#one day being sold after his old owner died or something and a guy just walking past saw the big crowd trying to see the bird man | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

girl8890 · 2 years

Text

R Town | Ch.21

Jin x FemOc

word count: 5k

POV: Juliet

Warnings: Vaginal sex, Prostitution, Blood, Assault, Physical fighting, Depression, Heavy petting, Rape/Non-con (implied).

Index | Ch.22

。・°°・°°・。。・°°・°°・。。・°°・°°・。

When I was a little girl, my mother taught me two things. The first thing is to never let anyone know they affected you emotionally. Basically, be a hard shell and never let anyone in. The second thing is, money is everything. This is the part where you understand me more. My mother only married my father for money, and then when he died of a heart attack, she married his brother for more money.

I was taught all my tricks by my mother. I learned how to flirt when I was five, and I was an expert in french kissing by the time I turned ten. To my mother, I lost my virginity late, and to the wrong person. I was fifteen, and she considered him not someone who deserved it, since his family was middle class. That's when I learned that sex could be used as a weapon. A weapon to make any man fall in love with you, and want to pile money and jewels at your feet

But even with that advice drilled into my mind, I never thought I would find myself here. Bent over a red, sticky, couch getting fucked from behind by a fifty-something-year-old man.

"So good~" The old man says as he holds my hips and drills into me with his two-inch shriveled cock.

I drop my head, not even caring about getting this man off with some fake moaning shit. This is a life I never pictured for myself. Having sex with old men for a lousy hundred dollars that I don't even get a hundred percent of. On top of that, I never expected to not be okay with it. The only reason I took up prostitution is that the owner waved the "loads of money" I'll be making in my face on the first day. Turns out it was just a ploy to get in my pants, and after that, the most I've made for having sex with someone here is fifty dollars.

The old guy smacks my ass, making me leap forward, and I feel disgusted when I hear the guy cough all over my back. Some of his spit landing on my skin.

I feel the first tear of the night drop out of my eyes. I watch it fall and darken the red velvet couch underneath me. I used to never care about any of this. I didn't give a shit about the guys I fucked, just the money they gave me. But now I know what it's like to love someone and be loved. The great sex is just a bonus. I now know what it's like to not care about a guy's money, and just want to be with him to... be with him.

I always had a feeling in the back of my mind throughout the years that Jin would be the person to turn me. To turn me into a girl that wanted to feel loved by the right person, but also not care about the money in their bank account. He was just so gentle with me. He treated me like a fucking queen, and truthfully he always has. Not caring about the rumors going around about me or the mistakes I've made. Jin has always seen me for me and focused on the positives about me.

That's why I left. I left the comfort of his bed that morning, looking at his wildly handsome face, knowing I'm going to crave him and the life he's offering me for the rest of my life. That every time I'm with another guy, for money or just another one of my schemes, no one is going to make me feel as safe and as good as Jin did.

But I left nonetheless because even though I knew Jin could help me, I also knew I wasn't right for him. He may be able to put all my bad deeds aside, but I would hate to come into his life and ruin it because of my reputation. I want to protect him at all costs.

I also don't want to know what Felix will do if he loses me. Not that Felix actually gives a shit about me, but Daisy has shared enough horror stories of girls he "likes" leaving. They all end up gone. Like, either dead or sold type of gone. It's even worse if they left for another man because then that guy disappears into thin air, while the girl just ends up right back at the club. If I'm being honest here, the threats of Felix coming after me don't scare me as much as Felix going after Jin does. That's what has me staying here instead of quitting and being with Jin in the first place. I don't want Jin to be mixed up in any trouble if I were to leave the prostitution life.

Jin might not care, but I do. Jin might agree to support me, but I wouldn't want that type of life with him. If I were to be with Jin, I would want it all to be perfect for him... and I'm less than perfect.

Example number 1:

"Fuck, your so tight! - Call me daddy. I get off to when young girls like yourself call me daddy."

I roll my eyes and say in the fakest horny voice known to man, "Yes, daddy. You feel sooooo good, daddy."

"Oh fuck! I think I'm - I'm..." I feel the old dude's cum fill me up inside, and I look underneath me to see not only see his cum drip down my legs but my own blood too. I breathe in through my nose, and try to stop myself from crying uncontrollably at the sight.

This is what happens when you don't get the girl wet first! And I'm dry as a fucking desert. Not that many guys could get me wet anyway... but Jin did.

Before I could go back down that rabbit hole of missing the only person that's ever respected me, the old guy takes himself out of me and pushes me forward, so I fall over the booth.

I look at him with the evilest of eyes, "What the fuck man!"

Instead of saying anything, he just looks me up and down like I'm a piece of shit like he didn't just blow his load inside of me, and throws money at me. The money bounces off of my chest, falling all over the floor.

I only look at the money for a few seconds before I'm staring daggers at the guy. A few dollars is definitely not worth this. "You fucking asshole!"

I guess that went to far for the old man because instead of walking away or just ignoring me, he spits in my fucking face. "Have some class, whore!"

I don't even care about the whore comment, but this mother fucker just spit in my fucking face. It wasn't just a little spit either! I had to wipe my eyes because of the yellow substance, like, fucking ew. When I open my eyes after finally getting the old man's spit out of my eyes, I realize he's left the room.

Oh no, he fucking didn't! I'm Juliet. You don't walk away from Juliet after doing some shit like that!

I quickly put my laced mini skirt back on, adjust my bra so it was back to covering me fully, then I run out of the room. I'm looking around frantic for the fucker, and to my luck, instead of leaving the club, the asshole went to the bar. I stomp my way over there, ignoring the catcalls from all the pervs in the club until I'm standing right next to the man. The bartender just poured the guy a glass of some oil-looking shit, and right before the glass touches his lips I snatch the glass out of his hand.

"What the fuck bitch!"

A bitch? I'll show you a fucking bitch! I splash the alcohol all over the guy's face. The guy is so shocked has jaw hangs open, so for an extra petty measure, I spit in his open mouth.

"Who's the classy whore now, pickle dick!" I go to walk away, feeling victorious that I just showed this guy what's what, but then the guy grabs onto my arm. "Get the fuck off of me!" But of course, the guy doesn't listen, and instead, he tightens the hold onto my arm. Making me wince out in pain.

I think he's about to hit me or say a bunch of cruel profanities, but before he can even sputter a word, a hand gets gripped onto his shoulder. The old man gets thrown out of his seat, and I scream when his assailant punches the guy square in the face. Almost knocking him completely out onto the floor.

"Didn't your mama ever teach you not to touch a girl without her permission?" My savior says to the almost unconscious old man on the floor. Before he turns around, I know exactly who my savior is. The savior's face has been taking up my thoughts since I left his bed two weeks ago.

Jin turns around, and because he's such a little - handsome, kind, perfect - bitch he raises a questioning eyebrow at me. I don't let him question me at all, though. I meant what I said when I told him to stay away from me. Even though my stomach is doing front and back flips from just being in the same vicinity as him, I'm standing by my words. I'm not good for him, and if he won't stay away from me, I'll stay away from him.

I turn around and speed walk all the way to the back room. The room all the girls and guys use to get changed. Jin calls after me, but I completely ignore him as I walk into the room and shut the door behind me.

I know Felix or his guards wouldn't give a shit if a guy barged inside, but Jin isn't an asshole like the rest of them. Jin doesn't come inside, and I waste the rest of my shift sitting in this room crying.

Crying for my heart aching to see him, and crying for the fact I'll never allow myself to be with him.

。・°°・°°・。。・°°・°°・。。・°°・°°・。

When midnight comes around, I get changed and wipe off the rest of my makeup that my tears didn't take off. There's no way Jim stayed a whole two hours waiting for me, I'm not worth that kind of patience, but to my fucking surprise, once I open the bloody door Jin is standing there leaning against the opposite wall. He has his muscular arms crossed against his chest, and a pantie-dropping smirk plastered on his face. Looking like a fucking king without even trying.

"Un-fucking-... Jin! What are you doing here?"

Jin leans closer to me, the music now on full blast at the club since it's after midnight, and he yells into my ear, "I'm looking for you! We need to talk."

I breathe into my nose in annoyance, but that ends up backfiring because I smell Jin's applewood cologne. It's a type of cologne you can find at Walmart, but Jin's been using it for so long that he never felt the need for an upgrade. It's also one of my favorite scents on guys... or at least... on Jin.

Jin pulls away from my ear but doesn't stand back up straight. He keeps his face level with mine, and he's so close it's making my heart want to beat out of my chest. Any other person I would just tell them to fuck off, but since it's Jin, and his smell and close proximity has my body going through a frenzy, I ask, "About what?"

Jin looks around, and I take this time to admire the man I've recently realized I would literally lay myself on the train tracks for. His jaw is sharp, and the purple hue from the lights coming down on it is making me want to lick the curve. His full lips rub together in concentration, making me want to pull his face until our lips join and I get to feel the pillowy softness I've been craving. When Jin turns back to look at me, I want to fall into him. Everything about Jin is just so... gorgeous.

"Do you really have to ask?" Of course, I know what Jin wants to talk about. He wants to talk about taking care of me and taking me out of this life. Instead of saying anything, I bite my lip and look away. Me ignoring the question has Jin then talking closely to my ear again, "Can we go outside?"

I pick my head up, making our noses bump together while he was leaning away. Staring up into his eyes this closely has me saying anything but no.

"Yeah... sure, Jin."

When we get outside, my ears are ringing. I don't know if it was from the predominantly loud music tonight or the pressure of this conversation we're about to have. When the door closes behind us, I put my hands into my jacket pockets and lean against the door. Unlike before, Jin stands a good distance away from me. His smell and close proximity no longer making my brain go in directions it shouldn't be going in.

"You know what I'm going to say, Juliet." Jin starts off. "And in a way, you know I'm right too. This isn't a place you should be working at."

"That's easy for you to say. Unlike you, I didn't have dreams as a child that could be easily made. Instead, I had a mother like mine."

Jin knows about my mother. He's the one that arrested her years back for trying to sell child pornography that her now ex-husband, my uncle, bribed her to sell. He also knows I wasn't exactly raised right since he was there through all my teenage years when my mother started to really condition me into the lifestyle I've been living. To put Jin's feelings for my mother simply, he hates her.

"That's not a good excuse for you to stay. You know I would never judge you." I close my eyes, not wanting to see Jin's desperate but beautiful-looking face. "I can tell your scared about Felix, but I can help you get out of this life."

I feel Jin's finger move a stray piece of my hair out of my face to behind my ear. The once again close proximity making my stomach have butterflies, but I don't allow my eyes to open. Not even when I feel his comforting hand on my cheek.

"Please, Juliet. Let me help you." I don't answer. "Why won't you answer me!"

I cringe when I hear Jin start to get mad. The worst thing that could happen to me right now is for him to walk out of my life, but I know it's what needs to be done.

I stand my ground in silence until I feel his soft lips touch mine in the softest of kisses. It's so light I barely feel it, but when I feel him detach our lip I instantly crave more. My eyes flutter open to find Jin still holding my cheek and leaning our foreheads together. The sight of him above me makes me want to break all my barriers and just... do it! Just be happy with him, and be selfish! I've been selfish so much in the past, so why can't I be selfish about being in actual love now?

Because it's Jin, I remind myself. It's Jin, and he deserves way better. Not that I deserve to be basically stuck in a life of prostitution, but even if I never agreed to it, Jin would still not deserve a broken doll-like me when he could have any pick at the untouched Barbies in this town.

"Jin-... I-"

"Don't." Jin interrupts me. "Don't break my heart again."

Fuck!

I'm a fucking asshole!

"Don't put it like that," I somehow manage to counteract.

"How else am I supposed to put the girl I've had a ongoing crush on for years leaving my bed with a note that said for me to forget everything about her?" His words should sting me, but they have no fire to them. Only truth. Jin moves his hand from my cheek to comb through my hair until it's lightly gripping at the back of my head. "And even if... how could she ever expect me to forget about her?"

Fuck it! The selfish route it is!

Jin's words slice my stance on this matter right in fucking half. I grab onto the back of his head and smash our lips together. My lips have craved his for too long, and by the way he's kissing me back I know he's feeling the same way.

It's messy and full of spit, tongues, and lip-smacking, but it's fucking needed! Who am I to think I could ever resist him? I had a feeling Jin always had feelings for me, but I was too obsessed with following in my terrible role model of a mother's footsteps to let myself live a good life by following those feelings. Until now, I never expected him to admit them to me though. I never wanted him to because then I would be facing this reality. The reality where I would fall madly in love with Jin Kim.

And the person I'm madly in love with has me moaning into his mouth when one of his hands picks me up by my thighs and slaps my back against the metal door. This is a totally different Jin from last time. This Jin is passionate and rough, and wanting to fill my soul with all things him.

His lips slide off my lips and go to my neck. I'm breathing out moans as I feel his quickly growing erection grind against the center of my core. The only thing stopping us from going all the way is my thin leggings and his tight jeans. Something I'm going to think about rectifying soon.

Jin somehow is able to keep me held in the air while he uses both hands to rip the top three bottoms off my shirt, making me gasp. He supports me in the air by putting one hand back on my thigh, while the other starts pawing at my bra-covered breast. When he starts biting at the top fat of my other one, I'm wiping my head back in ecstasy against the metal door.

As amazing as he's making me feel, I wish my ears didn't somehow pick up the music from inside the club at that moment. Reminding me, once again, that I'm not right for him. That my life is forever going to be inside clubs like these, with old man jizz dripping out of my cunt. Just the thought of Jin touching me there now, after someone I didn't want fucked me, makes me feel dirty. I don't want Jin to be dirty like me.

As much as I don't want to admit it, and I won't tell him directly, I need to get away from him. I want Jin to have a good life... and he can't do that if I'm around.

"J-Jin. Can we-" I feel Jin grind against me again, making me hesitate my words, and I feel a tear run down my face. I wipe it away quickly, then pull his face out of my boobs by his hair. "C-can we stop, please?"

It takes Jin a few seconds to register my words, but then he's cracking out, "Of course!" And then slowly lowering me back down. Jin, being the gentleman that he is, helps me button my shirt back up. With tender hands he cups my face, staring at me with a small smile. "You okay?"

I try to be brave. I try to be brave for Jin and grow the biggest fake smile I can muster. "Y-yeah! It's just... I don't really wanna do that here, and... it is kinda late." I'm making up the stupidest excuses in the world, and I know Jin is noticing my excuses are very what they are: not true.

In any other universe where I don't care about Jin more than myself, I would let him fuck me anywhere and anytime he wanted; but sadly, this is not that universe. This is the universe where I love Jin so much, that I'm willing to sacrifice my own happiness for his soon-to-be better life.

Jin raises a non-believing eyebrow at me. "You sure?"

I'm in no way an actor, but I giggle at him and try to put on my normal Juliet attitude when I say, "Yes, Jin. Stop being all Mr. Detective. I promise you, I'm fine."

Jin still looks like he doesn't believe me, but he eventually nods his head. "Can you text me in the morning then, so we can talk?"

And I respond by lying through my smiling teeth, "Sure."

。・°°・°°・。。・°°・°°・。。・°°・°°・。

Not only did I lie to Jin last night, but I also made sure he had no way of contacting me by blocking his number. I also stayed up all last night packing and pacing as I debated my plan.

If Jin is going to be happy, he can't have me around anymore. I know Felix will probably be beyond pissed, but that's why I don't go to M for help with this. Not because I don't trust her, we actually have been getting pretty close. Every time she works besides Felix it's like a breath of fresh air. She makes sure everything is followed by the guidelines, and anytime some bitch boy breaks them she has security throw them out.

There's also the fact that she's actually a cool fucking chick. She's not a pushy boss, but also that type of boss that anyone could go to with their problems. I went to her with a few problems... Jin being one of them, in the past. M gave me the night off after I was pouring my sorrows into her lap while we were in her office.

I know after I said all this, you're probably wondering, so why the fuck can't I go to her? Well! Along with my sorrows, M has opened up to me about a few things in her life. One of those things is her phone is monitored by her husband. Any texts or calls she gets go straight to Felix after her. Felix is an even more possessive, and terrible husband because of it.

So, I message the next best thing at seven in the morning...

I get a knock at my practically empty shitty apartment door at half-past seven. I quickly run to the door and shove a bewildered-looking Daisy through my front door.

"Okay, you need to explain, like, porto-fucking-via why your doing this?"

Ever since Daisy quit her job at Lee club to be with Namjoon, I haven't been able to fill her in on my life. Daisy and I actually became really good friends after that first night. She was the one to help me off the literal ground that night, and wash all the regret down the drain from all the guys I let - if we can even call it let - touch me the way they did. Since then, I and Daisy have been thick as thieves.

So, without hesitation, I tell her everything. How I realized I was in love with Jin, the amazing sex (not going too much into detail), how he promised to help me as Namjoon did for her, and how he found me last night at the club. But, even after explaining basically all the reasons why I shouldn't be leaving town, I explain to her why I am.

"... I know your going to call me ridiculous, but I'm not actually that great of a person. Before my job, I legit married a guy for money. Tried to ruin his new relationship even because I was to petty that I was found out. I cheated on him with a guy I was planning to divorce him for too. But not for fucking love. I wanted to marry him because he was the second richest guy in town-"

"Wait, wait, wait! Your talking about Jungkook?!"

I look at Daisy in disbelief. "Out of everything I just said that's what your questioning?"

"It's just- I mean- I know someone... um." Daisy sputters out weird explanations for my question, but before I could question her further, she says, "Never mind. Continue."

I roll my eyes but do just that. "Jin deserves someone better then me, is my point. But I know he's stubborn, and he won't let the truth about me break the way he sees me, but... he also doesn't know about a lot of it. He knows I love money, and my mother was a terrible influence on my life because of it, but if I were to let myself be with Jin... how am I ever going to tell him the truth?"

"I mean, I understand your worried about that, but why do you have to move out of town because of it?"

I look away from Daisy at the ten boxes laying in my half-living room, half-kitchen area. I know why I'm leaving, but it still makes it hurt to admit. "Because if I'm still here, I know I'll eventually give in to wanting to be with Jin. And if that happens..." I swallow. "I'm afraid I'll break his heart or Felix will break his soul."

。・°°・°°・。。・°°・°°・。。・°°・°°・。

Daisy told me she will break the news to M and Jin about me leaving after I'm at least an hour out of town. Knowing Jin, if he were to find out anytime before that he would be speeding down the highway to find me. I can't let any emotional, movie-worthy scenes stop me from my plans. I need to do this... for him.

I pack the last box into my cheap station wagon I bought last month, and slam the back seat door shut. After one last long embrace with Daisy, I get into the driver's seat and drive away.

That's when I let the full flood gates loose. I get into my feelings about this town as a whole. Besides meeting Jin, all my memories are here! My first kiss, my first prom, where I fell off a tree once because a bitchy girl dared me to in first grade, the first time I smoked weed at the back of a school. So many stupid, but unforgettable memories here.

I know a lot of people think this town is shit, and there's a reason why when people leave this town they never come back, but I'm actually going to miss it. Every sketchy ally way, an abandoned building inside of it too.

But most of all, to no one's surprise, I'm going to miss my best friend. The kid I met by complete accident when he rode his skateboard into me when we were in middle school. It was kinda my fault, I ran onto the skate park like a fucking idiot. Instead of taking responsibility for my actions though, I blamed it all on him. And you know what made me want to be friends with him? Instead of him telling me I'm wrong - like he should have - middle school Jin told me I was right.

No one allowed me to ever be right before I met him. It was always either my mother or deadbeat father that was right. To Jin, being right didn't matter though. I could say the sky was fucking yellow, and he would tell me, "You know what, you got a point." Jin was never the smartest of the bunch, but he's always been the most caring.

Even today, he cares about the people in this town more than himself. That's why he wanted to join the police force in the first place. To be a hero.

Unknowingly to Jin though, he's always been a hero to me. Whether it's a shoulder to cry on, or to punch some asshole in the face, he's always been, my savior. A savior I in no way deserved.

Even though I told myself to forget everything once I cross the line of this town, to just wipe Jin from my mind so I can start a fresh new life feels in no way possible. I slow down my car to a complete stop just before the "See you next time!" sign marking the end of R Town's borders.

I think about my life with Jin as a whole, as I stare at that sign. No more than two weeks ago, I just saw Jin as a friend that I could count on with anything, but even with that knowledge, I never went to him with anything past petty drama. It's crazy because even before I realized my own feelings for him, I was finding ways to protect him from the truth about me.

That I'm a gold-digging, whore. One that shouldn't be loved by an amazing guy like him in any universe. I know someone is yelling, "But the past is the past, Juliet!" Right now, but how can you expect me to forget the past when it was my present no more than two weeks ago? The whore part was literally last night too!

No. Jin deserves a better girlfriend than me. He deserves one that will take him on dates, and want to tell him stories about her job as a doctor or lawyer - some high-paying job for sure - and he'll never have to worry about her fucking up. That's the type of girl Jin deserves... even if it hurts for me to think about it.

I slowly, and painfully, cross the border of the town into the next one over, and I think about the one person I'll never be able to forget no matter how much I try.

Goodbye Jin.

CH.22

3 notes · View notes

youryanderedaddy · 3 years

Text

♡100 followers special♡

Guys, I would like to thank all of you for all the support since I started this blog, you are the best <3 Btw this is the fic Elon Musk doesn’t want you to see lol, jk jk

Title: Humanity

Words: 3.6k

Summary: When you get sold to an odd looking robot after the last failure of a rebellion, things go better than you had expected. Until they don’t.

tw: robot/AI apocalypse au, dystopia au, slavery, slight non - sexual public nudity, discrimination, vulgar language, mention of death and child abuse (in the past), obsessive behavior, non - consensual touching, angst

AD 3061y., 14 September

Your hometown was in ruins, shattered by the Forces and left without any source of food, clean water or reliable manpower. The rebellion had failed just like the first ten attempts and as much as you had wanted to believe this time would be different, your dreams stayed nothing more than a way to cope with the harsh reality. Any intelligent individual had either managed to flee before the prosecution or died in agony while trying. You could still hear their pained screams ringing in your ear, the desperate look in their pupils sealed forever in your mind along with the sound of heavy breathing slowly fading into the background like your own hopes for a better future.

