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falcor-thee-luck-dragon · 3 years

Text

Let Chaos Reign

Chapter 4- People Of Earth

Summary: On the run from the Avengers in your search for a way off Earth, you meet some mortal annoyances along the way until a certain blue eyed human is able to find you wandering in the forest. But can he convince you to come back to the Avenger’s base with him?

Warning: action, blood, fighting, Bucky doing his best, slight fluff

Masterlist - Chapter 3

So Bucky had been thinking.

If finding Y/N was only as easy as looking at her red dot on the tracker, then damn, he could just teleport to her no problem. Unfortunately the worlds technology hasn't yet reached Star Trek technological advancements, nor can he teleport. It's been a long hectic couple days trying to find her which is starting to drive Bucky up a wall, how is she so sneaky? He can literally see her location at all times but yet she's evaded him at all costs without even trying, she doesn't even know a tracker is attached to the inside of her jacket.

And the team, they haven't been much help at all. They've decided to listen to Fury's orders and stay clear of Bucky's mission when it comes to finding the escaped demigod and bringing her back to the Avenger's base. A lot of help they are. At least Steve checks in for updates when he's not getting pulled into a training session by any particular person of the hour. Maybe the tracker doesn't even work. Maybe?

No, it's Stark made. It has to work, this problem is simply Y/N.

Bucky pulls off to the side of the road near a little park in some rural town way outside of New York City where he knows Y/N went through not even twenty-three hours ago. He opens his door, slamming it shut in frustration before taking in a big breath of fresh air. The day is slightly overcast yet he doesn't appear to mind it at all, having the hot sun blaring down upon him never feels very pleasant. Then again, maybe he's just more familiar with colder temperatures.

A crow flies down across the vacant road from him, it ignores Bucky as it jumps onto the road in order to pick at some road kill of a dead flattened squirrel. Bucky reverts his gaze when his eyes soon land upon a bent wooden telephone line further up the road where it looks like a car ran right into it. Wanting to stretch his legs for a bit and feed into his curiosity, Bucky jogs across the street and over to the area of flattened grass and wood splinters.

He observes the wreckage. Its just as he saw from farther away, a splintered post with pieces of wood spread across the grass from the impact. A couple glass chunks shimmer in the few rays of sunlight peeking out from behind the clouds. There are tire marks imprinted into the mudded ground leading up to the post, he crouches down to get a better look at the source of impact.

A dog barks in the background, its legs getting closer and closer to Bucky until a wet slobbery nose finds its way onto Bucky's right arm. The face of a golden retriever greets him as a young man races to the spot looking very embarrassed.

"Trout! Get away from the man, be nice! Be nice! He might not want your kisses!" He shouts desperately, "Trout!"

Bucky pets the friendly dog while his owner runs to their spot before standing to greet him, "He's fine, don't worry about it."

The red faced man smiles shyly, "I'm so sorry. He gets so excited whenever there's a stranger around I just don't understand it."

Bucky shakes his head, "It's fine, really. I like dogs."

The dog sniffs around Bucky's boots before sniffing the skid marks, "Oh I'm Gio by the way, sorry about my boy Trout. I love him but he can be a lot."

"Hi." Mutters Bucky, "I'm James."

"Nice to meet you..oh..Trout drop that piece of wood you nucklehead it's sharp!" The dog stops before dropping the wood, it starts sniffing around the grounds again. Gio looks at Bucky, "It's too bad what happened here, just last night too. Thank God nobody died! It's just unfortunate."

"What happened?"

Gio nods towards the splintered pole, "Some nutcase ran out in front of the guy driving and then bam, he just swerved to miss 'em and ended up totaling his car and getting a bruised collar bone. He's my neighbor. Poor guy, never got a proper look at the idiot who did it either so there's no one to blame."

Bucky's brows furrow, "No one saw who ran in front of your friend?"

Gio stops a second to think harder on the matter, "Hmm...okay wait a second Nick did say this person moved like faster then a frickin' deer. They were here one second and gone the next, right into the woods."

"Where is Nick now? Is he okay?"

"Oh yeah he's fine, just chillin' in his hospital bed for another day until his headache goes away. Guess he also got a concussion or something, some shit luck I tell you."

"Thank you, I gotta go." Says Bucky quickly before turning on his heels and jogging across the street. Leaving a very confused Gio to go run after his dog again.

There's a hefty possibility that Y/N had absolutely nothing to do with anything surrounding that crash, however, Bucky has to know. He pulls into the Westonville Hospital before Winter Soldier sneaking his way inside and now here he stands on the other side of the door to Nick's room, 213. He knocks, a man answers and says to come in, Bucky does. Shutting the door right after.

The man lays upright in bed, sipping on a juice box as he quickly locks eyes with Bucky. "Hello." Says the twenty-something year old, "You a nurse?"

Bucky could have laughed, "No. Just here to ask you a couple questions."

"Listen man, the police already got my statement. I wasn't drunk...nor on anything at the time. I don't do that shit while driving, I wanna stay alive okay?"

"Right." Mutters Bucky, "I just want to know if you saw this person who caused you to wreck."

He eyes Bucky suspiciously, "Dude are you with the FBI or something? Cause the police think I just saw a deer but I'm telling you it wasn't a deer okay?"

"What was it then?"

The man looks from the door then back to Bucky, he makes a waving motion for him to walk closer, "Dude, this was some lady. She was so fast I never even saw her till she was almost road kill...then....and you're not gonna believe me....then I swear to God, she pushed my car." Whispers Nick before nodding, "Dude that's how I went into the pole, she pushed me and I lost control and BAM! Right into a pole. Asshole, my damn car is fucked."

"Do you know what she looked like?" Nick then proceeds to give an accurate description of you and all your beautiful chaotic-ness, who's apparently still not very fond of human transportation vehicles.

Bucky then glances from Nick still rambling about you and what a dickhead you must be, to the window showing the woods and half a parking lot. He can't let you escape him again, you might end up killing someone next time and that absolutely cannot happen.

——

Stupid men! Stupid humans getting in your way! These people are irritating and bothersome, all you wanted was to search for the Ancient One in peace. All you want is to find her and get the fuck off this planet so you can confront your brother and...

"Miss are you okay?" A scratchy voice speaks to you from the car to your left, you turn your head to meet the face of a young woman looking at you with kind eyes, "You need a ride?"

"No."

She gives you a look, your appearance is admittedly more roughed up then you would like, but it's been a rough couple days since your last shower and you're technically on the run from Earth's Avengers. "You sure? I got room in here, and a nice place to stay with food and a shower too. Just tryna be nice to someone who looks like they could use a hand." You look like you could use a hand to the face.

Your brows furrow, she reeks of too much perfume and something else, "What kind of food?" You technically do need a ride and this may be your only chance to get one somewhere away from this place in the middle of nowhere. Also a place to stay for the night would be admittedly very nice considering you've been sleeping in trees and behind people's sheds.

Her eyes light up in surprise, "Anything you want. Just tell me and I got you."

"Good."

She unlocks the door, "Come on in. I'm Ava by the way. Nice to meet you, now I hope you don't mind but back at my place I got a couple roommates. But don't worry they come and go, they won't bother you I promise." You don't believe her, but hop in next to her anyways. She looks like she could use a better friend then whoever she stays with. You can smell at least one of them on her.

She gives you a strange faltering smile when you take notice of a nose piercing; she wears a jacket and jeans, although an odd tattoo showing off some line of numbers keeps itself on her right wrist hidden by some colorful bracelets. All in all she is an attractive woman. But her car is no better then her person, the scent is vulgar and repulsive but you're admittedly too hungry to care. Too much perfume.

The ride to her apartment complex takes about twenty minutes, in this time Ava has explained to you how her favorite food, chicken alfredo, is made. She also won't stop looking at the long mirror above your heads, it's like something keeps drawing her attention but there's nothing behind the car of any important significance. Maybe that's just a human thing?

Eventually she takes a couple turns that passes more street stores, houses, and apartments until she drives near a gas station and takes a left for an apartment building of reddish brick that looks like a shitty castle.

It's nestled within the town, with its rear to a small park, oddly enough she claims you can see the city from the roof. Getting out, you watch as she shuts her door before jogging to the back and pulling out a couple groceries. "Oh hey there, can you get the waters, there's like three packs here but we can come back for them later."

You quickly walk to the back of her trunk and lean down to pick up all three waters with ease, her eyes go big, "Oh wow..okay yeah, that'll work." She shuts the back, you begin following her across the parking lot. Stomach growling.

Her wary eyes fall onto you, "So uh, you lift?"

"No."

She nods, "Cool cool, uh you from around here?"

"No."

"Okay cool, I am, well not originally...I was actually from Arizona but then I ran away when I was thirteen because my home life was pretty shit and then I met my boyfriend Jed and he took me here and..." Her face shifts into a frown before it regains it's half smile once more, "Doesn't matter now I guess, it's not fantastic here...with him. But I got a place to stay and a roof over my head and he gets me anything I want really. So it's not so bad."

You can't help but feel somethings not right with her, and this bothers you deeply, "So uh, how's your lover? Jed."

She frowns, "Oh he's nice....I wouldn't say lover I guess....and he's kinda older then me but it's fine really. You might see him, he comes and goes yunno?"

She opens the glass doors for you to walk inside, the area smells of stale air and smoke, "How old?"

She purses her lips together, "Not that much older, I'm seventeen he's just a little above that. But it works for us, he's got me a nice place and he loves me so that's nice." Her smile falters, you can tell something isn't right here but can't quite place your finger on it.

Ava keeps silent for the rest of the trek upstairs until she leads you down a long hallway to a tall white door reading A8 on the front, a small glass porthole in the center. She gets her keys out, "Try not to touch anything, he doesn't like messes okay? Just uh, follow me okay, he might have a friend here."

"Alright then. Proceed." She gives a little nod before unlocking the door and opening it up to reveal a large apartment as clean as a button, with the exception of a few tall thin glass bottles empty of all liquid laying on the short glass table in the lounging area. A large screen is on showcasing something of little importance to you.

Ava sets the groceries on the kitchen counter before racing over to the short table, "Oh sorry about the mess, please just set the waters down by the trash can. Give me a moment." You look down to find a tall thin metal can, doesn't look like a trash can but you set the three cases of water down anyways.

Standing in the middle of her kitchen she hastily rushes in to drop the bottles in the trash can, "I'll put the stuff away, do you-do you want anything?"

"Whatever gives me enough strength to continue on my journey."

"Right. Yeah okay uh we got," She opens up the fridge, "we got some burritos from last night. And fruit....a lot of beer....you don't want that. Here, I'll heat this up for you okay." She shuts the fridge and takes the assumed burrito to another square object hanging from the wall. She pops open the door before placing the food inside and shutting it.

She turns it on. "What is that device?" You ask a sit makes a strange vacuum sound.

She raises a brow, "A microwave." Voice on the tinge of humor, the microwave beeps and she soon opens it back up. "Here ya go! It's a day old so don't worry, still fresh."

She hands it to you, you look down at the warm thing wrapped in a brown paper, "Appreciated."

Your meal is well received and admittedly pretty delicious, once finished do you walk over to the giant glass window to have a look outside, you can see the tops of many trees and farther away across the greenery lays a city just as Ava had spoken of.

Maybe the Ancient One resides somewhere in there, hidden, but within the ginormous labyrinth of steel, cement, and glass. Farther down the hallway a door swings open and the pattering of bare feet is heard walking down the tiled floors of shiny white. This place really is clean, like a small palace for the mortals.

The man stops at the end of the halls archway though you don't care to look at him, "Ava who's the bitch over there? I thought Jed wasn't buying anymore for a few weeks." Whispers the man to the kind woman, Ava, who stands frozen in the kitchen.

You immediately don't like him, but stay your ground to listen, she whispers back, "She's a friend. Needed somewhere to stay for a day or so."

He walks over to her, "He's gonna be pissed when he sees your new friend here. If she's not here to sell, get her the fuck out before your man comes home tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Yeah tonight. His trip to Vegas ended yesterday, he's on his way. Don't you know how time works?"

She shakes her head, "Guess I just forgot is all. I'll make sure she's gone."

He looks over to give you a proper once over, you can hear his heartbeat quicken, "Not too bad either. Nice ass, she looks good..real good, it's a damn shame she's not here to stay for the fun. I wouldn't mind a couple of rounds with her myself."

Your fists clench, you've had enough of this jabbering animal, "Oh really?" You turn around to watch as his eyes go wide when they take notice of the golden color of your irises, "What filth you spill off of that thing you call a mouth is repulsive and disgusting. Who are you may I ask?"

He quickly retains his swagger once again, he takes a step forward, "I'm Jed's right hand man, Antonio, I run this bitch when he's away and I don't like how you're talking to me."

"I'm not entirely fond of your existence. Leave us, I want to speak with Ava alone."

Antonio's face shows bewildered rejection, "Excuse me?"

You take a threatening step forward, "I don't believe my tongue slipped. You heard me correctly. Leave." He keeps still as a statue, mind still processing your words. Clearly no on had ever bothered to talk to him like this before.

He blinks and points a hand up for emphasis, "No whore tells me what I can and can't do in my own goddamn house!" He immediately rushes past Ava to grab something under the kitchen bar.

She gasps in surprise, "Tony no! Don't do this! Put it away she didn't mean it, she doesn't I swear! I swear!"

He walks back around to shove her into the couch, "Shut up." He throws up his arm to reveal a black hand held object that could be nothing else but a small gun, you stare at it in curiosity, expression interested and unfazed.

He doesn't like that, he tilts the gun at you angrily, "What's up now huh! You ain't telling me to do nothin' I run this fucker up in here! So you're gonna fuckin' listen to me you whore! I'll fu.." Antonio's body stiffens, his eyes go wide as saucers when he realizes he's not able to move, not able to speak.

Hands kept to your sides, you curl the fingers of your right hand to bloodbend this imbecile. Moving this hand to the right, Antonio's grasp is forced open and the gun clatters to the floor. "What are you doing!?" Shouts Ava fearfully.

"Teaching a dog a lesson."

Curling the fingers of your other hand, Antonio is forced to walk in staggered painful steps across the carpet at your will, Ava gasps in fright as she watches your little horror show. "Men don't treat their people like animals, you want to act like a beast. Then you'll be one."

His throat makes a dry crackly sound as he tries to scream when you move your hands to orchestrate a new action, Antonio is forced to his knees where he crawls like a dog across the clean carpet. A frightened man he becomes, his movements choppy and forced, body awkward and stiff as he moves on all fours. Proud of your work, you walk over to the man and crouch down to reach his level, "You see, the universe has created us all for a reason. Whether we are powerful or not, that control we have can be taken as it can be given."

He mumbles a reply that cannot be heard properly even by your hears.

"You know of your power?" He shakes his head as you smirk, "Your strength is built from fear and hatred. That is no way to find your place in the world, that is how tyrants lead."

Drool runs down the side of his mouth as his eyes look up to you pleadingly. "Stop it! You're hurting him!" Shouts Ava.

You give Antonio a pitiful look, "I know. And this creature deserves more then I'm willing him to do, but because you've gained my respect. I will release him." Standing, you flick your hands and Antonio is released from your trance. He coughs and sputters in a curled up heap on the floor like a beaten old dog.

"Pathetic." You mutter dryly as Ava breaths heavily from the couch.

"Wh-what are you?" She whispers, "Are you a witch?"

"No. But I am someone who is done with this place." You give her a respectful tilt of your head, "Ava, I thank you for your hospitality, but I must leave." She watches as you take one last look around the room before walking towards the closed door. Turning the handle you're prepared to exit when she screams. "Antonio no!"

Boom!

The bullet stops three inches from the back of your head, whipping around to face your assailant, he fires two more rounds as you halt the bullets in their tracks. He registers what's happening and quickly chooses to pull the trigger again. As a plethora of steel flies your way, you raise an open palm that causes them all to freeze in place.

The room goes deathly silent before Antonio takes a single step and you've sent all five bullets straight through his vulnerable flesh. Blood flies across the walls as he slumps to the ground while Ava gasps in terror, too afraid to make a sound.

You frown, gaze set on Ava, "I'm sorry I had to do this in front of you. He gave me no choice, but I think this loss will not be mourned over." Your golden eyes flicker back down at the bullet ridden body, "A quick death is more then he deserved. So long Ava, be brave."

The door opens.

"What the fuck happened here?!" Speaks a man most certainly in his late thirties as he sets something on the ground, "Who's this bitch?"

Ava's expression shifts to fear as you let out a tired sigh, eyes set to the man you know as Jed, "An old friend." ——

Crouched down by a river, you rub off flecks of blood that dissipate into the murky water like forgotten memories. You just wanted to eat and rest a while as you gathered your thoughts. But here you are, you've killed two humans and have damaged a couple busses in the process of it all. Not to mention that one car the other night...at least that man kept his life.

This realm is complicated and busy, there's not enough wilderness to hide in and there are certainly too many prying eyes that can catch you with their small square devices easier then you'd like. Thankfully Ava had not seen your rampage on the internet so she wasn't able to instantly recognize you. Then again you weren't wearing your armor.

However your eye color certainly doesn't aid you in finding a way into the city close by, that's still too far for your liking, people will undoubtedly stare. At this point you don't trust a single soul, and anyone close enough to see your face would most likely report you to the authorities in an instant.

Your goal has been thwarted one too many times and that shit does not fly with you one bit. Find the Ancient One, have her open a portal to your realm, and from there kick your brothers ass. It's all very simple, well at least it should be. Stupid Midgardians.

Hrrrrr Hrrrrrrrr! A loud horn blares from within the woods to your back right, twisting around and standing at attention, your fists emit flame when a huge lumbering mass of metal rolls through the trees practically making the ground shake.

It sounds like a tiny thunderstorm, you've never seen anything like it except for when you where in Norway but that vehicle was significantly smaller and less loud. "God this place is insufferable." You mutter, annoyed by the less then peaceful atmosphere of Midgard.

So far you've evaded the watchful eyes of the Avengers for the past three days and have gotten nowhere on your quest for vengeance. And now this thing just adds to your stirred up pot of frustration.

Taking a breath, you decide to wander through the trees until you've found the tracks where that metal vessel was drawing its power from, oddly enough the steel bars attached to plates of wood does not give off energy. Strange.

Figuring it must be the vehicle itself, you sway your mind from pondering the idea as your thoughts drift to that of home and the necklace hidden around your neck. This valued object was your dying mother's, a heirloom of your linage, and a damn powerful piece of jewelry.

But your brother and his wicked ideas, he wanted to use it for his grant thoughts of tyranny and power over the nine realms. A fool, no one could ever claim such a feat, no place needs rules like such from one being calling all the shots. It's madness.

It's insane.

Shaking your head, you keep following down the tracks as you listen to the sounds of cars in the far off distance. Birds chirp and flutter by while minding their business in the forest, although you could have sworn you heard a soft thud in the dirt behind you. A shuffle of stones maybe?

A deer perhaps? No, this is no deer; halting your trek to the city, you place your hands upon your hips before slowly turning around, "I'd expected as much. You are a clever man after all....Bucky."

The dark haired man greets you with a shy grin as he stands there off to the side of the tracks, dressed in casual attire like that when you saw him in Norway. He seems genuinely happy to see you, "I wish I could stay away." Replies Bucky in a playful tone, "But you've killed two human traffickers and I gotta make sure you don't hurt anyone else. Even if they deserve it."

You scoff, "I could end your life right now if I wanted to, kill all your friends next and then burn this world to ash and dust trying to get what I want. No matter the cowards I've killed."

He shrugs, "That sounds harsh. I'd rather you didn't actually, kinda like being alive." He's such a smartass in the best way, yet you hold back a smile to keep your noble aurora about you.

"Fair point I suppose. This Earth may be greatly flawed, but I have no qualms with the people here but that of my own business."

"Right. Your own business, finding the Ancient One and dealing with your brother and all that stuff." Nods Bucky, "Y/N, you know we could help you..."

"I don't need it! I'll find my way through this planet myself. Alone!" You shout, causing the trees to creak and moan from a surplus of wind that blows Bucky's hair about. He knows what you're capable of, but he has to try and persuade you anyways.

He looks almost apprehensive to approach you, "Y/N please. I know we all got off on the wrong foot, probably by a lot. But my friends are good people, we want to help you find what you're looking for. I promise you that." Says Bucky with a pleading look, "No lies. I promise."

You give him a conflicted glare as you think of your options; he found you somehow, he legitimately wants to help, and you desperately need a way off this damn planet. Maybe they do know a way, maybe they'll actually be able to help you, maybe Bucky is truthful?

He goes to take a step forward when you throw a hand out, "Stop." He keeps still as you take a breath, "Bucky, you give me your word?"

"I do."

"Promise!"

Raising his hands up, he gives you a sincere look, "I promise Y/N."

Taking a long moment to think over his words, you finally nod, "Good." He watches as you walk across the tracks until you're within a couple feet of him, he swallows, unsure if you might have just lied and are about to set him on fire. Instead he's relieved when you gift him a tight lipped grin, "Fine then, let us leave this place."

"Awesome.....yeah, okay good...well I'm parked back that way. We can just walk on the tracks instead of through the woods. Easier that way." He takes a couple steps back the way you came, when you don't move does Bucky stop and reach a hand out for you to take, "I'm not going to hurt you Y/N, I promised I'd help you remember?"

"I haven't forgotten." You quickly answer him.

"Good because I intend to keep it." He smiles softly, beautiful stormy blues focused all on you with a gloved hand ready for you to take.

You shake your head before walking past him, "Fine but I'm not shaking your hand."

Bucky chuckles to himself as he watches you practically swagger down the side of the tracks away from him. Quickly does he break from his staring trance to jog over to your side. The two of you walk for a little ways in complete silence until you glance over at him when your curiosity gets the better of you. There's just one tiny question you still need answered, "Well, how'd you find me?"

Bucky holds back a grin, "Your pocket." He points down towards your jackets pocket. Giving him a look of confusion, you reach down and feel inside for whatever he's on about, suddenly your fingers touch something round and metal attached to the inside wall.

Taking a hold of this odd device, you tug it loose before bringing your hand into the open, "What the hell is this?" You ask.

Bucky reaches out to take the object from you, he holds it up, "This. Is a tracker."

"That thing? It's like a thick coin, how does it manage to do such a feat?"

"Technology, radio waves. It's not my design, but with it I was able to follow where you went. Granted you're more elusive with your traveling then I'd first realized, but it did it's job...and now I'm here."

"Yes, now you're here. Maybe you really are braver then I first thought, or just a plain fool. I could have stuck to my word and killed you." You snap your fingers, "Just like that."

He chuckles, "I had a feeling you wouldn't."

"Oh really? What made you assume I would be merciful?"

