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#I have the others in the save too but ya know spoilers!
rqgnarok · 10 months
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standing ovation - jamie tartt
fandom: ted lasso
wc: 2321
warnings: mentions of jamie’s dad and DV, spoilers for ted lasso’s mom city. reader uses female pronouns. 
summary: reader sneaks into training grounds after richmond’s win against man city. seeing her is just what jamie needs. 
author’s note at the end!
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There’s something in the air.
Jamie’s pretty sure Will sprayed some lavender shit all over the locker room again but that’s not quite what he means– he’s said goodbye to every single one of his teammates and all the coaches– and the locker room is now his and his alone. He locks away his dad’s ghost by locking up his phone, the simple message doing wonders to finish lifting that weight off his shoulders.
He wasn’t at the game. Or maybe he was, Jamie realizes now that it doesn’t really matter. A part of him will never stop looking over his shoulder whenever he visits his hometown for his dickwad of a father, but the older, bigger part of him knows Coach was right– his motivation doesn’t come from hating his dad anymore and it doesn’t have to. His forgiveness is for himself, for the little boy that had to build a mask to save himself from his dad, and for the man he is today because of him– and because of his mum, Keeley, Roy, Ted, his teammates–
The standing ovation at the end was more of a benediction than he’d like to admit. Everything about his hometown made him feel prickly; like he was a virus the town was doing its best to reject, and other than his quick visit to his mom Jamie expected the whole thing to be a disaster. The kids on the street, the people on social media, the rude assholes in the bleachers– Jamie thought that was all he was gonna get. Blind, thoughtless hatred despite Jamie trying his best.
He remembers Roy getting a standing ovation on his last game, while Jamie was still wearing Man City blue. He’d been appalled, unable to discern the possibility of someone hating you so much they respected you. All he’d ever gotten– from his dad, rival teams, his own team– had been everything except respect.
But they’d clapped for him. They thought him deserving of something precious and somehow it feels like permission. He can play for himself. He can come home without his dad’s ghost belittling him for not turning out the way he expected him to. 
Even Manchester hasn’t been home in a long time. Sure, his mom and Simon are there, but Richmond has his family, too– his friends, his teammates, his–
“Excuse me, I’m looking for my boyfriend. 5’9 not quite 6 foot, sexy as hell, the most fantastic football player to ever walk on Earth?”
Jamie’s lips involuntarily twist up as he glances at the door. (Y/N)’s a sight wearing her Richmond TARTT jersey, looking disheveled and flushed like the rest of the city probably is right now after their win tonight. 
Jamie doesn’t give a shit about the rest of the city, though. At least not right now. He cares about his girl sneaking in (with Keeley and Roy’s permission and advice, probably) to see him, normal sleep schedule be damned. 
He laughs, loud and unrestrained joy lighting up his features as he hobbles towards his girlfriend, letting himself be enveloped in a crush-tight embrace.
“Did ya watch it?” he wonders, forgoing his usual shy demeanor whenever (Y/N) praises him and just allowing his excitement to overflow, arms going around (Y/N)’s waist and hoisting her off the ground.
“Did I watch it, he asks,” (Y/N) scoff is downplayed by her big grin and the way she wraps her arms around Jamie’s neck as he spins her around, fucked up ankle be damned. “I couldn’t take my fucking eyes off of you, Jamie, oh, my God–”
She’s kissing him deeply, unable to contain her excitement. 
“You’re so fucking brilliant,” she whispers against his mouth, her hands at the nape of his neck making him shiver into her embrace, unable to get enough. “Oh, Jamie, that assist– the entire play for Colin’s goal? Your goal–”
“It was for you,” he tells as he drops her off, cupping her face in his hands and cheeks hurting with how wide he’s smiling. “I couldn’t celebrate but it was for you. For you and me mum, you were with me on the pitch the whole time–”
He stumbles a little as he drops her on the ground and (Y/N) tenses in his arms. She looks him over, suddenly worried. “Oh, shit. Your ankle, dumbass, are you okay? Fuck, did I–”
“Angel,” the nickname has her melting almost immediately just like he thought it would, a five-word weapon he’s never gotten tired of wielding. (Y/N) pouts at him, still concerned, and Jamie can’t have that, he kisses the expression off her face immediately. It should be illegal for her to be sad, no, sir. “‘s not even a sprain. It was probably the panic of bein’ in the same place as me dad, to be honest.”
Something steely flashes through her eyes, there and gone in a second, at the mention of Jamie’s dad. (Y/N)’s never been anything other than kind about it, but Jamie doesn’t doubt she’d beat the old fart up if she were given the chance. 
The thought only makes him smile.
“Did you? See him?” she wonders cautiously. She’s touching him again after her moment of hesitation over his injury, hands doing soothing motions up and down his sides. Jamie fights off a shiver.
“Nah,” he says simply as if the thought of crossing paths with him didn’t have him toeing the line of a panic attack the entire three days they were in Manchester. “I don’t know if he was there, and if he was, I didn’t see him. I don’t think I care anymore. It’s for the best, really.”
(Y/N)’s expression brightens, though they both know they’re not done talking about it. Jamie wishes it could be as easy as turning off his phone and forgetting about his dad, but his skin already itches a little with the idea of getting a text back from him. He’s also no doubt that (Y/N) will hold him throughout it all. 
“I did see me mum.”
“How is my favorite Tartt?” she teases.
“Happy,” Jamie says softly, always the most important thing to consider when it comes to his mother. Ever since he was a toddler and he gained acknowledgment of his dad’s actions; after an especially gruesome argument that ended with his dad breaking a few photo frames and plates, stumbling his way out of the apartment, and slamming the door shut, Jamie would climb on his mom’s lap and wipe her tears as best he could with his tiny clumsy baby fingers. “Yeah, she was real happy. And for me, too. Even before the match, she was happy to see me, happy to… jus’ happy.”
“That’s good, sweetheart,” she threads her fingers through Jamie’s hair to keep it off his face, his headband lost somewhere in his lockers or amongst the rest of the dirty laundry. He’ll have to tell Will to watch out for it, he’s a little attached to it after the night he’s had. 
Jamie’s usually not the one to believe in lucky garments or charms but– well. He feels pretty lucky right now; that (Y/N) saw some worth in him when they met and makes the choice to love him and come home to him, day after day, whatever the outcome may be. 
(Y/N) looks at him adoringly like she knows what he’s thinking. “Did’ya get your wings back, then?”
Jamie grasps her hand in his and turns to kiss the inside of her wrist, only slipping a little bit of tongue. “Nah. They was never gone. All I needed was a little help to see.”
He frowns before (Y/N) can answer. “I was gonna say something stupid like ‘you’re me wings’ but that’s disgusting and I hate it. I would never say something like that. ‘m not Roy.”
(Y/N)’s laugh is surprised and comes deep from her belly. “Are you telling me Roy Kent’s a secret romantic?”
“Big old softie, that tosser,” he rolls his eyes. “He snuck you in for me, didn’t he? That’s all you need to know about–”
(Y/N) shuts him up with a kiss just because she can, and they’re both smiling too hard for it to be a proper one. 
She says “He likes you. He’s proud of you. We’re all so proud of you,” while peppering kisses all over his face, landing on his cheeks, nose, temple, jaw, and corner of his mouth. “You’re so, so good, Jamie, I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” he says, because there’s not gonna be a single time in which she tells him that and he doesn’t reciprocate. “Mum said that, too. And Keeley and Roy. And Coach, too, I guess, in his own way. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.”
“I can’t believe I missed it,” (Y/N) pouts and beats herself up over it for the thousandth time. Jamie presses a kiss to the space between her eyes for the thousandth time in response. “I should’ve been there, I should’ve told my boss to go to hell–” 
“You’re here,” he tells her, shaking her a little by the shoulders and looking her over like he can’t quite believe it. That she’s here in the locker room, in his life, loving him like he’s always desperately wished for but never thought he’d deserve. “What was I gonna do, put my dumb ankle into ice and sit alone in the dark?”
“‘m sure Roy and Keeley would be here drinking champagne with you if I wasn’t here.”
“And what could we be doing that is keeping them away right now?” he raises his brows, sneaking a hand down her back lower, lower, lower–
(Y/N) slaps his chest, though a gleam in her eye tells him she’s not saying no to anything. “You’re…” she drifts off.
He smirks cockily. “Unbelievable?”
(Y/N) shakes her head imperceptively. “Nah. I always knew you could do it. But you’re breathtaking, I’ll give you that. As if your ego needs it.”
Jamie’s mouth softens into a smile, soft and apologetic. “I’m sorry.”
(Y/N) frowns a little at the sudden shift in conversation. “Whatever for?”
“I’ve been a dick these past couple of weeks–”
He had. (Y/N) won’t let him admit it but he wasn’t lying when he told Roy he wasn’t doing well. Not eating, not sleeping, waving off (Y/N)’s concern with a little too cold shoulder. It made him feel a little too much like his dad, and that thought only dragged him further down.
It had been (Y/N) who suggested Jamie pay a visit to his mom while in town for the game, and when he’d mentioned this to her she’d smiled knowingly, ran a hand through his hair, and made him promise an introduction soon. 
“You were anxious,” she corrects him with a shake of the head, won’t let him speak ill of himself when all he did was have a normal, human reaction to a very triggering situation. “And I’ve been worried about you but you don’t have to apologize, Jamie. Not to me, not in a million years.”
“Alright,” he says, soft and charmed. He soothes his thumb over her knuckles, featherlight. He looks down at their intertwined hands for a beat or two, gently swinging them back and forth. “Then can I apologize for shutting you out? I know you were only trying to help. I’ll do better next time at letting you know what I need.”
“And I’ll do better at listening,” she assures him with an indulgent smile, using her free hand to trace the Richmond crest of his shirt. “Look at us, communicating and shit.”
Jamie scrunches his nose in faux disgust. “Gross,” he says, but even the facade is too much to keep up when (Y/N) nudges his nose with hers. His lips tilt upwards against his best intentions, drunk on her presence and something inside his chest brimming with unstirred delight. 
(Y/N) exhales against his mouth. She hasn’t been more than a few inches away from him since she came down to meet him, always touching him.  
“What do you wanna do, huh?” she asks him, pulling at the bottom of his shirt. “Anything you want. We can go get some takeout from that burger place you like or maybe something fancier? We can go home and get some ice on that ankle–”
“It’s nothin’–”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” by that, she means when the team doctor gives him the all clear and he isn’t limping slightly with every step he takes. It’ll take a while but Jamie can take it, especially if any downtime comes with them spending the days together. She makes a questioning hum. “But we can do that tomorrow, then. Tonight, whatever you want. You’ve earned it.”
And Jamie does feel like a winner. Not only because of the three points they managed to steal from Man City but because he gets to come home to this. He gets to leave his dad behind in Manchester and his mom in safe hands, he gets to accomplish his dream for himself and the people that love him instead of trying to prove someone who hurt him wrong. 
He gets to live for himself. Coach Lasso was right, him forgiving his father was the kindest thing he could do for himself. 
“I want this,” he murmurs against her temple, breathing in the smell of her perfume and taking in the warmth of her body against his. “I got all I need right here.”
(Y/N) smiles and crowds even closer, pressing a kiss to his jaw. 
A beat. Then–
“So that’s a no for a quickie in the locker room, then?”
(Y/N)’s laugh tastes like a standing ovation.
_________
precious little jamiebaby i hope i did you justice ily
i was ready to make an angsty peace about him but mom city left me craving to give him a moment of peace so ta-da! thank you so much for reading and letting me know what you think!
a reminder that commissions and asks are open!
<3
masterlist / ao3 / ko-fi
2K notes · View notes
cozage · 1 year
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Captured by Marines
Characters: Luffy, Law, Ace cw: f! reader, angst, gore, mentions of injury/surgery A/N: A bit of a 180 from my post this morning haha! Also, I know I put it in the cw but again, this is obviously going to have some angst and there are also varying mentions of gore. I'm going to tag each individual story with major content warnings, hope that helps.
Luffy
A/N: spoilers for Marineford ahead in this one. 
“Listen Luffy,” Nami begins hesitantly. “I need you to sit down, and remain calm when I tell you this.” 
“What’s up, Nami?” He jokes, laughing at her tone. “You’re always so serious!” He hasn’t realized you were missing yet, or noticed the tears in Nami’s eyes. 
“Luffy…” Nami takes a ragged breath to steady herself. “It’s Y/N. She-” Nami breaks off unable to finish the sentence, tears finally pouring out of her eyes.
Her tears surprise him, and Luffy’s head snaps around, suddenly very aware of his surroundings. You’re not here. You’re not at the rendezvous point. He does a crew count, everyone is here except you. He does the count again. One short. And Nami crying…
He grabs Nami’s shoulders firmly. “Where is she, Nami?” He begins to shake her, trying to get the words out faster. “Where is Y/N?!”
Nami is sobbing now, inconsolable. Luffy knows she’s trying to speak, but the words simply won’t come. “Nami, TELL ME! TELL ME WHERE SHE IS?” He can’t stop shaking her. He knows it’s not helping, but he needs her words to come out faster. He needs to know that you’re safe.
“Luffy, that’s enough.” Sanji takes a long drag off the cigarette between his lips, ready to step in at any moment. “Calm down. You shouldn’t be acting that way towards a lady.”
“THEN TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!” Luffy roars out to the room, but he releases his navigator. Nami backs away from him until her back hits a wall, and then sinks to the ground. 
“I’m sorry,” she sobs into her hands again and again. “I’m so sorry, Luffy.”
“She got taken.” Sanji says in her place. He takes another inhale off the cigarette and removes it from his mouth. He makes brief eye contact with Zoro, both of them prepping for the worst reaction from their captain. “By the Marines.”
Luffy stands there, stunned for a moment. Surely he had misheard Sanji. There was a strange ringing in his ears, and his vision started to get dark around the edges. “By the…marines?”
Sanji sighs. “Yeah. She was protecting Nami, and they got her with the sea prism stone cuffs and made a quick escape. We tried to get her back, but they were quick. It almost felt like that was their mission the whole time.”
Sanji mouth kept moving, but Luffy couldn’t hear him. He could only hear your laugh, see your smile. And then he hears Ace, thanking him with his final breath. No, the outcome wouldn’t be the same. He was stronger now, and he would save you. He had to save you. 
“We’re not letting them leave this island with her.” His voice is authoritative, even if his entire body is shaking with fear. 
The entire crew responds in unison. “Obviously.”
Rescued
Law
A/N: Injury and surgery mentions
“CAPTAINNN!!!” The Heart Pirates race towards their captain, eager to see him again. It had been too long. He smiles at his crew, but his eyes are scanning the crowd. He can’t locate the two people who are always first to greet him. “Where’s Bepo and Y/N-ya?” You and Bepo had been sent for a reconnaissance mission a few days ago and should’ve arrived back before Law. His unease grew as he watched his crew’s eyes shift nervously between each other. 
Penguin finally clears his throat and speaks up for the crew. “Bepo is back at camp. He got inju-” Law is already on the move, not waiting for Penguin to finish his sentence. He refuses to run, but he’s walking as fast as he can without doing so. 
Penguin is following close behind, not missing a beat. “Captain-” he starts again, trying to find the right words, but he’s cut off again by the surgeon. 
“How critical are they?” He asks, tone clipped. He had used a lot of energy on the mission, but he’d do whatever he needed to in order to keep his crew alive. Especially you and Bepo. 
“Bepo has blunt force trauma to his torso that will probably need to be examined and a deep wound in his leg and paw that will need to be checked out. He’s unconscious but stable.” Penguin responded. He had gotten used to reporting injuries to the Captain. “But, Captain-”
“And Y/N-ya?” Law felt better knowing Bepo was okay, assuming you probably had the same injury status. 
Penguin said nothing for a long moment, which caused Law to glance his way. His mouth felt like sandpaper suddenly, and he realized that Penguin hadn’t actually report about you at all yet. “Penguin,” he prompted again. “What about Y/N?”
“She hasn’t reported in yet.” Penguin’s voice was pained. “We found Bepo unconscious about a half a kilometer from camp.”
Law hissed in disapproval, resisting the urge to Shambles closer to camp. He needed to save what little energy he had left. Penguin kept moving silently beside him, but Law could feel there was something his crew member wasn’t saying. He waited a few moments before he couldn’t stand the tension. “What aren’t you telling me, Penguin?”
“It’s not confirmed.” Penguin starts out, trying to keep it positive. “But Shachi heard something on the radio.”
“What? Spit it out.” Laws tone was dangerously close to being hostile. 
“The Marines said..” Penguin stopped moving, taking a breath, as if to prepare himself.
Law didn’t raise his voice at his crew often, but with a member of his crew injured and another missing, he snapped. He turned on his heels and glared daggers at his subordinate. “Stop keeping me on edge and tell me already, dammit!” 
“The Marines said they had someone in custody!” The words tumbled out of his mouth in a squeak, leaving a heavy weight in the air. 
The captain paused for a moment to take in Penguin’s words, and then turned away, heading towards Bepo again without another word. 
“Ca-Captain?” Penguin was back on his heels again, but Law said nothing. He couldn’t be distracted by a simple rumor. You were probably safe, hiding in the woods, waiting for a moment to come back to camp. Bepo would confirm that when he woke up. 
Penguin tried again. “Captain, it’s just that-”
“You said it wasn’t confirmed right? She’s fine, then. Let’s worry with Bepo, and then we’ll send out a search party for her when we get a better idea of her last location.” The Captain’s confidence in you left Penguin stopped in his tracks, but Law kept moving forward towards his injured crew member, leaving Penguin in the dust. 
Law waited by Bepo’s side after the surgery, within close earshot of Shachi and the radio. He had split the crew into small groups and sent them out to search for you in rotations, but nobody had found any sign of you so far. 
Law couldn’t sleep while you were missing, but he knew he needed rest. He compromised by sitting and staring at the radio, as if he were trying to will it to speak to them. After a few hours of silence, radio static signaled that the channel was active. “Do we have confirmation on the identity of the individual in custody yet?” A husky voice broke the air.
“Standby.” A younger voice responded, maybe even younger than Law.
Law stood up for the first time since he had finished tending to Bepo. “Switch to-”
Shachi was already flipping to the secure line they had tapped earlier. 
The husky voice returned as Shachi hit the channel switch. “-me you have a name, Lieutenant. I’ve got HQ on my ass about this matter.”
“Yessir. We have confirmation that the individual in question is [F/N] [L/N] of the Heart Pirates led by Trafalgar Law.”
The husky-voice man let out an audible gasp. “You better not be shitting me, Lieutenant. You’re positive?”
Shachi looked nervously at his Captain, but Law was fixated on the radio. It had to be a mistake. This couldn’t be happening. 
“Yes sir.” The younger man confirmed. “We have multiple sources from the battlefield confirming her skill and her identity. We’re departing for Impel Down as we speak”.
Law’s breath was shallow. He needed to get to you. To pull you back to safety. “Room.” If he can just make an area wide enough, he can shambles himself to you and free you.
But the effects from the mission and the operation weigh heavy on him, and he can feel his ability fading before he can find your presence. He falls to the ground, the weight of failure finally pushing him over the edge into total exhaustion. He can feel the world spinning, and know he’s far surpassed his limit. 
“Ready the ship to set sail immediately and do so immediately.” He can feel his eyes closing against his will, no matter how determined he is to stay awake. “We’re going after her. Follow them at any cost.”
As he slips from consciousness, he only thinks about you. How he’s lost you, and how he’ll stop at nothing to get you back. 
Rescued
Ace:
A/N: major gore/injuries
“To Whitebeard!” Mugs of various alcohols slammed together for a toast. Ace had Marco in a headlock, laughing and drinking his cup of ale while Marco struggled to get free. 
“I’m just saying we should wait to celebrate!” Marco squirmed below him. “Jozu’s division still isn’t back-”
“Come on, Marco,” Ace jested. “You really have that little faith in division three? I’m telling Y/N. She’ll never forgive you, y’know.”
Marco finally freed himself from Ace’s grip and stood upright, looking out to sea. “It just…they should be back by now.”
As the hours passed and the party raged on, Ace found himself glancing at the horizon more and more frequently. By the time the sun was setting, his gaze was stuck on the path you should be returning back on.  “They should be back by now,” he muttered to himself. “Where are you?” Ace pulls out your vivre card, relieved to find it intact and inching towards the way you should be returning.
He held your vivre card all evening, watching for any signs of distress. Marco sat with him on lookout, waiting for any kind of news as well. It wasn’t until the moon hung high in the sky that lights appeared on the horizon. “They’re back!” Relief washed over him as he shook Marco awake. He tucked your vivre card away and stood up for the first time in hours. “I’m going to go meet them and see what’s going on.”
“Wait, Ace,” Marco started, still groggy with sleep. “It could be-” but Ace was already jumping off the boat, aiming for his Striker. Flames appeared far below where Marco was sitting, and the Striker’s engine roared as it took off towards the approaching ship. 
Ace was used to you all being apart for missions. You were in the third division with Jozu, so it didn’t always line up that you all worked together. But Jozu was a man who was always has his crew back by rendezvous time, and it had been over twelve hours since that time had passed. 
