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newsonline1 · 11 months

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Eyebrow Treatments Brooklyn | Ombre Powder Nano Brows

Transform your look with expert lip treatments, ombre eyebrows, ombre brows, ombre powder brows, Nano Brows, and other eyebrow treatments in Brooklyn. Achieve flawless beauty today.

#lip blushing Brooklyn #ombre eyebrows Brooklyn #ombre brows Brooklyn #ombre powder brows Brooklyn #Nano Brows Brooklyn #Eyebrow Treatments Brooklyn #lip Treatments Brooklyn #Dark lip color neutralization Brooklyn #Permanent Makeup Brooklyn #Lip blush tattoo Brooklyn #cosmetic tattooing Brooklyn

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femmefatalevibe · 11 months

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Femme Fatale Guide: Products & Services Worth The Save (or Saving On)

Fashion:

Socks (I love the HUE ones that come out to around $3 per pair)

Tights (another vote for HUE – around $10-13 dollars a pair and should last at least a season or two with proper care)

Layering tanks & tees

Underwear (buy them on a bulk deal – I love Skims' 3/$36 [on the pricier end here] – or getting luxury items on sale, especially pair from Natori or Hanky Panky [usually come up to around $10-$15 a pair]; Parade also has $6 underwear that's great quality for the price)

Trendy items

Costume jewelry (Mejuri, Aurate, and Justine Clenquet are great for the price; Catbird is the best in the game for a moderate-priced alternative to luxury jewelry in my opinion)

Beauty:

Cleanser

Facial Toner

Makeup Wipes

Acne Spot Treatment

Mascara

Brow Gel

Setting Powder/Spray

Shampoo & Conditioner

Body Wash

Body Scrubs

Hand/Body Lotion

Hand Soap

Vaseline (use it as a lip treatment, cuticles, dry skin patches, or as a hydrating eye cream)

Lip Balm (Palmers SPF 15 is my HG)

Makeup Sponges/Spoolies

Hair Ties

Home:

Lighting

Home Decor

Artwork (I have mostly Black & White photography from iCanvas and get so many compliments on them!)

Coffee Maker (a Black & Decker coffee maker or a French Press is all most people need)

Everyday Dishes & Glassware (I love Sweese, Smilatte, and Luigi Bormioli on Amazon)

Dishwasher-Safe Reusable Food Storage Bags/Snack Bags

Produce Saving Containers

Health & Wellness:

Deva Vitamins/Supplements

Fitness Youtube Workouts

Bulk-buying Oats, Beans, and Other Staple Foods

Frozen Fruits & Vegetables (when not in season, especially)

Listening to Podcasts via Youtube

TED Talks

Services:

Facials

Blowout

Dermaplaning

Teeth-Whitening

Mani-Pedi

Professional/Social:

Owning your full name social handles across platforms

Simple Investment Planning (Roth IRA, HSA, 401K - anything involving index funds)

Get a great headshot (many colleges and universities offer their students/alumni headshots for free)

Cash-back & Travel-miles $0 Fee Credit Cards

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cillianmesoftlyyy · 5 months

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I Can Fix That... Pt. 2 | Jonathan Crane x fem!reader

author's note: I decided to make a pt. 2 purely for my own enjoyment, though I hope there are others out there as sadistic as myself. I finally watched the Batman trilogy and did research on DC fan pages to write this. It follows the plot of Nolan's DC adaptation so all characters mentioned (like Ra's Al Ghul) are from the comics and movies.

Summary| She gave into Crane because she needed to survive, at least that's what she's tried to tell herself, but there was something about this man that just felt so painfully... right. Now Crane has a proposition and he doesn't intend to take no for an answer because he's starting to like her -- uh oh-- too much. Where will their new agreement lead them when Gotham devolves into chaos?

Warnings| Based on an DC action movie- drugging, slut shaming, fear and terror, dubious kidnapping, restraints, drugs, physical violence, spitting, toxic relationship, mentions of a gun, chaos, and needles. I know- it's a lot.

word count: 8596k (lol oopsies?)

Wires- The Neighborhood 🎶

Where did you sleep last night- Iridium, Salazar, Liam Marks 🎵

Caesar on a TV Screen- The Last Dinner Party 🎶

The detective nodded her head, surprised that she’d so easily forgotten her plan. Dr. Crane sniffed and spun his set of keys around his finger casually.

“Now the best thing about being the creator of my fear serum,” he started, moving to the shelf of vials he had previously sorted, “is that I have an endless supply and every opportunity to use it whenever I want.” She could hear him smile but she could no longer see him. Crane admittedly liked the girl and he’d fucked her as a minor pivot in his original plan for the night. Now, it was time for business. He pulled a dish of powder from a locked drawer and hid it away from sight as he crossed back into the girl’s view. “You may think you understand what my serum can do, but you’ll never truly know until you try it.” She furrowed her brow and shook her head, wishing that she could back away from him but she couldn’t move. He changed the subject swiftly, not giving her a moment.

“I applaud you for your performance tonight. I was more than willing to humor you and of course, your present state did you many favors. I like my women tied down…” he joked and chuckled darkly. “But now, we need to get practical.” He removed his glasses and folded them slowly. He slipped them into his breast pocket. “You know too much, Miss —, and we both know that your current allegiance to your job would prioritize a crude sense of justice over your affection for me. We can’t have that, can we? So, I’d like to propose a solution or a treatment of sorts.” He clenched his jaw, angling his head down so that he was looking up at her through his eyelashes. “You’ve already proven to yourself tonight that the mind has complete control over the body. Desire rules judgment… and I want to rule you.” He smiled darkly. Before she could speak, powder was thrown into her face, blocking every orifice with a sickening gas.

The anxiety was immediate. She saw strange creatures approach her from all sides, poking and prodding her with dirty nails. She saw the walls leak a disgusting fluid, like blood and fecal matter and it spilled over the floor. People sorted through the liquid for scraps, children screamed and cried around her. She’d been one of those children, raised in an orphanage because her parents couldn’t afford to keep her. Strange men swarmed the children, offering toxic treats and money for favors which the children shied away from. She screamed, pulling at her restraints as she tried to fight off the assailants. She shook her head violently side to side, and she screamed involuntarily with raw terror at what she saw. In the midst of a nightmare of Gotham’s poverty and dark underbelly, Dr. Jonathan Crane stood calmly before her. He watched her, his arms crossed against his chest. He cocked his head to the side.

“What do you see,” he asked calmly. She turned her attention to him like he was a beacon of light in a horrible storm.

“Jonathan, help me!” She cried.

“Tell me what you see,” he said again and clucked his tongue to calm her. She looked around again at the people she saw, rummaging through mountains of trash.

“Horrible… horrible poverty. The things… the things I saw as a child. People starving, children crying…” she whimpered. Rats scrambled across her body and she screamed again, shaking against the table. “Jonathan, please!” She called for him and he waded towards her, oblivious to the horror around him. He stood above her and stroked her face. He removed the restraints from her waist and her wrists and helped her sit up. The things she saw darted out of her peripheral vision, distorted now and hard to understand. She couldn’t run because she couldn’t tell where she was anymore, where her body was in relation to her perspective. Did she even still have a body?

Dr. Crane grunted as he helped her off the table and held her up beside him. She fainted in his arms and he carried her out of the secondary lab into the corridor. He punched the elevator’s call button with his free hand and dragged her inside. As the large steel doors closed, he fished for his cellphone in his pocket and called his driver, telling him to meet him outside the hospital immediately. Crane hushed her, gently patting her head though she was still unconscious. The elevator dropped them at the floor she’d entered on originally and Crane carried her to the side door, ignoring the looks the night attendants gave the strange couple. A sleek black car waited outside in the alley, the engine running and dispelling smoky exhaust into the air around them. Crane opened the car door and helped her inside, smirking at the security guard at the door.

“Our meeting was successful, thank you officer.” He waved goodnight to the security guard who shifted awkwardly in his seat at the side door. Climbing in after her, Crane leaned over the console to speak with his driver.

“My apartment, please.” He gave the order sternly, even with the addition of the ‘please,’ and the driver nodded, speeding off into Gotham’s dark streets. His hand rested comfortably on her thigh as he watched her. She started to come to in the backseat, though the effects of the drug had still not worn off. Her breath was fast and she leaned deliriously into Crane’s shoulder, seeking protection from what she saw outside the tinted windows. She was so afraid that she felt safer in the arms of the man that had drugged her, and it would take hours to realize that, but by the time she did, the psychological effects would have already taken root.

The car stopped outside of a dark apartment building in one of the only nice parts of town in Gotham city. It was raining as he helped her back out of the car and into the large lobby of his apartment building. She clung to his arm as he led her into an elevator, playing a soft melody that sounded like shrill screams to her intoxicated mind. As the elevator doors opened, effects of the drug began to wane though her heartbeat was still racing. She looked up at Crane’s sharp jaw and how he clenched it as he opened the door to his apartment and pushed her gently inside.

“I pay my people extra to turn a blind eye to everything that I do. I understand these circumstances appear even more nefarious, being that I have admittedly drugged you and brought you to my apartment. What can I say, I’m a bad feminist.” He smiled darkly and locked the door.

“When do I stop seeing… these things?” She collapsed into a chair behind her and cradled her head in her hands.

“The effects will be gone in an hour,” he responded coolly and switched on some of the lights in his modern apartment. The apartment was two stories with a spiral staircase and an elevator that led to the upstairs. She looked around, trying her best to ignore the hallucinations and study the actual apartment itself.

“You’ll be disappointed to know that I don’t have a lab here, it’s against the building’s codes. I spend very little time here actually, I’m always at Arkham or dealing with detectives… like you. I’m a busy man. Like I already told you, I have plans to ‘treat’ Falcone tomorrow so I’ll need that room free. This is the next best option and I think you’ll find it more comfortable in comparison.” He smirked and flicked a switch, immediately two restraints looped tightly around her wrists, emerging from a panel in the arms of the chair that she hadn’t noticed. Second restraints looped around her ankles, reminding her as her ankles were spread apart that he had removed her underwear. She turned her knees inward, hiding her crotch and scoffing with frustration.

“Again?” She groaned and pulled at the strong leather material holding her to the chair.

“You sound disappointed,” Crane observed with a small smirk. “It’s only temporary. I didn’t get a chance to question you back at the lab, so we’ll do that here.” He gestured to his empty apartment and started to walk toward her slowly. His lips curled cruelly as he looked her up and down, strapped to the chair. “So tell me, what do you know?” He whispered and she stopped struggling for a moment. She still felt jumpy and nervous but having him so close relieved some of those feelings. The effects of the drug wore off more but the underlying sense of anxiety and loss of control prompted her to answer honestly.

I know that you are trying to make a powerful drug that mimics fear and so far, you’ve put it in a powder form. It works when ingested in some ways and immediately elicits a response that incapacitates the victim. You want to use it widely, to control Gotham…”

“Right, what else.” He leaned on the arms of the chair, his hands grasped around her wrists.

“You don’t work for Falcone but you work with someone else. You’ve just been using Falcone’s drug operation to move your own prototypes of the fear serum. You want to be in charge and you know that fear can do whatever you want it to. The mind controls the body,” she recalled a sentence that he had used before he had thrown the powder in her face. “You’re also somehow connected to the missing micro-wave emmitter. I don’t know why but it may help you in some way, how?” She was breathing heavily like she was going to fall asleep.

“Good work, detective.”

“What are you using the micro-wave emitter for?” She asked. He chuckled and removed his hands from her wrists, backing up. He approached a small liquor cart and poured himself a drink, straight gin. She continued as he drank.

“Who are you working with and how do you expect to control Gotham when everyone loses their minds?” She could barely contain her voice, anger and confusion rose into her throat like bile.

“So many questions…” he swallowed and set down his glass, turning back to her slowly. “Aren’t you supposed to figure that out for yourself?” He raised his eyebrow.

“The mirco-wave emitter would dry out any water supply that it comes into contact with. Wouldn’t it be easier to poison the water supply, you would reach more people… unless it doesn’t have the same effect when administered in water.” She looked up at him but his face was hard. “That’s why you’ve been using it in a powder, it only works in a powder form. If you dry up the water supply and release the powder into the air, there isn’t a way to combat the effects, is there?”

Crane smiled and nodded slowly, “right again.”

“How can you control people who have lost their minds on the serum? You can’t control chaos.” She furrowed her brow and leaned forward, questioning him. Crane cocked his head and studied her for a moment, noticing the last traces of the fear serum leaving her body.

“Control has many forms, Y/N. The chaos that will come from my serum is planned, its existence is strategically executed.”

“But why are you doing this?”

“I love it when you get flustered,” he chuckled darkly at her and licked his lips, his eyes rolling before returning to her face. “It’s not just me, I work for a large organization that has been responsible for all historical catastrophes throughout history. We deal in balance, balanced chaos. They hired me because I can control fear, I know how to use it and weaponize it. Gotham needs to be balanced and it cannot be balanced without it first destroying itself. Create a closed environment with the population’s problems and confront them with chaos, the balance will soon be restored.”

“Who do you work for?” She whispered, her eyes wide.

“Don’t you mean, who do we work for?” He crouched at her feet and placed his hands on her thighs. He smiled crazily up at her and she leaned away from him.

“What?” She whispered.

“I work for the League of Shadows, and now, so do you.” He dug his finger into the soft bottom of her chin and pushed her head up so that she could see the second floor more clearly.

Standing at the rail were men clad in dark armor. One man stood out from the rest. He wore a black suit and carried a gold-tipped cane. He had long whiskers of gray hair like a mustache and steady cool eyes, deadlier than Crane’s.

“Good work, Dr. Crane.” The man kept his focus on her and her blood went cold. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Miss —. We’ve heard so much about you and of course, you’re the one that has caused us so much trouble!” He laughed sarcastically and descended the spiral staircase.

“Who are you?” She growled.

“Ra’s Al Ghul,” he smiled and the wrinkles on his face creased, pulling against his eyes. “I see you’ve already become acquainted with Dr. Crane, our very own criminal mastermind.”

“You’re too kind,” Crane smarted back, watching the girl’s face as she tried to take in all of the new information.

“Now, I have a job proposition to offer you, Miss —. You seem to have figured most of our plan out but I don’t think you understand the complexity of our organization. You see, the League of Shadows is an ancient organization that has balanced the harmony of every major city in the world since the beginning of time. Gotham has gone bad, to the point of no return. Your ‘Batman’ as you call him can’t reverse what has been brewing for years. He never saw what you did, how the people of Gotham live in filth and poverty while the elite few enjoy the spoils. This city needs to be reborn, it needs chaos to restore the balance.”

“But wouldn’t you be killing thousands of innocent people?” She interjected and Al Ghul shrugged slightly.

