#I know it's ugly maybe I'll scan it in he morning

[rising-volteccers]

Hello, I hope you're having a wonderful day so far! If you're taking prompts, "maybe come on, take a deep breath. it’s gonna be alright" for Friede, Orla, and Mollie?

Yes hi I live! Apologies for this taking a while! I hope it'll be an enjoyable read still! :D

Series: Pokemon Horizons

Characters: Friede, Orla, Mollie

Warning: Brief description of a character experiencing a panic attack

--

Within a cabin on the Brave Asagi, a lone figure paced around.

Friede concluded that today well and truly sucked. They received a painful reminder of the dangers that came with their chosen route. One thing led to another and now, Cap was in bad condition within the infirmary.

Mollie had more or less pushed him out so she could have some peace in treating him. Murdock found him pacing outside so he invited him to the kitchen, giving him some sort of warm sweet drink his frazzled mind couldn't discern. A large hand settled on his shoulder.

"I'll take over steering from Ludlow. How about you go and get yourself some rest, okay?"

That was half an hour ago. Friede did as he was told because he lacked the attention to properly steer the ship right now. When left to his own thoughts, his bad habit of overthinking came rearing its ugly head.

Distantly, Friede felt short of his breath. His heart beat faster, and he couldn't help but lean against the wall with one hand on his chest. A part of his mind recognized the symptoms of a panic attack and that he had to breathe but his mind kept whirling back to the image of Cap laying limp on the ground, looking so still that Friede feared the worst almost immediately.

Friede didn't register the sound of whining just outside his door. A few minutes later, the door to his cabin opened to reveal a worried looking Orla.

"Friede!" She was quick to close the distance between them. Orla guided him back to his bed and made him sit before she knelt in front of him. Gently grabbing hold of his hands, she gently guided one of it to rest on her chest.

"Come on, take a deep breath. It's going to be alright. Try and follow my breathing, okay?"

Orla exaggerated her breathing so it was easier for Friede to follow. It appeared to be working as Friede copied her, slowly easing down that he could take in somewhat proper breaths.

"Alright, that's good," Orla spoke, smiling gently. "Would you like to tell me what happened?"

"'m sorry. 's just--'m fault Cap's like--" he began to gasp again.

"Come on Friede, you were doing great," Orla soothed. She looked around the cabin. "Alright Friede this is what we're going to do. I want you to tell me five things you can see. Can you do that for me?"

Through swimming vision, he tried to comply. Yellow eyes scanned the room. Five things. Five things he could see.

"Lamp. My jacket." He couldn't recall just when he took it off, only that it laid on the floor now.

"Good. What else can you see? Three more to go."

"A picture frame. My Rotom Phone. My goggles."

"You're doing good Friede." Orla smiled kindly at him. "Alright, now four things you can listen to."

With a soft, shaky breath, he closed his in eyes to concentrate.

"My breathing. The rotors. Wingull flying outside? Mm... can't--can't tell for certain but I think it's Rockruff's scampering footsteps outside."

"Good, good. Rockruff was the one who got me, you know. Such a good boy." Friede could hear the smile in her voice too now. "Tell me three things you can feel."

"My bed. My pants. Your hand on my knee."

He felt the gentle squeeze that Orla gave. "Tell me two things you can smell."

Friede took in a deep breath, finding it easier to fill his achy lungs without breathing through his mouth. A couple of scents brought forth images in his clearer mind.

"The cologne that I wore this morning and motor oil."

"Sorry, I didn't have time to change from a spill earlier," Orla admitted before quickly adding, "Now, tell me what you can taste."

"The hot cocoa Murdock made earlier. I just drank it because it was handed to me and it was warm but I couldn't really taste it because..."

"Now Friede, do you trust us?" Orla interjected before his thoughts could spiral again.

Having closed his eyes for a few minutes now, they flew open at the absurdity of the question. "Yes, with my life."

"Do you trust Mollie's skills? Murdock at the helm? Ludlow keeping the young ones calm? Me being here with you?"

A single nod.

"Then take heart that we're all doing what we can to make sure that Cap would make it out alright. It's alright for you to feel scared. He's your partner. It's never a good feeling to worry about their wellbeing."