The ones who decided to play meek and close their eyes to the inhuman torture happening in the area were spared, but what awaited them could potentially be worse than death itself. You were part of the flock of pitiful weak humans who had surrendered to the heartless machines wanting nothing more than to see mankind squirm and kneel underneath their mechanic heel like a bug. And now you would face the hour of judgment – tired and exhausted, heavy rusty chains around your bruised ankles making every next step a little harder than the last one. But you were certain that the most painful humiliating event hadn’t taken place yet and the thought made your blood run cold. You could recall the countless stories you used to hear on the streets from your friends about androids stealing kids and selling them like cattle to the most powerful leaders of society. Back then you would laugh at them, finding the ideas ridiculous, better fit for a conspiracy theory or a legend rather than an actual threat. But during that time life was easier – the robots were still your friends, just your average citizens, equal to the humans in every manner. It wasn’t until ten years later that some of them realized just how much better, stronger and smarter than the people they really were. That’s how the apocalypse started and that’s how it was going to end. These days the mortals were becoming extinct with the population cut down to one million. You didn’t have names or rights to any possession. Your mere survival had one purpose only – to entertain the machines so they could feel human again. And right now you were being dragged to Soraq, also known as the biggest slave market in the country.

----

It was just as terrifying as you had imagined it to be. The Capital was supposed to express wealth, luxury and maybe even happiness but your old human views were easily opposed when faced with the mud covering what was left of the pavement and the pale exhausted bodies of the mortals wandering the streets searching for a hot meal and a little bit of kindness it was clear no one wanted to provide. You reached out to help a young girl sobbing all by herself on the ground but the Officer roughly yanked your shoulder back and ordered you to keep going – his cold hard touch was enough to bruise your skin.

After a few long minutes of uncertainty your keeper finally stopped, pulling you up some black stairs leading to a small stage and if you weren’t too busy looking around for the others who were captured, you might have noticed the crowd gathered inches away from you. Soon enough you were forced to redirect your attention as you heard the approving screams and cheering below. There were hundreds of robots staring at you, smirking maliciously, pinning you with their cold calculating gazes. You finally realized that this wasn’t just a bad dream or a nightmare, something unreal you could easily run away from by opening your eyes. You were about to become property and the worst part was the way the cruel machines perfectly resembled people – they looked the same except for the dark red pupils each possessed which glowed when going into a fight mode. But unlike humans the androids had gotten rid of their most intimate emotions and fears, turning themselves into empty shells, shiny and murderous with no way to experience anything properly, be it pleasure or pain.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” The Officers started off with a low chuckle, his heavy hand wrapped tightly around your arm. His voice should have been programmed to be monotone but now it had a playful edge to it. “Today our dear subjects have decided to be feisty yet again. They still haven’t learned their lesson it seems.” He grinned eerily, quickly followed by the mocking laugher of the crowd. Some even shouted slurs and insults but you tried to focus on controlling your feelings. You needed to stay calm if you wanted to survive. “We really can’t expect more from the mankind. They are primal after all, they just can’t learn from their mistakes.” The male robot paused for a second to fix his microphone. “It’s in their DNA code to be foolish and pathetic. That’s why we need to take better care of them.” He whispered the last line down your neck and despite knowing that the machines didn’t have actual lungs, you could swear you felt his cold breath on your sensitive skin.

“The woman is in her early twenties. Her background is unknown, but she certainly looks like someone you would want in your collection.” The android continued talking as if you weren’t there, his hands all over your tinier frame. The mass was yelling, but you only made out the words „down”, „strip” and „human”. Your eyes watered involuntarily and you let the tears stream down your cheeks in spite of the weakness they showed. It didn’t matter – it couldn’t get any worse so you could at least let yourself experience such little bits of comfort. In the next moment the Officer ripped your old ragged t-shirt, exposing your breasts to the cold autumn air. The hot red humiliation washed over you as the degrading whistles pierced trough your heart. It was such a cruel unfair punishment and you couldn’t even keep your composure long enough to not break down ugly – crying right there.

“The bidding starts at one thousand eros!” The robot’s evil voice echoed through the area, reaching the market borders. Suddenly all the attention was on your scared vulnerable half-naked self. More than ten androids raised their hands, making your stomach turn in terror. Most of them had unpleasant appearances, resembling old people, usually men. “Do we have two thousand eros?” The officer added quickly afterwards having seen the shown interest. This time there were only five bots willing to buy you for so much money – but the show was far from over. “Am I seeing three thousand eros?” Your keeper kept going, determined to drain your bidders off their wealth, but to his utmost surprise now there were only two robots with their hands in the air – one seemingly younger and the other looking all wrinkled and bitter at the world. You silently prayed that fate would work in your favor only this time and hand you over to the man who would treat you more like a living being and less like an object.

“Ten thousand eros.” Suddenly the android with a kinder appearance declared out loud, his cold stern gaze fixed onto you. The other male hesitated for a moment, probably wondering whether or not you were worth so much money, but at the end he cursed under his breath and slowly put his hand down with a sour expression. “Sold to K-010 for ten thousand eros!” The automatic voice of the Officer was ringing in your ear like an alarm while the crowd was shouting and cussing, some going as far as to criticize your new owner for giving up his monthly salary for a “cheap human whore”. Next he was invited on the stage to sign off all the needed documents leading to your freedom being ripped away forever and you were injected with a tiny chip which would make your location visible to your buyer at any given time. The android looked at you soon after and in one swift move he managed to place his leather coat on your shoulders, muttering at you to cover up. You obeyed, embarrassed by the reminder that your upper half was still fully exposed to all the hungry prying immortals. When the chains were finally removed, the robot took you by the hand and led you to a small white flying car with a yellow lily drawn on top – the brand was popular among the most powerful members of the Forces.

“Don’t even think about running away.” K-010 growled when he noticed the way your attention drifted to the nearby road before finally taking your seat. You knew it was pointless now that the tracking device was deep into your skin but deep down you still couldn’t kill the last bit of hope screaming at you to do something before you were too far away to find home again, wherever it was. “If you so much as look outside while we drive, I will use my lasers to turn you into ash. Okay?” You nodded meekly and sank into the soft comfortable seat, wishing that your body would stop shaking in fear but to no avail.

---

The journey was long and silent but it made you remember the days when music was still allowed and you used to turn the radio all the way up in your mother’s car. You would sing loudly until your throat hurt and your friends would ask you to just shut up and focus on the road. Everything was so normal and happy back then. The stinging nostalgia threatened to overcome so you tried to focus on something else. You finally faced your owner in an attempt to study his appearance. He was probably in his late twenties, his hair white with some black locks here and there, a fashion trend you usually didn’t care much for. You couldn’t afford to bother with your hairstyle when you were constantly running for your life after all. The robotic male had sun-kissed brown skin, he was taller than most human men and his lips seemed softer than most robots’. But the biggest mystery laid in his deep dark eyes, they looked scarlet at first but the more you stared, the easier it was to realize the color was actually brown.

“Are you a cyborg, K-010?” You asked in a small voice out of the blue, breaking the peace and quiet in the air. The android didn’t spare you much attention with his gaze fixed onto the open sky serving as a road, still he opened his mouth slightly to respond. “My name is Kyle, the numbers are just a formality.” He inhaled sharply as if he was reminiscing a bad memory. “And yes, I am biologically human – just with a few practical upgrades.” You had heard of such people before, the ones willing to become an experiment so they could join the high society oppressing their own neighbors, friends and relatives, setting the lands on fire and destroying the dying environment but you had never met one until today. Honestly, you felt betrayed. It was one thing to be some unfeeling machine’s plaything and entirely another to be owned by someone with a functioning heart even though they weren’t too keen on using it properly.

“Why would you do that?” You couldn’t stop the question from leaving your lips in the next moment. “You should know what humans have to go through just to stay alive. Today hundreds of us were crushed and sold like some animals! Yet you changed yourself to appeal to their disgusting standards.” You raised your voice, the hot tears already spilling down your cheeks yet again, your fists clenched in pure anger at the foolish greedy man. He simply shook his head and leaned back. “I had my reasons, sweetheart. You don’t know anything.” With that the conversation had ended, you could try and argue or even blame him for being a selfish bastard but it wouldn’t have done you any good so you decided against it. It didn’t matter much anymore.

----

A few months went by slowly even though time meant little to someone in your position. Living with Kyle wasn’t as terrible as you thought it would be – his mansion was big and spacious, luxurious even. You had your own room and you were allowed to explore the house in your free time. You didn’t have many duties to attend to, your work mostly revolved around cooking, cleaning and keeping company with your owner when he was too tired to keep the robotic mask on and just wanted something sweet, something weak, something more human around. He didn’t want much out of you so you tried to do your best and stay on his good side – there was always a warm meal waiting at the table at night, every window was carefully wiped from the previous dust and the glass was now shining brightly, and you would listen for hours on end to the cyborg’s ramblings no matter how dreadful it could be sometimes.

But it couldn’t be denied that the man had some odd habits, even if you were to overlook him buying a living being instead of simply hiring a maid. For example, you knew how thin the walls actually were because you could hear him cry almost every night. The half-robot would hold you close any time the news were too loud or a bottle of beer had fallen and shattered on the ground. Still you weren’t allowed to leave his home so all the doors leading to the outside world were locked while he was away or at work. And there were these weird long cuts on his shoulders you had managed to take notice of the first time your master had asked you to bathe him. You hadn’t meant to prey upon his naked form, but the task had been so awkward you needed something to focus on to drive the unpleasant thoughts away. The injuries looked deep and the man would close his eyes any time the soap made contact with them. Finally one day you gathered the courage to ask him what had caused the raw scratches. You were messaging his scalp gently, applying jasmine in his roots, trying to soothe his nerves and get to the information.

“ ’S not important. ” K-010 answered lazily while arching his back into your touch. More often than not the male would melt under your care and you couldn’t help but wonder just how lonely it was to be neither a human nor a machine. “She is dead now.” He whispered darkly, secretly hoping it wouldn’t reach your ear, yet it did. “Who is dead?” You questioned him after a while, stroking his wet locks until you heard him moan. You were getting better and better at provoking a reaction from the cyborg and despite knowing it was manipulative and a little devious, he was still the ruthless owner who held your one and only life in his palms. You needed to be sneaky if you wanted a safe, comfortable life.

“My mother.” Kyle added quickly before looking at the blue ceiling, the glossy material copying both of your reflections. The mention of the woman made the sensitive skin of his nape crawl but he kept talking. “The crazy bitch used to beat me every. She even tried to kill me a couple of times.” A slight smile appeared on his full red lips. “It didn’t work out in the end, unfortunately.” So that’s where the cuts were from – he had been violated in his childhood by no other than the person supposed to look after him. You had always hated abusive parents taking advantage of their authority and even now your own imagination made your heart ache at the picture it painted. A small boy being hit over and over until there his whole body was bruised and bloodied. A child with no one to turn to. It didn’t excuse your master’s evil doing but it certainly explained a lot. “Don’t make such a sad face, darling.” He cooed at you, reaching out to pinch your cheek. “I will always be grateful to the Forces since they gave me the power I needed to finally free myself from her grasp. I even buried her myself after everything was said and done.” Kyle grinned from side to side like a little kid waiting to be praised for the picture they had drawn, except now the man was speaking of the way he had murdered his mother. You were at a total loss of words, suddenly too frightened to respond.

“What’s so special about being a human anyways?” The cyborg grumbled, sounding almost offended of the words you still haven’t said but were definitely thinking deep down. You were staring forward unable to draw away from that one crack in the wall, his words flying above your head. Your confusion was interrupted by the man quickly raising to his knees and catching both of your hands with his strong robotized ones. The cold touch of the metal combined with the camouflage of a soft skin was enough to mess your mind even further into the maze that was his dark gaze. Next thing you knew the male had you pinned on the hard ground, spotlessly clean and reeking of abstergent. You tried to squirm away but the hold of your wrists was too tight and strong to even make your struggling worth the trouble. “Just look at how weak you humans are.” K-010 taunted you, smirking teasingly, cruelly, yet there was something desperate in his eyes, something hidden. “You are so fragile I could probably break you if I were to press harder on your flesh.” He whispered into your ear, breathing down your neck as he dug his icy fingers into your collarbone and made you whimper pathetically at the dull pain. “People are foolish creatures, illogical by nature. They try to fight authority yet the moment they are left with a free choice, they find a way to run from their responsibilities.” The cyborg chuckled maliciously while digging his nails further into your skin.

“We might be doomed forever because of our emotions but there is something you fail to consider.” You finally spoke out despite your rapid heartbeat and fear so great it could defeat death herself. The predator already had you in his sharp claws and there was no pointing in playing coy anymore. The worst had come to worst. Your words caught the attention of the half-robot and he licked his lips in anticipation to hear what you had to say. “Unlike the androids we can still experience love. And at the end a life without love is a life wasted in the big picture. We might be mortal but you are the ones waiting to die instead of living.” You spat at the man fiercely, ready to face any punishment he would bestow upon your weak tired body for the sheer honesty. Instead he started laughed maniacally, the sound so loud it hit the ceiling and echoed through the house like a pained scream and so violent his shoulders shook to the sides. For the first time his eyes were glowing in a bright red color so saturated and vivid you couldn’t stand to look at them.

“This is really funny, my little human.” Kyle pronounced carefully, having calmed down. He lowered his head so that his lips were ghosting over yours, just brushing against them. “I belong with neither humans nor robots so why does my chest ache every time I look at you? Tell me, darling, am I in love?” His voice was harsh, husky – as if he was purposely trying to sound evil but the tears in his eyes pointed at another feeling. A raw painful feeling.

You couldn’t reply not only because you had no idea what to say after the confession but also because you couldn’t breathe properly with his pretty, wicked face so close to yours. Your silence only managed to stir the cyborg up further into his madness and he kissed you roughly, hungrily lapping and biting at your lips until they were sore and bruised, the robotic man more than happy to lick the small drops of blood off. For a moment you considered kicking or shouting for help but there wasn’t anyone willing to in the radius of kilometers. No one of significance cared much about the few remaining mortals. “I could never love you.” You uttered weakly, half – heartedly pushing the man away. You were all alone in this and there wasn’t really a point in fighting someone so much bigger and stronger, yet a sad little part of you hoped that Kyle would leave you alone if you made it clear enough just how much his actions were hurting you.

“It’s fine if you don’t love me by choice.” Your master replied calmly in a cold piercing voice. His hands were wandering through your form stopping at your hips to draw them into his. The pretty dress you used to like so much was now crumpled and reeking of him, torn apart from your shivering body and thrown away. You wished you could cry but all the adrenaline had left you too uneasy to process the pain and fear. Kyle whispered in your ear while stroking your hair gently and it made you feel like a trembling sheep before a starved butcher. “I own you, little human.” He placed a small kiss on your hot sensitive neck. “And I have enough love for both of us.”

#yandere #yandere male #yandere male x reader #yandere ai #yandere ai x reader #yandere cyborg #dystopia #yandere love #yandere concept #yandere oneshot #yandere OC #yandere male oc #yandere oc x reader #yancore

387 notes · View notes

imagine-loki · 3 years

Text

What About Trust, Chapter 5

TITLE: What About Trust CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 5 AUTHOR: fanficshiddles ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki owns a bookshop on Midgard. He had to do something there to try and avoid getting any attention. But he’s not fond of having customers, is rather grumpy and guarded. But then he meets a bright, bubbly and trusting young woman who doesn’t recognise him. To his dismay, he finds himself becoming rather fond of the mortal. RATING: M

Cleo was outside Loki’s shop at exactly eleven am, Loki was just coming out the door when she arrived.

‘Ah, perfect timing.’ He said as he locked the door.

‘It’s very rare I am on time, so you best feel honoured that I actually managed it for a change.’ She smiled.

‘Well, I am very honoured.’ He chuckled.

They fell into step together and headed down the road. Loki had a place in mind that he thought she would like, if she hadn’t been there before that was.

It was down a quiet street, off the beaten track. But Cleo was in utter awe when she saw it, she couldn’t believe she had never been there before.

It wasn’t just a coffee shop, it sold some records too and had good music playing. It wasn’t overly busy, but had a few people in there.

‘Oh, wow!’ Cleo’s eyes were bright as she looked around. Then she saw what was for sale along with different types of tea or coffee… Fancy looking brownies that looked to die for.

Loki ordered them both coffee and also triple chocolate brownies with caramel. He motioned for her to go upstairs, when she did she almost died in excitement. It was nicely laid out, with some beautiful plants and a long window ledge seat. To the right just off the stairs there was a set of wooden swings that matched the place perfectly. The tables were all made to look like large vinyls.

‘My god, this place is freaking awesome.’ She squeaked excitedly as she took a seat at one of the vinyl tables, Loki swiftly joined her, pleased that she liked the place.

‘I had a feeling you’d like this one.’ He said rather smugly. ‘I’m surprised you of all people haven’t already been here before?’

Cleo laughed. ‘Yeah, I am too actually. I’ve not seen anything about it online before, and I’ve just never been down this way.’ She shrugged.

‘I don’t think they’re much into tech, quite old school and quirky. No online presence.’ Loki said as he started on his brownie, he couldn’t wait any longer.

‘Yeah, makes sense.’ Cleo smiled and started on hers too. ‘Ohhhh my god!’ She moaned and closed her eyes after her first bite. ‘Wow, now that, that is better than sex.’

Loki almost choked on his coffee, he looked over at her and laughed. ‘I am sure they will simply love that kind of review.’

Cleo giggled. ‘Yeah, maybe I will need to re-think that one.’

Loki found himself unable to stop smiling while he was with Cleo. There was just something about her that was really getting under his skin. She was a breath of fresh air to be around, so optimistic about life and bubbly. She was a delight to be around.

‘So, what do you think of the music I gave you?’ Cleo asked as she licked her fingers clean, an action that Loki tried very hard not to look at. His thoughts going elsewhere.

He cleared his throat and wiped his mouth with a napkin. ‘Well, you seem to have guessed my taste rather well. I enjoyed them all. And you’re right about lyrics, I really should listen to them more often instead of just taking in the outer layer.’

Cleo grinned brightly. ‘Some lyrics of songs are just a load of bull. But a lot are really meaningful and wonderful to listen to. The great thing about lyrics is you can interpret them in whatever way you want, they can have different meanings for different people.’

‘That’s a nice way to think of it.’ Loki nodded in agreement. ‘Though those so-called rappers are quite ridiculous, just on about sex and drugs.’

‘Oh no no, I know some do. But some of the best lyricists are rappers.’ Cleo said quickly.

Loki raised an eyebrow at her.

‘Seriously. I know some of them can be difficult to actually listen to, but I’ll look out some for you. Just give them a proper listen, you will be pleasantly surprised.’

‘Hmm, that you will have to convince me of.’

‘And I will most definitely prove you wrong.’ Cleo teased.

‘I am never proved wrong.’ Loki drawled and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest.

‘Oh yeah? Well, it’s a good thing I love a challenge, isn’t it?’

Loki chuckled at her determination. He would give her the benefit of the doubt, for now.

‘I know you said your brother lives here too, what about your parents?’ Loki enquired.

‘They live back home in Inverness. It was just my brother who decided he wanted to move down here too.’

‘Do you see your parents often?’

Cleo shrugged a little. ‘Not a lot, but sometimes I’ll go home and visit for a holiday. On occasion they come down here, but not often. What about you, are your parents around or do they stay in Norway with your brother?’ She asked.

‘No… I uhm. My parents have passed.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’ Cleo said sadly.

‘No, don’t worry. It was a long time ago. Though they were my adoptive parents, they adopted me as a baby. I know my biological father died, I never found out about my mother.’

Cleo was warmed that he was opening up to her. That he was starting to let his guard down a little with her, which made her feel really happy.

‘Do you wish you knew her?’ She asked.

Loki pondered on that question for a moment. ‘No. My mother who raised me, she was a wonderful mother. I loved her very dearly, we were… close. I never saw eye to eye with my father in the same way. But I wouldn’t change her for the world.’ He said fondly.

‘That’s really sweet.’ Cleo smiled.

Loki nodded. He felt a little pang of hurt within him when he thought about Frigga. She would have loved Cleo, that much he knew.

‘So, do you… have a boyfriend, or a husband?’ Loki asked, slightly uncomfortable. But it was a question that had been eating away at him, he wanted to know.

‘Nope, definitely not married and no boyfriend. I think I scare guys off when they see my flat filled to the brim with books and records, they assume I’m old-fashioned and have my head in the clouds.’ She laughed.

‘Well, you may live with your head in the clouds but you are certainly not one to run away from.’ He winked at her.

She blushed a little bit at that and smiled. ‘How about you, do you have a special girl in your life?’

Loki shook his head. ‘No, not at the moment. As I’m sure you realised, I tend to keep myself to myself for the most part.’

‘Yeah, I did notice. Grumpy book shop owner always hidden away in his shop… with not the best reputation of being friendly, I saw a few reviews online.’ Cleo grinned.

‘Well, most mortals just come in and mess up my shop.’ He grumbled.

‘Mortals?’ Cleo burst out laughing at his choice of words.

Loki shrugged. ‘Hooligans, mortals, puny humans, whatever.’