“Nobody’s innocent,” he answered quickly and then inhaled, clarifying, “Anyway, that’s not what we want to do here. If we take control of the city and hold it for ransom, we can work out a deal to replace the crooked government with some of our people. I’m offering you a role alongside my people. You’re smart, all that evidence you collected against Crane- none of the senior officers could have held a match to it. We destroyed it of course, as soon as Crane told us about your little visit.” She looked past Al Ghul to Crane who leaned against the wall calmly. Had they destroyed the copies? How could she be sure that they were telling the truth? “The box of evidence you had put aside for Sgt. Gordon was the hardest to find but we found it. What made you suspect Dr. Crane? Was it a gut instinct?” He drew on before she interrupted him.

“You want me to help you kill people?” She furrowed her brow and nearly laughed in disbelief.

“We want your help to save Gotham from itself and establish a new and better government.” He corrected, fixing his posture. Crane watched her closely and spoke up from the back of the room.

“She’ll do it,” he answered and she opened her mouth to interject but his smirk silenced her. “She’ll do it because whether or not she wants to admit it, Miss —, is like us.” Crane reached into his breast pocket and removed his glasses. He cleaned the panels with a dish towel and pushed them onto his nose. She looked between Crane and Al Ghul, her heart beating quickly in her chest.

“Will you join us, will you help us save Gotham?” Ra’s Al Ghul placed both of his hands on top of his walking stick and shifted his weight evenly between his feet. Crane folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the side, a knowing smile played on his wide pink lips. Her decision surprised her but the serum had already changed her chemistry, Crane had revealed her true self to herself and there was only one choice left.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Crane nodded, “good girl.”

iii

She was released from her restraints and she rubbed her wrists where the leather marked them. Ra’s Al Ghul snapped his fingers and a map was rolled out on Crane’s dining room table. The map was of the entire city of Gotham, showing the sewer and water lines. They explained the plan, showing her where the micro-wave emitter would be placed in the city and how it would be moved through each neighborhood.

“What about the police?” She asked and gestured to the map of the city. Crane laughed and shook his head.

“You were the only cop that suspected this, the rest will have no idea until it's already started. The person we really need to worry about is Batman,” he ran his fingers through his hair and glanced up at Al Ghul, “luckily for him, an old friend is coming by to visit.” Al Ghul nodded and smiled kindly at her.

“Batman and I go way back. I’ll take care of him.”

“What am I supposed to do?” She asked, her arms crossed beneath her breasts. Crane caught himself staring and cleared his throat.

“You’ll help me with the production of the powder, ensuring that your cop friends don’t figure out too much and keeping Sgt. Gordon away from Arkham or leading him astray… anything,” Crane answered, setting his face as he spoke. She nodded.

Though they had asked her to join their efforts, they also obviously didn’t trust her completely. They wouldn’t tell her everything, she knew. Her night had gone in a completely different direction than how she had imagined it. Everything had changed after the fear serum, it had shown her that what she feared most had already happened. The police were corrupt, run by small-time gangsters and criminals and crime continued to run rampant as the state lost more and more money, forcing social service organizations to close and more families out on the streets. This whole time she thought that the police could solve the problem but they only caused it. Crane was right, she was like him and she would do anything she could to change the city. After the meeting, Crane poured her a drink and dissolved a packet of powder into the liquor. He stirred it in front of her and Al Ghul before sliding it across the table’s surface.

“This will put you to sleep for a few hours, twelve at most. It’s only a precaution to make sure that you have truly promised your allegiance to us. Everything that you say will be monitored from this point on.”

“Everything?” She looked at Crane who clenched his jaw, a faint tease of blush spread on his cheeks.

“Everything. Do as we say and follow our rules and you stay alive,” Crane finished and tapped the rim of the glass. “Now drink.”

“How do I know that you aren’t just poisoning me?” She asked the men around her.

“We’re learning to trust each other, but you have to go first.” He smiled and when Al Ghul said nothing, she took the glass and drank it slowly. The last thing she saw were Crane’s eyes, set perfectly on her.

She was conscious enough to set her glass down before falling back onto the couch. Crane approached her quickly and checked her pulse, monitoring her reaction to the drug.

“Did it work?” Ra’s Al Ghul asked behind him and he nodded.

“Yes, she’s out. Because of all the drugs in her system already, this one may take longer to wear off.”

“All the other drugs?” Al Ghul raised his eyebrow and Crane chuckled.

“I couldn’t help myself and besides,” he turned to Al Ghul, “you wanted her alive.”

“I’m not convinced that we can trust her,” Al Ghul shook his head and pointed at the map for his men to clean up.

“Oh, I’ll make sure we can.”

“With your mind tricks?” Al Ghul teased and Crane sighed, rolling his beautiful eyes.

“Don’t insult me, Ra’s. I know what I’m doing.” He warned the man calmly and nodded to the men. Two men helped carry her body as Crane led them back down the elevator into the lobby which was deserted at that time in the early morning. They climbed into Crane’s waiting car and pulled away from the curb. The girl’s body was limp against the seat and Crane resisted the urge to stare at her, fascinated by her sleeping body. The men carried her up to her apartment on the third floor of a small walkup. Crane rummaged through her coat pockets for the key into her apartment and unlocked the door.

Her apartment was small and cozy, furnished with minimal couches and chairs. Books and art decorated the walls. Crane pushed through the door and directed the men to lie her down in her bedroom, the small room off of the main living area. They men looked back at him expectantly as he stood by the doorway, watching her sleep. He rolled his eyes and shooed them away. What did they think he was going to do? He’d already fucked her. Alone in her apartment, he stood by her bed and stroked her cheek. She slept on, engulfed by unconscious darkness. He leaned over her slowly and grasped her throat gently, exhaling across her face. He said nothing but looked her up and down and smirked, pleased at the sight of her. He’d won another spoil: her.

She woke up in her bed, twisted in the sheets as if she had been restless all night. She was sweaty and hot, the air stuffy around her. Crane and Al Ghul were nowhere to be seen. She checked her watch and hurried out of bed, stripping off her clothes from the night before and into black trousers and a dark blue sweater. She stumbled into the living room and wound her hair up into a claw clip, moving towards the door when a voice startled her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Dr. Crane spoke from the couch. He was in a fresh suit and looked well-rested. He was taking notes in a file on Falcone, his briefcase sat on the coffee table in front of him. She jumped, gasping from shock.

“Jesus Christ, what are you doing here?”

“I was waiting for you to wake up. We have work to do today. That bitch at the DA’s office wants to speak with me. I'm supposed to meet with her this afternoon. She’s questioning Falcone’s transfer.”

“I ordered the transfer after you did Falcone’s interview, maybe I could meet with her instead.”

“No, I need you to take this file to the judge on Falcone’s case. I can handle her questions.” He stood and held out Falcone’s file. “I already gave my statement at the hearing but this file will confirm my medical opinion, hopefully that will get her off my back.” He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Do you think Falcone will talk if she speaks with him?”

“Possibly,” he bent his head side to side and shrugged, “but we aren’t going to find out. Let’s go,” he snapped his briefcase closed and made for the front door. She glanced from the couch to her bedroom.

“Were you watching me all night?” She flushed angrily and followed him. He closed the door suddenly and spun her around, forcing her back against the front door.

“I can only say this once because they aren’t listening now but as soon as we get in the car, they’ll be monitoring you. I am keeping you alive, Miss —. I will do everything in my power to keep you alive but the second you step away from me, you’re on your own. I know we have an understanding so believe me when I say that I would prefer very much if you didn’t die. Follow my directions because they’re following you.” He said in a harsh whisper, a strand of hair falling into his face. They stared at each other in silence, exchanging breath when he kissed her harshly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned softly against his lips. He bucked into her hips and she gasped softly against his jaw. And just as quickly, he pulled away, breathing heavily and led her out the door and down the stairs into the waiting car.

“I’ll need my gun back,” she pointed out as they settled on the backseat. Crane sighed, unbuttoning his suit jacket. He opened a small compartment in the car door and retrieved her gun. As he held it out, he took her jaw in his other hand, his thumb pressing into her fleshy cheek.

“This is where that trust would come in handy, detective.” He whispered darkly. She looked at his lips and then up to his eyes, speechless around him. He watched her struggle for words and chuckled, handing her the gun. “Be careful, Y/N, and remember Ra’s plan.” He looked at her lips and sniffed, slapping the roof of the car. “This is her stop.”

She met with the judge who oversaw Falcone’s case and gave him the thick folder. He looked at it briefly before recognizing the information.

“I appreciate you coming out to speak to me about Falcone’s transfer to Arkham but I cleared everything with Ms. Dawes yesterday. She’s already scheduled a second psychiatrist to meet with Falcone first thing tomorrow morning. She mentioned that she’s also requested Dr. Crane’s case file. Has she seen this?” He waved the folder and she clicked her tongue, shocked that she had scheduled a second opinion and that Crane didn’t know about it.

“I’m not sure, sir. I was the detective working with the prosecution and I was the one who oversaw Dr. Crane’s examination and request for transfer. I can attest to Falcone's mood at the time as well. He screamed nonstop as Crane was trying to conduct a test of sanity. Anyway, I wanted to make sure that you saw Dr. Crane’s diagnosis in the aftermath of his transfer. This has updated notes that Dr. Crane shared with me. It might be useful in your deliberation.” She smiled and the judge looked down his nose at the folder.

“Good point. Thank you, detective. This is helpful.” He opened the folder on his desk and put on his rounded spectacles.

“Well now that we’ve spoken, I’ll try to catch Dawes and save her the trouble.” She pushed back her chair and brushed off her trousers.

“Miss —?” The judge called from his desk.

“Yes, sir?” She looked back.

“Dr. Crane has committed many of Falcone’s men to Arkham in the past few months, is that correct?”

“Yes,” she nodded and her heart raced.

“That must be a pretty crazy group.” The judge laughed and went back to the folder, completely missing the pattern. She sighed in relief and left quickly. She started to walk to Arkham, moving so quickly she felt like she may have been running. Dawes had already scheduled a second opinion, meaning that she was probably at Arkham pressuring Crane for his detailed diagnosis. It would take Dawes one second to figure it out so she hoped she could get there quickly enough to do something. She had no plan which she knew was stupid but whatever was bound to happen in the next few hours would be bad and she needed to help Crane. Her phone began to ring and she put it to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Y/N.”

“Ra’s?”

“Are you on your way to Arkham?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Turn around and go back to your precinct. I want you to stick close to Sgt. Gordon, go where he goes. You’re his top detective so run with it. If anything happens at Arkham, he’ll be there and I want you there with him. Crane will be fine.”

She slowed to a stop, skeptical but wanting to believe what her new boss was telling her, “ok, sir.”

After a second of silence, Ra’s added, “It’s Batman’s birthday and what better way to celebrate a playboy than with chaos?” The call ended before she could respond.

She spun around and headed straight for the precinct. She spotted Gordon at his desk, working on paperwork. She hurried over and knocked on the door, letting herself in when he waved.

“Good, I’m glad to see you. I need to run some ideas by you for the Falcone case.”

“I just dropped off Crane's diagnosis for the judge but he said that Dawes may be seeking a second opinion.”

“About that -” The intercom went off with a loud screech.

“Attention all units! Attention all units! Batman was spotted at Arkham Asylum. He is believed to be armed and dangerous. Backup is requested at this time.” The voice repeated with a robotic drone. Sgt. Gordon looked from the speaker to her and grabbed his coat from his chair.

“We need to get to the asylum right now.” Gordon yelled and she followed him closely, checking that her gun was still secured to her hip. She clipped her badge to her front pocket and pretended to sound confused.

“Why are we going, Sgt? Do you think this is about Falcone?”

“It might, I’d feel better if I was there to find out; and if Batman is there, someone’s in trouble.” They hurried down the stairs and climbed into a car. Gordon sped away from the precinct and ran red lights. The tires bled across the roads as they came to a screeching halt behind a row of police cars parked outside the Asylum.

“Why is everyone waiting outside?” She yelled over the noise. An officer standing with his gun aimed at the building yelled back.

“We’re waiting for backup!”

“They’ll be here soon, sir. We should wait!” She yelled over the noise at the Sgt.

Gordon looked up at the building and pulled his gun from his holster. He started moving towards the building, looking back to wave her on.

“I’m going in. You coming?” He called.

She groaned anxiously beneath her breath before responding, “yes, sir!” They raced up the stairs into the lobby which was left completely vacant. Gordon held up his gun and she followed suit, staying close behind him. She felt the urge to kill him now and find Crane but her gut warned her that someone else was in the room, watching. They walked slowly through the main corridor, past the abandoned security checkpoint, creeping closer to the wide atrium. When they stepped beneath the enormous domed ceiling a loud noise broke through the top of the building. She looked up and covered her face with her forearm to protect her eyes from large shards of falling glass. She saw a large dark blur surround Sgt. Gordon and pull him up to the roof.

“Sgt. Gordon!” She yelled after him. She knew immediately that the blur was that bastard Batman. A small laugh escaped her mouth as she shook her head and lowered her gun. A group of SWAT ran in seconds later. She pointed at the ceiling with her gun and called them over.

“He came down and took Sgt. Gordon!”

“Who?” Someone yelled at her and she shook her head, pretending to be unsure.

“I don’t know! I think it was Batman.” She yelled, adding to their panic.

“Batman!” Someone shouted and in the moment of distraction, she slipped away into a side corridor. She bolted towards a staircase and stopped at every floor, looking for signs of activity. Her body burned with soreness as she sprinted down each corridor. She wanted to scream his name but her lungs wouldn’t allow her the extra air to do so. She rounded a corner and ran into a group of police. They all started shouting at her until she showed them her badge.

“I’m a detective- What the hell is going on here?” She yelled.

“We’re looking for Dr. Crane!”

“Have you seen Sgt. Gordon?” She asked, panting and trying not to panic when they mentioned Crane’s name. “He disappeared and I've been looking for him.”

“No, we haven’t. We got a call that they found drugs in the building and then Batman showed up. Crane was running the operation.” One police officer responded and jerked their head to the side where they were going to run next. “It's down this corridor!”

“I’ll come with you,” she shouted and led the unit, her gun pointed at the ground. Two large doors were falling off their hinges further down the hallway. The room itself was smokey and gaseous. She looked down from the doorway where there were stairs leading into a cement lined room like an empty indoor pool. Tables were littered with Crane’s fear serum and men that she assumed were dead. Huge vats of liquid marked with a toxic symbol sat on their sides by an open waterline.

“This is it,” she said to the officer beside her and started to descend the staircase. The smoke made it hard to see so she moved slowly, looking around the floor for Crane’s familiar face. The men she saw were all part of Falcone’s posse who had been hired to help the drug operation run. Something snapped beneath her food and she looked down, seeing Crane’s scarecrow mask which she recognized from his drawing. She picked it up and looked around anxiously, her fingers around the gun shook. Then she saw him. Crane was propped up against a wall and bleeding slightly from the head, a thin trail of blood oozed on the wall behind his head. He was panting and flailing around, his pupils were mere penpoints. He’d been attacked with his own fear powder. She looked around before dropping into a crouch beside him. He recognized her but continued to shake, his eyes darting around her head.

“Jonathan,” she whispered, “it's me.”