The ship was flying a Whiteboard flag, and he could pick out a few crew members he recognized when he looked through the binoculars. He let out a sigh of relief, finally releasing a burden he didn’t realize he was carrying. The pit that had grown in his stomach over the past half day had been so slow, he didn’t even notice it until it started to ease away. 
The feeling of relief didn’t last long. As he got closer, he realized the ship itself was in bad shape. It had clearly been through an unexpected battle, maybe even more than one. He threw more flames out from his feet and raced towards the ship, the pit in his stomach returning and multiplying by the second. 
He jumped aboard the boat, looking for your face in the crowd, but all he could see were beaten and battered crew mates in various states of conditions. Some had cuts, others were more bandages than human. The smell was worse. The stench of death and distant smell of blood was mixed with a strange smell of meat cooking. Ace’s vision blurred for a second seeing such a sight, and he willed himself to stay focused. 
A deep voice called his name from the other side of the ship. Jozu. He looked around, searching for his fellow commander, but couldn’t locate him. “Down here, man.”
Ace had a pretty iron stomach, but the sight of his friend made it do a few somersaults. Jozu had a horrible head gash that someone was applying constant pressure on, a bandage wrapped around one eye, and the entire left part of his body seemed to be blackened, as if it were burnt. 
“Jozu…” Ace resisted the urge to ask about your status, suddenly afraid of the answer. “What happened?”
“Navy ambush.” Jozu took a ragged breath, and those around him exchanged worried looks. “We didn’t stand a chance.” Jozu was gasping for air at this point, but he was determined to get the information out. “They took prisoners. About 10-15.” It was clear he wanted to relay more information, but his body convulsed with a sudden coughing fit. 
“Who was taken? Where is-” Ace stopped himself right before he says your name, shameful of the fact that he’s prioritizing your life over everyone else. 
His cheeks must’ve turned a shade of red, because a kid passing by glares at him. “If you’re going to vomit, do it over the side of the ship. We have enough to clean up.”
Jozu’s cough finally subsides, and he looks at his brother with deep regret in his eyes. Ace’s heart plummets, and he knows what to expect before the words are out of his mouth. “They took her, Ace. They took Y/N. I’m sorry. I-” whatever Jozu was going to say is cut off by another round of coughing fits, but Ace doesn’t need an explanation. He just needs you back. 
Ace gingerly puts his hand on Jozu’s right shoulder, one of the few places the third division commander doesn’t seem to be injured. “Don’t you worry, Jozu. I’ll get them back.” Without another word, he jumps off the ship and onto his Striker. 
“Hang on, Ace.” Marco’s voice of reason calls out to him from the deck of the ship, and Ace silently curses himself for waking him in the first place. “You need a plan. Don’t go charging into this headfirst. It’ll just get you killed.”
“I have a plan!” Ace fibbed. “I’ll be back in the morning with the prisoners.”
“Ace,” Marco starts. It was clear to him that the freckled boy wouldn’t listen to anyone who stood in his way.
“If they get them to Impel Down it’s over and you know it!” Ace’s panic was starting to show. Marco could see his eyes from the deck, wild and desperate like a cornered animal. 
“Tch, you’re always such a hothead.” Marco chided. “Good luck. I’ll relay what happened to Pops, but be prepared for any consequences when you get back.”
Ace grinned and tipped his hat towards Marco. “Good luck here, Marco. Thanks for everything.” The Striker’s engine roared to life once again, and he pulled out your vivre card, ready to follow your compass to hell and back. 
Rescued
2K notes · View notes
alittlekdramatic · 8 months
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Never Going to Leave You
Link to Part 2 | Drama Masterlist | Kpop Masterlist
Boyfriend! Gunwoo x f! Reader, Brother! Woojin, Hurt/Comfort, Angst
Summary - After the incident with Smile at Mr. Choi's house, Gunwoo comforts his girlfriend, who is also his best friend's sister. Reader is scared, but they donate blood together to save him.
Warnings - Contains spoilers for Ep. 6/7! Also has mature themes such as arson, stabbing, violence, death, needles, hospitals, etc.
A/N - This was an anonymous ask! I hope it is what you envisioned and that it brings you a little comfort after those tough scenes. ❤️‍🩹
Word Count - 2.26k (a short prologue is included to set the tone)
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"Please don't cry anymore, Baby."
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“Don’t worry, Y/n. Once I teach you how to drive a stick, I’m sure Grandpa will have no problem letting you borrow his car,” Hyeonju grinned, proudly patting the steering wheel of the Mustang.
As she drove you and Gunwoo back home from dropping his mother off at the orphanage, you gazed out of the window and admired the nice houses in the upscale neighborhood. 
From the back seat, Gunwoo played with your hair and noted, “Y/n can barely drive a normal car.”
“Ya.” Turning your torso around to glare at him, you insisted, “I can drive.” He pretended to be frightened by your angry expression before ultimately cracking, humored by your stubbornness. 
“You just need more practice, Baby,” he chuckled, landing an unexpected kiss on the side of your cheek after you had turned forward again.
“Yeah, whatever,” you mumbled, the corners of your mouth slightly upturned in a lighthearted defeat. 
Nearing the end of the hour long car ride, you resorted to fidgeting with the zipper on your jacket sleeve. Your eyes were trained on the edges of the metal that were a little worse for wear, not looking up until you heard immediate concern in Hyeonju’s voice. 
“Oppa,” she said, trying to get Gunwoo’s attention too. As the car turned the corner, you all saw the smoke rising within the walls of Mr. Choi’s property. 
“What happened?” you interjected breathlessly. “Was Smile here?”
“Stop the car,” Gunwoo urged. 
The engine of the Mustang revved as Hyeonju quickly obeyed, parking outside of the garage. You practically tore your seatbelt off, ready to bolt from the car. But Gunwoo was faster, having already climbed out of the back of the coupe. 
“No, you stay. Stay in the car and call for help,” he pushed you back inside in a panic, prioritizing your safety.
“Wait-” You were going to argue, wanting to come along. But Gunwoo already shut the door and ran after Hyeonju. “Okay,” you exhaled, trying to steady your breath as you fumbled to find your phone. 
Once getting a hold of an emergency operator, you desperately tried to figure out what was going on from where you were. But in the few minutes you had been talking to her, you were barely able to answer any questions other than a dispatch location.
“Are there people in the house?” She asked.
“I don’t know.” You said, sniffling as a terrible feeling washed over you. “My boyfriend went to go look, but hasn’t come back yet. My brother is supposed to be here…”  It occurred to you that he might have been still sleeping off his hangover when the fire started. 
The possibility scared you enough to immediately exit the car and go see for yourself. Although once you made it inside the gate, it was far worse than you could have imagined.
Gunwoo had already carried Woojin out of the flames and was crying over his bloody, seemingly lifeless body. It felt like your world could have ended right then and there if he hadn’t been quick to reassure you as you fell to your knees beside him. 
“He’s alive,” Gunwoo uttered, repeating those words a couple times to reassure himself too.
It was then he realized Hyeonju had not yet come out of the house. You barely heard him calling for her in your trance-like state. Vision blurred by tears, your hands shook as they hovered above Woojin’s form, covered head to toe in so much red. 
“Woojin,” you whispered, pleading for any kind of response.
“Put pressure on the wound. Just hold on.”
Gunwoo replaced his hands with yours before rushing back into the flames, the warm liquid pooling beneath your smaller fingers. 
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please wake up,” you cried, resting his head on your thighs and sweeping hair out of his face. “Please.” Desperately looking over your surroundings, you spotted your phone in the dirt a few feet away. The screen was lit up with the call timer still going, so you figured the operator must have been listening still.
“Please save him,” you hoarsely yelled. Sirens in the distance began to echo your cries, but their slow approach was unbearable. While waiting for what felt like an eternity, Gunwoo burst out of the house with Hyeonju over his shoulder. 
She was already attempting to go back in the second he set her down, but Gunwoo continued to restrain her. His look of defeat, paired with her distress, told you everything you needed to know. You gathered that Mr. Choi was still inside, as there was no way Gunwoo would have left him there if it wasn’t already too late. 
Closing your eyes and holding Woojin closer to you, you forced yourself to accept what Hyeonju clearly couldn’t. Mr. Choi was gone, and your shoulders shuddered as pain racked your body. While you had not known him long, Mr. Choi had deeply impacted your life. His kind soul touched you in a way that you would never forget. 
Not to mention, his death made the reality of Woojin’s condition hit you that much harder. 
“Woojin-ah. You tried to protect him, didn’t you? You must have been so scared. We know you fought hard. But you have to keep fighting, okay?”
~
Once arriving at the hospital, it was challenging for Gunwoo and the team of surgeons to separate you from Woojin. You wanted to hold his hand through everything he was about to go through as he fought for his life. But eventually, they were able to convince you that he needed your help in another way.
Because of Covid-19, there was a blood shortage in the hospital. Being Woojin’s sister, you were a prime candidate for donation to him. And there wasn’t anything in the world that could hold you back from doing your part to keep him alive… not even your fear of needles. 
“Don’t look, Baby. Keep your eyes on me,” Gunwoo soothed you with a calming voice as the nurse began to prep your arm. You were partially laying down while he stroked your hair and did his best to smile, as difficult as it was. 
In the rush of getting an immediate transfusion to Woojin, there wasn’t exactly time to ease you into it. The nurse was kind and understanding, but could only be so patient given the circumstances.
“I’ll begin the withdrawal now,” she said, trying to match Gunwoo’s gentle tone. The pain was minimal when you felt the needle poke through your skin, but you couldn’t help but whimper as you envisioned what was happening. 
"Woo."
“It’s okay, stay still.” Gunwoo pressed your shoulder down to stop your fearful squirming. His heart broke as he watched more tears fall from your eyes, knowing just how hard all of this was for you. “It’ll be over soon, Sweetheart. You’re doing so well.”
During the ten minutes it took to take a pint of blood from you, your boyfriend tried to keep you as relaxed as he could. Gunwoo could tell that you were much less fixated on what was happening to you toward the end of the process, though. As you stared up at the ceiling, he read all of the thoughts behind your contemplative expression.
He knew you were thinking about Woojin and Mr. Choi, and surely about how Smile was going to pay for what they had done. It was an underlying thought that you all had at that point, but he would make sure that you had as little involvement as possible in what came next.
Potentially losing his best friend was hard enough. He didn’t even want to imagine what could happen if Smile ever got their hands on you. 
“Okay, we’re all done.”
The nurse removed the needle and bandaged you before you even noticed. At that point, you realized something as simple as getting your blood drawn would probably never scare you again. Everything would pale in comparison to losing someone you loved. What else was there to be afraid of?
She insisted that you eat and drink the recovery snacks before taking blood from Gunwoo as well, and you attempted to consume them without thinking too much about how your stomach was still churning. 
Once Gunwoo was finished donating, all of the blood collected was rushed off to the operating room. There was nothing to do now but wait as the two of you headed back to the lobby where only a few other people lingered. 
Holding onto Gunwoo’s arm while walking, your feet stalled as you questioned, “Where’s Hyeonju?”
He looked around before politely asking some ladies, “Excuse me. The girl that was here…Do you know where she went?”
“She left a while ago.”
“When was that?”
“About ten minutes ago.”
“Thank you,” he bowed before taking your hand, guiding you to a chair in the corner of the room. “Sit here, okay? Eat these too, if you can. I’ll be right back,” he said, giving his recovery snacks to you before leaving a quick kiss on top of your head and taking off. 
This was the first time you had been alone since the beginning of the ordeal, and the moment to yourself felt incredibly heavy with no one next to you to shoulder the weight.
You couldn’t help breaking down in your seat, back hunched over as you cried into your stained sleeves. Nothing around you mattered. All you could do was feel. The pain, the guilt, it all gnawed away like it was going to eat you alive.
Eventually, you heard Gunwoo’s heavy footsteps approaching and managed to pull yourself together for a minute. You looked up to see that he returned without Hyeonju, to your dismay.
“I couldn’t find her, and she wouldn’t answer my calls” he sighed, unaware of how broken you had become until you suddenly burst into tears again. 
He felt his chest tighten at seeing you that way. Everything seemed to be falling apart around you, and he didn’t know what he could do.
“Please don’t cry anymore, Baby.”
There was an edge to his voice, like his own tears would spill over any second. And you were only able to meet his glassy gaze for a moment before it became too much. His pain was yours, and vice versa.
“I’m sorry, Woo,” You sniffed. “It just hurts. It hurts so much.”
He got down on his knees to console you while you sat, bringing you into the most secure hug he could. He wanted nothing more than for you to feel safe and loved, like everything was going to be okay.
“I know,” he cooed. 
Gunwoo held you like that for a while, allowing you to be vulnerable with him as your emotions coursed through you. With your head tucked into his neck, you couldn’t see the few stray tears running down his cheeks. However, you did feel the tension in his back and the way he tried to control his ragged breathing. 
It made you think back to when you embraced Gunwoo after his mom’s cafe was torn apart. It was the day that all of this started; the day that something inside your boyfriend had changed. 
It wasn’t enough for him to accept Mr. Choi’s gracious gift and move on. You knew that while Gunwoo sincerely wanted to repay that kindness, he also wanted revenge deep down. If you all had walked away instead, maybe none of this would have happened. Mr. Choi might be alive, and Woojin’s life might not be hanging by a thread.
“What if this is our fault?” you cried, tightening your arms around him. “Woojin, and Mr. Choi… If we had done something different, if we were more careful, we wouldn’t have exposed ourselves.”
“Y/n, you can’t do that to yourself. They would never want you to believe this was our fault.”
“I know they wouldn’t, but… What am I going to do if he leaves me?”
Finally, it was all coming to a head. What was done, was done. But now you were forced to consider your life without your brother in it. Whatever that looked like, you didn’t want it. 
“I need him. I can’t do this,” you sobbed. 
“Hey,” Gunwoo gently pulled back and took your face into his hands. He wiped beneath your eyes with his thumbs, though his were equally red and puffy. “The nurse promised me they would save him. Woojin isn’t going to leave you. Not ever. He and I are always going to be right here.”
As his warm hands cradled your cheeks, you took solace in knowing that you weren’t going through this alone. You hoped Woojin knew that he wasn’t alone either, wishing you could somehow take his place. Anything to spare him the agony.
“He’s protected me my whole life.” You arrived at the conclusion, “But I can’t protect him.”
“I will,” Gunwoo assured you. “I’ll protect him. From now on, things will be different.” He wrapped his arms around you again, ignoring the dull ache in his knees as they pressed into the linoleum floor. “And I swear, one day, I’ll take Kim Myeong-gil down.”
He felt you ball his shirt into your fists, but let you work through your anger toward Smile without saying anything. He didn’t need to tell you that you would not get to take part in Myeong-gil’s downfall. You knew. But still, that didn’t change the fact that you wanted to put every one of the organization’s members through hell. 
‘One day’ couldn’t come soon enough.
Next Chapter >
Thanks for reading! Do not repost.
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ddollfface · 2 months
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God, I love golden retriever men so much.
*Intensely staring at my fav athlete*
Now, that I have a brainrot~
1. Our lovely Athlete with a nerd darling.
- This would be funny. It is giving black cat × golden retriever. So hard.
- Darling has anemia? She's used to sitting around and reading? Can't walk too long to save her life? He's fucking carrying her everywhere.
- Can you imagine darling bringing a book about his sport (I don't know if you've mentioned what he plays) to the game and reading as they watch him play cuz they don't know crap about sports? He'd be so, "But you're supposed to be watching me." :Insert puppy eyes:
- He's isolating darling? Eh, Darling needs a 4 hour nap after every social gathering anyway.
Ok but-
2. Him with a nerd darling who's a childhood best friend, where darling has a childhood filled with emotional and physical abuse. (I'm finna design a whole ass character to ship him with. If you don't mind, of course.)
- This.
- Don't let me get started on this.
- They would be so power couple coded fr. (Darling knows Athlete is trying to manipulate her. Doesn't care as long as she's getting taken care of.)
- Darling is snarky with a S.
- Darling: "The cheerleader was flirting with you."
Athlete: "I know. :3"
Darling: "Go marry her."
Athlete: "But you're the love of my life. :("
Darling: "Oh, really? I could've sworn it was Cindy instead. Go to her, shoo."
Athlete: "No."
Darling: "Who's bestie are you?"
Athlete: "Yours."
Darling: "Exactly."
- Don't let this fool you, tho. He's def the dominant one in the relationship.
Athlete: "You're my baby :D."
Darling: "Mhmm. Don't say that infront of anyone else."
Athlete: "Why not?"
Darling: "I'll bite your head off, that's why."
(spoiler, he says it in front of everyone and darling does nothing but get shy.)
Darling: "Why would you say that?"
Athlete: "Becuz you're my baby?"
Darling: *cuddles closer to him.* *Whispering* "I'm his baby."
- 💗 anon (if I may) (also, he's my baby now, thank you. I'm keeping him in my head and heart.) (It's so late at night. I just keep thinking about this 😭 and I can't put my thoughts into proper words rn, bear with me on this)
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈
𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗦𝗶𝗰𝗸!𝗔𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝘅 𝗮𝗳𝗮𝗯!𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿
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Trigger Warnings; yandere behaviors, possessive behavior, talk about trauma bonding (both reader and yandere or mentally ill), yandere masking, bad writing, and me rambling (I'm so sorry 💗Nonny lol) If I missed anything, then please let me know ♡ I offically declare you 💗Nonny!! And I don't mind you coming up with your own interpertations of reader and LoveSick!Athlete! Just share 'em! Also, I may or may not have gone on a tiny, just tiny, tangent, so sorry 💗Nonny... Feel free to submit more asks if 'ya want
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LoveSick!Athlete can really mold and mend well with most personalities and darlings, this is due to his manipulative personality. A little off-topic, but he really has a hard time understanding who he is because he's always pretending to be what others deem "acceptable". This causes him to have a multitude of identity crises, but when his darling, you, comes into the picture, it makes it easier for him to find himself. He feels like he's the real him whenever he's with you. You just feel so natural, he feels natural, too. It's just right.
And for that reason, I think LoveSick!Athlete would go really well with a childhood!reader, seeing as she's been with him since they were young. And, I'm not too sure if you've read my Yan!Alphabet for him, but I mention LoveSick!Athlete's childhood; let's just say it wasn't the best situation for a kid.
LoveSick!Athlete would feel a special bond with his darling now, seeing as they've been together threw thick and thin. He's trama bounded to you, and you to him. We'll run off the assumption that reader has also had a bad childhood, whether it be an absent parent, abusive sibling/family member/or parent, whatever it is allows you to feel a connection to LoveSick!Athlete, seeing as you have a mutual situation. You both have something to bond over, something that locks you together.
He has a bad home environment, you have a bad home environment. He doesn't feel at home, so you become his home, and he to you.
And I like to run on the assumption that reader is all talk, no bite. And if you've read any of my writing where the reader talks, you'll see that I prefer to write reader as more "real" (to me anyway) because I'm personally not the hugest fan of the "helpless" reader. I like to write a darling who has a mouth, someone who's bratty (but that's 'cause I'm a brat lol).
Anyway, I'm getting off-topic, back to LoveSick!Athlete.
To your idea about a snarky reader, I totally agree. Honestly, LoveSick!Athlete would eat that shit up, no joke. He would love it, as he enjoys the back-and-forth between you two. He loves to press your buttons, wanting to see what sarcastic reply you have ready for him.
The thing is, he knows your just talking shit, never willing to actually do anything. You just run your mouth, and he lets you, but whenever you step outta line, sometimes, he's gotta put you back. Though, you'll never think of it like that. No, no, he's too sweet for that. He's gotta keep that golden retriever vibe going, y'know?
He just swat you on the ass, telling you that you got such a dirty mouth, mamas? I thought you were my little princess, no? Girls with a face like yours shouldn't be speakin' that like-
He'll just move on, as if he didn't just grope your butt, nope, not at all. And you'll be standing there awestruck, face red, and biting your tongue as you try to not overheat in embarrassment!!
It never ceases to entertain him, watching your face widen with surprise whenever he refers to you as his girl, his cute little girlfriend. The way your face heats up when he wraps his strong arm around your waist, putting his cap on your head (a silent sign of possession over you, trying to get the guy in the back to keep his eyes to himself, but you don't need to know that ;)).
In your little monologue, you go over some cheerleader girl (named Cindy??). Though I would agree that chicks (and some dudes) practically flock around LoveSick!Athlete, I would say that he doesn't even pay them any mind, not even entertaining the thought. Don't get me wrong, he'll talk to them, but make it painstakingly clear that he's only got one girl on his mind, you.
Most of the time, the girl will just find it endearing, slapping his shoulder, and telling him that he'd make a great husband or some shit like that. Of course, the chicks joking, making some nice comments to leave the, now awkward, conversation, but LoveSick!Athlete will take it to heart. Now, he's imagining a pretty ring on your finger, something he paid for, he got you. Because he'd be such a good provider for you, don't you know?