By then, Orla had migrated from to the side of his bed, sitting next to him. She gently wrapped an arm around Friede's shoulders so he could rest his head on her shoulder. He became surprisingly pliant in her hold. Perhaps he no longer felt the need to put up a brave front, or exhaustion finally crept up on him.

"Right. I... I trust all of you. 'm sorry," he murmured.

"Nothing to apologize for. I'm just happy that you're feeling better now." A pause. "You are feeling better now, right?"

Friede nodded. Only then did Orla allowed herself to relax, quietly relieved that her friend wasn't panicking anymore. She gave him another light squeeze.

"Good. Just continue to trust us with Cap's wellbeing. I'm sure we'll be getting good news soon."

As if the universe itself responded to her statement, a gentle knock from the door startled the pair inside. Friede didn't pull away from Orla's hold when Mollie peeked her head in.

Mollie briefly took in the scene before her. Friede in only his shirt and pants, hair disarray and looking wrecked. Orla in oil stained clothes with her arm wrapped around Friede's shoulders. Something happened here but she'll get her answers later. Right now, she came here bearing news.

"I just want you to know that Cap's stabilized. We just need to get him to a proper Centre and he should heal up just fine."

Friede just about sagged from pure relief in Orla's hold. She had to bear the sudden increase in weight but she sported a wide smile.

"What did I say? Cap's going to be alright."

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks Orla." That last bit was whispered for only her ears to pick up on.

The young captain gently pulled away from her loose hug at last. He looked at Mollie with barely concealed want in his eyes. "Can I go see him?"

By then, Mollie had properly stepped inside, leaning against the wall with her arms lightly crossed. "So long as you promise to keep quiet. Cap still needs plenty of rest before we arrive."

"Promise!" While it lacked his usual zeal, Friede mimed a zipping motion across his mouth.

"Alright, go see him."

The two ladies watched the way Friede just about barreled out of the cabin, hearing a hastily thrown out apology to Rockruff who'd been waiting outside.

As his footsteps faded away, Mollie turned to Orla. "I'm guessing he got too into his head again?"

"Mmhmm. Just about worked himself into an attack." Orla got up from the bed to stretch lightly before joining Mollie in exiting the room. "Thankfully, I was able to help calm him down using that method you taught me."

"Having him list down things based on his senses?" A faint smile formed on Mollie's lips. "Good to know. Thanks for helping him out with that, Orla."

"It was no problem at all. I should be thanking you for taking good care of Cap in the meantime."

Instead of replying, Mollie held out her hand, still sporting that faint smile. Orla returned it with a wide one of her own. The two ladies performed their signature handshake. The Rising Volt Tacklers looked out for one another after all.

#Pokemon #Pokemon Horizons #Professor Friede #Orla (Pokemon) #Mollie (Pokemon) #Hana writes stuff #Thank you for sending in the prompt! It was fun to write!

[cinnamon-bunni]

me? posting something for once of my oc?? impossible, i know. but since i submitted my boy to the tf2octournament hosted by @tf2shipswag, I figured it be best to actually have something for him out there. So! here's just a little ficlet to introduce The Reaper :) will i write more propaganda for him? maybe!! i really like writing him so maybe depending how far he gets in the rounds i'll write more about him <33 word count: 1358 (thanks in advanced for reading and i hope you enjoy it! <3)

The plane he had boarded was set to leave in just a few minutes. As he let himself get comfortable in his seat, he scanned the cabin; an elderly couple boarded, dressed in their Sunday best, polite smiles on their faces with the lady's hand resting on her husband's as they walk to their seats; a young man who entered in a rush, flashing a smile to the stewardess who greeting him with a good morning. Based on the man's eyes that were filled with misery and his crumpled and ugly suit that was fit for a wedding, he would guess that he had been stood up and was heading home; a young stewardess at the entrance gave her best greetings to the passengers despite her shaky voice, with her back arched and shoulders stiff with tension—very obviously a new hire, one who was poor at her job of keeping up the air of hospitality; an older stewardess next the the younger, eyes sharp as she watched the newcomer, judging her every move.

The older employee darted her eyes over to him, and immediately straightened her impossibly straight back when she met his gaze. A smile graced her face as she nodded her head in acknowledgement.

