke.

It appears you had a good time in Vegas. The papers say you are drowning your sorrows. Looks like the story is here to stay. Call me when you wake up from your nap at home.

Tom typed back.

I did have a good time. I have a feeling the papers will soon find another story soon. Still in Vegas, taking a later flight. Talk to you soon.

His phone rang. He clicked it off, seeing it was Luke. Rather to get all the yelling done in person. The door opened and Molly came in, dragging a suitcase behind.

“Sorry! My roommate had questions.”

“So does my publicist.”

Tom took in Molly for the first time, really. Outside of the light of a casino floor. And not in a wedding dress purchased for fifty dollars on the way to the chapel. She wore faded jeans, a pair of beat up black Converse and a boxy white tee tucked in. A large black cardigan tucked under her arm. Dark hair in a bun. Quite lovely, if Tom told the truth.

“Are you in some sort of trouble?” Her brows knitted together.

“Not yet.” Tom tucked his phone into his jean pocket. “Here.” He pulled out the little blue bag.

Molly gasped. “I thought you would go buy some costume jewelry. This is too much.”

“Nonsense. This marriage may be fake, but the jewelry will be real.” Tom opened up the boxes. “May I do the honors?”

Molly held out her hand, and Tom slipped off the plastic ring before replacing it with the wedding set. “Much better. And yours?”

Tom slapped the box into her hand. “Be careful with Clive.” Molly pursed her lips as she pulled off the spider ring and replaced it with the gold band, putting the plastic ring in the Tiffanys box. “Here you go. Clive’s new home.”

Tom tucked the box into his luggage. “Ready to go?”

Molly rocked back on her heels. “Yep.”

Tom held out his arm. “Let’s go home, Mrs. Hiddleston.”

-

The flight back was uneventful, Molly and Tom dozed off, leaning against each other for support. Molly woke up first. She stared down at her rings. This was not how she expected this weekend going. Molly thought she would scrap together enough tips to make an extra payment on her credit card. Not flying to London with a Tiffany diamond ring on her finger and a famous actor as her husband.

“Life does throw you curveballs from time to time.”

“What was that, darling?” Tom muttered, stretching in his seat.

“Just commenting on the craziness of all of this to myself.” She held out her hand again. Tom laced his fingers with hers.

“I have done the same thing myself. Now when we land, there will probably be paparazzi around. Are you up for getting this whole thing off and running?”

Molly perked up. “What do I need to do?”

-

Tom tightly gripped Molly’s hand throughout the concourse and baggage claim. They eyed the doors.

“Ready?” she asked, squeezing his hand.

“I promise to be gentle.” Tom squeezed back, smiling.

As they stepped through the doors, Tom flashed a killer smile and Molly did as well, giggling as his arm wrapped around her waist. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. Molly melted against him, making sure her rings were visible as she cupped his cheek. She was right, Tom was an excellent kisser. After making sure any photographers had plenty of time to snap a pic, they parted.

“Think they got my good side?” Molly giggled.

“Do you have a bad side?” Tom asked.

“Just wait and see. Now take me home, darling!” She threw her arm over her eyes dramatically.

“Drama queen.” Tom pinched her side.

-

Tom’s home was cozy and clean. Definitely a bachelor’s home, as evidenced by the empty fridge except for a few bottles of beer and some questionable brown sauce.

“I can go shopping later.” Tom dragged a toe along the kitchen floor.

“I can go shopping later.” She reached up and smacked his face playfully. “What kind of wife would I be if I didn’t feed my husband?”

“Fair point. I will call the bank tomorrow and get a card in your name. Just run any big purchases past me first. And we will need to get your name changed, passport, etc. I can have someone help you.” Tom prattled on.

“Why don’t you show me the rest of the place first?”

Tom held out his arm. “This way.”

Tom’s book collection was impressive along with his collection of movies.

“I clear some space if you need it.”

“I only packed clothes. My roommate is selling the rest, including my car and wiring me the money.”

“Oh.” Tom’s face fell. “Let me show you the bedrooms.”

He showed you a small guest room. “This could be an office for you and next door is a bigger bedroom for you.” Tom hustled along the hallway to open the next door. “Here.”

It was a bigger room with a queen bed and a wardrobe. Spare and clearly used for company.

“It will do just fine. And the bathroom is across the hall which is nice. Where’s your room?”

Tom made his way to the end of the hall and opened the door to his room, decorated in tones of grey and navy. A large king sized bed taking up most of the room along with a dresser. A bathroom en suite and a small closet completed the space.

“Very nice. Do you mind if I steal the color palette to decorate my room?”

“Please do. I never got around to decorate it. My sisters and mother are the only ones who stay in there.”

Molly paled a bit. She hadn’t thought about Tom’s family. “I supposed I will meet them soon.”

“I supposed so. It would be odd for my wife not to meet them. I hadn’t thought about it.”

Molly rocked back and forth. “Now why don’t I go shopping and you unpack and relax?”

“I would feel better if I came with you. You are in a different country, a strange city. And what if you have problems with the card?”

“Then let’s go and you can point out some of your favorite foods.”

“It’s a deal.”

-

“When I said pick out your favorite foods, I didn’t expect it to be only sweets. Did I marry a seven-year-old?”

“I’m 35, thank you. and I enjoy those sweets.”

“You eat like a college frat boy.”

“Guilty.”

“That is definitely changing now that I am around. You can’t continue to eat like that. There are things called vegetables.”

Tom snapped his fingers. “I’ve heard of those.”

“Get out of here!” Molly swatted at him. “I am certain you have things to attend to, and I need to familiarize myself with the kitchen.”

“Are you kicking me out of my kitchen?”

“Our kitchen. And yes.” Molly smirked.

“I yield! I yield. I’ll be in my study if you need me.” Tom walked out of the kitchen and towards his study.

He spied his phone sitting on the desk, still off from the flight. By now, any pictures should have been posted somewhere. Tom collapsed into his desk chair and clicked the phone on. While he waited for it to start up, he could overhear Molly puttering about in the kitchen, muttering to herself as she put away the groceries.

Buzz. Ten messages and eleven missed calls. He didn’t bother to listen to them and instead dialed Luke.

“Luke, I’m back in town. Thought I wou—” Tom started in as soon as Luke picked up.

“I WASN’T FUCKING SERIOUS WHEN I SAID TO GET MARRIED??! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND?!”

Tom pulled the phone away from his ear. “No, I haven’t. But I am married. To a wonderful girl. Her name is Molly. Molly Bishop. You should meet her, Luke.”

“YOU ARE FUCKING RIGHT I’LL MEET HER. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! SHE CAN HELP IDENTIFY YOUR BODY, THOMAS!” Luke continued to scream on the phone.

“Can you dial back the volume, Luke? I would like to preserve my hearing. Is there something wrong with marrying the woman I love?”

Luke cleared his throat. Tom understood Luke was doing his best to collect himself. “Apologies. There is nothing wrong with marrying the woman you love, Tom. Nothing at all. Except I don’t think you love this woman, since until a few weeks ago you were in love with—”

“Don’t say her name, it will ruin my marital bliss. I’m a hopeless romantic, Luke.”

“Hopeless, yes. Romantic, the jury is still out. And your fans don’t count, they are blinded by you. But I see the truth.”

“Which is?”

“You are not as smart as you think you are.”

“Did any of the articles mention her?” Tom inquired, spinning his wedding band on his finger.

“No.”

“Then I am exactly as smart as I think I am.”

There was a clatter from the kitchen.

“Tom!” Molly called out. “I need your help.”

“Got to go, Luke. My wife needs my help.” Tom emphasized the word “wife.”

“This isn’t over, Tom.”

“It never is. Bye.”

More clattering and another cry. “Tom!”

Tom rushed into the kitchen to find Molly perched on top of the kitchen counter, reaching high into a cabinet.

“Why is everything so high in here?”

Tom chuckled and reached around her, pressing his torso against her back. Molly jumped for a moment at the touch.

“I’m not used to sharing my space. I’m six two, I put things where I can reach them. What are you grabbing?”

“The roasting pan.”

Tom pulled it down and placed it on the counter. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored it.

“Thank you. Well, I am five six, so unless you want me climbing counters for the next year, we need to rearrange some things.”

“But you’re so cute climbing around like a little monkey.”

Molly frowned. “Is that supposed to be a compliment? If so, then try again.”

Tom opened his mouth and closed it. “I’ll pull things down after dinner.”

“Thank you.” She rubbed his arm. “Now to try my hand at a roast dinner. Did you get stuff done?”

His phone buzzed again.

“I called my publicist. The pictures posted.” Tom pulled out his phone to shut it off.

“Oh good. So I take it, I had the desired effect.” Molly crunched on a carrot and offered one to Tom, who wrinkled his nose.

The two of you. My office 8 a.m. tomorrow. No excuses. I want to meet the blushing bride.

Tom frowned at the screen.

“It would appear so. I suggest you go to bed early because you are meeting Luke, my publicist tomorrow.”

Molly’s mouth fell open. “Should I be worried?”

Tom smiled at her. “No, I should be.”

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston fanfiction #tom hiddleston fanfic #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston fluff #tom hiddleston x ofc #tom hiddleston angst #tom hiddleston smut #accidently married

[zevlors-tail]

Mornings

A/N: Just a little TodoDeku x Reader thing I had saved in my drafts. I feel like some of it doesn’t flow, sorry. I worked on it at different times, and to be completely honest, I wrote it in a different POV when I started it so I had to go back and change the first few paragraphs. I figured you guys needed something, and this gave me a break from everything else. 

Pairing: Poly TodoDeku x GN!Reader

Warnings: Mild angst, Todoroki crying, mention of nightmares, shirtless Izuku

Genre: Mild angst, mostly domestic fluff.

Oh yeah I forgot because I was tired but I came back here to emphasize that this is an established poly relationship between Izuku, Todoroki, and the reader, and that both boys and the reader are aged up 21+ as they always are in my poly pairings.

The blaring of an alarm clock drags you from your sleepy reverie as you slowly come to. Your eyes are still tired and blurry, but you recognize the familiar green mop of hair to your right as Izuku’s. It takes you a minute to process everything with your brain still half asleep, but you feel him reach around and over you to hit the snooze button, effectively silencing the bane of your existence every morning. Squinting, you roll over and read the time; 5:00 am is way too damn early to be awake right now.

The boy who only moments ago had been snoring peacefully next to you suddenly sits up, stares blankly for a moment to gather his bearings, then carefully slips out of bed so as not to wake you and Shouto (though it was a bit too late for your sake). When he realized you were staring him down with groggy eyes and a cute pout, he smiled but couldn’t help feeling bad for waking you up. He tried to apologize quietly, ruffling your hair gently before giving you a quick kiss on the cheek while telling you to go back to sleep. But you knew it was too late for that, and you rubbed at your eyes sleepily as you watched him change into the familiar pair of basketball shorts he used to work out in and one of his many signature graphic tees.

“Zuku, can I go with you on your run?” you whispered, trying to push yourself up from the bed slowly. But before you could make it all the way up, a pair of arms wound their way around your torso, and you felt yourself being dragged back down to the mattress softly. Todoroki nuzzled his face into your neck from behind, exhaling a warm puff of air that sent goosebumps down your arms and caused the hair at the nape of your neck to raise slightly.

“I don’t think Shouto wants you to,” Izuku chuckled, “although I’m sure he would understand if you did. Do you want me to wait for you?”

Behind you, Shouto mumbled a halfhearted “Stay,” sleep evident in his voice as he drifted back to dreamland before he even finished speaking.

The warmth he radiated and the soft blankets you snuggled back into were enough to keep you from trying to get up a second time, and you were entirely tempted to succumb to the newfound drowsiness that washed over you. “S’ fine...” you murmured to your partner. If you had the energy to say more you would have, but Shouto’s even breathing was lulling you to sleep faster than you realized. “Hey...Deku?” The words were barely coherent, but they were there and he heard them. He took them especially serious at the mention of his hero name, which he knew you only used when you really needed something.

“Yes, sweetheart?” He made his way over the edge of the bed, kneeling down to your level as he lightly ran his thumb over your jawline in a loving way.

“Can I have your sweatshirt? Smells like you...” Your eyes were already closed again, facial features relaxing as Izuku continued to caress your cheek with his thumb.

“Of course, love.” Izuku smiled at the request. He gave you one last look of adoration before starting to rummage through the room for a specific hoodie that he’d worn to work this week; it happened to be his softest one, and he’d drenched the thing with his cologne on accident, so it probably still smelled like him.

He let out a small noise in triumph as he found the sweatshirt on the back of his computer chair before he gave it an experimental sniff to make sure it really was clean. It was, although he’d definitely used way too much of his cologne for his liking; good thing he wasn’t the one who would be using it today. Making his way back to you, he scrunched his nose up at the overbearing smell and let a puff of air out of his nose. You would love it.

“Here, baby.” You felt him gently shake you to get your attention, but you refused to open your eyes, instead latching onto his arm that held the hoodie and cuddling up to both. “H-Hey, hun-” Izuku let out a quiet laugh at your reaction while carefully trying to pull his arm away. You eventually gave in and let go, preferring to rub your face into his shirt and take a deep breath in to smell his cologne. “I love you both dearly. Sweet dreams.”

And with one last pat to both your and Shouto’s head, Izuku was out the door and on his usual morning run.

The next time you woke, golden rays of sun were filtering in through the blinds covering your window and Todoroki was stirring quietly next to you, a yawn escaping his lips. You were curled tightly into a ball, your arms curled into your chest while your hands grabbed at something you didn’t remember having before bed last night. Opening your eyes and letting them focus for a moment, you realized you were holding one of Izuku’s favorite hoodies, and a few fleeting memories from earlier in the morning returned as you rolled over to greet Shouto.

“Hi, baby.”

Shouto smiled affectionately at your hello and brought a hand to rest against your cheek before leaning in for a kiss. “Morning, babe. Did you sleep okay?”

“I did. How did you sleep, princess?” you teased.

“I slept okay,” he forced out after an odd pause. You could tell there was more he wanted to say, that there was an unspoken ‘but’ at the end of his words, though he remained quiet and didn’t explain any further.

“Are you having those dreams again?” you asked quietly, your voice barely above a whisper. You weren’t really afraid to ask, but you knew it could bring up bad memories for him if you pried any more than necessary.

“No.” He frowned, but the tension in his face didn’t leave. “I haven’t had any dreams about my father for a really long time now, ever since I moved in with you and Izuku.”

You were touched. You’d known since the start of your relationship that Todoroki sometimes had night terrors, and most of the time they consisted of his father or his mother, maybe even a few other family members. It wasn’t uncommon for either you or Izuku to get a phone call from him in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning right as you were waking up before you all moved in together. It had happened a few times after you were all sharing the house together, but someone had always been there physically to comfort him after that. And now that you thought back on it, it had stopped shortly after the move, which meant that having you and Izuku around all the time must have really helped him cope.

“Really? I’m so glad to hear that! We were really worried about you for a while, you know.” You smiled and ran a hand through his hair gently causing him to hum in appreciation and lean into your touch. His hand fell from your face and came to rest atop the one carding through his hair, momentarily pulling it away to stop the motion even though it seemed he wanted more.

“I love you,” he said suddenly, firmly, as if he would never again get the chance. His tone startled you, and you met his heterochromatic eyes to see tears forming in the corners of them.

“I love you too. Hey, what’s wrong?” You kept your voice soft so as not to further overwhelm him, though your chest flooded with anxiety about what could possibly be bothering him.

Shouto squeezed your hand tightly before responding, eyes scrunching up as he bit back a sob and sniffed. “I don’t have those dreams anymore, which is nice, but...” He couldn’t help the small cry that escaped his throat; you felt your heart crack at the sound. “It was a nightmare, a-and you...Midoriya...I couldn’t save you-!” 

You wasted no time in pulling your partner to your chest, your arms wrapping around him securely as you placed his head under your chin. Shouto was a silent crier, but his body heaved with every breath and shook with every tear that left him. You did your best to provide comfort. The three of you were all too familiar with nightmares, as they were often a product of your jobs as heroes, and each of you had been subject to awful dreams after failed missions and jobs gone wrong. In fact, you recalled having one just the other night about a particular villain you’d fought against and lost to earlier in the month- if it weren’t for Bakugou, you weren’t sure what would have happened...he had pried you from the villain’s clutches himself and saved your life with basic first aid after you’d been heavily wounded.

You each dealt with nightmare’s differently, but the bottom line was that you were all there for each other when you needed to be. Even now, as Shouto sobbed into your shirt, you were there pressing kisses to his temple and rubbing a hand on his back, murmuring sweet nothings and words of comfort until he had regained some of his composure. When he finally calmed down enough to breathe evenly again, he pulled away from your embrace and kissed you once more on the lips; it was his way of both thanking you and reassuring you that he was okay.

You returned his sweet kiss before reaching behind you, your hand feeling around on the bed for something specific you knew would benefit your boyfriend more than it would you right now. Finally finding purchase in the soft material, you pulled Izuku’s hoodie over to the other side of the bed where Shouto was and set it in front of him. He gladly melted into it just as you had when Deku had given it to you. 

“Smells like Midoriya.” Todoroki sniffled and closed his eyes, one hand fisting your shared partner’s shirt and his other lacing his fingers between yours, palms warm and soft.

You let your mind drift as you both laid there together in a comfortable silence. Birds chirping outside and the sounds of people going about their everyday lives created a sort of morning ambiance while you absentmindedly started humming, the most recent catchy tune you had heard finding it’s way to your vocal chords as you serenaded the bedroom softly.

“Please don’t stop,” Todoroki pleaded with you. His eyes were still closed, his face finally soft and relaxed.

You only smiled and continued. About a half hour later, while you were in the middle of singing a sweet melody that Todoroki had personally asked for, you heard the sound of the front door opening and shoes behind kicked off hastily before heavy footsteps were trudging up the stairs to the bedroom. You stopped singing as Deku opened the door, Shouto grumbling out a complaint about you stopping before lifting his head up to see what the commotion was about.

“I’m back, and I brought breakfast and coffee!” He set a drink carrier down on the computer desk along with a couple small bags that smelled of something sweet before ripping off his sweaty shirt, tossing it on the floor without a care in the world. “Scoot over!” He gave only one single warning before he was diving into the bed with the two of you, worming his way in between you with a sly smile and snuggling up to your front side in all his sweaty glory.

“Oh, Izu, yuck-” You feigned disgust but laughed and pulled him close regardless, your nose undecided about whether the smell of his sweat was gross or appealing. There was something about when you caught the two boys post-workout before they showered; you weren’t sure why, but it made you feel certain ways.

“You know you love it! Come here, both of you!” He wrapped an arm around each of you and pulled you both to his chest, Todoroki smirking and cuddling into him while you tried to pull away playfully. But he was much stronger physically, and you only squirmed as he held you in place.

“Can you go back to singing now, Y/N?” Shouto asked, his voice much more upbeat now.

“Oh, you were singing? Can I make a request!?” Izuku interjected.

“Only if you let me go so I can get up and pee.” You sat up as he released his hold on you, a triumphant grin on your face as you swung your legs out of bed and made a dash to get up. “Ha! Breakfast is mine!”

“Oh no you don’t-” Curse Izuku’s quirk. There was a reason he was the number one hero in Japan; he outmatched you not just in physical capabilities, but speed as well. You let out a happy squeal as he reached over and grabbed you from behind, lifting you up slightly and tossing you in the middle of the bed between the two boys.