Another thought, 'cause I'm on a role, but I'm not sure if I've directly said this or not, but LoveSick!Athlete is a hockey player. I've tried putting strickly hockey photos on all my posts (you should see my Pinterest feed, it's filled with hot guys lolol).
Hockey is an aggressive sport, I would know. I used to ice skate every day for an hour or two. And, trust me, I got to see a lot of hot guys, though I was always too nervous to say anything, that's beside the point.
I can imagine that reader would be the same, intimidated by these testastrone-filled, young men who just wanna get all sweaty and gross. And I prefer to think that reader also doesn't know how to skate, much to LoveSick!Athlete's enjoyment.
Just to torture you, he'll take you to his ice rink, partly wanting to show you off, and also wanting you to rely on him to move around. He won't even let you hold onto the side, nope, all you got is him, babes.
And anyone who's been to a rink before knows that if you're not on the wall, or smack in the middle of the rink, you're in traffic, especially if it's busy. And this means that you gotta go fast, keeping pace with everyone else. And there's always a handful of assholes (usually hockey players) who will purposefully do a hockey stop, flinging a shit tone of ice at newbies.
I imagine that this shit would happen all the time and LoveSick!Athete is enjoying it sm. He gets a rush every time you flinch, clinging onto him tighter, especially when the really fast skaters zoom by you, scaring the crap outta you.
And he won't let you go at your own pace, forcing you to follow his lead. This means you're going far too fast for comfort, leaning on him for support. You're arms wrapped around his bicep, which isn't recommended btw. Your cheek pressed against his arm, holding on for dear life.
You'll snap at him, telling him to shut up and stop enjoying this, you dork. I'm only clinging to 'cause I gotta!
And he'll just take it, giving you a lopsided smirk.
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081314 · 4 months
Text
Book 7: The Ruler of the Abyss – Chapter 6 (Part 1)
Following is part 1 of my translation of Chapter 6 of Book 7: The Ruler of the Abyss. This part contains only Episode 7-88 (it’s as long as several episodes put together, so I had to give it its own post)
Main storyline spoilers after the cut.
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Episode 7-88
Grim: Ugh… Where are we?
Sebek: This is… I recognize this place. This is where the Darkness engulfed us earlier! We’ve returned!
Silver: Where’s father and Sir Baul?
Sebek: They set off for the Moonless Forest, but…
Silver: !! You guys, look at the ground over there! Looks like some soldiers went this way!
Sebek: Appears to be the Silver Owl’s men…!
Silver: Father and Sir Baul are in danger. We need to hurry and find them!
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Iron One A: W-What amazing power!
Iron One B: If our magicians hadn’t deflected those flames just now, she woulda burnt us to a crisp!!
Knight of Dawn: Focus! You’ll get trampled if you don’t watch out!
Meleanor (Dragon form): Rooooooaaar!!
Iron One C: Don’t give her even a moment’s rest! Charge!! Chaaarge!!!
The Iron Ones: Uoooooooh!!
Sebek: Ahhh…. Lady Meleanor!!
Grim: Get a move on, Sebek! We gotta make sure to stay close to the dreamer, right? We’re gonna lose sight of Lilia at this rate!
Sebek: You needn’t tell me that! I understand full and well this is but a dream, I just…. Dammit!
Yuu: I know this is hard for you, but we need to keep moving.
Silver: …Right. We have to hurry or else the rain’s going to wash away their footprints. Let’s go!
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Grim: Geez, the rain’s comin’ down harder an’ harder!
Sebek: The roads are all muddy, and the sun’s set, too… You need to go faster, the both of you! Their footsteps are vanishing before our very eyes!
Grim: Oh, save your breathe, dude! I’m already runnin’ as fast as I can! Can’t ya just use that spell you showed off when we were lookin’ for Silver earlier? You know, the one where you were glowin’ an’ zoomin’ around all over the place.
Sebek: I take it you mean “Living Bolt”?
Silver: I’d never seen that spell before, either. Just when did you develop your Unique Magic?
Sebek: ‘Twas during the period when I trained alone in the valley, after you’d enrolled at Night Raven College… While refining my celerity, so that I might rush to our Lord’s side in the event of an emergency, I found an opportunity to develop it. However… I’ve far from mastered it. My Unique Magic allows me to transform my body into a bolt of lightning, and in that state, I can move rapidly and fire off attacks. …But as I lack the skill to properly use it, I become momentarily impaired after casting it. I’m thankful my opponent just now was our resident slouch, for had I tried to use it on a real enemy, they wouldn’t have waited around for me until I recuperated. It’s out of the question for me to use it to catch up with Lilia and my grandfather right now, as I would only be a hindrance to them as soon as I reached them. In truth, I had intended to hold off on demonstrating it before others until I’d mastered it. To think, I’d end up having to waste it rousing this sluggard here…
Silver: I… I’m sorry. But you know, it’s a really fitting spell for you.
Sebek: Hmph.
Sebek (whispering to himself): …As this is a dream and all, I should have liked to have pulled it off flawlessly for once…. Geez…
Silver: Something’s been on my mind ever since we crossed into father’s dream. This dream was made by Lord Malleus’s magic, so I don’t understand why it’s just been one tragedy after another this whole time.
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Yuu: Now that you mention it…
Silver: In Sebek’s dream, he had it so father and Lord Malleus were about to go off on their internships together. If what Lord Malleus said before is right, then these dreams we’re trapped in should be based on what would make the dreamer happy… Dreams that would keep us spellbound forever. In father’s case, he should’ve been dreaming about Lord Malleus’s parents being alive and well, and not having to fight any wars against the humans. And the Land of Briar should’ve remained as it was, not chopped up into Briar Valley.
Sebek: Hmm… You certainly have a point there.
Silver: Lord Malleus said he’s observing everyone’s dreams… and that he’s reigning over them, too. If he knew that we were here, then he probably would’ve tried to get rid of us by now, like how he did in Sebek’s dream.
Sebek: Hmm… ‘Tis only speculation, but perhaps something is preventing Lord Malleus from observing Sir Lilia’s dream.
Silver: That’s possible, yeah. I wish we could wake up father already and have him help us, but…
(Swords clash in the distance)
Everyone: !!
Sebek: Someone’s fighting yonder!
Silver: It sounds like it’s coming from close by. Come on, let’s go!
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Battle Map Conversation
Imperial Guard A / B: Gyagyaaa! Giii!
Iron One A: You assholes just don’t know when to give up!
Sebek: Look there! Some guardsmen are surround by the Iron Ones!
Silver: I don’t see father or Sir Baul with them. Maybe they stayed behind to buy them some time.
Iron One A: Ack- Looks like they got some back up! Doesn’t matter, you guys have no hope of beating us! Now lay down your weapons and surrender, or you’re gonna regret it!
Grim: Sorry, but the dictionaries we got at NRC don’t mention anything ‘bout “surrender” or “regret”! GET ‘EM!!
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Battle Map Conversation
Silver: Augh, their reinforcements just keep pouring in…!
Imperial Guard A: Goeeee! Garururu!
Sebek: What!? You say you’ll take over for things here, and you wish for us to go on ahead!? But that’s…!
Imperial Guard A: Gyagyaaa!
Sebek: …Yes, sir. I promise you, we shall deliver His Eggcellency to the palace, together with Sir Lilia. Please, stay safe!
(Silver and co. depart)
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Battle Map Conversation
(Something sparkles on screen)
Silver: …! This light, it’s…
Grim: The sparkles are showin’ us where to go! Must be magic!
Sebek: This magic… Doubtless it must be my grandfather’s spell. He left behind these landmarks to guide us. He trusts that we’ll be able to regroup with them… Let us hurry!
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Land of Briar – Woods
Baul / Lilia: Haaa, haaa, haaah….
Lilia: Did we shake ‘em off?
Baul: !! General, look out!
Iron One A: Found you, Vanrouge!
Iron One B: Do you even have any idea how much pain you’ve put us all through!? Once I kill you, then my grandfather will finally be able to rest in peace!
Iron One C: Be careful where you aim! We can’t leave even a scratch on that egg!
Baul: Dammit, we’re surrounded. Looks like they’ve got ten… No, 15 men on their side. General, you go on without me and I’ll handle this. Hurry!
Lilia: Bullshit! There’s no way you can take these guys on by yourself.
Baul: What they’re after is your head, General, and the heir’s egg. And we cannot allow them to take either. As you can’t very well fight while lugging around the egg, I, Baul, promise to wipe out these miscreants myself. I’ll rejoin with you later. Now hurry!
Lilia: Dammit…! And I’m going to have your head if you die on me!
(Lilia departs)
Iron One A: Vanrouge is getting away! After hiiiim!!
Iron One B: Uwaaah!? What was that attack just now?
Iron One C: He cut down that massive tree with one swing of his Magearm…!? Shit, now the road’s blocked!
Baul: LISTEN WELL, HUMANS! MY NAME IS BAUL ZIGVOLT!!! I AM A MEMBER OF THE IMPERIAL GUARD OF THE LAND OF BRIAR – A TITLE I BEAR WITH PRIDE! THOSE WHO WISH TO SULLY MY AXE’S BLADE, STEP FORTH NOW! I’LL DEVOUR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!
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Grim: Woah! Look, you guys! Somebody’s fightin’ for their life over there!
Silver: That crocodile mask… It must be Sir Baul!
Sebek: The Silver Owl has got him completely surrounded. We must assist him! Quickly!
Grim / Silver: Okay! / Right!
Iron Ones A: What the!? His reinforcements snuck up on us from behind!?
Iron One B: Wait they’re… They’re’ humans!? The hell are they siding with the fae for…!?
Sebek: This has nothing to do with being a fae or human! It is simply that we do not like you! And so, we must fight!
Grim: That’s right! If you don’t like somebody, then you gotta show ‘em what’s what! That’s our motto at NRC!
Iron One C: Who the hell are these guys!? Troops, get in formation! We’re retreating for now!
(The Iron Ones depart)
Grim: Hey, look! They’re runnin’ away!
Silver: It’ll be bad if they come back with reinforcements… But chasing after them could end up costing us. Right now, we need to focus on tending to Sir Baul’s injuries.
Sebek: Sir Baul! I apologize it took us so long to find you!
Baul: Y-You guys…. Augh!
(Baul collapses)
Silver/Sebek: Sir Baul! / Sir Baul!
Sebek: What terrible injuries. Please, take this potion at once-!
(A whistle sounds)
Grim: Yikes, sounds like they really are callin’ up their buddies!
Sebek: We must get away from here. Sir Baul, please come with me! Here, rest yourself against my shoulder.
Baul: I’m staying here. It’s my duty to fight. You boys go after the General.
Silver: No, that’s… We can’t leave you behind!
Baul: Silence! I told you before, I don’t need help from the likes of you lot!
Sebek: ………. Silver, Grim, Yuu. Go on without us.
Grim/Silver: What!?
Sebek: I shall stay here with Sir Baul, and we shall buy you some time.
Silver: What!?? No, you guys can’t- …Besides, there’s no telling what’ll happen if you get too far away from father.
Sebek: WE’VE NO TIME FOR HESITATION!!! As he is carrying His Eggcellency, Sir Lilia isn’t able to move around freely and defend himself right now. You must go now and protect him! Protect what is precious to you! And I… I shall protect what is precious to me!!
Silver: Sebek…
Sebek: Hmph. You best not take me for a fool, Silver. We shall dispose of the enemy and regroup with you in but a moment.
Silver: …Okay, I understand. Let’s go, Grim and Yuu!
(Silver and co. depart)
Iron One A: We finally got the armored excavator past that block in the road! This is the end for you bastards!
Sebek: Hold your tongue! As if a pathetic little piece of scrap metal stands a chance against me! Sir Baul, please get behind me.
Baul: Human… Why are you doing all this for me…!?
Sebek: I know that even if I fight here, it won’t change reality one bit. However… There are things in life that I simply cannot concede on. Listen well, you wretched Silver Owl! I, Sebek Zigvolt, shall be your opponent! NOW LET US BEGIN!!
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Sebek: It ends here! Haaaa!! Haaa… Haa… That was… the last one… S-So what did you think, Sir Baul! I’ve done it!
Baul: Amazing, you really did defeat them all…. You fought splendidly.
Sebek: !! Truly, I am underserving of such kind words…. Augh…!
Baul: Human… Why are you so desperate to help us fae?
Sebek: Though my father is indeed a human… My mother is a fae.
Baul: !!
Sebek: My maternal grandfather was not at all fond of humans. One could even say he despised them. And when his only daughter announced she was betrothed to a human… I couldn’t even begin to describe how terribly they fought. Presently, my father and my grandfather remain at odds with one another. However, not once has my grandfather ever distanced himself from us grandchildren. He’s a taciturn man, always with that same stern expression upon face, and I can’t recall him ever greeting us when we called upon him. And yet, he always kept his house stocked up with brand new children’s books, as well as candies and sugary refreshments that he’d never dare consume himself. I truly respect my grandfather, from the bottom of my heart. And that is why I… that is why I wish to be of help to you- to you all!
Baul: …..Hmph. I’m not sure you’d be of much help to anyone walking around looking like that. Your baton’s about cracked in half, and your defensive gear is in pieces.
Sebek: Y-You needn’t be concerned! Here I’ll – I’ll simply borrow some equipment from that collapsed Iron One over there and…
Baul: Human… Nay, Sebek Zigvolt. I give you my thanks for your actions today. As you’ve damaged your gear in battle, I’ll grant you your own suit of armor.
Sebek: What….?
Baul: In the name of Baul Zigvolt, Imperial Guardsman of the Land of Briar, and in celebration of the birth of this new warrior… The Night’s Blessing upon Ye.
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Sebek: T-This armor… And this magearm, it’s…!?
Baul: The same ones we Imperial Guardsmen use. That magearm belonged to a fallen comrade… But I��m sure it’s preferable over your half-broken baton.
Sebek: Oh, ‘tis far and beyond preferable! I have no words! To be granted the privilege of wielding the very same equipment as the Imperial Guard!
Baul: All that’s left is your mask…. Hmm. This one should work well for you. In my troop, I’m the only one allowed to don the crocodile mask. As we share the same surname, and if it is true that your grandfather is a fae… Then perhaps the General was right. Perhaps our meeting was fate – Sebek Zigvolt, the half-fae warrior. I’ll be expecting great things from you.
Sebek: …Yes, sir! I vow on this mask, and on the Zigvolt name, that I shall fight with glory. Grandfa-… I mean, Sir Baul!
Baul: Alright. Now let’s hurry after the General!
Sebek: Yes, sir!
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Battle Map Conversation
Grim: Where the heck did Lilia go!?
Silver: Black Scale Castle, the Imperial Palace, is located in the northern region of the Land of Briar. So let’s just head north for now.
Iron One A: Don’t stop looking! There’s a nice reward for whoever finds that dragon egg!
Silver: A reward…? …How dare they! We can’t let them lay a single finger on father or Lord Malleus. Come on, we’ll have them take a nice little nap for us.
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Battle Map Conversation
(The ground beings to rumble)
Grim: What the- Is that an earthquake!?
Silver: !! Grim, Yuu, look out!
Grim: Waaah, that tree right in front of us just got hit by lightning!?
Silver: Lady Meleanor must still be fighting right now. We need to hurry and find father while she’s distracting the enemy for us...
Iron One A: I heard voices coming from over there!
Iron One B: It might be Vanrouge! Search the area!
Silver: Damnit, they heard us. I’m sorry, but we’ll be forcing our way through!
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Battle Map Conversation
Silver: Have you seen my fath-… I mean, General Vanrouge anywhere? Ah! I know I’m a human and all, but I’m not your enemy…
(ring ring… ring ring….)
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Grim: The fae are waving at us to follow ‘em. Maybe they’ll take us to where Lilia is!
Silver: I guess they believed me… Thank you!
Land of Briar – Woods
Iron One A: There he is, it’s Vanrouge! Capture him!
Lilia: Augh!
(Lilia collapses)
Iron One A: He’s down! Surround hiiiim!
Iron One B: …So this is the Land of Briar’s General of the Right, eh? The feared “Dragon’s Right Hand Man.”
Iron One A: Aww, he looks like a wee li’l bat that can’t get off the ground. Just breaks my heart.
Iron One B: It’s over. Just give us that egg and we’ll spare your life.
Lilia: Kishaaa!!
Iron One A: The guy doesn’t know when to give up, huh... Sounds like he wants us to take it from ‘im by force, then! I’ll give you my mercy as a knight and end this quickly. Haaaa!!
Lilia: …!
(Someone blocks the attack)
Iron One A: The Knight of Dawn?? …No, wait you’re… Who are you!? State your name!
Silver: …My name is Silver, and your tyranny ends here. NOW DRAW YOUR BLADES!
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Land of Briar – Woods
Silver: Now’s my chance! Seyaaaah! …General Vanrouge! Are you okay!?
Lilia: Somehow or other, thanks to you. You made it just in the nick of time…
Silver: We ran into tons of Silver Owl on our way here, and there’s probably still a bunch lurking around. We need to hurry and press on.
Lilia: …Silver, you’re not at all obligated to take on this request, but I need you to listen to me.
Silver: Huh?
Lilia: I’m not gonna make it much longer… My body’s just about called it quits.
Silver: W-What are you…
Lilia: Please, take this egg… to Black Scale Castle for me. Go to Mystic Mountain, you’ll find an Imperial Guard’s camp site near the base... There’s a unit out there that patrols that whole area. First just… aim for there.
Silver: Are you telling me to leave you behind…?
Lilia: You probably can’t hear it, but there’s a bunch of soldiers headed right this way. There’s way too many for you to fight off alone while trying to drag me along. Once they get here… I’m gonna tell ‘em I got sick of carrying the egg and threw it into the ravine. That should buy you some time…. *cough cough*!
Silver: …..Alright. Yuu, could you hold Lord Malleus’s egg for me?
Yuu: Just leave it to me!
Grim: Man, this thing’s even bigger up close.
Silver: Please excuse me, General Vanrouge. …Okay.
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(Silver lifts up Lilia onto his back)
Lilia: The hell do you think you’re doing!? I’m not a damn baby, you don’t need to carry me around! Don’t tell me… You’re gonna try to climb Dragon;s Tail Mountains with me on your back? That’s ridiculous! Just leave me here, dammit…! *cough cough*
Silver: I’ll be fine. I grew up around the mountains and have plenty of experience hiking with heavy gear. My teacher always used to say, “As long as you’re still alive, things will work out in the end.”…. So you can’t just give up on life already… You can’t!
Lilia: You little… The hell do you think you are, trying to lecture me… …Ugh…
Grim: Lilia passed out.
Silver: I’m amazed he was still standing when we found him. Let’s take a break for a little while. Now, should we head for that camp site, or just cut straight through to Mystic Mountain… In either case, we’ll be heading up north. Come on, you two. We need to get father and Lord Malleus to Black Scale Castle.
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Battle Map Conversation
(Lightning flashes)
Grim: !!! Didja see that, Yuu! There’s a big ol’ mountain way over there. Looked like it was jet black.
Silver: That’s the sacred mountain known as Mystic Mountain. According to legend, the Thorn Fairy herself used to reside up there… And now, this country’s imperial capital, Dragon Capitol City and Black Scale Castle, sits on its peak.
Grim: Wait, so we gotta climb up that thing!?
Silver: We might be able to get them to loan us some flying mounts once we reach that camp site… But the mountain is always covered in dark clouds, and I heard anyone who climbs it without the dragons’ permission gets struck by lightning. Apparently, it’s to keep out any intruders. So I doubt we’ll be able to get there by air travel…
Grim: Yeah, but ain’t we carryin’ their egg!?
Silver: Everything depends on us getting to the camp site, I suppose.
(Soldiers march close by)
Silver: !! Those footsteps…
Grim: It’s the Silver Owl! What should we do?
Silver: Let’s hide in the thicket and wait for them to pass by… And then, we’ll pick off any of their men who have their guard down. We’ll be able to minimize any damage to our side that way.
Yuu: So we’ll have to fight them, then.
Silver: Yeah, if we don’t take some of them down and reduce their numbers, there’s a good chance they’ll just end up surrounding us. You know… The way he talks is all different, but the things my father says now really aren’t all that different from what he used to say when he was on the Guard.
(The soldiers approach)
Silver: …They’re here. Let’s go!
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Battle Map Conversation
Silver: There’s some buildings up ahead, past the forest. Is that the camp site General Vanrouge was talking about?
Imperial Guards: Gyagyaaaa! Gyaruru!
Grim: Ooooi! We brought Lilia. Hurry up and come help-
(The guards brandish their weapons)
Grim/Silver: !?
Imperial Guard B: Human, enemy! Comrade, give back!
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Grim: Crap, they think we’re the bad guys!
Silver: Damnit, and Sebek’s not here. We don’t have anyone who can translate for us…
(a projectile lands in the camp)
Everyone: !?
Iron One A: We found the fae’s campsite! Men, chaaarge! Ah! That huge egg that human’s holding… Is that the dragon egg!?
Iron One B: What luck! Out of all 15 units that entered the mountain, ours is the one that ended up finding it!
Iron One A: That egg is ours! Chaaarge!!