‘You do have a funny way with words sometimes… But I guess that’s part of your rather alluring charm.’ She smirked.

After they left the coffee shop, Cleo couldn’t believe that three hours had passed. They had just talked and talked, not caring about time or anything else.

‘Wow, look at the time.’

‘Was I keeping you from something?’ Loki asked as he straightened his jacket.

‘If keeping me from something counts as just lazing around at home reading or listening to music, or binge watching the telly, then yes.’ She elbowed him playfully.

‘You mean you don’t do something productive on your days off?’ Loki chastised playfully.

‘Hell no. The only productive thing I normally do on my days off is watering my plants.’

‘You have a garden?’ Loki queried.

‘Oh yeah. A little plot outside the block of flats. I have a mini greenhouse, too. I love growing some vegetables and have some flowers.’

Loki couldn’t believe it. Not only was she a bookworm, enjoyed music, but she also enjoyed some gardening? How could a mortal be so perfect? It was sickening!

‘I am surprised you can keep them alive.’ He joked.

‘I am too, to be honest. With my scatterbrain sometimes. But I actually do a not too bad job.’ She said proudly, holding her head high.

‘That’s good to hear. For the plants’ sake.’

Cleo laughed. ‘Well, thank you for the coffee and brownie. I really enjoyed it.’

‘Thank you for the company.’ Loki winked at her.

‘I’ll see you soon, Luke.’ She smiled widely at him and patted his arm, then reluctantly headed off.

Loki watched her walking away, he didn’t take his eyes off of her until she had turned the corner. He leaned back against the wall, breathing in deep he looked up at the sky.

‘Why didn’t I just tell her my real name at the start?’ He grumbled at himself and pinched the bridge of his nose.

#Loki #Lover #Submitted fic #what about trust #chapter 5 #fanficshiddles

36 notes · View notes

prorevenge · 4 years

Text

Veteran Mechanic taking advantage of active duty military and retirees messes with the wrong person and his buddy goes down with him.

When this started all I was trying to do was get out of paying for something I didn’t need and never asked for. By the end I was going for blood as someone else enacted their revenge.

This happened back in 2002 on Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. I was stationed down the way at 32nd Street Naval Base for my MIlitary Occupation Specialty school and was a new Lance Corporal (E3) at the time. I had a 1994 Dodge Spirit with 180K miles or so and I’d just driven it across the country. I bought it a few days before leaving KS at an Auto auction. A couple weeks into my school it died, at the gate, next to the sentry.

After an initial freak out that I was a suicide bomber and the subsequent search of me and my car everyone calms down and they help push my car to the top of the hill so I can coast down the other side and into the auto repair shop parking lot which thankfully went without incident.

Before I go in I call my dad and then his cousin. My dad knows a ton about cars and his cousin is a mechanic with his own very successful shop (like a dozen work bays and they handle everything from regular cars to farm equipment to semis). I know a fair bit about cars on my own but he knows everything. Between us we decide it looks like the distributor or the distributor cap is the issue. My dad’s cousin says it’s a common issue on Spirits from this time and recommends I get it fixed here by a real mechanic. Now at this point it’s important to note his shop did a very thorough once over for me after I bought the car and gave me good notes on the condition of the car in writing, from his shop.

I go in and talk to the guy at the counter. They’re not too busy and pull it into a bay and run their diagnostics, same thing. Distributor cap. Cool. I get the services agreement saying they’ll replace it and call me if they find anything else. I hear nothing until the end of the week when they call and say my car is ready. When I get there they present me with a bill for like $1400!

Wow. Just wow. Now my heart has stopped beating and I say something about that being a lot for a distributor cap. The guy who owns the place (I find out he’s a veteran from way back) breaks off talking to a Master Sergeant (MSgt - E8) and comes over to talk to me. He starts telling me about how it was much worse than they originally thought and they ended up having to replace my radiator (plus hoses) and my timing belt and a head gasket. I’m still in shock and say something like the head gasket was fine two weeks ago and so was the radiator and the timing. He puts his hand on my shoulder and tells me I don’t know what I’m talking about bc they’ve been waiting to fail for a long time now.

I’m confused now and say that’s not possible. I bought it two weeks ago and... He cuts me off and says I was sold a complete lemon and I should have had it checked. He says he felt bad for me and this should have cost over $2000 but he cut me a deal and he can work with me in an installment plan but will have to charge me interest. Now I’m suspicious and starting to get pissed and I say the only repair I authorized was a distributor cap and they should have called me before doing anything else and I start to explain I’ve got paperwork from the inspection I had done that said those other things were fine. I’m going to get it from the car and the MSgt grabs me by the arm and starts telling me I’m being ungrateful and disrespectful to a respected mechanic and business owner and asks me if I’m implying he’s cheating me. Every time I try to open my mouth he cuts me off and keeps telling the owner not to worry, he’ll make sure this young pup pays what is owed. He’s threatening to take me over to admin and have my pay docked.

Now I’m angry and a bit scared. Another Marine intervenes and says that’s a little extreme and to let me say my piece. I get permission to get into my car to get my maintenance history which includes an oil change, the inspection documentation and the original quote for the distributor cap work. At this point there’s a crowd of customers and some other passers by. The owner of the garage and MSgt are in full theater mode talking about how I’m not appreciating the huge help they’ve been and I’m trying to get out of paying for work I asked for. Now I’m mostly just pissed.

I come in and the MSgt cuts me off and tells me to be careful how I talk to his friend. I ask the MSgt if he’s going to let me speak or keep interrupting me while I’m in a private conversation with a business owner. I ask him if he owns part of the shop (no) and ask why he’s so interested in not hearing a Marine out. Then I get out the original statement of services and say the distributor cap is all I agreed to. I also ask why he didn’t call me and he says he called my barracks several times and left messages including ones telling me the car was undrivable until the repairs were made so he went with the lowest cost option to get me back on the road. Oops. I say, that’s interesting, the only number I gave you is my cell phone and I don’t have any messages or even attempted calls until the previous evening when they left a message that my car was ready. I show everyone my call history (including a Captain who’s very interested and standing quietly by). The MSgt has backed off and the Capt is quietly talking to him off on the side.

Now the owner is backpedaling a bit and saying he was thinking of a different customer but he’s already made the replacement and has to charge me for the work. Then I pull out the stuff from the inspection and it has some fun little statements in it. Statements like: Timing belt good, timing good. Check again in 30K miles. Radiator, appears to be recently replaced. All hoses new in last 6 months. Nothing on the head gasket but there’s a statement that there are no leaks in that area which was why he said he had to replace it. I say he can put all of my original stuff back on because all I’m paying for is the distributor cap work. He gets red faced and starts demanding I pay for the labor and he can’t put things back on because they were too badly damaged in the removal process.

Now some old retired guy chimes in from the back and asks “what kind of mechanic damages things when they take them apart?” The owner drags out my radiator and there is a giant hole in one side that looks like it was stabbed with a crowbar. Now a couple other people (locals) are questioning past situations where he ‘helped them’ out with repairs they didn’t know they needed. The MSgt tried to walk off and a Colonel and a Sergeant Major in civilian attire post him to the side for a later conversation. The Capt pulls me aside and asks to see the info I have and to see my phone again and steps behind the counter to photocopy it all. He has a truly evil grin. Turns out he’s a prior Enlisted former infantry Marine who became an Officer after going back to college. He has suspected this shop of being crooked for a while but never had enough proof. He’s on the commanding general’s staff and they were looking into complaints from permanent personnel and retirees in the area. The owner is sweating bullets now. I only pay for the distributor cap and get a statement that says my balance is zero so he doesn’t try anything in the future.

The Capt takes me to dinner and gets my info and basically a statement from me of what happened. After dinner he takes me back to his office while he types up something for me to sign about the whole incident and I call Verizon to get them to fax over the incoming / outgoing calls from my number from the past week. He explains that the MSgt has been steering a lot of customers to his buddy and they suspect he’s getting kick backs. The Capt and several others have been taking their cars there for months to try to catch the guy doing what he did to me. The MSgt sealed his fate when he started threatening to take my pay. They suspected he was getting kickbacks or favors in exchange for hooking up his buddy. Now he has the justification he needs to formally look into the MSgt. The Capt was thrilled and bought me a 6 pack for using up so much of my Friday evening.

I wasn’t around long enough to see the outcome but when I left there were auditors from base services going through the business with a fine tooth comb and it was a legal matter. Once something like that gets started it probably means a business and the owners will get kicked out of the on base location (the base owns the building and the owner leases it). He and his business would also end up blacklisted as a place known for taking advantage of service members. Most commands give this out to people who check in so no one patronizes them.

It still boggles my mind that one veteran would try to use that status to take advantage of others. Or that a senior Marine would do that to other Marines. I know there are people out there like that but having the shared common background we do, I expect better.

(source) story by (/u/earthrogue)

#prorevenge #by /u/earthrogue #pro revenge #revenge stories #pro revenge stories #pro #revenge #last10

75 notes · View notes

factual-fantasy · 4 years

Text

20 MORE asks?? :DD Thanks you guys!!

Bash Buggy would put the entire popsicle in his mouth, bite down and try to pull the popsicle stick out. Usually it works and he would start freaking out because its too cold, he would then try to chew it really fast and swallow it. Just resulting in his mouth being even colder.

He does this every single time despite it usually being an unpleasant experience.

Same here. I was hesitant to draw it at first but eventually gave in. I’m so glad I did XD.

Well, its going better than last time at least. Although people have stopped voting..

Two characters have made it to 5 votes, and most others stand at 3 or 4 votes. I think those are as many votes I’m going to get unfortunately so I’m just going to have to work with what I have.. votes are still open though! :}

Thank you very much!! ♡♡♡ I’m a little better today.

I am self taught, and have been drawing for as long as I can remember. Some of my oldest memories are drawing related. So about 10+ years or so? I know, its a little embarrassing that I’ve only come so far in 10 years. Although I suppose for most of those years I was very young and didn’t know what I was doing sooo...

Anyway, I got some helpful tips from a very talented relative and went to a class that taught me stuff I had already taught myself, but that’s about it. Everything else was stuff I learned myself. :}

No I haven’t heard of him, but now I have and I’m addicted XD

I have 17 Decepticon OCs so far and 1 Autobot that have yet to be drawn.

I haven’t drawn any of the Cons character reference sheets yet, but I hope to someday. The closest I got to drawing a proper picture of one of them was this drawing with Big Blue.

(Big Blue looks like this in alt mode btw 👇)

*You throw a doughnut into the puddle*

*The doughnut disappeared*

*You throw the love into the puddle*

*The love disappeared*

*You hear a pleased hum from the puddle*

You mean these guys? Man.. its been a hot minute since I’ve thought about them.

Well, hmm.. I’m not sure what I can talk about.. Maybe I can refresh you on the general story?

Okay so, the two kids Nokah and Aneal lived on a little island together with their mom and dad. Sometime when they were very little, their mom passed away from some kind of illness. Later on, their dad was killed in a raid where slave traders came in and took all the villagers they could and killed those that stood in their way. Their dad being one of them.

They stuck together thankfully and were brought from place to place until they were eventually sold and were on a ship that was going to take them to their new owners.

While they were sailing, a pirate ship showed up and began to raid the slave ship.

Captain Arthur, the red parrot guy, found these two kids below deck and rescued them. The kids were fed, cleaned and clothed. After they settled, they told the prates their story. The pirates discussed the situation and decided that they cant just keep the kids, they have to bring them to their own kind where they can have a long and prosperous life. Because the life of a pirate is no life for a child.

So off they go, to an island pretty darn far away to take these kids to an orphanage that is populated with with species similar to theirs.

By the time they got there, the kids and the crew got attached to each other. But Arthur pushed on, wanted to do what was best for the children. This part of the story is foggy, but something broke the camels back for Arthur. He couldn’t bare to part with the kids for one reason or another and brought them back to his ship, officially making them pirates and valued crew members.

There’s more to the other characters that I have built.. Like how Arthurs ship belonged to his mother and he grew up on it. Him moms ship is one of 3 very beautiful and rare ships that were way past their time when it came to architecture and technology.

After his mother died, his ship was stolen and sold away to some hawk guy or something. Solomon, the blue parrot, was one of his employees and was put in charge of the ship. Arthur started working for the hawk guy and was eventually promoted to one of the cleaning crew guys who was supposed to clean his moms ship. No one knew the ship rightfully belonged to Arthur.

He gained Solomon's trust and kissed the ground he walked on to make him let his guard down. Solomon wasn’t supposed to leave the ship under anyone else’s watch, but he did. He was lazy and told Arthur to watch the ship for that night. Arthur could be trusted with the ship couldn’t he? Of course he can be trusted. What’s the worst that could happen?

The next day Arthur and his mothers ship were gone without a trace. Solomon’s reputation was ruined and he got a real harsh talking to about how stupid it was of him to let the ship fall in someone else’s hands.

Don’t feel bad for Solomon, he’s a really nasty and narcissistic character, he deserved that. Anyway, Arthur got away with his mother’s ship finally and chose to become a pirate to protect it. He slowly built a crew of people that he considered family and has been sailing the world ever since.

Him and his crew are always on the move, his ship is very desired so its raided very often. And Arthur is pretty sure that Solomon is still out there somewhere.. looking for him. So because of these factors, Arthur ever doesn’t leave his ship. Despite how bad that is physically and mentally for a bird.

His crew will go to an uninhabited island and just take a break for a few days on the beach. But Arthur?.. I mean, he might fly around for a bit or go for a walk on the sand, but ultimately he’ll just stay on deck where he can monitor his ship.

There’s other things too, like how Solomon catches up to them with a small fleet of ships and stuff like that.. buuuut I feel like I’m rambling a bit too much..

I’m very glad you remembered my OCs and were interested enough to ask about them. Feel free to ask any more questions about them if there’s anything else you want to know! ♡മ◡മ♡

Hug??

Also thank you, I’m very glad you love it! (♡´౪`♡)

Thank you! :} My top favorite cartoon shows, 1 being top and 5 being bottom are..

Gravity Falls

Transformers Prime

Spongebob

Octonauts

Beetle Baily

Don’t judge, I know they’re all mostly kids shows... I would’ve added The Three Stooges in Transformers Prime’s place, but that’s not a cartoon..

ALL OF THE THANK YOU’S!!!

I’m so flattered that you think I’m a wonderful artist! I really do try to make things look nice, and I’m glad you see that. :}

When it comes to dedication, I surprised myself with how long I’ve stuck with these characters so far, usually I’d loose passion by now. :o Same with the designs too! I have no idea how I was able to make them. But I’m glad you like them none the less. ,,●ᴗ●,,

When it comes to patience? I guess I just.. I don’t know, XD Normally I don’t have much of it. I guess the real life connection I have to the real cars helps out my patience when it comes to drawing them..? None the less, I’m glad that you noticed!

I know drawing machinery and drawing it consistently can be very hard. I suppose you just need to have a reference on hand and try your best to mimic it.

And yeah, clearly I am very sensitive, but don’t worry about your comment! I took it as a compliment. :} Other people seem to think that I’m a kind and sensible person who deserves happiness, so it must be true! X3

Anyway, thank you for all the lovely compliments and the good luck wish with my job, I’m probably going to need it. I appreciate all that you’ve said and am very flattered! ♡ඩᴗඩ♡

I have heard of the movie and how great it is, but I have not seen it yet. :/ I plan to though! It looks very pretty. :}

Well, a long time ago sometime after the show had been completed, I stumbled into the fandom. I ended up really liking Ford as a character to the point I was convinced to watch the show. And of course, I got addicted XD

When it comes to my favorite episodes? Hmm.. I really like Carpet Diem, and Headhunters. Although I’m sure there are more that I like. :}

Thank you. Honestly my first day was 100% fine, I just got emotional for no reason afterwards and cried a lot. I blame the 2 hours of sleep.

When it comes to my very first OC? It would be impossible to tell.. I have been drawing for a very long time and my memory simply doesn’t go back that far.

So.. I cant show you my first one for sure.. however.. quite a while back, I redrew some really old OCs I found. So these guys are SUPER old. I can show you them at least. :}

Yikes, I had no idea what I was doing back then did I?

When it comes to most attached to, that is always changing so I cant say for sure.

I actually am small enough that I can probably fit in a regular refrigerator freezer, but thank you for offering a different sized one. :}

Also, if the contents of my head are liquid now, wouldn’t making me cold or freezing me be bad?

I have only watched Transformers: Prime and the Bayverse movies. I haven't finished Transformers: Prime yet though, I keep forgetting to..

I considered watching other adaptions once I was finished with Prime, but none of the art styles quite appeal to me..

*You place the bucket and mop on the floor beside the puddle*

*The puddle moves away from the bucket and mop*

*You hear a muffled “I’m good, thanks.” beneath the puddle.*

(Referring to an older ask)

Also thank you, I’m very glad I finally got one. :}

#my response #transformer ocs #my ocs

35 notes · View notes

river--glass · 4 years

Text

Reylo Fic Recs Long Ass Fics pt 2: Alternate Universe

Someone asked for fic recs 100K or over, so here they are. See Pt. 1 for Canon Verse or Alternate Canon Verse fics. (I haven’t read all of these- my personal comments are in bold)

Equilibrium by AttackoftheDarkCurses & thebuildingsnotonfire. (modern, E, 479K)

When Rey works up the nerve to ask Grand Master Luke Skywalker to train her, she makes friends and finds something deep and wonderful in the martial art known as Taekwondo.

She never thought the choice would change her life.

Alternatively, a (long) story of love, family, and Martial Arts.

The Heartbreak Prince by diasterisms. (Harry Potter, E, WIP)

I swore I would never read Harry Potter AU’s or Works In Progress, but for this fic I broke both rules. This is, pun not intended, so magical in every way. It has me SHOOK and if somehow you haven’t heard of it yet, do yourself a favor and check it out!

In Living Memory by SpaceWaffleHouseTM. (multiple times, E, 221K)

Ben and Rey are rendered immortal after being struck by lightning at the precise same moment, and keep running into one another as the centuries drag on. Waffle’s stories are all amaaaaazing and you need to read ALL of them.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot by SageMcMae. (modern, E, 214k)

MMA fighter, Kylo Ren is suspended from the league and sentenced to community service at his uncle’s martial arts academy. There he meets Rey Niima, a recent graduate with a natural ability and incredible potential.

Soul Searching by OptimisticBeth. (AU, Modern, E, 205K)

A Soulmates AU in which Ben is horrified to find out he’s soulmates with his 16 year old student, ten years his junior. (no underage shenanigans) This fic fucked me up. The world building is so stunning. The story is rich with love and fluff, but oh the angst. Soooo much angst and emotional anguish and two people who are trying their best but just can't communicate for shit. The overall story is so beautiful and worth every heartbreaking moment. A happy ending WILL come!

Satan Wears a Rolex by AquaWolfGirl. (Modern, E, 205K)A Devil Wears Prada AU. Unfinished, but it’s fascinating and it ends well where it is.

Hiraeth by Ferasha. (1990′s, E, 204K)

An absolute angst and pain train of a historical war fic. This is not a comfort fic. It will fuck you up. But if you’re into that, the way they’ve woven canon plot in with the Yugoslav Wars is a masterpiece. It’s dark and gritty and will make you feel things.

Le Fin Du Fin by QueenOfCarrotFlowers @leofgyth. (Victorian, E, 196K) A Crimson Peak AU!!! This writer has never let me down.

A Proposal by Any Other Name by Lucidlucy. (Modern, E, 188) A Leap Year AU.

Salt in the Blood by Hagen. (9th century, E, 169K) Featuring pre-Norman invasion Ireland, selkies, love of the sea, and mythical creatures.

The Great Big No by dietplainlite. (1990′s, E, 165K)

Kylo Ren is third generation rock royalty, a reigning brat prince starting to feel the burn of the fame he reached for with both hands. Rey is an aspiring singer on the verge of a big break, provided her A&R guy still has a job by the time she reaches LA. Their paths have crossed briefly, disappointingly, before. What happens when they collide?

The Trail Bride by SecretReyloTrash. (AU, Wild West, E, 160K)

Rey Niima finds herself in a perilous situation when her husband dies at the start of their journey West. From the few bachelors on the trail in her party; she attaches herself to the best of her options- mysterious Banker Ben Solo. A really interesting, amazing piece. Lots of introspection, and a heart wrenchingly real look into abuse and recovery. I emotionally digested for days.

The Sacred Texts by Eskayrobot & Poaxath. (Modern, E, 159K)

Doing the Unstuck by slipgoingunder. (Modern, E, 158K) A When Harry Met Sally AU.

The Mating Service by AlbaStarGazer. (Modern A/B/O, E, 146K)

If Rey had known how quickly she would find her biological mate and alpha through the world wide mating service, 'Match,' she might have considered signing up years ago.

Unravel Me by UnderTheCancerMoon. (Modern, E, 145K)

Rey and Ben push and pull their way through their 20's, experiencing the love, success, loss, and challenges that make life rich.

Fire Away by Daisyflo. (Modern, E, 141K)

The Witch in the Wood by HarpiaHarpyja @thisgarbagepicker & Inmyownidiom. (Fantasy, E, 138K)

I cannot say enough good things about this fic. It’s serving you knight Kylo and witch Rey and so so many good feelings. Sure there’s some angst and dark magic and some struggles but mostly this is a lovely Ghibli-esque story about two people living in a treehouse and talking to animals and having a really good life! Everything HarpiaHarpyja writes is magic.

Snow Without Winter by neonheartbeat. (Renaissance, E, 138K)

If you’re into serious historical fics (this once features catholicism and Rome in 1492) this is for you.

Lemon-hot Summer by IshaRen & pr3tty_g1rl5. (Modern, E, 130K).

In which Ben is the horniest virgin alive and Rey is bored and looking for something (or someone) to do.