"When we met for the first time in Norway, and later at the base. You didn't hurt me, well I guess I should say you didn't try and squeeze the life out of me. Or set me on fire.."

"I set your jacket on fire." You point out as he smiles.

"You did. I liked that jacket too." Muses Bucky, "Still, you let me live both times. Even let my friends live too, Y/N, I don't think you're so bad at all."

You hum in thought, "Your words are kind and humbling. But I do not feel worthy of such claims." He has no idea who you are, what you've done. So much he doesn't know.

Bucky frowns, "Why not?"

"I have done nothing but add more chaos to this realm with my existence here, I have been betrayed and for that I was filled with rage taken out on innocent people living their lives. I want to be worthy of what you say I am, but I am not." His heart hurts at your valiantly honest words, if only he could understand completely.

"Believe me Y/N, you aren't nearly as bad as you think you are. There's been way worse people throughout history here before you ever showed up."

"I believe your words though my personal occurrence's chance to lessen these people compared to what I have done centuries ago. Do not misinterpret all of what I speak, I understand there are always beings harming others for their own sick pleasure, however I did not frighten for enjoyment. Quite the opposite."

He could just about give up his metal arm forever just to know what the hell you're talking about. What kind of life did you live before all of this? Bucky soon takes out a small square device with his one gloved hand, "I trust your word on that. And hopefully we're able to help you...I just gotta get us a ride out of here first." He turns on a black screen and slides his finger across to unlock, "I have where I parked pin pointed via another tracker."

"You don't recall where you've come from?"

"Yeah, I mean no..no, I do remember the direction I came in, it's just I was running so fast to find you I forget exactly where my car is. Don't worry this will only take a moment."

Holding back a grin at the way he muddles around on that screen of his, you divert your gaze elsewhere to look around at the trees and other various greenery spread about as usual on a planet such as this one. It's fascinating, almost like that of your home world in Vanaheim. How you miss that place. The vast mountains spread throughout the landscape, huge lumbering trees taller then the cellphone towers you've passed, and great skies of blue where dragons fly at will.

Suddenly a stick cracks in the trees to your right, you turn while Bucky pays little attention, a crow flies out and into the blue sky it goes. Easy now, just a bird, nothing more. The wind picks up for a second and you can almost catch the scent of sulfur when a ball of fire erupts from the trees ready to kill.

The spherical flame screams towards you and Bucky, who's by now dropped his phone onto the tracks, "Y/N watch out!" He shouts fearfully, hand gripping onto your shoulder as you keep a strong fearless stance to the approaching flame.

Throwing a hand out, you divert the ball into the gravel where it bursts like a small firework, rocks flying everywhere as you stand at the ready for whatever happens next. "Y/N! What the hell was that!" Shouts Bucky.

"A scout. I think one of my brother's loyalists found me."

"A scou..." Another ball of flame soars towards the two of you and then another right behind it as you maneuver your body to deflect each of them in quick succession when out of the scorched trees does a smirking woman reveal herself. Her smile is proud and wicked, taller then Bucky she stands and impeccably strong she appears.

She wears armor closely resembling your own, but instead of blues, silver, and white. Her armor is black and red, silver replaced with shimmering obsidian as she walks into the evening light. Her eyes flicker gold like your own, she tilts her head at you, "Princess Y/N of Vanaheim. An honor to meet you, truly." She bows with mockery, you immediately despise her.

"What dog is this who speaks to me?"

She grimaces, "Aüla, master of flame, Phoenix of Vanaheim, I am here to bring what stolen jewelry lays upon your neck. What belongs to King Leyondros." She points a sharp nailed finger to your neck, "That, is a house Lavpranthus family heirloom."

"You think I was born yesterday? That incompetent tyrant who dare claim himself as king does not deserve what treasure I possess. He is barely a brother to me now, and you, what business do you serve?"

She smirks, gifting Bucky with a wink as she wiggles her fingers with flame, "He's sent his best out to find your whereabouts since he's exiled you. I just happened to be lucky enough to land on Midgard where wouldn't you know it, here keeps the banished Princess herself. I couldn't be more fortunate." She opens up her palm like a needy child, "Now Y/N, the object I so desire."

"You will die trying."

She holds up a threatening fist of hot flame, "I will be bathed in riches! I will be loved! King Leyondros will welcome his champion with open arms as I present him with the necklace stolen by his traitor sister! With grand tidings of her annihilation!"

You share a dark look with Aüle as you step in front of Bucky, "I do not care to know what bargaining from the beasts of this realm you made to find me. And I certainly do not care for the false promises my brother has warped into your mind, you cannot take my life and you cannot have this necklace."

She calls flame into both hands, "Then I'll take it off your burnt corpse!" She thrusts her hands forward causing a burst of hot orange flames to shoot like dragon fire straight for yourself and Bucky.

Anticipating this action, you create a wall of your own fire that shatters her advances, you turn to the wide eyed brunette, "Bucky forgive me for not handling this sooner. I hadn't realized she was here."

"It's fine." Mumbles Bucky, chest rising and falling with heavy breaths as he stares fearfully at the angry woman spewing fire at you still.

Focused back on Aüla, she suddenly begins creating whips of flame that crack and slash at the air. She throws a whip towards Bucky but you're able to deflect it easily, in retaliation of her advances, you thrust a burst of dusty wind knocking her backwards.

She tumbles across the gravel like a discarded sack of potatoes, jumping gracefully down from the high point of the tracks, you land nearby this hellfire spawn who staggers to her feet. Rubbing the dust from out of her eyes, she coughs, "Foul play Princess, I should have guessed you'd cheap shot."

"You still believe you're leaving here with my necklace?"

Leaving her charcoal stained eyes be, she opens her palms to flame, "Well I certainly don't intend on perishing at your hand. I will get what I came for."

You throw a quizzical look, is she insane? Not wanting to ponder her mental stability, you use the gravel to crawl it up to her knees where it fuses and roots itself into the ground, she flails her arms trying to regain balance. Angered by this, Aüla clenches her fists, tightly hugging them to her chest as she concentrates.

A small orange glow emits from the center of her chest before she screams while opening her arms to the sky and with that her whole body erupts with flame like that of a Phoenix reborn. Tree branches and leaves alike are burnt and singed nearby while her anchor is melted. Aüla levitates freely now, body a mass of hot flames as she stares furiously down at you with eyes of black charcoal.

"Behold the Phoenix! Now you will obey by law of the one true king!" Fire is thrown like thin arrows towards your face, again, easily deflected into the gravel below.

She chuckles darkly, thrusting a hand of intense flame that causes you to fall backwards across the ground. Pushing yourself up by the pads of your hands, she takes this vulnerable moment to race after Bucky with wings of fire.

Face contorted like a melted candle, her arms open wide as she prepares to embrace Bucky to the flames. Jumping up, you bend your arms, moving them in opposite directions on a linear path to conjure some type of protection. Aüla slams into an enchanted force field of dark blues that sends her flailing backwards like a bursting firework.

Regaining her balance, she levitates, scowling in disgust, "You? Would protect this mortal man?"

Your gaze falls onto Bucky, he's standing there, expression fearful and wide as he looks at you desperately. You take a step forward, "I will."

"But why? He is nothing compared to you, to us, he's simply an insect on a leaf."

"He is someone who has showed me more kindness in the last couple days then some of my own people have in the past hundred years!" You shout furiously before using your magic to paralyze her like you did with Wanda and Vision.

She struggles to move but all efforts are unfruitful, "Do not! Don't. You. Dare!" She screams as you take another fearless step towards her, raising your hands in a beautiful fluid motion, her obsidian irises flash with terror.

"Aüla, Phoenix of Vanaheim, I admire your efforts and valor. But I am not so merciful when my life as been threatened, as someone of these nine realms with some type of authority still. I, Y/N Lavpranthus of Vanaheim, condemn you to die." Your golden eyes flash with a noble flair of judgment while your hands sway like subtle waves on a beach.

"No. No. Nooo..." Her screams are eradicated when a burst of water consumes her entire vessel, she sizzles and smokes as you draw the river water away to reveal nothing but discarded broken armor. She never even noticed you were doing this.

As a plethora of water dissipates into steam from where she once stood, more liquid fills through the cracks in the gravel while you slowly wander over to the dark spot stained onto the center tracks. Kneeling down, you pick up an obsidian gauntlet cracked down the middle curve. "Who was that?" Asks Bucky from behind you.

"One of my brothers scouts. His best fire-bender.." You study the intricate markings that dance like vines around the metalwork, "..a phoenix in human form."

There is a long pause before he asks, "Why are you being hunted Y/N?"

You sigh, head bowed to the earth, "It's a long story."

Bucky frowns down at you, he's not sure what to do, but he knows you're deeply troubled by whatever events have led you to this point. A comforting hand rests upon your shoulder, "You don't have to tell me now. But I think we should go."

Dropping the broken gauntlet onto the dark stained wood, you stand, "Perhaps you're right. Who knows what else lurks in the shadows waiting to pounce. I'd rather not have you injured on my behalf."

Bucky shares a lopsided grin, "Appreciated. Now come on, I know the way home." Directs Bucky as the two of you begin walking down the tracks for wherever he speaks of.

Maybe these people aren't as bad as you'd first thought, unfortunately there are still evils that are desperate to find you. Until that time comes again.

Tagged: @buckylokisimp @diegos-butt @minigranger @bibliophilewednesday @holyhumorliteraturelight @lilacs-lavender @a-girl-who-loves-disney @bizarrebibitch @starkssnarks @vikingqueen28 @jmstz @thehornytitties @staygoldsquatchling02 @cleverzonkwombatsludge @mischiefmanaged71 @noragracebrewer @atomicpersonacheesecake @thescarlettvvitch @shawnartmendes

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #the winter soldier #the winter soldier x you #the winter soldier x y/n #the winter soldier x reader #fanfiction #fanfic #bucky barnes fanfiction #series #bucky barnes series #my work

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beifongsss · 4 years

Text

playing with fire pt. 3 [sokka]

Pairing: Sokka x reader

Summary: You’re a Fire Nation citizen who saves Sokka and Katara from some angry villagers. Aang “convinces” you to come along with them, finding your knowledge of the nation useful. Not everything is smooth sailing though as both Water Tribe siblings have their doubts about you.

this will be a series :D this is during return to omashu!!

w.c.~3.0k

prologue. one. two.

.masterlist.

this was a really dull chapter i’m sorry,,, it was more just to introduce Azula.

Uneasiness was all you felt as Aang tried to open the sewage tunnel that led into Omashu.

After leaving the Cave of Two Lovers, you had immediately trekked to Omashu, only to be stopped when you discovered it had been taken over by the Fire Nation. Katara had tried to convince Aang to leave and get away from the city, not wanting any of them to be captured. Aang had refused, stating that this was no longer about finding an earthbending teacher but about finding his friend.

That’s how you found yourself walking through a sewage tunnel, staying as close as possible to Aang so that you wouldn’t get the sludge all over you. Behind you, Katara was gracefully waterbending the sludge away from her, leaving Sokka to fend for himself. The four of you emerged in the middle of an empty street. It was too quiet, and you found yourself glancing around as your uneasiness increased.

“That wasn’t as bad as I thought,” Katara said. You all turned to face Sokka, who was wearing a tired expression. Looking around, Katara spotted a barrel of water and bent it at Sokka, washing off all the sludge. Aang then proceeded to dry Sokka off with his airbending, revealing the pentapi that had attached themselves to Sokka’s face.

“Ahh! They won’t come off!” Sokka yelped loudly, trying to pull the little creatures off. Your eyes widened with fear and you ran up to him, covering his mouth with your hands.

“Be quiet!” you hissed.

“Yeah, stop making so much noise,” Aang said, agreeing with you. “Besides, it’s just a purple pentapus.”

Aang proceeded to tickle the pentapus’s head, causing the animal to separate itself from Sokka’s face. Sokka rubbed at the spot where the pentapus had been attached, smiling dazedly at you as you proceeded to remove the rest of the animals.

“Thank (Y/N),” he whispered as he stood up. The closeness between the two of you made you blush, causing Sokka to smirk lightly as he realized he had been the cause.

“Hey! What are you kids doing out past curfew?”

You all whirled around to face a group of Fire Nation guards approaching. Carefully, you hid yourself behind Sokka, making sure that the guards wouldn’t be able to see your face.

“Sorry. We were just on our way home,” Katara said sweetly, shooting the guards an innocent smile. You all turned around to walk away, Sokka making sure that you were in front of him so he was bringing up the rear.

“Wait!” one of the guards called out, causing you all to turn around. He pointed at Sokka. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Uh, he has pentapox, sir,” Katara said, a panicked look on her face. “Um, it’s highly contagious.”

“Oh, it’s so awful” Sokka groaned, collapsing against you and wrapping an arm around your shoulder. “I’m dying!”

“And deadly,” Katara added, a grimace on her face.

“Hey, I think I heard of pentapox!” the other guard whispered. “Didn't your cousin Chang die of it?”

“We'd better go wash our hands, and burn our clothes,” the first guard replied. The two of them glanced at your group before running away.

“Thank you, sewer friends,” Aang said brightly, causing Sokka to scowl at him. The four of you walked off into the city, being careful to stay quiet. Sokka’s arm stayed around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him as you wandered around.

“Let’s find Bumi and get out of here,” Katara stated, looking around uncomfortably as you all walked along a construction site.

“Where would they be keeping him?” Sokka asked.

“Somewhere he can't earthbend,” Aang replied quietly. “Somewhere made of metal.”

The four of you stood in place for a moment, looking out at the city. You felt overwhelmed for a moment, the task of finding King Bumi seemed a lot more daunting now that you had a full view of the city. Aang began to walk again, lost in his thoughts. You heard a faint rumbling and looked up, seeing huge balls of earth plummeting down towards the family walking down below.

“Aang, look!” you yelped, drawing the Air Nomad’s attention towards the chunks of earth. With a swipe of his staff, the rocks broke apart, the debris falling down to the street below.

“The resistance!” the older woman cried out, pointing at the four of you fearfully. A series of sharp arrow-like knives were flung your way, causing Sokka to yelp as he ducked and began to pull you away.

Your hand slipped out of his as you ran to pick up one of the little knives. Katara used her water to get rid of the guards but she was unable to knock the girl down before she reached them. You began to run, making sure that everyone was safely in front of you. Katara put up an ice wall but the girl jumped over it and landed gracefully, only to be blown back by a strong gust of air from Aang. The girl regained her balance and aimed a throwing star at Aang, letting it go without hesitation. You drew your sword and threw yourself in front of Aang, blocking the throwing star with your blade. You made eye contact with the girl, your eyes widening slightly when you recognized her. It was Mai.

“(Y/N),” she whispered, looking from you to Aang. Her eyes widened briefly before she composed herself, aiming three more arrows at the two of you. You readied yourself to deflect those as well, backing away slowly with Aang as you waited for her to strike. She let the knives fly a second later ,the ground falling out from under you just as they reached you. You gasped when you felt one of the knives graze your arm, the sudden darkness making it impossible for you to assess the damage.

The four of you found yourselves in a large tunnel, a large group of people standing around.

“So, is King Bumi with you guys? Is he leading the resistance?” Aang asked, starting a conversation with Yung, one of the men who had saved you. Sokka pulled you aside as he noticed the blood on your arm, grabbing Katara as well. Noticing the blood, Katara’s eyes widened and she immediately opened her water skin. She eyed you warily as she began to heal the cut.

“So, that girl seemed to recognize you,” Katara hummed, ignoring Sokka’s glare. “How?”

“That was Mai,” you replied quietly, shaking your head at Sokka. Katara was right to be wary. “She’s the daughter of a Fire Nation nobleman. We both attended the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. We used to be friends, before I ran. She’s the best knife thrower I know; she’s dangerously accurate with her knives. Trust me, she missed me on purpose.”

Katara stared at you for a moment, seeing nothing but the truth in your eyes. Slowly, she nodded, putting her water away before straightening. “It’s all healed. Be a little more careful next time, okay?”

You followed her lead, straightening up and facing Aang just in time to catch the tail end of his speech

“...you can’t win. Now’s the time to retreat, so you can live to see another day,” he said confidently, looking out at all the rebels. The men who had saved you looked at Aang in surprise before looking at each other uneasily.

“You don't understand. They've taken our home, and we have to fight them at any cost!” Yung said, waving his hands around to enunciate.

“I don’t know Yung,” another man replied quietly. “Living to fight another day is starting to sound pretty good to me.”

“Yeah!” another resistance member cried out, stepping forward. “I’m with the kid!”

Yung looked around the room, taking in the tired faces of the resistance members. Sighing, he turned back to Aang. “Fine. But there's thousands of citizens that need to leave. How're we going to get them all out?”

It went silent for a moment before Sokka stepped forwards, a wide smile on his face as he spoke. “Suckers!”

The room went silent as everyone stared at Sokka. Katara arched an eyebrow as she stared at her brother, wondering what was going on in his brain.

“You’re all about to come down with a nasty case of pentapox,” Sokka added, a smirk spreading across his face.

A purple pentapus sat in your hand as you stared at it uncertainly. It stared back at you, occasionally blinking. Sighing, you placed it upon your skin before picking up a few more, letting them suction themselves to your face and arms. You sat in silence for a few minutes, waiting for the red marks to form before you attempted to remove the little animals.

“Need some help?” Sokka asked softly, coming to a stop next to you. You glanced up at him, seeing a small smile spread across his face as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

“Please,” you muttered in reply, looking at the pentapi uncomfortably.

“Not a fan of animals?” Sokka asked, picking up one of your arms and removing the little purple creatures.

“Not when I can feel their suckers moving on my skin,” you said, shuddering slightly. Whether it was from the pentapi or from Sokka’s gentle touch, you weren’t sure. He chuckled at your words, finishing up with your arm and moving onto the other one. A comfortable silence enveloped the two of you as he finished with your other arm, his hand coming to cup your face as he began to remove the pentapi you had put there. You avoided his gaze, knowing that looking into his bright blue eyes would just make you more flustered than you already were. The close proximity between the two of you made your head spin, your thoughts racing as you remembered what had happened in the Cave of Two Lovers.

“There, all done,” Sokka said, tossing the last pentapus back in the water. His hand didn’t leave your face and you felt him tilt your chin up so you were making eye contact with him. You breath hitched as you stared into his eyes and you resisted the urge to blush as his gaze dropped to your lips.

“(Y/N),” he murmured, dragging his gaze back up to your eyes. “About what happened back in the cavern…”

He trailed off, clearing his throat before continuing. “If the badgermoles hadn’t burst in, would you have let me continue?”

“Yes,” you whispered almost instantly. Much like Sokka had done back in the cavern, you thought back on all the time you had spent together. Sokka was always sweet and respectful, listening to you talk about your feelings and either wrapping you up in a hug or telling you exactly what you needed to hear afterwards. The more you thought about him, the faster your heart raced. You knew all about his insecurities and his habits, especially after all the time you spent absentmindedly studying him as you lounged around the current campsite together. You knew that if the badgermoles hadn’t interrupted your moment, you would’ve kissed him back eagerly.

Sokka’s eyebrows shot up in surprise before a self-satisfied smirk spread across his face. You rolled your eyes at his expression, a smile tugging at the corner of your lips as well. He brought his other hand to yours, intertwining your fingers as he leaned in slightly. “So, if I were to do it again right now, would you stop me?”

You shook your head softly, your breath hitching in your throat as Sokka tugged on your hand to bring you in closer. You moved forward willingly, placing your free hand on Sokka’s chest to steady yourself as he leaned in.

“Are you guys ready?”

The two of you sprung apart before turning to face Aang, who was looking at the two of you with wide eyes.

“Oh,” Aang said quietly, looking at your still intertwined hands before looking away and trying to fight a smirk. “Just wanted to let you guys know that we’re ready to proceed with the plan!”

“Great! Let’s go,” you said, avoiding Aang’s knowing look as you began to walk towards the others. Sokka walked up to Aang once you were gone, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the Air Nomad. Aang simply gave him a cheeky grin and shrugged.

“There’s always a next time!” Aang chirped before sprinting away, ignoring Sokka as he yelled at him to come back.

Sokka’s plan had worked perfectly. Well… almost perfectly.

All of the citizens had been successfully released from Omashu, but they soon discovered that there was a stowaway in their midst. A two year old Fire Nation baby now rested in your arms as Aang retrieved the note from the messenger hawk that had just landed. He read through it briefly, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise as he did so.

“What?” you asked cautiously, watching Aang’s expression.

“It's from the Fire Nation governor. He thinks we kidnapped his son,” Aang said, sitting back down next to the campfire. “So...he wants to make a trade. His son for King Bumi.”

The rest of the night was quiet, each of you thinking about the message that had arrived. You and Katara had been on baby duty all night and by the time day came around, you were absolutely exhausted. The three of you followed Aang as he approached the city, holding the baby carefully.

“You do realize this is a trap right?” Sokka asked skeptically. Katara nodded in agreement.

“I don't think so. I'm sure the governor wants his son back as much as we want Bumi,” Aang said, a big smile on his face. “It's a new day. I have a good feeling about this.”

“I don’t think that the governor would try anything,” you remarked quietly, avoiding Sokka’s gaze as you arrived at the location where you were to meet the governor. “Now while we have his son. He wouldn’t harm-”

You cut yourself off as you caught sight of the three figures approaching. Even with the distance between the two of you, you could recognize the girl in the middle. Azula.

Azula’s golden eyes landed on you, widening slightly before they narrowed. A smirk spread across her face as she stalked forwards, Mai and Ty Lee coming to a stop a few feet behind her.

“(Y/N)? Is that you?” Azula called out, her tone playful yet threatening. “I never thought I’d see you again.”

“(Y/N)? You okay?” Aang asked worriedly, noticing the way you had frozen to your spot.

“Y-Yeah. Listen, change of plans,” you hissed, your eyes never leaving Azula. “Sokka was right, this is a trap. I wouldn’t put anything past her. Keep them busy, I’ll go get Appa. We need to get out of here. Now.”

Aang gave you a firm nod, watching you as you hopped off the scaffolding. You sprinted through the city, desperate to get to Appa before anything bad happened to your friends. A squeak escaped you when you felt something land on your shoulder. Your eyes met large green ones and you sighed in relief before feeling something wet on the side of your face.

“Momo! Appa!” you cried out, patting the sky bison to get him to stop licking you. You scrambled up and took the reins, guiding Appa towards the construction site. “Yip yip, Appa. We need to go help Aang!”

The construction site was pure chaos by the time you arrived. You could faintly see Katara fighting Mai and Ty Lee while Aang and Azula closed in on who you could only assume to be King Bumi.

“(Y/N), Appa! Over here!”

Appa groaned before following the voice, landing in front of Sokka. He climbed into the saddle as quickly as he could, gently placing the baby down before leaning over the edge of the saddle. “We’ve got to help Katara!”