“I wasn’t done cuddling yet.” Todoroki snuggled into you, and you didn’t try to move this time as Izuku curled around you from behind.

“You two were so cute this morning, all cuddled up in bed. I wish I would have taken a picture; it was adorable. And then when I gave you my hoodie, Y/N, you latched on to my arm and wouldn’t let go...what a cutie.”

Your face flushed and grew hot, your heartbeat speeding up a little as Izuku squeezed you tight and pressed his lips against your neck.

“You still owe me half a song, Y/N.”

You ran a hand through Todoroki’s hair as you spoke, “Half your song, and then coffee and breakfast, or it’ll get cold.”

“I want a song too!”

You sighed, picking up where you left off and smiling to yourself. Even if breakfast got cold, you could reheat it. But moments like these? They only happened every so often, and you always made the most of them. Breakfast would just have to wait.

#poly tododeku x reader #tododeku x reader #izuku x reader x todoroki #poly bnha #poly tododeku #izuku x reader #shouto x reader #todoroki x reader #bnha x reader #mha x reader #bnha #mha #poly tododeku x reader fluff #sweater writes

[ex-vengeancedemon]

Hey Jealousy

One shot btvs fanfic inspired by this post by @trulyanenchantedrose

Summary: A what-if scenario where in episode 2x01 When She Was Bad, Buffy dances with Spike instead of Xander to make Angel jealous.

Edit: I wrote another version of this fic from Spike's POV called "Payback and Performances"

Read below or on ao3

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Buffy stood in front of her mirror examining the little black dress she had purchased over the summer with something like indifference. It would do for a night out at the Bronze with Xander and Willow. A real head turner. She caught herself wondering briefly if Angel might be there. Not that it mattered. He was just another vampire. And she was the slayer. A match made by some god with a sick sense of irony.

Without bothering to tell her mom where she was going, she grabbed her coat and marched out of the house towards the Bronze. It was a nice night for a walk. As she walked passed the cemetery, she pointedly avoided looking in the direction of the Master's grave. Out of sight, out of mind. Tonight was for letting loose and living life to the fullest. She had to enjoy it while it lasted. It probably wouldn't last long. She had already cheated death once and wasn't expecting any more freebies.

She was surprised when she found herself standing in front of the Bronze with its characteristic illuminated sign. The walk had gone quicker than she had anticipated. She barely even remembered it. It was difficult to stay grounded lately. She often caught herself drifting... and she wasn't sure if returning to Sunnydale had improved the situation. Seeing everyone again, it was a lot to handle all at once. They all wanted her to be fine, to act normal. As if she didn't want that too.

Buffy steeled herself and took a deep breath. She could do this. Whatever fresh hell was thrown her way, she could handle it. She opened the door and entered the Bronze with her head held high and a bravado she found suited to the occasion. Cibo Matto had just started up a new song and the Bronze was packed with people swaying and dancing to the beat. Buffy shrugged off her coat and began to sway in time with the music as she started towards Willow and Xander's table. Of course, they were just sitting there. They never seemed able to make a move without her.

Before she could make it more than five steps through the door, she was intercepted by none other than her old flame, Angel. If he wasn't a centuries old vampire with seemingly constant ominous warnings, she might think he was stalking her. Despite her outward apathy, her mind flashed back to the previous night when he had visited her room. He had said he missed her. She pushed the thought down.

"Hi," Buffy said, raising her eyebrows at him in a sort of question.

"Hi," Angel replied.

He seemed a bit nervous, looking down at the ground. Looking anywhere but her eyes. Figures.

"So, is there danger at the Bronze?" she drawled. "Should I beware?"

Angel sighed and shook his head. "I can't help thinking I've done something to make you angry. And that bothers me more than I'd like."

Was he talking about last night? Or right now? She wasn't angry, but if he carried on like this she might start to be. What did he mean by 'bothers me more than I'd like'? As if liking her was some kind of travesty that he wished he could have avoided.

Buffy shrugged. "I'm not angry. I don't know where that comes from."

Angel seemed unconvinced. Why was it so difficult to get people to take you at your word?

"What are you afraid of?" he persisted. "Me? Us?"

Buffy scoffed. "Could you contemplate getting over yourself for a second? There is no us." She shook her head and gave an exasperated laugh. "Look, Angel, I'm sorry if I was supposed to spend the summer mooning over you, but I didn't."

She thought she could see something like hurt on his face, but she didn't let up.

"I moved on," Buffy continued. Then, as she brushed passed him, she added for good measure, "To the living."

As if to prove her point, Buffy abruptly changed course, heading away from Xander and Willow and towards the dance floor. She caught her friends' puzzled expressions, but she ignored them. She could talk to them later. Or not. If not tonight, then tomorrow. They always seemed to be around. As unavoidable as Angel. Angel who was still watching her every move. What was the saying? We always want what we can't have?

Buffy felt multiple pairs of eyes on her as she scanned the dance floor. The dress was a success then. File that away for later. Finally she settled on a pair of eyes that had been watching her curiously from the edge of the dance floor. He was perfect. Bleached hair with a long black leather jacket, all he was missing was the studs for the punk-rock vibe. He looked like she felt: dangerous and out for trouble. It didn't hurt that he had a face that screamed "if looks could kill". That was important. But this wasn't retaliation, Buffy told herself, it was fun. It wasn't about Angel. It was about having a good time, and forgetting about-

Buffy strode up to the stranger as a bemused expression flickered across his features. Or maybe it was alarm? She couldn't really be sure. The lighting was dim.

"And just what can I do for you?" the stranger asked, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.

He had a British accent. Kind of like Giles. Only not like Giles. God, she really didn't want to be comparing him to Giles right now. She didn't want to be thinking of Giles at all. Or of vampires. Or slaying or any of it.

Buffy tilted her head in her best attempt at looking flirtatious. "Well this is a dance floor. Dance with me."

The stranger's eyes widened slightly and he let out a low chuckle. "Who am I to refuse a lady?"

Buffy took his hand and pulled him out into the center of the dance floor. No point in having fun if no one could see it. She spotted Angel still standing at the back out of her peripheral vision. Good. Maybe this would be what he needed to move on. She shoved down the sharp pain that thought caused.

Spinning around to face her new dance partner, Buffy slowly raised her hands above her head and began swaying her hips to the music. It was a slow, sultry song, which was perfect for all intents and purposes. Her partner placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer as he moved along with her.

He leaned in closer to her ear and said, "Name's Spike."

"I don't remember asking," Buffy replied, moving her arms down over his head.

What kind of name was Spike anyway? Guess it matched his general vibe.

Spike just grinned back and pulled her flush against him. "Oh you're a fiery one. I like it. Got to appreciate a girl with flair."

Buffy locked eyes with him, holding his gaze just a bit too long. She suddenly felt very exposed. Like she had been caught doing something she shouldn't. She hastily turned around with her back facing Spike, wrapping his arms back around her waist as she did so.

He leaned down next to her ear and asked, "Is that your beau over there?"

"What?" Buffy asked, startled out of an almost trace-like state.

Even though she had asked who he was referring to, she knew he meant Angel. She had been watching him discreetly, sneaking glances here and there. At the moment, Angel's face was pale - even more so than usual - and drawn. If she had wanted to get under his skin, it looked like she was succeeding.

"The git you've been eyeing," Spike replied. She could feel him smirk against her ear. "What'd he do to merit this little show?"

Buffy reached up and put her hand behind his head, moving slowly down and then back up again. Spike's hands traced lightly along the curves of her body, barely concealed under the thin layer of fabric. She was keenly aware of his every move. Just as she was keenly aware of their observers. Even Willow and Xander had begun to gape.

As she moved his head back down to her neck, she answered, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Spike turned her around and placed his arms on her shoulders, locking his hands behind her. "Bloody right I would. But, I'll settle for evening the score. Want to give him a real show?"

He took her chin between his thumb and index finger and lifted her head up slightly. This time when they locked eyes, Buffy didn't look away. Taking that as an invitation, Spike leaned down and kissed her. The kiss started out slow but quickly deepened in a way familiar to the desperate and afraid. She shivered slightly as his hand traced up her spine. She hoped Angel was watching. She hoped they all were. She was fine. Perfectly fine.

Buffy pulled away, her skin slightly flushed, as the song came to an end. "Guess that's curtains."

"A gentleman would walk a lady home," Spike replied, still holding onto her waist.

"Are you a gentleman?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he replied, mimicking her earlier line.

He raised an eyebrow at her and offered her his arm. She hesitated for a moment before accepting it. It was only a walk. And leaving with Spike was sure to get a reaction out of- Nobody. It didn't matter.

She caught Spike winking at Angel as they walked to the door. Now that might be a bit much, but she elected to ignore it for now. She glanced back at Angel one last time, and was startled to find him glowering after her. She had expected some emotion from him, yes. But she hadn't thought it'd be anger. Why wouldn't it be? a little voice in her head whispered. He was a vampire. Anger was kind of the default.

Buffy and Spike had only gotten maybe 10 yards outside the Bronze when Buffy heard the metal door slam open.

Angel came rushing out and yelled after her. "Buffy!"

Spike took his hand back from Buffy and gave her a charming smile. "Well, I think that's my cue."

With that, he walked off - in no apparent hurry - with his hands in his pockets, leaving a bewildered Buffy behind him. Angel had broken out into a sprint and was barreling toward her and the whole situation seemed almost comical.

"Angel?" Buffy asked, giving him an irritated look. "What the hell?"

Spike raised an arm up and waved without looking back. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you around, Slayer!"

The blood rushed out of Buffy's face and her jaw clenched. How could he know that?

"Oh, and Angel?" Spike said, turning around and continuing to walk away backwards. "Your girl? Delicious."

He gave one last satisfied grin before disappearing around the corner.

Angel ran up next to her and stopped. Buffy wasn't sure she knew what to say. Angel wasn't saying anything. He was just glaring after Spike.

"Who the hell was that?" Buffy finally asked him.

-----

Note: Had to write it a bit out of character since the timing is so early in the seasons. My excuse for Angel not doing anything immediately is that Spike was threatening Buffy when she couldn't see and so Angel didn't do anything then. But since its written from Buffy's pov she wouldn't have known. Anyway, enjoy!

#btvs #btvs fanfiction #buffy the vampire slayer fanfiction #buffy the vampire slayer #spuffy fanfic #spuffy #spike x buffy #i wrote this in a few hours so apologies if its rough #hey jealousy #btvs one shot #listen. im not great at writing any kind of romance. ive got the romantic abilities and inclinations of faith so like yeah. but i tried

[starcrossedyanderes]

Happy B-Day Xavier!! 🎉

Happy Birthday Xavier! This is super overdue considering his birthday is actually on the 12th but stuff happens y’all! I was actually at my grandparents, and then my mobile tumblr just decided that I am not allowed to type, and I just got back to school too!

Thanks for your understanding, and sorry about postponing it even later. But I think you can understand me not liking people to scream at me to update. 

I also think is a bit more obvious but I will try to schedule stuff but since I do have school now expect there to be less.

This isn’t as good as I would like but I honestly don’t care rn.

Xavier’s eyes sleepily  blinked open as he could tell that someone had pulled open the curtains of his bedroom. He let out a light groan like that of a student being awoken by their alarm. He closed his eyes tightly and to give himself some more protection against the harsh rays he snuggled deeper into your body with his arms keeping a good grip on you. Almost like you were a child’s favorite stuffed animal. Sometimes you wonder if that’s how he saw you.

He let out another groan and sleepily waved his hands at the servants bustling around his room. But for once they ignored him as a cart rolled in and he had to lift his head from its hiding place as the aroma hit his nostrils.

He sat up slightly but made sure you were still laying next to him as he gazed at the breakfast.

“Happy birthday, your majesty. Your breakfast in bed as requested by your mother.”

He waved off the servant again as he groggily blinked once again as lap desks of sorts were brought out and the food was placed. Xavier reached out and grabbed a bottle of cucumber water which seemed to immediately wake him up properly.

He continued to sip on his drink as he felt the girl that clung to his arm seemed to be slowly waking up. Xavier let out a smile as she let out a far too adorable yawn that no human should be able to make. 

As you fully sat up Xavier smiled as he saw her slowly blink.

“Good morning dahling~”

You let out a ‘mornin’ before glancing at the food before you.

He placed down his beverage before making work on the tray before him. His eyes glanced over to you to see you trying your absolute best to take some dainty bites. How sweet! You were truly trying to be on your very best behavior; just for him~

Since it seemed the two of you were basically done and plenty of food was left. Xavier made a clicking sound that caused 2 birds to come to his side and make their loud demands.

The two of you chuckled at the sight and Xavier put down a golden plate with lots of various fruits that were quickly pecked at and soon devoured.

~|~

“Doesn’t this seem, I don’t know, a bit excessive?”

You wiggled against the silk tying you down.

“No, I don’t. Now vhy in the vorld vould you think this is ‘excessive’? You can be so squirmish dear, and this is to just make sure you don’t lurch and ruin your manicure.”

You let out some grumbles as some people continued to poke and prod at your nails with out your permission. You tilted your head to your right to see both Indigo and Ebony getting their claws trimmed and painted. They even put a bowtie on Indigo! You let out a coo at the peacock and couldn’t help but call him a dapper little man.

Xavier tilted his head to see what you were talking to and actually took the cucumbers off his eyes to take a secret peek at you. He let out a gentle smile before covering his eyes once again.

~|~

“I didn’t take you as the sort of guy to still play with toys.”

Xavier dismissively waved a hand at you as he walked into the local toy store. You could tell the wince he held back as he looked down at the floor and his reflection couldn’t be spotted. He supposes that not all commoners can manage such a feat but he was suspecting better none the less.

“Love, let me know if you find anything you vant. I’m going to talk vith the owner.”

You shrugged your shoulders before heading down the many aisles with some guards just of course following you. 

Most of the items were regular things you would find in any toy store but you spied some extremely unrecognizable items; most being carved wood.

You quietly observed them before deciding to go ahead and get them. One of the guards next to you of course yoinked the objects out of your hands so he could carry them himself. You only agreed with a huff.

You had reached the main desk Xavier seemed to be talking to the owner. As you stepped closer he wordlessly wrapped an arm around your waist and tugged you closer while conversing.

“I would like to buy out your entire store. I did notify some trucks but I don’t believe they know where I am so it may take quite a while before they can all be picked up-”

You and the owner let sharp gaps out as the sentence finally seemed to click in your brains.

You leaned into his ear and harshly whispered out.

“Xavier, what are you doing? I only picked out a few items, not an entire store!”

For the first time you think you heard Xavier let out a genuine laugh that wasn’t to someone else’s demise.

“And here you are saying that you don’t like the pampered lifestyle yet vhen I buy something in large quantity you automatically think it’s for you. Sorry my princess, but I’m afraid that all of this isn’t for you. I’ll gladly buy out an entire store or well, even the company, for you later though. Anything you vant.

But this purchase is for the children.”

Xavier turned back to the owner and left you to maul over his sentence. The children? 

You were broken out of your train of thought as multiple bright lights flashed from all around you. Xavier seemed to take notice as well as he quickly turned your body to different angles and changed your pose for a few minutes before most of the cameras stopped their barrage. A few kept on but once he barely raised his hand in the air all action ceased.

“Well I believe that in a few minutes the ‘calvary’ vill arrive and vill happily deliver everything to the children. Do you have my dorogy’s bag- ah, lovely.”

The blonde prince kept his arm interlocked around yours as he started to walk out of the building.

“Come dear, ve have parties to attend.

#birthday #wow this is late #happybirthday #not my best but i dont care #yandere prince #yandere #romance #king #xavier #starcrossedyanderes

[overheardatthecontinental]

The Claim, Chapter 10

Final chapter. Epilogue to come.

taglist: @greenmanalishi​, @fluffyfirewhiskey​, @cynic-spirit​

Her heat lasted for a full week but she took off a few extra days to be sure.

The paranoia took a few days to fully settle and the dizziness lasted even longer. The Caloremite had done a number on her and the last thing she wanted was to risk a relapse at work. And John was more than happy to keep her at home, in bed or the nest, for as long as he could.

They’d used the extra time to finish moving Helen in. It hadn’t taken long, between John, Marcus, Hasani, and Nicky. They had managed to pack her things in a matter of hours and what she didn’t need, mostly the furniture and old things that had once belonged to her father, were donated.

He pouted when she went back to work but, by then, there were only a few weeks left of school.

Summer was fast approaching and John had excitedly started planning trips for them to take.

John had rented a house in Greece and it was to be their homebase for several weeks, while he took her around to Europe and North Africa.

Helen was convinced John was far more excited than she was, even though she’d never left the country before, but she didn’t mind. He was practically bouncing when he dropped her off for the last day of school.

“I’ll see you at three.” Helen told him, sleepily nuzzling her face against his shoulder.

She’d given up coffee after the incident. For more reasons than one. Doc’s words had shaken both of them to the core.

John barely let Helen walk until Helen insisted upon calling Doc back up to have a serious talk with John about what it would mean if she were actually pregnant. She still could walk. She could still carry things, although heavy lifting should be kept at a minimum.

Helen had no problem with that seeing as she already had John do most of the heavy lifting.

The first few weeks were hard. The first time Helen was sick after breakfast, it all went down hill.

John had rushed out to buy a test. Finding a variety, he purchased eleven different tests.

Helen called it excessive but humored him.

Eleven little plus signs over the course of a day.

Another blood test from Doc and it was confirmed.

Helen was pregnant.

“Are you sure you don’t need help cleaning out your classroom?”

“It’s mostly done, anyway.” She says with a shake of her head, “And between my students and Nicky, I imagine I’ll be okay.”

It still surprised John that he was actually good friends with a D’Antonio. There was no espionage involved or any sort of Underworld bullshit. They were actually friends and both Nicolo and John took a bit of pleasure in knowing that, when Santino found out, he would be pissed.

Small victories, as Nicky put it.

“You’re absolutely sur--”

“Stop worrying.” Helen lifts her head from his shoulder and gives him a look, even as she smiles.

John nods, although they both know he will never stop worrying.

Helen squeezes his thigh. “I’ll see you at three.”

How did seven hours away from her turn into a lifetime?

He leans over and kisses her, softly. Her hand comes up and she places a finger to his mark, gently rubbing it. Calming him.

“Miss you already.” She tells him, and slides out of the car. “Love you!”

“I love you too.” He says and the car door closes.

It crosses his mind, briefly, that their three weeks would have been up by now. That her heat would be coming at any time.

In so many ways, he wishes it had been different. He wishes he could have stopped Cavanaugh. That he had taken the threat from the Principal more seriously and had just killed him off in the beginning like he wanted to.

And while he wished he could have changed so many things about how things happened, he can’t deny the thrill that comes from seeing her mark or catching a glimpse of his own in the mirror.

He’d taken shit for it but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

Winston had regarded it with a small hint of distaste but made no comment. Marcus had teased John that he always knew, deep down, that he was a bitch.

Even Hasani had seemed confused as to why John wore his mark so proudly.

“My father would literally have me killed if I ever let Nicky do that to me.” He had commented as they moved they carried Helen’s couch down the two flights of stairs. “I’m not saying I disapprove by any means, but, you have to know it won’t go over well in our world.”