Stranger Than Fiction by daxcat79. (Modern, E, 127K). Grumpy writer Ben and sunshine muse Rey.

Like Red But Not Quite by @kylotrashforever. (Modern, E, 126K) KTF is a god-tier reylo writer and you need to do yourself a favor and go read everything they have ever written.

Dark Water by LinearA. (1950′s, E, 125K)

The North Shore by @strawberrycupcakehuckleberrypie. (Modern, E, 125K)

Notting Hill vibes. Actor Ben meets shop owner Rey, and both their lives are changed instantly. It’s mostly about them both being smitten and starting a really good life together!! Lovely!

Stars In My Pockets (Wear Daisies In My Hair) by LostInQueue. (Modern, E, 125K). A Reylogan fic.

we could plant a house, we could build a tree by like_a_dove. (Modern, E, 124K).

An absolute classic. It’s about growing pains and growing feelings - the transition from childhood into adulthood and all the messy bits in between. God, it will hurt you. Badly. But it’ll be so, so worth it.

go i know not whither and fetch i know not what by voicedimplosives. (1990′s, E, 118K)

Russian Mafia AU!! A truly beautiful piece of work. Great plot,great smut, great Bendemption arc. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that’s fully worth the ride.

Souviens-toi de moi by Maniable. (Modern/historical, E, 117K)

Disconnect by Weatherbug02. (Modern, E, 115K)

Candyleg by 5cents. (1950′s, E, 115K)

The girl was too young, but old enough to have a hustler’s-eye view of her own bleak future. The boys were paying her to do a snow job on a candyleg, but she was beginning to love her work and love Solo, and she decided to stick with him till death did them part...

Baby, It’s Just Biology by polkadotdotdot. (Modern A/B/O, E, 112K)

Only If You Want To by Violetwilson. (Modern, M, 111K)

Personal security expert (and occasional under-the-table hitman) Kylo Ren has a strong feeling about the cute dive bar waitress with the strange bruises and the vicious wit. She's either a victim or the weirdest criminal he's ever met. Possibly both.

Ileenium Manor by WaterlilyRose. (AU, victorian, E, 109K)

Leia’s maid Rey instantly hates Lord Ben when he comes to take over the household. She can’t hate him for too long as he starts to pursue her. If you’re in the mood for a sweet but angsty Lord/Maid fic, this is for you.

Kohelet 3:16 (Call Me A Cab) by LinearA. (Modern, E, 108K)

Ruby Woo Red by HeartSabers. (Modern, E, 107K) Featuring makeup artist Rey and TV star Kylo.

Sixth Year by witheyesclosed. (Harry Potter, M, 107K)

The one where Ravenclaw Rey gets paired with Slytherin Ben in Potions and ohmygod he’s hot now

Lockjaw by bitterbones. (zombie apocalypse, M, 106K)

A Song of Trash and Fire: Ben and Rey Make a Porno by HarpiaHarpyja & sunshineflying. (Modern, E, 106K)

With the help of rich Unca Wanwo, flagrant misuse of Ben's creative writing degree, and copious amounts of coffee, Ben and Rey put together the porno of the century, starring themselves and their friends . . . with interesting results.

The Hypnotist by Pandora_Spocks. (Modern, E, 104K)

From a galaxy far, far away, soulmates Ben and Rey have been reincarnated on Earth to resolve their karma. Dr. Ben Solo is a charismatic hypnotist to whom present day Reychelle Lumen has been referred to for help with her nightmares.

Score by SpaceWaffleHouseTM. (Modern, E, 104K)

Ben's friends convince him to take the Rice Purity Test, but when he and Rey are revealed to have the highest scores of their friends, they quickly form a pact to beat Poe's out by the end of the semester. I loved this! Its so so sweet and funny and all from Ben’s POV. Sweet, sweet pining Ben.

The World Shifts (And I Am Better Here) by lachesisgrimm. (Fantasy, E, 102K)

Once upon a time there was a beggar girl whose parents sold her to a thief, and she was very unhappy.--In which prophecy is used with malicious intent, and the universe exerts itself to correct the problem.

for @scarletvizhlovers

#reylo fic recs #reylo fic rec #reylo fanfiction #rey/ben solo fanfics #reylo

98 notes · View notes

halothenthehorns · 3 years

Text

All in the Family

Chapter 31: The Very Secret Diary

Remus felt a deep pull on his core, one he instantly recognized that had nothing to do with once again blinking into new surroundings they had not been in moments ago. Moonlight glinted in through the arched windows of the Gryffindor dormitory, but he cared not what or who he stumbled over as he lurched to the ledge and peered out helplessly beyond. The clouds were wispy, the moon bright and high in the sky, but not full. Two, perhaps one day tops.

He pressed his sweating brow to the glass with gratitude, already sensing the others getting much more slowly to their feet and recognizing Sirius placing his hand on his shoulder before he even looked over to check.

"You have got to be kidding me!" James began loudly causing a distraction. "We get blocked from entering the Slytherin's dorms, but we just get plopped into ours! Who's controlling this mess, I demand a refund!"

"I wasn't aware you were paying for this ride," Peter huffed as he rubbed his forehead against the offending trunk it had crashed against. "Mind if I get my share back?"

"Urgh, I don't know how on Earth we're going to find the book in this mess," Alice scowled about the place as she brushed a sock from her head.

"Charming little place," Frank agreed, having half landed under a bed and getting the joy of a toad leaping away from his face in surprise. Trevor, if he recalled correctly.

"Don't know what you lot are complaining about, we've finally got some beds!" Black cheered, pulling his friend away from the window and collapsing on the nearest one with an exhausted look in place that, to be fair, likely was not faked.

"How long have we been at this?" Potter agreed, flouncing on the floor and yanking the blankets off of the perch his friends had claimed. "I say we don't even bother looking for the next part of this mess until morning and get some shut eye!"

"Well I'm glad you lot can get comfortable," Lily sighed, staying where she'd landed at the foot of the available mattresses, eyeing it as if fearing it was going to consume her in her sleep. Even in the familiarity of being back up in her tower, if not the girls portion, she could not shake the feeling this castle seemed to be clutching even without the mass of students present. There was something going on she'd never had to fear even in her own time.

Regulus watched silently as, to his surprise, Potter actually ignored her and kept chatting up his three friends in their one space. Alice and Frank blushed scarlet at the sudden implications before them and went to separate beds, Regulus stayed where his was nearest the door, and Evans realized after a moment she was going to be ignored and tentatively began trying to organize the blankets into a more suitable position. Regulus found it quite clever. The last thing Potter could have done to force Evans to sleep in a bed was going all chivalrous and making a space for her. Now she was settling into one with orange drapings all along it silently while just as thoroughly ignoring him.

He decided to take the suggestion himself and stretched out on the last one, the canopy of which had shamrocks dancing along the perimeter and a few pictures of a sandy haired bloke and a tall black kid laughing. He didn't know which was the beds owner, and he didn't care as he closed his eyes and rolled over, trying to get comfortable. It took quite some time to fall off to sleep, though he was surprised Sirius still whispering incomprehensibly was helping. It reminded him of home, where he could often hear Kreacher going about the place at all hours, and the portraits whispering, the wind ripping through the old house.

It didn't take that long before Peter decided to risk it, transforming into Wormtail and creeping along to each bed and checking carefully to see all others asleep. He went so far as to give their noses little licks, but the worst reaction was Longbottom tossing violently over in his sleep and muttering, his snores nearly knocking Wormtail off the bed. Then Peter popped back over to his friends, who all had heavy lidded eyes themselves, but were grateful to stop whispering about Quidditch statistics for once upon his nod.

"This is getting too close guys!" Remus managed hoarsely. He couldn't even pretend to not be holding painfully tight to Sirius' arm, he desperately needed some anchor to those around him instead of the death threat hanging just outside this window in the night.

"Relax Moony, I told you I had a plan," James promised, the others having to almost read his lips in the poor light. They wished they'd had this conversation back out in the zoo where no one had been around, but they'd been too afraid of risking their conversation being carried through magic. Regulus hadn't once questioned what all had transpired when they'd been out of sight, so they'd just have to run on the assumption they'd have to watch every word they said no matter the location. They may not get another chance like this for awhile.

"And what, pray tell, would you lot have done in such a confined area if I'd transformed and began trying to kill everything in sight?!" Remus' voice only restrained from screaming by doing the opposite, the words horribly jumbled together and barely intelligible to those around him.

"Easy, we pin you down, Peter would get through the chapter like all our lives depended on it. Then, when we flashed out of here, we'd just have to erase their memories of what happened, reread the chapter they all missed, and poof, problem solved!"

Remus wondered how long his friend had been certifiable without him noticing. Possibly back when they'd decided to keep hanging around after learning his secret and he'd ignored it.

"That is the stupidest thing I've heard in my life." Peter thankfully agreed with him.

"I'm not hearing you two come up with any better ideas," Sirius snipped, but the uneasy frown on his face told enough, he was no more sold on this.

"Prongs, remember when you got electrocuted at the Dursleys?" Remus tried to remind him, straining not to inflect in his voice how idiotic his friend was.

James clearly did as he flexed the digits uncomfortably. His hand still hadn't seemed to fully heal from the event, even if he did seem to have it back in working order. It was mending, slowly.

"The words from the book vanished until you came back around. Merlin knows what would happen to it if one of us died, we'd probably be stuck in that spot forever! I don't think erasing knowledge of the book will help anything!"

"We wouldn't be erasing knowledge from the book, I told you we'd reread the chapter and give it back, just not certain unavoidable events that happened," James insisted with confidence.

Remus licked his lips and again looked nervously out the window.

"Thankfully, time still seems to be on our side and it hasn't been a problem yet," Sirius said with just a touch more confidence. "At least we have a starting point for a plan. Let's get some shut-eye while we can."

Remus slumped against the headboard, knowing even as exhausted as he was he wasn't going to sleep a wink. He felt colder every second, helped nothing by Sirius sliding off the bed and joining the other two in a sort of pile along the floor.

His stomach kept twisting into painful knots, and every single time he managed to unravel just a bit by the reminder his friends wouldn't let anything happen to the innocent people around him, it only went even more taught at the idea he'd kill one of them in the process. He curled into himself and kept looking blearily out the window, the reflective surface tormenting him as it grew brighter every second.

"Moony?"

It had to have been hours later, he'd watched the slow process as it trickled across the sky in his mind's eye, but he couldn't so much as let one finger free of the cramped position he'd set himself in. Sirius slid up on the bed beside him again, wriggling his fingers in until he'd unfastened both his hands and then finally pulled those apart. Remus finally rolled his head around to see the dark silver of his eyes. They were nothing like the bright color he so feared.

"I decided to take Prongs' advice and have a chat with you while we could," Sirius crawled up and laid along his back, so that he was whispering in his ear, one hand still gripping his to make sure he couldn't pull himself back away. "Don't worry, they're both asleep. I'd say I'd know after nearly five years." He added on when Remus didn't respond.

"What did you want to talk about?" He muttered back, his own voice sounding like a strangers it dragged so badly.

"Don't know," he admitted. "Just couldn't sleep."

Well that was a lie, otherwise he wouldn't have 'wanted a chat' when the other two were out. Remus kept himself quiet and let Sirius build up whatever was on his mind. When he finally got it, it wasn't quite what he was expecting.

"I think Peter knows."

"Eh?"

"Hmm," was his only mutter for a moment, before he kept going in a soft whisper right into his ear, "he's been watching us. Course, he watches everything, but still."

"If this is your idea of pillow talk, it's lacking," was all he could think to say.

"Remus, I mean it," Sirius muttered, trying to draw his legs up to him but instead just knocking them into Remus' knees. He kept them there instead, Sirius now entirely along his back as much as he could.

"You want to tell them?" He finally asked. If Sirius had been trying to give him something else to think about, it had worked.

"I don't like keeping things from either of them. I get the feeling they're going to know sooner rather than later, and we should tell them before that."

"We haven't even told each other what we've been doing." He huffed as a get around. He flashed back to the moment he'd started this by kissing Sirius back. He'd justified it to himself at the time as a way to draw Sirius back to him and find some way to stop the fighting, the panicked look across his mates face when he'd first done it clearly meaning he hadn't any more to go on. Now he was worried he'd jumped the gun on the right way to do that, even if he couldn't regret it as he finally started to relax along the warm body. "Can't we at least wait until we get out of this crazy mess?" He asked more quietly still, worried Sirius had nodded off in the silence as he went through his mind for an answer.

"Yeah, yeah that's fair. This has got to stop eventually. As much as I'm not enjoying living through Prongs' sons crazy life and all."

Remus snorted quietly in agreement to that. "Think there's really some monster running around this castle?"

"I'm thinking it more likely with every passing event in this kids life. I just can't put my finger on what."

Remus hadn't let himself think on it himself, so invested in everything else going on. He finally let himself fall into a fit of uneasy sleep as the silvery moon finally faded behind his heavy eyes. Sirius smiled, and slowly as he was capable of, inched himself away from Remus until he slid back between James and Peter on the floor. Remus still slept on.

Alice had suffered quite a few abrupt awakenings. One when her cousin came over for the summer and thrown her things all over Alice's bed in welcoming, another as her dorm-mates cat pissed on her, but none quite so memorable as Frank kissing her good morning. She smiled up at him and curled tighter into her warm bed as he brushed at her hair before some part of conciseness returned and she murmured, "what are you doing in here?"

"I'm pretty sure we've yet been able to fully answer that," Frank reminded her kindly. She blinked the haze away and finally realized she was not in her own dorm, but still up in Gryffindor tower. There was water running somewhere in the background, she realized as she sat up slowly. She found the Marauders all awake and moving about, much quieter than she would have given them credit for, though still being their usual selves and going through all the available school trunks. Pettigrew was at the foot of hers and tossing things around, a football of all things bouncing against the opposite wall.* It was noticeable they all had slightly damp hair, and their clothes looked just a bit less worn.

She looked properly around her own setting for the first time, some glimmers of unease still present she'd slept in a stranger's bed. This boy was either a muggle-born or had a clear love for them, as he had a poster of one of their sports up that wasn't even moving, though a few pictures scattered around of a tall, dark skinned lad and a sandy-haired boy in someone's backyard messing around with the same football that had just been tossed around.

"They claim to be looking for that," Frank stage whispered as he gestured to the book that was sitting clearly on the bedside table of the bed Frank had been sleeping in.

She stretched as she got out from under the covers and went over to it, sitting down there instead as they'd clearly already been through this place, in far too much detail. There was a pair of pants with all the pockets turned inside out right near the foot of the bed. Frank followed and put another easy arm around her, gesturing before she could grab the book, "had you been wondering what Neville looked like?"

She had, admittedly, and was just as pleased as she was shocked when Frank reached into the bedside cabinet and pulled out a moving picture. It was a family portrait. Frank began pointing out people clearly from his side of the family, but she couldn't spare a glance for any of them, even her future mother in law with a vulture for a hat. Her son, the youngest by far, was standing half behind her in the photo, his little face only peaking out every few seconds the brightest spot.

At first she thought her son had inherited all of his fathers looks along with just his family, with that light blond hair and kind brown eyes. It wasn't until he peaked out again she could spot her own face inlaid with her child's, the kindness she felt pouring from him.

Smiling with pride and very carefully keeping the picture in her grasp as she moved to take the book, she vowed to keep this with her as long as she could get away with. First she couldn't help but stop and look around herself once more with an uneasy feeling. This bed then, her sons, was the only one without any sort of defining marker. She locked eyes with Frank, the worry passing between them as real as Potter flinging textbooks about with abound.

"Aren't all diary's very secret?" The elder Black laughed as he strolled by, checking carefully under each bed for something that was beyond both of them.

"Shouldn't you wait for Regulus to get out?" Pettigrew called over.

In answer, the water stopped, and the younger Black stepped out, toweling his hair and straightening his shirt.

Alice and Frank looked relieved, and Lily reluctant, but they all took turns in the second years boys bathroom. It was simple enough, everything done up in silver and gold of course, with lions embroidered into all the linen. Thankfully the plumbing was working just fine, the settings for the taps were the same in their respective bathrooms, and the laundry shoot still magicked their clean clothes back to them by the time they were all freshened up.

"I'm not surprised the school would think Hermione got attacked," Evans said as she came over to sit beside them on the edge of the bed, taking a brush to her long locks, finally. It was amazing how relaxed they all felt after a little hot water, and the schools magic still somehow managed to know what products each of them used.

"I'm just hoping it makes all those kids realize how stupid it is to think Harry's the one doing this, attacking his friend." Potter seemed to agree with her, stopping his shenanigans of tossing bed sheets around to smile winningly over at her.

She turned away, not taking notice of the water dripping upon the bed, but her nose didn't go quite as high in the air as usual when he talked to her.

"I still don't find it a particularly brilliant idea for Harry to be back around that bathroom," Remus muttered as he sorted through the third trunk.

"Hasn't done anyone any harm," Sirius shrugged as he passed by, tapping his chin as he eyed a pair of trainers. He held one up to his foot, then tossed it away without satisfaction.

"It can't be coincidence this place now has two random events like this," Remus insisted, abandoning a magazine over Great Locations of Kenmare.

"Myrtle floods her bathroom a dozen times a year," Sirius continued trying to ignore him. "Just because Harry found a ruddy book in there some broad wanted to flush away shouldn't mean anything- Oi, Wormtail! Stop sniffing the damn Fudge Flies and come here!"

Peter left Ron's bedside and came over with a harassed expression in place. "Whatever you want to try out on me this time Sirius, the answer's no."

"Why do you always assume it's that?" Sirius asked innocently, then kept going before he could retaliate. "Nah, Moony thinks something's up with this book Harry found, and I want someone else over here laughing at him with me. Cause more of an impact."

"You two are horrible to each other," Peter told him pleasantly. "That wouldn't work anyways, because I'm on his side, listen," he insisted when the background noise of Harry's Valentines settled down and he realized something was odd about it.

James was still snickering about the Valentine his poor son had received, while Evans was looking mortified about the same and desperately wishing that book wasn't giving Potter ideas. Regulus had been spending the whole time in the windowsill, admittedly enjoying the high view. Everyone froze as Alice went on to describe the sentient book.

"Do you think it's in here? Now?" Alice hissed as if she feared it would hear her.

"No," Potter said at once with confidence, taking a cautious step away from Harry's part of the room anyways. "No, we've been looking through this stuff all morning, haven't seen a trace of it."

An awkward silence still hung as Smith forced herself to continue, which only grew worse when Harry was sucked right into the pages.

Everyone remained frozen until it became clear Harry was in no immediate danger, as no one in this odd memory from the diary could see him. Potter, clearly trying to act as always as if this were all casual news, went back over to his sons things and began looking around with even more vigor.

The rest of the Marauders seemed to decide this same tactic, while the three still on the bed drew closer to each other. Alice's voice only shook a bit at reading of something like this, and it only grew more confusing as she reached the end and this Riddle seemed on the verge of finding the true culprit.

"Aha!"

Alice looked over in surprise as Potter quickly stowed something out of sight with a sheepish expression, clearly regretting his outburst. He'd been spending an inordinate amount of time at Harry's trunk and around his bed, and she found it almost sweet if a little obnoxious that's how he was trying to learn about his kid instead of paying attention to the book about him.

"What was that?" Frank asked as politely as he could manage.

"I, ah, found one of Lockhart's signature books Harry got! Bet that's going to be worth a fortune, I'm going to nick it!"

She and Frank exchanged a look of how much they believed that, but Alice hoped this creepy memory was almost done with already and ignored them.

Sirius wasn't listening, he'd finally found a pair he was sure would fit.

"Here Reg, put these on," Sirius said while tossing a pair of boots at his head. Regulus caught one, the other landed on top of his bare foot. A pair of socks quickly followed the same pattern.

"I don't need your help," Regulus snapped as he pushed both away. "I could get some on my own if I wanted to."

Sirius scowled down at him. "You want to wind up back in the Forest or some nonsense barefoot, fine."

Peter watched Sirius strut away, as much as he could in such a small space, back over to James. The two started up a whispered conversation while James kept patting his pocket, and Peter rolled his eyes. He instead turned his attention to Regulus with a sympathetic smile. "He means well."

"I'm not going to bother responding to you if you're just going to defend your mate over there," he huffed.

"I'm just saying," Peter put his hands up defensively. "He bosses me around all the time to. Think that's how he shows he cares."

"And he claims he's nothing like our parents," Regulus rolled his eyes and looked back out the window without further comment.

Sirius had watched the whole thing, and blew a frustrated breath when Peter joined them. "Little idiots going to get a toe cut off or something and I'm just going to laugh at him."

"Souvenir?" Remus offered, before all four burst out laughing just as they were transported away again, none having the chance to realize just what exactly Alice had said before it was too late.

#Harry Potter #fanfiction #Reading the books #Marauders #Wolfstar #Jilly #CoS #Alice Smith #Frank Longbottom #Regulus Black #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #James Potter #Peter Pettigrew

3 notes · View notes

stereksecretsanta · 3 years

Text

Merry Christmas, obsessedbutonline!

For @obsessedbutonline, who listed fluff, angst, and ‘Derek giving Stiles gift’ as a few ‘Likes’. I hope I did those items justice. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas, Friend!

Read On AO3

*****

The Gift

The gift. He supposed it all started with the gift. Or maybe Star Trek. Derek wasn’t sure. It was Stiles, after all. One day, the younger man had been debating the cuddle rating of a Tribble, before diving into an analysis of The Voyage Home being one of the worst movies in franchise history (except for the whales, of course), and the next thing Derek knew, he’d found himself discussing how Moby Dick was one of his favorite books. The random jumps from one topic to another hadn’t been anything new for Stiles, but that had also been the year they’d legitimately gotten ‘together’ after their contentious circling of each other’s orbits, so when Derek had opened an inelegantly wrapped early edition of the novel on that first Christmas as a couple, he’d been rendered speechless.