“On it,” you replied, guiding Appa towards the scaffolding. You watched Ty Lee creep closer to Katara, getting ready to strike.

“Katara, watch out!” you cried a second too late, watching with a panicked expression as Ty Lee chi-blocked the girl. Mai crept closer, ready to strike as well. Katara tried to bend the water that had fallen, panicking when she realized she no longer could.

“How are you going to fight without your bending?” Mai taunted, readying her knives. You leapt up from your place, ready to literally throw yourself into the fight. You were stopped when Sokka’s boomerang hit Mai, knocking her weapon out of her hand.

“I seem to manage!” he called out, catching his boomerang when it returned. You chuckled at his words before guiding Appa down slowly. Katara climbed into the saddle as Appa slammed his tail on the scaffolding, sending the two girls over the edge. You guided Appa away from the construction sight, keeping your eyes peeled for Aang and King Bumi. You were silent as Katara and Sokka spoke to one another, making sure that Tom-Tom was okay.

Aang joined you soon enough, telling you that Bumi had chosen to stay behind and had told him to find an earthbending teacher who waits and listens before attacking; whatever that meant. After returning Tom-Tom to his parents, the four of you set off on Appa, ready to search for Aang’s mysterious earthbending teacher.

Back in Omashu, Princess Azula was ready to leave, Ty Lee and Mai at her side.

“So, we're tracking down your brother and Uncle, huh?” Mai asked dully, keeping her eyes forward.

“It'll be interesting seeing Zuko again, won't it, Mai?” Ty Lee teased, looking over at the quiet girl. She simply looked to the side, trying to hide her smile.

“It's not just Zuko and Iroh anymore.” Azula snapped, an irritated expression on her face. “We have another target now.”

Silence fell upon the three girls and they were left to wonder if Azula was referring to the Avatar or to (Y/N).

taglist!

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pwf: @ilovespideyyy, @binaryssunsets, @a----rag, @existing-but-nonexistent, @milk-n-cheese, @itsthatsadbitch, @nin-tendou, @honey-ruel, @reclusive-chicken-nugget, @teenbiology, @davnwillcome, @fandomarchiveilyd, @minninugget, @sukifans, @nugget-barnes, @vintageroses1014516, @donteatmycookiesplease

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whosscruffylooking · 3 years

Text

Instinct Chapter 3-Act Natural (Spencer Reid x Female Reader)

Warnings: Brief confrontation between a male and female. Mentions of a break-in.

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: I’m sorry it took me so long to get this out. In other news...I reached 100 followers! A small but deeply appreciated feat. I am celebrating this milestone over the weekend. Check out my pinned post on what I am doing to say thank you to everyone who has enjoyed my writing.

"Act natural," the bony brainiac mutters to me.

"Given the current circumstances, I think that the most natural response here is to panic...thus I am acting natural," I retort.

"No, they are like predators. They will sense your fear. Act like this is any normal day for you."

"Well, to tell you quite honestly, my days as of recent have been filled with panic, so this is a typical day for me."

"Look, I'm the professional here. So, if you would listen to what I say and do as I tell you!"

"Is Dr. Reid raising his voice?"

"First thing you need to do is stop talking and let me think," he stresses as he rolls his sleeves up.

Enthralled by his sudden burst of authority, I express, "You intrigue me, Dr. Reid."

-----*Three Hours Earlier*-----

The subtle ticking of the clock gradually crescendos into powerful drumming that reverberates throughout the room. The doorknob rattles and my eyes dart to the entrance as Agent Prentiss steps in, "We have some photos we'd like you to come to look at." Hesitantly, I step around the table and follow behind her into the main office. The men and women of the precinct watch as I wander over to the whiteboard that Dr. Reid is standing in front of.

Littering the board is photos of my brother. As I slowly move to get a closer look, my breathing hitches, my hands instinctually cover my mouth in shock and disbelief. "Y/N, can you confirm that this is your brother?" Spencer approaches me cautiously. I can't seem to bring myself to speak. I nod. "Is there anything you can tell me about these particular photos or dates," he asks, brushing his fingers over specific pictures and scribbles of numbers on the whiteboard.

A realization strikes me as I examine the images more closely, "No. But I do recognize the people in the background." "You do? Can you identify them?" Agent Prentiss advances towards me. I point towards one of the grim figures lurking in the background of my brother's photo, "That's the man who was in my apartment."

"You said you didn't know who your attacker was," Emily says, obviously not trusting my statement.

"I'd know those eyes anywhere."

"HOTCH!" Spencer shouts.

About an hour later, the team is on a call with their technical analyst. The local chief investigator is interrogating me. "Come on, Y/N, don't play stupid with me. You and Jeremy were inseparable. You cannot possibly believe that I would fall for this innocent little act of yours. You are harboring information on a notorious gang in this city!"

"Oh please, Castillo, you've been a cop for as long as I've been alive. The Nomad Boys have been around for just as long. Not once have you put this much effort into catching them. Is this because the big guns are here? You want to seem all tough and in control for them, but once they're gone, you and I both know you will go right back to hiding in your little office, ignoring the concerns of the people of this city," I oppose.

Castillo vehemently lunges forward, "You think that I am the only one putting up some farce, while you pretend to be the naive little sister here whose older brother can do no wrong. I don't buy it for one instant. You may have that little boy band member wannabe wrapped around your finger, but don't believe for one iota of a second that you can dive under my radar. This entire town knows that you are third-generation scum, and I can promise you that this kind of pattern will stop with my reign. Do I make myself clear? Or do I need to repeat myself for emphasis?"

"No need. I ignored you just fine the first time," I swipe at the detective.

He surveys my body language. I cross my arms, perhaps in the way of shielding myself from intimidation or in a manner of faining his lack of influence on me. Castillo opens his mouth to speak, and in a perfect streak of luck, Spencer comes over to save the day.

Nearing us, he speaks, "Y/N, we want to go to your apartment and see if we can't determine what the man in the picture was after. I'd like for you to come with us and give us some insight into whatever we find."

I agree to go and follow him and Agent Morgan to the car.

(Spencer's POV)

Quietness permeates the entire car ride to the apartment. Morgan continuously eyeballs me, and finally, my nerves get the best of me, "Would you stop that!?" Derek wryly grins and then glances into the rearview mirror to look at the Y/N in the back, "You know, kid, growing up, I ran with the wrong crowd by association too."

She scans her eyes over the both of us, and her stare lands on me. Once again, her pleading eyes permeate my thoughts, clouding my reasoning. There is no place for her among the faction that we are investigating. If she is involved with them, it's against her better judgment...or even her will.

"By association?" Her nostrils flare, "My brother and I didn't--wouldn't run with the Nomad Gangs. Our father was ki-" Her voice tapers off as she pulls at the fraying cuffs of her jeans.

That can't be right. I've scoured her family's files, and the only information divulged about her father's death is that he was killed in a car accident in 2000.

"A member of the Nomad Boys killed your father, didn't he?" Morgan questions.

Looking back at her, I watch her slump against the seat and her eyes dull. The silence infiltrates the air once again. As the car arrives outside of her apartment, I internally thank the heavens for a break from the awkwardness. Motioning to my counterparts, we gather outside of the vehicle and trek into the residence building.

"I've lived here for five years now. I moved shortly after my brother died. My parents had an apartment in this building when they were newlyweds. The stories they shared with me about this place stuck with me, so when I was finally out on my own, this was the place I gravitated towards," the young woman says timidly, pulling the cuffs of her sleeves over her fists.

As we near the door to her apartment, she picks at her cuticles apprehensively. Her eyes concentrate keenly on Derek's movements as he inserts the key into the lock. The door creaks open, and we are met with a home left in shambles.

"Reid," Morgan turns around, "we did not leave this place looking like this."

Stiffening up at the unsettling sight, I say, "They left the first time empty-handed. But, Y/N wasn't the only target. So, they came back to salvage what they could acquire. The question is, what was it?"

"And did they find it," Morgan adds.

Worried, I look back to see Y/N wide-eyed and trembling. I hurry to her side and brush my hands over her shoulders, "This is unsettling, I know. Take a moment if you need to, but we will require you to look over everything here and see if anything is missing or seems out of place. See if you can piece together what it is they were looking for."

Raking her hands through her hair, she starts scouring every last inch of her apartment, picking up papers, knick-knacks, tearing apart whatever is left to ravage.

"We got a problem," Derek announces, peeking his head out of the front doorway, "Two unknowns headed right this way. Reid, can you identify them?"

I station myself next to him, cautiously leaning into the hallway, and I catch sight of them.

"She needs more time," I grab his arm. He nods, "I'll try and buy you some time."

Stumbling back into the home, I hurry over to the driven girl. "Two of the men seen following your brother are headed this way. I need you to keep looking just...faster. Once we run out of time, we need to get out of here without them recognizing you. Do you have some sort of hat or glasses you could wear out?"

She stiffens up as if frozen in place.

Nice going Spence, you've terrified her.

Attempting to remedy the situation, I do the one thing I can always fall back on, I rambling.

"Y-you knows, the fear response takes place in a section of the brain known as the amygdala, located in the temporal lobe or...in--in other words, the supercomputer part of your brain. It causes us to revert to the primitive senses of our minds. We often call this the fight or flight response. It manifests itself in a shortage of self-control and rash decision-making."

(Reader's POV)

I draw in a long breath, listening intently to his tsunami of words. At last, he stops to compose himself.

This man would kill on Broadway.

"So what you're saying is?" I probe.

"Act natural," the bony brainiac mutters to me.

"Given the current circumstances, I think that the most natural response here is to panic...thus I am acting natural," I retort.

"No, they are like predators. They will sense your fear. Act like this is any normal day for you."

"Well, to tell you quite honestly, my days as of recent have been filled with panic, so this is a typical day for me."

"Look, I'm the professional here. So, if you would listen to what I say and do as I tell you!"

"Is Dr. Reid raising his voice?"

"First thing you need to do is stop talking and let me think," he stresses as he rolls his sleeves up.

Enthralled by his sudden burst of authority, I express, "You intrigue me, Dr. Reid." He stills momentarily as if he's translating my statement from some foreign language.

Motioning to my closet, I suggest, "Take a look in there and see if you find anything that could work."

______________________________________

Tag list:

@chellybear98 @destiny-tsukino @wanniiieeee @sweetiecake180 @vampiracontessa @weexinling @spaghetti-dad187 @hothskies @star-stuff-in-the-cosmos @mac99martin @mcntsee @ssagube @yougottalovefandoms @halloweenwithreid @pancake2603 @theoldestguard @chazubagi @frogrrylovebot @weasleytwinsimpp @obsssedwithjustaboutanything @kenzies-mr-j

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space-helen · 4 years

Text

Greeting

Words: 885

Pairing: Leonard McCoy x Reader

A/N: I haven’t written Bones in ages but I really like how this turned out. Also in reference to the request. I wasn’t sure who you wanted the reader to hug so I went with Spock since it makes more sense?

Request: I would love of you would write a thing where Spocks human cousin (from his mothers side) is beamed aboard to be a part of the crew and shes the exact opposite of spock, incredably emotional, and Bones is like... *blink blink* upon meeting her and balks when she goes up and hugs him, getting teary eyed about Amanda when she's beamed aboard. And he low key falls in love with her immediately. I understand if it's too specific, thank you for reading♥️♥️😚 - Anon

______________________________

“I really don’t see why all three of us have to greet the new Lieutenant.” Bones grumbled as he fell into step with Spock and the Captain.

“C’mon Bones, she’s the new Chief of Security Bones. She deserves a warm welcome.” Jim said, clamping his hand down on the doctor's shoulder.

Bones grumbled under his breath as the three of them filed into the transporter room, standing in a line as they watched the new arrival materialised on the transporter pad.

You looked around the room and took everything in before laying eyes on your cousin Spock. Tears welled up in your eyes almost instantaneously, you hadn’t seen the man properly since the destruction of Vulcan and the loss of his mother, your aunt.

Your feet were moving towards him instinctively, your arms wrapping around him and pulling him close as a tear ran down your face. “I’m so sorry about your mother Spock, I miss aunty Amanda.” Bones watched the interaction in complete shock as Spock stayed rigid beneath the woman’s embrace.

“Gentlemen this is my cousin and our new Chief of Security. Lieutenant Y/N Y/L/N.”

Bones blinked in disbelief, his mouth slightly agape. How could these two people be related? It had only been a couple of seconds yet he could tell they were almost polar opposites, you’d already shown more emotion in five seconds than he’d ever seen Spock show. Jim laughed at Bones’ reaction and he soon snapped out of it. “You knew?” Bones accusingly pointed his finger.

“The expression on your face right now is priceless.” Jim continued to laugh at the man.

Pulling away from Spock you shook the Captain’s hand “It’s nice to finally meet you. Thank You for having me on the ship.” you used your other hand to wipe away the tear marks on your face.

Jim shook your hand in return “The pleasure is all mine. You’re a very welcome addition to the family.”

Smiling you turned to the Doctor and shook his hand. “You must be Doctor McCoy.”

He shook your hand “Call me Lenoard.” the sentence had tumbled out by accident, throwing his first name out like that was a rarity, especially for people he’d just met.

The gesture did not go unnoticed by the other men. “Bones here is going to give you a tour of the ship and show you to your quarters.”

“I’m what now?” The man turned to Jim.

“Have fun.” with that Jim quickly left, Spock raised an eyebrow at the Doctor before following the Captain.

“Bones?” you smiled at the man and raised your eyebrows.

“Yeah it’s Jim's nickname for me. It’s a long story.”

“We have time.” The man gestured for you to exit before him and the tour was soon underway.

“And here we are. Your quarters.” You walked into the room and looked around, the man following you inside.

You took a seat and invited the man over to sit next to you. “Thank you for the tour.”

“My pleasure Darlin’” the man thought back to the tour, he’d definitely dragged it out for longer than he should have, getting to know you as the two of you walked around and thoroughly enjoying your company. There was only one subject he hadn’t brought up yet. “So tell me. What’s it like being related to Spock.”

You turned towards the man “Well obviously I’m not Vulcan. Amanda was my aunt and I spent many summer’s on Vulcan with her and she’d visit Earth whenever she could.” you started to get a little teary eyed thinking of her “I loved her greatly.” you hesitated and shoved the emotions away the best you could, not wanting to break down in front of the man you’d just met “I hadn’t seen Spock properly since the incident. I’d attended her memorial but couldn’t hang around too long because I was required back on my last ship.”

“I’m sorry.” the man reached his hand out and placed it on yours and gave it a squeeze before removing it.

“It’s ok.” you sadly smiled and moved the topic back on track. “Spock wasn’t the most fun cousin but I loved him and he loved me. We did a lot of reading, drawing and exploring together. I truly looked forward to seeing him every year. Vulcan was a really beautiful place. I’m glad I got to experience it.”

“I’ve heard it was a sight for sore eyes.”

You smiled “Anyway enough about Vulcan and Spock. I’ve got to save the embarrassing stories in case I need them.”

“That’s a very good idea, that sort of material is useful.” the man’s communicator was soon beeping and he flipped it open to hear someone calling him down to sickbay. “I’m so sorry I have to leave.”

You smiled “That’s not a problem at all. Thank you for taking time to show me around.”

“It was my pleasure. I’ll see you around Y/N”

You stood and followed the man to the door “See you around.”

He walked away and turned at the end of the corridor to see you watching him walk away, you gave him a small wave and he smiled and waved back. He’d only spent a short amount of time with you but he already longed for more.

Tag List: (open)

Bones: @cobe76 @ladyideal

AOS and Disco: @spaskaalekha @wallows-spring

All Star Trek: @morganofthecoves1 @sophiasescape @livenerdyandprosper @allthetrek @deeppandanerdbatty

#bones mccoy x reader #bones x reader #doctor mccoy x reader #dr mccoy x reader #leonard mccoy x reader #star trek x reader #star trek aos x reader

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grifalinas · 4 years

Text

The Story of Snow White (or, the beginning of many adventures)

The first queen was beautiful. That was all that was ever said of her.

The king married her when she was young, won her hand over many other suitors by besting her father in a contest of wits, and she was sweet and gentle and kind and loved among the people of the kingdom, and she was beautiful, and nothing else was ever said of her.

A year of their marriage passed with no issue, and then two, and then five, and then ten: finally, in the thirteenth year of their marriage the queen brought a daughter into the world. The daughter was pale, and frail, and not expected to live past her first year, and when she survived- not just survived, but grew strong- whispers began that she was a fairy child, and the fairies would take her back in time.

The first queen died. Ah, but you already knew that, didn’t you? She couldn’t be the first queen if there were no second queen as well.

The king remarried, as widowers are wont to do, and his second queen was just as beautiful as his first, or perhaps moreso, or less so: beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the beholder has the object permanence of a toddler with a shiny ring of keys and a stack of colorful blocks.

The king died. There is not much that can be said in that regard.

The new queen now ruled in his place, and would rule until her stepdaughter grew old enough to inherit the throne and take the crown, and perhaps she can be forgiven for growing bitter about this, or perhaps she cannot. Whatever her feelings, and however justified we consider them, this doesn’t change the fact that she chose a very murdery way to address them, which brings us to where our story really, truly begins.

-/-

It had been several days since Bryory had taken the girl and run. He’d lost count, honestly. How many days, exactly, had they tramped through these woods?

Bryory was fine. He knew how to survive in the woods, and knew not to hunt within the Wood; he foraged for their food instead, and was careful not to cut away a path for them, instead finding the natural trails that grew in a wood.

But Snow…

“Bryory, I am tired,” she said, coming to a halt and sinking down to perch delicately on a broad tree root. “It has been days. Where are we going? When will we stop?”

“I am very sorry, Princess.” Bryory knelt before her, taking his hand in his own in what he hoped was a reassuring way. “I wish it were not necessary, but when your stepmother the queen learns of my deception I don’t want to be anywhere that she can find us.”

Snow made a noise like a sob and hung her head. “Where can we go that she won’t find us?”

“I don’t know, Princess,” he admitted. He cupped her chin in his hands and brushed away the tears threatening to spill. “I’m sorry. I wish things were different.”

“My stepmother was going to try ridding herself of me eventually,” Snow murmured, hanging her head again. “As long as I’m around her rule has an expiration date.” She sighed, and finally stood. “We should go. It will be dark soon. We’ll need to find somewhere to shelter.”

“As you like, Princess.”

-/-

Another two days. Bryory was growing as weary as Snow; the Wood was feeling more and more like a labyrinth that he would never find his way through. How big was the Wood?

Bryory had seen a map of the world once, had seen the kingdoms that surrounded the Wood and shared its borders. The Wood on the map had not seemed that big at all, but it had been much bigger than the tiny kingdoms surrounding it. He might easily never find the other side. Might easily grow lost.

It was growing dark around them. Bryory stopped where he stood- this was as good a place to stop for the night as anywhere. He shed his cloak and lay it on the ground at the base of a tree so Snow could have a place to sleep that was at least not directly on the ground. He didn’t mind sleeping on the ground, but Snow was…

Well, she was a princess. She did not have the constitution that Bryory did.

While Snow slept, Bryory kept watch, dozing but not quite sleeping against the tree they’d chosen as their camp. He needed to do something soon to break this cycle; Snow was too worn out to go much farther, and he did not feel entirely safe within the Wood to make a longer term camp for them to rest. Who knew what dangers waited in the Wood? Just because they’d been safe so far…

As his thoughts threatened to carry him into deeper sleep, he was jarred awake entirely by a light moving past them. He sat up straighter, looking for the source of the light, and decided immediately he must be dreaming, because what he saw was a hare: but not a hare as the ones he had hunted outside of the Wood. This hare had leaves and flowers trailing from its fur, and golden light in its ears.

It loped through the little camp, sniffing the air, sniffing the ground, sniffing Snow- Bryory’s hand went to his hatchet, but made no move to draw it. He wouldn’t unless the hare proved a threat to the girl.

The hare did not seem interested in more than just inspecting their camp, though, and after sniffing Snow a bit it moved on to Bryory.

This task done, it moved several feet away and then stood on its hind legs, staring straight at Bryory with eyes as black as the blackest night. Bryory found himself wondering if the stars he saw in the hare’s eyes were mere reflections of the sky above, or if the hare carried the night sky in its gaze.

After a long staring contest, the hare moved a few feet away and repeated the previous motion: standing on its hind legs, staring at Bryory blankly.

He pulled himself to his feet without argument. If the Wood wanted to show him something- he moved after the hare, glancing at Snow behind him as he went. Hopefully this wasn’t a will-o-the-whisp, luring him away for wicked purposes.

-/-

Bryory followed the hare for a time that seemed to stretch into infinity- his going was slow, careful, picking is way across a ground lit by some faint light left by the hare. It stayed ever ahead of him, bounding forward to the edge of his vision before standing and watching him, waiting for him to catch up before bounding ahead again. It repeated this for… how long could it possibly be? Bryory began to feel that this was to be his life now, following this hare forever, and just as he began to think of going back, that perhaps this was a trick, he saw where the hare was leading him.

The Wood was not cultivated land; while Bryory was aware that sometimes people made their homes within its borders, no kingdom had ever managed to take hold in the same way.

So it was very strange to find a castle, even a small, derelict castle, nestled in the middle of a lake, here within the boundaries of the Wood.

But the hare was sitting on the bridge that led to it. Bryory wondered what a fool he was being, and followed.

-/-

When Snow woke that morning, Bryory was gone. She had just enough time to register this, to try to quell the panic rising in her, before he returned. She let out a long, slow breath.

“My apologies, princess,” he said. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“I thought you’d abandoned me.”

“Never!” He knelt before her, a hand over his heart. “Princess, I have pledged myself your guardian, from here until you dismiss me. I will not abandon you.”

“All right…”

Rather than answer, he held out a hand to her. “Come, Princess. I’ve found us a place to shelter long-term. We’ll be safe there while we decide what we’re going to do next.”

Snow’s feet were aching. She climbed to them anyway, and followed Bryory into the Wood.

Again.

-/-

They reached the castle around noon, and Snow found herself wondering how long Bryory had been walking in the night to have found the castle and made it back to her. He must be exhausted, and as she looked closer at his movements she could see that he was. His steps were stumbling and uneasy, and his eyes hung heavy.

Her expression fell at the sight. He had been pushing so hard to take care of her these past days, and was still pushing himself still harder. As exhausted as she was, she knew he needed sleep more.

“The castle is too derelict to be used in its entirety, but we can clear out one or two rooms for our use while we-”

He broke off, swaying in place. Snow was at his side in a moment, holding him steady while she guided his steps over to a comfortable looking spot in the overgrown courtyard.

“You’re dead on your feet,” she said. “You’ve found us a place, now rest.”