John had merely inclined his head, “ Helen is my world.”

And that was what everyone else didn’t seem to get. The Underworld prided itself on certain rules and orders and a degree of civilization that never quite fit for a bunch of assassins and spies and mob bosses. In the years that John had been a part of that, he had never once truly understood the politics. The lies. The betrayal.

The constant watching of your back because your friend, who you just had lunch with, might have dropped arsenic in your drink when you weren’t looking.

He never liked that world. But he fit in there far better than he had anywhere else.

The Underground didn't pretend that good and evil were a thing. It didn’t fall victim to a rhetoric of black and white thinking and of absolutes. It was a world built upon shades of grey. But even in those shades of grey, there was a rigidity of we will allow this, but we will not allow that and we will never explain our reasons.

And the real world… well, it wasn’t perfect. That was the world that had forced his beautiful Omega to lock herself away. The same world that rejected basic human decency in favor of cycling economics.

They had a foot in each, but neither was meant for them.

The Underworld had raised him; had broken him and built him back up. It had made him strong and capable and allowed a Romani orphan to become one of the most successful and feared men ever to walk the Earth.

But it was time to leave.

It was time to get out.

He went to the Continental first, heading straight to Winston’s office. The older man was found at his desk, drinking brandy with his toast and reading through some sort of log when John came in.

“Jonathan.” The Manager says, closing the text, “To what do I owe the surprise?”

John wonders if he would ever be in the office again as he walks down the stairs and over to the desk. He sits in one of the chairs.

“I wanted to talk to you first. Before word inevitably breaks out.”

“Oh?” Winston sits back in his seat, raising a brow.

“I’m getting out.”

He blinks, “Getting out of what, Jonathan?”

“All this. I’m leaving the Underworld.”

Winston is visibly taken aback, again blinking and leaning forward, “You don’t leave the Underworld.”

“I’m going to. I’ve already fulfilled all the markers I’ve ever given. I’ve completed all the contracts assigned to me and I’m not taking any more.”

“And your independent contracts? With the Camorra? With Tarasov?”

“I met with the entire D’Antonio family last night. My contract is closed.”

“And Tarasov?”

John shrugs, “I’m meeting with him next.”

Winston continues to rapidly blink, trying to place it all together. “I don’t understand.”

For John, it’s so simple.

Because the life that always felt out of reach is suddenly close at hand. Because he had something to live for after years of having nothing . Because John didn’t want to be covered in blood when he picked up his crying child.

“Helen’s pregnant.”

“Congratulations.” Winston says, “But that doesn’t mean you have to leave the fold. Plenty of assassins become fathers--”

“I don’t want to be in this life anymore.” John says, cutting him off. “Even if she weren’t, I would have come to the same decision. It just expedited it. I want to have time with my Omega before our baby comes. And I want to know, without a doubt, that I will be there for my child. I’m grateful for what this world has provided me but I’m done.”

“You’re serious.” Winston breathes, “Jonathan, you can’t just leave the fold.”

“Why not? Because no one ever has?”

“Regardless of whether or not you’re actively killing, you will always be a target.”

John shrugs a shoulder, “Anyone stupid enough to come after me will get what’s coming to them. And regardless of whether or not I’m killing, my claim on Helen still stands. She’ll be protected, our children grandfathered in.”

“Until they turn eighteen and are unleashed onto the world with no training. The facilities that we have here--”

“Are wonderful.” John interrupts again, “But I would prefer to train my children on my own. I’ve thought this through, Winston. Helen and I have discussed it. I won’t be changing my mind.”

They sit in silence and Winston downs what is left in his glass of brandy. He shakes his head, incredulously,  “Why?”

“I have never been a good man. But I would like to be a good father. A good husband. I think this is the first step.”

“What will you do?”

And John smiles, softly. It’s alarming for Winston to witness. “I’ll retire. Helen wants to keep teaching. She’s actually applied for the position of principal at her school.”

“There’s never been an Omega principal in New York.”

“She would be the first. If she gets it. Which she will.”

John wasn’t afraid to pull every string he had with the school board to vote her in. And Helen was more than willing to let John do his thing. When he had mentioned it, she had shrugged and said, “It’s rigged, anyway. May as well use what I have to my favor.”

“Helen will be the principal.” John says, “And I’ll be a stay-at-home dad.”

At which point, Winston stands up and walks over to the decanter. He doesn’t bother to pour himself another glass, lifting the lid and drinking it straight from the bottle.

When it is empty, Winston looks back. “You are the most efficient assassin I have ever met and you’re about to walk away to become a house husband ?”

John nods, “I am.”

“Changing diapers and cleaning the house?”

“And driving the kids to and from school.” John finishes.

“Am I dreaming?” Winston wonders aloud and John snorts.

“No. You’re not. I don’t expect you, or anyone, to understand. But I’ve spent enough time around death.”

“Jonathan, I adore your Omega but this…”

“This isn’t Helen’s idea.” John interrupts, “It’s mine. And Helen could care less if I leave the Underworld or if I stay.”

At the look of utter defeat on Winston’s face, John takes pity on him. “We’re still in the area. Maybe one day, I’ll come back. If there’s an impossible contract, maybe I’ll consider it.”

“You’re really leaving.” Winston says, shaking his head. “I’m truly not sure what to say.”

John stands and walks over to the Manager, offering a hand.

Winston takes it.

“I know you don’t understand my decision,” John says, “I know a lot of people are going to have a lot to say when they hear what I’m doing.”

Winston makes a face because that is true. By nightfall, the entire Continental will be abuzz about John Wick’s decision to leave the fold.

“But thank you, for everything. Your guidance has helped me through some difficult times.”

“Of course.” Winston says, and finds himself swallowing, “You are always welcome back at the Continental. And Helen, of course.”

“Thank you.” John repeats, “Give my best to Charon.”

And he leaves.

John Wick walks back down through the lobby, wondering if he’ll ever take Winston up on the offer. Or if this is the last time that he will pass through the halls of the Continental. Bittersweet.

This hotel has been a safe haven for him for decades.

But now, he has something so much better.

He ignores the stares, as he always does, and steps back onto the street. The valet excuses himself to get John’s car and John lets out a breath.

And he doesn’t look back.

…

John hasn’t been to Tarasov’s office since that fateful day, nearly a month ago, when a little Omega had forced her way into the compound to scream at Viggo Tarasov.

The memory brings a smile to his face as he knocks once on Tarasov’s office door and enters.

Tarasov looks up at him in surprise, a flash of fear in his eyes, making John nearly roll his own.

“Rasslab’tes.” Relax. John tells him, standing before the desk. There is a bottle of vodka and an assortment of glasses. John flips the glasses upright and pours two drinks.

He pushes one towards Tarasov and sits down with his own.

“To what do I owe this unexpected visit?” Tarasov asks.

“I want my contract dissolved. I’ll forfeit the remainder of my money and pay you back for this half of the year.”

If Winston was shocked, Tarasov is confused.

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m leaving.” John says, simply. “The fold, the Underworld. I’m leaving.”

“No, no, you’re on retainer.”

“I was . I’m forfeiting the rest of the money in exchange for the dissolution of my contract.”

“You signed that contract, in front of the High Table. In front of witnesses. Until that contract is complete, you are mine to use and--”

“I signed that contract with your Uncle. I am more than willing to go above your head for this, Viggo, but I’m offering you the chance, right now, to part with me on peaceful terms.”

“Where exactly are you going?” Viggo asks, leaning forward.

“I’m retiring.”

Viggo barks out a laugh. “Retiring? There is no retiring.”

John downs his shot before carefully slamming the crystal back to the desk, face down.

“I’m retiring, Viggo.” John repeats, “And that means, one way, or another, I’m leaving. Now,” John leans forward, “After that stunt you tried to pull with my Omega at the Continental, you’ve been very fortunate that I haven’t pursued any course of revenge. Of course, I suppose it was revenge enough, being threatened at knifepoint by the very Omega you were trying to intimidate. In front of half the Continental.

“Now your wealth and your status gives you a certain degree of anonymity when it comes to such things" John continues, "and the people in New York respect that. But it would be a shame if it reached your Uncle, the way you threatened a sweet, harmless Omega, only to flee from the scene when she pulled a knife.”

“Are you blackmailing me?”

“At the moment, I’m threatening you. With blackmail. I could kill you but, frankly, I don’t want to deal with the backlash.”

Viggo has turned red and has tensed up immensely. “This puts us in a difficult position, John.”

“Indeed, it does.” John agrees.

“You want out and you cannot break a contract witnessed by the High Table.”

“But I can be released from a contract at any time. And I assure you, Viggo, I am getting out.”

Viggo considers this. “I could not… simply let you out of a contract. It would appear too weak. Perhaps, you could perform a favor for me and we could simply call it… even. It may seem a little daunting, but if anyone could accomplish it, it would be you.”

John inclines his head. “What do you have in mind?”

Viggo drums his fingers on his desk, “It’s a bit of an impossible task…”

[blankdblank]

Brother Dearest Pt 17

Cuddling had shifted to dancing back home once a tiny determined cloud grew to drizzle across your lands causing you to blow out the candles and gather up the blankets and such to carry home again. A shift the following day however had you all grumbling your ways off to bed though. Half lazy kisses melted into dozing nuzzling closer with James half asleep across your chest with legs tangled in yours at your head drooping into your pillow with an adorable grin still lingering at your feeling his own heart shaped ring on his ring finger.

In his own impatience to share the link he had added to the knotted wedding band he had chosen with a ring his father had purchased for his own use. Black strips of golden bands woven with white gold diamond coated bands around a purple heart shaped stone. His father’s take on a claddagh ring seated facing out to mark you were engaged. For some the ring was a bit premature and odd but up in this secluded town most men once their dames had said yes that wedding band went on and didn’t come off unless work called for it. None too afraid to add colored stones or something sentimental to their partners worn shamelessly with great pride at being marked same as their partners. Where your heart stone was larger than his the band decorations evened them out, yours sleeker to be less bulky for you while his was perfect for him to always feel the weight of it like a mini hug from you until he could return to your side for a real one.

Sunrise stirred you and across James’ shoulder blade your fingers grazed until a reminding tilt of the heavy stone had your left hand raised slightly to admire the ring in the light causing it to shine. So much more than you had ever expected while growing up, most women sticking to simple golden bands or the odd diamond for the more wealthy of the men they were claimed by. The brothers certainly had more than enough to grant you this stunning heirloom ring you couldn’t have dreamed of. But then again it did seem fitting, being paired in such a public relationship you hoped didn’t mean your wedding would be publicized as well, not to mention the fact the brothers had been dubbed ‘old money’ and well off allowing great comfort to your future.

A low chuckle from the man in your arms had your hand lowering again to his bare back, a move making him hum out, “No early morning doubts?”

Angling your head to catch his slightly dazed grin in the tilt of his head, “Just never thought I’d get a ring like this.”

Closing the distance his lips met yours and he said, “Call me old fashioned, if it isn’t huge the other dames won’t be jealous. And you deserve to have some envy skewed your way, My Love.”

“You won’t get flac for yours?”

His brows inched up playfully in a smirking reply, “You haven’t noticed most of the men in town wear two rings? We flaunt our engagement too. Rightfully so. If you mean the color or cut no doubt if any would dare insult it they would meet the business end of my claws.”

“You would-,”

“Oh I would. No one insults you or my displays of affection for you.” After a moment he shifted to lay on his side curling you back to his chest cradling your hand to weave his fingers with yours allowing you both to admire the ring again. “You do like the ring?”

“I love it. It’ll take some getting used to. Certainly an eye grabber back in New York no doubt.”

“If you like I’ll have one of us with you always to make sure no one tries to snatch it.”

The seriousness of his tone wavered at your smirk, “I can tear tanks in half, I pity the man trying to take it from me. It’s never coming off my finger unless I’m baking or building something. Even then I’m magnetizing it to something heavy.”

Lowly he chuckled, “Their panic would be amusing, all the same, I love you, and I want you to feel comfortable wearing it.”

“I am. It does have a nice weight to it. Used to have this penny mood ring, had to be tin, didn’t feel right.”

“It means a lot, can’t tell you how many times I imagined how you might take to the old thing. Just feels right, us being the ones to wear them.”

“Yes it does.” The alarm sounded and another kiss was stolen on your way to readying for your shifts once breakfast was through.

Bashful grins lingered and timid glances stolen in the time and drive you had to the diner where the brothers would leave you and Eddie. Another warm kiss was stolen and out he slid to help you down wishing you a good day watching you head inside.

Though halfway down the street James was exhaling to calm down before the guys would no doubt spot the ring he would be adding to the chain with his dog tags around his neck to keep it safe joining the group ritual. Smirking to himself once they had parked knowing the grins he would get in picking you up. Your reaction was a startling scream from one of the girls across the room luring the rest to pool in around you and your giggling slightly bashful self sharing how he had proposed leaving the girls dreamy eyed until huffs sounded and the sharing had to be paused for now at the entrance of a duo of trucks pulling up.

.

“Now,” Dot smirked easing your hand closer to her with a loop of her fingers around your wrist, “You have to tell me, did you pick the ring, or did he?”

Softly you giggled brushing your bangs behind your ears, “It’s been in their family since the early 1800’s, same as the ring he’s wearing. Apparently thought to be absurd by the woman meant to have worn it, just been sitting around and he had it resized for me. Might have been absurd for her, but it’s more than I could have dreamed of for how we grew up.”

Dot’s cousin came over, “It certainly is a stunner. No doubt it will go phenomenally with your dress and those girls in Barnard won’t be able to close their jaws. Put them and their city money to shame with that.”

Dot asked with a plotting grin, “Did you hear about the new films Marie got her hubby to order for this month?”

You shook your head and the excited gasp they had expected escaped you in hearing it was That Hamilton Woman with a lesser known to you film called Fantasia. Your favorite black and white film, a topic also brought up by the men in the mill who all knew through the ladies that Marie had been trying to get it in town before you were leaving. For how long he had avoided romances just hearing that you loved the film, that Eddie had snuck you into the film back before the war, James grew more excited to see it with you. Between bouts of their studying up on building codes and manuals they had ordered date nights and monthly film nights when new films were brought to town.

.

A bout of storms pushed your packing ahead of schedule and loaded up the truck was aimed for a much shorter trip to Brooklyn than the last time. Post prepping trip to Brooklyn for paperwork and ensuring things were in order from the brothers for a two day trip you were all eager to be back again. Once again the same apartment sat waiting for you and Eddie was off with relatives to help out in the pool hall. While you, in your t shirt under a mostly buttoned work shirt complete with trousers and boots, wound up your braided bun with a bandana to keep your bangs from your face guiding the guys to the town hardware shop. The pair of them in matching boots, trousers, mostly open work shirts and tank tops showing underneath they would strip to once inside the apartment.

Most of the tools had been brought with you, however a few were still needed and to their surprise the pair saw just how your community stuck together. From upholstery, paint, even the little knickknack shop by the drug store were all eager to help a fellow Irish Catholic from the town to fix up their home while other buildings had been scooped up by outsiders. Each community kept to their own and even with the guys as the technically legal owners it was made clear you were to live there, and child of two Irish immigrants and a war hero to boot were to be protected by your own.

Outside the building a giant metal dumpster sat with a chute settled inside a window feeding into it and in the garage on the side the truck was parked. Lowly Victor hummed out, “And here I was expecting some fight in this.”

Smirking at him while grabbing as many tools as you could you replied, “We keep to our own. Irish immigrants have to stick together, can’t let anyone boot us out of our homes or businesses.” Victor up front unlocked the door leading the way inside to unload everything and turn again to grab another load.

James said, “Good thing about the block being in construction the neighbors won’t complain about our noise.”

“As long as we are at Mass Wednesdays and Sundays they won’t care.”

Victor, “Every week? You up for that?”

“Steve missed one Mass when we were kids and Mrs Cahn was out for blood. Wasn’t till everyone found out he was having his appendix removed and we were in the hospital that she calmed and got the whole congregation to pool what they could to help.”

James smirked, “Why does that not sound like the end of that?”

In a giggle you replied, “He couldn’t so much as sneeze without her glaring at him from then on. He was given a stern warning from her.” Making the pair chuckle, “You don’t have-,”

The pair said, “We’re going.”

James stole a kiss on your cheek eyeing the ring on the chain with your dog tags around your neck poking out under your shirt, “As long as you are happy with it we will all keep up with Mass.”

Victor nodded, “Don’t let our lapsing tarnish your own wishes for your beliefs. Hold tight to that as long as you can. We know how dark things can get when you break with that.”

The final things were brought in and up to the top floor with mallets and hammers in hand you were on your way up to the top floor as James said, “Best to start from the top down.”

Inside the first apartment there Victor said, “Jimmy will handle the doors, shelving and cabinets first, I will mark off where the studs are and you can get started on punching out the spots between them.”

You nodded and in the first corner he tapped the wall and using a pencil marked a three foot space that James showed you how hard to hit to punch a hole through the drywall. Chunks for how high you could reach were pulled out and added to a tarp on the floor the guys would take to be dumped through the chute into the dumpster with the final sections higher out of your reach to be taken down by them. The shoddy job on wiring and pipes sorely in need of replacing became all the clearer with dust clearing with help from all the open windows. Using ladders a few spots in the ceiling were broken open as well to check what the condition of the beams and oddly colored patches had been hiding.

Floor by floor you spread their smirks at your determined status on wanting to help with the demo and as much of the build as possible even if it just meant clearing up after the crews. A job they greatly supported hoping that this would not be another of their homes you would be moving into, it was very much in fact yours, outside of the legal aspect of course that with you under 21 with no male to back your ownership claims past your fiancé of course. Legally you were short handed and they had to wait before your name could be added to the deed, after your birthday and the wedding to have it be in all three of your names. Eddie was clear it was yours and he was glad to just be welcome to stay with you all and refused to claim a piece of it as legally he could always claim a patch of his own somewhere whenever he wished, quite unfairly in their eyes at the continued barriers you had to face.

Added chutes for trash and laundry were among the tiny touches that you were a bit excited to have and show off to others that the rich kids in town had bragged about. This whole building was to be yours and any touch you wanted to try and fluff it up they would try to ensure that they could get them included in the group home. A nearly to be demolished patch of door frame was noticed and pointed out to James by Victor to be saved for later, markings of your heights growing up that was set safely away from the rest of the scrap piles of wood to be sorted through later for possible reuse. Anything possibly able to keep a piece of your mother and a glimmer of happiness from your childhood was added to the pile.

Nearly to lunch you had reached the end of the second floor when loud knocks sounded on the front door. Victor said, “Good, should be the inspector.”

That had your stomach clenching knowing who would be sent for this district, who most certainly would be aiming to hinder the process and gouge whoever he was sent to inspect. “I thought you wouldn’t need an inspector until after the repairs were through.”

Victor turned for the door as James said, “One before you get started with crews too.”

A chuckle came from Victor as you muttered, “This won’t be good.”

Leaning in James kissed your cheek murmuring, “I love you.”

Peering up at him you gave him a curious grin, “I love you.”

Quickly his lips met yours in a sweet kiss and he said, “We have prepped. Leave it to us.”

Though with a nudge he guided you to finish up the last section of the floor while Victor reached the door greeting the dressed up Italian inspector you could hear from upstairs and upon completing the last section of wall you went down to meet him. “Hi, Vinny Tortelli, Mr-,”

“Victor Creed.” Down the steps you came and the man looked you both over, “My brother Jimmy and his fiancé Bunny.”