Imperial Guards: Gyagyaaa! Firume! Garrururu!
Grim: Grrr, it’s just one problem after another with these guys!
Silver: We have to help them. Grim, Yuu, we’ll need to fight our way through!
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Battle Map Conversation
Silver: Phew… We were able to chase off the Silver Owl. But still… I can’t believe they have 15 of those units prowling the mountain. We won’t be able to stay here. Let’s go.
Imperial Guard A: You, not enemy? You, beat iron one…
Grim: That’s what we’ve been sayin’ this whole time, man!
Silver: We’re trying to deliver General Vanrouge and the heir’s egg to Black Scale Castle. The general is badly injured.
(The Imperial Guards huddle tighter and talk amongst themselves)
Imperial Guard A: Okay. We, enemy, search, beat. You, castle, go. Comrade, we, protect, far away.
Grim: Uhhh… Are they sayin’ they’re gonna handle whoopin’ the Silver Owl for us?
Silver: Yeah. And they’re even offering us their protection.
Imperial Guard A: Attack, sorry. Night’s blessing, upon ye.
Silver: …Thank you. And the Night’s blessing upon ye all.
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Battle map conversation
Grim: Haaah, haaah… Geez, the road’s gettin’ steeper an’ steeper. Ya better not drop Tsunotarou’s egg, henchman!
Yuu: It sure is heavy…
Silver: You okay, Yuu? I don’t see anyone trailing us, so I’m fine if you want me to hold the egg for a while.
Grim: What, you’re gonna carry both Lilia and the egg at the same time!? Don’t you ever get tired?
Silver: Of course I’m tired. But it’s weird… I also feel like there’s this strength welling up inside me. Maybe because I’m thinking of “that day”.
Grim: Whaddya mean?
Silver: The day I found out my father and I aren’t related, I ran away without even thinking. It was a night kind of like this one, it was raining really hard and the forest was pitch black… the weather was just awful. I couldn’t go back home, I couldn’t move forward, I just sat there and cried… But my father came and found me, and he carried me home on his back while I was bawling my eyes out. And that’s why… I know it’s probably not really appropriate to say this given the circumstances, but that’s why I kind of feel happy right now. I’m happy that I’m now able to carry him on my back. And this time, I’ll be the one to carry him home.
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Battle map conversation
Grim: Hmm… Is Malleus really inside this thing? Looks more like a big ol’ jewel than an egg to me.
(Grim pokes the egg)
Yuu: Something moved inside! …I think.
Silver: For as long as I can remember, Lord Malleus has looked pretty much the same as he does now. Makes me wonder what he looked like when he was born.
Yuu: He was probably in his dragon form.
Silver: Ah! …Maybe that’s what’s stopping Lord Malleus from interfering with father’s dream, because he’s dreaming of a time before Lord Malleus was born… Imagination is the root of all magic. And maybe it’s hard for Lord Malleus to control something he knows nothing about, something that’s beyond his imagination…
Grim: Whatcha mumblin’ about, Silver?
Silver: It’s nothing. There’s no use wondering about this and that. Let’s keep moving.
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Battle map conversation
Silver: Huh? …The smell wafting from this forest, it’s so familiar. ...Ahh, that’s right. The house father and I lived in is across Mystic Mountain. …It’s okay. I have all those memories of the time we spent together in that house right here with me. No matter what happens here on out… I’ll never lose my way again.
Land of Briar – Woods
Silver: Haaa, haaah…. That bridge up ahead… goes over the gorge that connects Dragon's Tail Mountains and Mystic Mountain.
Lilia: Ugh… Where are we…?
Silver: Are you awake, General Vanrouge? We’re just about to reach the bridge that goes up to Mystic Mountain.
Lilia: So you really did climb up the mountains carrying me on your back…?
Silver: Yes, sir. And there weren’t any issues along the way.
Lilia: And what about the egg!?
Grim: No worries. Yuu’s got ‘im.
Lilia: *sigh* …Oi, Silver. I can walk by myself, let me down already.
Silver: Are you sure? I’m fine carrying you to Dragon Capitol City.
Lilia: Heh, you’ve gotten so cheeky. Listen, you might not be able to sense it, but the fog that envelops this place is rich in magic. My wounds’ll heal up in no time here. …Easy does it.
(Lilia climbs off Silver’s back)
Lilia: Yuu, I know you’ve been lugging that heavy thing around for a while now. Here, give me the egg.
Yuu: I’ve kinda gotten attached to him.
(Lilia takes back the egg)
Lilia: I don’t see any cracks or anything on it. ….*sigh*… It’s so damn heavy. Ah, and before I forget, I don’t see Sebek anywhere. Did something happen?
Silver: He stayed behind with Sir Baul to hold back the enemy for us… We haven’t met up with them again yet.
Lilia: I see… So he’s with Baul…
(The ground rumbles)
Grim: Eep! Was that an earthquake!?
Lilia: No, that awful noise has to be…
Iron One A: We finally found ya, Vanrouge!
Iron One B: Take out the bridge with the armored excavator! We have to slay Vanrouge and get that egg at all costs!
Lilia: Tsch. They’re bringing out that huge thing again…!
Grim: And there’s Silver Owl guys pourin’ in from left an’ right!
Silver: General Vanrouge, Yuu, Grim, you guys hurry and cross the bridge! I’ll buy you some time! I WON’T LET ANY OF YOU PASS THROUGH! I’LL BE THE ONE TAKING YOU ON!
Iron One A: Ha! You’re just a stupid kid, you seriously think you have a chance against us? We’ll smash that bridge and throw all you guys to the bottom of the gorge with it. ARMORED EXCAVATOR, FULL SPEED AHEAD!
???: I call upon thee, Lightning – Pierce through the clouds above! Living Bolt!!!
Iron Ones: Guwaaaaah!!!
Silver: That flash of lighting just now, it’s…
Sebek: T-To think, you would be standing around dawdling here of all places…. D-Did you fall asleep along the way? …Yowch!!
Silver: Sebek! ...That armor…!?
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Sebek: Ha! So you’ve noticed, have you! I should very much like to flaunt it off right now, but… That will have to wait until after we’ve dealt with the enemy! Ouch!!
Iron One A: Reinforcements, huh! Arrgh, hurry up and get that Armored Excavator up and running again!
???: Oh, no you don’t! Haaaaa!
Baul: There’s no way we’d let rotten scum like you take even a single step on these sacred mountains! I’LL DEVOUR THE LOT OF YOU!!!
Silver: Sir Baul! You’re okay!
Baul: …Hmph. You did good making it this far. I’ll commend you for your tenacity, if nothing else.
(Bats fly across the screen)
Lilia: Heh… Looks like you’ve escaped death as well, Baul.
Baul: General! I apologize for taking so long to get here.
Sebek: Sir Lilia! Where are His Eggcellency, Yuu, and Grim?
Lilia: I had them wait somewhere safe, beyond the bridge.
Sebek: But should you not be recuperating with them…!
Lilia: Dumbass. I wouldn’t be much of a general if I sit this one out, now would I? You don’t need to worry about me, my wounds are all closed up now thanks to our blessed Mystic Mountain. Now then, Silver Owl… If you want to run away, now’s your last chance.
Iron One A: Hah, you talk big for somebody who looks like he’s about to pass out. You guys don’t stand a chance. We’re gonna take both your head and that egg of yours and go home heroes! You aren’t gonna have your way with things any longer! …YOU MONSTERS!
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Land of Briar – Woods
Iron One A: T-That’s impossible… How are they beating us?! There’s only four of them, why the hell can’t we bring them down!?
Iron One B: I heard fae can draw in magic energy from nature. They must be absorbing the evil energies on this mountain and healing themselves while we fight! They’re gonna wipe us out at this rate. Commander, please, give the order to retreat!
Iron One A: Damn those blasted monsters….! To make it all the way here, with that egg just within our reach… Dammit! MEN, RETREAT! RETREEEEAT!
(the iron ones depart)
Everyone: Haaa, haaah ,haaaa….
Sebek: Did we… Did we chase them off?
Lilia: Looks like it…
Silver: T-Thank goodness…
Baul: Praise be to the Mystic Mountain’s divine protection, praise be to the Night’s Blessing…
(The ground rumbles)
Silver: !? An earthquake!? And it’s a big one!
Sebek: The storm’s raging even worse now… Augh! I can hardly open my eyes!
Lilia: The land is resonating with the dragon’s- with Meleanor’s rage.
Baul: What on earth! There’s a bunch of black clouds and thorns covering the Verdant Moors.
Silver: !! This is just like when Lord Malleus overblotted…!
Sebek: Don’t tell me, is Lady Meleanor-!
Lilia: Shit, the bridge is about to collapse!
Baul: Hurry, everyone!!
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Battle Map Conversation
Lilia: Haaa, haaah….  I can see… Dragon Capital City up ahead… We’re almost there, Black Scale Castle isn’t too far off. Soon as we drop off the egg, I’m heading straight back to the Verdant Moors….!
(Something rumbles in the distance)
Everyone: !!??
Grim: Eep! I think this earthquake’s the biggest one yet!
Baul: Everyone, to me! I’ll put up a forcefield!
Sebek: I-Is it over?
Baul: Appears so… Ah! There’s a bunch of boulders blocking the path we just came down.
Silver: We’re not out of the woods yet. Let’s hurry!
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Part 2
Part 3
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astaroth1357 · 1 year
Text
The Brothers are Damsels in Distress!!
I was flicking through my feed, saw something and went: "But what if Rapunzel??"
Content: Hints of Fairytale AU, but on crack
Scenario: One morning, through utterly inexplicable means, a portal opens up and drops one of the brothers into a cottage-style tower straight out of a fairy tale. The whole room is enchanted so they can't break out on their own. Their only means of communication are their phones and a crystal ball they can use to see what the MC and others are doing.
How are they taking this?
~♡♡♡~
Lucifer
This man is livid. Fuming. Almost apoplectic.
He has no idea what being has decided to put him in this position, but he's already planning on making them Cerberus' next chewtoy the moment he finds his freedom.
After establishing that he can't teleport out, break the walls, jump out the window, tunnel through the floorboards, or just blow up the room out of spite... he finally accepts his fate.
Lucifer... is miserable. He's doing his best to conserve his phone battery so he can still coordinate with his brothers from a distance, but watching them stumble around cluelessly through the crystal ball is honestly painful. He quite frequently shouts at the feed like a football dad screaming at a TV.
He puts all his hopes in MC and Dia coming up with something because everyone else is mostly useless... There were multiple instances where he just holds his head in his hands, resigning to the idea of being stuck there until he's just a dried out skeleton.
Even if they finally get to him, he won't be happy. He'll be humiliated by the whole affair and trying to anything in his power to save face and get out on his own as much as possible. Anyone who values their lives will forget that it ever happened in the future.
Bonus:
MC: *standing under the tower*
MC: Lucifer! Lucifer!! Let down your-gah!!
*they rub their head and feel something wet hit their fingers*
MC: Was... was that a tomato?!
MC: You know what, fuck you man!! Go help yourself!! 🤬
Mammon
He's flipping out.
An extrovert like Mammon trapped in a room like that all alone?? He'll go stir crazy in three days tops!
It took twenty minutes and 3 selfies for anyone besides the MC to believe that he was trapped in there. ... Then MC raking his brothers over the coals for them to actually start treating it like a priority. He really didn't do it to himself this time, dammit!!
Mammon's ADHD brain is already going mad after a few hours of nothing to do. MC gets piles upon piles of texts ranging from, "Are ya any closer yet??" to "MC, if ya can't get me out of here, take care of Goldie for me... my car too."
They have to reassure him multiple times that he would not, in fact, die in there if they could help it. Though after his phone goes dead from the constant spam, they do start to worry...
If there was any bright side to the situation, Mammon gets to watch his treasured MC absolutely tear his brothers a new one if any one of them so much as think about giving up or postponing the search. Their anger is truly frightening... so good thing he isn't there! Ha!!
When they finally find him, he's never lept for the MC so fast... Literally. He literally jumps. He wants out of there FAST.
Bonus:
MC: *standing under the tower*
MC: Mammon! Mammon!! Let down your-
Mammon: *leaps from the tower, knowing they'll find some way to catch him*
Mammon: FREEDOM!!!
MC: Oh dear God, don't just jump!!! 😫
Leviathan
Panicking like crazy and running around in circles. Can you even comprehend how many premieres he's going to miss like this?? The spoilers!!!
After the MC gets a hold of him through the phone and they tell him to hang tight and if he figures out where he is to let them know.
So uh... He had intends to keep his phone usage down to a minimum so he could conserve the battery life. However, he figures he could at least do his mobile game check-ins and the next thing he knows his phone dies during a weekly dungeon....
Honestly? His soul might have died along with it.
He spends a lot of time staring at the crystal ball, hoping in vain that one of his brothers will watch TV or something, anything that could give him something to do.
That was his only way of communicating with the others and, more importantly, the only source of entertainment an otaku like him could have in a room like this! Does he look like a cottagecore enthusiast?? No!!!
If anyone is in his bedroom, he'll try to zoom in on Henry's fishbowl and talk to him to decompress... He already feels like such an idiot for wasting his battery life. Henry, why is he so stupid...?
Yeah, he's going to be bored and moping until somebody comes to find him. But at least he won't mind the isolation as much so they're not too worried about him going crazy in there. He'll be fine... right?
Bouns:
MC: *standing under the tower*
MC: Leviathan! Leviathan!! Let down your-
Levi: *scrambles to the window* MC, DID YOU BRING A CHARGER?!?
MC: PRIORITIES, LEVI!!!
Satan
He is naturally furious, but also weirdly intrigued. Is this like one of those escape rooms MC sometimes talks to him about...?
Much like Lucifer, he quickly finds that trying to break through stuff wouldn't get him anywhere... as the heavy countertop he smashed into smithereens again the wall shows him.
Tantrum out of his system, Satan is probably the most rational the seven. He does his best to communicate to the others where the tower is based on the landmarks he can see, but he also uses his phone sparingly to conserve the battery.
While they all work to track him down, he keeps himself busy by listening to their plans through the crystal ball or searching for any weak points on his own, because what good would just sitting around do him?
He's surprisingly flexible. If the group plans to look for him from above, he sets out cushions on the floor just in case of any falls. If they want to look for him on foot, he makes sure to light as many candles as possible to give them a makeshift beacon to guide them.
By the time that they actually find him, he's already figured out a couple ways to help get him out depending on the possible exit points and has prepared accordingly.
Bonus:
MC: *standing under the tower*
MC: Satan! Satan!! Let down your-eh?
*they watch as a looong chain of tied together sheets, tablecloths, and towels gets tossed from the window, followed by Satan using it to calmly rappel down*
MC: U-uh.... Never mind! I guess you got this. 😅
Asmodeus
Asmo would be living his best life if only anyone could actually see him up there!
Asmo is all down for playing the role of the helpless, beautiful victim in need of rescuing but how is he supposed to pull that off if he's trapped all alone?? There's no attention! No pageantry!!
After getting the situation across to his brothers, he also kills his phone battery by posting selfies and livestreaming the situation to his adoring public. They're so scared for him, but he's not worried. MC will come find him, after all!
By the time they actually arrive to come get him, Asmo has already dolled himself up to play his newfound role perfectly.
After his phone dies, he keeps himself busy in small ways... Like practicing his relieved expression in a mirror for a few hours. Or using the curtains and his sewing skills to make himself just the cutest gown!
MC: *stand under the tower*
MC: Asmodeus! Asmodeus!! Let down your... hair...?
Asmo: ✨️COMING~!!✨️
*the MC watches as yards and yards of beautiful strawberry blonde trusses indeed gets thrown from the window above, all connected to a very hammy Asmo standing on the window sill*
MC: ... It's only been two days, how did you even grow all that?!?
Beelzebub
Very confused, upset, and hungry. Somebody please help him!!
The minute that Beel sends the message that he is trapped somewhere, it was really all hands on deck. MC and Belphie were freaking out of course, but all of his other brothers were just as worried as well. This is Beel here! He's going to be so hungry out there!!
And hungry he is. He went through an entire two weeks worth of rations stored in the room within an hour. By the end of the day, he's so mindlessly hungry that he starts taking bites out of the tables, chairs, and even his phone...
Since he can't use half of a phone, Beel has to watch his brothers work through the crystal ball while he gnats on the drapery, feeling guilty about making them all so worried...
At least this time his brothers don't argue nor fight with each other at all. Everyone understands what the priorities are and they follow whatever roles they are to the letter. They want to find him ASAP and they even take turns comforting Belphie with MC while they search.
By the time they find him, the whole family is willing to bust through the walls with pickaxes if that's what it takes to get to him. He would feel really touched by all of their efforts, but he's just so hungry... need... food.....
Bonus:
MC: *standing under the tower*
MC: Beel! BEEL!! I BROUGHT BURGERS!!!
Beel: MC... s-so hungry.... 😓
MC: You stay right there, don't move a muscle! I'm coming to you!! 😫
Belphegor
... Deja vu, right?
So this isn’t Belphie's first rodeo. He's practically a "stuffed up somewhere he can't escape from" veteran now. Though this place was more... cozy than the attic.
Call it the cow in him, but he's always had a soft spot for cottagecore. It's so homey and comforting, just perfect for lazy naps under fruit trees! The atmosphere is so relaxing...
So he naps. A LOT.
He ends up communicating a lot more sporadically with everyone than the others. Largely due to the long periods of unconsciousness. But like, could you blame him? What was he even supposed to do in there? MC would figure something out again.
Whenever he goes over to check the progress, he shoots out sarcastic texts about his brothers' dumb ideas to pass the time. It's very apparent how unconcerned he is about this from the get-go...
Does he know when they are on their way to get him? Surprisingly yes. Does he manage to stay awake until they show up? Unsurprisingly no. Go figure...
Bonus:
MC: *standing under the tower*
MC: Belphegor! Belphegor!! Let down your hair!
Belphegor: .....
MC: ... Belphie?
Belphegor: .....
MC: Bitch, are you seriously asleep?!
Belphegor: ....zzzZZzzz....
MC: ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!
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Hi, could I request for a Lady Tamayo!Reader paired with Buddha?
This reader was revived by Brunhilde to be the doctor for the 13 champions and she's loyal (not too loyal) to her bc she saved her from her punishment from being a demon.
The scenario would be that they met when she treated him after his fight and they got to know each other after that?
Please and thank you
Here it is! Special thanks to @nixes-noxes for proofreading/editing to make sure that the characters weren’t OOC. Enjoy and have a lovely day/evening!
Warnings: manga spoilers
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Buddha was…a difficult patient. Despite all of the odds that were stacked against him in his fight with Zero, he won. Yet his victory for humanity isn’t an excuse to sneak out of his room to bask underneath the canopy of his bodhi tree and enjoy a passing breeze with sun shining down from the sky.
That is one of the reasons why Brunhilde had summoned Lady [First Name] [Last Name] from Helheim despite being a demon; before she had been killed by Muzan after drugging him with an elixir during their confrontation in the Infinity Castle, Lady [First Name} had been a doctor. Together with her companion Yushiro, she helped as many humans as she could with their alignments,including those who had been afflicted with Muzan’s poisonous blood and became flesh-eating demons.
In retrospect, dying to give the Demon Slayers a chance to destroy the man who had ruined her human life wasn’t a terrible thing…but Lady [First Name] had not expected to wake up in a dark wasteland teeming with demons that were just as dangerous, if not more, than the demon king himself. It was through sheer dumb luck that she had survived for so long until the Valkyrie had brought from her ‘punishment’ and offered her the position of being humanity’s chief physician in the medical wing.
It did not take the young woman very much time to give Brunhilde an answer. At this point anything was better than being stuck in Helheim. Disinfecting wounds, monitoring a patient’s health, and making sure that they are being properly fed? Yes. She can do that.
But the demon did not recall that being the ‘chief physician’ also meant chasing after a stubborn god.
Shaking her head in disbelief, Lady [First Name] walked up the steep grassy hill as best as she could in her [Favorite Color] kimono and zori sandals till she was standing right behind Buddha, munching on snacks that she specifically recalled telling him to cut back on until he was ready for the next stage of his treatment.
“Why am I not surprised to find you here, my lord?”
“Should ya even be surprised anymore, doc?” Buddha snarked back, unwrapping a candy bar and throwing it in his mouth. “Besides, do you really believe I’d miss an opportunity to get some fresh air?”
She frowned. “I never said that there was a problem with being outside, Lord Buddha. In fact, it is supposed to improve your sleep, cognition, and overall well-being rather than being confined indoors all of the time. I did, however, say that you can but it would be in everyone’s benefit to inform myself or the staff that you wish to go outside instead of sneaking out. Lady Brunhilde was quite upset when she came to the medical wing earlier this afternoon to find out that you were…missing.”
“Bruni will be fine, she’s a lot tougher than she looks, believe me. Let her focus on the eighth round. I might have won but we still need more wins if the gods’ll leave the humans alone. More importantly,” He glanced over his shoulder, a single aquamarine orb staring right at her. “Do I even know you?”