He ought to smile. Most people would smile back in situations like that. So, he did—he gave his best "polite towards strangers" smile and raised his hand up for a short and brief wave. He practiced that one often. He was proud of that smile.

She moved her attention back to her coworker, cupping her hand and whispering in her ear once everyone had boarded, giving him the cue to move on. She didn't even appreciate his smile, though it did play in his favor, leaving him to be seen as just another traveler. It was better that way.

The pilot entered the cabin to introduce himself and talk about the flight. A charming silver fox who happily explained the planned trip ahead of them, the duration, and how he hoped they all enjoyed themselves.

He inwardly scoffed at the idea of a seventeen-hour trip. He figured it'd be an eighteen, perhaps even nineteen-hour flight, depending on how poor the weather was over the Atlantic. Either way, it left him with plenty of time on his hands.

Next to his seat was a briefcase that he had brought on with him. The plane started to shake as it took off, but he paid no mind to it—unlike the passengers around him, all murmuring to themselves in hushed and distressed voices—as he brought it into his lap and popped it open.

The main item of importance, in his opinion, was the map that could be found inside. The second item of importance was the vile of poison that could be found in a secret compartment of the briefcase, tucked away right next to a small set of knives, but considering how he was in a public space with law-abiding citizens, he decided that the map would be the thing he would bring out. He unfolded it, mouth twitching in irritation of the loud crackling and the sheer size of the old map of New York City.

He already studied the map hours prior before he boarded. He studied the second he had received his next mission. But looking over his plan thrice never hurt anyone. Except for the person he was meant to kill, perhaps.

He fished out a marker from the briefcase, then dropped it back near his feet. He read and reread street names, restaurants, hotels, anything and everything that he would need. The mayor of the city, he recalled, enjoyed Italian food. He already knew the politician's favorite places like the back of his hand. He found the names and circled them.

Food would be the easiest to kill the man, despite it not being his favorite way to kill a man. But the poison that was supplied would work well with the food. The mayor was far from being the definition from being healthy, and with the stresses of running a city, along with reelection coming up? Why, no one would bat an eye if he had a heart attack, would they? Even if officials suspected foul play, he would be back on a plane to England before they could even pinpoint a lead suspect.

The mayor was a good man, at least from what he could tell. Opinions were rarely formed on the job, as it was never his business who his next hit was. It never mattered in his eyes. But as a politician, he was sure the mayor had to be guilty of something, and that was enough to calm the tiniest part in his brain that still had the title of his conscience.

He laughed aloud to himself. The idea of him still having a conscience amused him. He kept his head down and continued his work. Albeit boring, having to memorize every inch of the map, going over his plan again and again and again until it was burned into his brain, he knew it was necessary. But oh, how did he hate monotonous work.

"First time going to New York?" A different stewardess stood in the aisle, a cart covered in a nice tablecloth in front of her. On the cart were an array of drinks, different fancy bottles for each fancy drink.

He smiled up at her as he answered, "first time traveling to America, actually." It was true, actually—the rare truth he found himself admitting to another person. He never left Europe before.

She nodded. "I've been there a few times for vacation, it's quite nice there. Especially New York." She then gestures to her cart, asking in a peppy tone, "refreshments?" ultimately ended their conversation.

He took a water and went right back to work. He spent a good portion of the flight hunched over his map, and an even bigger part staring at nothing. Planning on a map could only take up so much time, and he didn't have any hobbies; he didn't even really bring anything to entertain himself.

He reminded himself that that didn't matter. He was a man on a mission, a hunt. Entertainment didn't matter.

Besides, between his mind, the map, and the conversationalists on the plane, he was able to keep busy. The stewardesses aboard all met him with kindness that was required of them, and he returned with the same. The other passengers made small talk, asking about his reason for traveling, the type of work he does. He forced a smile on his face as lies slipped out of his mouth with ease. He forced a laugh at the dull jokes, a quip of his own to appear friendly, and small hums and noises when he couldn't think of anything quick enough to respond with.

Honestly, dealing with people was more exhausting than anything in his line of work. Smiling, while hard to get down, made things better, he found. It was quite easy to lose as well, he knew that well enough, but thankfully he was able to keep that smile until the chattering numskulls moved on. Now, if they just kept him out of everything else, he would be grateful.