Vinny looked you over, “I know you. That nurse’s kid.”

You flashed him a quick grin, “Yes.”

“Heard you were dead.”

“Not yet.”

He looked you over again then said, “Best start from the top.” Walking to head up the stairs to search each room. Every little thing he made sure to shake his head and make it known that he was going to fail the building until he got to the main floor again saying, “Clearly, it’s almost a teardown. As soon as you get a certified architect to sign off on the design plans and hire a contractor to head the rebuild I’ll sign off on the permit.”

Victor proudly finally having his chance to speak up for you all said, “They have been signed off. We have a notarized letter to validate that and I am a certified contractor. We’ve already filed the permits and the crew arrives tomorrow.” Displeased after checking out their papers to be legit he signed his name to the sheet he tore from his book and handed it over to Victor.

His eyes switched to you and he asked, “I would have thought it to be cleaner with you here.” At that your brow arched and he said, “Usually dames don’t get involved with builds.”

James said, “We are managing the build while Bunny is the owner, ensuring we stay on time and budget.”

Vinny’s tongue clicked in looking at you again and smirked saying, “No doubt you’ll be running over both then. You’ll need all the luck in the world.” Turning for the door that on the other side of started to cackle making you roll your eyes.

Victor rumbled, “Where’s squishy when you need him?”

Shaking your head you sighed only to feel James kissing your cheek again, “Now that we have the sign off to start work we can head off to lunch then get back to check the back yard. Tomorrow the work is mainly rough and detailed for specialists so if you wouldn’t mind working in the yard while we just shell the place-,”

You shook your head, “No I’m good with that. I wouldn’t want to slow things down.”

James said, “When we start to get back into moving walls and re-plastering we’ll show how to do it. We aren’t bumping you out, Love.”

.

Down the street you all dropped into the diner there for a meal and shared news of what you had accomplished so far. Back again the overgrown green knot of a patch of land you sat on the back steps with a notepad to sketch out possible ideas you could get managed the following day after trying to mark up what it did look like and what might be buried there. Hard and rough the overgrown plants were torn free by the pair while you used a copper pipe you sharpened the side of to slice through more and more. Cut down decently the courtyard sat with in an approved barrel by the fire department you watched the largest of bushes and branches burning down to ashes for the hour they allowed before dumping a bucket of water on top of it.

Yawning widely you drove back to the apartment after locking up to shower, change and have the dinner Eddie had fixed up for you three. Tired and sore you stretched out in bed with eyes drooping through James’ easing out behind you wrapping you in his arms in a press of his lips to your cheek. “Love you,”

You sighed out and were gone making him chuckle bringing you closer to his chest to hum back, “I love you more, Darling.” Closing his eyes to get some rest before the early morning to meet the first crew coming to help them.

The hefty breakfast nearly didn’t last you to lunch, and under the gazes of the curious crew members wondering what you were up to alone in the yard digging out the pathways and courtyard you used a broom and buckets of water to uncover the haphazard stones forming the seating area. Across from that the raised yard that would need some new stairs, the grass was cut more with the help of a couple kids the Brocks sent over once they heard what you were up to with push mowers aiding the task. Bushes were revealed and a line of hedges badly needing to be trimmed. Taking a break once you’d done all you thought you could achieve the men tried to pretend they hadn’t been watching and got back to work as you browsed through the house seeing the plumbing being checked and each ruined piece being switched out while the wiring was being removed altogether.

A second team along with James was checking the floors while Victor showed another the beams and supports needing to be swapped out. For the inspector’s hopes to hinder the supply chain and delay further with connections in Canada to keep from being ripped off and confirming a limitless supply out of the hands of the people here to restrict how easily you were able to complete the job. Catching you wandering James called you over to show you how they had tested the wood and the marked patches they would have to tear up before showing you into the kitchen of the first apartment to start hammering up the tile. What was assumed to be cheap laminate was even cheaper tile you chiseled away with a screwdriver and hammer creating a growing pile of rubble you used a dustpan to pour onto the tarp laid out for it.

Sheer determination had the full floor’s tile was torn up and dropped into the chute before the crew and you broke for a meal. With the tile torn back more plumbing was available for the guys to check and jumping in to help James and Victor helped to clear the other floors quicker, though oddly enough the main floor had the laminate on badly bowing wood. Beams would be coming in the following day and by the end of the week the boiler was swapped out along with most of the pipes. The fuse box was moved to a safe location away from the boiler and you were tasked to help with the crew replacing bad chunks of the floor. Mainly fetching and helping to steady certain planks while tools were being traded before Victor called you over to aid in moving some walls after support beams were settled in place to be removed once the new walls were secured.

The focus for weeks was the foundations of the house and with wood, pipes and wiring checked you were cleared to add the insulation after your day of helping installs some new windows and metal bars for the outside of them that gave you a good idea. With the old pipes just laying around and nails discarded with metal odds and ends on a late night with the blessing of the brothers you began to lace a thick layer of metal on the inside of the bricks in the small gaps left in construction. After his shifts Eddie would drop by and it was Venom to catch onto the addition and race off into the night to fetch more suitable metal to help finish fortifying the home. But much to the irritation of the inspector his job was complete as it was mainly cosmetic now.

New tiles and carpets came with the fixtures for the bathrooms and kitchens. Laundry room was the last to be customized before you got to help in hanging the new drywall helping the crews get to aiding James in installing new shelves and cabinets. Victor however broke James’ fifth stolen moments of lovingly staring at you in a gleefully proud mood in helping on the build to show you the now functioning laundry and garbage chutes earning a tight hug from you and a chuckle from him.

Paint and wallpaper was the next step once everything was built and mounted into place sending the crews back home again. Heavily you dropped into bed and seeing how hard you had been pushing yourself to help the men so used to these jobs. At the foot of the bed James knelt grinning at you in the cradling of one of your aching feet, “Thank you,”

“You know I love giving you massages.” He hummed.

“I meant for not teasing me about my smashing my thumb and nearly crying at splitting my nail.”

Holding back a smirk he replied, “We have all been there. It is excruciating.”

“I didn’t cry when I got shot.”

Lowly he chuckled folding both hands around your foot to deepen the massage, “Thumbs toes and elbows, breed all their own on scales for pain.” After a pause he hummed out, “You have been magnificent, you know that. More than half the teens to help on our old jobs didn’t pick things up half as fast as you. All the crews saw that, and were very impressed.”

Ghosting a smirk across your lips you asked, “Are you trying to bolster my ego?”

“Perhaps, first though, I know you are sore, full rub down then snuggles and breakfast in bed.”

Shaking your head you said, “If only you from five years ago could see you now.”

James’ grin split wider, “He would have had proof there was something to keep pushing for past helping the world through another war. Some magic ball of impossible to have pulled our broken selves back together again.”

“I was talking about your lost scowl.” Making him chuckle again, “So serious, determined to scowl your way through the days.”

“Easier to keep from grinning at you like an idiot that way.”

“Nazi’s would have been terrified.”

“Oh yes they would, you tearing their planes from the sky and me smiling chasing after you.” Over every inch of you he massaged your aching muscles until he had eased under the covers he had pulled up over you in the drooping of your eyes. One more lingering kiss in the cupping of your cheek and he nestled closer holding you to his chest allowing you to drape across it clinging to the warm body easing more around you.

Clamping his eyes shut every moment he allowed to seep into his memory, taking up yet another chance to just hold you in belonging to one another. Traded rings on one another’s fingers, so close to being publicly official. But none of that mattered, because he’d been there staring at a pine box holding his family, one by one buried except for Victor. Every injury, every bullet you had taken, even today in hitting your now silver thumb so hard on a slipped board you split your nail squeaking out in pain and on the edge of tears he prayed so hard. Harder than he ever had, that it meant like them you would be here, his, because he would be yours always. Even if it ended in another pine box he wouldn’t waste a moment with not loving you.

.

“Jaqi,” Victor practically growled out lowly so only you could hear when you reached the kitchen for breakfast as James was finding a shirt that wasn’t torn or coated in dust. “Mr Tortelli is in the sitting room saying we need a permit to have the phone line mended, but he won’t approve the permit until the out of date mounting system is replaced and we have a certified installer come to approve that they can install the system, which they won’t do until we have the permit.”

“O-, okay, i,”

“I need you to do the mind thingy to make him think it’s mended, because the installer is coming in an hour and it’s easily a hundred bucks to get him out here in the first place to put in our phone lines.”

“Okay,” You said turning for the sitting room.

Quickly he leaned in to give you a quick hug saying, “Soon as he goes you three can go to the diner and eat.”

With a nod you left the room and entered the sitting room picking up the keys for the building eyeing the Italian turning from his inspection of a painting on the wall he pointed to, “My niece painted something like that in kindergarten.”

“Well the Brocks do like to use local artists to decorate their rentals, maybe later we can drop by and have her sign it.”

You smiled as he gave you a smirk and pointed at you, “You got jokes.”

You showed him the keys, “Makes up for my whole female debacle I’ve got going on. I’ll lead you over and we can get this started.”

He joined you to the door saying, “Well I was just telling Victor-,”

Again you grinned at him, “Yes he informed me, you need the installer to come and sign off before the permit can be given for the work to start.” In your looking forward you could hear Victor muttering curses in a momentary plop onto the couch to calm down confusing Eddie when he came down. “Installer’s on his way, should be there in a bit.”

Purposefully he glanced at his expensive watch saying, “Well I can’t wait too long, busy schedule and all-,”

“Oh I don’t doubt that. Whole block is on cinder blocks and tarped bet you’re making a killing.”

To himself he chuckled and adjusted his tie, “Well, business is business. Doesn’t look like you’ll make much when it’s through with three, maybe four apartments.”

“We’re not renting,” he glanced at you, “I got accepted to an Ivy League school and we need a place to stay while I attend.”

“How’d you get into Ivy League? Didn’t think they let in dames.”

“Few do.”

“So you’re telling me you’re keeping all that space to yourselves?”

“I also have a cousin and aunt up in Canada right now that might move to New York in a couple years. They’ll be visiting too, and the guys have friends from Canada who would be coming down to visit most likely.”

At the stoop you eyed a few of Vinny’s friends, including a cousin of Bucky’s who said, “Looky here, Brock let out his little piece on her own. Huge splash you made running off with him. Not hard for some to think the worst on how you paid off your guards to get  through the war safe. Rumors you know how they can flood through a small town like ours.”

Grinning at the man you asked, “Have you visited your cousin Bucky’s grave yet?”

“Of course, every month.”

“You know there were some who had a hunch him and Steve would be buried in lovers plots.”

He pointed at you and Vinny smirked at the nerve you were aiming for, “Some whispers of light loafers and such,”

“Don’t you dare!”

“But then you know, see, I’m the only Rogers left in Brooklyn, and well, there’s just so many Barnes around. Like you said rumors are like floods, and, no telling who drowns in it once it’s out there. Especially when it’s laced with hellfire.”

Vinny chuckled saying, “I underestimated you.”

Glancing at him as you unlocked the door in Victor’s trot up to catch you, you replied, “Who hasn’t?”

You led the way through the door and Vinny gestured for him to drop it while he passed through to join you to the main mount for the phone system for guests on the main floor that would feed out to the upper floor connections. With brows furrowing Vinny looked from the clearly needing to be repaired and replaced mount to his notes, “Huh, could have sworn it needed a full gutting.” Shaking his head he muttered, “Must have switched notes with Murphy’s down the block.” Scribbling our the final details to the permit he passed to Victor who stood holding back his smirk until the trio left passing Eddie and James in their way in. “Come on fellas, let’s go wake up Murphy.”

“Thank you!” Victor whispered once the door was shut behind them. Rolling his head back in a flex of his fingers and nails extending them shrinking back again. His eyes fell to you again and he asked, “What’s what he was saying about floods?”

“Oh he was saying he was apparently keeping people from saying that I ran off to be Eddie’s whore.” That dropped Eddie’s jaw and you said, “And I reminded him if he wants to play with rumors then Steve and Bucky fueled more than a few.”

James growled out, “I hope that shut him up.”

“Oh it did, and Vinny said he underestimated me. Made him shut up.”

Victor asked, “Is that a good thing? Impressing Vinny?”

“Depends. Barneses are close to the Tortelli’s, by marriage, who hate the Brocks’ and I was taken in by the Brocks. They weren’t really sure on Steve, cuz he was still Irish and they were Italian, only Bucky was around to keep the other guys in line. I was a girl so worst I got was some scorn or verbal jabs, then again I kept to myself mainly so I was mainly ignored. They mainly keep to their end of Brooklyn and I’m not really part of anyone’s business, so, no, not really.”

Eddie smirked saying, “Just means it goes towards her reputation as more than just Steve’s sister. Not a bad thing but not overly needed for anything past if we had to cross to their side of town.”

Victor looked you over then leaned in to kiss your forehead in a sideways hug, “Alright, now, off to eat, I’ll wait for the phone guy to show up.” In your nip at your lip he asked, “Whats that look for?”

“You know how you said no more edits to the design yesterday to Vinny?”

His hand waved, “Don’t mind that, that’s for him, what did you want to change?”

“I was just thinking, you know how Dot’s dad’s barn has those rolling doors, could we do something like that for my office and the library? Could save room with the doors.”

“Absolutely,” he and James said.

James added, “Won’t be a hassle at all, and the doors you picked would be great for that. Just slip metal grooves on the beam above and along the walls on either side, just tuck the carpeting right up to it won’t notice it at all from far off.”

Victor, “We could do that for your closet too if you like? It is an oversized door could keep it from reaching the window if you swing it open too hard.”

“If it would be easier sure.”

Victor nodded saying, “Sliding doors it is, I will see how many of our other communal doors can be sliding as well to save on space and keep our future puppy from being closed off too much.” You giggled and he added pounding at James, “Jimmy promised a puppy and we are getting one.”

Again you giggled and James looped his arm around your back saying, “Let’s feed you.”

Pt 18

@changelingkhat, @alishlieb​

#James Howlett x Reader OC #Victor Creed #Eddie Brock #Venom #Remodeling #Inspector Vinny

[for-ests]

In the mood for Tom x reader! Let’s say it’s date night, reader’s pick, and reader decides to watch Misery. Now Tom already isn’t a fan of horror movies but the plot of Misery really freaks him out especially since reader was a fan before they started dating and begins to have nightmares about reader based off the movie. Hopefully you’ve heard of this movie or at least glance over what it’s about, I think it’s awesome!

—❣—

What a unique request, so thank you anon! I highlighted the quote I used from the movie, but besides that everything else is original. I hope you like it!! Xx

Warnings: mild horror and violence (nightmare), mostly fluff

Word count: 2,420

—❣—

It had been weeks since you and Tom had been able to plan for a relaxing movie night. Though you were not a famous celebrity like him, you had your own tight schedule to work around.

After begging him over text, facetime, and in person multiple times, you had finally convinced your boyfriend to let you pick a horror movie to watch. Known to few people, Tom hated horror movies with a passion, but caved at the sight of your pouty lip and pleading eyes. You were an avid horror film viewer, so him taking one for your excitement meant a lot to you.

“Yes!” You cheered, pointing the remote towards the television in victory, immediately bringing up amazon prime to rent the first movie on your list: Misery. In your opinion, it was fairly mild on the gore and jump-scares, so your mentally wimpy boyfriend could possibly like it.

“Please go easy on me.” He sighed, sitting down next to you with a freshly popped bag of popcorn.

You instinctively snuggled up beside him. “I got just the movie, it's more creepy than scary.”

“How so?”

Chuckling, you bit your lip in a purposefully sinister manner. “Because to you, it’s relatable.”

Not that it was a secret, but before you and Tom had met and began officially dating, you had been a longtime fan of him and marvel in general. You were a well known commentator, youtuber, and artist in the marvel and comic community. A lot of your drawings included spider-man inspirations, and a couple years back when Tom was originally cast as Peter Parker, they began to include him. Somehow, the two of you had met at a party and hit it off immediately, with both of you already knowing of the other person.

Though you were an internet personality yourself, some people found it weird that you had created artwork of Tom before you had dated him. Tom had told you, and the media, multiple times that he thought it was sweet and admirable. It wasn’t just him that you had publicly promoted, and it wasn’t like you were obsessed with him. Sometimes the media ran on a single criticism and blew it far out of proportion. Now that you had been going strong for years, the thought of people becoming jealous that Tom was technically dating one of his ‘fans’ became a joke between the two of you, and your fanbases.

Well, it was also relatable to you. But something like the plot of this movie was far more likely to happen to him.

“I bet you have nightmares about encounters like this.”

He furrowed his eyebrows in a playful manner. “At least give me a brief summary.”

“Famous guy.” You whispered, leaning in closer. “Savior, who happens to be his biggest fan.” You darted your eyes to the front door in mock anticipation. “Kidnapping ensues.”

“Wow.” He shook his head, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to cross his face. “What great summarization skills you have.”

“Piss off!” You chuckled, giving him a weak shove until his laughter died down. You purchased the movie on amazon and turned it on immediately.

Though you wanted to see Tom afraid over something trivial like a horror movie filled with idiotic jump-scares, you knew this movie would have a deeper, lasting affect on him. Hopefully he would be scared enough to hold onto you for the entire night.

The beginning credits sounded through your TV's speakers and you snuggled deeper into the couch. “Lay your head down.” You smiled, taking a throw pillow and laying it across your thighs, Patting the fabric, you nudged Tom over.

Brown eyes twinkling, the nerves that Tom had felt passed as he laid his head in your lap.

The young man internally shuttered. He was a pretty reserved guy, who kept his private life… private. The thought that someone he had never met before knowing every single detail about his life unsettled him.

He watched the film with his utmost intention, because it was intriguing. The suspense began to take its toll though, as any movie based off a Stephen King novel would. Normally, he would tend to stay away from movies like that, His stomach couldn’t take it.

Especially this movie, one that made him think about situations that he would rather not imagine.

But as he glanced up at your face, your eyes wide and peaked with interest, he was happy you had convinced him. Any time he could, Tom wanted to please you- even with the little things.

Knowing it was growing late into the night, it was getting harder and harder for Tom to keep his attention focused. It was pretty much game over for him as you started to draw circles along the side of his arm, that began to reach up his neck and into his hair.

“This is a good part.” You whispered, alluding to a scene in the movie, where the captive, an author, finally realizes the ill intentions of his caretaker, his number one fan. 

Your soothing movements began to pick up pace from your own anxious viewing habits. This caused Tom to shut his eyes for a moment and relish in the feeling. And before he knew it, he started to drift away as he focused on the peaceful strokes of your fingers through his hair.

You smirked deviously.

The unfamiliar glint in your eyes caused Tom’s stomach to drop. The second you were able to pin him down against the bed was the moment he seemed to lose all control. His arms felt incredibly heavy, and he couldn’t seem to move his legs.

“You look so sexy like this.” Your voice rang out all around his head, yet your lips did not move.

Your smaller, far more delicate frame, seemed to weigh a staggering amount, a number that caused his lungs to struggle for air. Your legs curled tighter around his torso, and you leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

“I finally have you right where I want you.”

This wasn’t you. This wasn’t the girl he had grown to love and cherish. You were unrecognizable. Had he really been so blind?