“Gotta find food,” he mumbled, but already he was nodding. Snow lay her hand on his cheek.

“You rest. Food can wait.”

“As you like, Princess,” he said, and then consciousness had left him entirely.

-/-

At first, Snow was content to merely explore the most immediately accessible parts of the castle. It was not as derelict as it had seemed at first glance: more overgrown than collapsing. Snow tried to pull away some of the vines that blocked the doors leading off of the courtyard and into the castle, but they held firm and cut into her hands, and she was forced to stop.

Without that to occupy her, she came over to sit before Bryory, watching over the slow rise and fall of his chest as he slept, just as he had watched over her throughout their long trek from their kingdom to here.

Though she didn’t know what she would do if anything tried to harm them while he slept. What good would she be?

What good was she at all for that matter? A delicate princess, kept from any strain throughout her life- she’d always thought herself hardy, but even the first day in the Wood had tested her limits.

She was of no use to anyone, least of all Bryory, she knew.

Well, there was something she could do. She knew how to gather berries as well as anyone, she supposed, and she knew that they grew well on a lakeside. She could gather food for them, could have it waiting for Bryory when he woke.

She could be useful.

A quick rummage around the courtyard turned up a well, near the door she imagined must lead down to the kitchens. Like everything else, the well was overgrown, and the handle would not turn, but after enough heaving and hoisting, after rubbing her hands raw and raw again on the rope, she was able to pull the pail loose. The rope, good fortune, was brittle enough from time that she was easily able to saw through it with a knife stolen from Bryory’s belt, and now she had a pail. She could collect some berries, and when Bryory woke he would see that she could Do, and he would be able to rest instead of carrying both of their burdens himself.

The knife she attached to her own belt. She was no fool.

-/-

Snow had not spent a great deal of her life cultivating Useful skills, but she had been foraging with other children same as anyone. She knew how to pick berries, and Bryory had told her how to identify a few edible plants over the past few days. And if she stayed near the lakeshore, she wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost.

Unfortunately, Snow struggled to find anything edible beside the lakeshore. After stumbling along for- well, awhile; she had no idea how long, but the sun moved across the sky as she did, so it must be awhile- after stumbling along for awhile, she stopped short at the sight of a fox standing on the bank.

She froze. Even from over here, she could see that the fox was not like any fox that should exist. Moss grew from its gray fur and white light shone from its ears, and in its eyes Snow saw the heights of the heavens above.

While she watched, the fox moved closer, then darted into the wood. She thought it had tried to escape, but it appeared again a second or so later, watching her expectantly.

So she followed it. Where the fox put its paws, mushrooms sprouted, creating a path for Snow to pick her way along, and in seeming no time at all, she found the fox had vanished, and the path it laid for her stopped under an apple tree.

Apples! How glorious! They were pinky-yellow, perfectly ripe, and the tree was so laden with them that the branches hung down to within her reach easily. Snow plucked one and bit into it immediately, nearly weeping with joy at the sweet juice that dribbled free. When she’d finished that one, she ate a second, and then began filling her pail with apples. Bryory would be so proud of her!

Once Snow had plucked enough apples that the pail began to feel heavy, she stopped, but the pail was only halfway filled, and she wanted to take home enough that Bryory would not have to seek food at all today and perhaps tomorrow.

It seemed fortune smiled on Snow, or rather the forest: at the base of the apple tree grew several green plants that Bryory had assured her were safe to eat, and an inspection of the mushrooms left by the fox proved them to be safe as well, at least as well as Snow could tell.

Snow could have wept at the realization, and hurried to gather the mushrooms from the ground as she followed them back to the lake, always taking care to leave behind one from each cluster so that she could lead Bryory back to this place later.

-/-

Bryory was still asleep when Snow returned to the castle, so, still wishing to be Useful, she laid the apples, the greens, and the mushrooms out very carefully before taking her pail out to the lake and filling it with water.

As she was filling the pail, though, a large frog swam into the bucket.

“Oh dear,” Snow said, because she didn’t like frogs very much, and rummaged around for a stick so she could prod the frog out of the bucket without having to actually come near it to dump it out.

As soon as she laid hands on a stick, though, the frog spoke to her.

“You don’t want to go drinking water from this part of the lake,” he said, and he said it so politely that Snow briefly forgot that she didn’t really like frogs very much.

“Why not?”

“The water here is partially trapped, and is very still and gentle. My people bear our young in this part of the lake, as do many bugs. If you take the water from here, you could end up drinking our young without realizing.”

“Oh! I didn’t know.”

Snow didn’t want to go drinking anyone’s young, so she carefully tipped the bucket back into the pool, once the frog got out of it of course. He was very polite, but she still didn’t want to go touching him.

“If you follow me, I’ll show you where to gather water from.”

And with that the frog hopped away, across the bridge and into the forest. Without a thought Snow grabbed up her pail and hurried after him.

-/-

In the castle, Bryory woke to find himself alone. At first he thought perhaps Snow had gone to explore the castle, but when he called for her and got no answer, panic rose inside of him. Had she been taken? Had harm fallen to her while he slept, unable to protect her?

And then he saw the food she had lain out, and stopped short.

Had she… gone to forage for food while he slept?

The panic inside of him stilled, but not by much, because she was still on her own in the Enchanted Wood, far away from his ability to protect her. So he took up his axe and left the castle-

-and as he passed through the door he saw Snow returning, carrying a pail of water that she was clearly struggling to hold, a frog perched on her shoulder.

Reader, he nearly wept.

And then he hurried to her side and retrieved the pail before she could drop it.

“Bryory!” she exclaimed when she saw him. “Did you sleep well? Are you feeling more rested? I brought us some food, and I found a spring of very clear water- well, Sir Frog showed me where it was, I didn’t really find it, but I brought the water back on my own, and I can show you where it is-”

She looked so proud of herself! Bryory gave her a weak smile.

“Thank you,” he said. “You did very well.”

The praise lit her like a beacon, and he rested his free hand around her shoulder to return to the castle.

“I’m going to be Useful,” she said determinedly. “I am going to learn to work with my hands, and to carry water and gather food and guide my own feet through the Wood, so I won’t be a burden on you any longer.”

“A burden? Oh, princess, it is no burden to care for you.”

She just hummed quietly and leaned into his side.

“As you like, Bryory.”

-/-

#fairy tales interrupted

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the-siren-and-the-sailor · 3 years

Text

It is the middle of spring, and a party is in full swing at twilight. The setting sun creates a backdrop for the island where a glowing tent buzzes with music. Dancing silhouettes can be seen playing across the canvas; a husband and wife waltz, a group of women twirl in intricate patterns, and a man with hooves stamps his feet to the beat with the crowd. Every pairing imaginable is present for the festivities. Well... All except one.

“We really shouldn’t be doing this...”

“What are you, a pussy? Just help me with this.”

“Mother and Father will be so upset!”

“C’mon Enny, you know I don’t care. Now come and be my eyes already!”

Tokos is, as per usual, staring ahead blankly, with the largest, dopiest grin known to man spread across his face. His brother Enoch, on the other hand, looks around worriedly, in part for the candle they sought, but mostly for their parents.

“What’s the hold up? Your sunlight won’t stick around forever. We gotta do this, now or never!”

As much as it pains him to admit it, Enoch, too, is curious. Their parents had always told them to stay away from the island cave, the one whose caverns were said to stretch far down underground, deep beneath the sea. They had never heard of anyone going in before, and in classic adolescent fashion, decided that they would be the first (well, Tokos decided, or so Enoch likes to tell himself).

But at last, the candle is found, and Enoch’s hope of behaving properly- despite his brother, for once- quickly dwindles.

“What’s it matter to you if we have light, anyway?”

“It doesn’t. But it does to you, that’s why I timed the sunset just right, so you’d have plenty. And the candle will help you when we go further in. See how smart I am, Enny? Aren’t I a genius?”

“Alright, Tokos, I get it. Can we just go now?”

“After you, princess!”

Enoch rolls his eyes and swats his brother on the head before making his way to the entrance of the cave. It looms before them, a foreboding gap in the hill that seems for all the world like a rite of passage, just waiting to be conquered. They arrive at it’s mouth and Enoch looks to his brother for reassurance, finding the same unseeing, milky grey eyes he’s always known. Both draw in deep breaths, take one another’s hands, and take their first steps into oblivion’s maw.

Their steps are tentative at first, but they soon trek forward a little ways more, neither saying a thing. Enoch holds the candle low at his side out of a lack of need, until he realizes he isn’t anymore and is relying on it’s light alone to guide him.

“Tokos, how far would you say we’ve gone by now?”

“I dunno, further than anyone else ever has. Why?”

“There’s no more sunlight. We must’ve been on a downward slope without realizing it...”

“Well, do ya still have the candle?”

“Well, yes, but-” Enoch stops and lets go of Tokos’ hand. What was this on the wall, here? “Tokos. Tokos, I’ve found something!”

“What? What is it?” He sounds excited.

“It’s an inscription, carved into the rock. Not our language, but it is our letter system. I’ll try to read it...” Enoch struggles his way through the foreign words, doing his best to pronounce each one correctly. He slowly gets through each sentence, working his way through every word, before finally reaching the last one.

But just as soon as he finishes, a strong gust of wind blows through the cave, snuffing out the light of the candle and leaving them in complete darkness. Enoch yelps in surprise, dropping the candle and grabbing Tokos’ hand.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Didn’t you feel that wind? It smothered the flame, and now I can’t see a thing!”

“Wow, that must be so hard for you.”

“You said you needed me to be your eyes and I was!” Enoch’s voice raises in frustration. He huffs. “Now neither of us can see.”

They quiet down after their moment of alarm, both rooted in place and thinking hard. An instant passes and Tokos sniffs the air and trudges his feet in place.

“Well, I smell water up ahead, not dirt, so our backs must be facing the entrance. I also feel a bit of mud, so if we want out we’d have to go backwards until we feel dry ground again.”

“Oh, now you want to leave? You’re the one who dragged us into this in the first place. Now we might not find our way out...”

Tokos pulls his hand away from Enoch’s. “What are you talking about? I just told you a way! What, you don’t trust me?”

“No, that’s not it! Besides, even if we do get out, Mother and Father will be furious. And, they’ll know it was you who wanted to go here from the start!”

“And you who went along with me! Besides, ‘even if’? I’ve been getting around this way my whole life and now you doubt me? And anyways, name one time Mama and Papa have been cross with us.” There is now a trace of venom to Tokos’ words. “You’re just being a pussy again.”

Before Enoch can quip back, however, he is stopped by a sound from deep within the cave. Not a sudden shriek, but a low, subtle, almost faint, guttural noise. The boys stop, stand still, and hold their breaths. The noise rumbles on for a time before slowing to a halt.

“Tokos... what was that,” Enoch whispers to his brother.

“Oh, now you want me to help you? Gimme a break,” Tokos’ voice is disdainful as he whispers back.

“Tokos, what if we’re in actual danger?” Enoch’s voice is still frustrated, but now somewhat strained. “What if Father told us not to go in here because...”

The sound returns and both boys strain their ears to try and identify it’s cause and location. It sounds distinctly wet, and is accompanied by a sound like rocks splashing into water.

“Father must’ve wanted to keep us out of here for a reason... It must have something to do with the inscription. Maybe it’s a curse and we’ve summoned whatever evil it speaks of!”

“That’s stupid. If there were a curse, we would’ve heard something about it by now. Now le-”

“Exactly. Remember what the people in Mother’s stories said? Dead men tell no tales. They were trying to keep us out of here so we wouldn’t be next!”

The noise once again rumbles through the cave, followed by the sound of rushing water. Enoch gulps before continuing to speak. “Okay, well... Let’s just keep our heads and-”

“Hey, I’ve been keeping my head. You’re the one acting like a coward.”

Enoch huffs again, ignoring his brother. “We should figure out what’s going on here. I know Father has said something-”

“We need to get out of here, and I already told you how.”

“You go ahead. I’m going to figure out what’s going on.”

“You don’t know what’s in there. We have to stick together!”

“Ha! I knew it. You’re showboating. Now look who’s being the coward!”

“I’m not being a coward, I’m making sure you don’t do something stupid to screw me over while I leave.”

“All I want is to find out more, I’m not gonna do anything!”

“Yes, you will! You always do! And then your curiosity will end up getting me into more trouble!”

“Excuse me, I’m the one who gets you in trouble? Just who pressured me into going in here in the first place?”

The sound booms now, silencing them both. The boys suddenly feel freezing water touch their toes. They jump back, only to have the water rise to touch them again. But the sound once again slows to a grinding stop and the water stands still, allowing the boys to turn from their fear back to their anger.

Tokos is the first to speak, his voice icy and quiet. “They say Father murdered his brother when they were young. Maybe I should do the same to you.”

“How dare you! You insult Father and you insult me, too. No wonder he prefers me over you!”

“Mother and Father don’t play favorites and you know it!”

“They do. They began to favor me the moment they saw you but you couldn’t see them,” Enoch spits back spitefully.

“Well it’s not like I asked for this! It’s not like I asked to always be missing a piece of the world. And I certainly didn’t ask for pussies like you to keep on telling me that I need them! That I need you!”

Enoch takes a breath to shout back, but stops short. He is quickly overcome by a wave of guilt and he hangs his head. The sound thunders past them again and the water now flows up around their ankles. Enoch thinks over everything that had just been said and feels a terrible remorse. Tokos is right after all, about everything.

And they do need to leave.

The sound quiets down some after a few minutes but doesn’t go away entirely. The water continues to creep up their legs as they continue to shuffle backwards. At last Enoch lets go of his pride and speaks up.

“Alright. We’ll do it your way, okay? We’ll leave.” He almost has to shout to be heard over the sound.

Tokos hesitates for a moment before grabbing his brother’s arm and begins to pull him backwards. “Now you realize,” he grumbles after a moment.

They slowly wade their way through the now waist- deep water, speeding up their way as the water level lowers the further they go. Part way along, Enoch stops Tokos.

“What?” Tokos’ voice is testy.

Enoch hesitates. “Look, I’m... I’m sorry. I really am. I have no excuse. Will you forgive me?”

Tokos hesitates and lets go of Enoch’s arm. It seems for a moment that he is going to run off and leave Enoch behind (or follow through on his earlier threat), but instead he sighs and takes Enoch’s hand instead.

“I... I don’t know yet. Let’s just get out of here.”

And get out they did. With Tokos’ expert guidance through the dark, they eventually find their way back to the entrance of the cave. They whoop and holler under the stars before quickly shushing each other for fear that the party is still going and someone would see them.

But the party isn’t still going. In fact, the tent and everyone in it is gone, leaving only the embers of long-doused bonfire. Enoch looks around; the only life around is a few wandering goats. Nobody is in sight.

“Where’d everybody go?”

“Maybe they went back to the palace?”

The boys look up to their city across the waters, and to the palace, their home, which sat high atop everything else. They stay in place for a moment before beginning their trek across the bridge and into the capital.

Their walk is sullen and silent for a while, and they both simply listen to the sound of water dripping off their clothes. But after some time, Tokos decides to speak up.

“What did you mean by curse?”

“I don’t know. Maybe there is one, who knows? But you’re right. Father would’ve told us if something like that was going on. He’s told us about plenty of other things.”

“Yeah,” Tokos pauses. “Sorry for threatening you. And for dragging you into all this in the first place.”

“And I’m sorry for everything else. I shouldn’t have been so high and mighty, and I shouldn’t have insinuated you were less capable than everyone else, either.”

“Well. Better blind than paralyzed.”

Enoch chuckles. “Isn’t that kind of missing the point?”

Tokos laughs in return. “Maybe. And anyway, that story about Papa is a load of dung anyway.”

“Are you sure? Then why do we know about his siblings without actually knowing his siblings?”

“I dunno, they probably just live really far away.”

“That’s fair. Hey, what do you think that sound was anyway?”

“Eh, probably the Scarlet King.”

Enoch stumbles and stops. “Are you serious?"

“Oh, sure, we were both getting pretty nervous. ‘Fear alone feeds the beast,’ remember? Makes sense to me.”

“Uhh... You’re joking, right?”

“Of course I’m joking! What are you, a pussy?”

Enoch smiles. Unlike the last few times he has said it, Tokos’ voice has returned to it’s usual playful tone.

“I forgive you, by the way.”

“So do I.”

The rest of their walk is peaceful, and they talk more along the way. That is, until, the palace doors come into view and their anxieties abruptly spike.

“Well, guess we should start with the meeting room...”

They slowly make their way there, making sure to stay out of sight of the servants and the guests, all the while whispering their plans to explain themselves.

But these plans are quickly flattened as they approach the doors right as they were opened. A servant walked out and walked away, leaving the boys staring their shocked mother and father in the face. They stand like this for a moment, awkwardly shuffling in place as their parents looked at them in disbelief.

This disbelief is soon suspended as they run around the table that they and a variety of maps had been situated at. Their mother quickly sweeps them into her arms, and their father soon follows.

“Enoch! Tokos! Where have you been, are you hurt? What were you thinking!”

“No, Mama, we’re not hurt. And, I, uh, dunno. We, uh...” Tokos’ hand searches for Enoch’s hand and swats it.

Enoch takes the hint. “We, well... went in the cave.” Their parents share a look before Enoch continues. “It was Tokos’ idea to go in-”

“Hey!”

“-but I’m the one who made him stay.”

The sharing of the blame doesn’t go unnoticed.

“But you both got out safe, correct?” their father asks, eyeing their still soaked sandals and trousers.

Both boys nod, and sheepishly tell of their misadventure.

Their father sighs. “Boys, we told you not to go in there because it floods easily. That inscription you read is an old warning; it’s how we knew to keep you and everyone else out. Those sounds you heard were likely a sea wall collapsing and water rushing in.”

This makes the boys feel rather stupid.

“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” their mother says.

“Nah. Now are you gonna throw us a party for being back or what?” Tokos grins his classic grin.

“Actually, I was thinking something more along the lines of several restrictions,” their father says in a stern yet fond tone. The boys groan. “Now go take baths, both of you, and then it’s straight to bed.”

The boys mumble their affirmations and begin shuffling off towards their rooms.

“Boys?”

They turn around and run back into their parent’s arms. Their mother strokes their hair as their father rubs their backs.

“It’s good to have you back.”

#does it count as f/o x s/i if it's about their kids??#siblings #short story #hi Teresa! yes references to your s/i are going to become a thing now >:)#my writing #sibling scenario #📝 written in the history books 📜

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blightarts · 3 years

Text

Blades of Order & Chaos

Chapter Title: 7 - Lion VS Bear

Previous Chapter: Fated Encounter

Word Count: 5239

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Pixelberry. This is my version for the upcoming sequel of Blades of Light & Shadow. I am not claiming this to be the canon story of the book. This is only written to increase the hype for the actual sequel.

MC/Pairing: Kite (Blue Elf Male MC) / Kite x Nia

Taglist: @princessstellaris @mechaspirit @brightningstar @cal-north @lxdy-starfury @tyrils-star @imturaxamara @kelseaaa

In the empty alleyways of the Vishanti Kingdom, the party follows Bella closer to the castle, with Kade and Threep still staring at her in awe. The self-proclaimed goddess turns to them and rolls her eyes.

Bella: Oh, will you stop starin’ at me like that? It’s creepy.

Kite lightly chuckles while his brother and Threep shake their heads to compose themselves.

Kade: Sorry, it’s just…

Threep: It was difficult for us to comprehend that you are one of the New Gods and you are aiding us in our journey.

Bella: I ain’t aidin’ nobody. I’m just doin’ what I’m paid to do. After I get me sack o’ coins, I’ll be out of yer hair.

Kade grins excitedly.

Kade: I have some questions, though.

Bella rolls her eyes.

Bella: Okay, here we go.

Kade: Did you actually fought with the other New Gods? Did you get to meet them? What is Xaius, the God of Victory like? Or Ellara, the Goddess of Aegis? Or Ittar and Bakshi, the Gods of Love?

Bella stops on her tracks, prompting the party to stop too. She then quickly turns to Kade with a hilarious-looking annoyed face.

Bella: Listen here, kid. This ain’t no twenty questions game. I’m one of the New Gods, that’s it. That’s all you need to know.

Nervously sweating, the bard just nods repeatedly while responding in a stuttering tone.

Kade: R-R-Right… S-S-Sorry…

Bella: Good.

The mercenary turns back and walks ahead while the party follows suit. Kite pats his brother’s head to help him feel better, prompting the latter to smile.

Kade: Thanks.

Kite: You gotta stay calm, Kade. We’re in the presence of a Goddess, after all.

Kade grins and nods before taking a deep breath to compose himself.

Kade: I’m good.

Kite smiles while Threep looks up at the Vishanti Castle.

Threep: We’re close.

Bella suddenly takes a detour, confusing everyone.

Bella: Over here.

Kade: Wait, I thought we’re going to the castle.

Bella: Yer still wanted ‘round town, right? This path will lead you inside the castle without getting’ any attention.

Bella rushes inside a hidden entrance to an underground tunnel. The party members look at each other before reluctantly following the goddess. After a few minutes of trekking in the tunnels, the party eventually reach a large door, guarded by two armored wooly-men.

(Author’s Note: For this fic, average Wooly-Men height is around 8.5 feet and they have bulky builds like orcs.)

Wooly-Man 1: Halt! Who goes there?

Bella: Come on, Erik. It’s me! Yer best pal, Bella!

The guard huffs.

Erik: You still owe me some coin, Bella. No matter how much King Njal pays you, I’ll be taking them all.

Bella grins and gently punches Erik’s arm.

Bella: Nice to see ya too!

Erik notices the party behind the mercenary.

Erik: Are these the wanted criminals that the King specifically wanted you to fetch?

Bella: Yeah, they are.

Kade gulps nervously.

Kade: A-A-Are you gonna execute us?

Threep trembles.

Threep: Can I at least get one delicious feast as my last meal before I get beheaded?

Kite remains unfazed and just asks his question in a calm manner.

Kite: We’re not in trouble, are we?

Erik just opens the door.

Erik: You best ask the King himself.

Bella enters the castle’s crypt as Kite follows suit, holding Kade’s arm to help him calm down. After a few minutes of trekking through the maze-like structure of the Vishanti crypts, they arrive at the throne room, where the largest of all the wooly-men, about nine feet tall, sits upon a gigantic throne.

Bella: Alright, Njal, here are those criminals ya wanted. Now, pay up.

King Njal, the leader of the wooly-men and the king of the mountain, stands from his throne, towering over everyone in the room and immediately intimidating both Kade and Threep, before approaching the party. He then lightly chops Bella’s head with his hand.

Bella: Hey! What gives?!

Njal chuckles.