“Did you find him?” Someone shouted and she yelled back that she had. He raised a judgemental eyebrow, his mouth forming a cuss word. His glasses were gone.

“Trust me, Crane.” She whispered against his ear and held his wrists together. She took her handcuffs from her belt and handcuffed him.

She leaned against the wall and tapped her foot anxiously as they strapped him into a white straightjacket. She crossed the room and helped the officer secure the last belt, thankful for any excuse to touch him and remind him that she was still there. Looking up at her, he spat and she flinched slightly. His light eyes were ringed with red swollen skin and she wondered if he really felt betrayed by her. She wiped his spit from her cheek and returned to her place by the wall.

“So this is the scarecrow,” Sgt. Gordon entered the room and let the door slam shut. Crane jumped from the noise and closed his eyes, taking a deep shaky breath.

“Scarecrow… scarecrow.” Crane whispered with his eyes closed and shifted within the straightjacket. Sgt. Gordon pulled up a chair, the metal scraping against the floor, bristling Crane into opening his eyes.

“What was the plan, Crane? How were you going to get the toxin into the air?” Gordon asked calmly and fingered the scarecrow mask. Her stomach turned watching Crane struggle to regain control over his mind. He shook and his eyes darted around the room, landing once or twice on her. She kept a straight face, giving no sign that she was terrified that something would happen to him or she would accidentally reveal something about him that they didn’t already know. When Crane didn’t respond, Gordon continued, his voice rising.

“Who were you working for?” Gordon pressed and Crane’s eyes snapped to his, a crazy smile pulling at his lips.

“Oh, it’s too late. You can’t stop it now.” He spoke through shivers, cutting up his words. He smiled at the end and Gordon shook his head. He stood and shoved the mask into her hands.

“Here. Stay with Crane.” He growled and left the room, his footsteps echoing through the heavy steel door. She looked down at the mask in her hands and hid her smile. There was only one officer left in the room with them and she bit the inside of her cheek, trying to come up with a quick plan.

“Are there any officers outside?” She asked the cop by the door who peeked his head outside the door.

“No, ma’am.”

“Good,” she smiled and raised her gun when the door snapped behind him. “Then this should be easy.” She cocked the gun and cornered the officer. “Face the wall,” she ordered and when he turned, she hit him over the head with the butt of her pistol, knocking him unconscious. She quickly handcuffed him and checked outside one last time before running over to Crane. He was still recovering from the toxin, his face set in a deep frown. She began to free him from his restraints, glancing at the door every few seconds. His eyes stayed on her face and he kept muttering things below his breath. When she undid the last restraint he jumped up and it fell from around his shoulders to the floor. She started to smile when he lunged at her and pushed her up against the tiled wall. Her hair clip cracked against the tile and clattered to the floor in pieces. She gasped beneath his hands, one holding her throat and the other grabbing the slack in her sweater, exposing her navel.

“You betrayed me,” he growled, “you told Gordon... I saw you.” His eyes were wild and glazed, he looked right through her.

“What?” she gasped out though his hand was crushing her windpipe.

“I saw you two! You fucked him. You fucked him!” He yelled, his body shook with anger like he was coming down from an adrenaline high.

“No, I didn’t!” She struggled beneath his hands, “this is the toxin talking, Jonathan! I didn’t betray you-”

“But you fucked him,” his voice twisted into a heatbreaking whine, an image flicked before his eyes and he closed them quickly, shaking it from his head.

“No!” She coughed and she could feel herself getting light-headed.

“You love him,” his voice was breaking beneath him and his eyes darted between hers as the toxin showed him more and more; everything of which included her.

“Jonathan!” she screamed and hit his chest hard with closed fists, “I can’t fucking breathe!”

His eyes snapped open wider and he released his grip around her throat. Her feet landed on the ground and she coughed, sinking into a crouch against the wall. Crane stepped back and watched her silently. He was still shaking as he ran a hand anxiously through his hair.

“Why would I save you if I loved him?” She cried in frustration, rubbing her bruised throat. “It’s the toxin, Jonathan… I didn’t do the things you think I did,” her voice softened. She looked up at him and stood slowly, grabbing onto the wall for support. Crane cradled his head in his hands and whimpered.

“What do you see?” she asked quietly and stepped closer. He shook his head and created more distance between them. “Jonathan, tell me.” She pressed and he exhaled with a soft shutter.

“You… fuck,” he started through heavy breaths, working himself up again. “I see you and Gordon…” He rubbed his eyes and looked back up at her. “It’s been so long since…”

“Since what?” She furrowed her brow, questioning. His eyes darted away into the corner and he shook.

“Since my father last used it…” he took a deep breath and finished his sentence with a lengthy exhale, “on me.”

“The fear toxin?” She whispered, slowly starting to understand what he was suggesting. He nodded and flinched as if something had attacked him. Was he saying that his father used a prototype of the fear toxin on him? She grabbed onto the sleeve of his suit jacket and tugged his attention away.

“It’s just me. There’s no one else- nothing else in here except for me,” she gestured to the nearly empty room (the officer was still unconscious in the corner). “And I’m here for you,” she whispered and closed the distance between them, her hands slipped around his small waist beneath his suit jacket. She felt his body tense beneath her embrace before slowly (very slowly) releasing its tension. He didn’t hug her back but rested his forehead on her shoulder. She stroked his hair, and found the shallow wound on the back of his head. She ducked her head as she pulled away, finding his mouth and kissing him gently. The toxin was slowly wearing off and she could tell he was only beginning to return to his normal self.

“We need to get up to my office,” he muttered and looked at the door. “They’re releasing the patients.”

“What?” She furrowed her brow. Crane sighed and shook his head.

“Ra’s gave orders to open all of the cells. The patients will be let loose into the city.” He licked his lips and looked down at her. “We need to get upstairs.” His expression was tense as she could tell he was trying to fight the lingering effects of the toxin. She nodded.

“Show me where to go.”

He pulled her through the door and they ran down the corridor to an elevator. When the doors opened, Crane used his key to override the system, preventing anyone else from calling the elevator. He pressed the button for the floor with his office, not realizing that his other hand was squeezing tightly around hers. When the doors opened again, they rushed down the hallway and into Crane’s office. He sighed when the door was locked and the blinds closed.

“What are we going to do?” She asked him quietly and he inhaled slowly.

“I need to inject you with the antidote so the toxin doesn’t affect you when we leave the building.” He murmured, more to himself.

“We’re going out there?” She tried to keep the fear from her voice but he detected it instantly, raising an eyebrow.

“Are you scared?” He asked automatically.

“Of both of us dying out there at the hands of one of your old patients, yes, yes I am.” She nearly laughed.

“Don’t you want to be part of the fun?” The Jonathan Crane she knew was definitely coming back.

“I’d rather not become the ‘fun’,” she quipped and he smirked.

“As you wish.”

She followed him into his lab and he rummaged through a collection of vials arranged on one of the counters. Finding the right one, he slipped it inside a cartridge of what looked like an epipen.

“Pull down your pants,” he ordered and then it was her turn to raise her eyebrow. “Don’t look at me like that and do what I tell you,” he said sternly and she did as he asked, pulling down her trousers where he had access to her thigh. “This will hurt,” he warned her before immediately plunging the needle into the fat around her thigh. She hissed in pain and heaved out a breath.

“The good news is that you don’t have to ever do this again,” he patted her leg and buttoned her pants for her. “Now me,” he changed the vial and unbuckled his pants. He raised the hem of his boxers and punctured the needle into his upper thigh. He grunted in pain and closed his eyes for a moment and whistled out a tight breath. A large explosion shook the ground below their feet. She jumped and winced as she landed on her sore leg. Without opening his eyes, Crane nodded.

“And that would be the patients leaving the building now.” He withdrew the needle and tossed it to the side, buckling his pants.

“Let me see your head,” she touched his arm and he leaned forward slightly, turning his head where she could see it clearly. She carded her fingers through his dark hair and parted the dark roots away from the shallow wound. “It's a small cut, you’ll live.”

“Thanks, doctor.” He smirked. Her fingers shifted through his hair as he straightened and she tried not to look disappointed when they were no longer twirled around his black locks.

“Are you back now?” She looked up into his eyes, looking for trances of fear.

“I think so,” he responded and traced his index finger around the collar of her sweater. There were small bruises where his fingers had been when he forced her against the wall in his state of panic. “Was I terrible?” He whispered.

“Not more than usual,” she laughed lightly and covered his hand with hers. “I’m ok.” She insisted and he furrowed his eyebrows and licked his lips.

He was going to apologize, he was going to tell her how much he loved her and that was why he had reacted so strongly to the toxin, but the words died on his lips so instead he said, “We should leave before the city goes all the way under.”

“They’ll raise the bridges so no one can leave, it’s too late.”

Crane chuckled and leaned against the lab table behind him, his fingers grasping around the edge. “And once again, you severely underestimate me. Come on.”

“Get on,” Crane held the bridle and gestured for her to mount the large black steed.

“You’re kidding right?” She looked around at the burning city and then back to the police horse who’d lost its rider.

“I wish I was,” he sighed and tugged her closer by her waistband, “now giddy-up, Miss —.” He joked flatley and pushed her up onto the saddle. He hoisted himself up after her and sat in front, taking the reins in his hands. She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed her thighs around the horse's stomach, holding on for dear life.

“Where the hell did you learn to ride a horse?” She yelled over the panic and she felt him chuckle.

“Oh, there are a lot of things that you don’t know about me, detective.” He smirked and kicked the horse into action. She gasped and held him tighter as they flew through the violence-strewn streets. She couldn’t imagine how ridiculous they looked to the people of Gotham but under the influence of the fear toxin, she hoped people were more afraid than amused seeing a man in a full suit riding a horse. Crane focused on the route ahead, navigating them through the broken city.

“Where’s Ra’s?” She yelled into his ear.

“Forget about him.” He growled and urged the horse faster.

“Why? What happened?”

“He tricked me. He didn't just want to impose an arguably better government, he wanted to kill everyone and to kill us too. He tipped off Batman and that’s how Batman found me. He didn't need me after the toxin had been released. He kept you away from me, didn’t he?” He called over his shoulder, leaping over a crashed car.

“Yes, he told me to go to the precinct instead when I tried to warn you about the DA.”

“He wanted Batman to find me and he assumed that you’d get stuck here after you followed Gordon. Two birds with one stone. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.” He growled and turned the horse onto a side-street and into an alley.

“Where are we going?” She asked, her grip tightening around Crane as she saw people screaming in the streets.

“To my father’s house.”

“How?” His father’s house? After his father had probably done something horrible to him?

“Just hold on,” he warned and flicked the reins again. She closed her eyes, wanting to block out the terror in the streets. While some of it gave her pleasure to see the raw side of humanity express itself, it reminded her of what she had seen as a child- the side of people that came out when they needed to survive.

They rode to the edge of the city and Crane slowed the horse to a stop beside a tall building that looked abandoned. He hopped off of the horse and helped her down, catching her as she forced herself to slip over the saddle. The building was far enough away from the inner-city that it looked like it hadn’t been touched yet by the chaos, though the toxins had definitely reached it.

“We need to get to the roof,” he informed her calmly and pointed her to the elevator.

“Another elevator…” she whispered beneath her breath, knowing it wasn’t the right time to mention how much she hated the idea of going into one when the world around them was ending. Crane pressed the button labeled “20R,” and the elevator began to soar up. The elevator had windows that opened into the city. As the elevator climbed, they could see the destruction of Gotham and right across the bridge, normalcy.

“Ra’s is moving the micro-wave emitter by the high speed rail. If his plan goes accordingly, the emitter will poison the other side of the city beneath Wayne tower.” He pointed out the tall Wayne building from their vantage point. “I hate Gotham and I hate Batman, but I think I hate Ra’s Al Ghul more.” He sneered distastefully. “We could have run Gotham…” he sighed and shrugged, “maybe another day.”

She couldn’t help herself but laugh. Being with Crane had opened her eyes to a new side of herself, one that was dark and masochistic. She liked this side better, way better. She liked thinking that one day she could be in charge, force out all of the government officials that were too dumb or sexist to listen to her. She could lead beside Crane…

When the elevator doors opened a gust of wind met them. The doors opened onto the roof of the huge building. A helicopter stood in the center of a large bull’s eye, its blades running in circles above their heads. Crane’s hair ruffled in the wind and he squinted his eyes against it. Her mouth fell open in shock and Crane chuckled at her reaction.

“That’s the funny thing about, trust, detective. I don’t believe in it,” he smirked and beckoned her to the helicopter’s doors.

“You planned this?” She yelled as he gestured her to climb onto the landing gear.

“Of course,” he smiled, "I always have a backup plan." Her mary janes slipped across the bars as she climbed and Crane supported her back, guiding her back into the body of the machine. He pulled himself inside after her and collapsed in one of the seats. She tried to orient herself, looking around the small helicopter, landing on the pilot. The pilot nodded at Crane, he was wearing a thick mask and goggles to keep the toxin away.

“Ready doctor?” The pilot called from the front and Crane nodded breathlessly. He looked at her and clenched his jaw, returning to the version of Crane she knew so well.

“Yes.”

#cillian murphy #fanfiction #cillian fanfic #jonathan crane smut #jonathan crane x reader #jonathan crane fanfic #jonathan crane #dc scarecrow #hot scarecrow #young cillian murphy #cillian fluff #robert fischer #batman begins #long reads #multi chap fic #cillian x fem!reader

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worriedvision · 1 year

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I love your tighnari fanfic angst!!! how about Cyno & Tighnari x reader ( not polly) finding reader getting injured after argument?? it can be fully angst or angst > fluff!!

Gender neutral reader, decided not to kill off the reader so that'll be nice lol, tagged as angst.

Cyno:

"You really need to stop fretting over a silly little cut on my leg." Cyno shakes his head, you refusing to leave the wound unattended.

"Honey, you don't know if the instrument had poison on it!" You huff, inspecting the wound closer as you begin to apply the powder you produced to detect such a substance.

"See, the wound isn't a threat." Cyno huffs.

"You need to look after yourself more." You retaliate, disinfecting the wound before reaching to apply the bandage. Cyno stands up, walking away as you try to call out to make him stop. "Cyno, I wasn't done!"

"No, _, you are done." Cyno states. "I cannot afford to waste my time here, I'm sorry. You know how my work is."

"And a few more seconds was just that important to you, huh?" You tell out, Cyno ignoring you as he closed the door on you.

You had been talking to doctors all day the next day. The argument was fresh in your mind, but you couldn't help but think of him. Was he safe? Did his wound get exposed?

Oh, no matter. You had to focus on the medical mumbo jumbo these doctors were trying to impress you with. See, you weren't open to just giving the powder to any doctor, and you knew the ones who approached you were purely wanting to figure out the exact formula, selling it at a horribly high price.