A manic chuckle vibrated through your body as you pulled out a pair of handcuffs out of thin air. With ease, you raised Tom’s hands above his head and shackled him to the headboard. 

Had he been drugged?

“W-what are you doing?” He managed to choke out, yet it seemed that your touch could silence his frantic questioning. You ran your hands back down his arms and onto his chest. The sensations stimulating him to no end--even if there were alarm bells ringing in his ears--and he fell weak under your embrace. A sensual, loving embrace, that somehow felt foreign and unwanted.

Leaning down, you tilted your head and pressed your lips behind Tom’s ear, etching a moan from deep within his throat. The kiss started out gentle, but within a second, turned into a rough hickey, your tongue running along his jawline.

“I know where your favorite spots are.” Your voice echoed in a diabolical manner.

It was true, the deep breath you had drawn out of him proved it. Feeling your lips against his neck felt so right, yet every time he gazed into your eyes, the innocence and adornment they once held was replaced with something dark and unrecognizable.

You knew right where to kiss him, as if you had done it hundreds of times before. But Tom’s scrambled mind screamed that you had never kissed him there before, and that he had never admitted to enjoy foreplay like this.

Why couldn’t he move?

“Wait,” Tom’s eyes opened and he gazed at you with caution. “How did you know that?”

The same wicked smile you brandished the moment he had lost control appeared back on your face. Whatever was happening, you were enjoying it far too much. “I know everything about you.”

“No you don’t.” He whispered. “Why would you say-”

Your unfamiliar laugh interrupted his moment of realization. “I knew everything about you before you had even met me. How did you think I was able to make you fall in love with me? Because I knew how to make you.”

Suddenly, Tom was able to move his arms and legs again. He struggled against the shackles, but he couldn’t break free. The grip you had on his arms restricted, tightening further every time he tried to move.

“What the hell, Y/N? Let me go!”

“No, I can’t do that.” Your grip loosened, but that was only so you could move down and bound his legs before he could make sense of your true intentions. You looked like a stranger to Tom now. Again, he was too shocked to move, too shocked that he had let his guard down and let someone like you into his life. “I can’t let you go, cause you’re going to leave me for someone better. Someone prettier, someone more famous.”

“Who said I was going to do that?” Tom tried to reason, feeling fear creep into his mind for the first time. Now he knew you weren’t kidding.

“Really, it doesn’t matter.” You mused, pulling the restraints tighter against his skin that was already starting to grow irritated. “I am your number one fan. There is nothing to worry about. You are going to be just fine. I am your number one fan.”

You crawled off of him, smoothing out the floral dress that you had put on for the evening. One that you had never worn before. One that he couldn’t recognize. Just like the color of your eyes that had seemed to be replaced with the deepest, most pure shade of black.

“Now that I have you, I can’t let you escape.”

Smiling as if Tom had confessed his undying love, you revealed a butcher knife that was intended to disable him.

“You’re mine,Tom. And nobody else's.”

As you studied the knife in the palm of your hand, the sharp edges glinted under the dim lighting. Smirking, you gripped the handle.

“You don’t have to do that!” Tom’s eyes widened as your true intentions were revealed. “Please, please Y/N you don’t need to do this.”

“But I do.” Your eyes studied his ankles, and where the easiest part to amputate his feet would be. “I’m your number one fan.” 

You weren’t making sense, your voice void of all previous emotion. 

“No, I’m not going to leave you anyways!” He tried to plead one last time, though he could tell that you had already made up your mind. To his dismay, tears started to stream down his cheeks. He was frightened, he didn’t want to lose his feet, he didn’t want to lose his life. For what purpose? So you could have him all to yourself? “Please!” Tom cried. “I already love you, so there’s no need for this!”

Your head shot up at his words. And before he could process the expression that flickered across your face, you raised the knife above your head, right in the path of his ankle.

“Liar.”

You knew Tom had fallen asleep. But he looked so peaceful and content for the remaining second half of the movie, that you didn’t want to wake him.

Switching you attention back to the screen, for the remaining hour you had let him sleep through it.

You were entirely engrossed with the movie, as you usually were, but as you heard Tom’s breath sharply intake as if he was afraid, you finally glanced his way to study his face.

His eyes were closed, on the verge of squeezing in pain. The expression he wore displayed discomfort as he muttered your name.

Was he having a nightmare?

It was time to wake him up anyways. You needed to stretch your legs, and the movie had just ended.

“Tom?” You nudged him softly, his eyebrows crinkling with worry. “Tom!” You repeated more forcefully.

Suddenly, he jumped up from your lap, almost falling off the couch. He gasped, turning to you with wide eyes.

“Calm down!” You giggled, raising your hand to cover your smile, a habit you couldn’t seem to fall out of. “It’s just me.”

Instead of making him afraid, the gesture calmed him. He wasn’t dreaming anymore. He was back with your normal, loving self. You gave him a look of confusion. You had never witnessed a nightmare from him before. Because of how panicked he looked for that brief moment, you suddenly felt guilty. Perhaps this was the reason he didn’t want to watch a horror movie in the first place.

“Thank God.” He muttered, raising his own hands to his face so he could tiredly rub at his eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“What?” He sighed. “Yeah, I just had a really weird dream.”

“About…?” You pried. 

“You.” He laughed, meeting your eyes and shaking his head with embarrassment. “It was stupid.”

“Looked like you were having a nightmare.” You pointed out.

Knowing he was going to have to tell you no matter what, Tom decided to be straight up and admit what he had dreamed about. “You were my crazy fan.” He said, realizing how idiotic he was acting to be afraid of something that would never happen. But the dream had felt so real. For a moment, his brain decided to make him picture what it would be like if you were a completely different person.

As he explained his dream, he studied your face. You watched him intently, and when he finished, your adorable smiled came right back. “I didn’t know I could be scary.” You chuckled, standing up from the couch to grab your glass of water.

“Well, let’s get to bed shall we?” You held your hand out. “You seem pretty tired anyways.”

“Yeah.” Tom agreed. “I can’t wait to hold your psycho ass all night.”

“Oh?” You teased. “Watch your back mate, or your dream might just come true.”

You tried to mimic an evil, devilish laugh that so many villains in superhero films did, but all that came out was something that caused Tom to fall even more in love with you.

“Hehehehe…” You grinned, waiting for his reaction, a sheepish blush dusting your cheeks when the silence stretched on for a moment too long.

He finally smiled. “You’re a loser.” Tom whispered in your ear, before he pressed a kiss on your cheek. “Let's get to bed, darling.”

#tom holland x reader #tom holland imagine #tom holland one shot #tom holland #tom holland fluff

[poems-and-pillows-and-puppies]

Song of the Sea: Chapter 1- Bow

Hello there. I decided to make a fanfiction based off of @thenerdyalchemist‘s amazing pirate!AU! Here’s the link to the Ao3 page- https://archiveofourown.org/works/22967113 

Chapter 1- Bow

     Walking along the beach of Alorminia, Ethari felt the wind blow its sea-salty breath onto his already salt-encrusted clothes. Rayla giggled, letting the waves’ spray pelt her face. The colors of the pier rushed in, a whorl of blues and browns and yellows on the winding beaches. The sound of children laughing echoed in Ethari’s ears. Children rolled in the sand, making miniature dust-storms in their wake, as parents, disapproving and encouraging alike, followed in tow. The sand felt like satin under their callused, well-worn feet. Rayla smiled at the other children’s antics, but made no move to follow. Ethari wondered when their little girl went from exploring everything and escaping his and Runaan’s grasps to mellowly holding onto their hands as they went exploring through new towns and cities beside the sea. As he stood there, lost in memories of long, long ago, Rayla turned her eyes toward him and tugged on his shirt. He turned his gaze to her, and she beamed at her adoptive father with the warmth of a sunbeam on a cloudy day. Ethari returned the favor, giddy from the feeling of stable land- at least, as stable as sand can be- underneath his heels. He could see Runaan making his way towards one of the sandside stores, already haggling for a better price on a pair of bandanas. At the moment, Runaan looked deep in thought, his brow furrowed like the loose plank he had fixed at sea the night before. Sweat glistened on his brow, reflecting off the blue henna-like tattoos that defined his entire identity, his silvery-white hair untied and flowing off his shoulders like the many waterfalls he and Ethari have passed by under the light of the moon. Ethari’s gaze moved down towards his waist and noticed that Runaan’s purse had already shrunk, albeit not by much, the leather rope that bound the pocket was a little slack and Ethari had a slight pang of anxiety overtake him. ‘What if he had been pickpocketed?’ Ethari shook his head slightly, his slightly spiked hair swaying in time with his head movement. ‘No,’ he said to himself, ‘the king of the pirates wouldn’t possibly allow himself to be pickpocketed.’ He strolled toward his husband, the sand shifting beneath his feet to accommodate his weight. Runaan snapped out of his trance and turned slightly to look at his first mate. “Runaan?” 

“Ethari.”

“What are you haggling for?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

    Despite his cold and harsh words, Ethari could sense his affectionate tone. ‘What a grouch I married. Can’t even show his love. Well, two can play at that game.’

“Dear, we don’t need to distract this merchant anymore. We can get a cheaper bandana at the other store.”

    He kissed his husband’s forehead, ignoring the faint saltiness of his sweat, for the sake of the performance. The recipient looked at him with confusion in his eyes but caught on in a split second. He faked acquiescence. His blush from the kiss, however, was genuine. They acted like they were moving on. The merchant spluttered. 

“W-wait! I can give it to you for 10 coppers! 10!”

   Runaan stopped in his tracks. Ethari, sensing that this was an exponentially better deal than before, based on his spouse’s actions, waited for his husband to pay for the clothing. Rayla bounced up and down on her heels, violet eyes wide and sparkling, taking in the hustle and bustle of the town. Now that he was closer, Ethari took a good look at the merchant. The merchant was well-rounded, as if he had eaten a few steaks too many for his body to have handled it nicely. His voice, though rough-sounding at first listen, was oily and sent uncomfortable shivers down his spine. The next time the two had eye contact, Ethari gave a half-lidded glare at the shopkeeper, making the man’s wattle tremble. After Runaan had finished his purchase, the group plodded on with the nearest produce shop in mind. As the ground turned from sand to hard-packed mud to cobblestone and the open airs of the beach turned to crowded wooden stalls and people from all sides, the two pirates argued over what to buy for the ship with playful tones, with Rayla adding her own two cents every once in a while.

“...so there, Runii! Fruits are a must!”

“They’re expensive, you big buffoon.”

“Hey! I’m only a little bit taller than you!”

   Rayla chipped in, “You guys are both the same height to me! You two are so silly!”

   The group laughed, each in their own ways. Runaan looked forwards. “We’ve reached the produce stalls. Why don’t you two go look for some treats or something? I heard Alorminia has the best sugared apples.” Ethari and Rayla bobbed their heads up and down like birds, making Runaan chuckle. He made a shooing motion. “Go on, you two.” The two scuttled off, disappearing into the crowd. 

   Ethari and Rayla strolled through the marketplace, searching for the sweet stands. People who noticed their markings kept a wide berth around them, much to their degree of comfort and space. Rayla frowned at the looks of fear on some of the people’s faces. “Why are some of them scared of us, Papa?” Her wobbly voice caught him off guard and he crouched to her eye level. “My little Rayla, you mustn’t be afraid of them. They may seem afraid of us, but that’s just because they’ve been taught to do so.” He winced inwardly at the lie. “Really?”

“Yes, my little albatross.”

   “Okay!” Her smile came back full force. He stood up, searching for the stands once more. Much to their annoyance, there was a large crowd of people in the way of the streets stand that were watching a group of dancers pirouette in the square, stopping their adventure in their tracks. The jolly music of harmonicas and banjos filled the air with whoops of joy and yelling. Rayla sighed in disappointment. “I guess we should go back to Dad now.” Her ears drooped. She turned around and started walking back. A call from Ethari stopped her. “Rayla! I’ve found a little passageway. Wanna try?” She did a full 180 to see her father point to a narrow streetway. Her ears went back to full mast. “Yeah!” She ran to Ethari, renewed delight scrawled onto her features. 

   The streetway was narrow, but it was still full of people. Elves of all kinds strolled through it, but more humans than elves manned the stalls. Ethari began to suspect something was wrong when he accidentally bumped into someone and a small, bejeweled dagger fell out of the hooded stranger’s clothes. His mind whirled with worry, but he tamped it down for the sake of his daughter. ‘Why am I so scared, anyway? This is an elf-friendly town and nobody is foolish enough to attack the family of the most famous pirate of this time. What is there to worry?’ As the streetway narrowed even further, his anxiety rose, until it reached his throat. ‘Something is wrong!’ He whirled around in a hasty frenzy, but nothing caught his eye. A tug on his clothing turned his gaze back downwards. “What’s wrong, Papa?” Rayla’s confused eyes acted as an anchor point for the antsy elf. His breathing slowed. His pulse stopped beating in his ears like a frantic drum. “N-nothing, sweetheart. I thought I-I saw something,” he stuttered. The road had narrowed to a one-person space only and alarm bells were ringing in his head like a death knell. He turned around. The hooded stranger from earlier was not far behind them. His mind raced. “H-how-”

“Did you think that we humans couldn’t do magic, too? Too bad. Hand the girl over.”

“N-no. This is my daughter.”

   The stranger chuckled. “Really, now? Then why does she have the pirate king’s markings and you don’t?”

   Ethari did a double take. “What?”

“Come on. Did you think that I would be that foolish?”

“I have the markings too.”

   Ethari bared his arms, showing off the faintly-glowing markings. The human gasped quietly, a noise that Ethari barely heard, even with his sensitive hearing. The human shook their head. 

“Unfortunately, my client told me the girl, and the girl only. If you won’t cooperate, we’ll take her by force.”

   Ethari’s heart stopped. “We?”

   The human looked at him, eyes glinting electric blue in the shaded darkness of the alley. “Yes, we. Who do you think was the first alerter to your presence? The people who were peddlers in the so-called ‘streetway’? We were all waiting for you, and you walked straight into our traps.”

   The figure held their hand out. “Now, hand her over.”

   Ethari bristled. “No! How dare you! We have not done a single thing to you or your city!”

“Very well then, we’ll do it the fun way. Suit yourself.”

   Men began to surround the way the two came from. Ethari glanced back to see men cover the other way out of the alley. He raised his arms into a guard position, poised to fight. Rayla cowered beside him, trembling in fear. 

   The human raised their arms and stood there, static, unmoving. Ethari waited, breath held, ready for their first word. The human exhaled, and Ethari tensed. The slightest word fell from their lips. “Move.” And the men came from all sides. Ethari fell under a flurry of punches and kicks. He was strong, as he was a pirate and a former blacksmith, but even then, he could not fight against so many assailants unarmed. Pain flared from every point of contact, and Ethari cried out in pain whenever someone hit him in an extremely painful spot. His sight began to flicker, and with one last burst of strength, he reached out to his daughter, miraculously untouched other than a few jostles here and there. Rayla grabbed his hand one last time, and his mind went dark. His limp body fell to the floor, unmoving. Rayla shrieked in fear, concern, and sadness. “Papa!?” Hands grabbed her from all angles. She fought with them, desperation leaking into her features. A sharp tang assaulted her nostrils, and within a few seconds, she had followed her father into the realms of unrestful rest. 

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   Ethari awoke to sharp pain all over his body and the concerned face of his husband. He hazily sat up, much to Runaan’s relief. “Oh my Xadia! Are you okay?” He drowsily smiled at his husband. He slurred, “Sure. I ‘eel fine. ‘ere’s ‘Ayla?” He looked around in confusion. “Yeah, that was my next question too. Where’s Rayla?” With those words, his anxiety skyrocketed. He shook himself out of his daze with a predatorial growl. “That little bastard- I’m gonna’ put ‘im in a barrel-” Ethari muttered, eyes taking on a deadly shade of anger. Runaan, confused, inquired, “What do you mean? Who are you talking about?” Ethari looked up at his concerned partner, and with a deep undertone of outrage at the hooded human, retold his story to Runaan. As the story went on, Runaan began to growl himself, and by the end of the tale, was already on his feet. “And that’s it? He’s just.. Gone? You let him?” Incredulity filled his tone and Ethari hissed in annoyance. “You blockhead. I just said that I tried my best to fight back! There were too many-” 

“You still let him!”

“I tried my best!”

“It wasn’t enough!”

“I couldn’t do anything!” 

“Rayla’s gone!” Ethari snapped his mouth closed. “She’s gone, Ethari. And it’s all your fault.”

Rage clouded his husband’s features. The face he had grown to love, to cherish, to care for with all his heart- Tears welled up under his eyelids, threatening to spill out onto the ground below. He turned around, sobbing, and ran in the direction he had entered. Tears altered his vision. His ears heard nothing but the echoes of “It’s all your fault.” His mind, usually full of words and thoughts, was silent, as if punishing him for his failure. “It’s all your fault.”

“It’s all your fault.”

“She’s gone….And it’s all your fault.”

#tdp #pirate!au #thenerdyalchemist #fanfic #inspired work #writing #the dragon prince #thedragonprinceofficial

[princessanneftw]

Lost: Chapter 2

Anne heard voices talking around her. They seemed alarmed: someone was slapping her cheeks lightly but firmly, while another was calling her name. No, actually, it was the same person. Her husband. She opened her eyes with difficulty and was greeted by the sight of Tim kneeling beside her, one of his hands holding her right hand tight, while the other that was waking her, was now stroking her face. Apparently she was lying on the sofa. She looked around. Her mother was standing not far from her, wringing her hands with worry. She ignored her mother’s and husband’s questions, her eyes unfocused. What was happening to her? Why couldn’t she live peacefully? Why did she have to experience heartaches multiple times in her life? What did she do to deserve this? She felt tears streaming silently down her face but when her husband started to wipe them with his hand, she closed her eyes tightly. The door opened then and Anne could hear her granny’s nurse and father talking. She reopened her eyes and watched the lady taking her blood pressure and checking her blood sugar levels.

“Nothing to worry about Ma'am, just a bit of low blood pressure and a slightly low blood sugar. Nothing that a cup of coffee and a slice of cake couldn’t help with. I suspect it’s because of work pressure and fatigue. Likely holidays are coming and you could rest,” the nurse reassured them and  soon left. Anne watched her parents sharing a look, then her mother said she would send someone to bring her coffee and sweets and left with her father. Tim, who was standing by the sofa, kept silent. 

Minutes later someone brought a tray with the food. He took it from them and helped Anne sit down, his eyes watching her closely while she ate. When she felt a little better, she looked at him.

“I want a divorce.” She blurted. Tim’s face dropped and he started to say something but she cut him off. “I feel like we’ve faked it long enough. I know you’re not happy with our relationship and you certainly made it clear by leaving today, I’m sorry that I held you back. You ca-" 

"Stop! Just stop Anne, and shut up for once!” Tim practically exploded. “First of all, we are not getting a divorce and won’t be divorcing as long as I am alive, or separating. Live with it. I didn’t fight to have you only to lose you later.” His face was red, his eyes sparkling from anger. She stayed quiet. 

“Second of all, I wasn’t leaving alone, you were coming with me. In fact, you’re still coming with me. I admit I could have phrased it better and saved you the anxiety, and I am sorry for that. So please, finish your food, we are leaving as soon as you feel better.”

She just stared at her husband who went to sit in a nearby armchair still fuming.