Lady [First Name] tilted her head, staring at him for a moment before smiling softly. It appears that Lady Brunhilde was not joking when she had casually mentioned just how laid-back Buddha is…or simply doesn’t give a shit about anyone. The Valkyrie’s words, not hers, thank you very much. But being a doctor secretly researching demonic transformations or performing blood transfusions did not have its own issues. She also had to handle human patients too. Inhaling a deep breath through her nostrils, she calmed her anger before answering Buddha.
“All you need to know is that my job is to ensure the mental and physical health of all humanity’s champions, Lord Buddha. It goes against my oath as a doctor to force a patient to do something against their will. In this scenario, however, I offer…an ultimatum.” She paused, staring at the blonde-haired deity. Since Buddha didn’t interrupt nor look away, the demon took this as a cue to elaborate.
“I will speak to the staff and allow you to lounge outside here or in the greenhouse until a fixed time. When that time is up, you must return to your room and rest. Yes, this is a curfew, but this is the best that I can offer you right now. You may no longer be in critical condition, though there is a chance that your health or recovery might have some setbacks.”
She could tell immediately that Buddha wasn’t too thrilled with this restriction. No one likes having someone hovering over their shoulder or counting down the minutes until they have to go back to their room when all they want is a little time to themselves before running through medical tests for the nth time of the day.
“Is there any chance you can include snacks-”
“That will be taken into consideration once your bloodwork comes back, Lord Buddha.” Lady [First Name] chuckled, witnessing one of the most powerful gods pouting petulantly like a child. Shaking her head, she decided to do something that she hadn’t done in all of her years of practicing medicine: she sat next to him under the bodhi tree, paying no heed to getting grass stains on her kimono as she stared up at the floating islands of Valhalla in comfortable silence.
He did not say anything….that was progress. Maybe?
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chrollohearttags · 5 months
Note
Cherry, how 'bout 2, 6, 11, 19, and 20 for Rapper Connie? He's a gem! 💎💎💎💎
hi Cas, my love!!! Thank you so much for the questions! Now I hadn’t written much for him but he def holds a special place in my heart! 🥹🫶🏾
2. Does your character often indulge in the things they like?
absolutely! Sometimes a little too much. He loves a little devil’s lettuce and liquor. A couple of his favorite vices..including women! (although he’s not exactly Armin-level of promiscuous). He definitely likes entertaining them. He also loves video games and when he and the guys are not making music, they’re in an Apex lobby acting like teenage boys.
6. What is your character’s fondest memory?
ooh, this is a good one! (lil spoiler here) so Connie was the very first artist that EJ ever collabed with and the project they worked on, a joint EP was Connie’s big break so to speak. A lot of his family was still in the Dominican Republic at this point and he was still trying to make it as a rapper. He remembers being with his boys in the studio and on FaceTime with his mom and brothers when it was announced that their lead single had gone #1 and was Grammy nominated in the same night. His mom was telling him how proud she was and crying. That to him was greater than any award ever!
11. Who are your character’s most important people?
hands down, his family and his boys! He adores his parents..for how hardworking they were, providing for him and his brothers. Even though they weren’t wealthy growing up by any means, they gave them the best life they could and taught them hard work. His brothers are his world and he’s an uncle so he adores his nieces and nephews too. Literally spoils them rotten with gifts. Of course, his friends mean everything to him. He often says that if it wasn’t for them pushing him to do music, he’d probably be in jail or dead because he got involved with the wrong crowd at one point. But they saved him.
19. Does your character have any friends? Best friends?
he and the rest of the Dead Boys Society are like brothers. EJ, Armin, Jean, Ony…they’re his second family. But he’s super close with Sasha! The second they met at Armin’s yacht party, that became his right hand. They’re always in tiktok videos together, being silly and stupid. (his fans SWEAR they’re dating, esp after she stars in one of his vids) but there’s no way. They’re literally twins. Him and Ony are always side by side, doing something insane. 😭 their interviews constantly go viral because they always have something slick to say.
20. Does your character have any significant others?
like I said, Mr. Connie loves the ladies but there’s one in particular that catches his eye whilst they’re on tour. And that’s the Pole Assassins’ hairstylist. She catches his eye and he’s been smitten ever since. They aren’t exactly an item or yet or anything but ya never know, that might change. 🤭
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A Kiss And A Key Pt. 1
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TW: Angst, Violence, MW3 spoilers
Summary: You 'betrayed' the 141 to go on an undercover mission. Everything is fine until Ghost is brought in as a prisoner to the base you have infiltrated.
Pairing: Ghost x reader
PART 2
You were undercover, trying to get information on Makarov for the 141. It was a hard and painful mission, but you had said yes anyways. You had said yes, knowing you would never be able to hold the trust of your teammates, of your friends, of your family ever again. Price had not wanted to ask you, but he did, and you had agreed, much to his chagrin. You knew you were the only one who even had a chance of pulling this off, and you weren’t going to pass it off to someone less skilled only for them to get killed.
Things were going fine,for the most part. The hardest thing you had had to do was reveal you were a traitor. You will never forget the look in Ghost’s eyes as you shot Soap and walked away with Makarov. Of course, you didn't hit Soap anywhere fatal, just pistol whipped him and grazed the side of his skull, but from any point of view other than your own, it looked like you had shot him in the face. 
You rose in rank quickly after that, being able to dedicate your full time to ‘the cause’. Things were going well, and you started to think you might actually make it out of this alive. That is, until Ghost showed up, beaten, bloodied, and caught. 
You stand on the other side of the one-way mirror, watching Ghost get beat 9-ways to Sunday as he refuses to give out information. You hear him let out a small, pained cry and close your eyes, knowing what you have to do, even if it‘s going to get you killed. 
You spend the day preparing, packing a go-bag, obtaining the key to his cuffs, making sure you would be on rotation to ‘question’ him. You set the cameras to loop for 10 minutes at 8:30, make sure the power will shut off, knowing it will take 9 minutes to bring everything back online. You spend the day high-strung, on-edge about someone catching you before you even have the chance to save him.
 The time comes and you make your way down the hall, down the stairs, and to his cell, key stuck under your tongue. You nod to the guard outside of the door and take a deep breath before stepping in.
“Traitor.” Ghost hisses when he sees you. His mask is off, blood running freely from his mouth. You say nothing, just kneel in front of him. Your heart hurts at how bloodied and bruised his body is. You touch his cheek, running a finger gently along a cut under his eye. He flinches back, spitting blood at you.
“Don't think so little of me.” You murmur softly, wiping blood from your cheek, “Why are you here? Did Price send you?” 
“I’m not telling you anything.” He snarls. You sigh softly, resisting the urge to cry at the absolute hatred in his eyes. 
“I’m sorry.” You whisper, digging your thumb into a wound on his arm, “I’m so, so sorry.” He hisses, face contorting in pain and your heart falls even more. You continue like this for almost 15 minutes, you doing your best not to hurt him too much, and Ghost remaining tight-lipped and angry. 
“You know,” He gasps out finally, “Soap had hope for you. Said that you could have killed him but didn’t. It’s almost sad that I’l have to tell him he’s wrong.” 
You feel a flicker of hope in your chest, relief that maybe someone other than Price will show up to your funeral. 
“Tell him I’m sorry, will ya?” You ask softly. He opens his mouth to respond and you seize your moment, grasping his face and pulling him in for a kiss. He makes a muffled sound of protest and tries to push you off, stopping when he feels cool, hard metal being pressed into his mouth. 
“This hallway will be clear in 30 minutes for exactly 9 minutes.” You whisper in his ear, pressing a hand over his mouth as he tries to ask you a question, “Tell Price I’m sorry that I couldn’t give him everything he needed.” You press a kiss to his forehead, rise, and walk out the door.
“Anything?” The guard by the door asks.
“He won't talk. He is as infuriating as he was when I left.” I roll my eyes, “Never did know what was good for him.” 
“Cheers to that.” You nod to the guard, walking briskly down the hallway. If you are going to have any chance of surviving this, you have to get out now. 
There will be a part 2 dw :)
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andyboops · 5 months
Text
YO MY CLEX PEOPLE, the new issue of Williamson's Superman run is delivering some good shit!
We get Lex looking pretty, a tiny Smallville childhood friendship flashback, a Lex-as-a-young-adult-hero flashback (once again, lookin' pretty!) and what @luthwhore has very accurately labeled Lex's Very Heterosexual Speech About Superman.
SPOILERS FOR SUPERMAN #7 (OR #850 WHATEVER) UNDER THE CUT
OK so I'm gonna start off with Lex's Very Heterosexual Speech of course:
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[then Lois shows up, kicks everyone else outta the room, and is like yo Lex my husband has a big heart and thinks you're worth saving but I know you're just gonna betray him and break his big heart so why don't you tell me your evil plan now?]
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...I'm coming back to this shit.
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DEFINITELY coming back to this too.
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Lois, idk what you were listening to, but I'm pretty sure you're conflating "villain monologue" with "listen lady I have had the hots for your husband since the day we met and I might have been kind of a butt because I was jealous when he rejected me but ultimately he's made me a better human being and now I wanna go save his shapely, primary-color-clad ass."
Anyway, onto some questions! #1: Why is Young Hero Lex so dang pretty?
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#2: Where is this bad guy's shirt?
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Addenda to #2: Why does this baddie kind of look like Clark after he came back from the dead with his long hair? Also, Pretty Young Hero Lex, baby, is this guy your other totally ripped ex-boyfriend? Is this what you mean when you say "made enemies"?
#3": WHO TITLED THESE BOOKS? "SCI-ENCE"?!? WHY IS YOUR BOOK STAND NEXT TO A BBQ STAND?!?
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#4: Why do both Lois and Lex have such very pouty lips, hmm? And very similar eyebrows? Lex baby you're a redhead; are you drawing on dark brows that look like Superman's wife's brows on purpose?
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Also I just wanna point out that in this panel Lex is getting misty-eyed thinking about Clark changing him. He is not looking in Lois's direction here, because she's standing to his left. He's fully gazing off into the distance.
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Anyway, enjoy ya' nerds.
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Junkrat having a crush on you - headcanons
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Pairing: Junkrat/Jamison Fawkes x GN!Reader
Summary: General headcanons of Jamison Fawkes aka Junkrat having a crush on reader.
Words: 1,500
Tags: SFW; gender-neutral reader; fluff
Warnings/triggers: minor curse words
A/N: "I absolutely adore Junkrat and his expanded characterization in overwatch 2, so I decided to write some headcanons for my favourite pyromaniac. I hope you will enjoy this piece as much as I enjoyed writing it!" - Mod Berry
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Oh boy, you bet that there will be a lot of puns involved. You know those interactions, that they added in overwatch 2? From casual puns, they will evolve into cheesy pickup lines. Not to mention, if you show the slightest bit that you do enjoy them or lord forbid, you follow up with an even dorkier response - expect to be smothered in bad puns every time he sees you. Jamison will be more than happy to share with you his special chemistry pickup lines such as:
"Are you carbon monoxide? Cuz ya sure take my breath away!"
"Excuse me darl, but did ya lose an electron? Cuz you are positively attractive!"
"Damn I've never seen a bomb like you! And I make those every day 24/7!"
"Oh, how I wish you were like Avogadro cuz then I would already know your number!"
I imagine he tells them with a full happy grin plastered on his face followed by a wink ;)
Jamison would definitely try too hard to sweep you off your feet by bragging about his and Roadhog's heists or even about their casual shenanigans. Don't worry, Mako makes sure to add realism to those and embarrasses him from time to time, by telling exactly how they went. For example:
"Oi Roadie do you remember the time when I saved both of our asses in Numbani by MY magnificent and strategically thought out plan?"
"You mean that one time you accidentally lit your ass on fire just to confuse the guards and buy us some time to escape? Yeah, that sure was something Rat."
The big man then lets out a hearty chuckle.
*gasp* "Betrayed by my own crime partner!"
At first, it would embarrass the hell out of Jamie. He would desperately try to explain to Mako that his pride and chance at a relationship with you is at stake, but then he sees you laugh, and just like that all his worry instantly disappears. From that very moment, he would tell all the awkward details himself just so he could hear you laugh one more time.
This also includes Junkrat telling you a different story about how he lost his finger, since the first time you have ever asked him about it. You would call him out at any given chance though. However, you appreciated his effort in trying to brighten up your day even if it meant listening to the silliest of tales of Jamison's lost finger.
“Oh, this? This is a painful reminder of my tragic yet complicated past." he follows up with a very expressive pose like the drama queen he is.
"Dude you are literally missing an arm and a leg. How could the finger be the main focus?"
"Y/N I am flattered that you are so invested in my backstory but no spoilers! Even for you. Now, where was I? Ah yes! (...)"
Some of these stories included his supposed memories from the outback. Probably back when he wasn't featured on every wanted poster in Junker Queen's domain.
"I lost me finger to a bunch of fellow junkers in a truth or dare fight in a bar, and you wouldn’t believe that it was because of the truth part!” 
Other times it would be something so ridiculous that you can't help but snort at the simple prospect of that situation ever happening to Jamison.
“There was this one time when I had to wrestle a quokka for my lunch! Don't ever let them fool ya with those big ol' eyes and cutesy faces. I am tellin’ ya those things are bloodthirsty. I got my food back but the little rascal took my finger as revenge!"
"I am not blaming it though, sometimes even I wonder how I taste."
That last part earned him a well-deserved nudge, followed up by a sigh and being called a "dumbass" ( affectionate ) in response.
"Y/N you know that I am messing with you right? Or am I?"
But do not be fooled as this man is far from stupid as everyone likes to think. This man can be a menace to society and still be a genius. I had to include that in the note because I am sick and tired of people brushing it off. You have noticed that not only his craftmanship and his entire workshop reflect that statement but also his special interest, which is drumrolls please - philosophy! Specifically speaking, philosophy of mathematics. His newest interaction with Sigma shows that Jamie is aware of concepts such as Zeno's paradox. But why am I sharing this headcanon with you? That is because I am sure that if Jamison sees that you are interested in what he has to say, ( unless being ignored by like half of the other characters *cough* ) and therefore feel comfortable around you, he will be so excited to infodump you with all sorts of fun facts!
Whenever he sees you worry about his health, whether it would be because of his recklessness on the battlefield or an experiment in his workshop gone wrong Junkrat feels unusual. That is the best way to put it. Not many people care about his well-being. In fact, most of them wish something bad would happen to him or simply ignore his injuries ( I am looking at you Mercy ) so this blonde mess of a guy is used to not even notice the pain in the first place. Jamison tries harder to be more careful knowing that there is a special someone that cares about his safety. The thought of you caring about him that much fills his stomach with butterflies.
Having said that he is still the pyromaniac we know of and Jamison would most definitely use his explosives to create something entirely dedicated to you. That way he gets to demonstrate his engineering skills and show you that he is not an all talk no action kinda guy. There was this one time when he got too carried away though. He carefully prepared everything and showed you the results of his hard work but.. let’s just say... it gave you mixed signals? I mean, how could you possibly feel about bombs arranged in Y/N exploding at a rapid-fire rate just to leave nothing but ashes and flickering flames behind? Jamie was so eager to get any reaction from you but in your mind, you were so confused. Is this supposed to be a threat or a love confession? In Junkrat’s case, it could be both at the same time.
Junkrat gasping for air all proud of himself with what it seems like stars in his eyes after the explosion: “So what do you think? Am I good or what?”
Y/N standing there with wide eyes, while thinking to themself *chuckle* “I am in danger.” It would be rude to leave him with no response so you settled for “Great, it was sure something to see my initials get blown away. Truly a sight I won’t ever forget.”
“Aww Y/N you sure have a way with words.” 
Having said that if you are not the kind of person who likes grand gestures, don’t worry Jamison will understand and won’t bother you with any going forward. He might be one of the most wanted criminals but he still has class.
Speaking of another wanted criminal Jamison would so rant about you to Mako. It happens anywhere at any given moment no matter if it's fitting or not - from their daily hangouts to the dangers of their crime-filled life. I imagine that even when their lives are being threatened Jamie will still make sure to mention how gorgeous and cool you are to Roadhog because something they encountered reminded him of you.
"Oi look Roadie! That is just like the show Y/N was talking about that I need to watch. I wonder what they are up to right now. " while being tied up.
"Rat that is not the time to talk about Y/N we gotta scram."
This would also include Jamison daydreaming about you and losing his focus on the battlefield. Mako was once fed up with that behaviour and had to interfere.
"Look Jamison if you do that one more time there might not be another chance for you to see Y/N so be more careful god dammit."
The sole thought of not being able to see you again was Jamison's driving force to how he puts it "get his shit together" and focus more on his actions. Jamie cares about you a lot and not being able to see you one more time would be his worst nightmare. Your beautiful face, the way you laugh, talk about your special interests and listen to his, the way you sneeze or cup his hands when he is injured or hell even being called a dumbass by you all gone because of his carelessness? Nothing scares him more than the idea of losing you.
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m1d-45 · 1 year
Text
remorse
-> warnings: spoilers for kazuha story quest as well as general kazuha lore, kazuha’s friend is named tomo for convenience, mention of blood near the end, kazuha attacks you but it’s a brief memory, standard issue imposter sagau things
-> lowercase intended!
tomo was an avid believer in the creator.
most people are to an extent, kazuha included, but it’s more of a soft reverence for him rather than the burning devotion for tomo, whose belief is that the creator didn’t make inazuma for it to be hidden! they didn’t make the shogun for her to do this to her nation!
that combined with his other beliefs sent him to face her. ever a man of faith, he held firm that he was doing the right thing. even as his body fell to the floor and his vision flew into the awaiting grasp of his friend, his heart stood strong.
kazuha carries that faith with his memory, and does his best to honor it just as well. if he finds a pretty flower he’ll drop it at a shrine, always murmuring his friend’s name as he does so. he doesn’t hold you to as high a bar as other do, as high as tomo did, but it’s hard not to be religious in teyvat, where the gods literally walk the earth. he settles for a quiet reverence, and perhaps a prayer that his friend may find peace at your side when the storm winds howl and lightning strikes close.
and then beidou.
who thanks you daily for calm seas, for large hauls, thanks for the life created for her anew.
and he thinks. and thinks a bit more, and decides that well, his life has been remade too, hasn’t it? and like beidou says, he’s a poet, he’s been gifted with a form of creation, hasn’t he? so he starts leaving more than a few folded poems at the on-ship shrine—it’s kept in the back, a little tucked away both for safety and in case the crew has problems with religion or just doesn’t follow, but that just makes it all the easier to slip things onto it.
and he thinks that maybe tomo had the right idea.
so when he hears of an impersonator, somebody who utilizes both magic and their mind to take the place of the highest of gods…. he’s more than upset.
how dare you? how dare you try to take the place of his god- if the entire of teyvat’s god? how dare you try and swindle your way to the top, try to trick and scheme and deceive the innocent beleivers into serving you instead of the creator you fail to even imitate? he hasn’t even met you and he knows that you’re a stale copy, a fragile semblance even with your spells and alchemy, a careful house of cards that he longs to topple.
the alcor is docked in liyue, waiting for a shipment. he’s sitting on an empty crate while beidou leans on it, groaning about the merchant.
”come on! we’re gonna be late, and he had a week to prepare! who is this guy, even, thinking he can do shit like that?”
he’s about to speak—likely to admonish her for swearing when there’s children playing along the docks—when he spots you approaching. you have messy, shaggy hair and a face covered by a blue mask, dressed oddly for somebody in liyue. he doesn’t spot either vision nor weapon on you, but it’s hard to tell. at the very least, you don’t look hostile.
he decides not to get beidous attention, letting you do so as you walk up to her.
“pardon me?”
your voice is rough and coarse, like ore dragged into the light of the sun after growing underground for millennia.
she looks you up and down, deciding that you aren’t the merchant she needs. “what can i do for ya?”
“i w-as told you could provide passage to inazuma?”
she tilts her head. “huh? but the saokoku decree was lifted recently, there should be proper passenger boats leaving every hour.”
you swallow, and kazuha listens to the wind around you.
it’s afraid. apprehensive. tense, like you expect them to turn you down.
which he’s pretty sure beidou’s about to if you can’t save this.
“theyre full, and i heard you were leaving immediately. and besides, everybody knows the alcor’s one of the fastest boats on the waves.”
ah. you’re smart.
beidou laughs. “you’re right about that, kid, we certainly can get you there the fastest! but it ain’t gonna be cheap…”
you brightened, standing a little straighter. the wind lifted into a gentle breeze. “i have mora! na-ame your price.”
while they sorted that out, kazuha inspected your odd character. your voice was rough, strained over certain syllables, and occasionally you’d scratch at the side of your neck. he’d initially assumed that the mask was for anonymity, like shinobu from the arataki clan, but now he thinks it’s more for an illness.
one that could spread throughout the crew.
“well, you’ve got yourself a deal! any problems?” she turned back to kazuha for his verdict, and he checked over you once more.
dirt on your boots, but hands in the pockets of your jacket. you were more relaxed now, the air speaking of possibility.
“you sound sick,” he says simply, and your eyes widen.