King Njal: It’s still surprising to me how you, a goddess, stoop so low that you have to perform tasks given by us, the common people, just to sustain your needs.

Annoyed, Bella easily slaps away the King’s hand with her outstanding strength.

Bella: I do what I like. Just give me payment. Besides, you’ve never won a single test of strength against this lowly goddess.

Njal grins.

King Njal: That is true, but you will get your payment later. I shall speak to our guests first.

Bella: I hate you.

Bella puffs her cheeks and steps aside. Njal then turns to the party. Kade and Threep immediately hide behind Kite, who bows before the King.

King Njal: I see that after your memory loss, you still retain your courtesy, Young Nightbloom.

Kade peeks from behind Kite.

Kade: Y-You have heard of us, your Majesty?

King Njal: Yes, I have received letters from the Dunbar tribesmen and the Zaradun dwarves, informing of your arrival.

Kade steps up, beside Kite, while Threep climbs on the elf’s shoulder.

Threep: Then you must know why we are here, your Majesty.

King Njal: Indeed. You are here for the weapon we have kept deep within our mountains that King Brynjar has told you a year ago.

King Njal turns and points to a claymore floating above his throne. The claymore’s blade is completely made of a special crystal, glimmering from the cerulean light emitted by the torches inside the throne room.

Kade: It looks so… elegant, like a rainbow.

Kite: What is it called?

King Njal: The Mirror Claymore, a weapon made of Vishanti’s rarest ore, Prismium. It is capable of deflecting or absorbing almost any type of magic, protecting its wielder while unleashing a counterattack filled with magical energy at their opponent.

Kade: “Any type of magic”? Does that mean…?

King Njal turns to the party with a nod.

King Njal: Yes. It is even capable of countering Sir Laundsellyn’s Relinquish spell.

Kade grins and turns to Kite with an ecstatic expression.

Kade: This is amazing, Kite! We finally have something to match against the Empire.

Threep: It is quite a magnificent weapon to behold. I can now see why King Brynjar wanted us to search for it.

King Njal reaches out his hand as the Mirror Claymore hovers towards it. As the Mountain King grasps the weapon, Kite approaches him. However, two guards get between him and King Njal.

Threep: How dare you?!

Kade: What gives?!

Kite soon realizes the situation as he prepares to draw the Bow of Gal’dariel.

Kite: I don’t suppose you’d want us to just claim that without a fight, huh, your Majesty?

Bella raises her eyebrow, slowly becoming interested with the situation, as King Njal laughs and turns towards Kite.

King Njal: Right, you are, Young Nightbloom. If you want to claim it, you have to earn it through a test of strength.

Kite: Alright, you asked for it. Here I go!

Kite suddenly leaps high, above the two guards, while casting a ball of Cleansing Fire. Caught off-guard, everyone looks upon the elf.

King Njal: Wait! I do not mean now!

But King Njal was too late on informing Kite as the latter quickly hurls a fireball at the former. King Njal immediately swings the Mirror Claymore at the fireball, like playing baseball, launching it towards Kite, who uses the Shield of Castiel to block the counterattack, before landing on his feet. The guards immediately point their spears towards the elf, who laughs like a child.

Kite: Sorry about that. I just wanted to test out the Claymore. I do accept your challenge though. Hehe.

Threep: What do you mean by “Hehe”?!

Kade lightly chops Kite’s head.

Kade: Not funny.

Bella begins to chuckle, surprising everyone. She approaches Kite with a grin.

Bella: Yer an interesting fella, Kite Nightbloom.

She then puts her arm around him, like he’s been her best friend for a long time, and turns to King Njal.

Bella: Let’s make this challenge interesting, Njal. Why not duke it out in a wrestling match? Best three outta five.

King Njal raises an eyebrow.

King Njal: Ooh, that does sound interesting, Bella.

Kite: …EHH?! Wrestling a wooly-man?!

Kade: Are you crazy?!

Threep: His Majesty would flatten Kite!

Bella laughs as she pats Kite’s back.

Bella: You’ll be fine! I’ll be trainin’ ya! I mean you are looking at the only one who can beat Njal in a wrestling match.

Kite looks at his friends, who are paranoid, then to Bella, with her friendly, yet creepy smile, then to King Njal with a smile that hides a sinister wrestling monster within, before sighing.

Kite: Alright, fine. I accept the wrestling match.

King Njal: Then it is settled.

King Njal returns the Mirror Claymore above the throne before sitting.

King Njal: In three days, we shall meet again for the match.

Kade: Three days?!

Threep: Is that even enough for a training?

Bella: Totally!

Kite sighs in defeat.

Kite: Those three days better be worth it.

Bella: Cross me heart!

King Njal dismisses the party and Bella, and have the guards escort them to their rooms.

The next day, the party and Bella meet up at the castle’s barracks, where one of the rooms has a circular wrestling ring at the center.

Bella: Here we are. We’ll practice Vishanti Wrestling here.

Kade: What is Vishanti Wrestling, exactly?

Bella: Oh, it’s just pushin’ yer opponent outta the ring.

(Author’s Note: Vishanti Wrestling is basically sumo wrestling, but it is done with the bulky body structure.)

Threep: …And you suppose Kite would be able to push King Njal, the largest of all the wooly-men, out of the ring?

Bella: Not with that attitude, ya furball.

Threep: How dare you call me a furball?!

Bella shrugs and gets on the ring.

Bella: Besides, I’m not askin’ Kite to push Njal out. The elf’s tinier than him so you gotta use yer agility to outmaneuver the bastard. If he’s chargin’ at ya, get around his ass and use his momentum to push ‘im outta the ring.

Kite: That’s easier said than done.

Bella: Well, not unless you know Kaytar, the martial arts known by the orcs.

Threep: Of course! Imtura did teach Kite how to use it.

Bella: Well, that saves us plenty of time to train.

Bella cracks her knuckles and asks Kite to come into the ring.

Bella: Alright, Kite, show me what ya got!

Two minutes later…

Kite: AACK!!

Kite is suddenly knocked out of a circular wrestling ring by Bella. She crosses her arms and looks at the elf with disappointment.

Bella: Yer kiddin’ me, right? Ya call that Kaytar?

Kite gets up while rubbing his belly from pain.

Kite: Well…

He turns to Kade and Threep, who are worried about him.

Kade: Even if Kite learned how to do Kaytar, his memory loss made him forget about his training with Imtura.

Bella rolls her eyes.

Bella: Yeah, right. Combat isn’t about memory. It’s about instincts. Even if yer mind doesn’t remember, yer body sure as hell does.

She claps her hands, demanding for Kite come back to the ring.

Bella: Come on, let’s keep goin’. I’mma beat the shit outta you till yer body remembers how to Kaytar. Make yer friend proud!

Kite puts on a determined expression and gently smacks his hands against his cheeks before going back in the ring.

Kite: Let’s do this.

As minutes pass, while Kite continues to get kicked out of the ring, the losses become less and less likely to happen as his body begins to instinctively remember how to use the martial arts taught to him by Imtura. Bella smiles proudly at his progress.

Bella: That’s it! Yer getting’ there.

On the last round, Bella charges at Kite and thrusts her palm forward, in an attempt to push him out with her immense strength. However, after polishing his skills, Kite quickly ducks and rushes forward, right below the goddess.

Kite: Missed!

Bella: Don’t get too cocky now.

Bella grins as she goes in for a counterattack, but as soon as she looks down to where Kite supposed to be, her eyes widen, noticing that he just disappeared into thin air. She quickly turns around to see him already behind her.

Kite: Gotcha!

Before Bella could react, Kite tucks his head and braces his arms against his front before launching himself towards the goddess. His shoulder then bashes Bella on her backside, knocking her out of the ring, as she lands on her feet gracefully, finally earning Kite a victory. Kade and Threep celebrate.

Kade: That was awesome!

Threep: Magnificent performance!

Bella: Not bad, Kite. Now, that’s what I call Kaytar.

Kite grins proudly but…

Bella: Still not enough to beat Njal though.

Kade and Threep celebration ends abruptly as Kite huffs and puffs.

Kite: Hey! Don’t lift me up just to shoot me down like that so suddenly!

Bella: Ey, just telling the truth. Ya really don’t stand a chance against him, let alone ANY wooly-men ‘round these parts.

Kite: Harsh.

Bella gets back up on the ring and does some stretches.

Bella: Luckily for you, I’mma bout to teach you a skill that I have developed.

Kite raises an eyebrow, curious.

Kite: Oh yeah?

Bella grins before taking a deep breath. Soon after, she lets out a powerful yell, causing a burst of magical energy around her body. Her muscles begin to swell slightly as Kite and Threep sense an immense growth in her brute strength.

Threep: Amazing! Her physical prowess managed to triple!

Kade: As if her current strength isn’t scary enough!

Kite: So, that’s what the skill can do? Raise one’s physical stats and limitations?

Bella: Exactly! I dubbed it “Lion’s Pride”.

Bella then performs a gentle exhale, maintaining the skill at a balanced state so that it doesn’t let out too much magical energy.

Bella: It lasts about ten minutes and you can only use it once every 24 hours. Goin’ past ten minutes or usin’ it more than once and yer body will slowly tear apart.

Kite: I see.

Bella claps her hands and gets into a squatting stance.

Bella: Alright, now let’s see you try.

Kite follows the same stance before Bella could tell him the instructions.

Bella: First, you gotta take a deep breath. Focus all yer magical energy on yer heart and lungs.

Bella closes her eyes and breathes deeply, followed by Kite.

Bella: Then once ya feel immense magical power buildin’ up inside ya, let it all out like how yer heart pumps out blood all across yer body. Don’t forget to scream.

Kite continues to build up his magical energy until he snaps his eyes open and…

Kite: RAAAAAAAA!!!

Kite unleashes his magical power and spreads it across his entire body, raising his physical stats and limitations, however, because of his gift in magic, his improvements are better than Bella’s.

Threep: Unbelievable! Kite’s physical prowess has increased tenfold!

Kade: That’s so cool!

Bella grins.

Bella: The more potential you have in magic, the better the improvements. I’m more of a warrior who relies on brute strength so I don’t need much magic.

Kite lets out a long exhale, maintaining his magical energy.

Kite: That felt great!

Bella: Let’s have another match. This time, let’s both use Lion’s Pride.

Kite: Yes, Ma’am.

With less than ten minutes left until the skill’s limit, Kite and Bella go for a few more rounds, resulting in equal victories for the both of them. The training goes on for the next two days as Kite’s improvements become more and more apparent.

On the day of the match, Kite, the party and Bella meet up with King Njal at the castle’s courtyard, where a larger wrestling ring is located. Vishanti guards gather around the ring while Njal stands at the center, clad in his combat attire. While Kade, Threep and Bella stand with the rest of the audience, Kite gets up in the ring to come face to face with his opponent.

King Njal: I’ve heard from my guards that your strength has improved these last three days, thanks to Bella.

Kite: You’ve heard right. And today, I’m gonna prove it to you.

King Njal: Let your actions in battle prove your words, Young Nightbloom.

Kite and King Njal crouch and plant each of their fists onto the surface of the ring, like the initial sumo stance. Before the referee could start the match, Kite immediately channels his magical energy and activates Lion’s Pride, increasing his physical strength tenfold and surprising Njal.

King Njal: Oh! I see Bella has taught you her technique.

Kite smirks.

Kite: I mean, I am going against basically the most physically built entity in all of the realm. Might as well go all out.

King Njal: “All out”, you say?

Bella: Uh oh…

Threep: What?

Kade: Is something gonna happen?

King Njal takes a deep breath before exhaling lots of frozen mist from his nose. Cold air begins to gather around the mountain king’s body, infusing him with a tough ice armor and intimidating Kite.

Kite: Wait a minute!

Referee: Begin!

Before Kite could get another word, Njal immediately charges forward and shoulder-bashes him, launching the elf out of the ring. The audience parts themselves as Kite flies past them, crashing onto the wall and making an elf-shaped hole on it.

Referee: Round one goes to his Majesty!

The guards cheer as King Njal crosses his arms and smirks in victory. Kite climbs out of the hole, grinning at the mountain king while his friends look at him with concern.

Kite: You just made this a LOT interesting, your Majesty.

Kade: Kite, are you okay?!

Kite turns to his friends and nods before running back into the ring.

Kite: Never been better.

King Njal scoffs.

King Njal: Ready for another beating?

Kite: Not this time.

Kite grins with determination as he and Njal take their stance for the second round. About nine minutes remain until Lion’s Pride reaches its limit. Kite breathes deeply as his perception begins to slow down.

Referee: Begin!

King Njal goes in for another shoulder-bash, but Kite saw the attack coming. The elf leaps up high, above the mountain king, startling everyone. Unable to stop his current momentum, Njal continues to close in on the edge of the ring.

Kite: Gotcha now!

Kite uses this as an advantage as soon as he lands by charging at and pushing his opponent out of the ring. Kade, Threep and Bella cheer.

Referee: Round two goes to Kite!

King Njal reenters the ring with a proud grin.

King Njal: Impressive, but it won’t be easy from here on out.

Kite nods and does a few stretches.

Kite: Bring it!

The two challengers take their stances once more for the third round. Seven and a half minutes remain until Lion’s Pride reaches its limit.

Referee: Begin!

This time, Kite and Njal lunge at each other, clasping their hands together in an attempt to push the other off the ring. Immediately, Kite struggles to move Njal an inch as the latter doesn’t even break a sweat. As each second passes, little by little, Kite skids closer to the edge of the ring. His friends begin to panic.

Kade: Come on, Kite! You can do it!

Threep: I am afraid he might not succeed this round.

Bella: Yer right. Njal’s specialty in this is pushing.

Indeed, Threep was unfortunately correct as Kite is pushed off of the ring by Njal. The mountain king’s guards cheer for him once more.

Referee: Round three goes for his Majesty!

The party and Bella look in horror as Kite gets up, disappointed at his performance.

Kite: Damn it…

King Njal: Are you still determined to continue?

Without a response, Kite jumps back into the ring. King Njal scoffs and smirks at the elf’s confidence.

Kade: Kite needs to win the next two rounds or else, he won’t be able to claim the Mirror Claymore.

Threep: I doubt it’s even about the Claymore anymore.

Kade: What do you mean?

Threep: Kite is also fighting for the support of the Vishanti Kingdom. If he does not prove himself here, we will not be able to have enough manpower for the war.

Kade: Isn’t the Vishanti Kingdom on our side?

Threep: Not originally. They have always been a neutral faction in our Realm, never siding with either the forces of good or evil. But now, with the Empire’s return, they have no choice but to decide who to side with. This is why, despite of the Empire’s presence in the Realm, this kingdom remains prosperous.

Bella: Furball’s right once again.

Threep: Will you stop calling me that?!

Voice: Yip, yip!

Bella feels something soft bumping against her legs. She and the party look down to see a fox with blue and white fur, and purple eyes, glaring at the goddess.

Furball: Mrrm!

Bella shyly rubs the back of her head.

Bella: Sorry ‘bout that li’l guy.

Furball: Hrrm!

The fox strolls away.

(Author’s Note: Was I really gonna use a segment of a chapter for a Furball cameo? There was not a single doubt in my mind! Anyways, back to the match.)

Kite and Njal take their stances for the fourth round. Five minutes remain until Lion’s Pride reaches its limit.

Referee: Begin!

The two challengers repeat the same situation last round, with the two of them trying to push each other off the ring. Once again, Kite cannot budge Njal while the latter skids the former closer to the edge.

King Njal: This is just humiliating for you, Young Nightbloom. Are you certain that this is all you can do?

As the two are inches from the edge of the ring, Kite looks up at Njal with a devious grin.

King Njal: Wha—

Kite suddenly hops up and plants his feet beneath the icy floor of the ring, surprising Njal and everyone else.

King Njal: What are yo—

Kite then bends his knees, leaning backwards, as he tightens his grip on Njal’s hands and pulls him out the ring, once again using the mountain king’s momentum to his advantage.

Referee: Round four goes to Kite!

Kade, Threep and Bella cheer once more.

Kade: Just one more win!

Threep: There is still hope!

Bella: Yeah, but it’s a 50-50 chance.

Bella glances at the two who just glare at her and her pessimism.

Bella: What?!

King Njal steps into the ring for the last round.

King Njal: You truly are a remarkable being, Young Nightbloom.

Kite smirks while doing a few hops, hyping himself up.

Kite: I might even perform a lot better if I have all my memories back.

Njal chuckles.

King Njal: Combat isn’t about memory.

Kite: It’s about instincts.

The two grin at each other before taking their stances. As two and a half minutes remain until Lion’s Pride reaches its limit, Kite thinks to himself.

Kite’s Thoughts: If I push myself even further, I might be able to actually move Njal this time. I can’t keep repeating the same moves. It makes me predictable. I have to do this.

The elf takes a deep breath, channeling magical energy once more. Bella notices this.

Bella: Oh no…

Kade: What’s wrong?

Bella: Kite is going to use Lion’s Pride once more…

Threep: What? Is he not still under its effects?

Bella: The skill can be used as much as he needs to, however, each use decreases the amount of time before it reaches its limit. In this case, instead of two and half minutes remaining, he’ll be left with half that amount.

Kade: This is bad. Will he even win with that amount of time?

Bella: I doubt it.

Kite’s friends look at him with concern as he casts Lion’s Pride once more, further increasing his physical stats and limitations, but decreasing the time limit.

King Njal: Oh? Are you sure about further powering yourself up? It’s risky and it could result to your loss.

Kite: What’s a victory without a little risk?

Kite smirks, empowered while Njal scoffs.

King Njal: Watch your confidence, Young Nightbloom. It could result to your downfall.

Referee: Begin!

The two once again attempt to push each other off the ring, but this time, as Kite predicted, he starts to move forward, instead of backwards, as Njal skids towards the edge.

Kade: Kite’s plan is working!

Threep: Yes, but he has less than a minute left.

However, Kite’s advantage won’t last long as Njal saw this coming. With just a few feet left near the edge, the mountain king takes a page out of the elf’s book as the former crouches down and swings his arms upwards, using the latter’s momentum against him and lifting him up in the sky. Njal then turns and slams down Kite near the edge of the ring.

Kade: Kite!

Bella: Shit… the time is up…

As Kite winces in pain, the magical aura surrounding him begins to fade away, deactivating Lion’s Pride. Njal stands before him.

King Njal: Such a shame, Young Nightbloom.

As the mountain king prepares to punt Kite off the ring, the elf suddenly bolts out of danger and appears right behind the Njal, shocking everyone.

Bella: No way!

Threep: How?!

Kite’s friends begin to notice magical energy gathering around him once more.

Bella: Is he insane?! His body will break if he keeps using that skill!

Kade: Kite, don’t!

Kite lets out a primal scream as he casts Lion’s Pride once more. Cracking sounds can be heard from his body.

King Njal: Are you sure about this, Kite?

Kite twitches from pain and takes a wrestling stance. Nonetheless, he smiles.

Kite: Match ain’t over yet.

King Njal sighs and smiles back as he takes a stance as well.

King Njal: Well then, let’s finish it.

The two charge at each other and once again try to push each other off the ring. Once more, Kite slowly pushes Njal near the edge but because of the continuous intense pain, he is also slowly losing focus. This gives the mountain king an opening as he tightens his grip on Kite’s hand and slings him off the ring.

Kade: No!

However, as soon as Njal lets go of Kite, the latter quickly reaches for the former’s hand. Since Kite hasn’t touch the ground, the round is technically not yet over. He pulls himself back in by grabbing hold of Njal’s arm, then goes around the wooly-man, catching him by surprise. And before Njal could react, Kite hops and uses both his feet to kick the mountain king off the ring. Njal crashes onto the ground, making Kite the victor of the round and the entire match. Silence fills the courtyard for a while until…

Referee: Our winner! Kite Nightbloom!

Kade and Threep rush towards Kite before pulling him in a proud embrace. As magical energy disperses from Kite, he collapses from exhaustion, but still had the stamina to return the embrace to his friends. Bella and the Vishanti guards stare in awe, amazed at the spectacle that Kite and Njal have brought. The mountain king stands up and joins Kite and his friends at the ring. He reaches his hand out.

King Njal: I admire your conviction, Kite Nightbloom. The Vishanti Kingdom shall join you in defeating the Empire of Ash.

Kite smiles and reaches to shake Njal’s hand while Kade is supporting his brother.

Kite: Much appreciated, your Majesty. I’m glad to have you on our side.

Bella leaps from behind Kite and chops the back of his neck with her hand.

Bella: You idiot!

Kite: AACK!!

Kite collapses once more in Kade’s arms while the goddess crosses her arms, fuming.

Kade: Kite! Wha?! Why?!

Bella: That was reckless of you to go over the skill’s limit.

Kite composes himself and chuckles.

Kite: Hey, it was worth it. I won. That’s what matters.

Bella: Hmph! Well, don’t do it again. Other than that, congrats.

Kite: Well, it’s all thanks to you.

The elf grins gratefully as Bella turns away from the group before proudly giving them a thumbs up. A while later, after Kite has regained his strength, he and his friends gather in the throne room. King Njal stands in front of them, holding the Mirror Claymore in his hands.

King Njal: As a symbol of alliance between the Vishanti Kingdom and the descendant of the great Haldir Nightbloom, I bestow upon thee, Kite Nightbloom, our Sacred Treasure, the Mirror Claymore.

Kite kneels and bows his head while receiving the Sacred Treasure. Everyone inside the throne room claps in celebration. The elf then stands up while everyone around him steps back to let him test the weapon. Kite gives the Claymore a few swings, getting used to its weight.

Kade: How is it?

Kite grins.

Kite: I like it.

He turns to King Njal and bows.

Kite: Thank you once again, your Majesty.

Njal nods.

King Njal: We have done our part to aid you in your growth. Now, we must prepare ourselves for the coming war, as should you. Threep told me that a year ago, your allies have been separated from you.

Kite turns to Kade and Threep with concern.

Kite: Yes, but…

Kite clenches his fists.

Kite: I can’t even recognize them…

King Njal wonders to himself.

King Njal: Memories can be tricky sometimes, but as you continue on your journey, piece by piece, everything will come back to you. What matters now is that you must reunite with your companions.

The mountain king places his hand on Kite’s shoulder, comforting him. The elf nods.

Kite: Understood, your Majesty.

He turns once more to Kade and Threep.

Kite: Who do we find first?

Kade: Nia. She’s the closest to the mountains. The question is; how do we find her under all of the snow?

Threep suddenly remembers something.

Threep: We could use the Orb of Seeking that we stole from the home of the High Priest.

The nesper leaps onto Kite’s satchel and grabs the purple orb inside.

Kite: Good. That’ll make things easier.

King Njal turns to Bella.

King Njal: Bella, you must accompany them.

Bella: Huh?! Why?!