“But what about what you said yesterday on the phone? And why are we leaving early?” She asked. 

“So now you’re eavesdropping on my conversation too?” He looked at her in disbelief. “Lovely, just lovely.”

“It was by accident! And you haven’t answered me. Why are we leaving early?” She asked again, and he royally ignored her, only pointing at the piece of cake on her tray, ordering her to eat. In all honesty, she didn’t know if she should laugh or cry or shout. On one hand, she was frustrated from the lack of answers and on the other hand, he looked bloody cute when angry, and all she wanted to do was to hug him, kiss him and ask for forgiveness and to make it better.

She finally finished eating, got up, fixed her hair and clothes, and walked to the door, her husband beside her still silent. She was greeted by her family asking her how she was feeling and her kids embracing her concerned about her health. She reassured everyone that she was fine and that it was just a malaise. Tim nudged her, so she said farewell to everyone, hugged her children, and left with her impatient husband.

“We’re taking my car, Peter will take care of yours.” Tim said curtly. She just nodded, too tired to argue. He was still silent but looked less angry. After some time, she noticed that they were not taking the usual road to Gatcombe, but when she voiced her observation to Tim he just said no, they’re not going home.

“Are we visiting your mother?” She pressed.

“No, you know my mother is visiting some friends in Kent ” He answered her. Of course she forgot. The silence was cut by the music in the car. Anne looked back at her husband, but he was looking straight ahead to the road. She didn’t know why, but something felt familiar for her, like it happened before. About two and a half hours later they stopped at a petrol station that had a shopping center nearby. Tim suggested they go in to use the facilities and let their PO stretch their legs a bit. To be honest she’d forgotten about them and she felt a bit guilty. Once inside, she kept close to her husband who stirred her toward the women’s clothes section and urged her to get something.

“At least tell me where we are going so I could pick something appropriate.” She was slightly irritated. He just shrugged at her.

“Whatever you like. A sundress, a swimsuit, shorts, tops… whatever you want, it has only to be light and summery.” Tim said but kept looking at some t-shirts 

“And what about a dress for dinner and heels too?” Anne asked sarcastically.

“No need, I took care of those and if we must we can shop tomorrow for something more to your liking.”

For God’s sake, he was serious! Anne wondered why he was all secretive. He could have told her beforehand and she could have packed something from her own clothing. She had not needed to buy clothes so hastily since she went with Tim to- 

Oh now she got it! The music, the drive, shopping on the road… now she started to understand. She searched for her husband and when she spotted him he looked at her then lifted two items: a baggy t-shirt with a cartoon on it and a silky black nuisette, indicating for her to choose. She blushed and shook her head at her husband’s antiques, and mouthed ‘both’. She was glad that no-one was around, it would be slightly embarrassing if it was printed in tomorrow’s paper. “The Princess Royal’s husband Commodore Tim Laurence spotted buying his wife nighties in a shopping center near a petrol station on their way to vacation”. 

After paying for their purchases, they went to a café to grab something light to eat then took to the road again to their destination. Anne started teasing her husband, who was still not talking to her.

“I could drive. You know, it’s not safe to drive when you’re angry.” Tim just raised his eyebrows at her but a light smirk adorned his face.

“I beg your pardon, I didn’t know that, but thank you. I am perfectly capable of driving as I am not angry at all,” and he turned up the music. She just chuckled, remembering what happened 14 years ago.

-

They weren’t in a relationship that time, but they were more or less dancing around each other, each one afraid of confessing their feelings to the other. That summer, she thought that maybe her relationship with Mark could be repaired: his mother had passed away a month earlier, and she had been there to comfort her husband, and they became close again. For the first time in a long while, they’d even slept together. The kids were happy their parents seemed to be closer than before, which made her happy, even if that meant forgoing her strong attraction to Tim and ignoring her heart that labelled that as falling in love. She told Tim about her new marital situation. He was happy for her, at least that was what he said until she looked at him and saw the hurt in those green eyes. Nevertheless, he helped her plan a getaway with her husband but advised her not to book anything until she confirmed it with Mark in case he had other plans for them. She sent the children to Balmoral early - not that they minded - and was ready to mend her broken marriage.

But on the night she was about to tell him, Mark had come home late, clearly having had too many drinks. His tongue loosened, he admitted that he had other plans that might well include taking someone to bed, but certainly not his wife. Of course he didn’t realise to whom he was speaking, and the next day he didn’t remember a thing. She didn’t tell him anything either. When he left, she cried, feeling completely at a loss again. She didn’t want to fly to Scotland ,and she certainly did not want to confront her family. A week home alone it is then. Every one of her friends were on vacation. She thought of calling Tim, but hesitated. 15 minutes later she was holding the phone waiting for her friend to answer, and was about to hang up when he finally picked up.

“I thought you weren’t at home?” She asked after greetings.

“You caught me just as I was leaving!” Tim answered. When she asked where he was going, he said to his mother’s house then to Cornwall with his brother, sister-in-law and some friends, for a four-day trip.

“Oh, a couples trip?” She asked a bit bitterly, but he just laughed at her.

“You know I’m the ultimate bachelor. Everyone is coupled except me." 

"No single ladies or potential girlfriend then?” Her questions only increased his laugher.

“I’m afraid not. I’m not interested, really. What about you? How did your plans go?” Her mood darkened further and she relayed to him everything that happened. By the time she’d finished, she was crying. “…and now I feel like a miserable bitch, stuck home alone. I have no desire to do anything productive except locking myself inside for the next four days before I fly to Balmoral.”

Tim was silent for a moment then he said the most incredulous and impulsive thing she ever heard from him. 

“Why don’t you join us? Tell your detective where you are and meet me at my mother’s house in Wiltshire. We’ll leave your car in her garage and from there we can drive mine to Tintagel." 

She was shocked. A litany of questions crossed her mind and she voiced them to him. "What about your friends? What would they think? I don’t know them, what if they tell the press?” But he reassured her that he trusted them with his life and if anything leaked to the press, they would know who the mole was, but it wouldn’t happen, as they would be delighted to meet her and respect their friendship. He kept convincing her until she finally agreed, and it took her some time to convince her detective that she would be fine. He agreed reluctantly when she told him that one of her friends was Commander Laurence and she would be safe with him. His one condition was that he would accompany her to Wiltshire to take the necessary information about where she would be staying from the Commander, as well as names and addresses of their companions. She indulged him, and prepared a light bag of clothing, called her children to tell them she was on vacation with friends and went to meet Tim. It was the first time she’d met his Mum and she was a lovely lady. Anne could understand where Tim got his kindness and compassion and loveliness. The others had gone ahead of them, much to the displeasure of her detective, but he was at least content with the list Tim provided for him, the cottage’s address and phone number, all info about his friends and such.

On the road while discussing potential places to visit, Anne remembered that she didn’t pack swimwear or even a dress appropriate for dinner, so her poor friend had to pull over when they neared a shopping center, so she could purchase what she needed. When they took the road again she asked if she could drive and he agreed. While they were listening to the radio, “I Will Survive” started playing, A/N: sorry I could not help myself 😉. She started driving faster, and Tim looked concerned. “Anne maybe I should drive.. you know, it’s not safe to drive when you’re angry." 

She just glared and sarcastically answered. "Well I beg your pardon, I didn’t know it wasn’t safe. But thank you I am perfectly capable of driving as I am not angry at all.” But Tim was so insistent and literally forced her to pull aside. She got out of the car and walked a little far from it and started crying. Her cries transformed to sobs when she felt strong arms hugging her. She turned around and buried her face in his shoulder. He didn’t say a word but kept holding her. When she calmed down they returned to the car with him driving to somewhere where she spent one of the best holidays in her life, made new friends and discovered another side of her best friend, his playful side, knowledgeable side and cheeky side. He gave her his bedroom but after the first night he spent on the couch she took pity on him and convinced him to separate her bed and sleep with her in the room. “Keep the door open if you want” she shrugged at him.

Everyone, except their party, thought they were a couple. Miraculously nobody recognised her. She ditched her engagement ring and only left her wedding ring on. The trip was heavenly and she felt refreshed and so much in love when they went back to Wiltshire.

She always laughed when she remembered ‘the Wiltshire incident’ as she came to call it. It was there that she experienced her first huge bout of jealousy, and their first kiss. That day, when they arrived to Tim’s mother’s house they were surprised to find his ex girlfriend there visiting his mum. Of course her jealous arse made her incredibly hostile to the poor woman. But Tim was quick to act and called her to his father’s old office to show her something. When he closed the door behind them he just crossed his arms.

“What’s wrong with you? Why were you acting snobbish out there?” It hurt her but she looked back at him defiantly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt yours or your friend’s feelings. Show me what you want to show me, I’ve got to leave soon. My detective is on his way-”

"You’re jealous.” It was not a question. She felt her face warming and was about to deny when he shifted closer to her and took her left hand in his.

“If anyone should be jealous, it should be me,” he said, tapping her engagement ring that she’d put back on, with his thumb. “She is just a friend, and I’m not interested in her in any other way. It would be stupid of me to continue denying that I am in love with you, that I love your imperfections, stubbornness, your eye rolls and your cheeky smiles, the way you act all perfect and proper in public, but in private, you’re all pranks and laughter-” she didn’t let him finish his monologue and kissed him. It was sweet and warm and head spinning. He put his hands on her waist and kissed her deeply, and when they separated she just put her head in the crook of his neck and hugged him tightly, softly whispering: “I love you too.” They didn’t linger in the office for long, just enough time for him to show her his father’s ships models and a picture of him in his workshop, just in case someone asked what they were doing.

-

She was pulled out of her memories by the sound of their car parking. She looked at her husband. Goodness, how she loved calling him that. He was still a bit irritated with her. They went inside the cottage after the PO, who went ahead of them then gave them the green light. 

It was night-time and she couldn’t see the surrounding area but the interior was cosy and lovely, beautifully decorated. She kept walking around when Tim came in with their luggage. She looked at him when he cleared his throat.

"I think it time to have a chat,” Tim said.

Uh oh. She was in trouble.

* * *

DAMN! That was a long fic but that is not a complaint! Someone had asked for this last week, so they’ll be happy to see how long it is too I reckon.

It had sadness. It had feels. It had drama. It had Mark being an arsehole. It was a wild ride but I really liked it, especially the cute flashback of him taking her on holiday. I’m pretty sure she went to a few dinner parties with him during that stage and his friends kept everything quiet? I think I’ve read that somewhere. Anyways It was very sweet and I await part 3 🥰

#fANNEfiction #drama #i will go down with this ship #timmy is the softest #submission

[taliesinlestrange]

                     or   glimpses  of  before  and  after  christmas  of  1947 .

AFTER :   taliesin  lestrange  is  home,  if  not  for  good,  then  for  a  while,  and  he  plans  to  take  action,  to  make  his  family  proud.

BEFORE :   there  is  a  boy  who  sits,  for  the  most  part  alone,  hurting,  in  a  room  somewhere  in  the  swiss  alps.  sometimes  he’s  allowed  to  come  home  for  parties.

BIG ,  WANNA  BE .        i  wanna  be  big,  bigger  than  life,  i’m  gonna  be  huge  or  i  just  won’t  feel  right.      there’s  snow  on  the  ground  outside,  but  it’s  the  first  time  in  a  decade  when  christmas  doesn’t  feel  like  a  taunting  reprieve.  you  used  to  know  that  the  weights  they  lifted  off  your  shoulders  for  the  holidays  were  still  hanging  above  you,  ready  to  be  replaced  come  the  new  year.  this  time  is  different  though,  you’ve  found  the  plans  to  secure  them,  to  better  distribute  the  weight.  this  time  it  will  work,  this  time  the  pain  won’t  be  yours,  this  time  your  father  will  smile  when  he  sees  your  work  and  accept  you  as  his  son.  you  just  have  to  act  boldly.      you  can’t  ask  me  to  stop,  i  push  it  on  my  own,  i’ve  been  through  way  too  much  shit  to  ever  let  this  go.

SICK  JOKE .      sometimes  i  wonder  if  life  is  some  sick  joke,  will  i  wake  up  and  it’s  over  ?      every  day  hurt  when  you  were  there.  the  easier  days  were  exhausting,  the  worse  days  painful  or  frightening.  sometimes  you  wished  for  it  all  to  go  away,  sometimes  you  wished  for  home,  sometimes  you  wished  you  could  just  sleep  a  little  bit  longer.  mostly,  you  wished  someone  would  tell  you  that  things  were  going  to  be  okay.      would  you  tell  me  that  i’m  okay  ?  that  i’m  still  here  and  i’m  not  dead.

DISLOYAL  ORDER  OF  WATER  BUFFALOES .      i’m  coming  apart  at  the  seams,  pitching  myself  for  leads  in  other  people’s  dreams.       new  starts  aren’t  clean,  cut  and  dry  things,  like  they  were  in  the  stories  you  loved  as  a  child.  you  gave  up  on  the  idea  that  magic  would  spring  from  your  unsteady  hands  if  you  just  found  the  right  circumstance  years  ago   (   the  phrase   the  right  circumstance   was  a  weapon  in  their  hands,  wasn’t  it  ?   ),  but  you  kept  it  to  yourself  after  the  one  time  you  didn’t.  that  was  a  mistake.  the  thought  seems  clearer,  more  focused,  now  that  you  have  a  bit  more  time  before  you  have  to  get  on  that  train  again.  when  they  tell  your  family’s  story  though,  this  will  be  the  moment  they  say  you  made  the  choice  to  forge  your  own  way,  even  if  its  been  beneath  the  surface  for  far  longer.      and  i’d  promise  you  anything  for  another  shot  at  life,  imperfect  boys  with  their  perfect  ploys,  nobody  wants  to  hear  you  sing  about  tragedy.

PLEA  FROM  A  CAT  NAMED  VIRTUE .      and  listen,  about  those  bitter  songs  you  sing  ?  they’re  not  helping  anything.      when  some  of  your  wishes  finally  came  true,  you  arrived  home  with  exhausted  limbs  and  psyche.  still,  you  straightened  your  spine  and  attended  the  parties  your  parents  directed  you  to.  yet,  when  you  didn’t  have  to  paint  on  a  smile,  you  buried  yourself  in  comfort  and  sound.  large  sweaters  at  the  piano  at  first,  then  under  blankets  with  the  phonograph  on  once  the  bench  no  longer  offered  the  feeling  of  consolement,  but  rather  only  reminded  you  of  where  you  had  gone  wrong.      we’ll  pass  around  the  easy  lie  of  absolutely  no  regrets.

MORE  ABOUT  ALCOHOLISM .      but  i  don’t  want  to  burn  out,  so  won’t  you  please  set  me  on  fire  again?  i  woke  up  afraid  of  losing  everything,  thank  god  that  i  already  have.      besides  your  image,  you  have  nothing  to  lose.  outcast  already,  or  perhaps  more  accurately,   held  at  a  distance  just  comfortable  enough  for  your  parents   ;  careful,  this  toy  is  marked  for  display  only,  the  image  of  you  is  his  creation.  combine  that  with  the  acceptance  you’ve  reached,  and  it  creates  something  dangerous.  there’s  a  dark  fire  inside  of  you,  and  all  it  wants  is  acceptance,  but  here  you  are,  pushing  people  away  and  looking  for  what  you  need  in  all  the  wrong  places.     but  since  the  day  i  was  born,  it’s  been  too  late  for  me  to  be  anything  but  what  i  am  tonight.

LIAR  [  IT  TAKES  ONE  TO  KNOW  ONE  ] .      we’ve  got  twenty  six  days  to  work  with,  we’ll  see  what  all  gets  done.     the  short  sprints  they  brought  you  home  for  only  offered  so  much  rest,  certainly  not  enough  to  make  up  for  a  whole   semester  at  beauxbatons.   still,  you  did  your  best,  not  wanting  to  disappoint.  lies  became  the  seventh  language  in  your  repertoire,  the  first  six  having  failed  to  impress  your  father  the  way  you  hoped  they  would.      it’s  still  a  question  of  “  how  long  will  this  hold  ?  ”

THE  WOLF .      you’ll  keep  telling  me  i’m  bad  for  me  and  worse  for  the  world,  you  keep  telling  me  i’m  bad.      now  that  you’re  home,  home  for  longer  than  you’ve  been  in  quite  some  time,  your  father  takes  it  upon  himself  to  remind  you  more  frequently  how  you  could  ruin  everything.  you  exist  in  a  paradoxical  state  of  being  the  cherished  son  and  the  worst  thing  that  ever  happened  to  him.  it  drives  you  to  keep  pushing,  find  your  own  ways  to  claw  to  success.  this  was  never  about  becoming  a  monster,  something  cruel,  but  here  you  are.      my  teeth  are  sharpest  when  i  tear  out  the  truth,  am  i  the  boy  who  cried  or  am  i  the  wolf  ?

PANIC  ATTACK .      i  wanna  be  normal,  i  wanna  be  sane,  i  wanna  look  at  you  and  feel  something  other  than  pain.     this  isn’t  working,  this  isn’t  working.   you  want  to  scream,  but  the  last  time  you  had  even  raised  your  concerns  you  could  barely  speak  above  a  whisper.  the  last  time  it  didn’t  end  well.  one  day  you’ll  grow  out  of  this,  you  make  that  the  second  promise  you’ll  one  day  live  up  to.  for  now,  you’ll  just  try  to  remember  how  to  breathe.      i  wanna  sleep  till  i  can’t  feel  anything,  i  want  a  fix,  i  want  a  friend,  i  wanna  cut  these  nerves  from  under  my  skin.

BAD  GUY .       i  guess  if  i  gotta  play  the  villain,  i’ma  sign  a  deal  and  make  a  killing.      what  would  you  do  to  make  this  happen   ?   what  would  you  do  to  make  this  work�� out   ?   anything,  anything.  you  would  do  whatever  you  had  to.  you  don’t  think  about  what  the  group  you  joined  is  really  doing,  not  because  if  you  did  you  would  come  to  some  deeper  revelation   (   they  are  just  expanding  on  the  beliefs  you’ve  been  taught  since  you  were  young,  the  same  ideas  you  used  to  make  yourself  feel  better  about  what  you  were  when  things  seemed  the  darkest   ),   but  because  you  don’t  care.  if  this  is  the  way  the  world  is  going,  you  need  to  be  there.  the  ends  will  justify  the  means.      gotta  make  ends  and  make  amends,  pay  cash  when  i’m  paying  for  my  sins. .

POINT  /  COUNTERPOINT .      i’ve  got  a  gun  in  my  hand  but  the  gun  won’t  cock,  my  finger’s  on  the  trigger  but  that  trigger  seems  locked.     the  magic  is  supposed  to  be  inside  of  you,  and  they’ve  tried  nearly  everything  to  draw  it  out.  it  isn’t  working.  the  days  begin  to  blend  together  and  you  make  very  little  progress.  their  methods  get  more  extreme,  which  makes  the  days  feel  longer  and  harder  to  tell  apart.      and  the  days,  and  the  days  they  seem  like  forever,  but  forever  isn’t  ever  enough.

WTF  IS  SLEEP .      finding  comfort  in  feeling  like  hell  and  it’s  only  the  things  you  do  and  say  that  you  regret.      that  feeling  doesn’t  go  away.  the  one  you  promised  yourself  was  because  of  where  you  were,  the  one  you  told  yourself  you  would  out  grow.  it  follows  you,  and  you  start  to  wonder  if  it’s  something  more  inherent ;  another  piece  of  difference  or  maybe  some  curse  that’s  slipped  in  and  replaced  the  gifts  you  were  supposed  to  posses.      set  no  alarm  cause  i  am  totally  guaranteed  to  wake  to  my  chest  beating  for  miles  ahead  of  me.