Fortunately, the last few hours of the trip went just like that. He was in his alone and quiet area, thinking about New York. He wouldn't lie to himself and say he wasn't excited. Although there for a job, the idea of being somewhere new was exhilarating for him. So many new sights, new people, new sensations and wonders and emotions...

But maybe he could enjoy that afterward. He was The Reaper afterall, and he'd be damned if he didn't finish the job. Maybe he could celebrate after he finished with everything. A single glass of champagne by himself in his hotel room after a good day of assassinating the mayor sounded like a great plan to him.

Reaper grinned to himself, letting himself revel in the rare feeling of joy that he felt before the plane landed. How titillating the experience would be. He couldn't wait.

#tf2shipswag #tf2 oc #tf2 original character #tf2octournament #tf2 oc tournament #tf2ocpropaganda #tf2 oc reaper #oc reaper #reaper my beloved <33 #tf2 #tf2 oc propaganda #i spent way too long fucking reseaching 1950s flights from england to new york lmao #its one of those times where i really wish i was an artist and could draw something lol;;;; #if i get more ideas ill def write more propaganda for him #but for now deal with this half-baked ficlet lol;;

[jackwolfes]

time after time for spin cycle!! maybe like 6 months in the future? 🧇🥰

[questions]

interestingly i already have a draft set 2 and a half years on from spin cycle 👀 so instead of just telling you what i think happens i'll drop this:

On a winter day with snow falling, Wylan sits on the little bay window seat tucked at the edge of his boyfriend’s living room and draws. He sketches out figures in all sorts of shapes, trying to get the flow of their clothes right so he can add them to a design board for a laundry powder brand. They’re the newest client at the Silver Six, and he’s been given this project to lead on — not just shadowing a colleague to see how it’s done. Soon enough Wylan will scan these into his tablet and clean them up, adding colour and shine and all those other good things, but for now he wants to stay analogue. He wants to just sit with his sketchbook and draw.  

That’s what he does. He sits, and he draws. He also listens to his boyfriend patter about in another room and whine like the world is ending.  

“It’s not that there are no apartments I can afford,” he says to the world — to Wylan, vaguely, although he’s yelling from through the door that leads into his kitchen, like he hopes he can hear but can’t be bothered to come and actually check. “It’s that I don’t want to have to deal with the fucking hassle of moving, again.” 

Wylan doesn’t say, you’ve lived here for two and a half years, or you have more than enough friends who will help you, or I’ll move too and we can move in together if you want, do you want? I want. It’s embarrassing, a bit, how much he does want it. 

He stays quiet. 

“You’re being unsympathetic,” he hears. 

Wylan looks up from his sketchbook to see Jesper leaning against the doorway at the far end of the living room. He is, like Wylan, bundled up in chunky knitwear and bright colours, although as usual Jesper’s take on bright colours is a little bit absurd. Bright, clashing, ugly, wonderful. It makes Wylan smile every time he sees it, and now is no exception. 

“I’m not being unsympathetic,” he replies. 

He’s fully aware he could be more sympathetic. He’s just also aware that there’s something brightly ferocious in the core of his being that yearns for a very specific thing, and it’s a thing he’s denying himself. It’s the same way he denied himself a flat chest and a name he liked when he was younger, not because he hated himself or anything like that, but because he didn’t think he deserved the kindness of being honest when he lay in bed and asked himself, what if you aren’t the girl they think you are? He wasn’t punishing himself. He just wasn’t admitting to himself that there were questions he wanted answered. Now — if he doesn’t ask, and doesn’t let himself want, it will all be fine. 

He supposes that it doesn’t matter. He is the man he knows he is, just like he’s a man that would jump at the opportunity to move into a new apartment with the stunning, gorgeous man across the room from him. He’ll just spend a bit of time not thinking too hard about the dream of waking up every morning in the same bed as the man he’s very much in love with. 

If only, if only, Jesper gave any indication of ever wanting it.