He couldn’t remember how long he’d stared at the leather-bound copy exactly, but he did recall feeling a bout of inadequacy. He thought he’d hid it well though. “Stiles – “ he’d started. “I wasn’t expecting…This is too much.”

Stiles had shrugged like it hadn’t been a big deal, an eager grin on his face. “Nah, it wasn’t too bad. A classmate mentioned a prof who needed an assistant to help translate some Latin verses, and I thought I’d check it out. When I went, I noticed a copy of Moby Dick in his office, and you’d mentioned it was one of your favorites, so I offered my translation services for free if he would sell the book for a discounted price.”

Of course, Stiles had remembered that weird detail from a throwaway conversation. And of course, he’d been resourceful in procuring it. That was just who Stiles was. Now, Derek, on the other hand… well, he’d felt completely out of his league when he’d pulled out the gift card he’d picked up a day earlier from a comic book store. He hadn’t even known if that was a store Stiles ever visited. He really sucked at gift-giving. “Sorry, I didn’t …”

Stiles had yanked it out of his hands before he’d even finished. “I love it. Thanks, Derek!” The younger man had beamed excitedly, clutching that cheap piece of plastic in his hands as if he’d just received some personal heirloom. There had been no uptick in the man’s heartrate, so there’d been no lie in those words, but that hadn’t stop Derek from feeling bad.

And it was then that he had resolved to do better, that he would be thoughtful and meticulous in his gift selection the next time Christmas rolled around. Stiles deserved as much.

But he’d mentioned he was bad at gift-giving, right? As in, monumentally bad. Because the next Christmas, when they’d settled down on his couch after an intimate holiday dinner he’d prepared for the two of them, Stiles had presented him with a charmingly wrinkled gift bag. And when he’d pulled out a lovingly restored and framed photograph of his family from before the fire, he’d not only felt a slight lump in his throat at the sentiment, he’d also felt remarkably small and completely lacking in comparison. It was a good thing they’d come to a mutual understanding that their birthdays would be a no-gift zone, because Derek wasn’t sure he could’ve handled double the inferiority complex this time of year.

“I found a copy of the photo from the digital archives of the town newspaper. It was for some fundraiser committee your mom chaired, I think. I saved a copy, and googled around for some pointers on how to increase the resolution so I could print out a decent version of it,” Stiles had explained.

Derek had nodded absently, his fingers lightly tracing the curve of his mother’s face under the cool glass. His whole family had stared back at him, carefree and unburdened in the moment that photo had been taken, eyes all shiny from a sunny afternoon picnic. “Yeah, I remember. It was a Pets in the Park fundraiser for the local animal shelter.” There had been an ache in the pit of his stomach at the reminder of everything he’d lost, but it wasn’t as sharp as it had once been. Now, it had been dulled by time, and tempered by the meaningful relationships he’d found, foremost of which was the one with the man beside him. “Thank you,” he’d said slowly, slightly surprised that his voice hadn’t cracked at the pool of emotion swirling within him.

“Anytime, big guy.” Stiles had leaned in, his weight and warmth freely offered as a source of silent strength.

But when he’d pulled out his gift for Stiles, he had had that sinking feeling of failing an important test. He hadn’t even had time to wrap it properly, opting to place a haphazard bow on it instead. “Sorry, I didn’t know …”

Stiles had grabbed the cellophane-covered box with a puzzled expression. “A bath set?” he’d asked slowly. “Is this your way of telling me I stink?”

There had been amusement in the younger man’s tone, devoid of upset or disappointment, but that hadn’t stopped Derek from feeling upset and disappointed in himself. After Stiles had gone through all the trouble of giving him such a personal and meaningful gift, he’d reciprocated with … soap. “Remember when you were on break during Thanksgiving,” he’d started to explain. “That necromancer problem we had?”

“Oh, damn, do I ever! We spent the whole night trying to wash zombie goo out of bodily crevices I never knew I had!” Then, realization had set in as those rich brown eyes widened. “This is perfect, Derek! Thank you!” And just like that, Stiles had fallen on him with his usual gracelessness, and proceeded to express his ‘gratitude’ properly.

That had been last year. But this time around, right before Stiles had returned to campus for his final two semesters of college, Derek had stumbled upon the ideal Christmas gift, while they were cleaning, of all things. They’d been packing up and storing some of Stiles’ stuff before the younger man headed back to school when they’d gotten diverted by some dusty, old boxes in the Sheriff’s attic. Somehow, in the way of procrastination, they’d ended up flipping through old photo albums when Stiles had paused to tell him about a picture of his mother.

“Oh, there’s the locket my dad helped me buy for Mother’s Day when I was eight,” Stiles had said as he’d pointed to a picture of Claudia Stilinski, vivacious and beaming brightly at the camera. Anyone could see where Stiles had gotten his smile. “I didn’t have the greatest taste in jewelry, so it doesn’t look like much, but she was so excited when she got it. She wore it all the time.”

“It’s nice that you have a memento to remember her by,” Derek had supplied.

Stiles’ shoulders had slumped a little at the comment. “Yeah, I think we accidentally sold it during a garage sale not long after she died. Dad wasn’t exactly in the best place, and he just wanted to get rid of the memories because they hurt so much back then. Lots of regret now. Who knows? It might’ve found another home, or it might be in a garbage dump somewhere.”

And that comment had led him down the winding, convoluted path to where he was now: standing in front of a teenage girl with bright blue hair and an eclectic ensemble of a loose plaid shirt, artfully ripped leggings, and combat boots.

“A hundred bucks,” the girl re-stated, her tone indicating that this wasn’t a negotiation.

“One hundred? The pawn shop owner said you only paid five dollars for it.” He could be stubborn too, though deep down, he knew he wasn’t really in a position of power in this situation, much as that rankled him.

Ms. Blue-hair shrugged. “So? If you want it that bad, then you should be willing to pay for it.”

She had him there. Three months of diligently interviewing the Stilinski neighbors, and following a trail of multiple goodwill and pawn shops had led him to that very locket hanging from the girl’s neck, that very locket Stiles had shown him in that old photo of his mother. He gave the teen what Stiles had laughingly termed his ‘murder-brow’ look and pulled out his wallet. Of course, he would pay, especially after all the work he’d put into tracking it down, and because this was for Stiles. He didn’t have to like being swindled like this though.

“That’s a nice jacket, by the way.”

Derek looked up from pulling out the cash and froze. He glared at the girl, hoping the intensity of his stare would deter whatever she was about to insinuate. It didn’t work.

“No,” he said flatly as she watched him expectantly.

“Okay, I guess we’re done here then. Nice meeting you.” And with that, she turned and started to walk away.

Derek ground his teeth together to keep from outright growling and fought hard to not wolf out. He hated being bested like this. Life would’ve been so much simpler if he could just take the damned piece of jewelry by force and run off with it. Stupid morals.

“Fine,” he conceded with a clenched jaw after she’d managed to walk several feet away.

She turned with a triumphant smile as he started to shrug off his leather jacket. When he held it out with the wad of cash, she unclasped the chain without any further objections and handed it over. “Pleasure doing business with you, sir.”

(***)

Stiles’ name flashed on his lock screen just as he was pulling up to his loft.

“Hey, you back already?” he answered as he shifted his car into park. His regular visits to Stanford notwithstanding, he’d been anticipating Stiles’ winter break for a while, and the timing couldn’t have worked out any better with him finding the locket when he had. “I was going to pick you up tonight after you’ve had a few hours with your dad.”

Several seconds of heavy breathing greeted his words, and almost instantly, he was on alert, muscles tensing and heartrate increasing. “Stiles?”

“Yeah, Derek, I’m here,” a familiar voice sounded through the phone. “Sorry, just had to get around Scott to check something out. But no, I’m not home yet. Got sidetracked on my way into town. Can you come to the preserve right now? The trail just off Parsons. We’ve got, um, a problem.”

Since his return to Beacon Hills, the supernatural activity in the area had decreased significantly, especially with a solid pack established in the area now, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t the occasional run-in with creatures bringing in death and mayhem. This sounded like one of those times. Shifting gears into reverse, he responded without hesitation, “On my way.”

The trip to the preserve was quick, the route having been travelled so many times that he could probably drive it eyes closed. After parking in the lot off Parsons, he picked up Stiles’ scent almost immediately, along with a few others of the pack, and had no problems tracking the source down a few hundred feet off a popular running path.

Not surprisingly, Scott noticed him first, looking up from a patch of tall grass and nodding in greeting as Derek silently approached. Stiles stood more out in the open, back turned and head down as he tapped busily on his phone. Once upon a time, his quiet ‘stalking’ would’ve caused a flailing of limbs and a high-pitched yelp from the younger man, but of the familiarity borne from the years of closeness, Stiles simply turned, smiled, and greeted him with a warm ‘hey’ as if he’d known he was there the whole time. And all things considered, he probably had.

They’d never been a couple for overt displays of affection, but the way Stiles unconsciously leaned toward him, trusting and open, worked just as well in telling Derek how the other man felt. He usually did the same, subtly breathing in the scent of his boyfriend and feeling more settled in his presence. They hadn’t seen each for a couple of weeks, and he’d missed having Stiles near.

“What’s going on?” he asked, looking around for the rest of the pack. Their scents were fainter, which meant they had been here recently, but had likely wandered off or left altogether.

“It’s Christmastime in Beacon Hills, so the usual. Y’know, carolers, Santa parades, sleigh rides, tidings of comfort and joy, and oh yeah, witches.”

Derek had never been bothered by Stiles’ sarcasm, though he wouldn’t openly admit that if asked about their first encounters with each other, but now, he found the trait rather endearing. “So, we’re dealing with a witch. How bad?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I was driving back into town when I saw a kid running across the road. Freaked me out, and barely stopped in time. When I went to check on him, he was crying and said an old woman had tried to take him. At first, I thought it was an attempted kidnapping, but then, he said that there was a lot of screaming coming from her big bag, and he was scared of getting stuffed in there with all the other kid. For this town, that triggered alarm bells. Stuffing kids into bags and lugging them around is not your regular run-of-the-mill kidnapper MO. I called my dad, and he came out here with a few units, but is running interference on the supernatural front. He’d mentioned that this was the third attempted kidnapping this month, so the deputies are on high alert. They still think it’s a regular human predator, so they’re canvassing the other side of the preserve right now, which means we can do our own investigation here. I called Scott, and the others are now fanned out, doing a search to see if we can catch a scent.”

“No luck yet,” Scott added as he strode over to join them. “Just a whole bunch of the usual smells, and with the people that use the running trails, it’s hard to pinpoint a specific one. We’re not exactly sure what we’re looking for.”

“I think I have a lead though.” Stiles held out his phone to show an etching of a stooped crone with a large sack. “We might have an Icelandic witch in the area, one that kidnaps and eats children, but I’m not a hundred percent. I hope I’m not right because … well, children! But she’s supposed to be active around Christmas. I need to double-check some books at my house to make sure though.”

Derek nodded, not surprised that Stiles had pretty much figured it out already. As human as Stiles was, he was arguably one of the pack’s most valuable assets, and truth be told, Derek felt quite proud of the other man’s quick wit and life-saving accomplishments. “So, you need to go home then?”

Stiles made a sound of agreement as he tucked his phone away and gave him an apologetic look. No words were needed to communicate how sorry he was that their reunion wasn’t what they’d planned.

“Okay, call us with any info,” Scott chimed in. “Derek and I will probably be more useful if we keep scouting the area. This is children we’re talking about. I don’t want anymore of them put in danger.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Alpha leader, sir,” Stiles replied jokingly, giving his friend a mock salute.

The years had matured Scott somewhat, enough that the erstwhile werewolf took his role and responsibilities somewhat seriously now. And for this, Derek was grateful.

Scott gave Stiles a shove to get him on his way, before shaking his head with a laugh and started to move back to the tall grass he’d been searching through earlier. “Go, you idiot.”

Stiles responded with the very mature gesture of sticking out his tongue. Then, Derek felt the younger man’s arm wrap lightly around his waist and pull him close for a quick kiss. The motion was casual, natural, and one that Derek returned without thought. “Sorry, not what we’d planned when I got back, huh? Let’s catch this witch fast so we can start our Christmas cuddle session, ‘kay?”

Derek raised an eyebrow at the comment. His boyfriend sure did have a way with words sometimes. “Christmas cuddle?”

“Hey, it is what it is.” Stiles shrugged innocently as he started to move away.

“I’m not calling it that.”

“Suit yourself, Sourwolf, but I’ve officially labelled it, and you can’t take that away from me,” Stiles said as he walked backwards toward the nearby trail. Derek half-expected him to trip on some invisible rock in the next few seconds. “Gonna say it all I want!”

He rolled his eyes as the younger man’s antics. “Go.”

“Christmas cuddle! Oh, and far be it for me to complain about seeing you in that t-shirt, but you do know it’s winter, right? We may live in California, and you may have some super-awesome internal wolfy furnace going, but I’m cold just looking at you. Where’s your jacket?”

“Go!” While he didn’t feel the chill as acutely, he didn’t need to be reminded about his fleecing by a greedy, blue-haired teenager.

After Stiles wave his acknowledgement and jogged out of sight, Derek turned back to join Scott. Their relationship may have started out roughly, but they’d fallen into a companionable pattern over the last few years. It was likely because of everything Scott had been through and his maturation, but Derek guessed part of it may have been out of respect for both their relationships with Stiles. Without much preamble, they quickly sectioned off their respective search zones, and fanned out into the thicker parts of the preserve. Derek had grown up here, had run and played amongst the trees and foliage so often that walking through it now stirred a sense of homecoming. Still, sometimes, there were things here that could still surprise him. Like the odd whiff of fear and panic he caught a few minutes after he’d split off from Scott. It was faint, probably non-existent for the newer wolves, but it was there, so out of place with the earthy scent of moss and soil. He started to follow it, his senses sharpening as he homed in on the potential prey. He hadn’t made much progress before he heard a howl off in the distance, and his entire body tensed, ready for action.

They’d found something!

Once he pinpointed the source, he was off, dashing through branches and over roots with a surety of stride that had been acquired from a lifetime of running these woods. He didn’t get very far though. He heard it first, a loud symphony of disembodied laughter all around him. Before he could stop and confront whatever it was, he caught a flutter of movement in his periphery, and then, he was flying, thrown through the air by an impact harder than anything in recent memory. He was out cold before he even landed.

(***)

He wasn’t unconscious for long. At least, he didn’t think he was, given that generations of werewolf evolution had refined his healing abilities to the point where he shouldn’t be. But however long it was, it was enough to find himself strapped to a board – or a crude table, perhaps – staring up at the flickering shadows of a stone ceiling. Or a cave? He honestly hated losing time like this and waking up in unexpected places, which, given who he was and where he lived, was an actual occupational hazard.

A whimper somewhere to his left drew his attention just then, and he tilted his head at an uncomfortable angle to take better stock of where he was, and with whom. Just within his field of vision, he could barely make out a small figure sat huddled inside a primitively constructed cage no higher than his hip. A wood fire burned beneath a big vat just a few feet away, thoroughly heating up whatever was inside if the bubbling sound was any indication.

“Hey,” he said quietly, if a little hoarsely, hoping the hunched figure would shift enough into the firelight for him to make out who it was.

The figure shuffled over, and Derek could see the tear-streaked face of a boy, probably no more than eight or nine years old. Stiles had said there’d been attempted kidnappings. It looked like one had succeeded.

“H-hello? You’re awake.”

“Yeah, I am.” He wasn’t good with children, barring the few cousins he’d played with when he was younger, yet that had been different. They’d been family. He knew this kid was scared, could hear it in the tremor of his voice and smell it in the dankness of the air, but he wasn’t sure what he could say to help with that. “I’m Derek. What’s your name?”

“A-Andy.”

“Well, Andy, if you give me a minute, we can get out of here and I’ll take you back to your parents.” He tried to sound reassuring, though he wasn’t sure it worked as well as he’d intended when he was tugging and testing the thick ropes tied around his chest, waist, and legs. They were tight, but he managed to slide a hand free enough to shift and start slicing away at the restraints with his claw.

“Just Mom,” the boy said quietly. “Dad left.”

“Okay, we’re going to find your mom then. I’m sure she’s really missing you right now.” He figured that keeping a calm tone and easy conversation going was as good a plan as any while he worked on the ropes.

Andy shuffled a little in his cage, his face dipping down again into the shadows cast by the nearby fire. “She’s working. She’s always working. She promised I’d get to see Dad, but she couldn’t take me, so I went to find him myself.”

Which might explain why the boy hadn’t been reported missing yet. There was some give to the rope by his right hip, so he tilted his head and tried to look over at the boy and hoped he properly projected the sincerity of his words. “That doesn’t mean she’s not missing you, Andy. I know she’s probably very worried. She – “

The stench assaulted him first, sour and rancid, before he felt the whole space shake with a reverberating thud. Andy quickly scooted back into the corner of his cage with a scared squeak, leaving Derek to turn and search out the source in the dim light. An old woman came into view near the foot of his table, posture bent and face haggard, each of her steps sending tiny shockwaves through the cave. Her long, gray hair hung in a greasy, unkempt mess, framing a crooked nose and a gap-toothed, mirthless grin. She resembled the picture Stiles had shown him on his phone, but the younger man had neglected to mention one thing. She was a fucking giant!

The whole cave suddenly felt cramped, and her looming presence caused his heartrate to spike. He worked faster on his ropes.

“Good dog. You’re too old and gristly for my liking, but if my lads want a pet, a pet they will get,” she said in a voice deeper than he’d expected. She patted his stomach dismissively as she passed, and he fought hard not cry out at the jarring, painful contact. “Now, where’s my little snack? Little boy for a little snack. Little boy snack.” She cackled at her own wit.

He heard Andy whimper again as the old, giant crone ambled her way over to the cage, and he wanted to tell the boy to be brave, to hold on because he was almost through his rope. Yet, as he was about to do just that, he caught the scent of metal and electricity in the air. It cut through the myriad of other unpleasant smells like an olfactory beacon, clear and crisp and a harbinger of something – or someone – familiar. He couldn’t help but smile a little at the arrival of the calvary, even as Andy shrieked when the witch pulled him roughly from the cage and shuffled over to the boiling pot.

Then, several things happened at once. First, voices that sounded like the disembodied laughter he’d heard earlier came from somewhere outside. This time, however, they were shouting out in distress, intermingled with the familiar voices of his pack. The cries gave the witch pause for a split second, just as he cut through the last of his restraints and pulled free. After that, he was up and leaping through the air, aiming to get Andy free of the old woman’s clutches and away from the fire. And he managed just that, wrapping his arms around the boy as he clawed at the large hand that held him. But he underestimated the reaction speed of the crone, and barely managed to turn his body to shield Andy before her other hand swatted his side. He landed with bone-cracking impact against the boiling pot, adrenalin enhancing his movements as he rolled quickly to avoid landing on the fire or getting splattered by the hot liquid in the toppling vat. He was pretty sure he’d probably cracked a few ribs, but they were already healing. Andy seemed none the worse for wear when he looked down, unhurt and safe in his arms still.

“My boys! What are they doing to my boys?” the witch wailed.

Derek tensed briefly, thinking the giantess would take her surprise and anger out on him. He readied himself for a fight, but instead, she turned and marched the other way, he and Andy seemingly forgotten. He eased himself up with a barely suppressed groan, and let the small body pressed against his chest slide down to his lap. He could hear the pack outside, the growls of the wolves and the foreign-sounding chants from Stiles, and he knew that they had it handled.

“You okay?” he asked as he gave Andy a good once-over.

The boy simply nodded, his whole body still trembling. Then, without a word, he leaned forward and hugged Derek as if his life depended on it. Not sure how else to respond, Derek hugged the child back.

That was how Stiles found them a few minutes later when he stumbled clumsily into the cave. After some coaxing, they both managed to talk Andy into finally letting go. Scott took it from there, coming in to take the boy away to find the Sheriff, who had been called to the area when Stiles had triangulated Derek’s location. Stiles waited a moment after Scott had left before he turned and threw himself into Derek’s arms.

“Oh, thank every deity I just prayed to you’re okay. Had me worried.”

Derek squeezed the warm, lithe body clinging to him like an octopus, and bent down to briefly nuzzle his partner’s neck. He breathed in the fortifying scent that was simply Stiles and used it to ground himself after the crazy events that had just happened. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I’m fine.”

“I know. You’re one tough son of a bitch, but the uncertainty always gets me.” Stiles pulled away and gave him a look with those ridiculously wide Bambi-like eyes that made Derek’s insides go warm. “And of course, you would go all superhero and save a child while we saved you. With the way the boy was holding on to you, I thought you’d replaced me with a cuter, newer model.”

Derek quirked up his lip into a lopsided, half-smile. “Never,” he returned easily. “If I did, I would at least try to get a good trade-in price for you.”

“Smartass.” As his comeback, Stiles smacked his arm with the back of his hand. He then slipped said hand into Derek’s, intertwined their fingers, and started walking out of the cave. “See if I ever send baddies back through an intercontinental gate for you again.”

“So, she wasn’t a witch?” Derek asked as he followed Stiles’ lead out of the cave

“Oh, no, she was a witch. The giantess witch, Gryla, and her sons, the Yule Lads. I don’t know how they got here, but I was working off of some quick and dirty research, so the best I could do was track down caves in the area, which is what the literature says she tends to favor, and find a spell to send her back to her native Iceland.”