PERFECT .      and  now  i  try  hard  to  make  it,  i  just  want  to  make  your  proud.     you  tried  so  hard,  didn’t  you  ?  you  tried  so  hard,  i  know.  you  wonder  if  they’ve  given  up  hope  too,  if  that’s  why  they  agreed  to  this  extended  break.  you  back  your  bags,  not  for  the  last  time,  but  at  least  for  the  last  time  in  a  while.  this  place,  for  all  its  pain,  reminded  you  that  they  cared.  as  the  days  till  your  return  slip  away,  you  become  less  and  less  sure  about  what’s  happening,  about  going  home  for  longer  than  a  summer  break.  this  is  all  you’ve  ever  known,  but  you  also  know  there’s  nothing  else  they  can  do  for  you.      you  can’t  pretend  that  i’m  alright,  and  you  can’t  change  me.

I  JUST  WANT  TO  SELL  OUT  MY  FUNERAL .      i  just  want to  be  enough  for  everyone,  i  just  want  to  sell  out  my  funeral,  know  that  i  fought  until  the  lights  were  gone.      while  things  are  different  now,  your  motivations  are  much  the  same.  the  frightened  eleven  year  old  boy  who  stepped  off  the  train  station  with  hope  that  he  could  unlock  was  inside  of  him  is  only  inches  different  from  the  adult  who  collects  information  like  it  is  currency  and  with  little  care  for  who  he  harms  when  he  makes  purchases.  there  was  a  promise  made  of  who  you  would  be  when  you  were  born,  and  by  the  time  you  die  you  want  to  fulfill  it.  you  still  think  it’s  your  fault  that  you  haven’t  yet,  and  no  one  has  told  you  anything  different.     i'll  stay  thankful  for  mild  winters,  for  every  shot  i  got  at  anything,  i’ll  blame  the  flaws  that  i  was  born  with  or  the  mistakes  that  i’ve  made.

FORTUNATE  SON .      some  folks  are  born  silver  spoon  in  hand,  lord,  don’t  they  help  themselves.     sometimes  you  wonder  what  it  would  be  like  to  be  like  morys.  you  know,  sitting  on  the  train  back  to  wales,  that’s  who  your  parents  wish  you  were.  or  someone  like  him.  they  threw  exorbitant  amounts  of  money  at  your   particular  issue   but  they  couldn’t  make  you  anything  like  him.  that’s  not  who  you  are  ...   you’ll  have  to  find  your  own  way.  that  doesn’t  mean  you  don’t  feel  a  little  guilty.      it  ain’t  me,  it  ain’t  me,  i  ain’t  no  fortunate  one.

#abuse / #self harm / #self harm just because of the ? lyrics to panic attack #burialtask #burialtask006 #also uhh proof reading WHO?

[ivadeshin]

Careful Steps (Essik/Caleb) (3/n)

(catch up over on ao3) 

One can often determine how much a person values a topic by how closely they hold it to their chest. Essik notices the moment Caleb determines that it is safe to discuss his colleagues with Essik. And after one story, it is a deluge.

A mention of high-ranking officials trying to conceal their personal lives leads to a strange anecdote about Jester, the tiefling, encountering and exposing several such officials in her youth. A discussion of preferred methods of travel leads to a brief summary of Fjord, the half-orc, and how his previous experience with the sea was crucial just months ago when they had to travel by ship.

Caleb speaks of his colleagues warmly, almost without exception. Many groups of adventurers or mercenaries get along solely in order to secure wealth, or to complete necessary objectives. Essik is professionally and personally familiar with many. However, these defectors seem to defy one standard after another..

Essik listens to the anecdotes with interest.

**

Caleb’s new attire is not from Essik’s tailor near the Conservatory, but it is certainly an improvement. The maroon silk shirt has fine stitching, with some modest shards of onyx embroidered into the v-shaped neckline.

“The woman at the front insisted I would look like a commoner if there weren’t any stones anywhere,” Caleb is saying with some tension.

Essik is trying not to be distracted by the orange-blond curls of chest hair visible from the neck line. The line of his throat, the curve of his collarbones, are an even fairer cream than that of his face. It is. Deeply unique and distracting. “Your tailor was correct. I understand that men of the Empire often avoid even semiprecious gems, but here, such an absence would indicate an inability to afford it.” Caleb looks mollified, so Essik continues: “I assure you that onyx is neither particularly expensive nor ostentatious.”

“Thank you.” Caleb nods a few times, fingering the lapel of the new black coat and trying on a weak smile. “I did try to follow your recommendation, near the Marble Tomes... a bit too rich for my blood, I’m afraid.”

A euphemism for being unable to afford it. Essik bows slightly at the waist. “Please accept my apologies. My suggestion was clearly unhelpful.”

“Nein, no, it is fine.” Caleb actually laughs. “Trust me, I am used to not being up to snuff in places like that. And, while I was getting stared at in the lobby, I got to see some displayed outfits that looked nearly as good as your cloak and mantle!”

Essik is far too modest to beam.

**

His most recent cultural discovery has been about about the delivery of flowers.

Either by messenger or in person, they have additional value if they are a type particularly admired by the recipient. Essik, having little botanical knowledge himself, goes to his garden and points at the ones Caleb admired upon his first visit. His servant informs him of the genus and assures him that they are only moderately difficult to acquire.

Essik arranges for six bulbs to be purchased, and planted in the garden outside Caleb Widogast’s Rosohna house. Such romantic gestures certainly make more sense in a place like the Empire, where flowers are said to be much more plentiful and even grow by the fields on wild plains. But Essik is not a man without means, and his younger servant, Ruanill, happens to have an aunt who specializes in the cultivation of non-fruiting plants.

He sends Ruanill with special instructions to only plant the bulbs where the firbolg and/or tiefling will permit. Essik remembers that those two were absolutely responsible for that building’s... upgrades, upon moving in.

**

There is a knock on the library door, and Ruanill enters and bows deeply. “Shadowhand.”

Essik looks up from the codex on the desk. “I trust everything went well?”

“Mr. Widogast was not at home. The firbolg, Mr. Caduceus Clay, received the gift with deep gratitude. He requested that he assist me in the planting process.”

“Considering his appearance and the tree, I fail to find that surprising.” Which is to say, Essik does not mind the change in plans. The cultural texts mentioned nothing of who did the dirty work.

“Mr. Clay also... invited me in for tea, sir.” Ruanill sounds uncertain.

Essik straightens a little in his chair. This must be a misunderstanding. “You made it clear you were visiting as a servant of my house?”

“Of course, sir, I made it very explicit that the gift was from you and for Mr. Widogast.” Ruanill bows again, deeply, and rises slowly. “He... asked for my name, and upon receiving it, used it to ask me inside to take tea.”

After taking a few moments to ruminate over this, Essik sighs deeply. Ruanill has been reliable and steady in his employ, and does not deserve such bizarre treatment. “Was anyone else present?”

“No, Shadowhand.”

This sounds like another social blunder, stressful but meaningless. “And did you discuss anything of tactical interest?”

“No, Shadowhand.” Ruanill’s eyes reach the ceiling as he tries to recall. “Mr. Clay inquired about my family,” Essik cringes in sympathy, “and then, about the care of flowering Xhorhassian plants, and then, about my knowledge of you.”

This is alarming. Essik rises out of his chair to his full height. “Explain.”

Ruanill shrinks immediately. “I must assure you that-”

To be so low as to press one of his employees, who visited his home in good faith, bearing a gift, is unforgivable. Caleb has mentioned Caduceus’s gift for extracting information from subjects... “Was he asking about my movements? My contacts over enemy lines?”

“Shadowhand, his questions were that of, of a,” Ruanill trembles a little as he rearranges his headpiece. “Please forgive my inelegant wording. His questions were that of a working class mother. Inquiring about her child’s suitor.” Seeing no interruption, he continues: “Your temperament. Your interests beyond magicks. How much time you are given by the Bright Queen to pursue personal interests.”

Essik’s eyebrows raise in disbelief. “And I assume he also inquired about the salary, and number of rooms in my home? The value of my estates? How many royal festival gatherings I attend?”

“N-no, Shadowhand, although that is a known line of questioning in some lower households.” Ruanill squares his shoulders, reclaiming his courage. “If I may be so bold, I would theorize that the firbolg acts as a maternal figure to the defector group. These... casual digs for intel are an attempt to determine whether you are a suitable personality, not financial or societal match, to the human.”

Essik digests this. “A... an interview by proxy, perhaps.” And how can he know how he fared in an interview he did not attend?

“Yes, Shadowhand.” Ruanill bows his head. “It is common for such questioning to be aimed at someone who is knowledgeable about the suitor, but not motivated to lie for them.”

“He underestimated your allegiance.”

“I was not offended by the implication.” A beat. “The tea was very sweet and included honey. I believe Mr. Clay was satisfied by my descriptions of your loyalty, conviction, and work ethic. Is that... sufficient for the report?”

“...yes. Please take the rest of the day off. I am sure you are out of sorts.”

**

The firbolg is considered a very wise, if unusual, font of knowledge by the others among the defectors. Caleb has told Essik as much. Essik’s anxiety has shifted from concern that one of the defectors is a mole, to concern that one of the defector’s opinion of him may sway his human’s feelings on him.

#critical fic #shadowgast #shadowhand essik #essik #caleb widogast

[callboxkat]

Infinitesimal (part 19)

Author’s note: This one took a bit longer than I expected to edit, but it’s an important part! I hope you guys like it. Let me know what you think. :)

Warnings: illness mention, injury mention, arguing, panic, food mention

Word count: 2867

Look for the masterpost in the notes!

...

Roman had been rather distracted in his classes lately, and to be honest, it was starting to affect his work. In his defense, he felt that no one would be able to blame him if they knew what was going on. Finding Patton, a not-quite-five-inch-tall, half-drowned, sick and scared mouse-man who had to be nursed back to health and whose trust had to be painstakingly earned, was something that he felt plenty of people would consider distracting. Roman would argue that he was dealing with it very well, thank you very much.

Of course, it wasn’t as if he could just tell people what was going on—and they wouldn’t believe him, anyway, even if he wanted to do that—so his professors were just getting very annoyed with him lately, assuming he was just slacking off and not paying attention. (Okay, so maybe he wasn’t paying as much attention as he could have, but again, tiny, sick mouse-men were distracting!)

So, Roman was already in a foul mood when he got home from his morning classes on Thursday.

He let himself into his and Logan’s apartment and closed the door behind him. He leaned his head back against the wood with a heavy sigh, then pushed himself off of it and walked out into the kitchen. He put his backpack in its usual spot in the corner and stretched, reaching up towards the ceiling with a groan.

“Long morning?” asked Logan, looking up from where he was scribbling in a notebook.

“You could say that,” Roman sighed. He glanced at the living room, silently debated for a second, and then walked towards the doorway. He didn’t know if Patton would appreciate seeing him; and sure, they were going to see each other when they ate lunch either way; but he just wanted to say hello and to check on the little guy. Plus, Logan had mentioned that Patton should become more at ease as he grew accustomed to their presence. He couldn’t grow accustomed to them if they always stayed away.

All Roman really wanted was for Patton to feel safe. To know that they weren’t going to hurt him.

With this in mind, Roman entered the room. He knocked quietly on the doorframe just before he did so, wanting to give Patton a warning. He could imagine that a giant—which he was, from Patton’s perspective—suddenly bursting in might be rather startling.

“Hey, Pat,” he said, putting on his best smile. Patton was on the table, bundled up in all his blankets, but his arms were free. He was drawing, the little box of supplies Roman had given him at his side.

Patton looked up at him.

“How was your morning?” he asked.

Patton shrugged, twiddling with the colored pencil lead he held in one hand.

“I didn’t get the chance to tell you earlier, but I really like your new outfit. You look nice.”

Patton glanced down at himself, shifting. Roman couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“It’s pretty remarkable you know, that you can put together a whole outfit like that in a day,” Roman continued, and he meant it.  “Did you stay up all night working on it? Did you get enough sleep?”

Patton looked away, seeming a little awkward now. He shifted uncomfortably.

“I don’t mean to pry,” he backtracked, his heart sinking, “or to bother you. I just wanted to say I’m impressed.”

Patton glanced up at him. Maybe Roman was just seeing what he wanted to see, but he thought he saw a hint of pride in Patton’s eyes.

“Anyway, lunch is soon. I’ll leave you alone for a bit ’til then.” He gave Patton a little wave and went back out into the kitchen. Logan was still sitting there, at the table, bent over his notebook. Roman sat down heavily next to him.

Logan looked up and regarded him for a moment. “What would you like for lunch?” he asked. “I can cook today.”

“I don’t care. Whatever’s easiest, I suppose.”

Logan nodded and got up, leaving his notebook and pencil on the table. As he flipped it shut and went to prepare lunch, Roman caught a glimpse of one of the pages. Frowning, he pulled it over and reopened it. He read the contents of the page in a heavy silence.

A moment passed before Roman picked up the notebook and walked over to where Logan was standing at the counter.

“Ah, Roman, would you mind handing me the—.”

“What the hell is this?” Roman asked, waving the notebook under Logan’s nose.

“One of my notebooks,” Logan said, frowning. “I would appreciate if you didn’t touch my personal effects.” He moved to take it back, but Roman held the book just out of reach. Logan crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “Is there a reason for this childish exchange?”

Roman huffed at him and opened the notebook to a particular page. It held a rough sketch of what at first glance seemed to be a human, until one saw the long tail. The body and each limb were marked with measurements, and there were notes written in small script on the side. Data and observations and questions. About Patton.

“You’re studying him!” Roman snapped, keeping his volume low so that Patton wouldn’t overhear.

Logan seemed confused. “I am afraid that I do not see the issue. As a member of the scientific community, it is imperative to attempt to further humanity’s knowledge of the universe as much as possible. Even putting that aside, it is important to understand Patton as best as possible in order to determine how to help him.”

“He’s not some test subject in a lab!”

“I know that, Roman. I have neither harmed Patton nor pressured him to provide any information that he did not want to provide.”

“I’m pretty sure he didn’t want you measuring him.”

“I took those measurements when we first brought him here,” Logan admitted. He turned off the stove so that what he was cooking would not burn. “Not only as scientific data—which is, regardless of Patton’s personhood, important to collect—but also in case it became necessary in the future.” He was starting to sound agitated. “Had we been the ones to make him clothes, or needed to put a cast on one of his limbs, or attempted to as accurately as possible determine a dosage of medicine, or had any other relevant event occurred, these measurements could have been instrume—.”

“Those are excuses,” Roman said, his voice deathly quiet. Logan broke off at his tone. There was a long moment of silence before finally, he spoke again.

“Are you telling me I should not attempt to understand the world around me? Besides, the data I have collected is not of the conventional, experimental sort, but rather a collection of observations, developing hypotheses, and recommendations of future actions based on said hypotheses.”

“Goddamn it, Logan, I’m telling you not to treat Patton like he’s some scientific discovery. He is a person, a sick and hurt person who needs our help. He doesn’t need you seeing him as your ticket to a Nobel Prize, or whatever you’re doing this for. Don’t pretend it’s out of some kind of ‘scientific duty’ or that you’re doing it to help him.”

Logan reached for his notebook once more, but he unsurprisingly failed to snatch it. “What do you want from me?” he asked. “I can’t just… not document my findings.”

“You can learn about him the normal way,” Roman said. “Like any normal human being learns about other people. As an equal. Not something to be studied.”

Logan looked towards the other room, towards the wall behind which they both knew Patton was. “Perhaps I have been a little overly engrossed in understanding him,” Logan finally sighed. “At first, at least. Although I do maintain that my notes are invaluable data.”

Roman figured that this was about as close as he would get to Logan admitting he was wrong about this. He’d take it for now, if only because he didn’t want to keep arguing. He slipped the little notebook into his inside jacket pocket, ignoring the hurt look Logan gave him at the action. “Let’s just have lunch.”

…

Lunch was a somewhat tense affair.

Patton seemed to pick up on it, probably from Logan’s part. Roman was using his usual cheerful, gentle tone towards the “mouse-man”, looking for all the world as if nothing was wrong. Logan sometimes forgot how good of an actor Roman was.

Logan himself, meanwhile, was only picking at his spaghetti. He was doing his best to act normally, too, but it was difficult.

After a while of mostly being left out of the conversation—which was, admittedly, more just Roman speaking and Patton occasionally nodding or saying a single quiet word in response than an actual conversation—he heard Roman say, “I hope you don’t mind if I leave early. I have a meeting to go to, unfortunately.” Roman stood up, empty bowl in one hand. He looked apologetic. “I’ll be back later tonight,” he promised. And he left.

With Roman gone, a little of the tension Logan felt was lifted. The college student shifted, setting his half-finished bowl of spaghetti on his lap. He looked over at the small being before him, the impossibly small person. He was still eating, his actions guarded as always.

“We’ll have to get some more suitable dishware soon,” Logan commented when Patton was almost done eating, trying to be conversational and get rid of the awkwardness from earlier. Patton had his fork, yes, but they only had so many bottlecaps. And other forms of dishware would be easier to clean than something with so many grooves.

…

Patton glanced up when the human spoke, his fork pausing halfway between the bottlecap and his mouth. Logan looked thoughtful.

“Perhaps Roman and I could purchase some doll furniture tomorrow.”

Patton dropped his fork. It landed at the side of the bottlecap with a quiet tink that Patton barely heard.

“—tton?” Logan’s voice said above him.

Patton’s gaze very slowly rose to Logan’s face. He could feel his heart thudding, pounding like a frantic drum in his chest.

….

Logan jolted in alarm as the tiny person suddenly shot to his feet and darted away from him, his gait unsteady but hurried.

Except… there was nowhere to run. Patton was still on top of a table. “Where are you—?”

Logan got up quickly. Patton had staggered to the other side of the table; but trapped and clearly without a plan, he turned back to hide behind a stack of books that sat near the cage.

Logan took a split-second pause before he slowly lowered himself to be eye-level with the stack of books. “Patton?” he called very softly. “Did I do something wrong?”

There was a long silence. Patton stayed hidden. Logan didn’t move, knowing he needed a gentler touch.

“Please—I want to help, but I don’t know how I have upset you. If you tell me, I’ll know not to do it again.”

“I’m not a doll!” Patton suddenly cried out, still hidden.

“I know that,” Logan said, baffled. “Why would I believe you to be one?”

“I—I’m not a d-doll, I’m a—I’m a person.”

“No one here believes you to be a doll,” Logan affirmed calmly, although his mind was racing. He didn’t like the implications that this development had for what Patton might have been through before they found him. Of he and his roommate, Logan was the less creative, but his imagination was quickly supplying ideas of what truly traumatic experiences could have caused such a knee-jerk reaction, such terror, at the mere idea of being seen as a doll.

But what had set Patton off? Logan thought about what had happened right before the “mouse-man” took off. He’d only been talking about potential dishware for Patton.

…About potentially using doll furniture for it.

Ah.