#moonmanateee #asks #fic snippets #wesper #soc

[dykendireckt]

writing fragments of sappho in Eternian y/n

#I know it's ugly maybe I'll scan it in he morning #she ra #shera #first ones #first ones script #idk what to tag this with #sappho #sapphic #fragments of sappho #I hope im spelling all these right

[freddiefcknmercury]

A Promise(part 2)- Crimson & Clover

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader(Black coded/Genderless)

Word Count: 2.7+

Warnings/Disclaimer: SMUT. ANGST. cursing. mild depression/heart-ache. etc etc. if something needs to be tagged please lemme know.

A/N: LOL I'm back on my bullshit yall. heavy angst/depression from the previous Steve centered storyline so if you haven't read "You really think I didn't know?" I'll do some magic linky links here and at the bottom just in case. Also I'm trying something kinda different with the way I post the fics so feedback is welcome.

ALSO this one comes with a tiny playlist! there are Bolded lyrics throughout if you want to get a deeper sense of where I was emotionally writing this and where reader is as well you can Def give these songs a listen, they are in order of appearance:

Crimson & Clover- Tommy James & The Shondells

Every Time I Breathe- Arlissa

Navy Blue - Hasani

Summary: Bucky takes an extended leave for "work" related reasons and reader slips back into some dark places in his absence...

~*As always, be Nice to me I’m Delicate*~

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

He said he might be gone most of the week. Sam called the day before and all you know is it's something important. He didn't go into detail, just packed a bag and you'd never seen him do that before. But he was also only gone a day or two at a time and never felt the need to tell you about it before now either.

Up until recently you'd tip-toe around each other. Not like you used to with Steve though, worse. Bucky is a lot better at making sure you don't know he's there until it's too late. It felt like you'd never get used to each other, or more likely that you'd never want to. You might've still been secretly hoping that he'd stop caring and go away... after a while you got tired of your own bullshit and realized he's giving off that vibe on purpose. Wordlessly telling you how you should feel about him, not wanting to get too close. You never much liked being told what to do.

It was only about two months before you became a Barnes' expert. You'd sit up at night listening intently for when he'd shower, get in bed, or wake up. He never slept more than five maybe six hours at a time, you'll never understand how he can function like that. You know how he likes his coffee, which angle he holds his cup. How and where he takes off his shoes, how much ice he puts in a drink, the way he likes to cut his toast, and what time he has to do all of it. There's an almost unnerving pattern to him, one that's always been there and you were just unwilling to notice for so long, and you're not sure if he's even aware of it.

You woke up to him already gone. You knew he was leaving but actually being left alone like that unsettled you more than you anticipated, a serious case of Deja vu. You went into your routine like normal, because everything still was, but by the fifth day... you stepped into the front room and got that empty feeling. One you hadn't really had since...

It stopped you for a few seconds longer than you liked and a large knot formed in your stomach. You spent the whole day trying to ignore the feeling but it only got worse. Like a hunger pain but much more vague, crawling through each muscle. You'd catch yourself staring at his room, Bucky's room but also... Steve's. It's the first time you let yourself admit to him fully crossing your mind in over a year.

You laid up in bed, trying to count the metaphorical sheep to no avail. Getting up thinking that a snack or a warm drink will stop the restlessness, you pause in the tiny hallway shared by your bedrooms. The low blue light from the moon outside dustily illuminating the space through  a cloudy bathroom window. You stare at the door like any second he's going to ask what you're doing up so late and you can tell him to mind his own business while pouring two cups of tea.

You just wanted to touch the knob; turn it to make sure it still works- that you're still "allowed in there if you want". But stepping inside was too far, an invasion of Bucky's privacy, and you felt it. But you couldn't help yourself. You needed to know.

They were definitely cut from the same cloth. Sparse furnishings and no decorations, save a few very small trinkets he'd held onto from who knows where. There is exactly one row on his bookshelf filled with composition notebooks that were beat to hell and back. Sticky notes lined the edge of most of the pages, so much so that they easily could've been mistaken for feathers on a quick glance. You dare not touch them. Observing someone with a past that checkered is very different to reading into the things they deem worthy of physically writing down.