Derek silently listened as Stiles explained what had happened, both grateful and proud – and not for the first or last time either – at the quick wit and resourcefulness of the guy he got to call his. They eventually emerged from the cave, and he immediately felt lighter the moment he could smell the fresh earth and foliage again. The sun was beginning to set, creating lengthening shadows of the redwoods and the oaks that stood like sentinels around them. And with that came a distinct chill in the air. He felt Stiles shiver at the lower temperature, and wished he’d had his jacket around to offer the other man. The jacket that he’d exchanged for …

With his free hand, he reached into his jeans pocket where he’d tucked the locket earlier, and –

Shit!

Without another thought, he turned and sprinted back into the cave. He quickly scanned the area and did not see the locket anywhere. His eyes then fell on the overturned pot and the still-burning embers of the woodfire. A dash of panic began to taint his actions, but he didn’t stop to quell it. Instead, he rushed over to the dying fire and started digging through the ashes. His hands burned and healed almost simultaneously as he dug desperately through the charred wood, an odd combination of frustration and helplessness clouding his judgement.

“Derek?”

He heard Stiles, but didn’t answer, mainly because his fingers wrapped around a clump of metal just then. He looked down at what used to be Stiles’ mother’s locket, the piece now misshapen by the heat and bearing no resemblance to what it used to be. He dropped the thing, both dejected and angry. This was supposed to be the year. This was supposed to be the Christmas where he would show Stiles how much the younger man meant to him by putting the care and thought into his gift that Stiles had always put into his. But everything… everything had been for nothing.

“Derek? What’s wrong? You okay?” Stiles approached and knelt beside him, looking ready to join him in whatever he was searching for.

He brushed the soot and ash off his hands, shook his head, and stood up. “Nothing. I’m good. Just thought I dropped something but I was wrong. C’mon, let’s go home.”

Puzzled, Stiles stood too, though he didn’t pry, and together, they made their way out of the cave once more, but not before Derek threw one last, longing glance at the pile of ashes.

(***)

“Oh, my god, I’m so stuffed,” Stiles said as he plopped down on the couch and rubbed his belly. “I might have to be rolled off to bed later because there’s no way I’m standing up.”

Derek smiled softly at the younger man’s dramatics, and joined him on the sofa. Christmas dinner had been an intimate one again between just the two of them, with Derek doing most of the preparation, while Stiles had ‘helped’. He didn’t mind though. He enjoyed their time together. The way they fit together, their ease with each other … it had all been hard-won, and he wouldn’t trade it for anything. The younger man had chatted animatedly throughout the meal and Derek had let him go on, wanting to prolong the whole thing because, if he was being honest, he was dreading what would happen afterwards: their gift exchange.

“Merry Christmas, Derek,” Stiles said, as if reading his thoughts. He reached over to the end table and grabbed an unevenly wrapped gift.

Derek stared at the thing for a moment, just knowing deep down it would be a typical Stiles present, all special and personal. Why did Stiles even stay with him? He must come across as an unthoughtful, unappreciative jerk. Slowly, he unwrapped the gift, and revealed a collage of artfully arranged photographs. There were trees and flowers and butterflies dancing on sunbeams across open trails. They were beautiful, more so in that Derek recognized where they had been taken: the preserve.

“You sometimes talk about how you grew up in the preserve,” Stiles explained. “How it’s a second home to you, and how you have all those memories with your family there. I know the memories are special, so I went and took some pictures during summer break. I hope these help you remember all those good times.”

Derek blinked away the prickling he felt in his eyes. Stiles may have assumed he was touched by the gift, which was fine. He didn’t need to know what Derek was really feeling. He didn’t need to know that in that moment, he thought Stiles really deserved so much better than him.

“Thank you. It’s perfect,” he choked out. “I – “ He didn’t know how to continue. What else could he say? “My present isn’t –“

He stopped. Stiles looked at him expectantly. Not finding the right words, he leaned over to the coffee table and grabbed the last-minute gift bag he’d filled the day before. “Here.”

He looked away while Stiles eagerly dug into the bag. He knew what was in there, and he didn’t need to see the lackluster reaction the younger man would have at the assortment of Reese’s candies he’d find.

“Oh, this is awesome, Derek!” Stiles exclaimed excitedly. “Holy shit, there’s a half pound peanut butter cup in here! Hello, Heaven!”

Derek felt Stiles’ arms wrap around him in gratitude, but he couldn’t find it in himself to return the gesture. The younger man seemed to notice and pulled back. “Derek?”

He turned and took in Stiles’ questioning gaze. He couldn’t do this. They complemented each other so well in everything, but somehow, in this, they were completely mismatched. “Doesn’t it bother you?” he asked in earnest.

“What?”

“My gifts. Doesn’t it bother you that my gifts are so … so bad. Yours are always so … so perfect.” It felt good to get that off his chest.

Stiles gawked at him as if he was speaking a foreign language. “Huh? But I think your gifts are perfect. And that’s not a lie. You can tell, right?”

True, Derek hadn’t heard any change in the other man’s heartrate to indicate otherwise, but no one could like his choice of gifts that much. “I just ... I wanted to show you how much I appreciate you, how much I care about you, the same way to do for me, especially with the gifts you give me. But I can’t seem to do that.” This was uncharted territory for him, this admission. He wasn’t used to revealing his insecurities like this. Yet, this was Stiles he was talking to, he reminded himself. Stiles, who never had any shame in revealing his every failure and weakness, and who gave his trust without fear of being hurt. Derek owed him the same. “I found your mother’s locket,” he finally said. “The one from the album you showed me. I found it, and was going to give it to you, but I lost it when we fought that witch last week. I’m sorry.”

He stared at the coffee table. He stared at the discard wrapping paper of the collage he’d just received. He started at everything but Stiles.

And then, “That’s what you were worried about? Not being able to show me you loved me?” Stiles’ tone was incredulous, and it was enough for Derek to turn his attention to the younger man again. “You’re an idiot, Derek,” Stiles continued. “For the record, your presents are awesome. But that’s not the point. You drive three hours each way to visit me on campus every other weekend. You cook Christmas dinner for us every year. You help me pack for college each fall. You drop everything and meet me in a forest, no questions asked, when I call. You even spent all night picking zombie guts out of my hair. If that doesn’t say ‘love’, I don’t know what does!”

To put an exclamation to his point, Stiles pulled him in for a long, lingering kiss. “I love you, Derek Hale, and I know you love me. You don’t need to give me things to show me that. You show me every day in the things you do. And that’s more than enough.”

Derek looked at the man sitting beside him, stunned and at a loss. “I –“

“It’s more than enough,” Stiles re-stated firmly. “Now, stop your self-flagellation, and show me how much you appreciate my gift by kissing me.”

Stiles pulled him in again, and this time, Derek did put everything he had into that kiss because the weight of those heartfelt words were slowly sinking in. He loved Stiles. And Stiles … Stiles knew that. He groaned in appreciation at the true gift he’d been given as he pushed the younger man down onto his back, bracing his weight on his arms as he ground their hips together. Fuck it, he felt like he’d really won the lottery in finding Stiles … because Stiles was right, he realized as he deepened their kiss, tasting and teasing the smart, sarcastic, and silly man beneath him.

This … This was more than enough.

#obsessedbutonline #stereksanta20 #*fic20 #*gifts20

13 notes · View notes

trashynyland · 4 years

Text

Alright, someone asked about this and I'm here to give.

There's not much to the HermitFamilyAU. I'll try and go in order in a way from oldest to recent characters that have been created so far.

Grian, mute avian hybrid. 23 but acts like an excited 10 year old. He communicates in bird, sign language, writing and charades. Only Mumbo, Iskall and Xisuma can understand Grian's bird talk (he'll chirp, squeak screech and squawk). He's a bundle of joy, really energetic, he loves to cuddle and he's usually always happy. He'll tend to stick by Mumbo's side a lot. He has the habit of sitting on people's shoulders, it helps him with his height dysphoria, makes him feel taller which makes him happy. He loves to build with his legos since he isn't allowed out of the house unless he's with Xisuma. He was abused by his parents who cut out his vocal cords with a knife at age 9. He's lived in the hermit household for 5 years. He has a feather shedding habit which Doc despises (that's what earned Grian the name "Feathers"). Grian and Doc have a love hate relationship but mostly, Grian loves being a little shit to Doc and annoy him. Grian can easily get sent into a panic attack if someone touches his neck without permission. He has trust issues and won't let anyone he doesn't know near him.

Mumbo, human but has the power to generate Redstone dust from his hair (like King Sparklez but he can generate the dust with his hands). He's 24 and a nervous wreck. Mumbo always needs an explanation to things he doesn't understand, if he doesn't get it then he'll try and figure it out himself. He's very shy around others he doesn't know and has a horrible stuttering habit when he has to talk to people he doesn't know. He loves hanging out with Grian (his comfort buddy boyfriend) and loves to help the little avian. His legs got shattered and ripped from a piston malfunction that he was trying to fix, they had to amputate his legs from the knee down. He's got Redstone prosthetics that are powered with Redstone (made by King Diamond). He has no recollection of his past, all he knows was that he showed up on the Redstone King's doorstep at age 7 and was adopted by the king. Mumbo's father is King Redstone (or CaptainSparklez) but Mumbo lives with Xisuma since Mumbo himself isn't found of the Royal lifestyle. But he works for his father and helps around the castle from time to time. Started living with Xisuma at age 19.

Iskall, slime hybrid. He's 27 and a comedian. He acts like a crazy uncle, loves to make inappropriate jokes but also acts like the 2nd father of the house. He loves to jokes around and pull pranks. He's very kind until you hurt his family in any way. Again, acts like the second dad of the house because things can get too crazy sometimes. When he was 16, he was shit in the eye by a blast spell which caused his eye to never grow back. Instead of getting an eye patch or a regular eye prosthetic he asked Mumbo and Doc to make him some kinda cool looking eye instead. He was abandoned by his mother at age 13, was taken in by Xisuma at age 15. He has abandonment issues.

Xisuma, Archangel hybrid (four wings, halo and 6 eyes. 4 of the eyes and the halo only appear when X uses his powers. Two of the wings get hidden beneath the top two wings.). He's over 1000 years old (but 38 in human age). He absolutely loves adopting and it's his horrible bad habit. He's been banned a few times from adoption centers because the guy can't control himself. Because of this, he's been named the "Caretaker" and "Dimensional Adopter". He's a Warrior (meaning he goes out to different dimensions to help out others in corrupted dimensions) but he's also a coder and hacker. He loves his family and would do anything to protect them. He was banished to the world Palace Concy at age 17(human age) and has lived there happily ever since. In his old world, he use to live in the heavens which had thin air. Since the air is much thicker on the ground and too much for him he wears a ventilator to help him breath better. He also can't die, he can respawn which he finds unsettling. When he dies he respawns in his bed. He's a bottom, he's gotta admit that and his husband is Doc (someone he first saved when he became a Warrior). Most of his scars on his body (including his "X" scar on his face) we're given to him by Doc himself on accident. He's a dad of the hermit household.

Doc, creeper human cyborg. He's 40 years old and a cranky guy. He tends to put up a touch guy act but in reality he's just a soft teddy bear. He'll only show his true softness when alone with Xisuma or playing with the kids. He's caring but will act like he doesn't give a shit. Parents call him Soccer Mom because of how prepared he is and how much he helps his kids but also because he tends to pick fights with the entitled parents who thinks their kid(s) are better than everyone, "News flash Christian! They aren't special!". His prosthetic arm, half head and neck, part of his chest and half is heart were all designed by King Diamond and Doctor Joe Atlantic(they also got some help from Prince Stampy). In Doc's old dimension he use to be a creeper that couldn't explode (which hunters found amusing so they'd pick on Doc and give him scars, basically abuse him). One day he fell in love with his world's Cub who later ended up turning him him an and forcing him to become his science experiment. Once he was deemed useless, Cub put him up for auction which Xisuma ended up buying him and taking him home. Doc has major trust issues with everyone and still doesn't trust Xisuma's 3rd new adoption, Cub Issatic who's always on edge and thinks someone is after his blood (character Cub is still a wip so this may change later on). Doc is surprisingly actually a cuddly type of hybrid. He loves to cuddle alone with X when they get the chance. Doc's husband is Xisuma. Doc is the mom of the hermit household.

Tango, very energetic guy, he's a Telikiantors (a mythical creature created by me the artist, there's a post I made about them but to be short, they're forest creatures that are like SirenHeads but don't eat humans unless provoked by them). Tango is a hybrid version of a Teli. He's 6 years old and still waiting for his future surgery to get on his mouth tail so he can start eating from it again (in his old home it was damaged). He loves to pull all sorts of pranks and is the house's little chaotic demon. Even with no arms, he can't be stopped. He use to be owned by an old woodworker who used Tango as his personal slave. Since Tango was young at the time and didn't know any better and was a child he'd always fool around and didn't listen. This angered his old owner who cut off Tango's arms off and cut his tail mouth so he couldn't eat. Xisuma stumbled upon him one night when the Archangel got lost on a hike in the woods. X saved him and adopted him at age 3. Even though Tango went through that torture he's still bubbly and doesn't have much trama. He's more unsure about things and will asked about them.

Impulse, he's a God actually who was the son of a lightning goddess and ocean god. He's currently 5 years old. When he was born his eyes were completely gold and blue but after his mother and father forced him to use his magic he went blind. Since he was only 3 at the time his eyes were still sensitive and not use to powerful magic or anything bright. His mother was frustrated with him that he couldn't summon up lighting or water so she summoned up some lightning and struck it right in front of Impulse which caused him to go blind and his eyes to lighten up a bit. When the parents left to argue after the situation, that's when Xisuma jumped into the dimension to save Impulse and take him away. Originally his eyesight was supposed to be fixed and he was supposed to be sent back to his home world but he refused the care and refused to leave X's side. He's very scared of powers and when people raise their voices. He's shy and fragile and can easily get overwhelmed by things. He has some sensitivity issues, where when he's so overwhelmed by something he can easily fall into a panic attack. Doc, as a Christmas gift, gave him two shovels that have turned into his comfort item. They help conceal his magic so it doesn't get too out of hand when he gets overwhelmed, upset or angry. He usually sticks by his brothers Tango and Zedaph's sides but when he's not with them then he'll be hanging around his dad, mom or one of his siblings while on a child leash (he doesn't mind the leash and actually loves it since it gives him comfort. He's still not use to being blind and all).

Zedaph, he's a witch, that what everyone knows so far. He's 5 years old and has a teddy bear attitude, his personality is very fluffy and caring. He loves the world and the world loves him. In his old dimension, he was a rich witch's slave and was forced to do dirty work. His owner once had enough of him one day when he accidentally dropped her food and his owner blasted his arm off. Because of the traumatic experience, Zed prefers to keep his eyes shut in fear of having to go through something terrible and scary again. His old owner sold him off to Xisuma who took him in and adopted him. Zedaph's powers are unknown because they haven't yet activated. He's been labelled as a witch for now because of the place he came from and his low power levels. His favorite person in the world his his Uncle Stizoom because of his fluffy hair and tail. He loves to curl up in anything soft and fluffy because of how comfortable and safe it makes him feel. It's the reason why he owns a large Wooloo plushy.

Cleo, a very rare zombie eel siren. She's 31 years old and doesn't like speaking. She likes to stay mute unless talking to Xisuma or False. Nothing seemed to be wrong with her old dimension same with her except that she was always bored. Pirates and fishermen always tried to catch her and at first Cleo loved to prank them but as she got more and more bored she started letting them capture her and sell her at black markets, auctions, sold to royals. She always knew how to escape and she found it fun at first but soon grew bored of it all again. It was always the same routine. Xisuma found her while he was wondering her dimension in a black market. He asked her if she wanted to join him but of course she said nothing. Xisuma ended up buying her and bring her home with him. Cleo has never tried to leave or escape since (except to False's bedroom to sleep with her).

Ren, dog hybrid who has DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). Since he has many different identities all have different personalities (check out his character sheet for more details on all the identities). But mostly Ren is in charge and upfront to control the body, he is the main host after all. Ren is the definition of the one crazy uncle. He's comedic, crazy and loves to put a smile on others faces, he's also very playful. He can get flustered easily if someone dominates him (either in bed or at his own games like flirting). Ren and the body are about 21. In his old world he was abused a lot, mostly chained to a wall in a basement his entire life. He was abused a lot by his owner alpha and many other bad things. It's where a lot of his trama comes from. He one day ended up escaping but fell through a dimensional portal and ended up in Palace Concy. He was found in the woods passed out by Slime n Bone podcast who were taking a vacation with the Woodworks family in the Kosikians Sky (mt. DeathLoxes) mountains. He's was taken to Xisuma after the podcast group couldn't figure out how to help him since Ren wouldn't say anything and just shake in fear in the corner. He was taken in by X which Ren is very greatful for. Ren is scared of everyone since he's an omega and comes from an omegaverse, he thinks an alpha will come and hurt him again. Ren has a huge crush on Iskall and even though he knows the man likes him back he's too scared to ask him out. Ren loves to hang out with Grian, Doc and sometimes Iskall when he isn't blushing nervous. Very cool dude.

Bdubs, human but is immune to explosives but can still get stabbed. He's 19 actually and has a big habit of getting into trouble with Impulse and Tango. He works at an explosives store in town, helps out the construction crews when they need a certain area exploded and loves to volunteer at the firework stands that pop up during July 1st "Redstone Founders Day" (Bdubs favorite holiday). He's enthusiastic and doesn't mind teaching kids about explosives and safety in his spare time. He loves causing trouble when he can but he also loves helping out others with decorating. He's got a side job he's made "Bdubs Interior Design" and usually many people hire him for help. He use to live in a HermitCraft world when he decided to leave one year and stubbled upon an Earth dimension which he was then used as a bomber during the everlasting wars that were going on. He was one day capture and take to Palace Concy by Lunch Army and was then later adopted by X. During his time on the Earth War he gained black smudge on his face that X has found won't come off so it's become part of Bdubs skin basically. Some have called him blackface and think that he's being racist but he's not. He's just got some black smudge on his face that is unremovable. He's bubble and loves to make others smile when having a bad day. He doesn't really have any trama except for being weary of portals. He's got a crush on Keralis but won't admit it.

Keralis, human. He's 18 (looks 16) and a punk. He's mean and bitchy to everyone and doesn't let a single soul through his walls (he doesn't let others see his emotions and what he's really feeling). He love to break the law and pick fights. He works with "Brtakis Construction Company" which causes him to travel from home a lot. He's very strong and can pack a punch. He's a warrior so that's why he's got his own special weapon, he's not allowed on any dimensional missions but he's allowed to kill Alumas (soul takers) when they show up. In his old dimension he was a homeless immigrant who lived on the streets of New York (where he earned his punk attitude). He was saved by Xisuma one night when he was about to get killed by a gang group, almost got shot in the head. X had offered him a home but Keralis denied his offer. It took 5 years of constant saves and denied offers until one year he almost committed suicide he finally opened up to X and accepted his offer with a wailing sob. He still keeps his punk attitude because he grew up with it but also because he finds it cool. He also kept it because of Doc, Keralis wants to be just like the guy. All smug and strong. Doc is the person he looks up to, his idol in a way. His trama? He gets scared and panicked when left alone and he can't go near any big cities that are similar to New York.

Wels, avian hybrid mixed with an angel hybrid. He owns a halo that's cracked and shattered but only appears when he's angry. He's got beautiful golden wings that goes along with his ruby red hair. He's 15 but a secret Drag Queen at night. He loves to entertain people and put on a show, show off what he can do. He loves the stage and to him it's his home and life. (Idk how to explain it but he's just like the YouTube Wels but gay). He owns two Drag Personas, Cherry Rider who's his usual sona he dresses as who can be a wild ride. Cherry is an encouraging fool that will try and help anyone build up their confidence to do anything that their heart desires to do. His other persona is HelsKnight, Hels is a naughty bad fool who, for Wels is his way of getting his anger out in style and in a safe way. He'll preform and have a happy attitude when Cherry but have a dark and naughty~ attitude when being Hels. Because of X's worry, Wels has paired up with Doc on the weekends to do drag but pairs up with Skeppy during the weekdays for drag. Since he's young he still needs parental vision. Not much about his past except for being an orphan all his life and getting bullied at school and at his orphanage for being gay and loving to cross dress. When Xisuma adopted him, Wels hid his love for drag which ended up causing problems because when Cherry Rider first appeared on TV Xisuma fell in love for her and was horrified when he found out the drag person character was his son. After a bit of awkward talking and drag performances from Doc for X, Xisuma got over his silly love crush for Cherry and told Wels that he accepts who he is and will always love him as family. Xisuma told him that it would just be a bit awkward for awhile because X still had to get over the fact that his favorite drag queen he had a crush on was actually his adopted son. Doc helped both X and Wels after the reveal. Wels grew more confident and stopped hiding his drag cross dressing side (while his father Xisuma got over his crush and dropped it entirely but he ended up crushing on Wels' drag performance partner Skeppy). Wels still has a small fear of being himself in front of others but has overcome most of that fear because he knows his family has got his back (especially his over protective Dadsuma who would kill anyone who hurts his family and his Docmom who will murder any parents that talk his son down, "I'm lookin at you Rebecca! Your daughter is a lesbian and will never be straight you blind fu-"). Wels has a small crush on Biffa (an orphan friend of his that lives on the other side of the world (Biffa is still being developed) who Xisuma is thinking about adopting.

Jevin, rare blue slime hybrid. He's 1 year old and there's not much to him. He's a happy a baby who has a weird love obsession life with the Jello food. Iskall loves to take that and tease his baby brother with it (like stabbing his lil brother's jello in front of him and watching him cry about it, Iskall just finds Jevins whole Jello obsession hilarious). Xisuma actually found Jevin in a basket by his tracker right before he was about to work on his farm fields. Jevin will usually be hanging out with Iskall since he's also a slime and the hybrid connection helps them work better with each other. But also since Xisuma and Doc have no idea how to take care of a slime hybrid since they're hard to come by in Concy and there's not many books about them, so the two husbands let nature take it's course with Iskall since it looks like he knows what he's doing.