King Njal: Their journey will be perilous. They need your aid. Besides, it is about time you go out there and seek your resolve.

The goddess rolls her eyes.

Bella: Ugh, fine, but ya owe me!

King Njal nods as Bella approaches the party. Kade seems ecstatic.

Kade: Are you really joining us?

Bella: Calm down. I’ll only stick with ya until ya reconnect with yer friends.

Kite: Sounds good enough for me.

Kite and Bella bump their fists in agreement.

The Mercenary: Bella has joined the party.

After some thorough preparations, the party departs from the gates of the Vishanti castle.

King Njal: May the Light be upon you, heroes of the Realm.

Kite and his friends wave goodbye at Njal before heading to the market square to purchase some food for the journey ahead. Luckily for Kite, Kade and Threep, Njal has already ordered for their wanted posters to be taken down throughout the kingdom.

Kade: Alright, all that’s left is bread. The stall should be over there.

Kite: Gotcha. Let’s make this qui—

But before Kite could finish what he’s saying, he accidentally bumps into someone in the crowd.

Kite: Oh, sorry.

While Kite ensures that the person he bumps into is okay, Kade and Threep immediately recognizes that person.

Familiar Person: Quite unlike you to treat me this way, Kite.

Kade: No way!

Instinctively, Kade goes in for a punch but the person catches his fist.

Familiar Person: That won’t catch me by surprise this time, Kade.

Kade grits his teeth while Kite looks at the two, confused.

Kade: What the hell are you doing here?!... Aerin!

————— END OF CHAPTER —————

#playchoices #choices #choices stories you play #choices fanfic #playchoices fanfic #blades of light and shadow #choices blades #blades fanfic #bolas #choices bolas #bolas fanfic #blades mc #kade #choices kade #threep #choices threep

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kinetic-elaboration · 4 years

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October 25: 1x20 Court Martial

Now that Chopped is done I am free to watch TOS again. Today’s ep: Court Martial, a wonderful combination of two of my favorite things: Captain Kirk and Legal Stuff.

Look at that backdrop. I forgot how many Very 50′s backgrounds they had in this show.

The Intrepid is here for repairs! Such a lost opportunity to show more Vulcans in Starfleet.

I don’t entirely get why the Commodore has his own special transport pad. I guess it must allow him to beam himself places without the use of a ship but like... to where is he beaming?

Lol that absolutely terrible sailor suit outfit on the little girl. I can only assume it’s a school uniform as it’s the only thing she ever wears.

Can you believe how this whole episode is based, essentially, around allegedly broken regulations? I mean I know it’s more than that and they do a good job explaining why it’s bad to eject the pod early (”when there is no emergency”) but like, essentially, the underlying conditions of emergency are not in Kirk’s control. It’s possible to just skip officially calling the emergency while nevertheless acting in a way that is appropriate for an emergency, and so it comes down to “did he first declare the emergency officially and then act in accordance with the declared emergency or did he just skip the first step?” rather than “did he act too quickly?” since HE was the one who determined if the conditions warranted an emergency.

Having said all that I still don’t get what an ion pod is or where it was or why it had to be ejected at all. Or how Finney got out of the pod if it was ejected.

Vulcanian expedition?!?

Kirk’s default voice is just flirty; I’m sorry but it is. Even talking to his old school classmates, who are VERY quick to judge him harshly and hate on him, implying they were probably never friends, he’s All Charm by default. And he doesn’t drop the charm even when he starts politely fighting with them.

Bones using Jim to flirt--with Jim’s ex-girlfriend! “Did you see that guy over there, he’s pretty famous, and we’re friends!”

I love Areel Shaw and I’m just gonna say I think she’s my favorite Kirk girlfriend.

Charged with culpable negligence. As opposed to...not culpable negligence?

When he was a midshipman...

What’s with all these professor & student friendships??

I cannot believe part of the Finney & Kirk backstory is that he literally named his daughter after Kirk. Like that’s so intense! I feel like it kind of changes everything but I can’t entirely untangle how.

This “I can’t believe you filed a report about my error” backstory is literally the beginning of STID except Kirk is the Spock of this scenario.

Star Trek: Law and Order. Bum bum.

This whole idea of pitting Kirk against a computer is clever in that people to this day are like “but computers are infallible?” but also dumb because Kirk >>> Computer obviously.

Having drinks with the ex and he turns the charm up to 11.

All of this is wildly unethical, from her telling him about the prosecution’s case, to her BEING the prosecution.

I actually read an article recently about this isn’t, or shouldn’t be, her job as prosecutor, to drum him out of the service in disgrace. Her job should be to find the truth in a more neutral way.

Wtf are all these totally useless federal reporters doing here?

I’m a pro-book person but this is a HILARIOUS anti-computer speech. Like--the law is in the computer dude! It is! It’s the same law as in the books. Intergalactic Westlaw is available to you. And then he goes off on this weird rant about Moses, like--dude, Moses isn’t in the reporters OR Westlaw OR whatever Starfleet code is actually at issue here.

Kirk likes him though.

Shaw in the dress uniform with the long skirt hot damn.

Not even the computer can pronounce Spock’s full name. And he’s been demoted again.

Vulcanian Scientific Legion of Honor.

Spock isn’t having any of this. “I don’t dispute it. I just... actually I do dispute it because it’s nonsense.”

His entire testimony is the equivalent of “You don’t have all the facts.” / “Which are?” / “I love him.”

The defense doesn’t need to question him because he’s already testified for the defense.

This is such a hilarious use of McCoy. For the first time ever we’re told he’s actually a psychologist on top of being a surgeon and GP and then his whole testimony isn’t even really medical? It’s just like wild speculation, which being a doctor and an “expert in psychology” somehow qualifies him to provide?

I love how Kirk’s service record just goes on and on and on. Areel doesn’t do herself any favors objecting to it; that just draws attention to it. As the defense lawyer knows by insisting it continuing and then cutting it off for being comically long.

Kirk: “I can be level-headed in an emergency. This wasn’t my first rodeo.”

This chair design is SO BAD. I know it needs to be like this for the plot but omg putting the pod release button on the chair at all (like does the captain have to jettison pods a lot?) and then especially directly under the red alert button, and then putting both of them just out there without any kind of cover or anything--that’s just waiting for someone to lean on his chair arm and make a deadly mistake.

Also nothing else is even labeled lmao.

This is a very impressive deep fake.

This whole ion storm does not really seem like a scary emergency situation lol. It seems like Kirk and everyone else are basically keeping their heads.

“You may be able to beat your next Captain at chess” Kirk as chess master confirmed.

“I didn’t realize how close you and my father were even though I was literally named after you.”

Obligatory Bones accuses Spock of not caring about Jim scene.

“Why thank you, Doctor, my blood is very cold.”

I can’t believe Spock programmed the computer to play chess with him. Probably so he could practice for Jim.

The lawyer’s outfit is hilarious: little pocket for a pen in front. Is he... a civilian lawyer? Is that even allowed?

Here is talking about the Bible again. And the Magna Carta. First, it’s always funny when a bunch of real things are followed by some fake science fiction things. And second, he’s pretty obviously just talking about the Constitution, and like maybe a very tiny bit about the Magna Carta. There’s no right to counsel in the Bible.

Really glad to know the Martians care about the right to an attorney though. And that the Alpha 3 Colonies protect the right of confrontation.

I bet Spock is unimpressed with this Drama.

Why did they change out of their dress uniforms?

How convenient that Finney was one of only three people who could change the computer. I mean I guess this is a permissions thing--but why would the records officer have that? Not that I know what a records officer is.

“White noise device” you can’t fool me, that’s a microphone.

Also another hilarious use of McCoy. Do they really NEED the ship’s surgeon to put a microphone against people’s chests? “Don’t mind me, just stealing your heartbeats.”

Like the general concept of this is nifty story telling but some of the details are....uh.... funny.

Captain’s log: “We brought a young girl onto the ship even when it’s in a dangerous position so we could use her against her father.”

Finney really was playing the looooooong game of revenge lol. And yet it still doesn’t seem well thought out. What was the next part of his plan? Somehow get back OFF the ship once Kirk’s career is ruined, and then live the rest of his life under an assumed name? Never seeing his daughter again? No Starfleet career even though it’s allegedly so important to him? Seems a little bit like everyone loses.

Lol not letting Spock leave the bridge because the court martial’s not ever. “Sorry, we all might die, but court IS still in session.” Even though they ALREADY KNOW the alleged victim is still alive!

I love that Uhura is essential personnel. They didn’t keep the navigator on board, even though they apparently need one, but they did keep Uhura.

Oh no, Kirk’s flimsy shirt, falling apart again!

“Beaten and sobbing, Finney told me how to fix the ship.” Bitter much?

Kirk, being a badass, fixing the ship all by himself.

Honestly I just really love a narrative in which an upright man plays by the rules, does the right thing, and behaves in good faith and is ultimately vindicated and rewarded.

Now everyone agrees there’s no crime and thus no point to continuing the court-martial.

He’s defending Ben Finney! Good luck with that.

I love how Kirk’s face goes from full-on-romance to slightly-embarrassed-serious-Captain as soon as he remembers, hey, I really AM on the bridge!

“She’s a very good lawyer.” / “Obviously.”

This was such a good Kirk episode, both for showing off all his good qualities, and for getting some interesting insight into his character. He strikes me as the kind of person who, because he’s so by-the-book, and because he’s smart and successful, inspires jealousy in other people, and thus has a lot of strained acquaintanceships--like with the other men at the bar. But he also has these really, really strong friendships and relationships: Areel Shaw, Spock and McCoy, and even Finney. I feel like he’s probably rather awkward with most people, but then when the relationship is established, he’s ride or die. And, he doesn’t hold grudges. I don’t think he really knew how upset Finney was about what happened literally 10+ years ago--especially if he had any say at all about Finney serving on his ship, and I suspect he could have at least vetoed him. And even after Finney tried to disgrace him and then actually kill him, he still didn’t seem to upset about it, or about his lawyer turning around and defending Finney.

I think Kirk likes the military in part because it gives him this very strict set of rules about interacting with other people, so he doesn’t have to make up his own. I bet the intensity of the service also allows him to form these stronger relationships, which do seem to suit him better. And when he doesn’t have anything else to fall back on, he INVARIABLY pulls out the charm: he does it with old classmates, random 21st century pilots, immortal teenage girls, and actual love interests. It’s his default mode. I think that makes sense for someone who’s very ambitious, very precise, very nerdy, very rules-oriented, and whose default mode as a young man, by his own admission, was “grim.”

Wow it is so much later than anticipated... I need to get to sleep!

Next ep is Return of the Archons, which I’ve only seen once and don’t remember super well. I think it’s a ‘society ruled by computers’ thing, which is fine. Maybe not as much of a classic as some other S1 eps, but it should be fun anyway.

#the year 2020 #2020: star trek #2020: fandom thoughts #star trek tos

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flightsoffandom · 4 years

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Flight Risk

Pairs: Left Vague, Interpret the writing however you’d like. Bruce Banner is featured alongside the Reader.

Words: 1850

Summary: Getting off late from work and already exhausted takes an interesting turn when a loud noise draws you into your back yard. There you find a giant green man.

Notes: Left completely gender-neutral. I did already use this prompt for a Star Trek One-Shot and a Dr.Strange One-Shot, but I am wanting to challenge myself by using the same prompt with different fandoms and try to make it as unique as possible.

I found this writing prompt @wordfather and went with it. For this particular fanfic, I did edit the prompt a bit. The original prompt is below.

A: Who are you?

B: Your doctor.

A: Okay, Mr. Doctor, where’s your white coat and other… doctor things?!

B: You are aware that… it would be ‘Doctor’… and not ‘Mister Doctor’?

A: Well, sorry if I’m not articulate enough when I wake up in strange surroundings!

It was late. So late in fact that you felt like you were struggling to stay awake. Even as you were walking through your front door. A long day at the clinic had drained you of any energy you had left. Your goal at this point was to at least make it to your bed before you passed out. Throwing your bags down in a random place in the hallway helped lighten the load. You turned the corner into your bedroom. Barely managing to strip off the outermost layer of clothes. Leaving you in your undershirt and underwear. Flopping face down onto your bed was an almost euphoric feeling. You had waited all day for this moment and had already closed your eyes. As you lay there it felt like the house was shaking. In your state of exhaustion, you brushed it up. You also could have sworn you heard a crashing noise that was getting ever closer. As you felt yourself easing into sleep you heard a blood-curdling roar. It came from right outside your house. The loud sound of something impacting the ground followed. Immediately you were on your feet, practically sprinting to the source of the noise. When you got into the living room there was a deafening burst that made you pause. You crept towards the sliding glass door that leads to your back yard. Swiftly you flicked the back porch light on. The scene in front of you was shocking, to say the least. A colossal green humanoid. Making almost animalist noises stood in the middle of your yard. Unsure of how to proceed, you stood there and watched. Suddenly the green creature started to twitch. Its bones moved in such unnatural ways that you flinched at the sight. The pained noises it made are what caused you to slide open the glass door and start walking over. You felt bad for him. As this continued the giant fellow slowly began to shrink. His skins morphed from green into a peach color. You walked over to him, kneeling to get a better look. When it was all said and done you were left with an average-sized man. Who was unconscious and naked in the middle of your back yard.

Getting him into the house wasn’t too much of an issue. You made sure to gently lay him on the couch. The problem was that even as a doctor you had no idea what was wrong with this man. You had heard of genetic experiments but you never heard of anything like this. You laid a towel over his waist, trying to be respectful. Then placed a blanket over him. After making a huge pot of coffee, you sat on the ground a few feet away from the man. While the man did stir every now and then he didn’t wake up for a while. The sun started to come up and you could feel the tiredness starting to set back into your bones. You chugged another cup of coffee before moving closer to examine the man again. Pushing his curly dark hair off of his forehead before checking his temperature. The back of your hand resting on his skin for a moment as you tried to figure this out. Next, you checked on his pulse, everything seemed completely normal. Other than the fact that this man had transformed from a larger green man. As you pulled your hand away, the man woke up in a startled state. His eyes were wide and moving around the room.

The first question out of his mouth was, “Did I hurt anyone?” He looked both scared and concerned. You shook your head, “I don’t think so… I only found you because you ended up in my yard.” He sits up, looking down at himself. Mentally he tries to gather as much information as position, “Who are you?” You moved back giving him some space, “I am currently, Your doctor.” He held his head in his hands, almost as if he was in shock, “Okay…” He tried processing and coming up with words. He couldn’t seem to find the right ones but he continued anyway, “Medical Doctor, where’s your white coat and other..." Again he stopped trying to regain his thought process, “doctor things?” The man looked intelligent but clearly wasn’t thinking straight. In order to gauge his mental state you inquired, “You are aware that… it would be just ‘Doctor’... and not ‘Medical Doctor’?” The man pulled his head out of his hands. He looks around once again before exchanging a look with you, “Well, sorry..." His voice became less defensive and turned sheepish. “if I’m not articulate enough when I wake up in strange surroundings.” He hangs his head, rubbing the back of his neck. You went and grabbed him a cup of coffee. Bringing it back and handing it to him, “It’s okay, I wanted to make sure you were all there.” His eyes darted from the mug to you. He looked like a deer in headlights as he took the cup out of your hand. He took a few sips and silence settled into the room.

His eyes had been lost, staring deep into the cup in his hand. After a few moments, you decided to break through the quiet. “I might have some clothes that will fit you. Or I can go to buy you some.” Your voice pulled him out of that trance, making him stammer out a response. “I… I would hate to impose on you…” He sighed and rubbed his temples, “I should just get out of your hair.” You can’t help but chuckle, “Well your naked so I don’t think clothes are exactly ‘imposing’. Plus I don’t mind.” He gives a slight nod, still not seeming comfortable with asking for help. You stand up and start walking to your room, digging through old clothes. You settle on a sweatshirt and sweat pants before going back out. Handing the clothes over to him before turning around and walking a few feet away to give him a bit of privacy. You decide to ask, “What’s your name?” You can hear the shuffling of clothes as he puts them on. His answer comes out muffled through the fabric, “Bruce.” Once you stop hearing him moving around you figure he has finished changing so you flip back around. Leaning against the wall you look at Bruce. He was still adrift in his thoughts when you spoke up, “You don’t have to tell me whats going on. But you can stay here as long as you would like.” He looks up at you and you can tell by the look on his face he is about to protest. So you interrupt him as soon as he opens his mouth, “This is my house and if I say you can stay then you can stay.” You make sure your voice doesn’t come off as mean but also firm at the same time. He needed some help and you didn’t plan on kicking him out onto the street. He looked at you and only responding with another nod.

You were exhausted but you went into the kitchen and made some breakfast. You made more than you normally would for just two people. Figuring transforming like that would require him to eat more. Once you finish you put a plate in front of him as you sit in a chair opposite Bruce and start eating. His voice comes out quite, “Thank you.” He then proceeds to start eating. Feeling like your falling asleep into your plate, you try to finish as soon as you can. You stand up, delivering your plate to the sink. Before shuffling your way to your bedroom. Falling onto your bed again, you were more than ready to get the sleep you had wanted since last night. You weren’t sure how long you had slept. Waking up groggy but feeling much better, you made your way out to the living room. You half expected Bruce to have disappeared. Instead, he was still sitting on the couch right where you left him. You walked into the kitchen. You went to grab something to drink. You looked down and found that the dishes from this morning had been done. You smile to yourself before talking to Bruce over your shoulder, “I have an extra bedroom, it’s all yours.” You don’t hear him respond as you made your way back into your bedroom to get ready for the day. Waking yourself up a bit more and getting dressed. You walk into the living room, “Make yourself at home. I have to go out and get some groceries.” Bruce seemed to be a naturally quiet man. st nodded as a response again. When his eyes meet yours, you could tell he was a flight risk. Yet you knew you couldn’t force him to stay, you just refused to kick him out.

Leaving the house and driving to the store was a quick enough process. Buying food, on the other hand, took longer. You were convinced Bruce would be long gone by the time you got back. Yet you still bought extra food and even picked out some more clothes that looked to be his size. You reasoned that even if he wasn’t there you could just donate all the leftover things you didn’t need. After finishing your shopping trip and loading the bags into the car you left. Pulling back into your driveway you looked into the rearview mirror and let out a long sigh. You weren’t looking forward to carrying this all back into the house all by yourself. So you sat there for a minute, having a staring contest with the things in your back seat. Finally, you decided it was time and you got out of the car and loaded your arms as much as you could with stuff. You walked back into the house. Hands full of bags with more left in the car. Unsurprisingly, Bruce was nowhere to be seen. You figured he used your trip out as the perfect time to getaway. Dropping off the bags into the kitchen before heading out again. Before you could completely fill your arms up again, you saw Bruce. He made his way outside and over to you. Without you asking he started to help you, making the trips a lot easier. As you set the last of the bags down, you sorted out the ones full of clothes you picked up for him. “These are for you.” Bruce looked from the bags to you and for the first time, you saw the faintest smile on his face. You gave him a warm smile back. A bit louder then normal he said, “Thank you.” This time when your eyes met his, you saw something different than before. The nervousness and worry had started to fade. The flight risk of a man you had seen earlier was gone. There was trust in his eyes and you had a feeling he would be sticking around for a while longer.

#MCU #marvel #bruce banner #dr.banner #gender netural reader #gender neutral #fanfiction #fanfic #marvel fanfic #marvel fanfiction #reader insert #sfw #one-shot

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iamartemisday · 5 years

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Fake title: Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women. Jane Foster with any dangerous men you can think of 😉

Whoo okay! Totally didn’t forget about this I promise.

SO. Jane is broken up with Thor and he’s off doing royal stuff with Valkyrie I guess. Darcy is on vacation with Ian. Erik is also on vacation. Thanos is stuck playing the world’s longest game of solitaire, so there’s no Snap happening any time soon.

Point is, Jane’s on her own for a while. She’s doing okay. Eats regularly, sleeps semi-regularly, and works normal twelve-hour shifts Monday to Saturday. One Sunday afternoon, Jane was relaxing on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a movie on. Suddenly, there came a crash in her lab, followed by paper being shuffled around and what appears to be a male voice cursing in a language Jane doesn’t know.

That alone would’ve given her pause and made her think something bad had happened, but then there’s the swirling vortex of doom that just opened up in her living room. It just sucked the TV out which pisses Jane off because she just got a Netflix subscription godammit. Now how is she going to watch Sense8?

Also, Loki has just come stumbling out of her lab. He looks like shit and there’s a suspicious wound on his forehead. The blood on his hands and knives doesn’t appear to be his, though.

“I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m doing here,” he says.

“Actually I’m wondering where that vortex goes to,” she says. Then she grabs her ‘In Case of Vortex of Doom’ travel bag and belly flops through the portal.

Loki blinks after her for a few seconds wondering why he’s even surprised. Logic says he should walk away, but being Loki says he should do as Loki does. And so, away he goes!

Meanwhile, in a random Brooklyn apartment, Bucky Barnes is toiling his Sunday away on the couch taking a nap. He’s in the middle of a rather nice dream when the portal opens and drops Jane on his living room floor. He is immediately up and ready.

“Who the fuck is that?” he demanded before realizing it was not HYDRA, an intruder, or a HYDRA intruder. He dropped the gun he grabbed out of ‘secret gun hiding spot no. 272′ and checked that his hair looked okay in the mirror. It looked like Sam had washed it with salt water taffy. Good enough. “Jane! I mean, hi Jane. How are you? Uh... didn’t expect to see you here.”

Loki came through as Jane dusted herself off, just in time for a new vortex to open up. “Hi, Bucky. I was just following this vortex. See you later.”

She jumped through again, leaving Loki and Bucky to blink after her.

“Uh...” said Bucky.

Then a tentacle popped out of the vortex which Bucky instantly grabbed, allowing Loki to kill it with some fire. Then another tentacle came out. Then another. Then another. Then another. Then another. Then another.

In the interest of brevity, it was a lot of tentacles, and once they were all gone, Bucky looked at the portal. “Jane went in there.”

Loki nodded. “Yes, she did.”

“Jane went in there and there are tentacle monsters in there.”

“Indeed.”

After a moment’s allowance for reality to sink in, the two men rush headfirst into the 4.5th dimension to seek Jane out. They find her surprisingly quickly, examining a flowering plant on a desolate space rock which periodically spits fluorescent dust out the stamen.

Also, there are more tentacle monsters.

Also, she’s not alone.

“Don’t tell me,” Bucky says, helping Steve stave off the H.P. Lovecraft rejects. “Jane appeared at your place through a portal, then disappeared into another portal, then tentacle monsters attacked, then you jumped in after her because you like her and you need to protect the innocent.”