Where Steve used to leave small drawings and notes Bucky left half empty ink pens and a few well used pairs of gloves. You saunter to the far corner of the room and caress a worn leather jacket hanging precariously on the lowest peg of a coat rack. Doing a slow sweep of the space something in the otherwise barren closet catches your eye. The knot in your stomach that had almost disappeared was back and it brought friends. Your shirt. His shirt. The big one that said BROOKLYN across the front, what you didn't know was your "going away gift." The one you balled up and shoved in the top corner of his closet, at the time hoping you'd never look at it again. You're amazed that it's still here, that Bucky hadn't tossed it out or tried to give it back to you when he moved in.

So you put it on. You're still not sure why but you needed to wear it. To feel it drape over your skin, enveloping you in warmth and that beautiful clean familiar scent you... loved once. It sent a shiver down your spine. The knots in your stomach were gone but now there's one in your throat. You can feel the tears seated right behind your eyes. You sit on the bed holding your face pleading with the water to stay put but it's too late. You miss him. You hate to admit it, but it's true and it always has been. You're angry and you should be, you loved him- you thought he might've loved you. Pulling the hem of the shirt up you wipe the tears off your face and fall into a pillow, trying to calm yourself out of your rage unintentionally drifting into sleep.

*****************************************************

You wake up to the sound of music in the kitchen.

...Ah, now I don't hardly know her, but I think I could love her...

You sit up quickly checking your phone: 11:34am. You'd fallen asleep in Bucky's room, in his bed. A blanket had been placed over you and a short scan of the room returned a brown leather duffel bag and set of black boots that weren't present last night. He'd come back early this morning and found you here. You can feel your heart fall straight out of your ass, the void that was left being filled with pure embarrassment. Is he angry? He did tuck you in...

As slowly and quietly as possible you make your way towards the door, poking your head out just enough to assess the situation. You can see his back in the kitchen, he's hovering over the sink. You notice the couch, the spare blanket and pillow from the bathroom closet folded neatly on one of the arm rests, he had to sleep there. The void gets deeper. You pull the door open just enough to slip out of and there's a quiet creak. Steve never did fix that, and you just figured out why.

Bucky didn't turn around but definitely noticed. He steps to the side, now in front of the stove and you here something crack and sizzle. You're not sure what to do here. You can try to apologies and explain but there's no un-embarrassing way out of this one. You fold your arms over your stomach trying to hold all your very delicate pieces together while you attempt to speak up. Finally reaching the bar and fully prepared to say good morning when he quickly sets a hot bowl down in front of you. White rice and a fried egg- runny yolk. You'd make it for breakfast when you'd get up early or couldn't sleep, a friend from school put you on to it. Looks like he's been studying you too. You make eye contact but, just briefly. From what little of the expression you get on his face nothing indicates that he's mad. But he hasn't said anything to the contrary either.

How was your trip?  Dangerous I bet-sorry you couldn't come home and sleep in your own goddamn bed! Oh?! AND you made me breakfast!

You feel like a crazy person.

"Comfy last night?"

He's pouring himself some coffee, not yet turning your way. There's no hostility in his voice.

You chuckle nervously.

"Yeah.. sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it."

He sets a small glass of juice down in front of you. Heavy eye contact this time, but his expression is soft. He didn't ask for an explanation and you really didn't want to give him one. But you still feel guilt looming over you. You take the glass in both hands and nurse it.

He nods at you with a squint, taking a big sip of coffee.

"If I knew that was yours I would've given it back."

The shirt. You forgot you actually put it on. You hold your breath stroking the fabric gently. Contemplating your next words.

"It's not- well, not really."

He raises an eyebrow.

"It was a gift, so I guess it does belong to me..."

Glancing back down at it you can see him realize it says "Brooklyn." His expression changes to a knowing one and it reads like regret but he quickly tries to box it back up for you. This is a new move for him.

There's a much longer pause in conversation than either of you would like before he shifts his weight awkwardly.

"Sorry."

You push glass, now empty back across the bar towards him.

"Don't worry about it-"

You swivel in your seat quickly, taking your bowl and getting up to leave. He steps out from the kitchen after you.

"Thanks for breakfast."

The tears had been welling up and started to pour over as you left. You're still in no state to pretend to be a functioning person right now. Trying to save him from your ugly cry face by escaping but he grabs your shoulder gently suggesting you backwards.