Walking back home, you felt like someone was watching you. Deciding to take a longer route, through the Avidya Forest, you wanted someone to see you in the case someone hurt you. Feeling someone plunge a scalpel into your back, your eyes widen as you seem to lose the ability to hear. Was it adrenaline? Fear? You didn't know. You see Tighnari rushing over with a forest ranger, pointing at the culprit as the forest ranger wrestled them to the ground as he performs care on you. You trust him, and you hold out the powder to him. Furrowing his brows, he grabs it as you pass out.

You wake up to Tighnari taking notes, Cyno sitting by your bed and clearly nodding off to sleep. Groaning out, you slowly start to get familiar with your surroundings.

"Morning, sleepyhead." Tighnari cheers, nudging Cyno awake. Cyno looks over, seeing you awake, and he sighs out of relief. "Your powder was certainly interesting to use. After using the powder, and treating you for a possible poisoning, Cyno demonstrated the reaction that takes place when there isn't poison."

"Yeah, I had doctors trying to buy the lot. I could tell they didn't plan on using it for direct treatment." You shake your head.

"Well, the criminal who assaulted you was apprehended." Tighnari states.

After a couple seconds of silence, you get an idea.

"Say, would you like to have a delivery of the powder?" You ask. Tighnari nods, tail wagging.

"Tighnari, can I have a word alone with _?" Cyno asks. Tighnari nods, grabbing his clipboard and continuing his writing after leaving the room.

"I do appreciate the effort you put into taking care of me." Cyno states. "You're only being cautious about the possibility of poison. Seeing you get poisoned with a small wound like the one on my leg made me realise you had a point."

"...Do you have work today?" You ask. "I wouldn't want you to skive off work because you wanted to say sorry to me." You bitterly spit out.

"No. After hearing what happened last night, I made sure today would be off. I want to spend time with you, to show you I love you"

Tighnari:

"So you didn't get the materials?" Tighnari raises a brow, completely unimpressed.

"Nari, the deserts had bad sandstorms. I couldn't get the materials!" You protest, Tighnari groaning out of frustration.

"I need these materials for medicine. Do you not realise I am out?" Tighnari tuts, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"Fine, if it's that vital I'll just go out in the middle of the current sandstorm that's been predicted to last for a few days." You huff, walking out.

"Stop your excuses, I need this medication for several people!" He screeches, you not daring to turn back. "Don't come back empty handed."

Unfortunately, you couldn't get far. The sandstorm grew worse and worse as you ventured further, hoping to get the fruits required. Dehydration, heat exhaustion and the pain of the sandstorm was enough to knock you out.

You got carried by Dehya to Aaru Village, where Candace allowed you to stay while you recovered. The recovery was not speedy, and she was not allowing you to leave as the sandstorm hadn't finished up. Upon asking you why you were there, you explain the situation.

"We have a supply, I would be more than happy to aid you. If it means you don't venture out into the sandstorm again, that is." She explains, you nodding.

"Oh, and your boyfriend got these flowers delivered for you. He must have done something silly, he's written you a letter. Of course, I don't know the contents, but I know these flowers usually are gifted as an apology." She giggles, handing you said letter.

'_,

I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you explained the situation regarding the Sandstorms in the desert. Upon reflection, I should have controlled my temper with you. I heard through Cyno that you had been found in the middle of a particularly bad sandstorm, and I know this was because I pushed you to get the desert specialties.

When you return to your home, I can assure you I won't make this mistake again. You don't need to fear the idea of coming back with nothing - if I had to choose between you and some materials that could be obtained easily, the answer is obvious.

I hope you like the flowers. Usually, I'm not one for gifting bouquets, however I know you can find a creative way of appreciating them in their beauty.

I look forward to showering you with love when I next see you,

Tighnari'

#gender neutral reader #genshin impact imagines #angst #tighnari #tighnari x gender neutral reader #tighnari x reader #cyno #cyno x gender neutral reader #cyno x reader #candace

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laceyjane44 · 9 months

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GaaSaku 2023 FanFest day20

Prompt: Joint Village Mission

“They sent you?”

Sakura quirked her brow, staring down the man before her and his quizzical gaze. “I could say the same thing,” she stated.

Finding herself in the land of snow, she pulled the cloak closer to her neck, the wind was biting, and she cared not for these pleasantries happening amidst a snowstorm. She was here to better understand the current illness sweeping through the small villages in the area and bring reports back to her homeland. It was a matter of diplomacy; other nations had sent their representatives, like her companion here, and their mission would be to assist in identifying the cause and synthesizing a cure or treatment.

Gaara was the last person she thought that the sand would send, he seemed far too out of place with flakes of snow sticking in his hair and the tinge of red across his nose and cheeks. Even his ears looked to be on the verge of frostbite.

She would forgo the mild insult he’d just given her; it didn’t appear like he was aware of it anyway, and figured he wouldn’t have known of her extensive knowledge of medicine. “Come on,” she said as she turned from him, the snow falling quietly around them. “Our cabin is over here.”

Spread across the land, pairs of the traveling researchers were strewn about the fringe villages afflicted with the mysterious blight. She had been paired with Gaara, it seemed, and she figured it had to do with his history with Naruto and her knowledge of his temperament. They were acquainted already, so this arrangement was likely best.

Their cabin was small but cozy, a woodburning stove kept it plenty warm, a pair of beds were in the corner, though since Gaara didn’t even sleep she hadn’t the need to feel shy about it, and they’d been stocked with provisions of food rations, some sweets, and even some tea. The first few days had been spent meeting with medical staff providing care for the area, gathering information and getting a grasp on the current situation. Sakura had involved herself with the patients after that, whether it be at the meager clinics or during home visits, and she was able to help isolate those suffering from the illness from those suffering from other ailments with similar symptoms.

It had been busy, they didn’t spend much time in the cabin, but then the blizzard came.

Unexpectedly, the clouds dumped several inches of snow in just a few hours and once it began, Sakura had been encouraged to shelter in her cabin for the remainder of the night. It had been empty when she had gotten there, the fire had gone out, and it was incredibly chilly.

With a bit of elbow grease, the fire was started, the stove began to radiate heat throughout the small space, and she set a kettle of water to boil. These were among the nicest accommodations she’d had on a mission and, even though the conditions were serious, she felt at ease enough to make herself a relaxing cup of tea. Sat on the couch, knit blanket thrown over her lap, feet pulled up and huddled next to her for warmth, she sipped her tea and enjoyed the quiet of the falling snow.

Then the door burst open. Frigid wind whipped around her, and a flurry of snow followed Gaara inside. His cloak was covered in a dusting of white powder, his hair the same, and he stepped quickly over to the stove. Shedding his covering, he knelt in front of the fire and held out his hands, sighing as they began to thaw in the heat.

Sakura, perplexed since she first saw him, spoke up from the couch behind where he knelt. “Long time no see,” she greeted.

Gaara nodded; perhaps it was for her, but he had seen her each time he returned in the early hours of the morning, though, she was always asleep in her bed. He hadn’t been sticking around the cabin much for the sake of her comfort, it had been a surprise to be lodged with a woman, and he thought it only polite.

“I don’t mean to sound rude,” she began, the warm cup nestled in her fingers coming to rest at her lips for a sip. “But you have been way out of your element.”

Gaara sighed, picking himself up from the floor and joining her on the couch to enjoy the warmth of the fire. “Tell me about it.” He kicked off his boots, they were soaked, and when Sakura pointed to the door, he tossed his over with hers.

She observed him for a moment as he did so; his hands were going red, the tips of his ears looked wind burnt, and he appeared to be suppressing a chill. She set her cup down and got up from the couch. “Jasmine or honeysuckle?” she asked as she approached the stove. Tapping the side of the kettle, Sakura tested how hot it still was and it gave Gaara the hint he needed.

“Jasmine,” he responded, his answer a bit hesitant.

Pouring him a cup, she joined him on the couch again, facing him this time, and Gaara gladly warmed his hands with the hot drink. “If the cold bothers you so much, why did you accept the mission?” she asked, the question had been on her mind since she first saw him stood frigid and miserable their first day on the job.

Gaara blew on his tea, enjoying the way the hot steam wafted across his icy skin. He was a man of the scorching sands and the blazing sun, his body radiated the heat of the desert, and it made the cold all the more noticeable. “I was tempted to decline, but I’m trying to move up in my station,” he explained. “I’ve been told I need to work on my relations and diplomacy.”

Sakura snickered, Gaara glanced at her before looking back at the fire. “I suppose this would be your ultimate test; a noncombative goodwill mission to the frozen wilderness.”

Gaara rolled his eyes. “Precisely,” he groaned before he sipped his tea. Finally, he was able to feel the warmth permeating him from within and banishing the chill of the blizzard.

She smiled; she hadn’t thought he could look so endearing when put out in the cold. “You’ve been well received,” she said. “I’ve had several people ask me where to find you, but I never knew where you were. Seems like your relations are getting along just fine.”

He pondered that for a moment, replaying the many interactions he’d had during his time out here, and found a small smile forming on his lips. “Good,” he said, his voice quiet, and then he looked over to her, his expression guarded yet determined. “What about you?” he asked, only gaining a look of confusion from her. “Have I made you uncomfortable?”

Sakura laughed and shook her head. “Oh, goodness, no! You’ve barely even been here, you’re a lot of people’s idea of the perfect roommate.”

He watched her as she laughed, the casual and friendly demeanor was almost as warming as the fire they sat before, and there was gratitude to be had for getting paired with her. He wasn’t sure anyone else would understand his peculiarities or be comfortable with his lack of conversation. “Good.”

“It won’t be much longer,” she encouraged him. “We’ve only got a few more days before we should have what we need to research this on our own. You can bring word of your successes back home with you.”

Gaara nodded, there was a feeling a fullness to the atmosphere that had always been so empty as it followed him before. A warm fire, the quiet snow and whistling of the blizzard winds, the smell of jasmine and an easy company in his presence; Gaara began to think he should have spent more time in the cabin, he was sure the next few days would feel far too short.

Thanks for reading!

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaceyJane

FanFiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2120361/WiccadBaltane0501

#gaasaku #sabaku no gaara #ao3 #fan fest 2023 #gaasaku fan fest #sakura haruno #gaara #gaaraxsakura #sakugaa #just friends #for now

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hazeltailofficial · 3 months

Text

ST. PATRICK’S DAY FLASHBACK

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Music is Boom Bap Flick by Quincas Moreira

Green Cut-Crease Makeup Tutorial | St. Patrick's Day 2023

hazeltail on youtube / hazeltailofficial on tiktok / hazeltailofficial on ig / @hazeltailofficial / @hazeltail

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ask-alsius-vafer · 6 months

Note

-during a slow mend, a curious (and bored) student becomes invested in observing the way you work on various patients. It becomes a daily habit for the week as they are trapped in the hospital wing.. They attempt to be subtle, but can’t help except admire your attention to detail, and careful hands.-

The low, gentle scrape of stone against stone drifted across the still morning quiet in the hospital wing. Fortunately few beds were filled at the moment and it was still early enough that those there were just starting to wake. Alsius decided to take advantage of the brief lull and focussed on replenishing his personal treatment kit.

His brow furrowed with concentration as he gave the contents of his mortar one more grind with the pestle. Looking up, he double-checked the parchment floating at eye-level above the work station. With no ingredients forgotten and satisfied with his handiwork, he carefully emptied the fine powder into a waiting container and gave it a thorough mix. The salve would need a day or two to reach full potency, but it was a task checked off his list at the very least.

With a swish of his wand, he cleared the work station just as the small clock on the shelf chimed, signalling the start of morning observations. Alsius quickly cleaned his hands, though the scent of medicinal herbs still lingered, and made his way to the closest occupied bed. At the moment, it belonged to a student who was convalescing for the week. He quietly stepped around the curtain and retrieved the chart from the end of the bed frame. All the notes indicated slow but promising improvement.

"Good morning," Alsius said softly, his voice taking settling into a mild genial tone he'd practised to improve his bedside manner. He set the chart back in its holder. "If you are ready, we can begin your morning assessment."

#als answers

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cozyaliensuperstar7 · 2 months

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Beautiful Black Women 👑

jimmykimmellive:

It’s a beautiful Zen-DAY-a! ☀️💕👑

luxurylaw:

An ode to the GREATS @venuswilliams @serenawilliams We thank you for all you have done!

With Love,

Z and Law

Thank You to @wesgordon and the @carolinaherrera team for helping us recreate this iconic look.

Photographer @ernestocasillas

Styling/Creative Direction @luxurylaw

Wig by @kimblehaircare

Hair @ursulastephen

Makeup @ernestocasillas

The Williams Sisters originally shot for @voguemagazine in 1998 by @annieleibovitz

serenawilliams:

Even while rollerskating, @wyn makeup stays. And it was a hit! ✨

fentybeauty:

@BadgalRiri is giving big bo$$ energy with #StunnaPaint on the lips and #DemiGlow on the low key glow💄❤️‍🔥

Get into Muva’s glam by our Global MUA @priscillaono for the @Puma launch in London town! 🇬🇧

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fibula-rasa · 2 years

Photo

"A Date With Romance"

from Movie Classic Magazine, October 1936

Photo Caption: Lucille Ball, youthful RKO player, makes a date with romance in an oxford grey cape suit pin-striped in maroon and light grey. Feather trimming on the hat repeats the grey and maroon note.

In this section, MOVIE CLASSIC presents to its feminine readers the art of makeup and the thrill of beautiful clothes

Photo Caption: Mel Burns enhances the natural beauty of Lucille Ball with skillful make-up

First the beauty shop, where magic is wrought—

by alison alden

LUCILLE BALL has a date with romance. But will romance nod and pass her by? Not if Mel Berns, maestro of make-up at RKO Studios, has a deft hand in the matter!

Demanding to be made irresistible just for tonight, Lucille offers as her contributions to beauty a flawless skin, lustrous gold hair and large blue eyes. Mel Berns offers an artistry in make-up that has changed many a merely attractive girl into a vision of enchantment. His magic is wrought not with mirrors, in the Hollywood tradition, but with brushes.

There’s nothing like a good foundation for either romance or beauty and Lucille’s face is first treated to a layer of foundation cream (1) lightly applied.

Eyebrows take form, penciled in with a series of short light strokes (not the single shiny line with which so many err) and extended gracefully at the ends. Berns does the penciling but Lucille offers this bit of wisdom, “Never pencil the brows in a down curve at the corners. It makes the face appear to droop.”

Eyeshadow is applied with a brush (2) and blended out to nothingness near the brows with patting movements of the thumb. “A shadow always recedes that part of the face to which it is applied,” Bern explains, “therefore the lid is shaded to bring the eye forward.” [Continued on page 75]

(for ease of reading, I'll continue the transcript of this section before moving on to the next!)

A Date With Romance

The Beauty Shop

[Continued from page 46]

In the outer corner of Lucille’s eye is drawn a tiny rectangle and the black outline filled in with flesh colored paint on the point of a brush. Thus the eye look assumes a long, fascinating look. Faint lines painted next to the lashes, above and below, are blended with the fingertips into a faint shadow. “The eyes need a frame as well as the face,” says Berns. “The face is framed by the hair and the eyes should be framed by accentuating the lashes.”