NPC Grian or Rustie, he's a demon but apparently can change into a robot? He's an interesting type. He's 25 and a cheerful man. He works in architecture, both with planning out the building and how it will look along with the construction. He also works at a bookstore named "BookRook". He's sweet and kind but will snap your neck in you make him angry, a smile with a dark atmosphere like aph Russia. He loves his kids but if he finds Grain making anY MORE ROBOTS THEN HE'S GOING TO-. He love to volunteer for events and he loves his husband Zoom. He was found by Zoom in his old dimension where Rustie was still locked and hibernating in his closet. He would have taken his robot brother with him but Robot Grian was in horrible condition and... dead so there was no use of him. Rustie owns a nice little rustic cabin in the woods beside a like with a great view. He and Zoom built the house and nother are proud of their work and family.

Evil Xisuma or Stizoom(Zoom), a Strider hybrid but fluffier. He's 27 and has a very gentle heart. He loves nature with a passion and Rustie tends to find him curdle up in his flower beds quite often. He likes to bird watch and plant flowers. He's a five star chief for "Blossburgi Restaurant" and a karate teacher for "Hightri's Karate". He hates the cold and loves to cuddle up with Rustie during the cold seasons and Rustie finds it adorable. Luckily, the two own a nearby hot springs so when things get to cold, Zoom will go hang out in the hot springs for awhile. He loves animals, all kinds. In his old dimension he was always forced to be near creatures and he always hated the small to so little space he always got. Xisuma found him and took him in for all awhile until Zoom found and fell in love with Rustie. His husband is Rustie and they both love each other very much. Very cute :3.

HermitPets, they're more used and made for a different AU of mine but in HermitFamily they're more background characters for sorts. Not much.

HermitFamily house, huge house I mean huge. It's a mansion that's up in the Stonety Mts. It sits in a large valley surrounded by mountains. The valley is actually a farm the the hermit house owns. They grow crops and sell it the small nearby town they live by named "Vellenture". Their house, in the back has a large poor (more of a lake and it's for Cleo) but it attaches to a nearby forest. The house itself, on the outside is a creamy white and on the inside, many colors. (I'll have to draw it out for a better explanation but basically the house looks like Grian's mansion but a creamy white and rustic grey.

#hermitfamilyau #hermitfamily #hc abouts

39 notes · View notes

battlestory · 4 years

Photo

TARO YAMAMOTO, also known as Japan's Bernie Sanders, turned from an actor to a politician and recently created a new party for the leftist populism, "Reiwa Shinsengumi." At the end of September, Jonathan Soble, a former New York Times journalist, flew to Hokkaido following Yamamoto, who started a tour around Japan.

On a bright, unseasonably warm fall afternoon in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, a man in a black motorcycle jacket was apologetically ringing strangers’ doorbells. Shitsurei shimasu—sorry to bother you. I’m Taro Yamamoto. Yamamoto, 44, is fit, youthful-looking, and possessed of mysterious reserves of energy. He walks fast. He talks in often emotion-laden torrents, especially about the subjects he is passionate about—nuclear power, poverty, and the state of Japanese politics, which is, in his view, terrible.

Yamamoto was a popular actor before he began speaking his mind, in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear meltdowns in 2011. Many of his views are controversial—he once called Japan a “terrorist state” for its flawed handling of the nuclear accident—though in Asahikawa that didn’t seem to matter much. Drivers who spotted him lingered at intersections to snap pictures with their phones. Homeowners, at least those who were around in the middle of a weekday, broke into smiles at the celebrity encounter.

Yamamoto was in Hokkaido drumming up support for a new political party, the leftist, populist Reiwa Shinsengumi. He founded the party in April, near the end of a six-year term in the upper house of Japan’s parliament, to which he was elected as an independent in 2013. In the latest upper house contest in July, Reiwa candidates secured two seats, but Yamamoto himself failed to win re-election. Although he is no longer in parliament, he remains the party’s leader, spokesman and all-around center of gravity.

Reiwa has big ambitions. Yamamoto wants to field 100 candidates in the next general election, which will take place in 2021 at the latest, but could happen sooner. That would be ten times the number of candidates the party fielded in July. Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the conservative Liberal Democrats, long the dominant force in Japanese politics, have been enjoying a period of renewed vigor. Abe recently became Japan’s longest-serving postwar leader. The opposition is weak and fractured. Reiwa, Yamamoto and his supporters say, could deliver a shot in the arm to Japan’s beleaguered left. Critics argue it will simply deepen the disarray.

Whatever happens, Reiwa promises to be a kind of litmus test for Japan. At a time when anti-establishment insurgencies are on the march worldwide, forming governments from the United States to Europe to Asia, Japan has remained largely immune to the temptations of populism. Young people, in particular, seem content to leave things to Abe, the scion of a three-generation political dynasty, and his über-establishment LDP. To make headway, Yamamoto will have to prove two things: first, that after years as a sometimes theatrical one-man critic of the government, he can build and manage a political organization. And second, that Japan is sufficiently fertile ground for his people-versus-the-powerful message.

So far, Yamamoto has attacked the challenge with his most conspicuous assets: charisma and boundless energy. In Asahikawa, he hustled from house to house, shaking hands and appealing for support—and for wall space on which to paste Reiwa’s bright pink campaign posters. Reiwa has raised a little over 400 million yen from individual donors, and its showing in the July election ensured it will receive government subsidies as an officially recognized political party. But it is poor compared to its rivals. The posters, put up by squads of volunteers, are central to its PR strategy. “It’s the cheapest, most visible advertising,” Yamamoto says. “You have to win with the tools you have.”

Yamamoto was born in Takarazuka, in Hyogo Prefecture. His father died when he was just a year old, and he and his two older sisters were raised by his mother, who sold Persian rugs to support the family. By his own admission, he was an unruly child. “I could never sit still, I was a bit A.D.D.,” he says. “If something happened at school, I was the first one to be blamed. Eight out of 10 times, I deserved it.”

His family was Catholic, and for a while in the fifth and sixth grades he spent a lot of time at church. “For me it was a safe place, a way to get away from home.” He clashed frequently with his mother, who struggled to control him. “The priest was young, he put up with me. When it was time for dinner and I was still there, he’d cook for both of us—there wasn’t much choice. It was a small church, so often it was just the two of us.” He says he has never been especially religious, but these days he is more attracted to Buddhism, with its notion of endlessly repeating death and rebirth.

Yamamoto’s irrepressible energy made him famous as a teenager. On YouTube, you can still find clips of him capering in a red Speedo and yellow swim cap, on Beat Takeshi’s variety show Tensai Takeshi no genki ga deru terebi. His comical dance steps and faux-bodybuilder poses are simultaneously manic, graceful and mesmerizing. By 16, he had dropped out of school and was pursuing a career in entertainment. He was a mover more than a talker but, defying expectations, he soon began landing acting roles in television dramas and films, often playing tough-yet-good-hearted supporting characters. Before long he was an established star.

“I’ve become a kind of object lesson for entertainers—if you say something political, you’ll end up like that guy,” he says of the swerve his career took after Fukushima. “In the end, you’ll have no choice but to go into politics.”

In Japan more than in the United States or Europe, talking politics is a good way to wreck a show business career. Why Yamamoto, and not other celebrities, broke the industry’s taboo against controversy after Fukushima is hard to say. He claims he had little interest in politics before 2011. He had taken up surfing a few years earlier, and was curious enough about environmental causes to search for information online. When a massive tsunami knocked out power at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, he remembered a warning he’d seen, issued by Greenpeace, about the possible consequences—the meltdowns that ultimately split open the facility’s reactors and released their radioactive contents. In Tokyo, he watched like millions of others as the disaster unfolded on television. When rumors circulated that major companies were preparing to pull staff out of the city, he concluded that the government and the plant’s owner, Tokyo Electric Power, were keeping vital information from the public. Soon, he found himself expressing this belief on Twitter, and then in media interviews. By the time he decided to run for political office, in 2012, his acting work had all but dried up. (He blames nervous producers and corporate sponsors.) His first election campaign, for the lower house in 2012, failed, but he won a seat in the upper chamber in 2013.

“I don’t think I’ve ever done anything in a calculated way in my life,” he says, explaining his transformation as a series of small, mostly impulsive steps. “If I have any kind of plan now, it’s just to take political power. That’s it.”

Yamamoto found life as a legislator frustrating. His efforts to get Japan to abandon nuclear energy went nowhere. (Despite growing signs of climate change and its dangers, he still believes nuclear power to be a greater threat than fossil fuels.) Other opposition parties didn’t know what to make of him. Although he shared many policy positions with the established left—against free trade or a stronger military, for instance—his tactics were splashier and more confrontational. He sparked an outcry when, at a garden party in 2013, he handed Emperor Akihito a letter denouncing the government’s handling of the Fukushima accident. The act flouted both protocol and the constitutional divide between the emperor and politics.

“At the time I felt I had no choice,” Yamamoto’s says. “If I could go back in time, with the benefit of six years of experience, I probably would have found a different approach.”

Yamamoto’s personal life also took unexpected turns. He married a professional surfer in 2011, just as his anti-nuclear activism was blossoming, but the relationship ended in divorce three months later. He has not remarried, but he has one child, whom he is careful to keep out of the public eye.

In 2014, Yamamoto formed an alliance with the veteran political strategist Ichiro Ozawa, eventually joining Ozawa’s Liberal Party (now part of the Democratic Party for the People). The experience served as a kind of apprenticeship in the collective, organized politics that Yamamoto had until then avoided. He broadened the range of his concerns, taking a particular interest in economics. He read up on technical subjects like modern monetary theory—essentially, the idea that governments can pay for public services by printing money rather than levying taxes. He mastered statistics on poverty rates and suicide. One of his go-to lines became, “We have to stop being a society where people want to die.”

In attention-grabbing orations in parliament and at political demonstrations, he mixed indignation with wonky detail. His main target was Prime Minister Abe and the LDP, but there was a broader sweep to his indictments, which took in corporations, the bureaucracy and the media. In his telling, the elite’s inability to improve the lives of average Japanese was not just a failure, it was something closer to a conspiracy. “The more that people have to focus on the day-to-day just to get by,” he says, “the easier they are to control.”

@ gqjapan.jp

#battle royale #batoru rowaiaru #japanese actors #asian cinema #japanese politics #politics #taro yamamoto #yamamoto taro #shogo kawada #kawada shogo #cast #interview

17 notes · View notes

galleryofunknowns · 4 years

Photo

Unknown Artist, 'Portrait of a Man', oil on canvas, late 1700s, American?, currently in the collection of the Museo Nacional Thyssen Bornemisza, Madrid, Spain.

The portrait, formerly attributed to Gilbert Stuart (b.1755 - d.1828), was previously thought to be of Hercules Posey (b.1748 - d.1812), an enslaved cook in the employ of George Washington. Below the cut is an edited version of of a Philadelphia Inquirer article written March, 2019, on the life of Hercules and the research undertaken in the portrait.

“This is very different from how Stuart would have done it,” said Dorinda Evans, a Gilbert Stuart scholar and professor emerita at Emory University, who was certain that both the painter and subject had been misidentified.

The other scholars, curators, and conservators appeared unanimous. But there was one more blockbuster twist. The hat, perceived to be a chef’s toque for as long as the painting has been known to modern viewers, was in fact not a cook’s hat at all, Evans said, but a Caribbean headdress similar to one worn by free Dominicans in the West Indies depicted in paintings by the Italian artist Agostino Brunias.

The experts’ verdict: The painting is genuine to the late 1700s, and the unknown subject was a person of noble importance. But it wasn’t painted by Stuart. And the subject wasn’t even a chef — definitively ruling out Hercules and setting in motion a cascade of implications for historians at a moment when interest in him and others enslaved by the Washingtons remains high.

In fact, the conclusions of this meeting of experts, conducted in private two years ago but made public only now, helped spur a researcher last month to discover what might in fact be a record of the elusive chef’s burial place.

That chef just wasn’t the man in this painting.

“No American cook in the colonies dressed like that,” said Evans, noting that the now-familiar chef’s toque did not appear until the 1820s. “It’s a fantasized image of what people want, because people want to have an image of Hercules. And people see the things they want to see.”

The painting, long held as a potential key to the chef’s story, turned out to be a false clue, another myth in a Washington universe full of them, “like the cherry tree and the wooden teeth,” said Mount Vernon senior curator Susan P. Schoelwer, who coordinated the study day along with associate curator Jessie MacLeod.

“There is a real possibility of a sense of loss there. It’s such a powerful portrait,” she said. “There is a real hunger for a dignified portrait of an enslaved person we can identify with as an individual. But when I weigh that against something that … really isn’t what it was supposed to be, I’m always going to opt for being a seeker after truth.”

Hercules the man was very real. He was sold to George Washington as a teenage “ferryman” in 1767 by a neighbor, John Posey, as payment for a debt. And his labors for the Washingtons were well-documented at Mount Vernon and in Philadelphia, where he was renowned for the feasts he cooked at the President’s House between 1790 and 1796. He escaped from Mount Vernon in 1797 — on George Washington’s birthday — and was never captured.

These facts, drawn from house accounts, farm logs, letters, and reminiscences, have fashioned the chef as a hero whose culinary talents earned him special privileges from the Washingtons and an income from selling kitchen scraps that afforded him a notable sartorial style. He was recalled by Washington’s stepgrandson, George Washington Parke Custis, as a “great master-spirit” in the kitchen who, after the meal, would don fine black silks and a gold-headed cane for evening promenades down High Street.

Though he was dressed stylishly, walking the streets of an abolitionist-minded city known as a haven for free blacks, Hercules was still an enslaved man — and he was eventually left in Virginia and set to hard plantation labor.

What became of Hercules after his dash for freedom has long remained a mystery. This painting, now owned by the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, was long thought to be a clue.

But fundamental questions about the painting’s relationship to Hercules persisted. They were definitively dispelled in the ultraviolet light of the private study day two years ago when the painting was removed from the walls of Mount Vernon after an exhibition in preparation to be returned to Spain. Paloma Alarcó, the Thyssen-Bornemisza curator who attended, agreed to the examination (and my attendance) under the condition its results not be made public until the museum could conduct its own follow-up studies.

She said that time has now come; the museum has hit a dead end: “We are blind, we must confess. … Maybe we will never know who this guy is.”

This is hardly the first old painting to be misidentified in the often shadowy world of art collecting. Its identification as Washington’s cook was likely added in the mid-20th century to increase the value on a work already misidentified earlier in the century as by Stuart, who famously painted the president in 1796. It remained in private hands and largely unstudied by scholars until it was sold in 1983 to Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza, whose massive collection became the museum, which simply cataloged its previously ascribed provenance as the painting arrived.

But Hercules, as one of the most visible individuals enslaved during that era, in part due to this image, carries extra cultural significance because of the growing dialogue about the founding fathers and their troubling involvement with slavery. And as I shared news of the painting’s removal from the record, it brought a mix of disappointment and resignation.

“Although we always questioned it, it’s kind of devastating to find out it’s not him,” said Erica Armstrong Dunbar, a professor of history at Rutgers University whose book, Never Caught (Atria, 2017), documents the escape of Ona Judge from the President’s House in Philadelphia, where she was enslaved alongside Hercules and seven others. “We don’t have any other such portraits of the enslaved who lived at Mount Vernon.”

On Dec. 15, 1801, Martha Washington wrote to Richard Varick, the mayor of New York City, to thank him for looking into the whereabouts of “my Old Cook Hercules. … I have been so fortunate as to engage a white cook who answers very well. I have thought about it therefore better to decline taking Hercules back.”

What Martha Washington did not mention was that she had already freed her husband’s slaves in January of that year, acting early upon a wish from George’s will with an emancipation that also applied to Hercules.

That New York correspondence has long been the last known clue to Hercules’ fate. And it’s a thread that Ganeshram and Sara Krasne, a colleague at the Westport Historical Society where the novelist is executive director, began to pursue in February with a startling new discovery — a New York City death notice that just might be him.

They looked back to John Posey, Hercules’ previous owner, for more clues. They found one. Krasne uncovered the burial record for Hercules Posey, a Virginia native born in 1748 who was listed in the 1812 city directory as a laborer who lived at 33 Orange St. and who died of consumption on May 15, 1812. He was buried at the Second African Burying Ground in Lower Manhattan — a grave that Ganeshram believes is still under the Christie Street sidewalk on the Lower East Side.

“What are the odds with all these factors — being named Hercules and Posey, being black from Virginia and more or less the same age — of it not being him?” Ganeshram said. “People chose to believe the painting was him [despite all the doubts]. I think this evidence is much stronger.”

A pair of historians agreed.

“She may really be onto something,” said Mary V. Thompson, the Mount Vernon research historian who is soon set to publish her own book on slavery at Mount Vernon. “The name, age, and birthplace information are really compelling.”

“[They] may have found the needle in the haystack,” Dunbar, the Rutgers professor and author, concurred. “I would feel totally comfortable speculating that it was him.”

And so, 222 years after Hercules’ daring escape, the great chef may have been found.

“The portrait was not Hercules, but look what popped up instead,” Dunbar said. “He’s totally not trying to go away — he wants you to know.”

“To think he was right there, and may still be, gives me chills,” Ganeshram said. “Hercules is bigger than the painting, and he always has been.”

LaBan, Craig (2019, March 1). 'George Washington's enslaved chef, who cooked in Philadelphia, disappears from painting, but may have reappeared in New York', Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved from https://www.inquirer.com/food/craig-laban/george-washington-slave-chef-cook-hercules-gilbert-stuart-painting-wrong-20190301.html.

#unknown artist #unknown sitter #hercules posey #george washington #martha washington #museo nacional thyssen bornemisza #oil on canvas #1700s #american #gilbert stuart #madrid #black artistry

34 notes · View notes

maggyme13 · 4 years

Text

Sugar (11/?)

AN: In the next couple of chapters we will enter a bit of SOns of Anarchy territory.

THANK YOU to all those lovely readers that reblogged and let me know what they thought^^

Masterlist

Sugar- Masterlist

Part 10

„Let´s see what he wants.“, you told Bucky. Your car door was already open.

“Try to get his name. I can send it to NY and get Info on him. I have the feeling there is more behind his visit than he will tell us.”, he answered and you nodded. You had the same feeling.

“As I told you before Mrs Lowman, we offer you fifty thousand and paying of the mortgage fees. This is more than you will get when the bank sells it. That would be nothing. In the case you sell it to us, you we will give you enough time to pack your things and find a good retirement home. And later your Children won´t need to pay of your dept in the hopefully far future.”, you heard the stranger explain to your mother, using a very sweet and fake politeness.

You did not like him.

Wait what?

“Asd I told you before: I will not sell. This is my house and one day I will die in it.”, your Mother answered stubbornly and with determination in her voice.

“Mrs-”

“Ma, we are back. You alright?”, you interrupted the man, stepping right between him and your mother.

“Yes, no worries. What about you? Were you sufficient?”, she smiled and the two of you stepped inside the home.

“Me too. Your son will call his friend and tell him to look for another place to stay. We brought cakes from the bakery you love so much. Ms Muller sends her best wishes.”

“Oh how nice of her. I was already making some tee and coffee. Bucky, be so kind and close the door please. These winds are not good for my old bones. Thank you dear.”

“Sir.”, was the last thing you heard before the closing of the door.

“What just happened is not of your or your brothers concern. Understood?”, your mothers words were final and you knew there was no way to get something out of her if she did not want to speak about it.

“Fine. I know there is not way to get you to speak. So let´s eat cake and forget the whole incident.”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“Heimdal, this is (y/n). Can you research something for me?”, you spoke into the receiver of your phone.

Loki had after all once told you to ask him if you needed any information.

“Of course Ms (y/n). Does it happen to do with your mothers house?”, the secretary asked, and you once again wondered how he knew what he did, “Mr Laufeyson had asked me to keep an eye on it and declare interest should it ever be foreclosed.”

“Okay. Did you find out about it during the background-check on me?”

“We did, indeed. So what can I do for you.”, his voice was warm.

“How much dies the bank demand and can you get information on an August Marks? He offered My ma money and something feels off about him.”

“The bank demands 75 000 Dollars for the once it will be sold. This will be in three days if my information is right. May I also inform you that Mr Laufeyson already green-lighted this endeavor, so you have all the money you need to your disposal.”

“He already did? Is it possible then, that you buy it for me, please? And to let them know not to let the other interested know about it?”, you hummed; not comfortable about the fact that Loki had already put everything in motion, but grateful.

“Of course Ms (y/n). I will buy the house in your name; you will only have to sign the papers, but I can arrange that to happen online. I will call you once I have any other information you asked for. Have a great evening.”.

The two of you said your goodbyes and the call ended with a lot of weight lifted from your chest. Your mother would not lose her home.

“Are you going to tell your Ma?”, Bucky had joined you on the terrace in the back garden.

“And get my ass whooped? No thank you. I will tell her once it is done and she needs to know. I have to tell my brother though. Sigh”, You groaned.

With the head on the top of the table, you dialed your brothers number.

“What?”, the man in question answered your call.

“Ma´s going to loose her house.”, there was no intention of you to even try to be polite.

“You kidding?”

“A man was offering to buy it when we returned. She is behind on her payments and the house will be sold in three days for 75k.”, you informed him further.

“Fuck. I have 10k most. Need to ask the club.”, he mumbled into the form and you could see him scratching is head in frustration.

“No need. I already called work. They are going to give me the money and I will pay it back with my paychecks. I just wanted to inform you about that and that the man felt off.”