You cover your mouth to hush a sob. You can see your chest start heave but there's nothing you can do to stop yourself. He grabs the bowl setting it down carefully, then you feel a warm metal sensation squeezing the back of your neck.

"You don't have to be over it."

He's been back a couple hours and already knows you're still a mess. You scoff, laughing at yourself really.

"What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing."

He whispered back quickly, exasperated, but tender.

You sniffle; pathetic.

"That's not how it feels."

"He fucked up. He just doesn't know it."

He wrapped his arm around your shoulders pulling you into his embrace.

It's nice to feel another person. A real solid human being; you can't remember the last time you hugged someone like this. You turn in his arms to face him. He looks tired. Not just 'had-to-sleep-on-an-old-couch' tired. Emotionally repressed. Maybe he has actually wanted to talk to you. He pulls you into him, it's just a hug  but it almost hurt how sweet this was.

Then a thought came to you, not really sure how, you can't handle more rejection right now; but you kissed him anyway, hard. Like him being gone almost killed you- because it did. He pulls away from you, just a little, reading your face his own expressionless. You search his eyes for any kind of hint as to what's going on inside his mind. You're not ready to admit this was a mistake yet. There's no real way to know how long you stood there like that. You only dare to move after you hear the song change in the background.

Words... thought they just fade away

but hurt... gave them a place to stay

"Do something."

You were sure it was just in your head but it creaked out past your lips in less than a whisper, pleading with him.

He covered your mouth with his, smoothing both hands down your neck to your shoulders gripping them gently, intently. You cling to his waist almost afraid to explore anywhere else, then slowly drag nails along his back. He pulls you back into him, you want to fuse with the warmth radiating off of his body, he bends and you collide onto the floor with a muffled thud. He cradles your head quickly so you don't get hurt but you wouldn't care at this point.

The way you fit into each other is unnerving, like your bodies weren't meant for anybody else. You both scramble to undress him in between breathy wet kisses and he's... magnificent. He pulls off his shirt and you swiftly run fingers from his neck down each arm. The metal one is warm, this surprises you for some reason. You watch as each "muscle" dances at your touch and you catch a small glimpse of something on his face that resembles insecurity... or fear. He shelves it quickly in response to you bucking your hips up to dismiss your underwear.

He buries his face in your neck, warm breaths ghosting your skin. Hooking his hands behind your knees he hoists your legs up around his waist. He bites down gently and you gasp. It's too much. He's everywhere, all at once. The last person to touch you event remotely close to this was-

"...Steve."

It just came out, you almost didn't notice it. Bucky stops, pulling back and away. He scans you, a pitiful, panting mess on the floor. The most vulnerable you've probably ever been and definitely in front of him. He shakes his head slowly once, chest heaving.

"No."

Knots line your stomach once again. He grabs your wrist to hold your arms in place up above your head and presses his forehead against yours.

"Look at me."

You hold eye contact there for a solid minute, you're sure of it. He leans forward delicately dragging teeth against your ear.

"You're gonna keep saying it until you can't forget."

He drops his hips and lines up with your entrance. You feel a thick wash of euphoria from the pressure, throwing your head back as much as possible given the floor. You roll your hips along to his, cradling each other perfectly.

His eyes didn't leave your face until you both feel your legs begin to tremble.

"Oh Bucky."

The only words you can remember.

You feel every stroke hasten and all his muscles tighten each time his name falls from your lips. He pulls your shirt up to your neck looking to spatter kisses and bite marks across your torso. You futilely dig one set of nails into the floor and the other in his shoulder as he hungrily growls into your stomach, cursing, longing for mercy.

"Fuck."

You pull him back up to your face demanding his tongue. You hear the floorboard creek from the pressure of a metal hand, the flesh one surely bruising your hip by now. There's a deep enduring moan from the back of his throat as he finds his release inside you. You gasp at the sensation and you both pant into each other, nothing but a mess on the floor now.

He presses a long, firm kiss into the bridge of your nose then falls gently on his back beside you. You roll your head up to look at his face, whatever it is he's feeling isn't immediately obvious as he stares up at the ceiling. You shift onto your side placing a light, cautious hand on his chest and he glances over at you, reaching to squeeze your thigh reassuringly.