MASCARA next (3) with an upward stroke of the brush. Then the lashes are coaxed to curl divinely upward and brushed to silky smoothness. A small stick, tipped with cotton, does duty in removing flecks of mascara that fly willy nilly below the eyes or on the lids. “In making up the face, start at the top and work down,” is Berns’ advice.

It’s just an old Chinese brush (4) that creates those enticing lips. Dipped in lipsalve (or a little cold cream and your favorite lipstick) the tip of the brush is used to outline the lips and broaden the bow in a luscious curve. Fill in with broader treatment—so that smiling does not reveal a line of demarcation.

To complete the make-up equipment is a brush for powder (5) to whisk it evenly over the entire face and throat and another brush for rouge to blend the color subtly far out on the cheekbones. “Rouge should be applied to the highest point on the face,” says Berns, voicing a simple formula to solve that oft-repeated question. “Never should it extend into the shadows around the eye.”

Wearing beauty like a star on her brow, Lucille mirrors a smile of appreciation for Mel Berns—too busy with the final arrangement of a rhinestone comb to notice.

See Page 60 for Alison Alden’s Recommended Beauty Aids

Photo Captions: Lucille decked out in an evening coat of whit metal brocade looks exciting enough for any romantic adventure Lucille is stunning in a black velvet evening coat lined with turquoise satin and a velvet hat trimmed with coque feathers For the formal date, Lucille Ball wears a full black chiffon gown

Then— the costumers for a ravishing selection of gowns

by sally martin

SINCE the beginning of time, romance—”a dreamy, imaginative habit of mind”—has been the ultimate, the one want in life that all women, young or old, have had in common.

That one glorious adventure makes many demands among them, with constant planning of clothes and meticulous grooming of appearance. This, of all delectable experiences, must not catch us unawares.

Lucille Ball, young RKO player, has a date with romance. Lucille is the personification of young womanhood for she has charm, personality, figure and the instinctive ability to wear clothes. As Bernard Newman, Hollywood’s ace designer says, “Lucille has the potentialities of another Lilyan Tashman.” To a girl who is clothes conscious and remembers the Tashman flare for wearing ultra-chic creations, Newman’s remark would be sufficient to place Lucille at the head of Hollywood’s smartly dressed list of screen stars.

Lucille is an average girl living on an average income. She is not a star with a fabulous salary and must therefore plan her wardrobe as carefully as you or I.

Goethe once said, “He who is of his own time, [Continued on page 75]

A Date With Romance

The Costumers

[Continued from page 47]

is of all time.” Little did he realize that he was also striking the keynote of fashions, because a good and sound style which is of its own time, is as truly of all time as the person who comprehends his own world.

This, of course, applies to fundamentals and the methods of adopting and adapting these basic laws of dress must vary with each season and each successive generation. Usually, irregardless of masculine jibes, styles reflect fundamentals which are based on the laws of sanity.

The laws themselves are founded on a few simple principles—namely, that the current fashion should express the feeling and the need of the hour and activity; that is should never be conspicuous by its eccentricity, but always obvious by its discrimination; and that above all, it should be graceful, comfortable and practical. Hollywood, rapidly becoming the world’s style center, is concentrating nowadays on fashions which emphasize romance.

#Lucille Ball #Movie Classic Magazine #1930s #1936 #magazine #film magazine #movie magazine #vintage #vintage fashion #vintage glam #vintage style #lilyan tashman #mel berns #RKO #classic film #classic movies #old hollywood

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snoash · 11 months

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Unanswered Questions Into Semaglutide Revealed

Semaglutide is really an injectable medications utilized to benefit handle sugar levels are regulated in adults with the help of type 2 diabetes. It operates by enhancing the total body manufacture extra insulin shots and by lowering the sum of sugars a poorly liver digests. It is usually using a class of prescription drugs identified as GLP-1 receptor agonists. Semaglutide may additionally lessen the likelihood of having heart attacks or just working with a strokes. Numerous studies have established that when they are treated when each week, semaglutide significantly lowers A1c stages. And also, experts have demonstrated to decrease weight and also raise cardiometabolic risk factors (for instance hips area, systolic and even diastolic high blood pressure, full bad cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, combined with very-low-density lipoprotein high levels of) through individuals with sort 2 diabetes.

A deteriorated form of prescription drugs is on the market because Ozempic and Wegovy and allows long been sold to make sure you customers on the FDA’s pharmaceutical rarity product. A FDA has gotten unfavorable incident stories from the by using this method deteriorated pill. Customers should apply FDA-approved meds who were checked out regarding basic safety, efficiency, or high quality. Semaglutide is discovered to always be well-tolerated and it was safe and effective the instant shot via medical professionals from the subcutaneous (under the skin) or perhaps even 4 (into a vein) injection sites. Often, these injection blog really should be adjusted at least each and every week combined with which is injected in the completely different part whenever to prevent condition. If the online searchers make use of website over the internet, they will receive info about semaglutide weight loss .

While having your treatments, brows through the semaglutide product when each and every one injection in order that it actually is distinct or clear and exempt from allergens. Avoid using it all when it is dyed, overcast, thickened, as well as provides good allergens or maybe that expiration particular date has gone. Equally, fail to income for selling typically the fine needles or simply injector write and throw away these individuals accurately inside the pierce protection fish tank. Quite a few normal side effects from semaglutide can include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation. A majority of these secondary effects traditionally fail to last and definately will depart since your body adapts into the medicine.

In advance of utilizing semaglutide, inform your doctor for anyone who is dyspathetic to it an additional medicinal drugs. Equally, educate your medical physician and additionally pharmacologist what recommended and even nonprescription medicinal drugs, multi-vitamins, vitamins and minerals, and additionally herbal products you're or possibly need to use. It is very important figure out if one has kidney, liver organ, or perhaps even gall bladder problem; and / or pancreatitis (inflammed joints of an pancreas). Physician might not always designate semaglutide for people who have most of these ailments. Lastly, inform your physician in case you are mothers-to-be and even breastfeeding. It's not acknowledged detail prescription drugs will definitely move through bust get probably it will injuries a toddler.

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femmefatalevibe · 2 years

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Femme Fatale Beauty Playbook: Tips & Tricks To Feel Clean, Confident & Seductive Daily

Some beauty tips and tricks to feel your best daily.

Starting off with some miscellaneous advice: Coconut oil is the most versatile ingredient – for your hair, skin, nails, and even down there. Find your signature scent (apply it to your clothes instead of your skin whenever possible). Sugar scrubs are the answer to most flakiness or bumps on your skin. B vitamins, vitamin D, and omega-3s are essential to healthy hair, skin, and nails.

Hope this helps xx

Hair:

Shampoo your skull, condition the rest: Focus shampoo on your roots and work it through your scalp; concentrate conditioner on the ends and work your way up until you reach the base of your skull - around your upper ear lobe.

Always comb, never brush, your hair when wet: Gently use a wide-tooth comb, from root to tip, on wet hair to prevent breakage.

Use a special towel to dry your hair: My favorite is from Crown Affair (pricey for what it is but worthwhile in the long-term), but a Turbie Twist from the drugstore works infinitely better than a regular towel that weighs down and causes frizzy, damaged hair

Always use a heat protection spray before blow drying or straightening/curling your hair: (Briogeo and Oribe products are my love for all haircare products, including their blowdry creams – also love R +Co. for a heat protection styling mist).

Choose your hair ties wisely: Use seamless or silk hair ties exclusively to prevent breakage or awkward creases on your hair. Wear a silk scrunchie if you prefer. These hair ties from Amazon are my holy grail (only $7 for 100 hair ties!), and they come in a portable ziplock bag.

Skin:

Always use a disposable cloth when washing your face: Regular towels store bacteria and can cause breakouts too easily. These facial wipes from Amazon are my holy grail.

Wear sunscreen daily: Yes, even when you spend all day indoors. UV rays can interact with your skin through windows, too.

Niacinamide, Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid, & Tea Tree Oil are among the few skincare ingredients almost everyone should consider incorporating into their skincare routine.

Learn the correct order to apply the products in your skincare routine: Cleanser, Toner, Serum, Eye Cream, Spot Treatment, Moisturizer, Sunscreen (or Retinol/Skin Oil at night).

Remember: From a dermatologist's perspective, your face starts (or ends) at your nipples. So, ensure you're cleansing, exfoliating, and applying sunscreen daily to your neck, chest, and décolletage to keep your skin smooth, youthful, and well-hydrated.

Vaseline is a great (affordable) alternative to traditional eye creams.

Sugar scrub your facial hair for a more gentle alternative to waxing (Combine sugar, lemon, and water). Laser hair removal, especially under your arms and your arms/legs is life-changing.

Follow up a warm shower with a dry brush and coconut oil for smoother, firmer skin.

Always apply a hydrating lip balm, mask, or Vaseline, hand cream, and moisturizer to your feet before going to sleep.

Layer complementary scents. Ensure the scents of body wash, lotion, and perfume work well together and don't clash.

Makeup:

Learn your skin undertones and educate yourself on color theory (I can share a post on this on the Post+ feed if you want some more educational content on these types of topics – I write about them for a living!).

Test any foundation, concealer, or face powder on your wrists, too.

Don't forget to color-match your bronze and blush: They can appear orange or muddy if you don't find a product with the correct shade or undertones for your skin type.

Invest in products that go on your face, brow products, and eyeliners. Great mascaras and lip products are easy to find at a drugstore or relatively cheap (I suggest Covergirl and d NYX, respectively).

Apply concealer in a triangle; don't dot it around your eyes for better coverage.

If you have oily skin (or it's humid outside), apply powder before your liquid/cream products. Set them again with a light powder to lock the color in.

Apply mascara from tip to base for the best lashes of your life: One coat on the tip, another from middle to tip, and the last coat from base to tip.

In a pinch, use a fragrance-free moisturizer and a q-tip to remove excess makeup (no more raccoon eyes).

Use a light nude or white eyeshadow underneath your brow to make them appear more defined.

Apply face powder under your eyes to help the eyeliner on your waterline last longer.

Create a simple daily makeup routine formula: 1 skin coverage (foundation/concealer), 1 skin color (a favorite blush or bronzer), brows, mascara, an eye-definer (eyeliner or shadow), and a signature "your lips but better" lip shade (1-2 shades deeper or lighter than your natural lip color): This formula provides you the basics, so you never have an excuse not to put yourself together for the day (5-10 minute routine here).

Discover your day-to-night hero product: Always keep a slightly deeper lipstick, a smoky eyeshadow, or liquid liner in your bag to transition your day look into the evening with one portable product.

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overtime-city-works · 2 years

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War against the world Part 2

Izuku, Shoto and Mei are now on ‘The Dragon chaser’. Now all they need to do is lay low until they can get back on land, but the crew have other plans.

Chapter 1

cw: Swearing, fighting, mentions of kidnapping, gore

Word count: 8,197

The ringing of distant bells and creaking wood woke Izuku from his dreamless sleep.

His brow furrowed at the hard press of a headache behind his eyes. The light seemed to be searing into him. He struggled to his feet, stumbled half asleep to the window and blindly reached out to somehow find something to stop the light. Izuku's wandering hand found something dangling from the window, and when he pulled it down from the hook and placed it under a book, the pain eased and he could finally open his eyes. Now away from the sun, Izuku could see the thing causing the light to become so sharp.

It was a glass orb, with more glass twisted around it in a criss cross pattern and several teardrop shapes hung from a thin cord of red string. In the teardrops was a fine deep blue powder. He turned it over gently, it seemed to be some kind of talisman.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Lady Mei said brightly behind him.

Izuku jumped. He'd been so wrapped up in removing the source of his discomfort he hadn't noticed the Prince and Lady Mei rousing also.

"It's nothing, my apologies. Let us go eat."

Luckily he'd stepped back over to Prince Shoto and had his back turned while Mei investigated the object. It would be inevitable with her never ending curiosity, he could hear her muttering to herself about its purpose and origins, and the light filtering through didn't seem to bother her as he helped Prince Shoto rebraid his hair. Even with his back turned he could feel the heat of it on him when Lady Mei held it back up to the sun.

"Is everything ok Izuku?" his Prince asked.

Izuku nodded, because how could he explain that the light had caused him pain?

Thankfully, Lady Mei had replaced the hanging ornament in the window without breaking it. Then it was time to swiftly inform the Lady on what had been happening. To Izuku’s dismay, Mei didn’t seem perturbed when she heard about what the Captain had done.

“There have been a few men that have come to my home who needed the same treatment,” she said in a voice more somber than her usual excited tone. “I am not as kind as the other maidens.”

It was then that Izuku was reminded that Mei had not grown up in the safety of one of the rich houses like other ladies; the shrine where they had found her before their quest had been out of the way in the countryside. Izuku didn’t really know anything about the Lady, just that she had been said to be incredibly important in helping them get to their purpose. For a moment, Izuku couldn’t help but think of the worst before Mei smiled.

“This ship is good,” she said as she thumped the wall of the ship with her fist. “There’s something about it, something good drawn to it. Like I sensed in you two.”

As usual, Mei’s sure words made Izuku feel better. He felt better enough that he was starting to get hungry. “Let’s go. I’m sure if we wait anymore there won’t be anything left for us and it’s important you two eat.”

He led them from the cabin out onto the sunny, noisy deck, and shielded his eyes from the early morning sun.

The salty sea spray felt almost magical on his skin as they walked, he no longer felt sick. For a moment he let himself really look out to the sea and watch the wispy clouds ahead. The endless water was almost the same color as the sky, it truly was more magnificent that he could have imagined. The air seemed to have a different quality, as if all of his burdens had been lifted just an inch so that they were not so heavy on his shoulders.

There were a few members of the crew on deck, but he could hear the raucous noise below on the mess deck. At the helm of the ship above the Captain’s quarters, he spotted a man so built he seemed to be as wide as the huge wooden wheel that no doubt steered the ship. He wore traditional Japanese dress, though the style was old as if it had been passed down to him from a grandparent but his sleeves had been cut right at the shoulders. Izuku could only see his watchful eyes, the rest of his face was covered in a light grey mask.

To his surprise, the man nodded. Izuku nodded back respectfully.

“My word, he’s built like an ox,” Lady Mei whispered hoarsely behind him.

He looked at her, scandalised that she’d describe someone like that out loud, and of course Shoto had the small crinkle to his eyes that meant he was amused and trying not to say it.

“Don’t be rude,” Izuku chastised as they descended down the wooden steps to the lower deck.

“I wasn’t! He has a marvellous physique, perfect for that job, I would like to ask him how he got so...”

“Manly?” Eijiro suddenly appeared as if he’d grown out of the wood and this time he wore a tunic with sleeves that were bunched around his wrists, frilly. The same type as the Captain's. “If you’re talking about the helmsman.”

Izuku nodded.

“He is,” exclaimed Mei.

Eijiro laughed, then he gestured over to the benches where the crew were still eating.