“a-ah, i- it’s just disuse. i d-ont really talk often.” the mask lifted in a weak smile, your hand coming up again. the skin there was quickly turning red.
“then if there’s nothing else, welcome aboard, uh- whats your name, again?”
you give a name and dip your head in thanks. “thank you for your k-indness.”
kazuha took up the task of showing you around the boat, for no reason he could explain. you were nice to talk to, funny, and your voice was smooth after youd taken some of the medicine you carried.
you were easy to be around. it was like reuniting with a friend he hadn’t seen in years, an indescribable sense of comfort filling him at your side. you felt like home, like campfire chats around crackling wood, or the soft sound of waves on a shore. a clear sky, a cool breeze over a sun-warmed rock.
he was almost- no, he was sad to see you off, waving goodbye as you rushed onto the docks of ritou.
you would go far. whatever you wanted to do, kazuha was sure you would succeed, and extended you his blessings in your endeavors.
now imagine his reaction when, after settling the deal, beidou brings him a flyer. her jaw is set and her shoulders are tight, and he’s quick to see what irritated her.
it’s you.
the flyer has your posture more intimidating, a long staff in hand, eyes cold and calculated instead of the warm glow he remembered.
but it’s you. undoubtedly. even your picture tries to pull a smile from him- and then he sees the charges below.
and he wants to shiver despite the comfortable air.
how?
how can this be?
how can such a kind soul be so deceptive?
but isn’t that the thing? it says you utilize spellwork- that has to be it, right?
(but how can the wind lie?)
he leaps from the side of the alcor, barely able to tell beidou not to wait for him before he’s gone.
he’s in a confused daze for the next few weeks, constantly on your trail- but the wind guides him in loops.
you’re everywhere.
your aura is permanently in the air, giving him a shot of nothing short of pure bliss before he gets his wits about him.
he’s almost afraid, because the wind doesn’t lie- but it has to be, because you can’t enchant the air- but that’s the only way-
his mind is confused, constantly in a state of conflict, his instincts saying you’re a friend while rational thinking says youre foe. his heart calls for your safety whilst the careful shell around it reminds him of your crimes. of the way you’ve tarnished his god’s name, of the way you’ve disrespected captain beidou and her crew, of the way you took advantage of kindness to serve yourself.
of the way you took advantage of people like tomo.
he’s on a beach, preparing up some fish for dinner in a cave, when the wind suddenly smells sweeter.
it’s the scent he’s been following.
he stands and rushes onto the shore, unsure why he’s not reaching for his blade but not thinking too much about it, looking around. sand slides beneath his feet as he races towards a familiar figure: you.
you—his mind supplies him with the name you gave, but is it even yours? or was it just another layer to the lie?—jump as he approaches, but quickly relax. you slip down the mask to sip at the medicine the same shade as the sky, smiling at him.
“kazuha.”
his skin prickles, suddenly feeling hot just at the way you say his name. it’s so kind, so loving, almost, and any response flies from his mind. it’s so hard to be mad when your voice sounds like silk and the light…
the sun shines on your skin, nearly glowing, outlining every curve and angle of you and with a gentle hand. if you catch the light just right he can catch lines of something yellowed across your skin. it’s odd, he didn’t remember that on the… boat…
the flyer.
right.
you were a criminal.
a criminal of the worst kind.
a fraud, somebody who tried to take advantage of the people, using spells to try and garner attention and wealth from people-
people like tomo.
he grit his teeth and ignored the stab of pain in his chest as he drew his sword.
instantly, every ounce of happiness drains from your figure, replaced by an ice-cold tension that makes him want to shiver despite the warm breeze. “ka..zu…?”
the nickname falling from your lips begs him to reconsider, to stop.
its his last chance to.
“how dare you disgrace the kaedehara name?”
your eyes turn glossy and you back away, shrinking in on yourself. a choked-off sound crosses the short distance between them, and kazuha forced himself to ignore it.
you are not an innocent. the beautiful sunlight across your skin did not mean that you yourself were as good as it, the lovely scenery around you no indication of whatever rot lied in your soul; something that had to be there, for you to try and imitate the creator.
and it was rot. you were rotten, bitter, deceitful, using the magic you’d have to have bought—for no being could grant somebody like you that power—to try and warp mildew into meadows. he had to remember that.
he was being charmed.
and then he’s in liyue.
he’s going to a meeting with ningguang with beidou, where the news is broken.
the normally ever-steady tianquan looks shaken up, asking beidou first for her promise to utilize her crew and connections to spread what she’s about to say as far across liyue as she can.
and then she says it.
and kazuha leaves.
he’s in the crows nest of the alcor—it hasn’t left the harbor in months due to the awful storms over teyvat and the cruel waves—and curled into a ball, hands tangled into his white hair, undoing his ponytail in the process.
he tried to kill you.
he’d had you pinned to the beach- you didn’t even fight back. you’d just laid there, tears beading in your eyes, just staring up at him even as his sword was resting in the hollow of your throat.
he’d-
he’d nearly drawn blood.
he’d almost killed the very god he worshipped.
the shining light in his best friend’s life, the new beginning he’d found alongside his new home with the crux, the-
the flush across his skin whenever you were close, that sense of calm and serenity- of course. it all made sense, now that he put aside his blade.
you were a god.
his god.
and he’d tried to kill you.
he tries to soothe himself—you’re okay, you didn’t hurt them too bad, did you? imagine how the killer feels—but it’s in vain. the very wind turns against him, biting and cold despite the warm sun, and he’s shivering.
shaking, about to cry, because you… you were only seeking a new opportunity. you wanted another chance. you just wanted to live- ningguang had said your memory was likely damaged if even there at all, you didn’t even know you were a god at all. you didn’t even understand the nature of your sins, you didn’t understand the world you were in in any form, you didn’t understand why you were being chased, persecuted, hunted.
and kazuha, alongside the entire world, had decided that was a crime punishable by death.
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sallowsunshine · 1 year
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SORRY you probably have gotten a lot of quidditch related requests now but I got one more for ya
Hufflepuff x Sebastian
After the seb quest, they don’t turn him in ofc and he starts playing quidditch to take his mind off things but is still standoffish to the reader because he thinks it’d be better for her if she(or they) just forgot about him. Well she gets a chance to get his attention again when the hufflepuff quidditch team begs her to replace their seeker that got hurt? After hearing about her fifth year feats and she can’t say no to her housemates. No one knows about it until she steps onto the pitch in the hufflepuff - slytherin match and causes an uproar
Don't Push Me Away (Sebastian Sallow x Reader)
Thank you for this!! I love this so much. Okay, this is mostly in Sebastian’s POV. also major spoilers for his questline.
Sebastian Sallow had lost control of his life. He’d lost his oldest friend, and his own twin sister, and he had nothing to show for it. It would have been all worth it if he had cured Anne, but she was no better. Knowing it was Rookwood all along did bring him a sense of piece, knowing he was gone.
The summer before his 6th year was spent in isolation at his family home in Feldcroft. Anne didn’t wish to see him, and Sebastian didn’t know where she was staying. Ominis could barely stand to be around him, he would only send him the occasional owl with updates on Anne. He knew time heals all wounds, but he was afraid these were scars that would never fade. 
As for you, your summer was spent off on some other adventure, some other quest, some other ancient magic business. Yet you still took the time to send an occasional letter asking how Sebastian was doing. He was surprised to know you still wished to converse with him, seeing as everyone else had given up on him. Yet he never could send an owl back. He’d read and reread your letters, then sit down to reply, but he could never get the thoughts in his head out onto parchment. 
The more time Sebastian spent alone, the more he realized what a horrible friend he’d been to you. You were there, every step of the way, defending his actions to Ominis, convincing him to give Sebastian one more chance, and then another chance, and then another. 
First, he shifted the blame to the Goblins and Rookwood. Then he shifted the blame to Ominis, for not supporting him. Finally he looked at himself. He always thought the Dark Arts were hidden potential. He didn’t understand the fear behind the unforgivables. “How could a curse that could save your life be unforgivable?” he had once said. Now that he was on the other side of things, he knew why the Dark Arts were avoided. No one talked about the corruption the Dark Arts created. The hold it took on one’s mind was powerful. It was obsessive and invasive, and Sebastian no longer wanted any part of it. Yes, the Unforgiveable spells could save your life, but the aftermath would destroy it. 
After that realization, he didn’t deserve to hear from you. He couldn’t bare it. So he ignored any other letters from you. He wouldn’t even open them. It seemed anyone he involved himself with always ended up hurt, or worse, so he decided the best course of action was to free you of him. 
With how busy your summer seemed to be, he was sure you’d forget all about him and move on, but your letters never ceased. Sebastian tucked them away, leaving your concerns for him to be silenced.
After that, Sebastian finds tasks to occupy his mind. He takes to cleaning the house, clearing out Soloman Sallow’s belongings. He saves anything he might need or can sell, but the rest he gives to other villages in Feldcroft. He’s been avoiding Anne’s room, the feelings too painful to bare, but once he’s gone through everything else in the house, he finally cleans her room. Ominis had recently sent an owl, asking him to separate some of her things to be picked up at a later date. He opens her closet and pulls some clothing out. Something catches and he reaches to move it out of the way. It’s a wooden handle, and he pulls it out to reveal Anne’s secondhand broom. 
-
The school year finally crawls around. Sebastian is used to summers speeding by, dreading the start of classes again, but this year it is the reverse. He has yet to reach out to you once, and he knows you’ll give him an earful. He hates himself for this, but he needs to be cold towards you. He doesn’t ever want to hurt anyone again, and he’ll spend the rest of his life trying to make it up to Omins, Anne, and you. Even if it means ignoring you. You’d eventually take the hint and leave him alone- and be better off for it. 
Classes have yet to start and Slytherin captain Imelda Reyes is already talking about Quidditch team auditions in the Slytherin Common Room. After finding Anne’s broom, he had taken up flying and exploring the greater Feldcroft area. He’d never really been interested in sports, but flying provided a most welcome distraction. Before he thinks better of it, he’s approached  Imelda.
“Imelda, I’d like to try out for the team this year.” Sebastian chokes out, a bit intimated by the Chaser.
“You?” She laughs. “Very funny, Sallow. Don’t waste my time.”
“Imelda, I’m serious. I’d like to play this year- or even just practice.”
“Seriously? Well, we did lose one of our Beaters. Although you’d need to bulk up for sure-”
He tunes out the rest of her ramblings about how he could better himself. He doesn’t know why he asked to try out. He just wants something to focus on. Something new, that doesn’t involve spells, or exploring catacombs, or- well, the list could go on and on. He wants something to focus on that won’t remind him of you.
-
Hogwarts hasn’t changed one bit over the summer. You’re happy to be back, happy to be able to stay in one place. The whole summer you were running around, tying up loose ends with Professor Fig’s leftover research on ancient magic. Ranrok was gone, but he had many allies out there that you spent the summer tracking down. You had just finished unloading your trunk and were ready to head down to the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony. You had yet to see Ominis or Natty, and were eager to greet them.  As for Sebastian, you weren’t sure where you stood with him.  He hadn’t responded to a single one of your owls this summer, and you would have thought something had happened to him, had Ominis not told you he too had been conversing with Sebastian. Except Sebastian actually responded to to his letters.
-
Sebastian was officially avoiding you. Every time you saw him in the halls, he’d duck away. Everytime you sent him an owl asking to meet in the Undercroft, you’d wait around for hours, and he’d never show. You didn’t want to ask Ominis about it because you knew they were still sorting out their own problems. He wouldn’t sit with you in class. You had no other conclusion to reach except that he no longer wanted to be your friend. 
In a rush of frustration, you grab your broom, hoping the rush of fresh air would help calm you down.
You soar above the grounds, with no particular destination in mind. You’re surprised to find yourself at the Quidditch Pitch, where yellow and black robes cover the field. You land and walk in, excited to see your fellow Hufflepuffs’ Quidditch practice. Last year, Professor Black had cancelled the Quidditch season, so you were very much looking forward to it this year.
A couple students are hitting a ball a bit smaller than a Bludger back and forth with bats. Others are doing laps around the Pitch on their brooms. And lastly, Chasers are weaving back and forth, passing a Quaffle between them, and then attempting to score on a Keeper. 
“Name and position you’re trying out for!” A Hufflepuff shouts at you, a clipboard covering their face.
“Oi! I know you! You helped save the world last year! With Professor Fig. My condolences by the way. I don’t think we’ve officially met. My name’s Henriette Toro, but feel free to call me Henri!” 
“Oh, thanks, but I’m not here to try out, I just wanted to watch.”
“Nonsense! You totally should- oh, I know! You should try out for Seeker! Our starter is injured and no one else seems to want to try out,” Henri glances over the clipboard.
“I’m not sure I even know all the rules-”
“Listen, you’ve got time! We play our first match in three weeks, and we can’t play without a Seeker. We’re playing against Slytherin, an unlikely match we’d win anyways. You’re practically Hogwarts loyalty. You playing for us is more for show. As long as you look like you’re trying, no one will bat an eye.”
“Well-” you hesitate. 
“Listen, I know you know how to fly. I’ve heard Imelda grumbling about how you beat her time trials. Being a Seeker is all about speed. And good eyesight. I am begging you, please. Even if we lose that match, showing up with you on our team might make us the talk of the whole school.”
“Fine. Fine. I’ll do it.” you give in, maybe wishing you hadn’t wondered over here on today of all days.
“Lovely! I will work with you privately throughout the weeks to get you ready. Don’t tell anyone though. I want to see the look on Imelda’s face when you walk out on to the pitch on game day.” Henri smiles mischieveously.
-
Sebastian loves the distraction Quidditch has provided him. He’s also surprised to find that he’s getting along with Imelda a lot more than he used to. Sort of. She’s been pushing the team extra hard this last week, staying out until it was too dark to see the balls, and making the team eat together in the Great Hall so she can monitor what they ate.
“As you all know, we play Hufflepuff tomorrow. I’m ending practice early today so we can all get a goodnight’s sleep.” Imelda is giving her pregame speech. 
Early? Sebastian thinks, looking at the last bit of sun sinking over the horizon. 
“-so I’m not sure who their Seeker will be. I’ve no doubt Toro is waiting to announce it, thinking it’ll bother me. Well, she is wrong!” 
Sebastian tunes out the rest of Imelda’s speech, a bit nervous about the match. He wonders if you’ll be there to watch it, no doubt supporting your own house. He’s managed to avoid you for the first month of school by some miracle. Either that, or you must have taken the hint.
A wave of sorrow washes over him. Thinking about you makes him miss your friendship more than anything. He longs to talk with you, ask you how you’ve been, make sure you’re doing okay. But he reminds himself why he must avoid you. You’re better off without him. He knows if he keeps pushing you away, you’ll eventually give up. 
-
Rain has been pouring down all morning, with no signs of stopping for the match, Your heart is racing a mile a minute. You didn’t realize Sebastian had made Slytherin’s team.Out on the field, you’ll be forced to interact with Sebastian. You learned that he’s a Beater, one of his position descriptions being, stop the Seeker from getting the Snitch as all costs.  It’s game day and you’ve got the hood of your Quidditch robe over your head, keeping low so no one will recognize you, per Henri’s instructions. The team is lined up at the entrance to the pitch to make their flying introduction. Slytherin have gone it first, the audience cheering and clapping. 
-
Sebastian finishes the introduction lap with his team, the adrenaline from seeing such a big crowd giving him an unfamiliar thrill deep inside. He settles next to Imelda in the air. Imelda’s got her eyes trained on the entrance, waiting for the Hufflepuff’s self-deemed ace of a Seeker. 
The team enters, all flying in syncronization. In the back, is the new player, holding their hood over their face, keeping low and close to their broom. The team circles around once, the two beaters breaking off and doing some loops. They make their way to the center, the Seeker flying up to their starting position. Only then, they pull their hood back, revealing their face to the crowd. 
Sebastian practically gasps with the rest of the crowd. The Hufflepuff side erupts into cheers. “No bloody way.” Imelda breathes out.
No bloody way is right. Sebastian thinks.
-
Everyone instantly recognizes the face of the Hero of Hogwarts. Sebastian just sees you. He’s a little peeved, mostly because all his work in avoiding you is now in vain. The game has started and he has yet to take his eyes off you. You’re floating pretty high above everyone else, your eyes scanning every inch of the pitch.
It takes narrowly avoiding a Bludger to the head to knock Sebastian back into reality. He focuses back on the game, a bit surprised at how dirty Hufflepuff is playing. Their two Beaters have got Imelda pinned between them, forcing her towards a wall and then releasing her last minute. She’s too quick though, and narrowly avoids crashing into the barrier. 
-
Henri was right. Using you as their Seeker had the exact effect the team had been hoping for. Imelda was off her game, and the crowd was in an uproar. The rain has slowed to a light sprinkle and you were hovering above everyone, trying to spot the Golden Snitch. Honestly, in this weather, it felt useless.
Just then, a blur catched your eye and you turn in time to see a Bludger heading straight for you. You have no time to move, but someone zips up between you and the Bludger, smacking it away from you. To your surprise, it’s not a Hufflepuff Beater, but instead, it’s Sebastian.
“Sebastian!” you call out. He zooms away before you can stop him. You pull forward to chase after him. “Sebastian, wait, please.”
You’re the faster flyer, so you catch up to him easily. “Sebastian!” you call out one last time. “You’ve been avoiding me! Aren’t you tired of pushing everyone away?” you provoke him, hoping it’ll get him to at least face you. It works.
He slows and turns to you. “I’m not really sure this is the place nor the time to talk.” He yells so you can hear him through the rain and the noise of the crowd.
“How else was I supposed to get your attention?” you laugh.
He returns your smile, “And oh boy, did you! Let’s finish this game before Imelda takes my own bat and beats me with it.”
“No more running, Sebastian. It’s time to accept help. And friendship.” You point to the Hufflepuff crest on your uniform. 
—--
I am fully aware I am lazy at finishing fics. Henri Toro belongs to cadencesroundglasses (not sure if you'd want to be tagged) thanks for letting me use your lovely Hufflepuff!
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giggly-squiggily · 2 months
Text
Take It All Back (Black Clover)
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Okay so...I don't know how to explain this one kjarkjajkrjek I had a really bad case of Zorafin on my hands and needed to write it out! The ship has taken me by the jugular and I'm okay with that lols. I hope you like it!
CW: Swearing, Angst, Black Clover Ep. 87 spoilers!
Cloud 9 (Taglist Peeps):
@duckymcdoorknob @rachi-roo @imjusthere07
Summary: Finral's having severe self doubts about himself and his place in the Black Bulls. He finds comfort and something more from an unlikely source.
Finral would call his self-confidence a work in progress.
There were days where he thrived, pulling out all the stops during a practice session with the Bulls or saving the day with his portal magic just when they needed it. There was a rare but special tug of pride in his chest when that happened.
Then there were days like today where that tug of pride felt more like an anchor in his chest, dragging him further and further down his high and reminding him of all his shortcomings. “You’re nothing more than a taxi.” “Who would ever want you? Your own parents didn’t even want you!” “You’re a waste of space in the Bulls. You’re nothing without them- a living breathing parasite-”
“Boo.” A finger jabbed his hip from behind, making him jump forward with a startled squeak. “Did I scare ya?”
“No- I just make that noise in my downtime.” Finral grumbled as he turned around, finding none other than Zora Ideale before him. Something about the masked redhead made his spine tingle, sending goosebumps along his skin beneath his long sleeves. “What do you want, anyway?”
“Oo, someone’s grumpy today.” Those damn eyebrows- he looked so smug! “What’s the matter? Captain got you delivering toilet paper to him again? You’re kinda like a delivery man.”
Nothing but a taxi.
He was wounded, and it must have shown on his face by the wide eyed surprise Zora wore. “Shit- sorry man. I didn’t mean to cut you.”
“No- no, it’s not-” Finral willed his face to neutral out, trying to force the stinging behind his eyes back. “You didn’t do anything wrong; I just…” Something hot ran down his face. Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
“Finral…” Zora looked alarmed, reaching out.
“I gotta go! Erm, important business; bye!” He whirled around and ran, opening a portal as he did. Zora’s cry for him to stop was the last thing he heard before the magic closed out all sound, including the weak sob he made.
~~~
Weak. Pathetic. What kind of senior bull member was he to suddenly start crying in front of the rookie?
Finral slumped in his bed, the sentiment pulsing through him like a wound as he glared into his wet pillow. He’s not usually so quick to tears- and when they did come, he learned to hide them well. What the hell happened out there? Why of all people did he have to start crying in front of Zora?
Was it too late to fade away in the walls? He supposed he could do a Gordon; become so quiet and soft spoken he’d be nothing but a ghost.
…He really shouldn’t view his teammate like that.
Before he could wallow in shame further, someone knocked. Slow and heavy; not like Vanessa’s quick and playful ones- nor were Magna’s aggressive banging. This was the kind of knock he wasn’t familiar with at all. “Hello?” He called out.
“Hey…it’s me.” Zora? Finral felt his heart drop into his stomach, a surge of anxiety hitting him so strongly he felt nauseous.