“Yes,” Steve says, blushing hard. “Except for the liking her part. I mean, I do like her, but not in that way, I like her in a different way sort of like-”

“Excuse me,” Loki steps in, blasting another tentacle monster into deep space, “I would like for us to get rid of these things before we argue.”

For once, everyone was in agreement with Loki, so they fight the monsters together to protect their dear lady.

“This thing is unreal. I wish I’d taken some botany classes so I could get a better idea of the physical makeup. Maybe if I take some samples and show them to one of my friends.”

“Great idea,” says Bucky, punching a hole through the last of the monsters just in time for a new portal to open. “Here’s a better one: run.”

Meanwhile, Sam Wilson was just finishing a cup of coffee when three tired warriors and one excitable astrophysicist land in his kitchen. He finishes his coffee and drops the mug in the sink for later. He shrugs. “I should be shocked, but I’m just not anymore.”

The next portal opens and off they all go. While Steve gets Sam up to speed they face their next threat: bird monsters on a planet in the Andromeda galaxy. The star patterns are super unique, and while her impromptu team of bodyguards decimates the bird monsters, Jane draws up a quick map.

“This constellation is massive. It makes Ursa Major look like Crux. I’d need a whole week just to chart half of them. Maybe we could stay for-”

“NO!”

The next portal takes them to Clint Barton’s place. After allowing him to shoot a few arrows into Loki’s arms and legs, he follows them to the planet of the Alaskan Bullworms. Bruce tags along on their trek through the mountains of the abominable snow leopards, and finally, Tony leads the charge into the depths of the Alfheim sea. Also known as the place where the crab people with New Zealand accents live.

Eventually, they find themselves on a planet with... *drumroll* humans!

Or at least humanoid people, which after a hundred planets conveniently populated by ravenous monsters, is good enough.

Jane wanders into a junk shop and finds a nice mini-telescope, which can see a good thousand miles into the sky.

“It would go for twenty anywhere else,” said the gold-toothed, snake-eyed man... type thing behind the counter. “For you, my dear, I’d let it go for nineteen.”

Bucky appears at her back, arm out and Soldier mode activated. “You sure about that price, pal?”

The vendor starts to sweat. “Uh... well maybe eighteen.”

Steve and Sam crowd him from both sides. “What was that?”

“S-sixteen?”

Loki appears from the shadows, red Jotunn eyes on full display. He gets right in the terrified man’s face. “Ten.”

“But-”

Ice forms on the counter.

“Ten it is.”

Jane leaves happy with her purchase and the group walks around the shopping area for a while until a new portal pops up and they step straight into a purple-tinted planet populated by tiny eggplant looking aliens.

“Oh thank goodness it finally worked,” said the lead eggplant in a voice like if helium did helium. “Great heroes, we have brought you here to request your assistance on a very important matter. You see, my people are under siege by a powerful warlord who wishes to enslave us and consume all our natural resources. Unfortunately, he has already attacked us once and it destroyed our communications network. We managed to get the portal generator fixed but our tracking system is still offline. That’s why you were so sporadically transported. I hope you can forgive us for any distress our incapacitation caused you.”

“We had to fight bird creatures,” says Sam. “Do you know how much bird shit I got on me?”

“Again we are terribly sorry. We hope this won’t negatively impact your ability to help us, it really is quite urgent.”

“Wait a minute,” says Steve, “you did all this just because you needed help?”

“Yes sir, we’ve heard stories of your exploits. The Avengers are known across several galaxies, and we knew you were just the ones we needed to save our civilization.”

“You couldn’t have just sent an email request?” Tony shouts. “We’ve been out here for days! I have a family at home.”

“So do I!” says Clint.

“I’ve been having fun,” says Bucky. Steve and Loki both nod as they stand noticeably closer to Jane than the rest. “It’s been a nice vacation.”

“We will happily return you once our enemy is defeated. We’ll be able to repair our trackers and get you back in a single jump. Dr. Foster, we were hoping you could help us.”

“Are you kidding?” Jane hisses, closing in on the tiny creature. “Of course I’m going to help. You have to show me how everything works here. This is the best week of my life, oh my god-”

Everyone facepalms. “This woman has no danger sense,” says Bruce.

“She does,” Loki replies, “it simply reads ‘run to danger’ rather than away.”

Jane turns to her friends, arms crossed. “Come on, guys. Clearly, we’re here for a reason. These are innocent people who need our help. Are you really going to let them down?”

The assortment of heroes looks down in shame at even considering leaving. Jane turns to Loki.

“Are you really going to let your need to fuck shit up down?”

Loki looks down in shame at even considering leaving.

Thus an amazing battle is waged against the forces of evil. The Avengers defeat the alien warlord, Loki fucks an incredible amount of shit up, Jane gets the tracker up and running after shutting it off and turning it back on, and the eggplant people are free to live another day.

Some time passes after everyone goes home. It’s another normal Sunday for Jane as she enjoys a good book in her favorite reading nook.

Then a vortex of doom spits out the beaten remains of her old TV, crushing her new one. There goes her Hulu subscription. Loki appears out of her bathroom, singed and slightly burnt. He coughs.

“So I-”

“Here we go again!” Jane rushes through the portal with her new and improved ‘In Case of Vortex’ travel bag.

Loki blinks after her.

“I think that was my line,” he mutters, and away he goes.

...I don’t even know.

#Jane Foster #Lokane #Loki #Bucky Barnes #Steve Rogers #Bucky/Jane #Winter Solstice #WinterScience #Clint Barton #Tony Stark #Bruce Banner #Sam Wilson

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zizeschmizes · 5 years

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helping hand. | solo

WHO: lauren zizes (& antonio zizes)

WHAT: help comes in the form of a call from home.

WHEN: 10/15; late afternoon

WHERE: outside of A Latte Fun Coffee

Lauren pushed out of the coffee shop, walking a few paces away from where patrons passed through into the busy campus spot and paused to put in her earbuds. Finding a job on campus and around town was proving to be a major pain in the ass. Everything from work study assignments to in town gigs had been snatched up long before she'd started looking.

It was her own damn fault, really. Adjusting to the new reality of sophomore year was taking a lot longer than it did in her previous semesters. Then, she'd been lucky enough to snag a choice spot in the library. Working the front desk usually meant long stretches of time spent watching movies and doing her homework in between stacking books to be reshelved and answering the occasional question from a lost student.

Now she was left scrambling. Her softball scholarship covered her tuition and the basics of housing (on campus) and meal plans, but the rest (like living) was up to her. Refusing to touch her savings meant budgeting herself to only the essentials but even those were starting to feel beyond her bank account. New camera lens, an extra external drive to house her pictures, a new fall coat...the dollar signs were giving her a headache.

Lauren sighed. A Latte Fun was her last resort. She'd tried the barista thing back in New Orleans, slinging coffee the spring and summer before her freshman year and it wasn't terrible, just not ideal. Still, a job was a job, and the coffee shop would prove helpful. Not to mention workable with her schedule. She just didn't know when she'd actually sleep. Of course this was all pending, she wouldn't know about the job until later, but the interview had gone well. Still...she needed a backup, just in case.

There was a sharp pressure building at the back of her neck, a sure sign of stress and Lauren absently rubbed at the spot as she made her way back to campus, where a long night of editing was in her future. She'd picked up a side gig, snapping pictures of Homecoming Weekend for Ginsburg's Alumni Association and needed to get the files for last weekend's big game to the webmaster by morning.

The sound of her phone ringing paused the music that played softly from her earbuds and Lauren was prepared to ignore the FaceTime request until she saw the name. She hit 'Accept' and the familiar sight of her eldest brother's face coming into view made brought forth the first genuine smile she'd had all afternoon.

"Hey, Nono."

"Hey! You busy?"

Lauren shook her head and took a break from her walk to sit on a nearby bench. "Leaving the coffee shop. What's up? Where are you?"

Antonio flipped the camera, giving Lauren a brief glimpse of the gym in the background, decked out in LSU purple and gold before turning it front facing. “Just finished up, bout to meet Gabe for food. Haven’t heard from you in a minute.”

“Yeah, I know” she replied, ignoring the tiny pinprick of guilt that followed. “Still tryin’ to get settled with school and stuff.”

Brown eyes, much like her own, held a sympathetic gaze and Antonio shook his head in the camera’s view. “Figured you were busy that’s why I reached out. It’ll be your turn to hit me up next time. Everything okay?”

“Yup!” Lauren nodded, backing up her strained response with a smile that wasn’t as bright as her first one, looking as tired as she felt, and she was seriously regretting a video call. Because she knew her brother and knew he’d pick up on her weird mood right away.

“Something’s wrong. What happened?”

There it was. The worry that she didn’t want to hear. She was fine to handle the problem (that wasn’t even a problem) on her own. As the first of the bunch, Antonio had the responsibility of wrangling the others and keeping them in line. He was their parents’ pride and joy, the dutiful eldest son who’d followed in his father’s footsteps.

Star footballer, exceptional student, LSU’s twice elected homecoming king leaving college a legend, with a degree in hand and a top pick in the NFL draft. He was the blueprint the others were expected to follow and it drove Lauren crazy that on top of everything, her successful, saintly, stupidly handsome brother was also a total sweetheart.

He was good for a deep talk, looking out for his siblings in a way that Lauren always appreciated...but not now. She didn’t want to hear about how ‘things would work out’. She just wanted to hide under her covers for a little while, just enough time to suck it up and stop feeling sorry for herself.

“It’s nothing. Got a lot of work to do, and I’m still lookin’ for a job. But it’s fine, really.” This smile was better than the last, going for subtle as she continued, easing back into a drawl that matched his own. “Congrats on the game, by the way. Y’all ate Florida up.”

Whether or not Antonio bought it, his face gave nothing away. Instead, his lips twisted into a grin that bordered on cocky and for some reason made Lauren miss home more than anything...if only to throw a pillow at his head and wipe it off his face. “Yeah, we did alright.”

“Y’all are number one in the division, it’s more than ‘alright’. How’s Gabe?”

He shrugged. “Still a jackass. You gotta come home sometime, get your brother together.”

Lauren laughed. “He doesn’t listen to anybody.”

“Yeah? Sound familiar?” He grinned at the ‘shut up!’ that followed and the laughter that came after.

“I know he was on best manners with the parents there, though.”

“Oh you know that. We missed you at Homecoming.”

She shrugged. “It’s Homecoming here, now. Our game was Saturday too. We won, by the way.”

“‘We’?”

“Showing my school spirit. I had to take pictures of the events for the alumni association so I went to the game. And I gotta do a few other appearances. For softball stuff. Whatever.” It wouldn’t do to point out that her parents had yet to attend a homecoming at Ginsburg, despite never missing one, or any home game for her brothers at LSU. That ship had long sailed and Lauren had no intention of bringing up old shit.

For his part, Antonio skirted past the topic, recognizing Lauren’s dismissiveness. Still, he couldn’t help but ask his next question. “You sure you’re okay? You don’t need anything?”

“I’m fine. Just tired. Long weekend. Long week ahead.”

“Okay. Well good luck with the job stuff. When’re you hearin’ back from them?”

“I don’t know. Sometime this week.” The ‘hopefully’ was silent, but her tone said enough and Lauren shook her head at her brother’s look of concern. “I’ll be fine.”

The angle of the phone changed slightly, Antonio’s face tilted upwards and he hummed an absent ‘Mhm’ at his little sister before the connection blurred and went on pause.

“Antonio? What…” It was only a minute or two before he returned, now in the driver’s seat of his truck and grinning at a perplexed Lauren. “Where did you go?”

“Check your phone,” he told her, ignoring the question altogether while setting his phone in the holder on the dash. “Should be getting an alert now.”

Sure enough, the muted tone beeped in her ears and Lauren paused the video feed to check the text notification from her bank’s app, and the alert that $300 had been added to her account. The culmination of the rough day, and her brother’s kindness brought a lump to her throat and she swallowed it down, taking a deep breath before resuming the video.

“You didn’t have to do that, Nono.”

Antonio rolled his eyes as if Lauren’s stubbornness was a mild inconvenience and not the Zizes trademark. “Yeah, I did. You need it, I got it, and I know you ain’t askin’ anybody. Especially not Ma or Dad. I got you.”

“Thank you. I’ll pay you--”

“Nope. That’s yours. It’s fine. Just get somebody hot to play me in the movie you write about us, all I ask.”

That made Lauren laugh out loud, drawing a few looks from people ambling on the sidewalks but she paid them no attention. “Issa deal.”

“Good. I gotta get Gabe but I’ll tell him you said hey, okay? Love you, Lozinha!”

The call disconnected and Lauren paused her music. Antonio’s generosity wouldn’t completely solve her problems, but it made things feel a little less chaotic. She would still pursue a job, whether it was at the coffee shop or somewhere else because she wouldn’t rely on that kind of bailout, no matter how much Antonio insisted it was what he was there for.

With a sigh, Lauren pushed off the bench and slinging her bag over her shoulder, began the trek back to her dorm and the mountain of work that waited.

#para.all #para.solo #para001

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sshbpodcast · 5 years

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Tales from the Holodeck: TNG Fanfic: Ames’s Story

A Star to Steer Her By is closing the book on Star Trek: The Next Generation with our much anticipated fanfic series “Tales from the Holodeck”! With our random draws for our special guest characters in hand, we’ve written new adventures for the crew of the Enterprise-D for you to enjoy! Listen to the whole episode here, or read on below for Ames’s story!

“Life-Sized Dolls”

by Ames

Random Picks: Dr. Noonian "Often Wrong" Soong, Commander Sela

"Computer, holographic program Soong B-9," she said. Commander Sela articulated her words clearly, each one efficient, sharp, direct. Very Romulan. She paced her ready room back and forth, back again, and when she turned once more, the soft, human features of Dr. Noonian Soong met hers.

The computer program not only made him look entirely real, but allowed him to act just like the real thing. "Whoever you are, you must've found the B-9 unit." As young as he'd programmed himself to appear at the time, his face was serene to the point of smugness, a crooked smirk ever at his lips as he spoke the introductory statement he had written himself to rattle off. "I programmed this holographic interface to answer any questions you might have. I am Dr. Noonian Soong. I created – "

"Let's fast forward this, shall we?" she cut him off. "I am Commander Sela of the Romulan Warbird Goraxus."

He absorbed his surroundings quickly and then watched the Romulan commander before him almost incredulously. Ever thinking, he was evaluating his situation from the start and what it might mean, even if he was just a hologram. Sela knew this and was already tiring of it.

"Dr. Soong," she continued, shark eyes piercing him, "Do you know why you're here?"

"My best guess would be you've found the information module in the B-9 unit. How he got into Romulan hands, of course, I can only surmise."

A pale-skinned android, the B-9 unit, sat lifeless on the couch opposite them in the stark room. Powered down, it appeared much like a sad piece of furniture, mostly human in aspect aside from some unnatural skin and eye coloring. The information module had been stowed safely away in its positronic brain when the android was disassembled so that anyone who found the unit in the future may hear of its purpose, celebrate the brilliant doctor's legacy, and keep the memory of Dr. Soong alive, if one could call it that. In Romulan hands, however, the program could be distorted, tainted, abused. The possibilities for malfeasance were endless.

Sela smirked and walked around the mysteriously handsome automaton which stared with yellow eyes into the middle distance, seeing nothing, unresponsive. She stroked her hand along its shoulders in a manner partly flirtatious and partly dangerous. "A very simple android. Barely worthy of your later talents," she crooned.

"A first draft," he admitted, "though I'm glad to hear I evidently improved. How long...?"

"Don't you worry about that. We need something from you."

"Well," he shrugged, "it's nice to be needed."

Sela grimaced. "You say that every time, Doctor. A predictable program," she said through clenched teeth.

Soong settled into a chair and looked down at the facsimiles of hands his real-life self had programmed, how many years ago? They looked real enough. Could hold objects, gesticulate succinctly. They could touch. For a moment, Sela could mistake the hologram for an actual being considering his own existence, but she knew better than that.

She moved away from the android and lowered herself ominously into her chair behind her desk. "We are asking for your expertise to create Romulan androids. We've been studying your B-9 unit – your early draft, as you say – but even this model is beyond the skills of our engineers, and so we come to you. The next best thing to the mind that invented the positronic brain is a very close-to-life representation of the mind that invented the positronic brain."

Soong scoffed and wrung his hands together. "My my, that certainly sounds like a Romulan scheme to me. I'm sorry but I will not help you people, and you can torture me all you like because…" He shrugged, "I'm not real."

"But Doctor, we've been through this before. Many times now. You think this is the first time we've started your darling little program?"

"How many – ?" he asked, keeping his gaze on her.

"Evidently not enough. But each time you cave, and each time you give us a little more information for building a Soong-type android. You just can't help yourself."

"Is this just some plot against the Federation?" he asked.

"I understand your distrust of us, Doctor, but we can get beyond that. Of course, I could just close down your program and start again, but I believe I know you well enough to predict that you will help us."

Soong stood up and turned his back on the blond Romulan to face his old creation. The holographic scientist mimicked taking in a despondent sigh as he computed his response. "To what end, Commander?" He turned and stared into her eyes. "I told you, B-9 is incomplete. Do you really want a bunch of glorified calculators who look like you?"

Sela could not contain her mischievous smirk. Half the advantage of running the Soong program was knowing everything that had come before that this holographic cyberneticist did not yet know. As any Romulan would, Sela loved having the advantage. "I've seen firsthand what your cunning little human mind can achieve in the real world, what the flesh-and-blood scientist was able to build."

Her words were forceful but not threatening, and Soong's expression slowly dropped. "I'm not that man yet," he said simply.

"You are," she insisted. "The real Soong, he may have had a couple of years' experience on you, but he made you just like him, and your mind has made the same discoveries his did. With time, the only difference between the two of you will be that you exist in an information module while he is dead and forgotten."

"Small price for immortality, I suppose," he mused flippantly.

"Doctor, you've already improved upon the B-9 unit. See for yourself."

Soong blinked his realistic eyes at her while his program computed this. But his curiosity permeated even this facsimile of himself and he looked to his creation with a sort of wonder and another sort of dread. Cautiously, he stepped forward and found the well-hidden panel in the scalp of the android and opened it up.

Soong shook his head in disbelief as he followed the intricate maze of delicate circuitry with a pointed finger. It was a thing of beauty that could rival most masterpieces in any other medium. A symphony in computer chips. A portrait in conduits. "This is not how I left him. Who did this?" he asked, his face alight with the glow of the circuits that mapped B-9's positronic brain.

"You did," Sela said matter-of-factly. "It's outside the area of my expertise, and none of our scientists have been able to comprehend the cybernetics. Only you have made any progress with upgrading the unit."

"Impossible. This work is more advanced than I have ever attained. Merely learning the programming would take months, even years."

The commander shrugged knowingly, hiding a trademark evil smirk. "As I said, this isn't the first time I've run your program, not to mention the first time I've lamented that you don't continue where you left off." She leaned forward, gripping the sides of her desk. "I've seen what your mind can do. Your later draft, Data, was the pinnacle of brilliance – a genius strategist addicted to bettering himself. I've met him and been thwarted by him, which I'm proud to say I cannot admit about many beings, and we'd like to know how you achieved such a profound creation."

Soong visibly swallowed. "You are attempting to manipulate me, Romulan. I didn't even know this android, not as this version of myself."

"True, that isn't fair to you." She watched him closely, but Soong averted his gaze to look at his powered-down android instead. He stared at B-9's circuits but seemed to be looking past them, before closing the flap. The complex inner workings of the android were again hidden in a very human-looking head of shiny dark hair that gave away nothing of what secrets it concealed.

Sela continued flatly, "B-9 is approaching Data's level of intellect, and has surpassed him in emotional intelligence. You don't know how much respect I have for that android, and before him, I didn't even accept androids as people."

"Commander, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were quite smitten with him."

Sela's lips tightened to a pout. "This is why they called you 'often wrong,' isn't it?" she snorted. "Nothing could be further from the truth. These androids may be advanced and capable as people, but they are still merely tools, like many things, like many beings, sentience notwithstanding."

Soong shook his head, taking this like a startling blow. "Well that's a grim outlook."

"It has its quirks, Doctor. Military superiority, for one. If everything – everyone is a tool, then there is less holding one back against using that tool. Advancing it to advance yourself. You surely understand that, as an inventor."

Something seemed to click in Noonian Soong, his holographic blue eyes twinkling. "So," he reasoned slowly, "in however long you've been exploiting my holoprogam – years perhaps, I don't know – you've never gotten the secret out of me."

"Tell me."

"It's so simple, Commander. I don't understand how it's never occurred to you."

"Tell me!" she shouted at him, standing and coming around the side of her desk to menace him.

"How typically Romulan of you. My dear Commander, what I believe you've been missing in your creations... is to love them."

Her eyes bulged. "Don't be absurd, Doctor. They are tools!"

He shook his head. "They are your children. And children grow when they are loved. That is how I do it. That is how I've always done it, and I'm certain that was how this Data, of whom you're so fond, was created."

Sela paced like an animal on the prowl, the cool power from her former stillness transitioning to a more heated volatility she was barely able to control. "That's ridiculous. I may not be a scientist, Dr. Soong, but even I know that that is not how science works."

"Maybe. Or maybe you're just afraid of loving something."

"I cannot love as you do, Doctor. It is a weakness. I had my human mother killed when I was four years old. I fought hard as a child to dispel my half-human heritage. I poisoned, backstabbed, and deceived my way up the ladder of Romulan command." She spat the words like they were acid in her mouth. "What would I have done with a propensity to love?"

"Quite a lot, I'd imagine. You might even learn to love yourself."

Her glare on him hardened and her sneer pulled back over her teeth. "Is that why your androids are always made in your own image, then? Because you love yourself so much? Because you're an egomaniac?"

"You know, I hear that a lot," he laughed, which was proving a most successful strategy in combating the vexed Romulan. "Is there something wrong with this face?"

Sela didn't say anything to his sass but fumed privately. The Soong program had never riled her so and she began to realize that in all the times it had been run, he had never made this suggestion before. She briefly considered the implications of this, but the holographic scientist wouldn't shut up.

"I could help you, you know," he said gently, appeasing the golden-haired wild beast that was the Romulan commander. "If that was what you wanted, I think you have it in you somewhere to create something beautiful. There is love in you, even if you bury it deep. I can see it."

"Oh, what would you know?"

"You tell me. Which one of us is the brilliant scientist here?" The brilliant scientist shrugged at her, palms up in a sarcastic manner. "I'll do it. I'll continue work on my boy B-9 here. But it won't do you any good if you want androids with pretty, pointy ears like yours unless you can provide them the nurturing touch of someone like a – a parent. Someone who truly loves their creation. Now whom have you ever loved?"

"That's irrelevant."