“You gotta let Ma living there?”. Of course he ignored the fact you were worried about that man.

“Rent free; just like we did until we moved out. This way she can´t argue.”

“Good. Now, what guy?”

“A man of the name of August Marks. He seemed polite, and fake. Like there was a specific reason to buy the house. And it can´t be the location. A man dressed like that, does not buy a house in this neighborhood. Hap-”, you frowned and sat up right alarmed, “are you growling? Why are you sounding like an angry Bumblebee?”

“Big, short hair, Black, expensive suit?”, he finally asked.

“Yes. Why?”

“Not of your concern.”

“Happy, do you know this man because of your Job ?” , you breathed into the phone, but you got no answer.

“I take that as a yes. Do I need to get Ma somewhere else?”

“No.”

“Okay, I trust you because unlike me, you love Ma and don´t want to see her dead. I am calling you when the house is mine.”

“Good.” Klick

Asshole

“Do I need to call the Boss and get Sam and maybe some more down here?”, your bodyguard asked, worry in his voice.

“The night will tell. If Bikers show up. Yes. If not, then no.”, you answered him honesty.

“Makes sense.”, the man admitted, “I will stay up tonight and keep an eye out for anyone. No arguments. It is my job as your bodyguard and friend. And I have Bumble to keep me company.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

No bikers came the following night or day and so you believed that it all was as coincidence. Maybe Heimdal will find out more soon.

It was midday of the day you would be a newly made house owner when a knock sounded from the front-door and Bumble started barking.

It was Marks.

“Mrs Lowman, do you take our offer or not?”, he greeted your mother.

“We are not going to sell.”, she answered, but sadness was in her voice. She knew the bank would be selling her house this day. You had noticed her being quieter than usual the last two days.

“I am sorry to hear that. But you leave me choice now.”, he answered and at once reached into his jacket to- receive his mobile phone.

For a split second though, you had to admit, the thought of him pulling out a gun crossed your mind.

“This is August Marks of Pope Enterprise. I am calling to buy the house under the Number 666Ac. I will wait, thank you.”

A smirk threatened to spread over your face.

“What do you mean it is already sold. I INFORMED you last Month on my intentions to buy this object.- Yes, please give me the number of the buyer. Who was it you said?- Asgard, in the name of (y/n)(y/ln). Thank you and good bye.”, breathing in a few times to calm down, you saw him dialing the number you had given the bank for exactly this reason.

It only took a few seconds for his call to connect and your phone to ring. A look of confusion entered his face, that turned into disbelief and anger real quick when you answered with, “I am not going to sell. Have a nice day. Now, please leave my property or I will have to call the cops and my attorney for trespassing.”, in the sweetest and most innocent customer-service voice you were able to muster.

Huffing and with angry strides, he finally left and drove of in his expensive car.

You laughed. Until a smack on the back on your head shut you up.

“MA!”, you whined.

“I can´t remember asking for help.”, your mother scolded you.

“You didn´t. Does not change the fact that I did.”, you huffed.

“How much dept are you in now?”

“None. My boss payed for it and take the money from my paychecks every month.”, you explained, “So don´t worry, Ma.”

“Why?”

“Because you sacrificed everything to make sure Happy and I can have an almost normal childhood. I am just paying it back, so no more arguments.”, you hugged your mother with tears in your eyes.

“Thank you. I will make you your favorite cake. No Arguments”

And with this declaration, your mother ended the hug and disappeared into the kitchen where you immediately heard the clinking of bowls.

Keeping your promise, you called your brother:

“Your house now?”

“Yes, and Mr Marks was not happy about hearing it and that I do not intent to sell it ever.”, you hummed, still amused about the look the man had.

“Ya told him?”, your brother asked, almost getting pissed.

“Kind of, he came to make Ma a last offer. When she declined he called the bank to buy it in front of her face. Did not work out like he thought and when he called the new owner, me, he had no other choice than leaving in a sour mood.”

“Pack Ma´s things, you are going to spend Christmas in Charming. You have three hours.”, and with that the call ended, again.

“I swear, if he puts us into lockdown, I am leaving and telling Ma exactly why.”, you growled into the air before calling out to your Mother, “MA. Happy invited us to spend Christmas in Charming with him. And he won´t accept a no!”

“Jesus. What did my Son get himself into now.”,you heard her curse as an aswer.

Part 12

AN 2.0. Will she be locked up? and what will happen once she enters charming?

REBLOGS and comments are appreciated:)

Thank you very much.

~MaggY

Taglists:

Permanent:

@jadepc@pacifyhxlsey @thankyoukarenclifford

@thankyouforanonymity @punkrockhufflefluff

@scarletraine @buckycaptspideypool @markusstraya @graveyard-groupie @markusstrayya @randomgirlkensy @the-soulofdevil

@marshyrebelcloud

MCU:

@yknott81 @banner-and-bucky-are-life @forext20 @dyanlzbb @so-finster-die-nacht @emmii4 @bitchwhytho @ladyofmyst @jilldsumner @momc95 @appreciating-fanfics

Sugar:

@bits-and-bobs-and-kawaii-stuffs @mimmie666 @fullranchwolfoperator

@cluelessnitwhit @youknowitsclouds @his-paradox @purplerainharry

@spootgaai2000 @iamsuperjenna @nikkipea @alexakeyloveloki @timelordy-fangirl2 @girrafeeeeeee @emilyjane44x

I couldnt tag a few of you… sorry.

Want to get tagged as well? Comment, Reblog or send an ask to let me know.

#sugardaddy Loki #sugardaddy loki x reader #Loki x reader #Reader insert #mcu au #sugardaddy!au #Sons of anarchy

36 notes · View notes

lunadensmidnightprowl · 3 years

Text

Let Trouble Lie - CH 2

𝕚 𝐃Ø𝔫'ⓣ ςＡ𝐫€ 𝐖𝕙αⓉ ЎσǗ Ŝᗩㄚ ᗩภⓨ𝕄ｏ𝕣є 𝕋Ｈ𝐈s 𝒾Ｓ爪Ў 𝐋ᶤ𝔽𝕖

✣●✣

My name is Mikaela, Mikaela Misjinx. And yes, if you've figured it out by now, I am also Thinaire. It sounds cool right? Being able to turn invisible at the drop of a hat? Well, it's not. I'm cursed.

Maybe it would make more sense if I start from the beginning...

My family was small, just me, my mother, and my father, living on the outskirts of the city, doing anything we could to survive. Sure, things were pretty bad now that I reflect on it, but it was happy. I was 7 years old when the incident happened, a day were I was just grumpy and angry with everything, recently ticked off because it started to feel like my parents were smothering me. Taking a walk by myself, I met a creepy old man coming out of woods, asking what I wanted the most, and what did I tell him? I wished that I could become invisible.

That man was gone by the time I turned back and it seemed like the encounter never happened, so I went on back to where my family was camping for the night. Only when I got there, calling out to my parents, they didn't respond. Inside our little shelter lay their bodies, as if someone had just sucked their very souls from them. "Maybe it's all a joke?" I had thought. Begging and pleading for them to get up and talk to me, they never did because there was no pulse, they were dead.

At that moment I was so distraught that I hoped I would vanish right there, and I did. I felt that something was different before I saw it. Raising my hand to wave in front of my face, I saw nothing there but felt the air shift. The rest of my body was the same, sightless but still retaining feeling. I scuffled my feet, trying to raise dust and move the dirt, it worked, I was only invisible it seemed.

That was not what I meant! I didn't actually want to be invisible! Just for my parents to lay off the extra attention and let me live the most of my life. At that moment, I wished hard to be seen again, that I wouldn't be invisible anymore. That same weird feeling happened again, when I opened my eyes I was back to being visible.

"This is trippy," my mind said. Once more I wished to be invisible, not even bothering to close my eyes this time as I watched myself fade away. On and off I went, flipping like a lightswitch as I went between being seen and not. It was all too weird, too specific, something like this didn't just happen, there was always a cause.

For awhile I thought, trying to figure out how I had gained such an ability not long after my parents had died. What drew my attention was my encounter with that weird old man, he had asked what I wished for, then not much later it had happened. But it wasn't really lucky that it did, there was a consequence, the death of two people had resulted from that wish. It all clicked together. When I had made it, my parents had become some sort of a sacrifice for the ability, it wasn't a free wish, it was more of a curse brought onto myself.

I had to live with the knowledge that I had killed my parents, though unintentionally so I wasn't all to blame, if anything it had been that man. The curse hung over me, sobering me up so I could prepare to take care of myself.

For the next several years of my life after that one day when I was that 7 year old girl, I resulted to stealing just to stay alive. Robbing places during akuma attacks when they started happening frequently brought in enough income to get me a more permanent shelter and food enough to live. I never took more than what I needed and just a little extra to keep for longer stretches between attacks, trying to keep things as painless as possible for the store owners.

Lenny, or as I had called him when I was younger, Mr. Money Man was my pawn shop guy, never questioning how I acquired things and just handed over a reasonable amount of money for whatever I brought. He knew I was Thinaire, but never sold me out, he knew what I was going through and decided to not give me anymore trouble. Lenny was the closest thing to being my family.

Now having Ladybug and Chat Noir on my trail was not good, but I had to keep going. If I didn't pilfer when I got the opportunity, things would go downhill fast for me. I didn't bring in enough to buy a phone, or any other device, so I sometimes used the public computers in the library to check for news, especially when it came to me.

Apparently the hero duo had made an announcement over the website, the Ladyblog, that they were working on something else besides fighting the akumas. They said that there was a thief, some kind of burglar, that went by the name of Thinaire and was seen only during akuma attacks. If anyone knew anything about Thinaire, motive, location, anything at all, were advised to set up a meeting with the bug and cat through the Ladyblog.

There were many comments on that announcement, most of them were theories and rumors about Thinaire, some simply outlandish. One said they was working for Hawk Moth based on their appearances, another said they were positive that Thinaire lived in the sewers.

I huffed at all of them, not one was remotely true in the slightest.

✣●✣

"Ya better be careful hun," Lenny murmured to me when it was just us left in the pawn shop, "If ya not, dem heroes are gonna catch ya."

"Believe me, I'm trying," I muttered back, heaving the rest of the load of stolen jewelry from the recent akuma onto the counter.

"Start trying harder, dat one little mistake gotcha name all over da net. People are and will be scouting for ya all da time during attacks," Lenny held up one of the bracelets, eyeing it with his little magnifying glass. "Well ain't this one just a beaut, surprised they made it so easy for ya to get it."

I rolled my eyes, "None of it's easy to get these days."

He shook his head, "Miky, ya just got to power through all dis media stuff, lay low and people'll forgetta boutchu. Maybe lay off da next attack?"

Pressing my hands flat against the glass countertop I leaned forward, almost growling, "I can't damn well do that, now can I? You of all people should know that."

"It was just a suggestion," Lenny said, inspecting the next piece, "Keep going out when people are hunting you is risky is what I'm saying.

Sighing, I leaned up against the countertop, occasionally looking at the items on display under the glass. "I'll take my chances. Pretty much the least I can do after that incident."

The man nodded in silent understanding, not wanting the emotional outlash if he mentioned anything specific about that incident. He just went about his business in silence, moving quickly so I could go home.

"Here ya are," he slid the stack of bills across the counter to me, putting away the jewelry, "Take care of ya self Mikaela. No doubt I'll be seeing ya soon."

"Thanks Lenny," I said, a small smile on my face, "You probably will." With the money in the backpack hanging from my shoulders, I stepped out of the pawn shop into the cool night air, walking down the sidewalk back to my small place.

✣●✣

There's only so much I can afford with what I do, therefore my apartment was really small, on the edge of a somewhat good neighborhood and a somewhat dingy one. You had to be careful in the area at night, always alert for someone intent on causing harm, but I didn't worry. I knew I was light on my feet and evasive, able to escape almost anybody's clutches if it came to it.

I went up the steps at the front of the apartment building and down the hall to the left of the lobby. Tarnished metal letters and numbers for apartment 2D were nailed to the door above the peephole, the plain white door hosting several scuff marks. Putting my key in the lock, I opened the door and walked into the room with green threadbare carpet, being greeted by my cat.

The building had no rules against pets, the owners didn't seem to care as long as the rent was paid on time, so I had adopted the stray I found a year ago. It was a ginger she cat with ice blue eyes, I had named her Clover, hoping she would some luck to my name. Clover was always there for me when I needed her, it seemed like she had a sixth sense for it, becoming the fluffy purring machine that really helped.

Most of my days were just me and Clover, sometimes we went outside when the sun was shining, but most of the time we stayed inside, trying not to be bored to death. That plethora of free time did give me time to train my cat, making sure she knew what she should do in certain situations. If I told her to go home, she came back to wait in a hidden spot near the apartment until I came back.

Then there were times when Clover just stayed home and I went outside by myself, when attacks happened, the akumas could be dangerous and I didn't want to get her mixed up in that if I didn't have to. Once the heroes started coming after me, the ginger cat stayed home at every attack, I just couldn't worry about her when I was trying to get away from them. Now that citizens were looking out for me too, I couldn't have them connect Mikaela and Thinaire through Clover either.

But avoiding people for the most part was the most effective at keeping my identity secret, I wasn't interested in the public, and for the most part the public wasn't interested in me. Like Lenny said, each passing day without an appearance of Thinaire lowered the interest in the character, people not being on as high of an alert. Whether or not that was happening, an akuma attack in the future was inevitable.

#let trouble lie #thinaire #ltl #mikaela misjinx #miraculous

2 notes · View notes

chilling-seavey · 4 years

Text

Amoureux (c.s./d.s.) - Epilogue

A/N This story has received even more amazing feedback than my other ones have and I feel so sad that it’s over but so happy that you guys loved it just as much as I did. Even you Team Christian people who yelled at me a little ;) Anyway, here’s the final chapter. Do you think Louisa really got her happily ever after she had been dreaming of?

Jamestown, Virginia ~ January 18, 1822

Louisa carefully slid the knife over the skin of the potato in her hand, the scraps falling onto the wooden countertop as she worked by light of the early evening sun seeping through the window in front of her. When the potatoes were peeled, she chopped them up and slipped them into the pot of cooking stew that was hanging over the fire for their supper. She wiped her hands on her apron and pushed her tied back hair from her face with a sigh before tidying up the food scraps and glancing in their storage to check on their winter stock.

It was starting to get chilly, so Louisa bent down to tend to the fire in the kitchen, trying to warm up the single storey house. It wasn’t a huge place, definitely not what they were used to in England or France, but it was all they could afford for the price of the diamond engagement ring that they sold the second they set foot in the United States. At only sixteen, and coming from very privileged lifestyles, Daniel and Louisa were oblivious to the cost of the necessities of life, especially in a new country. They didn’t know that they got completely ripped off by the pawnshop owner who was willing to take advantage of the youthful runaway Brits who stumbled into his store, fresh off the ship. Regardless, they ended up with a bit of cash in their pockets and a (somewhat) sturdy roof over their heads and that was enough for them, having been married by the captain of the ship the first day at sea, ready to start their new life together.

Louisa barely sat herself down at the kitchen table before a soft cry came from the bedroom across the hall. She rushed over, making sure her hands were clean against her apron as she leaned over the small wooden crib in the corner to pick up the baby. He was born in August, just over a year since Louisa had first arrived at Kensington Palace although he was not born to any regal destiny. He was conceived during their first winter in America; the young couple nearly frozen to the bone in their drafty single storey and desperate for any warmth, he was carried almost full term by seventeen-year-old Louisa who had gone into labour a few weeks early due to her tendency to overwork around their small house, and he was delivered by candlelight to parents who had more love than money.

The five-month-old baby was a little cold to the touch and Louisa tucked the wool blanket around him as she picked him up and carried him to the kitchen so they could warm up by the fire, shushing his cries softy as she sat down. It was often that she found herself sitting alone, tending to the housework and the baby, Daniel busy with work or, rather, trying to find something better for them.

One thing that Louisa and Daniel had learned after moving to United States was that they were not liked very much. Still freshly independent from their ties to Britain, America didn’t enjoy having Brits around and Daniel’s accent was a dead giveaway, Louisa’s English also tied up in European taste, and from the start they were always treated poorly by their colonial counterparts. The only people who seemed to lend a hand were their neighbours, property owners on the land north of them and the husband took Daniel in to work at his blacksmiths shop for pennies. It was better than nothing and Daniel was grateful, but it was grueling work and he hated every second he was there.

Louisa glanced up at the sound of the front door creaking open and being shut and the boots being stomped clear of snow before Daniel was in the doorway to the kitchen, his hat in his soot covered hands. He sent a tired smile to his little family and trudged over to press a kiss to Louisa’s head and then to the baby’s.

“How was it?” Louisa asked softly as he pulled out a chair and sat with them at the table. Snow fell from his coat and he brushed it onto the floor as he pulled out the papers from his inside pocket.

“Nothing again.” Daniel sighed, tossing the stack of scribbled lines onto the table and leaned his elbow down to rest his chin in his hand tiredly.

“Did they say anything worth repeating?” Louisa set her hand on his thigh and he tucked his fingers around hers, still wearing his gloves that were dotted with holes.

“They said plenty. None really worth repeating.” Daniel sighed. “Laughed in my face, called me names like they all do, telling me how I won’t amount to anything…that I am a joke of a composer and I make their mare giving birth sound like angles singing.”

“That’s not true.” Louisa mumbled, giving his hand a squeeze.

“I was sitting at that piano and I couldn’t play.” Daniel breathed to the tabletop. “I haven’t practiced since England. It’s like all the pieces have vanished from my memory and I was so choppy and messy and I keep making an idiot of myself.”

“We can find you a place to practice. Maybe the librarian knows a building with an old piano where you could practice.”

“And be away from you two longer?” Daniel frowned sadly, reaching with his free hand to rub gently against the baby’s chubby cheek. “I can’t.”

“We need the money, Dani.” Louisa whispered. “Our food stocks are running low and the winter is barely over. We won’t make it at this rate, we need more money.”

“I know.” Daniel ran his hands over his face tiredly. “I’ve been working all I can, but David can only spare so much. He said he’s running himself thin too.”

“Someone’s going to want your music, I’m sure of it.” Louisa assured him, although her own words didn’t do much to even comfort herself.

She passed over the baby to Daniel who instantly smiled at his young son in his arms as Louisa moved to tend to the supper. The sun was setting quickly, meaning they were sitting in the near dark when she served the two bowls of watered-down stew, the light of the fire being their only illumination. Louisa hated eating the same tasteless soup every night, only being watered down more and more as their winter stock lessened. They ate in silence, the baby sat on Daniel’s lap and held against his chest by his gloved hand and tucked warmly in his open jacket, Louisa trying to hold in her own shivers of cold, the fire not doing much against the brutal winter wind that leaked through the thin walls.

“Have you heard back from your father?” Daniel asked softly, as if hesitant to ask.

Louisa shook her head, letting her spoon fall against the side of her empty bowl so she could run her hand tiredly over her forehead.

“I’m sure they’re alright.” It was Daniel’s turn for a failed attempt at reassurance, setting his hand on hers against the tabletop.

Louisa didn’t reply as she stood up to put their empty dishes on the counter and began to wash them to put away. Daniel sighed deeply from behind her and he looked down at the baby on his lap who was nibbling on the edge of his open jacket. He pulled it out of his son’s mouth and the baby smiled up at him with dimples that mirrored Christian’s own. Daniel figured it was fate punishing him for fleeing and stealing the future Queen with him; giving his son features of his brother so every time he looked at him he was reminded of his own guilt.

They never knew what happened to their families after jumping onto the ship bound for America, ties completely cut and bridges burned. Louisa always assumed the worst, knowing that France had probably fallen under English control when she fled and she couldn’t help but think of her family being sent to the guillotine for their daughter’s terrible behaviour in putting the future of the British Royal Family at risk. Christian wouldn’t let that happen though, would he?

Even Daniel didn’t know the capabilities his own brother, especially in the last few weeks before they fled, hardly recognising the young man who had threatened his life. They could only hope Christian’s love for Louisa would have spared her family, although there was no way to know for sure. It would forever be an unknown.

Daniel looked up at Louisa, watching her back as she scrubbed the dishes by the window in the rising moonlight. He picked up his sheet music with the hand that wasn’t holding the baby and scanned it over, eyeing the scribbled notes and trembling handwritten bars, stained in dried alcohol where the panel of men had thrown their drinks at him from crystal glasses. Similar crystal glasses that once fit in his own hand in gold trimmed ballrooms in expensive clothing, sitting next to Louisa in her diamond tiara and her rouge coloured cheeks, the light glinting off her ring on her left hand. Now he couldn’t afford to even put food on the table yet alone buy her a wedding ring.

“I wish I had more to offer you.”

Louisa turned around at his sudden statement, dishes drying on the counter and she wiped her damp hands on her apron, before bending down to stifle the fire, “Why do you say that?”

“You were set for a life of riches and royalty and status and now…now we can’t even afford to keep the fire on through the night. You have nothing with me.” Daniel mumbled.

Louisa sighed and stood up as they were engulfed in darkness and cold as the fire died out, and she walked around him to wrap her arms around his shoulders, resting her head against his, “I have you. And our boy. That’s all that matters.”

Daniel nodded weakly, sending her a small smile before she kissed him once, her lips cold from the winter weather. “I love you.”

Louisa kissed his cheek, tightening her arms around his shoulders as she stared out the window in the snow coated countryside, swallowing back her tears for another uncountable time, “I love you too.”

#daniel seavey #christian seavey #why dont we #wdw #why dont we music #jonah marais #corbyn besson #jack avery #zach herron #limelight #daniel seavey imagines #daniel seavey fanfic #why dont we imagines #why dont we fanfic #historical fiction #👑

22 notes · View notes