“No one really knows. Mezo’s real quiet about his story. We don’t mind ‘cause he's as soft as anything.”

The three of them squeezed onto the bench, and were passed a heaping bowl of steaming white food. It smelled foreign, but had a slightly nutty taste, and Izuku found he was far more hungry than he first realised. Out of habit he took a spoonful of the Prince’s food before passing the bowl back.

“Is it to your taste?” he whispered to Shoto.

The Prince nodded wordlessly, and Izuku was content with that. Just that he was eating it, slowly but surely, was a good enough sign for him.

The people closest asked them where they came from, and to Izuku, the boisterous shouting, questions asked while chewing food, and slight shoving every time someone moved was almost comforting. By the time breakfast was over, Izuku was sure he was bombarded with the introduction of at least six other crew members—though it was very hard to keep track of them all.

Afterwards, Eijiro took them aside to see where they would be sent on the ship for the time they remained on it. While they were asked questions, the crew were busy pushing aside the benches and clearing up the wooden dishes from the meal with a quick pace as if they expected to be attacked at any moment.

In the paths of light from the cracks in the deck above, Izuku could see people laying in hammocks that hung from the ceiling, one of them was in a shaded area out of the way, swathed up to his nose in black material.

Curiously sat upon his chest was a small black bird; it seemed quite content to simply lay on him. Curious, very curious. He sneaked a glance at Prince Shoto, and was baffled to see that he had a small upturn to his mouth.

"You three. What are your skills?"

Mei butted in first, announcing that she wanted to work with the gunners and she didn't mind getting her hands dirty. Izuku almost protested, but saw the animalistic look in her eye when she got excited about something and decided against it. Even Eijiro didn’t protest.

"Anywhere you need us I'm sure we can help," Prince Shoto said politely.

One of the crew nearby had snorted at that.

"Really? We've only got one powder boy if you're desperate I'm sure he'd like some company." Over on the other side was another lithe man like Yuga who had been sweeping the deck. He wore traditional clothing, there was a black bandana around his head, his feet were bare, and a sly smirk stretched his lips.

A bushy haired woman next to him snickered as she worked on some sort of figurine, a sharp knife cut the edges.

“Fuck off Denki." Eijiro sighed, then gave them an apologetic look. "You said you worked in an eatery?"

"Yes," Shoto said.

“OK. You two can be with Rikado until we reach Ama Island, and Mei...you’ll have to go and get Fumi the Master gunner.” Eijiro pointed over to the crew member with the bird. He looked peaceful, that was until Lady Mei went rushing over to the resting man and demanding he show her the canons. The bird squawked and flapped up against the ceiling, and the poor man almost fell out of the hammock.

“She’s like a typhoon,” Izuku muttered, and Eijiro laughed good naturedly.

At the back of the ship was an area for cooking, and by a large pot hanging by chains to the ceiling was Rikado. He was inspecting an array of tubes with different coloured powders, next to him sat a small barrel that had a yellow coloured powder that smelt odd. But it was something that made Izuku almost hungry once again.

"Rikado, hope you don't mind a couple of helpers until we reach the Island," Eijiro greeted lightly as he held his arm up and lent on the beam next to them. He was still shirtless.

"No, but I'm sure I don't get a choice." The man looked up and smiled jovially despite his words.

The Quartermaster then turned to them and looked more serious.

"So uh, both watches night and day have food together at six bells, Mezo is the one that rings it. Make sure not to be late or Tsu will poison you."

The grin only made that half as dangerous.

"Any supplies you need just see me and I'll sort it out," Rikado interjected, gesturing to the array of powders.

"And Tenya Iida—the purser. Unfortunately unlike what Rikado over here thinks, we don't have a unlimited supply of money—"

"Sure we do! We just let the ladies have you and we're rich!" came the shout to their left once again.

"I swear, you get back up on that rigging Denki or I'm letting Ochako know it was you who stole her underwear!" Eijiro fired back, though there was a good natured grin on his face.

Denki gasped, looking extremely affronted and placed a hand on his chest. "You wouldn't! She'd never let me down from the Mizzen again. Fuck you, it wasn't even me."

"Who cares, she'd believe me," Eijiro flipped Denki off.

"Yeah only because of favouritism." Denki stuck out his tongue before bounding up the stairs to the main deck.

"Anyway," Eijiro said as he looked at Izuku again, "one more thing. The most important thing. No one gets any special treatment, no extra rations or spices or specific cuts of meat, nada. Not me, not the rest of the crew, not even the Captain. He'd actually throw you off the ship if you tried. We're all equal here."

"Understood," Shoto said next to him.

"Great!" Eijiro grinned. "I'll leave you to it"

With that the quartermaster walked off, and he and Shoto were left in Rikado's company. The cook, even though he wasn’t intimidating to Izuku, was interesting in his own right.

Rikado was quite open, open enough to tell them he’d had to run away after being falsely accused of poisoning his Master’s food. His little sister had come with him and even told them she was waiting for him in Tottori. He talked while they helped him wash rice and boiled it. He carried on talking while they peeled potatoes, and he scolded Denki for coming back for a second apple.

There was a quiet moment. While Rikado and Shoto were talking about rationing and what food supplies they'd need, Izuku wandered off in search of more secrets. He wanted to know this ship from mast to the very wood if Prince Shoto truly wanted to stay here. He also desired to know why Shoto would pick this ship in the first place.

He found nothing unusual for a pirate ship at first. However, in the back of the stores between the barrels and a near empty sack of rice was something that caught his eye. Izuku leaned forward—forced onto his tiptoes to reach it—and to his delight he pulled out a bow.

It was well made, from a wood that allowed the user a light, powerful strike. Nothing like the stiff, formal designs of the bows at the Palace. After a quick glance around, Izuku ran his fingers along the string and found it to be in good condition. He lifted it, and with his right hand hooked his fingers onto the string and tested the strength. It was easy to manoeuvre, well used, and well taken care of. He wondered who on earth on this ship would have something like this. It was truly a beautifully crafted weapon.

Upon further investigation, he found a leather bundle, and inside found nine arrows, all with the feather of a crow. Interesting. He was inspecting the sharp, serrated edges of the arrows when he heard Rikado call for him. Carefully but quickly, Izuku wrapped up the arrows once again and placed them with the bow back between the barrels and made his way back out into the lighter area.

“Go and take this up to the Captain,” Rikado said as he held out two onigiri wrapped in the seaweed they’d just made.

For a moment Izuku hesitated, but then mustered his courage. He nodded and took the food. Izuku made his way back up the steps onto the Main deck and shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked around for the Captain.

The man who’d murdered over twenty people just the night before was stood by the helm. Izuku could tell he was conversing with Mezo, but when they approached up the steps he turned to them, his face expectant. To Izuku’s surprise Yuga was also at the helm deck, sitting on the thick wooden railing with back to a piece of wood that stuck up. He held a map. When he saw Izuku approach, he waved good naturedly. Izuku waved a little back.

“Captain,” Izuku started.

Captain Bakugo turned, and fixed him with a questioning look before he looked down at the food that he held out.

“Ah...Rikado’s babying me again.” The Captain grinned before taking the onigiri.

“Only because you won’t remember to eat unless someone brings it to you—despite what you preach about meals—you're not as bad as Hitoshi though,” Yuga piped up, and didn’t even flinch when the Captain sent him a warning glare.

“Tell Rikado I can get it myself,” he said as he addressed Izuku again.

“Rikado says that you’re welcome.”

Captain Bakugo rolled his eyes, and Yuga laughed where he sat, then they became focused on their work once again.

“You’re dismissed for food as well, Kyoto.”

Izuku nodded and walked over to where Prince Shoto and Lady Mei stood at the left hand side of the ship in the corner next to the Navigator’s room’s window. Izuku was quickly learning that with a crew of twenty and three levels you had to fit yourself into spaces before other people could.

Izuku bit into his onigiri and found it pleasantly edible. The vegetables he and Shoto had prepared themselves made it even more filling, and whatever powder Rikado had added made it taste even better. The Lady Mei had smudged powder on her forehead, she’d folded down the top of her kimono for comfort, and was already looking like a part of the crew.

“The guns they have on this ship are fascinating. They have a completely different system to the Japanese army. Fumi was explaining they took the ship all the way back near a place called the Bahamas! Can you imagine going that far? The craftsmanship of the guns are insane, they’re heavy to move, but such a beauty—”

Lady Mei suddenly leapt onto the rigging at the right hand side of the ship to look behind them. She was shading her eyes, and whipped her head up to the Captain; eyes wide in alarm.

“Captain!” she yelled. “We’ve got a ship six hundred yards ahead of us!”

“What the fuck? How’d she see that?” a shout came above him.

Izuku looked up to see another of the rigging crew. A woman with a long bob held back by a pink slash of fabric—again in the same foreign clothing as the men. Izuku looked up to the helm to see the Captain pull out a large gold telescope, and Izuku and all the rest of the crew awaited his verdict. Surely, they wouldn’t attack?

“He can’t be thinking of attacking can he? Aren’t we close to Tottori?” Shoto whispered to him. He sounded disbelieving too.

“Naval flag! Get into your positions!” the Captain yelled.

Izuku’s heart dropped to his stomach and he looked to his Prince. They had just begun their journey, he was not letting anything happen to them despite their need to get to the stars. If they died, or if they got caught by the Military, then it would be the end of it. Izuku wanted to hide both of his charges in the hold.

“That’s the ship that has Hitoshi on it, we need to take her." Izuku heard Denki's voice from above. He looked up to the rigging to see the man climb down from the rigging for a moment, and drop onto the deck in front of him.

"What if we get hurt, or if one of the men dies? We're getting close to Tottori, yes?" Izuku asked.

Denki looked serious, and the rigger looked up to the Captain who stood looking as though he knew all of the world’s secrets. “I tell you not one of us has died since we joined. Not a single one.”

Izuku found that extremely hard to believe, but the resoluteness with which Denki said those words was almost intimidating. He knew that Denki felt about Captain Bakugo the way he felt about Shoto. Plus, the determination they had to get their navigator back was admirable.

So, Izuku took a deep breath and looked at Shoto. At times it was difficult to tell what he was thinking, but Izuku could see the tenseness of his shoulders.

“You’re not a sworn-in crew member, if you want to be safer I’d head down to the third deck where Koji is,” Denki added, before someone shouted at him and he leapt back up onto the rigging and climbed the ropes with ease.

That information made Izuku feel a lot better, and he immediately began to guide Shoto down to safety. He could tell that Shoto wanted to fight, and wanted to prove he could be an asset.

“This isn’t a battle we need to get involved in. You need to be safe if we’re to make sure everyone can live,” he said in a low voice, as every crew member was bustling about.

“I understand that more than anyone Izu...and I will stay down there, but it will take both of us to bring the Lady down there also.”

Shit. Izuku had forgotten that. They hurried over to where Mei had seemingly sworn herself into the crew by aiding the riggers. How a lady could move with such agility he didn’t know.

“Time?” the Quartermaster shouted as he practically leapt up the steps to the helm where Captain Bakugo stood with Mezo.

“We need to gain speed or we won’t match them!” Mei suddenly shouted amongst the noise.

"Don't order me about!" a crew member shouted back.

The sea was loud, crew were rushing around, heaving the ropes and completing tasks that Izuku had no idea the meaning behind. He saw men and women pulling ropes, and he heard the sails above him groan in the wind as they were pulled forcefully open; the wind picked up as they surged forward.

“Are all the sails fully open? What about the T’gallants?!” the Captain shouted.

“You know what happens if she’s pushed too far Captain and you shouldn’t risk raising the T’gallants,” called a woman with bouncy black hair hair. In a traditional men’s kimono, she wore a bright blue sash across her waist and was holding a bucket, and attached to it was a small turn with rope wound around it. Under her arm she held a large hourglass.

“Tohru’s right, Captain.” From above, the short haired woman climbed down the rigging and slung the rope she wore around her waist over her shoulder.

To Izuku's surprise, Tohru shoved the rope, bucket, and hour glass into his hands and he was ordered to follow her. He scurried after her and watched as the lithe, adept woman climbed down the rope ladder on the side of the ship unaffected by the whipping wind and sea spray as she balanced on a tiny ledge and held onto the rope ladder with one hand.

“Leave the bucket on the deck and pass me down the rope and chip log!”

Oh, Izuku knew then what she wanted to do. Izuku tossed down the chip log and Tohru caught it expertly. Izuku knew that there would be knots tied in regular intervals along the rope and when he called the time on an hourglass, Tohru would count the knots that had passed the ship’s stern: the back of the ship.

Izuku flipped the hourglass as Tohru tossed the triangular wood into the sea, it immediately whipped behind them in the water and the rope turned faster than he could keep up with. As soon as the minute was up, he called the time and Tohru gripped the rope with the knot just below her hand.

“Speed, six nauts!” she shouted.

“Six nauts Captain!” Izuku relayed behind him.

“We can push her harder, Ochako the back sails will hold it,” Captain Bakugo said.

“Captain, even if the other sails hold we’ll end up running her down at the bow and go face first into the water or just have the whole rigging crew fall off the sides of the ship!” Ochako exclaimed, she looked close to pulling out her hair already.

“I don’t really feel like drowning today,” Tohru called up.

Izuku, despite the severity of the situation, couldn’t help but feel amusement at the sigh in Tohru’s voice, as if this situation had happened before.

“Drowning would not be fun, especially if it's just us.” Ochako had reached Izuku’s level and was currently winding rope around his and Shoto’s waists. Izuku found they were being tied to the side of the ship.

“Raise the T’gallants,” he ordered.

Izuku’s eyes widened as Ochako just rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath how lucky Hitoshi was.

Below him, Tohru made a sound of frustration. Ochako rolled her eyes but then it looked as though she took a deep breath and shouted to the crew up in the rigging to raise them. High, high above, the smaller sail above the Mizzen main sail was dropped. Immediately Izuku had to hold onto the side as the ship creaked and rocked. He looked down, and thankfully Tohru was OK.

The ship suddenly jolted, and Izuku didn’t hesitate before reaching over and pulled Tohru into his side as they were sent crashing face down into one of the waves. The men were calling, pulling ropes as the sea spat furiously at them as they tried to level out the creaking body that was fighting to stay stable. Shoto was gripping onto the wooden edge of the deck behind him and Izuku was amazed that Ochako had even thought about the bumbling newcomers at a time like that.

“Brace up! Bring her into the waves!” He heard the Captain shout, and then the faint yell of Eijiro copying the order.

Izuku couldn’t breathe deeply because of the amount of salt attacking his lungs. Tohru had wriggled from his grasp and was now stumbling over to another crew member with flat hair.

To his left, as the ship bucked and lowered like a horse, Captain barked at Mezo to put his full strength behind it and the large man yanked the wheel with all his strength. He turned and turned and seemed to fight against the very sea itself when he held the wheel in position. Finally the ship seemed to surge up and level out once again on the waves.

“Speed?” The Captain shouted.