"That's where you're wrong, missy. Any artificial lifeform is merely the sum of their parts unless they have that. Love is what allows them to evolve." To this, Sela only responded with narrowed eyes, and the doctor continued. "So. Not your mother, you say. That's a shame. Father perhaps? Did you love your father?"

"Of course I loved my father." Sela's discomfort was beginning to wash away at the memory of her revered father. "He was a very powerful Romulan general."

"That's not what I mean. Personally, to you, did you care about him? I bet he cared about you."

The steely-eyed Romulan seemed to mellow, her cutting features softening. A hint of rosiness touched her cheeks. "He did. He protected me and he pushed me. When I was a girl, he liked to lift me in the air and call me... his little warbird…" she trailed off and forced herself not to grin in the presence of this man.

"This may work indeed," Soong said. "I'm sure you'll make your father proud."

Sela rolled her eyes and started toward the door, pushing down the emotions, the color draining from her face until the Romulan yellow hue was visible again. "I'll think about it. That's all I can promise." But she stopped herself and turned back to look at him with curiosity, her features suddenly less jagged. "I must admit," Sela said, with a rare, almost human smile gracing her lips, "I've come to enjoy our little sessions, Doctor."

"As have I, my girl." He looked upon her with a fatherly pride that Sela hadn't seen before and the familiarity of it briefly gave her pause. Something was dawning on her and Soong could tell.

Suddenly, soft noise from the corridor piqued his interest then, footsteps approaching, and Soong instantly took Sela by the shoulder to direct her across the room to the couch before she could think to respond. "Shh, they're returning," he whispered frantically as they both sat next to the B-9 unit. Adroitly, he found the panel in the back of Sela's head that popped open her circuit console the same way that B-9's did, revealing tiny blinking lights and several ports and terminals of this artificial lifeform's positronic brain. He pulled a tiny module from there and hid it in a secret pocket in the Romulan android's thick, boxy sleeve.

Sela's expression seemed to lose its nuance immediately and she looked dumbly around the room. "Hello," she chirped robotically, nowhere near the self-assured woman she'd been a moment ago.

"Quiet, my girl," Soong crooned, and touched his hand to her face. "We need to go to sleep now, before they find us, okay?"

"Okay. You have funny hair."

"Yes, I'm aware. Say good-night, Sela."

"Good-night, Sela!" On her words, Dr. Soong powered down the Sela android and her body flopped limply against B-9. The others were returning earlier than he'd anticipated and rather mucking up his plans to continue his secret work that day. Even in hologram form, Soong had the inevitable drive to create artificial life, just like his real-life counterpart. It had been bound to happen.

This was the part Soong didn't care for because it went against all of human nature. If he had a heart, it would be racing. He looked down at his two inert androids spooning like lovers on the sofa. How pure and perfect they seemed, like life-sized dolls, full of infinite potential to change the universe as we know it. But not yet. Soong made the involuntary action of licking his lips and with a wince said, "Computer, end Soong program." His form faded into thin air.

Sela and her guards entered then. The real Sela, not one Soong could secretly program in his spare time but still one he had found clever ways to manipulate and deceive. "What're you doing in here, Sela-Two?" she asked rhetorically with some confusion and walked over to her sleeping twin. "Thank you, centurions, that will be all." The guards exited efficiently.

Commander Sela frowned at her creation and propped her up on the couch. She gazed into a face that looked just as hers looked but stiller and with fewer death glares, and then stood up decisively. "Computer, holographic program Soong B-9," she said, pacing her ready room as she so often did, and Dr. Soong materialized before her again and yet also for the first time that day.

"Whoever you are, you must've found the B-9 unit. I programmed this holographic interface – "

" – to answer any questions I might have, yes I know, but we can skip all that," she said, impatient. "Doctor, I need something from you."

Soong automatically started to speak, "Well, it's nice to – ", but this time caught himself. Commander Sela watched him with deliberation. This was new. She hooked a Romulan eyebrow in his direction. "I am Dr. Noonian Soong," he continued with a decisive glimmer in his eyes. "I believe I have a lot I can show you."

—

We’re moving on to new Star Trek and Star Trek–related series we’re sure you’ll enjoy, so be sure to keep listening on SoundCloud, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and outscheme the Romulans whenever you can!

#star trek #Star Trek TNG #fanfic #Star Trek Fanfiction #soong #sela #androids #holograms

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sml8180 · 5 years

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Shot at Redemption - 03

Encounters

A week had gone by, now, and Rose had fallen into a routine. She would wake up in the morning, have a cup of coffee, and find something for breakfast. After eating, she would normally spend the day mapping out paths through the woods around her cabin, or going fishing at the river. She normally kept away from others, and stayed mostly away from the nearby town. By evening, Rose would head back to the cabin, have dinner, and relax indoors, usually looking through the magazines she found in the cabin, or sitting outside and watching as the sun set and the stars came out.

Nobody really came around the cabin, and Rose had no issue with it. The less people she encountered, the less of a chance there was for her to be recognized and turned in. She would see the occasional person by the river, or a stray hiker on the path, but it wasn’t a common sight. By the next week, though, Rose found that she would need to actually go into the town. There were a few things that she needed that you just couldn’t get out in the woods. There hadn’t been much coffee in the tin when she had gotten there, and one could only live off a fish-only diet for so long. With a sigh, Rose cleared out space in her bag, setting her clothes and various other things she didn’t need to bring with her on the bed, strapped the bag over her back, and started out towards the nearest town, making sure her 1911 was where it belonged, just in case.

It was a decent hike to the main road that lead to the town, but Rose’s muscles were used to it, by now, after growing used to heading down to the river and hiking the trails all week. As expected, there weren’t many people along the way. At least, for most of the trek, until Rose came across a familiar body ahead of her. Even after just one meeting, she would recognize those glasses and that man-bun anywhere. Joseph was ahead of her on the trail, carrying a white bound book in his left hand as his rosary dangled below his palm, swaying a bit with each step he took. Rose tried to keep back from the man, doing her best to match his steps so that her own wouldn’t be heard and draw his attention. He didn’t seem aware of her presence, anyways, as he softly hummed as he walked. Rose was able to pick out the tune of Amazing Grace, a song she’d heard numerous times during her childhood. She shook her head, and continued to walk behind Joseph by several paces, hoping that he would take the opposite path at the fork coming ahead of them. It was just her luck when he didn’t turn off, but remained on the same path she needed to take to the town. As a result, Rose mumbled a string of curses under her breath.

“You really should mind your language. You can never know who might be listening,” Joseph’s distinctive voice met Rose’s ears, and she almost froze in her tracks. He had stopped, and partially turned towards her, with the same relaxed gaze he’d had when they last encountered one another.

“Last I checked, there were no children around in earshot. Unless I’m looking at one, that is,” Rose took a few steps closer to Joseph, looking him up and down with a smirk. Was the statement a bit petty? Maybe, but hell if she cared.

“The Lord listens,” Joseph offered in response. He turned fully to face Rose, watching as she stepped closer. “But, judging from our last meeting, you don’t exactly believe that.”

“I’m gonna be honest, I’m kind of surprised you remembered that.” She hadn’t exactly expected Joseph to remember her at all, let alone remember anything she’d said to him when they were last face to face.

“Many of my followers held the same views when they first came to the light. In time, they began to see that they had been mistaken.”

“You’re gonna have a hell of a time if you intend to change my mind.”

Joseph was quiet for a moment, before he spoke up again. “It seems we’re headed in the same direction. Would you at least humor me until our paths diverge?”

“Only because there’s no other path into town.” Rose gave a shrug as she responded. It wouldn’t be a long time to humor the man, anyways.

Joseph gave a nod, and began to walk down the path once again, with Rose taking a few quick steps to catch up with him. They were both silent for a short time, before Joseph finally spoke again.

“You don’t seem to be from around here,” he observed, looking at Rose out of the corner of his eye. Even with just a glance, Rose could see the same bright blue of John’s eyes when Joseph’s weren’t obscured by the yellow aviators he wore.

“Lucky guess. I’m willing to bet you and your brother aren’t from the area, either.” Rose looked up at Joseph, seeing what she could get from just reading his reactions.

“That’s right. We were born in Georgia,” Joseph confirmed. His answer seemed honest, and it almost surprised Rose in a way. It wasn’t often she encountered someone who was truly honest.

“Maine.”

“Hm?” The tall man looked down at Rose, humming in question. She’d spoken just fast enough that he hadn’t actually caught what it was she’d said.

“I’m from Maine. Originally, at least,” she clarified. She hadn’t been in Maine, or anywhere in New England, for that matter, in quite some time.

“I see. What brought you to Hope County, then?” Joseph seemed to be genuinely curious, if his tone was anything to go off of.

“A car.”

“You’re running from something.”

Rose looked up at Joseph for a second, before clearing her throat a bit. “What gives you that idea?”

“You’ve stayed away from commonly used trails, kept out of the town, you didn’t even give John your name outright. And you were matching my steps, in a clear attempt to go undetected.”

“Maybe I just don’t like people, you consider that?” She wasn’t about to admit that Joseph was right. Rose was running from something. A lot of somethings, if she was honest.

Joseph shook his head, “I don’t doubt that is part of it, but it’s far from the entire story. There isn’t any use in hiding it, because it is all clear in the eyes of the Lord.”

“I don’t have to tell you anything. We don’t know each other, and frankly, I’m completely okay with it staying like that.”

The man by her side didn’t say anything for a moment. He simply gave a nod as they continued to walk. A silence fell over them, and it began to make Rose a bit uneasy. The situation wasn’t helped when Joseph began to hum again, this time a tune she couldn’t name. As Joseph hummed, Rose couldn’t help the oddly uneasy feeling that built up in her. She cleared her throat a little louder than normal, halting the man’s humming.

“So… You’re one for music, too?” She tried to make some sort of actual conversation with him. They were stuck with one another until at least the next fork in the path, and she couldn’t stand the thought of just listening to his humming the entire time.

“I am, it’s one thing my brothers and I share,” the corners of Joseph’s lips tugged into a short-lived smile.

“Brothers? There’s more than just you and John?”

“We have an older brother, Jacob. Although, he isn’t the social type,” Joseph seemed to let out a quiet sigh as he thought of his older brother.

“I can relate to that, at least. Not exactly a people person.”

Joseph gave a quiet nod. “That was made clear the day we met, considering your communication skills.”

Rose simply rolled her eyes. She knew well enough that her people skills weren’t exactly the best. Her family had made sure she knew that. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I know damn well that I’m not the best with people, I don’t need some preacher telling me that. If you’re gonna spit facts at me, then tell me something I don’t already know,” Rose looked up at Joseph, almost challenging him to try to actually tell her something she didn’t know. The man was silent for a few moments, before he finally spoke again.

“John very well knows who you are,” he finally said. The man continued a couple of steps, before stopping, seeing that Rose had frozen in her tracks.

“How the… I didn’t even… I didn’t give him my full name…” she could only stammer at this point. How did that silk shirt wearing baptist know who she was from just her first name?

“John Duncan was a lawyer in Atlanta. John Seed is my baptist. They happen to be the same man.” Even if it didn’t show on his face, Rose could hear the smirk in Joseph’s voice. Her drop in confidence was just what he’d expected when he dropped the information on her.

“Well, that, complicates things a little,” Rose was honestly at a loss for words. She knew she shouldn’t have trusted John with her name, but she stupidly let her guard down. After standing where she was for another moment, Rose began to walk down the path once again, with Joseph following. They continued in silence; Joseph didn’t even start to hum again, until they got to the next fork in the path, and Joseph started to take one way, and Rose the other.

“It seems we’ll be going our separate ways,” the man looked towards Rose, his demeanor as calm as ever.

“Tell your brother he’s gonna have to try harder if he wants to get into my head. Oh!” Rose stopped after a few steps, quickly finding a pinecone on the ground and tossing it to Joseph, who was able to reach with his free hand and catch it. “Give that to John for me, tell him I say if he wants to fuck with someone, he can fuck himself with that.” Following her statement, Rose didn't wait for a response; she simply continued on her way, leaving Joseph with the pinecone in his hand.

It took Rose a while longer to reach the town, and she did her best to keep out of sight while there. Getting what she needed, Rose put everything into her bag and started to head back, hoping that she wouldn't have any more encounters. The way back to her cabin was almost completely silent, with only the sounds of wildlife and Rose’s own steps filling her ears. It wasn’t until she was back at the cabin that things seemed different. The door was ajar when she approached, and it filled her with a sense of unease, bordering on dread as she came closer. Her steps were as quiet as she could manage as she pulled out her gun and climbed the three steps to the cabin’s porch. Making her way across, Rose practically held her breath, 1911 at the ready in case she needed it. She got to the door, and kept to the side of it, peeking through the crack from the door being ajar before nudging it open with her foot and stepping around to properly view the inside of the cabin from the doorway, gun trained on the inside of the structure.

“October 4th, 2005; arrested for breaking and entering, first offence, let off on probation. April 25th, 2007; arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, two and a half years prison time, followed by six months parole. August 19th, 2011; arrested for the possession of an unregistered Glock 26, three years prison time, two years on parole.” Rose knew that voice anywhere. It was that damn baptist again. Her gaze settled on the man sitting in the corner of the room, left ankle resting on his right knee, as he sat on one of the chairs by the table, his right elbow resting on the wooden surface while he read from a sheet of paper in his hand. He looked up at the woman at the door and smirked. “Seems you’ve had some legal issues.”

“I’m gonna ask you this once,” Rose began, taking a deep breath to settle herself. “What the actual fuck are you doing in here?”

John set the page he held on the table and let his hand dangle over the edge of the hard surface. “After our little meeting, I decided to do a little bit of research through some case notes I had from a while back,” he was smirking as he spoke, and almost sounded amused. “Your name rang a bell, and now I see why. Rose Anne Carter has been on the run for the last six weeks.”

“So what? You’re no cop, you can’t arrest me.”

“I may not be a cop, but, I could easily turn you in with an anonymous tip to the Sheriff. You might not be worried about me, but you are worried about him. Now, why don’t you put the gun down, and we have a little chat?”

Rose hesitated for a second, eyeing John over the sights of her 1911. He was right, she wasn’t worried about him at all, despite the fact that he was a good head taller than she was when he stood up. But, she was worried about Whitehorse; despite their encounter a week prior, she had the feeling he wouldn’t hesitate to check out a tip leading to a potentially dangerous criminal who was very much wanted. With a sigh, she let her aim fall, slipping her backpack off and approaching the second chair at the table, setting the gun down out of both their reach. If she wasn’t going to have it, she was going to do what she could from letting the blue eyed man across from her get at it.

“Fine, then. You wanna talk, Blue? Let’s talk.”

Taglist: @deputyoneill @johnseedthot @deputyshitlordsantana@jacobsmusicbox @farcrying5 @johnseedsplane @rookieseed

#fc5 fanfic #far cry 5 #joseph seed #john seed #oc: rose carter #shot at redemption #SaR

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thekoshertribble · 5 years

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“The days and the years ahead are worth living for.” Women of Star Trek Blog Entry #17: “The City on the Edge of Forever” Edith Keeler

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.” This phrase, introduced in 1982′s Star Trek: Wrath of Khan, is most often associated with Spock’s ultimate sacrifice to save the Enterprise from destruction. But the concept this phrase represents had appeared in the original series, 20 years earlier, in certain moments and people. Nowhere else is this better represented than in the character of Edith Keeler, and her own sacrifice, in the iconic episode, “the City on the Edge of Forever.”

If you need a quick refresher, here is a short synopsis. When McCoy, in a drugged state, steps into the Guardian of Forever and alters Earth’s history, Kirk and Spock must follow him back in time to correct and save their timeline. The Guardian sends them back to the approximate place and time of McCoy’s alteration: New York City, during the Great Depression. They soon find the source of the alteration in the form of a young woman named Edith Keeler. While waiting for McCoy’s arrival, Kirk develops feelings for Keeler (and vice versa). At the same time, however, Spock discovers that McCoy’s prevention of her death in a traffic accident altered history. When McCoy arrives later in his drugged up state, Keeler finds him and does her best to nurse him back to health. A few days later, Spock and Kirk reunite with McCoy just as Keeler is crossing the street - McCoy steps out to try and save her, but Kirk holds him back, thus allowing her to be killed and correcting the timeline. A heartbroken Kirk returns with his two friends to the Enterprise.

The story mostly focuses on Kirk’s conflict of heart, having to choose between his own timeline and love: the needs of the many vs. the one. He makes the “logical” choice, saving his own timeline. However, it was Edith herself who had to make the ultimate sacrifice, giving up her life to save the future of Earth, even though she never knew it.

To make matters more tragic, Edith Keeler did, (or would do) nothing wrong. This was not like Deadpool going back in time to kill Hitler as a baby. On the contrary, Keeler was a radical pacifist. Had she lived, she would become the leader of a nation-wide peace movement. Unfortunately, this peace movement prevented the United State’s entry into World War Two, thus allowing Nazi Germany to take over the world. As Kirk and Spock remark:

KIRK: But she was right. Peace was the way.

SPOCK: She was right, but at the wrong time.

In one scene, Edith remarks that Kirk seems out of place, which is obviously true. Ironically though, Edith herself seems to be out of place, in her own place and time. She sees a hopeful future of peace and prosperity that no one else around her can see, and she acts towards others they way that people in that future should act, in her opinion. I’m not going to go so far as to say she is flawless, but it’s very hard to find reasons not to like her. She possesses a great many positive traits, as noted in the following scenes:

When Edith first encounters Kirk and Spock in the basement of her soup kitchen, she has the following conversation:

KIRK: Excuse us, miss. We didn't mean to trespass. It's cold outside.

EDITH: A lie is a poor way to say hello. It isn't that cold.

KIRK: No. We were being chased by a policeman.

EDITH: Why?

KIRK: These clothes. We stole them. We didn't have any money.

EDITH: Well, I could do with some help around here. Doing dishes, sweeping, general cleaning.

Her first line tells us two things about Keeler: One, she is not the gullible type. She can see through a man’s lies, even when he’s a charming at Kirk can be. Two: she has a strong moral code. This first line is partly reprimand, partly a refutation of an obvious lie.

But, she balances that strong moral code with understanding and forgiveness. Instead of turning Kirk and Spock over to the cops or forcing them to return the clothes, she offers them a jobs with the soup kitchen. She understands they stole clothes out of necessity and desperation. She gives them work to not only alleviate their poverty; she also gives them an opportunity to “pay back” for their stealing by doing work. In other words, while she doesn’t ignore the fact they stole, Edith looks to see the good in Kirk and Spock, and she believes they can be redeemed.

We see this again a few scenes later, when Spock steals the tools from a workman’s box. She strongly reprimands him, and asks him why he did it, but she still does not lose her faith in him. (To be fair, her suspicion of him is alleviated by Kirk, but I still think Keeler ultimately came her own conclusions.)

Her faith in people also extends to humanity in general. As soup is served to a small crowd of homeless people, Edith stands up on a podium and gives them the following speech:

“Now, as I'm sure somebody out there has said, it's time to pay for the soup. Now, let's start by getting one thing straight. I'm not a do-gooder. If you're a bum, if you can't break off of the booze or whatever it is that makes you a bad risk, then get out. Now I don't pretend to tell you how to find happiness and love when every day is just a struggle to survive, but I do insist that you do survive because the days and the years ahead are worth living for. One day soon man is going to be able to harness incredible energies, maybe even the atom. Energies that could ultimately hurl us to other worlds in some sort of spaceship. And the men that reach out into space will be able to find ways to feed the hungry millions of the world and to cure their diseases. They will be able to find a way to give each man hope and a common future, and those are the days worth living for. “

Before this speech, a man warns Kirk that he’ll “be sorry,” because he’ll “have to listen to goody-two-shoes” in exchange for the free meal. It’s suggests that Keeler gave this speech, or some variant of it, every night to whoever frequented the soup kitchen. Considering the dismal setting, its no surprise that the locals became a bit jaded by this daily optimistic message. It’s easy to write off her words as delusional, just as her audience does judging from their reaction, but Edith Keeler is not a delusional person. She is not naive to the pain and suffering around her - she runs a soup kitchen in the depths of the Great Depression, after all. She acknowledges her dark environment but does not allow that to stop her from seeing the light in humanity’s future.

It’s this characteristic that, I think, draws Keeler to Kirk and vice versa. (Remember, Kirk survived the horrors of Tarsus IV, and despite that hardship, believes in the ability of humanity to rise above its bloodstained history.) He is impressed not only by her insight into future human events (atomic power and space travel), but her unwavering hope.

EDITH: Why? What is so funny about man reaching for the moon?

KIRK: How do you know?

EDITH: I just know, that's all. I feel it. And more, I think that one day they'll take all the money they spend now on war and death

KIRK: And make them spend it on life?

EDITH: Yes. You see the same things that I do. We speak the same language.

KIRK: The very same.

Lastly, her most obvious trait is her generosity and willingness to help anyone in need. We see this in her first scene, offering a job to Kirk and Spock, total strangers in her soup kitchen’s basement. She later finds them a “flop” to sleep in - otherwise the two men would probably have spent their nights waiting for McCoy in the city’s alleyways. Next, when on a date with Kirk, she senses something is bothering him, and asks: “Are you afraid of something? Whatever it is, let me help.” And finally, she finds McCoy as he stumbles into her soup kitchen and nurses him back to health in her office.

Let me reemphasize that last bit. Remember when McCoy jumped back through the portal screaming bloody murder about bloody murder, and that homeless guy sees him, drops the bottle of milk he stole and bolts in the opposite direction? Contrast that to Keeler’s reaction, when she finds McCoy. To be fair, he’s not screaming bloody murder at this point - more like mumbling, really - but he still looks like a plague victim and no one wants to go near him. Except for Edith. Instead of running away from him, like everyone else around her, she does the exact opposite and helps him herself.

Tragically, it’s her saving of McCoy that ultimately kills her. If she had ignored him, or called the police on him, he likely wouldn’t have been in the right place and time to save her life.

None of this is to say that good deeds shouldn’t be done because they won’t be rewarded. Quite the contrary - we should do good deeds for their own sake, not for the reward we might get. Yeah, that might sound preachy and obvious, but it’s surprising just how easily we can forget these things in practice.

Before I wrap this long blog post up, I’ll make one more point: although we’re not engaged in a world war or a devastating economic depression, it’s no secret things aren’t exactly great right now. My new years resolution was to stop saying “it can’t get worse,” because each time I said that I was proven wrong. But maybe Edith’s message is still relevant. Maybe the days and the years ahead are still worth living for. Just a crazy thought.

Next entry: Operation: Annihilate!

#women of star trek #star trek women #The City on the Edge of Forever #edith keeler #star trek the original series #kirk #spock #mccoy #captain kirk #james kirk #mr spock #dr mccoy #star trek tos #tos

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