“H-Hang on!” He called, running to the bathroom with shaky legs. Splashing water on his face, he tried to wipe away his earlier tears, cringing at how red his eyes looked. Fixing his hair, he straightened up, smoothing out his shirt and taking a quick breath. It was what it was.
Opening the door, he put on his best smile, the one he used to charm the ladies in town. “Hello there, Zora. How can I help you?”
The second he met Zora’s eyes his confidence crumbled. Green irises took him in, from the wetted down hair to the fragile smile to the shaky pose. “Hey…can I come in?”
“Sure! Sure, have a seat!” Finral stepped back, trying to breathe. God, this was falling apart faster than he planned. “Your probably wondering why I ran away-”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s my line.” Finral blurted out, then froze, embarrassed. “Wait- huh?”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that- the delivery man thing.” Zora ran a hand through his hair, the tops of his cheeks heating in shame as he looked away. “I hadn’t realized how it came out. I’m really sorry.”
“...I…” Finral gaped, looking for words. He was the one that was supposed to apologize- a senior Bull running away from his rookie over a dumb comment; how unprofessional of him. That’s what he figured Zora came by for; not this! “It’s okay, really. You don’t need to apologize-”
“I made you cry.” Zora looked angry, but not at Finral. “I hurt you.”
“...No, no you didn’t.” Finral sighed, gesturing for him to sit down. “It wasn’t you that made me cry, I’m just having a bad day.”
“My comment didn’t help.” Zora argued, no heat in his tone. Finral shrugged, a tired laugh escaping.
“No, it didn’t. But I forgive you.”
Zora nodded, something like relief passing over him. “Do you…erm, do you want to talk about it?” He seemed so awkward then, like it was new territory he was crossing. It was new for Finral too.
At first, he didn’t say much, just reiterated that he was having a bad day. But after a gentle push from Zora, he let it go. He found himself talking about his insecurity and how lately he felt as if he’d contributed nothing to the team. How he could easily be replaced by a speedy broom and a map, and how while he was making some progress in using his spacial magic for more than transportation, it wasn’t enough to justify his place in the team.
At some point, Zora had moved over so he was sitting beside him on the bed. Now he was supporting him, an arm rubbing soothing circles against Finral’s back as the other sniffled out the last of his pain, wiping at his tears. He didn’t push for details, nor did he give any commentary; he just sat there and listened.
Finally, when his tears came to an end and Finral could somewhat breathe again, Zora hummed in thought. “That…sounds like literal hell.”
Finral snorted, oddly comforted by Zora’s way of words. “It is. But it’s not the team’s fault. No one makes me feel this way, it’s just my own stupidity.”
“You’re not stupid. You're the farthest thing from stupid.” Zora cut in firmly, taking Finral by surprise. “Don’t call yourself that.”
“But it’s true. Why else would I feel the way I feel?” Finral shrugged, something bitter in his gesture. “I’m in a team surrounded by amazing people, and yet here I am wallowing in self pity. Surely that makes me seem pathetic, doesn't it.”
Zora stared at him, stunned. Then he glared, a look so ferocious Finral felt taken aback. “How dare you.”
“Huh?”
“You dare talk bad about the Finral of the Black Bulls in my presence?” Zora raised up some, eyes glistening with unreadable rage. “A man with such brilliance for strategy and a kindness you can’t find anywhere else- and you dare call him pathetic?”
“Zora, what the hell are you saying- whoa!” Finral yelped when he was pushed back into the bed, the redhead hovering over him. “Zora?”
“I’ll make you pay. Take it back right now.” Zora growled. The mask made him even scarier, yet Finral felt no true malice in his presence. Was he braver than he thought?
“I don’t know what you’re going on about.” Finral decided after a moment. “But as your senior Bull member, I will not acknowledge your threats. I ref-ehehehehehehehehehehehe!” He couldn’t finish his statement before fingers found his ribs, worming gently along the warm fabric of his tunic. “Zohoohohohora, whahahahhait!”
“I told you to take it back. You’re gonna apologize for saying such foul things about Finral or I’ll make you!” Zora was inches from his face, fingers carrying on their game as he walked them up and down the other man’s sides. This close, Finral could see the truth now. Zora was far from angry.
He was looking mighty mischievous.
“Noohohoohoho way! Thehehhehey’re true! I knohohohow- I ahahahham him!” Finral giggled out, gently swatting at Zora’s hands as they moved to his lowest rib set. “Thehehehehy’re faahahha-AHAHHACTUAL!”
“Impossible- you can’t be Finral! The Finral I know would never call himself those things. He’s not a parasite, he’s not a taxi, and he certainly isn’t a pathetic person! He’s great- he makes good coffee in the morning and listens to me ramble about stupid shit throughout the day- and he doesn’t care if I nap during practice!”
“I dohohoohoohohoho chahahahahhahre! Yohohohohou juhuhuuhuhust doohohohon’t lihihihihisten!”
“Hm…yeah, you got a point.” Zora mused, moving back to his highest ribs and making Finral squeal. “But mine still stands- you're a great guy. I’ll ask one more time before I go all out; take that bullshit back.”
“Eheh…ehehehehe….heheh…” Finral gasped for air when the tickles came to a pause, weighing his options. He knew where this was going; and he knew if he did as demanded, Zora would keep his word. He could be spared.
But…
“Nohohooho way! I mehahhahan it!” Finral raised his chin, firm in his decision. The look in Zora’s eyes did funny things to his stomach. Seems like they were on the same page now.
“Oh do you?” Zora raised a brow.. His smile was particularly dangerous as he pulled Finral’s arms up and over his head, pinning them in place with a single grip. “Shame.”
The next few minutes were a blur in Finral’s mind. The second those dastardly fingers touched his armpits it was all over. “AHEHAHAHAHHAHAHA! OOHOHOHOOKAY OHOOHOHHOKAY I TAHEHEHEKE IT BAHAHAHCK! I TAHAHHAHAHKE IT BACK PLEAHAHHAHAHSE!”
“Hmmmm….okay.” Zora decided just as Finral grabbed his collar; yanking him down and throwing him off balance. The redhead shot his arms out, stopping a full blown collision.
“PLehehehase!” Finral gasped, slowly coming too as the tickles faded. “Please….oh, hello there.” He felt himself flush for a new reason: Zora's face inches from his own.
“Hello to you too. Come here often?” His voice was a husky whisper, blue eyes like the deepest part of the ocean as they gazed down into Finral’s. He even had long lashes!
Finral always liked long lashes.
He felt his breath catch, eyes starting to droop as Zora reached up for the corner of his mask-
A bang on the door drew them both apart, Zora shooting up in a daze and leaving Finral feeling somewhat cold. “Finral- whatever your doing in there, hurry up. We got a mission.” Captain Yami’s voice boomed even through the thick wooden doors. Footsteps faded soon after, sobering the younger man.
“Shit- I’m so sorry! I don’t know what happened-”
“Nah, you're fine. I came here to comfort you and-”
“I dragged you onto me! What kind of guy am I-”
“No complaints here.”
That last part stopped Finral in his tracks. “What?” He blinked, staring at the redhead.
“No complaints. In fact-I wouldn’t mind if we picked this back up after your mission.” Zora waggled his brows, a gesture so cheesy Finral couldn’t help but laugh. “Interested, teleporter?”
It all felt like a blur, this whole thing. One minute he was wallowing in self-pity, the next he was being comforted AND tickled to death by the strange redheaded mage before him. And now…
“Are you…asking me out?” Finral tried not to sound so unsure. Zora only smiled at him.
“Would you say yes if I was?”
Finral considered. Then he raised his chin stubbornly. “Not like that. If you’re gonna ask me out, do it right. Like this.” He stood, standing tall before the older man and putting on his best smile. “Would you go out with me, Zora Ideale.”
“You stole my line.” Zora sounded almost breathless, shaking his head with an easy grin. “Sounds fun. Yes, I will.”
Thanks for reading!
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sakkajagga · 4 months
Text
Paradise Lost, Paradise Found
fandom:  Obey Me!
character(s)/pairing: Simeon/Reader; Mammon and Lucifer make appearances
summary:  You discover the secret Simeon’s been hiding from everyone. (Late OG Obey Me spoilers!!) - Basically a rewrite of lesson 76 with the perspective of Simeon-biased MC actually giving a damn that he sacrificed everything he was to help save them, Lucifer, and all three worlds.
or: a Simeon-simp retcons MC being in love with Simeon but won’t dare admit it to prevent his Fall. (Oh, and he knows.)
warnings:  spoilers for mid/late game if you haven't seen them, hurt/comfort, some retconning to make it make sense
words: 4,629
Read on AO3, if you prefer.
    The polite way Simeon smiled seemed tight.  Forced.  His gaze drifted from you to Mammon, smiling despite the aggressive energy radiating from the demon’s body.
    “C’mon, don’t play dumb with me. You know why we came to see you, right?  I think it’s time we stop playin’ around and have a talk, Simeon.”  He shifts his weight, restless.  “A real talk.”
    Simeon hums, amused.  “Seems you’ve got me cornered.”
    The calm demeanor does nothing to dissuade Mammon’s attitude.  “I hope you’re ready, Simeon. ‘Cause I’m gonna get the truth outta you. Every last bit of it!”
    Simeon blinks.  Tilts his head a calculated ten degrees to the right as he considers greed’s avatar’s non-threat.  “I’d love to help you, Mammon, but I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re asking me.”
    Mammon promptly sucks his teeth and rolls his eyes, “C’mon, yeah ya do!  There’s been a lot of weird stuff goin’ on, so much that I can’t even keep track of it all!”  He holds up a hand, extending a finger with each indiscretion to count them off, “First, you show up in the human world outta nowhere and decide to start a cafe.  Then suddenly we’ve got Raphael on the exchange program…and you say you’re here on some sorta short-term exchange or somethin’...”  Mammon pauses, shaking his head as if his own words stir new thoughts before he just as quickly snaps out of it.  “Still, you comin’ back to the Devildom at all is fishy!”
    “Well, you see—”
    “If you feed me some story about how you came for the sports festival or somethin’,” Mammon jabs a finger at the older’s chest, “I’m gonna knock ya into next week!”
    “That…”  They both pause, the silence only broken by Simeon chuckling.  “That is what I was going to say, yes…”
    Undeterred, Mammon continues, “I can tell Lucifer and the others are real worried about ya, and that’s plenty weird, too.  I never see you by yourself at RAD anymore, y’know?”
    “Oh,” the angel chuckles again, “Well, it’s hard being so popular…”
    Either pointedly ignoring the attempt to downplay his concerns, or not even hearing the jest over the own sound of his internal worries, Mammon shakes his head, continuing, “But when I saw what happened with the chimera, that’s when I knew somethin’ was up.  You didn’t even try to use your angel’s blessing to defend yourself when it charged, did ya?”  Mammon’s weight shifts rigidly again.  “Actually, lemme rephrase that…it’s not that ya didn’t use your powers.  It was more like you couldn’t.”
    That ever-polite smile Simeon seems to naturally keep in place falters just slightly.
    “Well?  Answer me, Simeon!”
    He frowns with a sigh, letting the facade finally drop.  “You don’t need to shout, Mammon.  I can hear you just fine.”  Despite how unhappy he looks, Simeon still manages a gentle voice, even as he benignly scolds the younger for shouting; gaze darting from Mammon, to you, and back again.  After an excruciatingly long moment of silence, he sighs again.  “You’re right, I am…”  Again his gaze flits back and forth, before his eyes close altogether.  “I’m no longer qualified to use my angel’s blessing.”
    Your heart skips a beat.  Several, in fact, as an icy feeling begins settling in your veins.
    “You’re no longer qualified..?  What’s that even mean?”  Mammon gestures aggressively at the angel, “Does it have somethin’ to do with Michael?  That son of a—what’d he do?!”
    Simeon’s chin dips, lips thinning into a tighter frown.
    “C’mon, Simeon!  Say something!”
    The silence stretches on again.  Your fingers curl tightly in the front of your uniform jacket.  You hear the demon take a breath to continue his demands for answers, and quickly force out your voice first.  “Simeon, you…”
    Mammon pauses, turning to you in time with Simeon lifting his head, finally opening his eyes.
    “You don’t have to answer if it’s too hard…”
    That at least gets a smile.  A smile that doesn’t even begin to reach his eyes, but it’s preferable to seeing him look so pained.  “Thank you…”  You nod, he continues, “It’s not that I can’t tell you what’s going on.  It’s simply that…”  There’s that look again, and it takes all your will power to stand firm in front of Mammon.  “I’m still trying to process things.  So please, I’d like a little more time.”
    At your side, you can feel the anger just barely contained beneath Mammon’s surface; the urge to argue him down almost fit to burst.  When the demon’s gaze meets yours in a glance, however, he knows he is only a single command away from being magically restrained.  So instead, Mammon grits his teeth and concedes.
    “I can tell that you’re concerned about me, though. And I appreciate that.”  Simeon reaches out, taking hold of Mammon’s shoulder in an effort to calm him.  “So thank you.”
    “It’s not like that.”  Mammon snorts, shrugging the hand off, puffing his chest out in a bid to sell the act, “Like I’d be concerned about you.  Don’t make me laugh.  It’s just that Lucifer and Lord Diavolo know somethin’, but they ain’t talkin’.  And I don’t like how they’re bein’ so secretive about it, is all.”
    Simeon nods, as if implying he was silly to think otherwise.  “I’ll tell you what’s going on when the time is right.  So, if you could just be patient until then..?”
    The fight has still clearly not left Mammon’s body, but he knows it’s useless to continue arguing any further.  Especially when he knows you’re now on Simeon’s side about this.  He sighs, shrugging again, and grumbling that he doesn’t have much of a choice before turning to march for the door.
    “Mammon…”
    He pauses, turning back to look over his shoulder, immediately noting you haven’t moved a muscle.  In fact, upon further inspection, you don’t seem to have even looked away from Simeon yet either.
    “You go on ahead.”
    His eyes flick back and forth between you and the angel—Simeon looks surprised at the request as well.  You feel the demon’s desire to argue.  ‘Whatever ya have to say to HIM, you can say in front of me!’ you practically hear him protesting in your mind.  But when you finally meet his gaze head-on, Mammon scowls, turning away again and closes the door behind him none-too-politely.
    Seconds tick by, feeling like an eternity as Simeon waits as patiently as ever for you to find the words you so obviously need to say.  He watches the way you pinch the jacket buttons between your fingers as you stare holes into his tie, the gold trim of his waistcoat, the cuffs around his biceps before huffing a small sigh.  His hand cuts through the silence, gently fitting along your jaw to raise your face.  The fear he immediately notices in your eyes tears at him, yet he smiles through it, reassuringly.  “Everything is…will be all right.”  His thumb strokes over your cheek, spreading the same warmth as his palm.  “I promise.”
    Somehow, you don’t feel all that certain about his words, but you nod regardless.  You’re worried about him, obviously, and want to help, but you are currently locked in a stalemate.  Simeon has already made it very clear he still needs time to work through whatever it is that is going on with him.  You’re so used to everyone else always turning to you to solve their issues, but still unable to help the gravitation that seems to suck you right in.
    Your chin dips, forehead finding his shoulder, arms automatically curling around his waist.  “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be right by your side to help.”
    A pause ripples through him.  But he merely laughs so quietly, you barely hear it despite leaning into him, folding an arm around your shoulders while reaching up to stroke the back of your head.  “There, there,” he coos lightheartedly.  “Don’t worry.”
    You puff a laugh into his chest.  Here you wanted to reassure him, and he so naturally becomes the one comforting you.  Heart aching to find the solution for him, you keep your silence, vowing to be as patient as he needs.
    You’ve come to learn a great many things over the course of your life; so many of those things previously beyond your mortal comprehension, to mingling with demons and angels themselves, and yet still none of it prepared you in the slightest for the pain of tempting fate by falling in love with one of those angels.
    Irony should have been your middle name.  The very thing that had set your fate into motion now resting once again heavy in your heart—yet this time it is not your sin to bear.  Humans are free in that way.  Free-willed and capable of carving out their own paths, however misguided it may become.  Free to do as they please, free to love.
    Angels bear no such freedoms.  Angels are meant to love all of humanity equally.  To protect.  To do otherwise is an affront to their Father; to incite His wrath.  To disobey is to be cast out from the divine.  A death sentence, in most cases.
    You’d never want that for him.  Despite every fiber of your being crying out for him, you keep your mouth shut.  Your hands to yourself.  Only accepting the love doled out that Angels can give; you swear to yourself it will be enough, because you’re certain he knows.  Simeon is no fool, though oblivious as he may pretend to be, you know the angel must be fully aware of the damnation you would so selfishly drag him through should you ever succumb to the surging emotion you hold locked within your heart.  You’re certain he knows this, yet he still is so caring, so warm, so loving—in the way that angels only are.
    To love him is to love the moon.  The sun.  The stars.  Ceaseless and unyielding, and always just beyond your reach.
    This has made his self-appointed distance all the more difficult to witness.  As he has toiled tirelessly to work through the struggle to regain control over his power, you’re forced to sit by the wayside, hoping—praying—there would be something you can do to help.
    Saving him had been the least you could do, it had been instinctual really, and you’re not sure why Raphael even felt the need to thank you.  But it had been that one crystalizing moment, when practically begging him to find his power, Simeon had frozen.  Looked afraid.  Mammon’s accusations had flooded your mind, drowning out every other sound: It was more like you couldn’t.
    With everything said and done, everyone safe, emotions calmed; your own still flurried inside.
    Texting him was more of a courtesy, despite how you phrased coming to his room as a question.  It was a subtle command, one that Simeon has absolutely no obligation to entertain, but all the same the relief washing over you was still overwhelming when he pulls open the door after only a few knocks.
    “Hi there,” his smile is as bright as ever, “Please come in.”  Only once you’ve stepped a few feet inside and he’s closed the door does he continue, “I’m glad you could stop by.  You said there was something you wanted to talk to me about?”  Simeon’s eyes search your dire expression, still smiling in spite of it.  “Well…I can probably already guess what it is.”  You watch him carefully, deciding he’s being far too cheery, all things considered, as he gestures to the furniture on the far side of his room.  “Go on, have a seat.  I’ll make some tea.”
    You do so without hesitation, sliding into the plush chair and staring into the unlit fireplace as you wait in silence.  Still silent, you drink the tea, stealing glances at Simeon sat across from you until the cups are well empty.
    “How’s Luke doing?  Is he enjoying himself at the House of Lamentation?”
    You set your cup on the small table off to the side of the chair and sofa.  “Sometimes he seems a bit sad…and lonely.”
    “I see.”  Simeon mirrors your gesture, setting his cup next to yours.  “It’s been about a week now since he was first invited to stay there, right?  He still hasn’t come back, so he must find it comfortable being there.”  Simeon laughs quietly, and you think he can somehow read your thoughts about Luke practically becoming your shadow in the house.  “So, is what you’ve come to talk to me about what I think it is?”
    You purse your lips, wanting the tension to be deflated before digging your heels in.  So, you crack a smile, leaning your elbows on your knees.  “Well…I was hoping for a little snuggle time..?”  Eyebrow wiggle included, for added silliness.
    Simeon, however, blinks quickly, “With me?  Well, I…”  The faintest dusting of red shadows his cheeks as he chuckles, “I’d like that too, actually.”
    Wait.  Now you blink.  What?
    “All right,” his arms open wide, serious about your invitation into them.  “Come here.”
    You hesitate, but only for a split second, before pushing yourself to your feet and moving over to him.  After lowering to sit next to him, it’s easy to thereafter lean into his shoulder as you have so many times before.  Simeon’s arms naturally fold around you just before feeling the press of his cheek atop your head.
    He takes a deep breath, relaxing there in his seat, as if holding you has remedied every little thing ailing him.  “I’m so happy I have you.  It’s the one thing that keeps me going day in and day out.”
    You’re now very glad he’s allowed you to hide your expression from him, even though he can probably feel the heat rushing to your face.
    “You wanted to brighten the mood some, huh?  Planned to wait until I feel ready to talk about this?”
    You nod, trusting feeling the motion against his shoulder would suffice as answer enough.
    “And I take it you’ve figured out that I can no longer use the power of my angel’s blessing?”
    “I’m worried about you,” you admit to his neck, arms locking around his waist.
    “I know…”  His hold tightens just a bit.  “That’s why I felt so bad.  I knew I needed to face the truth, but I was confused, and I didn’t know how.  Solomon and the others noticed something was wrong and confronted me about it.  But this is the first time I’ve actually spoken about this by choice.  You’re…”  You think you can feel him trying to pull you even closer, despite the fact you’re leaning bodily against him already.  “You’re special to me, and I care about you…  So,” Simeon’s hold suddenly loosens, hands shifting to your shoulders to gently push you to sit back up.  His eyes search yours, and it’s all you can do to not get lost in the view of the sky in them.  “I’m going to be honest with you.  And only you.”
    You nod needlessly, knowing he’ll tell you regardless, but unable to help encouraging him even now—being told you’re special to an angel is too heady to ignore.