Tohru was sprinting over and almost jumping into the sea before Izuku could react. She expertly slung out the chip log, and Izuku scrambled to set the timer once again. Like before he called the minute.

Tohru laughed.

“Seven nauts!” she yelled, and there was a chorus of cheers across the ship.

At that speed the navy ship was coming into focus faster than Izuku thought was possible. The wind was whipping his hair around his face. He helped Tohru back over the side—and since he deemed his job done, he undid the ropes to go and get Lady Mei.

Mei was still watching the ship ahead, and she’d been gathering intel with the aid of the Captain’s very own telescope. It wasn’t until perhaps two minutes later that Mei climbed down from the rigging and headed towards the Captain, and where Mei went, Izuku went as he was responsible for her.

“The man who Captains that ship has a stern that holds the carving of the moon, the second flag they fly also has an embroidered silver moon and a yellow sun,” she announced, voice grave.

Izuku looked at Shoto in absolute disbelief. He couldn’t believe their misfortune. Shoto stiffened, and it seemed that the rest of the men did not understand the implications of who was Captaining the ship...all except the Captain.

“It was a possibility they’d use a royal flagship to get him to Tokyo but I was hoping they wouldn’t make it so hard, fuck,” Eijiro said, voice harsh.

“A Royal with just one symbol would be a military yes...but with both the symbols it means something more surely,” Shoto said, his voice carefully blank.

Izuku realised that they both had to somehow convey their information without revealing their identity.

"Higher than that?" Yuga asked incredulously.

"The Emperor's personal fleet," came a deep, scratchy voice behind them.

Izuku turned to see Mezo had looked over at their words.

Eijiro’s mouth dropped open. Yuga let out a litany of swears as he slumped against the back of the ship.

“Why on earth would they hold Hitoshi with other high personnel?” Eijiro asked, his voice incredulous.

“I think the better question is what did he do to make them put with the highest security?” Yuga rolled his eyes.

“Did you see the Captain?” Shoto asked Lady Mei.

The Lady revealed to them that he had worn a Yellow kimono with a red belt, was stocky, and had a katana with the head of a water dragon. Izuku would know that uniform anywhere, he’d seen it multiple times when the Emperor’s men sent them messages and orders.

Keigo Takami, Izuku thought.

Izuku had no idea, no inkling that Captain Bakugo’s navigator was on Takamin Tamaki's ship. If he had, then he would’ve absolutely found another Captain to take them to the stars. Takami was a force on his own, but if he was on deck, then Snipe would be too and those two working together meant that a lot of the crew were going to die.

He wanted to ask if any of the crew were long range fighters—like both Takami and Snipe were, but he couldn’t exactly say that.

"How much do you know about this ship?" Shoto asked the Captain.

Bakugo explained in a gritted voice that the Captain would be a bitch to take down, that going alongside them in battle and being boarded would be suicide.

"What is your plan then?" Izuku asked, sceptical about whether he should go with the Captain or try to sneak his charges and himself onto a rowing boat.

"Cannons. Hisashi. I have a fuck ton of cannons," Bakugo patted the mast in front of him affectionately.

The Captain's plan was ludicrous. Absolutely insane, and Izuku was becoming convinced that Shoto was the same when the Prince refused to let Izuku sneak them off the ship. From the Captain’s quarters, Eijiro brought out two large guns. They looked far more advanced than the Tanegashima guns that Izuku had remembered seeing when he was young. They had to be from other countries. It was at that point that Izuku finally managed to coax both Lady Mei and Shoto down to the hold.

There was a period of waiting, something that Izuku found hard to bear. It felt like he was imprisoned again, just waiting for the battle to start, for Shoto and himself to be killed. Though this time his mind was kept more at bay while he helped a large, mute man move and pile heavy sacks of sand against the side of the ship. The ship thundered forward, and like the Quartermaster had hastily informed them, the ship would be heading straight towards the ship.

Izuku heard the mass rumbling of the canons above moving, and looked over to Mei who seemed far too excited about the ordeal and then suddenly, as if a fog had lifted, he was unafraid. Shoto’s father had unintentionally harmed his fleet by outright banning any involvement with other countries. Izuku had been so busy thinking about how both Snipe and Takami were such good bowmen that he failed to comprehend the fact that this ship simply had so Much. Firepower.

If they wanted to, Izuku wouldn’t doubt they’d blow the ship into the sky, and he then thought the only reason they weren’t going to do that is to make sure that Hitoshi wasn’t caught in the crossfire.

“I don’t feel comfortable with how many people they’ll kill with those cannons,” Shoto said lowly.

Izuku looked up at the ceiling, and two seconds later, someone screamed, “Fire!”

He was unprepared for just how loud the cannon firing would be when they were just underneath. His whole head reverberated with it, shook him down to his very bones. He was feeling restless; he needed to know what was going on...if Captain Takami had died. Despite their desperation to get to their mission, Izuku still felt remorse at the fact men he probably knew of would die.

“How far do those guns fire?” He turned to Koji who was squatting at the back of the hold, with a small goat in his arms, covering its ears.

He tried to ignore just how terrified and distressed the creature was; he was surprised it hadn’t died.

Koji held up a hand and lifted two fingers on one hand, and three fingers on the other.

“Two hundred to three hundred yards?” he asked, and the man nodded.

That was far more than a bow. He was terrified it wouldn’t work, but he hastily explained his plan to his two charges before racing up the decks to see what was happening. All of the crew were poised to board, and to Izuku’s disbelief, they’d targeted their firing to the front of the ship where the wood was weakest. They’d crippled it with two blasts.

Smoke rose in plumes from the ship, and Izuku knew that Takami would be planning a boarding assault with whatever remained of his men. Denki had been right in trusting the Captain, Izuku was beginning to realize just how disadvantaged Japan was becoming with the banning of trade.

He ran over to where he could see the captain.

"Fucks sake. Hanta! we need to make sure no one mans her! Get the gunners ready to fire again on my signal!" Captain Katsuki bellowed.

Izuku looked up to the Mizzen, and then at the other ship. He knew there were bow and arrows down in the stores and that more cannon fire would do nobody any good whatsoever.

He sprinted below deck, ignoring Sato's calls and shoved his way through the crew into the stores. He dug behind one of the barrels and tugged the arrows and the bow free before racing back up into the chaos.

"Captain!" Izuku yelled as the ship lurched in order to match the port side of the Japanese ship.

“The fuck is it!?” Bakugo's eyes pierced into his own as Izuku stumbled over to where he stood.

"I have a good aim, and now we’re close enough this will give us an advantage… I can Shoot them individually when they try to climb up and we won’t waste gunpowder while the men are up there."

Bakugo grinned. Feral excitement spread in Izuku's belly.

“Get up to the highest point and take down anyone that moves.”

“Yes Captain.” Izuku nodded, before turning and slinging the bow and arrows around his shoulder. The rope was coarse under Izuku's hands as he hauled himself up the rigging, his muscles burned, and Izuku bit down against ache before finally pulling himself to the lookout post where Hanta was kneeling. At Izuku's arrival the man shuffled over to make room.

“ One and a half metres before range,” Hanta yelled, and Izuku swiftly settled into position, pulling an arrow from the strapping and positioning it against the string of the bow as Hanta readied his gun. The deck was in his sights, the wind blowing the sail and covering the wheel at a pace of three. Izuku let out a breath, waiting for the right moment and kept his gaze trained on the deck.

They moved in closer, and Izuku didn't even move his head when he heard Lady Mei climb up to the mizzen and shuffle along next to him.

“Don’t tell me to go back down. I won’t be ordered about. Shoto’s looking after the goat man,” Mei hissed in his ear.

At this moment, with her superior eyesight, he could trust her, and so when she told him to aim and fire three degrees left, he listened. His arm ached; the arrow whistled passed his face and cut through the wind. He couldn’t hear it, but he knew that his target had dropped.

“Cover your ears." Hanta propped the gun up into position and flicked the flint.

Even while covering his ears, the noise from the gun next to him made him wince. He was still amazed at how accurate the weapon was. Izuku prepared a new arrow from the quiver, and watched for the sail to move out of the way of the helm. He blew out a slow breath, before his arm was yanked up to the Mast at the back of the ship.

"Snipe," he breathed. The man had been climbing up.

Izuku had to kill him. It took another moment of composing himself before he sent an arrow whistling through the air. His stomach turned as it hit Snipe in the back, and the man fell from the mast. The only thing that gave Izuku closure was the fact he knew the man had no family.

Izuku worked in tandem with Hanta. Each time he reloaded, Izuku sent arrows into the crew. When they became level with the ship, the other crew led an assault first—which Izuku was expecting.

From the day before, Izuku knew just how brutal Captain Bakugo could be, and they certainly didn't hold back with the military. To his relief, the weapons that Bakugo's crew wielded were a match. The smell of gunpowder and burning filled the air as several of Bakugo's crew fired from their hiding places before people with knives and swords fought.

"Don't stop now," Hanta muttered next to him.

He had three more arrows, he had to make them count. But, he knew deep down that he could not kill Takami. If he did, he would never meet the mercy of the Emperor. So, he aimed his bow elsewhere towards a crew member climbing across the planks Takami's crew had laid. He saw a man fighting with Eijiro, and it was then he saw Yuga being pushed against the edge of the ship, barely holding his sword against that of a much larger man.

In this situation, he had no idea who he could help, who would die if he hesitated.

"Who?" he let out breathlessly.

Hanta didn't warn him before he fired, and the man who'd been battling with a different crew member fell from the platform.

"Aim for the ones trying to get across," Hanta ordered.

Izuku nodded, and then he heard a whistle. He pulled Mei and Hanta down hard. There was a thunk above them and an arrow with a red feathered end pierced the wood.

Takami.

Izuku couldn’t see him, but he knew the man was there.

"Fuck," Hanta cursed. "Shuffle around the mizzen, we'll just have to get a couple of the ones on board."

Izuku obeyed, and he and Hanta took out five more men together. Izuku knew it was far too dangerous to head down then, and so he waited with the other rigger up in the eye. The fighting seemed to reach its crescendo, and Izuku felt useless without his bow. To his surprise, he saw Denki launch a spear from near one of the sail holds down to the deck, and then scurry away light on his feet.

Izuku also wasn't used to seeing women fight, and he was impressed with the women he saw hold their own against the crew. The fight was bloody, brutal, with Bakugo's crew too sustaining injuries. But like Denki had said, when the fight lulled and the pirates flooded onto the naval ship, they were injured but none of them had died.

Izuku wanted to climb down, but they were still at risk from being speared by an arrow. All Izuku could do was watch. It seemed the crew was pushing onto the other ship. But where was Keigo Takami?

"Hanta! The archer's kicked it!" came the shout below, and Izuku held up the cracked mirror lady Mei handed to him.

When it was not shot down, Hanta deemed it safe to climb down from the mizzen. He informed Mei and himself that 'they did good' and to help Tsuyu tend to the wounded. Izuku felt as though the world was going just a touch too fast. But he still stumbled over to help the crew on the ship carry the unconscious and injured down to Tsuyu.

He was unafraid to show some of his skills, but this time he was content that he and Shoto had not drawn their swords so to speak. Truthfully, being up in the mizzen had been exhilarating, and Hanta had been quite enjoyable to work with. As predicted, not many of the crew had serious injuries since they had the upper hand. Izuku wondered again just where they got the ship.

It was as he was helping Tsuyu bandage up Sato's waist that once again they heard the huge boom of the cannon above, and he was still gripping the swath of white fabric they used to move men from the floor onto the work bench. His eyes found Tsuyu's wide ones. Without a word he hurried upstairs to see what was going on.

To his astonishment, when Izuku climbed across the planks onto the Japanese ship, he saw the smoldering, smoky remains of a reinforced metal door; they'd actually blown into the room using one of the small cannons to reduce casualties. At that moment, Izuku’s vision seemed to block out the rest of the men and Keigo Takami’s crew. Captain Bakugo and the others had charged into the room, and Izuku could see in the clearing smoke the Captain advanced upon Takami.

He and Shoto had been kept separate from it all, and yet...Izuku knew that somehow, killing Takami would be a mistake. There would be repercussions for killing him; someone that Izuku was sure spent much time at the Emperor’s home. In a panic, Izuku wrapped the fabric around his face and forced himself to cough as he stumbled around still brawling men.

There were eight wooden cells, four on either side. Bakugo had Captain Takami against the back wall of the room, the military Captain was still loosely holding a katana.

“Captain!” he shouted, just as Bakugo was brandishing his gun.

Bakugo barely looked over his shoulder and Izuku raised the cloth up to his eyes so Takami wouldn’t see his face.

“If this ship is related to the Emperor we could bargain for money,” he said, coughing again.

“Or we’d have a target the size of Japan on our backs,” Bakugo grunted.

“Think of how much information we’d get about the other ships, I’m sure he won’t be useless,” Izuku tried, it wasn’t his best argument of persuasion, but it was all he could think right then.

“Captain, I’ve got 'Toshi.” Someone said to his right, his hair was flat to his head and he wore a traditional kimono.

Hitoshi.

It was then that Izuku saw just who had been the cause of all this, being supported by a member of the crew was a man. He was filthy, bound in chains that fit painfully around his throat and then down to his wrists. When he looked up, it was as though Izuku had stepped into a cool lake of water on a summer’s day. The hair on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end as he met the other man's eyes.

It was then that the fighting ceased, and Bakugo’s crew were victorious, the last man on Takami's crew was defeated, slain by a woman with cropped black hair, a black piece of fabric covering her face, in her hands were much smaller knives. The battle seemed to have ended as if Hitoshi commanded it, as he raised his head just when the last man fell.

“He’s right...that right there is Keigo Takami, a member of the Samurai employed by the Emperor himself.” Hitoshi’s voice was deep, but rough as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time.

Bakugo hissed so much vulgar language Izuku grimaced, but the Captain ordered Takami be tied up and taken with them. Izuku couldn't help but feel relieved, and yet still anxious as they bound Takami with his hands behind his back and led him from the barred room.

There were men in several of the cells, and like before, the Captain made his speech about joining them before the intimidating woman passed him a ledger of their crimes.

"Check the tags on their ankles, we've got two child murderers here," the woman said, voice like a venomous snake. "And I think I know why Toshi was brought with this lot."

"Good work Kyoka" Captain Bakugo said as he took the thick, blood spattered book.

Izuku left before the Captain decided their fates, he'd seen enough of the brutality and the righteousness of the man for then. He knew his duty was to Tsuyu and his Prince, and perhaps if he could gain Takami's trust, save him a terrible fate and have information on the Emperor.

Once out of sight of Takami, Izuku removed the material from his face and laid it down, he instructed the man to lay Hitoshi down on the sheet as the other crew members were busy raiding the ship for everything they had.

"Shit-careful of my hip" Hitoshi hissed as he was shifted and Izuku and the other crew member lifted him to carry him across.

"I'm sorry, we'll try and be more gentle," Izuku said, and his voice was quieter than usual, as if he thought it would stop Hitoshi’s gaze from flicking up to him.