“My apologies, Patton,” the college student said, and he truly was apologetic. “It was not my intention to upset you. You can stay hidden if you so desire. I won’t force you to come out. However, you still have more food over here if you want it. It is important for you to maintain your caloric intake, especially during your recovery.”

There was still no sign that the tiny person was going to come out any time soon.

Logan wasn’t sure what to do here. Part of him wanted to leave, let Patton come out and eat on his own while he was gone, but in his current emotional state Logan couldn’t be sure that he wouldn’t try another escape attempt. Especially while as panicked as he was, such an attempt could end very badly for Patton.

“Patton,” Logan said softly, trying again. “I would never treat you as a doll. Neither would Roman. We know that you are an intelligent, sentient being and would not wish you to be otherwise. You are free to be yourself, I swear.”

Logan could see Patton’s fingertips, curled around the edge of one of the books. He decided to wait.

After a few minutes, Patton reemerged, still more than half-hidden by the books, but visible now.

Logan glanced at him, but didn’t hold eye contact, as he knew that that might come across as intimidating. He just continued to wait hopefully.

“You—you’re really not going to make me… make me be a doll?”

“I promise.”

“But… but you still won’t let me go.”

Logan sighed. “The only reason we are keeping you here is because you are not well enough to be alone. As soon as you are well enough, you may leave. Roman and I are doing all we can to make you as comfortable as possible. If you have any requests, all you have to do is ask. If we are doing something wrong, inadvertently making you uncomfortable in some way, all you have to do is let us know.”

There was a long silence after Logan finished speaking. Then Patton closed his eyes tightly for a second, as if steeling himself; and despite how much he was trembling, he deliberately approached the human. He settled himself by his food again, only marginally further from Logan than he had been before.

Logan couldn’t keep the relief from his face as he and Patton resumed their meal.

…

“I request that you return my notebook,” Logan said as soon as Roman walked through the door.

Roman shot him a glare, but he seemed too tired to argue, so he just took the notebook out of his jacket pocket and threw it at Logan, who barely managed to catch it.

“I’m going to take a nap.”

“Roman, wait,” Logan said as Roman started to walk away. “Would you at least read what I have written before you judge me so harshly?”

“I already did,” Roman said pointedly, facing away from him. “You know that.”

“All of it?”

“What do you mean, all of it?”

Logan opened his notebook, taking a pen out of his pocket. He flipped to the page he wanted, and he marked something down in bold letters. Then, he flipped through the rest of the pages, exaggerating how loudly he turned each one, knowing Roman could hear him doing so. Roman turned around. He held out his hand, his expression hard.

Logan handed it over and watched as Roman leafed through it, scanning over each page.

“I was never going to publish anything,” Logan said quietly. “You do know that, correct? I assure you, although I may have been excited at the discovery of Patton at first in a more purely scientific sense, over the past few days, as I learned more about him and realized that he contains a sentience on par with that of ourselves, my concern has grown more and more to be solely for his well-being. The other notes and observations I recorded will never be given to others, and I will never treat him as anything other than a person.”

…

Roman read through the notebook, his eyebrows drawn together. After the page Roman had seen with the sketch, measurements, and physiological observations, were various additional pages labeled things like ‘Diet’ (he noted the underlined phrase ‘very fond of cheese’), ‘Health’ (here were noted Patton’s injuries, symptoms that Logan had noticed, and how they were improving), and ‘Topics and Behaviors to Avoid’. Roman stopped at that last one. Logan had listed, in neat bullet points, things that might make Patton uncomfortable or scared. The list included ‘grabbing’, ‘yelling or loud speech’, ‘prolonged eye contact’, as well as numerous other points. At the end, in ink that had barely dried, was a single word in capitalized, bolded letters: ‘DOLLS’.

Roman looked up to see Logan watching him in silence. He handed back the notebook.

“Okay. So maybe you haven’t been treating him like a lab rat,” he relented. “But why write ‘dolls’? Could you explain that to me?”

Logan glanced towards the other room, as if worried that Patton might have overheard their whispered argument.

“Certainly.”

...

Tag list: @arc852 @thats-so-crash @romanasanders @why-should-i-tell-youu2 @anyay666 @bluebloodstains @nightmarejasmine @side-for-sides @infinitesimal-grey @cobythinks @justanotherpurplebutterfly @punsterterry @dylan-winchesters-blog @wolfie-kinz @i-like-cookiez @smol-jar-of-pickles @musicwithalex @brookeisanerd @scorching-scotch @of-swords-and-princes @thepoolofthedead @a-black-pegasus @brooky71 @downrightdanny @rainbow-sides  @anxiousvirgilsanderss @picklesandbeyond @patton-loves-coloring @starryfirefliesbloggo @purplesoul-at-hogwarts  @gaylotusthatexists @quoth-the-sparrow @awesomelissawho @amuthefunperson @faithfreedom @heck-im-lost @gayfandomsaremything

#sanders sides #thomas sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #logan sanders #infinitesimal!sides #sanders sides fan fiction #ts fanfic #fanfiction #infinitesimal fic #g/t

[maevefiction]

Your Light in the Mist - Chapter 1

The weather in Hawaii is everything they say it is…absolute perfection. I would have preferred to visit in January as opposed to June, fleeing the abysmal cold that is the norm in New York City, but as I wasn’t on the conference planning committee I hadn’t any choice in the matter. After two twelve hour days of being cooped up in a conference room at the Courtyard Marriot Kaua'i, all I wanted to do was plop my ass down on a lounge chair, stick my toes in the warm sand and think about anything other than social media marketing and implementation and…gods, please make it stop. I rolled over in the king size bed and squinted at the digital click. Nope, still a big blur. I fumbled for my glasses, shoving them roughly in place, and tried again. It read 7:23 AM.

“Well, fuck me. So much for the sunrise ceremony on the beach.” My voice echoed in the 528 square foot room, which was nearly as large as my studio apartment back home. Since it was technically a ‘free’ day for me, I had opted to not set the alarm and instead rely on my internal version to ensure I was up in time. Apparently my body clock was still off kilter from the time difference. I padded across the room and opened the louvered doors to the balcony, closing my eyes as I let the ocean breeze wash over me.  

“Mmm, someone needs to remind me why I continue to live in New York, because I can’t think of a single reason right now.” Talking to myself was a lifelong habit, most likely the result of being an introvert. I spent an inordinate number of hours interacting with clients every day, pretending to be an extrovert…when I wasn’t working, all I wanted was to be alone. If I didn’t allow myself to slip into my own world whenever circumstances permitted I’d quickly become unable to function properly, often lashing out at those around me. And that’s not exactly good for business.

I raised my arms above my head, stretching to work the morning kinks out…and then I remembered that I was standing on an oceanfront balcony one story above a public beach clad only in a t-shirt. “Shit. Say aloha to my lady bits, Coconut Beach.” I retreated into the room, wondering if anyone had witnessed my R-rated maneuver. I pulled the threadbare t-shirt over my head and tossed it on the floor as I walked toward the bathroom. I opened the faucet, pushed in the shower knob and hit the temperature memory button I’d configured after checking in…what a luxurious convenience THAT was. I set my glasses as far back as possible on the counter to reduce the risk of knocking them off when I towel dried my hair. As I stepped over the tub rim, careful not to trip, I realized that I had neglected to shut the balcony doors. I face palmed and groaned, then glanced at myself in the mirror. “Congratulations, Maude. You’ll soon have no dignity left to salvage.”

****************************************************************

I frowned at the clock as I dressed, wondering if it was possible to trek 25 miles to the other side of the island to the Talk Story bookstore and be back in time for the Kauai Museum’s ‘Ōlelo Mai Nā Kūpuna Mai at 10:30. Traditional Hawaiian lore as told by a Kahuna wasn’t high on my list of ‘things I need to do in Hawaii’ but I knew lots of conference attendees would be there, providing me with a perfect opportunity to schmooze. My frown turned into a grimace at the thought of having to use my tablet as a reader all week and I decided the schmoozing could wait until Wednesday’s Hula Class, which would probably be vastly more entertaining. Despite my love for tech in all of its forms, nothing would ever compare to the feel of a book in my hands. There’s just something incredibly sensuous about the weight, the texture of the paper, the sound of the page turning…a representation of a physical connection between the author and the reader. Work led me to a multitude of locations, and for every stop that was new to me I made it a point to purchase a book I hadn’t read, inscribing the place and time inside the front cover. So much better than picking up a tacky souvenir that served no real purpose, and I loved browsing my bookshelves and knowing the exact moment when I began my journey into a particular story. I sighed, mulling over the fact that my apartment was bursting at the seams with books and what that said about the state of my affairs. Of lack thereof, as it were. I strapped on my Birkenstocks, put my unruly reddish-brown hair up in a ponytail and made for the door, giving myself a quick pat down to make sure I had my car keys, cell phone, wallet and room key tucked away in my hiking shorts. Yep, good to go. I watched the door close behind me and started toward the single flight of stairs that exited to the parking lot.

My phone rang just as I was approaching the Jeep Wrangler I had rented. It was army green, an older model…perfect, the sales rep said, for seeing the ‘real’ Kaua’i. I’ve always loved Jeeps, so he got no argument from me, though I had no intention of taking it off-roading. I could too easily envision myself getting it stuck in the mud and requiring a tow truck. Or an ambulance. “Pass”, I muttered while tapping the answer button on my phone.

“Maude Gallagher, how may I help you?’

“May I speak with Ms. Gallagher, please?” Though I did the vast majority of the work alone, my official company name was Maude Gallagher, LLC and it was a common occurrence for people to assume that someone other than me would be answering the phone.

“This is Ms. Gallagher. But please, call me Maude.” Ten seconds of silence followed.

“So sorry, Ms. Ga…Maude. I’m afraid I didn’t recognize your voice. Luke Windsor here, of Prosper PR. I attended your seminar on how to use social media to enhance client reputation Saturday. Which was wonderful, by the way. It’s something I’ve been involved with for a number of years, but you presented some exceptional ideas I plan on implementing immediately once I’m back on the home front.”

Luke Windsor…I knew the name, but couldn’t quite put my finger on any of Prosper’s clientele, and his English accent was doing little to help me focus. I made a mental note to Google him when I had a moment. “Thank you, Luke. It’s always a pleasure to know that an attendee found the information I provide to be of use. I appreciate you calling to let me know.”

“Oh, yes, very useful, and you’re quite welcome. But, actually, I was calling to see if you were free to meet at some point today or tomorrow to discuss a client of mine who’s been struggling with his social media presence lately. It’s a bit complicated as we’re close friends as well, and on this particular topic we don’t see eye to eye. At all. I think listening to a neutral party with your level of expertise may help him understand my perspective and perhaps he’ll permit me to do my job properly again.” He sighed audibly. “My apologies, Maude. That wasn’t very professional of me. I’m afraid I’m a tad…frustrated.”

“No need to apologize, Luke. Social media PR is pretty much impossible to pull off with any modicum of success when a client is unwilling to follow through, and it’s incredibly frustrating when the person who hired you is the one standing in the way of you getting the job done. I’d be happy to sit down and go over things. What day works best for you?”

“Actually, over lunch today at 2:00 PM would be ideal. Does that suit your schedule?” I closed my eyes and lowered my chin to my chest. So much for my ass in that lounge chair. But, you can’t expect to reap the benefits of being your own boss without accepting the sacrifices it demands as well.

“That will be fine, Luke. You pick the location that you’re most comfortable with and text me the address later, please.”

“I can’t thank you enough for doing this on such short notice, Maude. My client and I aren’t in the same place very often unless it’s a press event and it’s lovely of you to accommodate us. When I text the details I’ll send along the info you’ll need so you can forward me an invoice.”

“You’re very welcome. And, initial consultations are always free of charge.” Not many people in my field were willing to do anything for free, but I’d always felt that it was worth the gamble and helped me stand out of the pack. Often, the potential client would wind up paying for drinks and meals, so it wasn’t a total loss.

He paused briefly. “Well, I hope you’ll at least allow me to pick up the tab for lunch, then?” I laughed.

“If you insist. But be warned, I’m not a dainty salad and water kind of gal.” He laughed in turn. “See you at 2:00 PM, Luke.  I look forward to meeting you and your client.”

“See you then, Maude. And thanks again!” I tapped the end call button and checked the time. It was 8:45 now, and after stopping at the Passion Bakery Café for breakfast it would probably be 9:30 or so. According to my directions, it would take around 45 minutes to get to Talk Story and another 45 for my return trip. I’d need to change and primp a bit when I got back to the hotel, but I’d probably be okay as long as I was out the door of the bookstore at 12:30. Two hours seemed like plenty of time to poke around, but I often got lost in such places. I set my phone alarm for 12:15, just in case. I climbed into the Jeep, intending to plug my phone into the auxiliary jack so I could shuffle some tunes for the ride. Much to my horror, not only was there no auxiliary jack, there was no stereo, period. Damn, how could I have not checked that? I pushed in the clutch and the brake, turned the key, put it in gear and made a left out of the lot towards the Passion Bakery Café. My stomach growled continuously in anticipation of my much needed breakfast. I looked down and patted my belly. “Well, it’s not Beethoven, but I guess it will have to do.”

#your light in the mist #chapter 1 #start date June 2015

[els-imagines]

Ishtar x Code: Esencia? queen x queen? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) (extra fluff please)

How does one fluff? No seriously I had to ask for help from some friends in a discord server. Here you go anon, a fluff cake - Mod Sei who does no know how to write fluff.

The night air was quiet and calm, the wind brushing her hair as the nasod queen stands at the deck of the black crow. Eve’s eyes followed the moon, unblinking and holding a sense of calmness and elegance.

“Aren’t the starts bright tonight?” A voice suddenly asks and then there was the clacking of heels landing behind her. Lu smiles that unreadable smile of hers, hair slightly dancing in the breeze.

“Good evening, Queen.” Eve smiles in an almost casual fashion doing a little curtsy before straightening up.

The demon chuckles.” No need for formalities here dear, we are both queens here after all.” She says, crossing her legs and starting to levitate a bit off the ground.

Eve herself was hovering in the air and she gives her a lucrative smile.” What brings you here then, Lu?” She asks.

Lu smiles back, a genuine one before walking towards the railing.” I suppose you could say I’m trying to learn how to use my,” she gestures to the new appendages at her back.

“wings.” she makes a face, still not used to the movement on her back every time she does something that caused the wings to stir, which is generally her just moving.

Eve nods in understanding, holding her chin and examining the wings thoughtfully.”I see.” She murmurs then turned back to look at the night sky again.

Lu peers over the railing, the action making the nasod turn to her in silent confusion.She then raises her foot and planted it on the metal bars before hoisting herself up and standing so she was balanced on the railing.

“What are you doing?” Eve cocks her head, Lu looks back at her with an indifferent shrug.

“Like I said, I’m trying to learn how to use my wings.” Eve quirks a brow and walks towards her.

“And based from my observations and from your words and actions, you are planning to jump off. yes?”

The other simply nods, a small smile cresting upon her lips. Eve sighs.” Lu, I do not think it is a logical course of action to just jump off and-”

“Nonsense Eve.” Lu smirks at the nasod.” Something as flying should be simple for a queen like me!” She declares before jumping off.

No sooner after she jumped off she immediately started screeching, falling at an alarming speed towards the land far below. Oh Sult this was a bad mistake a stupid bad mistake how does she fly how does she use her wings how-

Ah, pride Eve thinks to herself before Lu suddenly and actually jumped off the deck, much to Eve’s shock and surprise.

She immediately peers over the railing and saw a figure falling down. Hearing the screech Eve wastes no moment and jumps off the railing herself, Moby and Remy following their queen.

Lu was still screeching like a banshee as she plummeted, nearing the ground with each passing second before suddenly, everything is still again and she realizes she stopped falling.

And only then did she realize someone was holding her, She looks up and her face turns an interesting shade of red when she finds a familiar face holding her bridal style.

“E-eve?!” She stammers. The nasod merely looks at her with indifferent golden orbs.

“I have told you this was an illogical plan to take.” She sighs before she slowly moves her hands so she’s holding Lu by the arms.

“Would you like me to assist you in learning how to fly?”

Lu pauses and looks at her with something akin to confusion and wonder before smiling and nodding.“ That would be greatly appreciated, Eve.”

Though the situation wasn’t exactly Eve teaching her how to fly, more like she was letting Lu learn on her own while holding her and preventing her from falling to her death.

But Lu didn’t mind it one bit, the quiet air filled with chatting about random subjects. At one point they even proposed an alliance between the nasods and demons when Lu get’s her rightful place back in the demon world.

The night passed like this until Lu finally learned how to use her wings properly and wasn’t holding on to Eve anymore.

“Hey look, I can do it now!” She says, excitement barely concealed in her voice. And it was true, her wings were now flapping behind her back, keeping her upright in air and sending gentle gusts of wind towards the nasod in front of her.

There was a soft smile cresting Eve’s lips as Lu lets go of her arms and started flying.

“I congratulate you, Lu.” She says until Lu suddenly disappears from sight.”…Lu?”

She looks around, seeing nothing but clouds and the night sky, she sends moby and remy to look for the missing demon queen.

“C’mon!” Lu’s voice suddenly rings out.” Why not play a game of hide and seek?”

Eve blinks before starting to float towards the direction of the voice with a sigh.

” Lu, playing this ‘game’ is merely a waste of time and does not help develop our skills in whatsoever.” She says, spotting the flapping of wings from behind a cloud.

With a childish pout out of her image as an elegant queen, Lu flies and stops before Eve.

“Aww, why so serious Eve?”

The nasod blinks.” I’m afraid I don’t follow, I am just explaining that this does not help our skills in anything.”

Taking Lu’s hand she starts floating up again with the help of the boosters at her.” Now come, let’s return to the airship.”

Lu allows herself to be led away, a faint hue of red dusting her pale skin when Eve held her hand, moby and remy following after them as they reached the deck of the black crow.

Eve lets go of her hand upon finding purchase on the deck again and for a moment, Lu was tempted to hold her hand again but decided against it.

“....That cloud looks like Moby.” She says instead, pointing up and to a cloud that indeed holds the shape of the drone.

Eve blinks before looking up, upon seeing it she laughs softly, the sound making something in Lu’s heart flutter.

“Well, that one resembles a phoru then.” Eve counters, pointing to a different cloud, smiling softly.

Instead of going back inside the airship, the two queens instead spent the night looking at the stars and clouds, and when Lu moves to gently clasps Eve’s hand again.

Eve doesn’t mention it, instead entwining their hands together as she goes back to observing the night sky again.

“Two queens standing at an ungodly hour, looking up at the stars and holding hands, Well isn’t that just cute, are you sure you don’t like her?”, Ciel’s teasing tone says through the contract. 

A blush flares up to Lu’s pale face.” Shut up Ciel!” She yells in her mind, but Ciel could feel the embarrassment from his master through the contract and only chuckled to himself.

“And yet you don’t want to let go of her hand.”

Lu has no rebuke for that, falling silent before shutting off her side of the contract to get a sense of privacy.

Ciel blinks from inside his room before chuckling again. Well, at least it looks like Lu finally acknowledged her feelings for the queen of nasods.

Shaking his head fondly he lies down to bed, with the intention to tease her tomorrow.

#els imagines #elsword imagines #lu #eve #ishtar #code: escensia #lu x eve #ishtar x code escensia #thanks a lot fum and nsykdk #mod sei #shippy #how does one fluff #halp