    “I…I can’t use the power of my angel’s blessing anymore.  Because I’m…not actually an angel…”  He can see the confusion etching into your face, seeping into your eyes as your mind races through possibilities.  “What I’m trying to say is…I’m a human now.”
    You don’t realize you’ve been holding your breath until your lungs begin burning.  There’s a roaring in your ears.  Thunder, maybe.  What does he mean?
    “Are you all right?”
    You hear his voice distantly, not actually registering he’s speaking.
    Simeon readjusts his hands on your shoulders, turning you a bit more towards him.  “You’re just sitting there staring off into space.  Did my news hit you that hard?”
    “What…”  Your gaze snaps up to his again, “What did you say..?”
    “I’m not an angel anymore…  I’m a human, just like you.”
    Your mouth falls open, too many things spinning in your mind all at once to pick just one thing to say—if any of it would have been coherent anyway.
    “I’ll go ahead and take it from here.”  Lucifer’s voice is followed by the click of the door shutting behind him.  You hadn’t even noticed him entering.
    “Lucifer…”  Simeon smiles again, rising to his feet.  “So you really came.”  Then moves to stand next to him.  You stay seated, watching as Lucifer’s features soften for the briefest of moments.
    “Of course.  I said I was in my message, didn’t I?”  His attention then turns to you.  “I’m sure you remember how you ended up with that ring, correct?”
    You realize his gaze has dropped to your hand.
    “I’m referring, of course, to the Ring of Light you’re wearing,” he clarifies with a nod.  “You need the Ring of Light to stabilize your innate “ring”—the name we gave to the power that dwells within you.”  He watches as you grasp the ring, twirling it around your finger one full revolution.  “Originally, the plan was to sever that “ring” using the Night Dagger, after thrusting it into my body to restore its power.  However…”  Lucifer regards the look in your eyes when your head snaps back up at the mention of nearly being forced to stab him.  “You ended up using the Ring of Light to control it instead.  That ring was supposed to have been lost, until it found its way to you.”  Still at the demon’s side, Simeon shifts in place.  Lucifer doesn’t acknowledge the uneasy movement.  “The truth is that Simeon took the Ring of Light from the Celestial Realm without permission.  Isn’t that right,” he turns his head, locking eyes with the former angel, “Simeon?”
    “Ah,” Simeon smiles weakly, laughing in spite of himself, “you got me.  I can’t hide anything from you, can I..?”  With a sigh, he nods, looking back at the way you stare up at him with swimming eyes.  “It’s true.  As punishment for taking the Ring of Light, I lost my angelic powers.”
    Time seems to grind to a stand-still.  The world itself freezing around you as you slump back against your seat.  In contrast, your mind races at light-speed with his words; whirling with the implications, and the meanings, and the reality.  “This…”  Slowly, carefully, guiltily, you look up again, unsure how Simeon can even stand the sight of you.  “This is all my fault…” you murmur, breathlessly.
    “No.”  Immediately, Simeon is there, kneeling in front of you, pulling your hands into his, “Don’t be ridiculous, this isn’t your fault at all.”  His thumbs glide methodically to and fro over your knuckles in absence of reaching up to cradle your face despite the tears he can see beginning to gather.  “Please.  I don’t want you saying things like that.  We all did what we had to do.  It’s nobody’s fault.”
    “But…”  Your eyes dart behind him, above his head; as if you can still visibly see his wings and halo that have now been taken from him.  The realization that he had gone through this alone, silently reckoning with the aftermath without so much as hint to how distressing his secret truly was, crashes down on you harder than any other force you’ve ever felt before.  You’d been right there.  Seen him smiling in spite of it all, and still had no idea.
    “We all did what he had to do,” he reiterates softly.
    “I’d say the real problem is that “human Simeon” is being forced to live in either the human world, or the Devildom.”  Lucifer sighs, arms folding over his chest, “It’s dangerous.”
    Simeon shifts, looking up over his shoulder at him.  You continue staring at Simeon, studying his profile and the way he doesn’t seem shaken in the least—at least, not anymore.  Your line of sight only breaks when he stands to face Lucifer as they continue speaking.
    “He does everything for a reason.”  Simeon makes a motion to himself, indicating his newly imposed humanity, “Even this.”
    The noise Lucifer makes sounds quite vexed, clearly having a dissenting opinion, but chooses to hold his tongue to save himself that headache.  Instead, he reaches out a hand towards him.  “We will find a way to get you back to the Celestial Realm, Simeon.”  The former angel reaches out as well, their hands closing around each other’s forearms in a show of trust.  “Together.”
    “Thank you.”
    “We’re here to support you,” you finally find your voice again.
    Simeon turns his smile back to you, all fondness and gratitude.  “You really are something.  When I first met you, I thought you were just a regular human, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.”  He seems relieved you’re coming back to your senses.  “I can’t even begin to tell you how reassuring it is to hear you say that.”
    In this moment, you don’t feel even close to deserving his recognition.  For all your talents, the innate power, it still took Simeon sacrificing his angelhood to save the three worlds; to do what you couldn’t.
    He must have been able to see the remorse in your eyes, sinking back down to one knee and covering your hands again.  Smiling.
    Why is he still smiling?
    Lucifer watches silently, regarding the way you drag your gaze up from Simeon’s hands, almost hesitantly meeting his bright eyes, and decides against suggesting you and he leave now.  Well, decides against suggesting you leave, anyway.  He’s already by the door, holding it open to let himself out when speaking again; calling your name for your attention.  “Don’t linger too long,” he holds your gaze for a long moment, “I’m sure Simeon would like to rest.”  His gaze moves to Simeon, the two seeming to share a silent exchange before Lucifer then slips through the doorway, closing the door behind his exit.
    “Are you…,” your voice is barely above a whisper, “are you okay?  Really?”
    “Oh,” seemingly emboldened by Lucifer’s absence, Simeon doesn’t hesitate to lift a hand, placing it against your cheek, as gentle as his voice, “I’m fine.”  His thumb grazes a slow path beneath your eye, as if hoping to prevent any tearfall, “I suppose there have been times when I’ve felt down, but I’m managing.”
    “Why?” you whisper fiercely, afraid if you give any volume to your voice at all, you may scream.
    “You very well know why.”
    “Yes, but…”  Your hands grasp at his that remains in your lap, squeezing.  “But there must have been some other way.  Something I could have—”
    “That’s enough, now.”  It’s all very reminiscent.  Simeon’s hand drops down to cover yours still clinging to his, much like he had when you were futilely struggling with Lucifer to toss away the dagger.  “We were out of time, and you know as well as I that Lucifer would not have hesitated.”
    “I just needed a little more time…”  Your head drops, hiding your broken expression.  “I could have found another way…”  Your hands squeeze more tightly still.  “I could have saved him.  I could have protected you, Simeon…”
    He huffs a small laugh as his hand caresses the back of your head, petting you.  “There, there,” that same, soft tone he always uses to soothe those in distress, “everything is all right.”  When you don’t respond, when he notices the tremble of your shoulders, the tiny sound you mostly manage to choke back, Simeon takes a deep breath and gently guides you forward to rest your head against his chest.  His heart beats steadily, calmly; thumping just a bit quicker when you fully embrace him.  Your arms wrap around his waist, clinging in the hopes you never have to let go.  Returning to stroking your hair, he loops an arm around your back as well.  “You’re not to blame for anything.”  The motion of his hand is somehow as equally reassuring as his voice.  “I did what I had to do.  It’s what I wanted to do.”
    “If I was stronger…”  Your voice comes out muffled, thanks to speaking into his chest, “If I was able to control my powers, you wouldn’t have had to…”
    “I’d say Lucifer’s life is worth more than a pair of wings, wouldn’t you?”  You’re unable to see his smile once feeling you nod, but you can hear it in his voice.  “And the three worlds are more important than a halo?”
    “But I,” you suddenly sit up, and Simeon leans back to narrowly avoid a rather unceremonious meeting of his chin with your head, “should have been the one to save the three worlds!”  Gathering up two fistfuls of his waistcoat, you give Simeon a quick shake, as if it will better emphasize your point.  “I didn’t want anyone to be hurt!  I didn’t want anyone to have to sacrifice anything else!”
    For a moment, he looks stunned, but the expression melts quickly away as he smiles again.
    How is he always smiling?
    Simeon’s little laugh shakes his shoulders a bit, reaching up to cover your hands with his, making no attempt to pull them off his waistcoat.  “You,” he laughs again, “are so beautifully human.”
    “Wha—”
    “We all have a duty to maintain balance between the three worlds, if we are capable of doing so.”
    “If I didn’t need so much help to control my power—”
    “And I wanted to save you, as well.”
    Your jaw snaps shut.
    “It just so happened to work out for me that bestowing you the Ring of Light allowed me to do so.”
    “But now you’re—”
    “Given the choice, I would do so again.  And again.”  Simeon’s thumbs trail back and forth over your knuckles in a familiar motion.  “In every world, in every reality, I would make the same choice a thousand times if it meant saving you.”
    Had your wits been about you, you might have stopped him there.  Stopped that blasphemous line of thinking—exactly what had caused such turmoil and strife in the Celestial Realm all that time ago.  He can never admit, aloud, that you—a singular human—are any more important than the rest.  Not if he ever wishes to return home, as was Lucifer’s promise.
    Only now does he pull at your hand that dons the aforementioned ring; lifting and holding it up in the space between your faces.  His gaze drops to it, studying the Ring of Light shining there on your middle finger.  Simeon tugs your hand closer, bows his head, and presses a lingering kiss gently against your ring finger; the finger he had originally slipped the Ring of Light over.
    When he cuts his eyes up to you, it feels as though the air is punched from your lungs, leaving you breathless and gasping quietly, “Simeon—”
    And just like that, he lowers your hand, smile soft and innocent, and nary a hint of anything other than just that.  “No more of that kind of talk, okay?”  You find it ridiculously hard to catch your breath.  Nodding is the only thing you can manage as he sighs happily, “Good.”
    Maybe you imagine it, the feeling of Simeon’s thumb pressing just slightly into your ring finger, as he elegantly moves to his feet, releasing your hand once backing away while offering to brew you another cup of tea.
    Your fingertips trace over the Ring of Light, and over the still-warm space next to it, before pulling the ring from your hand and then carefully slipping it back on the original finger he had chosen to place it.  Simeon can never openly love you unlike an angel.  But through his calculated gestures, and his sacrifices, you feel it all the same.
58 notes · View notes
insertyourselfhere · 10 months
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Anomaly Part 5
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A/N: I cannot thank you guys enough, you have been blowing up my notifications with all your support on this series and its motivating me to keep going! Thank you everyone so much!
HUGE SPOILERS FOR ATSV
Pairing: Gwen Stacy x Reader
Characters: Reader, George Stacy and some slight Hobie and Gwen.
Description: Wow…All the stuff went down with Miles, the entire spider-verse chased after him. Miguel went bat shit crazy like you wouldn’t believe. Hobie quit the team, Miles sent himself home. Both you and Gwen were thrown back into your own dimensions without a watch to get you back. You broke a little fearing the fact that you will never see your friends again, fearing for Miles and absolutely devastated at the thought of Gwen now being alone in her dimension. As you laid in your lounge filling your aunt in with all those details a portal opens up, but not one you’ve ever seen before it looked like….
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“Hobie!” You said running towards the portal, Hobie came out with a smile on his face and a watch on his wrist.
“Big steppa! How you been” he said fake punching you. He took the watch off his wrist and threw it towards you with a salute.
“You gotta help save our Gwendy yah?” He said shoving his hands back into his jean jacket pockets. You nodded putting the watch on and clicking over to earth 65. Another portal opened up and you went to walk in it, Hobie however did not follow you and laid down on your couch in your living room.
“You’re not coming?” You asked turning back towards him with a curious look in your eye.
“Nah, I think my drummer needs some time to process what’s happening hey. And I think you’re the one to do it, so off with ya. I just wanna hang out with ya aunt anyway” Before you could protest about leaving Hobie alone with your aunt he pushed you through the portal with a forceful web, the last thing you saw was his playful smirk as he kicked his feet up on the coffee table and lounged back.
You travelled through the multi-verse like you had millions of times before, it opened up and you were in Gwen’s Dimension for the first time since you had gotten to know her. It was beautiful, the world had such an eerie but amazing look to it, you had never seen something like this before. The one thing you did notice though was even though the sun was out, there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, the colours of the world were emanating a dark blue look. You could feel the sadness in the air lingering around you like a dark aura. Without a second thought you went to thwip away only to realise.
“I don’t know where she lives” Letting out the biggest sigh you fell down into a crouch, your arms resting on your knees as you thought of a plan.
You did the only thing you could think of and that was head to an internet café and look up sightings and theories about the ‘Ghost Spider’. As you entered the building still in your Spidey get up you got weird looks from different people.
“What are you meant to be?” One of them asked confused at the different costume you sported as opposed to their usual Ghost Spider costume they were used to seeing.
“Oh uh, this is my cosplay! Yeah! I decided to do my own Spider Costume as like a representation to our Ghost Spider” They all looked at you weird and you didn’t blame them. Your outfit was nearly the polar opposite to their masked hero. With a quiet groan you went to your compute and started doing some digging.
“Are you looking for her?” They asked looking over your shoulder, you were hoping that it didn’t come off as weird but then again you just looked like a crazed fan, wearing the wrong Spidey suit in an internet café full of other nerds who were probably into the same thing.
You nodded looking back at the person hoping they had something for you. “I heard that she frequently comes out of this apartment block. I’m not too sure if that’s whee she lives or if that’s her hangout but it’s what I heard” They entered an address into your computer and you couldn’t help but feel over joyed that you hug the stranger and left.
As you exited the building you yelled a quick thank you as you Thwipped out of there. “Was that another Spider?” They asked their surroundings, the person you hugged just fainted from the interaction and then everyone else began writing rumours of a new Spidey in the area.
You got closer to the building, and stuck against the wall. You didn’t know how you were going to try and find Gwen in amongst all these apartments, you slightly regretted it but you had to look. What was a clear indication though was a cop car parked outside the apartment and it meant that her dad was home too.
You went over the apartment checking (respectfully) any windows you could hoping to catch that familiar blonde hair. As you peeked into this one window though a gentleman was sitting on the toilet playing crossy road. He let out a high pitch squeal and you awkwardly thwapped way. “I’M SO SORRY IM JUST TRYING TO FIND MY FRIEND” You yelled.
Finally after hours of searching you found an open window, inside you saw those famous ballet shoes that Gwen loved and adored so much before she stole your chucks, opening the window slightly you crawled in and saw the photo of Gwen and Miles left on the desk. You smiled knowing that you had finally found the correct room.
The TV was on playing some sort of infomercials in the lounge and the sound was filtering through, you looked around the room and saw that it was untouched, somehow Gwen hadn’t made it to her room yet. Before you could do anymore digging the door opened slightly and you turned around slowly but carefully. There standing in the door was George Stacy he had a bat in his hand ready to attack you at any second. When you full turned around he noticed the Spider across your chest.
You held your arms up defensively and took your mask off just to know you weren’t trying to hide anything, however in doing so you completely forgot about what happened to you in this world.
“Y/N” George said moving slightly closer to you, bat down. You internally chastised yourself for being so reckless and revealing who you were in such a haste that you forgot about the you in this universe.
“Captain Stacy I am so….” Before you could finish George interrupted you “It’s just George now, no Captain Stacy” You went back to what Miguel had said about Captain’s and how it was their ‘Canon Event’ to die, so hearing about him no longer being captain you released a breath you didn’t know you were holding.
“Sir, I am Y/N but not from this dimension” He chuckled and left the door open gesturing for you to follow. “Yeah I can tell, you’re a bit taller, and a bit more um stockier too” he walked over to the fridge and grabbed a photo that had a photo of who looked like you and Gwen both with their arms around each other smiling big broad smiles. There was something in that photo you hadn’t seen in yourself or Gwen either. It was pure innocence.
“I see what you mean” George went and sat down back on the couch flipping through channels. “His face solemn like he didn’t want to know why you were here. You put the photo back on the fridge and turned to face him.
“Captain St…George…sir um look I am here to find Gwen, we both got tossed back into our own dimensions so I thought she would be here already but it seems like she’s not” George had a look of relief pass his eyes but only briefly. He turned to face you his eyes still harbouring a lot of sadness.
“She hasn’t come home just yet, I don’t know if she ever will” He said looking back at his tv. You got up and walked over to him. “Why did you do it?” You asked sharply, hands balled in a fist as you went into a quiet rage, now that the shock of seeing him was over you had to get your opinion out there.
“You were the only person she had left in her life, to lean on, to talk to, to look forward too and you squashed that” George looked furious standing up in his own apartment remote thrown into the couch. He looked at your face still shocked by the memory that it was you but then quickly he turned around suddenly filled with anger again.
“What do you want me to do!? My daughter LIED to me for months, years even, I don’t even know how long shes been this Spider-Woman but I know she has been lying about it to my face. She’s been the one I’ve been hunting and who’s been going around doing my job because she felt some sort of obligation to help”
“You and I both know why she lied, why she was terrified of telling you the truth behind what has been happening and you proved her point right, you tried to ARREST her, your own daughter, yeah she may of lied but you confirmed her fears the second you called her in” George took a slight step back, his form wavering in hearing those harsh words, that his own daughter couldn’t trust him and he proved her right.
“She could of told me, things would have been…” Before he could finish you cut him off “Different?” You asked venom laced in the words you repeated back to him.
“Let me tell you a story here Mr. Stacy. My Aunt knows, I told her the second I felt comfortable too because I knew it was going to be a lot on her to tell her, I knew when my truth came out that she would either cry and scream at me to stop or she would hate me for the rest of her life. My Aunt proved me wrong on so many levels that night, instead she made me a cup of Chai T….cup of Chai and she sat me down and opened up to me. She told me all about my family, my parents, my uncle. She told me about our selfless need to want to help other people and we’re willing to put ourselves on the line to do so. I understand that your situation wasn’t that great and I understand your frustration, your confusion on what she was doing and how she was putting her life on the line. However they say the apple never falls too far from the tree.”
George wasn’t mad anymore, George didn’t know what he was, he just stood there taking it all in. Taking in everything you had said to him and he knew what the right course of action was. You could see his brain internally fighting you could feel it in this world of Gwen’s the amount of sadness and hurt.
You walked up to him tentatively and placed your arms around his waist giving him a big hug. It was unusual for you because you met this guy only hours ago, however for him it’s like he had known you his life time.
“Thanks Y/N” Before you could finish your conversation you heard a portal open up in Gwen’s room and you knew what that meant, before he could protest you had slipped your mask back on and slipped out the window giving them privacy. You sat on the far opposite building to them, watching the events unfold. Your mind going crazy at wanting to see Gwen, wanting to be there, to hold her and tell her it will all be okay. Slowly though you realised that isn’t what she needed. She just needed a friend, someone to count on that she won’t end up losing again like the rest.
You stood up on the apartment building and stretched pulling yourself back to her window. George and Gwen had made their way into the living room so you took this time to go through her room a little bit more. You found old photo albums of you and your aunt all hanging out with the Stacy family. You also saw pictures of you with Parker too who seemed to be apart of this crazy group you had.
As you were perusing her room you heard pure silence coming from the lounge room, followed by a soft sob. Your heart broke at hearing that noise come out of Gwen, but you knew that her and George would be alright. As you were leaning closer to the door to get a good listen you tripped on one of Gwen’s Ballet shoes and fell through the door. You coughed a little and got up quickly dusting yourself off and standing there awkwardly while both Stacy’s looked at you funny.
“Um that wasn’t supposed to happen, there was a fly in my mask and I was trying to get it out but I ah tripped and fell…” Before you could finish your ramble Gwen had rushed her way over to you and leaped into your arms. You hugger her back with all the love you could muster showing her that you were here for good.
“Y/N” She said, a small tear in her eye, you wiped it away before setting her down again. “It’s only been like what 5 minutes for you since I last saw you, why are you upset?” You asked she was still wrapped around your arms and then nuzzled herself under your chin. “I thought I’d lost you again” She said quietly “Pfft as if Vampire, ninja super buff big guy Miguel was going to keep me away from you” She let go of you and walked back towards her father who had the biggest grin on his face. His whole face was filled with love and you could feel it in the air. The landscape around you began to change, no longer did it have that blue filter (Twilight) on but now it was radiating much brighter colours, it felt warm and breathable.
“How did you get here?” She asked walking towards you and grabbing your hand, you sighed and intertwined your hands together.
“It’s a long story but we need to get going like asap, I’ll explain on the way but here’s a gift from Hobie” You took the watch off your wrist and gave it to Gwen, her eyes widened at the make shift watch you had for her. She had a determined look in her eye and pulled down her mask, you doing the same thing (After getting that fly out of course). “We just need to stop off in my dimension and pick up Hobie, I’m terrified to know that he’s been with my aunt alone this whole time” She laughed and set the destination to your dimension. You jumped in straight away knowing she would follow suit, the last thing you saw before you could no longer see them is Gwen hugging her father again before following suit.
“So explain things to me now”
“Okay so Hobie was being destructive or so I thought…”
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