Something about it was almost intimidating, his dark stare made Izuku grip the sheet tighter as they carried it up to the main deck.

"He's way tougher than he looks, he’s just being dramatic" The other crew member said with a roll of his eyes.

“I’m hurt Mashirao, literally and emotionally that you even think I’d over react,” Hitoshi said, Izuku couldn’t see the smile as he had to be careful where he stood but he could hear it in Hitoshi’s voice.

Izuku helped carry Hitoshi across the gang plank, and to his surprise, Yuga appeared out of thin air and instructed him to take the injured man to the Navigator's cabin.

"There's more space, Tsu said it's getting crowded downstairs," he explained.

In the Navigator's cabin, Izuku found himself having more medical knowledge than the other three, but Mashirao helped him managed to get the chains off with a lot of strength and tough work with a set of bolt cutters so large Izuku wondered how he even lifted them.

"Do you have any injuries that you're concerned about?" Izuku asked as he began to check Hitoshi over.

The man was a tapestry of bruises when Izuku started to clean him up, thankfully Yuga had come back from Tsuyu’s with a thick, green paste that Izuku knew would be good for the cuts and bruises. Hitoshi told him not to worry, that there was nothing too serious. Izuku did all he could not to get distracted by the smooth plane Hitoshi’s stomach. Despite the other man’s protests, Izuku pressed gently on Hitoshi’s rib and hip, and the answering hiss told him all he needed to know. He’d likely either been thrown on that side or been beaten to the point he was injured. The huge bruises were yellowing though, so they had healed some, and Hitoshi said he could breathe comfortably.

“My ankle...it’s dislocated I think, I tried to climb out the window and ended up face down on the floor.”

“I don’t know how you survived those weeks,” Mashirao commented in a low voice as he helped Izuku wrap bandages that Izuku wiped with the paste securely around Hitoshi’s waist and chest.

Izuku realised Hitoshi’s injuries must’ve been a lot worse than they imagined with the way Mashirao was Grimacing and Yuga was biting his thumbnail where he perched against the bed. He could see the pinch in Yuga’s brow, and feel the twitch of Hitoshi’s muscles as he reached a sore part of him which seemed to be everywhere.

“I gotta say at some point I did that zen thing you said you do,” Hitoshi said, trying to be funny, but he just sounded strained.

“Don’t you worry,” Yuga said with enough venom to kill a man. “We got them back.”

“I’m aware-ow-I’m pretty sure Kyoka took down five of them on her own -ow, fuck-”

Izuku was gently turning Hitoshi’s face this way and that, to make sure his neck was uninjured, and apart from the bruising he seemed in good shape. Hitoshi’s eyes met his own as he looked down at him from above.

“You’re new,” he murmured.

“Yes,” Izuku said simply as he swiftly moved down to Hitoshi’s ankles to check the movement, it was a lateral dislocation. Hitoshi’s ankle was bent inwards, and the clean lines and lack of Hitoshi’s complaints told him there was no break. “Mashirao, please hold his calf firmly”

Hitoshi only lifted his head to eye him, and Mashirao got into position.

“You know what you’re doing?”

“Yes.” Izuku answered, and without warning, swiftly moved Hitoshi’s dislocated ankle back into position. He felt the thunk, and then the movement was suddenly much smoother.

“Motherfucker! What the fuck-What” Hitoshi let out, and then he stopped and flopped back on the table. “Ow.”

“I’m going to throw up,” Yuga said, his voice faint.

“Better?” Izuku asked and he gently lifted Hitoshi’s ankle up and pulled the man down slightly, so his calf was pressed against Izuku’s chest and there was no pressure at all on the now less swollen area.

“Yeah...yeah it’s better-where did Katsuki find this one?” Hitoshi’s head turned to Mashirao who too was looking slightly stunned.

Yuga had taken out a bottle of alcohol from somewhere and was swigging it down, after a brief pause and a deep breath, he passed to Hitoshi who struggled up onto his elbows and took large swallows.

“On his way to being sold in China” Yuga hissed, his cheeks now more colourful after the assault on the alcohol bottle.

“I saw him shoot down at least three of Takami’s crew and he’s been here a day.” Mashirao said, eyeing Izuku also.

Hitoshi’s eyes lighted in surprise, and Izuku saw the genuine lift of a smile to his lips.

“Looks like he’s just the type of guy we need.”

“Thank you,” Izuku let out softly, he could feel his cheeks heating, and he couldn’t help holding on a little tighter to Hitoshi's leg. “Your recovery time is six to twelve weeks.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Hitoshi groaned, and flopped back onto the table.

#War against the world fic #Overtime-citymha #shindeku #izuku x hitoshi #my hero academia #boki no hero academia #shoto todoroki #prince!shoto #pirateau #pirate!bakugo #historical au

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evansbby · 2 years

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BABE DETAILS!!!!!! Which specific VS lotion? What makeup? 🥰🥰

why do i love these questions so much bahahaha idk i guess i’ve just been WAITING to talk about my makeup routine bahaha I’ll make the font small bc this is gonna be long

firstly i feel like the laser i get done on my face doubles as like a collagen treatment bc it makes my skin all tight and glowy already. on top of that i use just use normal cerave facewash and three times a week on alternative days, I use this exfoliating thing from Murad which I got from the laser clinic. I feel like my makeup applies best when I exfoliate before

then i don’t use any primer, i just use spf 50 which doubles as moisturiser too (also from the laser clinic) and I kind of… massage it onto my face really well, specially cheekbones m, jawline and neck to kind of shape my face and remove any puffiness? I learnt this from this model Doutzen’s YouTube channel (models are super informative about makeup and beauty, I can tell you more in another post bahaha).

THENNN, i use charlotte tilbury’s flawless filter which is kind of like a filter on your skin with a tint, super lightweight and you can wear it by itself or under foundation to make yourself look all glowy. and honestly this is the product that makes me look all dewy and glowy. then i use an excessive amount of blush (I use glossier shade storm which is like a berry colour) and then I use a random cream concealer which I dab in with my ring finger (another model tip) under my eyes, and I use a darker shade cream concealer to contour lightly (again dabbing in using fingers — brushes and spongers are overrated). i also use charlotte tilbury’s setting spray liberally after every step and set the concealer with powder too..

then i just put on lashes (always use mascara before, and super subtle eyeliner to guide where to glue the lashes). honestly the eyeliner doesn’t even show, it’s just so i can glue my lashes a bit more up on the sides to give a lifted look. tatti lashes worn as a half lash for a casual look and dose of lashes or unicorn lashes for a fuller glam look.. btw all of this looks like a guy’s version of no makeup… like it’s all super light and dewy I promise — I hate heavy makeup on myself (absolutely hate 2016 makeup and always have bahahaha) sometimes I’ll do lipgloss and liner but mostly I don’t… anyways i also fill in my brows but super lightly so it looks natural… they’re already quite full so I get them threaded kinda thing bc I like the thin brows look and I’m brown so they grow back pretty fast anyways..

so yeah!! This was unnecessarily long but I love answering makeup questions! The reason my makeup game has gotten so good recently (If I do say so myself) is bc of this tiktoker called Amelia Olivia!! All her makeup tips and tricks for glowy glass skin are so amazing and have really allowed me to level up!! Also I use the VS lotion that matches with the mists, so pure seduction lotion!!

#ok I’ll stop now #what do I tag this as #me #about me #my thoughts 💭#anon

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loveforpreserumsteve · 1 year

Text

A Whole New Ballfield: "ALN" Story (Pre-Serum Omega!Steve and Alpha!Bucky Modern Domestic AU)

Twelve:

"Stevie, you've outdone yourself," Natasha moaned around a mouthful of chocolate cupcake.

Playfully rolling his eyes, Steve dismissed his best friend, "It's just cake. The same recipe that I've been using for years."

"But it's always the best," Nattie shrugged, finishing off the cupcake.

Shaking his head, Steve refilled the veggie platter. Carefully arranging them in hopes to distract himself until the party could get on with it. After all, he was impatiently awaiting to find out what his grandchild was going to be. Sure, Steve was going to love that baby no matter what, but there was an energetic buzz in the air with everyone's excite–

"Who's Kit's friend?" Natasha asked, coyly evaluating the person she was talking about.

Turning to look where she was, Steve smiled. Although things fizzled out between Kit and Huxley almost as quickly as they began, Leigh-Anne had made herself a fixture around the house. Truly getting the Ian Treatment of being an honorary Barnes member.

And, of course, that also meant that the spit-fire of an omega was here today.

"That's Leigh-Anne," Steve informed. "And she's just a friend. I don't want you getting any ideas about playing matchmaker. Kit isn't ready for that."

"First off, if I waited to match people until they were ready, you wouldn't be on your way to being a grandpa. And second," Nattie placed her hand on her hip, accentuating her curves even more than the Betty Boop costume did. "If they didn't want to spark my matching gene, they shouldn't have decided on a couple's costume."

Glancing over at the twenty-one year olds, Steve could admit that he did quirk a brow when Leigh-Anne showed up in a powder blue tuxedo. Very much the perfect Harry to Kit's Lloyd. It had been easy to see why Bucky thought they were such a great pair for each other. Even before the Dumb and Dumber costumes.

"You know," Natasha started. Lowering her naturally raspy voice, she tried to persuade the petite omega, "They would be beautiful babies."

All Steve could do was shake his head, but the smile remained. She wasn't wrong. But Steve thought that all of his kids would make beautiful babies no matter who they were with. However, he knew that Kit was nowhere near ready for that. The longest relationship that they had ever been in had been two weeks. And Steve wasn't sure if that counted since it was a crush that led to nowhere because they moved on without even giving it a shot.

Sighing, Steve searched through the crowd of their friends and family. Finding Ian, the omega leaned in close so he could quietly tell the godmother to his children, "If you want to match someone, try Ian. Him and Daryl broke up –"

"Shut up!" Nat gasped. Holding her hand to her chest, "But they were so good together."

"They were," Steve agreed. "But Daryl got the chance to work abroad."

Shaking her head, a deep sorrow briefly flashed over her face. She could empathize with loving someone and then setting them free. Knowing that not all lovers were meant to last forever. After all, she had firsthand experience.

Snapping back to her usual confident self, Natasha excitedly started, "I have the perfect person for him!"

"Of course, you do," Steve good-humoredly scoffed.

"Although, they are local..."

"That just means he gets to move back home," Steve grinned. "And you know how much we want that. Especially Bucky, the big softy."

"James? Wanting his kids close? Never," Nat mocked, causing the two of them to loudly laugh.

Speak of the devil, Steve thought when the alpha himself approached them. "What's so funny?"

"Just admiring your future daughter-in-law," Natasha answered, causing Steve to choke on his saliva.

"Nat," Steve swatted at her once his breathing returned to normal. "We just agreed that we wouldn't set them up."

"Now, Stevie," Bucky started. Smug, he continued, "Let's hear her out. After all, she does have excellent taste and a good track record."

Setting his mouth into a straight line, Steve narrowed his eyes at his husband, more than ready to tell his husband off. Before he could say anything though, Pepper announced, "Gather 'round!"

"Oh my goodness," Winnie excitedly stated.

Here and there, people murmured enthusiastically as they formed a loose circle around the expecting parents. And really, Steve and Bucky couldn't help but get swept away in their guests' eagerness. Especially since they were feeling the same way.

"These are for after the balloon is popped," Tony told them, handing out the confetti poppers to the family members.

Taking up a place beside her in-laws, Roberta leaned over to ask, "What do you think they are?"

Pointing at the pin on his Batman costume, Bucky predicted, "Team ghoul, all the way."

Playfully bumping Steve's shoulder, "What about you?"

The pin on his Robin costume proclaimed his choice loud and clear. Moving the yellow cape off his shoulder, "Team boo-y!"

Roberta nodded, "I'm still undecided."

"Okay!" Rhodey clapped his hands to gain everyone's attention. In his hand, there was a large black balloon with the question: Boo-y or Ghoul?

Beside him, Oliver held a large needle and had a bright, beaming grin on his face. "Everyone ready?"

"YES!"

Chuckling, Ollie nodded, and Rhodey steadied the balloon. Without hesitating, Oliver pricked the balloon, causing the massive thing to pop, and reveal a shower of tiny blue balloons, blue confetti, and blue streamers. Excitedly, the family twisted their confetti poppers, revealing more of the blue confetti and streamers.

Congratulatory hugs and pats were given, and Steve couldn't help but cry. Sure, he would've been happy either way, but to know he couldn't help but bask in the love that filled their house. They were getting a grandson. A little Rory Roo that was going to be so much like his fathers, Steve could already tell.

While Steve wiped some of the happiest tears he had ever cried from his face, Bucky pulled him in for a tight hug. Even going so far as to lift the petite omega off the ground. Before Steve could tell his husband to put him down, the alpha buried his face in the crook of Steve's neck, letting him feel his own tears of joy.

"Mazel tov!" Nattie patted the two men on their backs.

"Thanks," Steve sniffled, being set back down on the ground. Bucky sniffled as well, but pulled his mate in close, tucking him under his strong prosthetic. Wanting to get all his love across – because he was so unbelievably thankful for his life – he told his best friend, "I mean it, Nat. I'll never be able to thank you enough."

"I know, sweetie," she assured, comfortingly rubbing his arm, and then reaching up to wipe at her own wet eyes.

"Well?" Ollie asked, standing in front of his fathers.

"'Well,' what?" Bucky good-naturedly scoffed, pulling the younger, taller omega under his other, flesh arm.

Playfully rolling his eyes, he removed himself from under Bucky's arm so he could face the two men. Worrying his lower lip with his teeth, he asked, "Are you disappointed he's not a girl? That he's not a, 'Flora?'"

"Oh, honey," Steve reached out and took his son's hand in his. Reassuring, "It doesn't matter what they are, we love them all the same. He never would've been our Flora, but that doesn't mean that he won't be the best Rory there ever was."

Wiping at his own tears, Oliver nodded. Steve couldn't help but feel bad about the burden his son had hoisted upon his pup's shoulders. Steve would never want his grandchild to live in the shadow of who their aunt could've been. The expectations never even crossed his mind because there could never be another Flora for them, just like there would never be another Ro–

"Ooh!" Oliver exclaimed, hands immediately going to his bump.

"Everything okay?" Bucky asked, causing worry to stain the bond.

New tears fell over Oliver's freckled cheeks and a large, toothy grin split his face, "He's moving."

Both of the older men beamed, but knew better than to just reach out and touch. Ollie knew that. So, he took Bucky's flesh hand and one of Steve's and brought them to his bump so they could feel their grandson. And as if he was trying to join their conversation, Roo made sure to kick with all he had so it couldn't be missed.

The love that coursed through the bond was so strong and abundant that it made Steve feel weak in the knees. Especially when Bucky got down to his knees so he could be face-to-face with the twenty-two week bump.

"Hello!" Bucky started, grin growing when another kick pushed along Oliver's abdomen. "Can't wait to meet you, bub! None of us can!"

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