The sky is Navy Blue soon to be baby blue and baby you got nothing but time...

He looks over your face in a deep sigh before retiring his gaze to the ceiling.

"I don't know him... The guy that left you like that."

You watch intently has his jaw clenched, he's never been able to hide that bit very well.

"I don't know what kind of..."

He trails off, clearly upset.

You sigh deeply.

"I was gonna die that night."

He rolls his head back to look at you.

"The day I met him? I had pretty much made up my mind."

You start to fiddle with the hem of your shirt. Almost reminiscent.

"But he found me in the staircase..."

You hate how subtly he did some things. If you weren't lying next to him. There's no way you'd ever be able to tell his breathing had changed.

"Essentially-"

You pick your head up, chin on his sternum.

"He saved my life."

You state matter of factually. You watch his body relax in a short, bitter way.

He rolls his head over just enough to look you in the eyes. You kiss his chest once tenderly before moving to stand up. You extend a hand down for him to grab.

"That isn't good for your back."

"You really think I didn't know?" Part1

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x black!reader #bucky imagine #bucky angst #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes x genderless!reader #marvel fanfiction #marvel au #fic playlist #crimson and clover #every time I breathe #navy blue #arlissa #tommy james and the shondells #hasani #steve rodgers x reader #steve rogers #steve rodgers imagine #milk of magnesia

[lunastargazesstuff]

From white to red🥀

Hawks(Keigo) x reader

Y/n= your name, Y/H/N= your hero name, Y/Q= your quirk

Character is aged up (18+)

(I know how old he is, I say 18+ just in case)

Warnings: swearing, Angst, blood and mentions of death

It was Monday, god you hated Monday, the only thing that made the day better was Keigo, yesterday he said the agency didn't need him or you today, so he could be on call with you.

As you woke up, all you could see was red,(no, it's not blood! We'll get there) slowly your eyes adjusted to the morning light as you smiled, gazing at the beautiful red feathers. You rolled over, immediately seeing Keigo snuggled against you, you smiled even wider, you couldn't resist the temptation, so you kissed his nose. Consequently waking him up, not that he cared though, seeing your beautiful face always made him happy

"Morn'in dove" he said smiling sleepily at you

You giggled as you apologized for waking him up and kissed his cheeks as a "sorry" of sorts. He chuckled softly, pulling you closer as he murmured "That was the best way to wake up, baby bird". You hugged him closer as he peppered your face with kisses, smiling happily, you gave him an eskimo kiss(softly rubbed your nose against his)

Suddenly, his stomach growled, startling you both, "Heh, we got anything good for breakfast, dove?" He asked sheepishly. Chuckling, you got up and got dressed, heading to the kitchen, waving your hand as you opened the bedroom door saying "Alright, I'll make something for the hungry birdie"

He playfully rolled his eyes and chuckled as he watched you leave, deciding a feather could help you with breakfast, he mischievously sent one your way

The feather flew right towards you

You yelped as the feather tickled your neck, then giggling softly, you reached your hand out and pet the feather, softly stroking it as you watched it fluff up

As you did so, Keigo stopped moving, frozen at the sensation, till he yelled, "Hey! You know my feathers are sensitive, stop teasing!"

Laughing, you stopped touching the feather as it zoomed back to Keigo, and started making breakfast, happily humming

You were done making breakfast, just putting the food on some plates, when Keigo came up behind you, "Boo!" He yelled playfully grabbing your shoulders."Gah!" You yelped, as he nuzzled your neck

"Keigo~, I could've dropped the food!" You whined, leaning back against him. He just chuckled in response and made his feathers grab the plates, "There you go, dove! Now there's no way you can drop them!"

Rolling your eyes, you sat down at the table as a feather delivered your food. You and Keigo were almost done eating when suddenly, his phone rang

His expression turned grim and serious as he immediately answered the call, then he ended the call and turned to you

"Sorry dove, the agency just called, there's a situation downtown, and they want us both at the scene immediately"

Sighing you nodded as you and Keigo went to grab your hero outfits

"What type of quirk does the villain have?" You asked curiously

"Actually, I don't know... the agency said we were the best fit, they never mentioned what quirk the villain had" he muttered, as you became concerned. "M-maybe we should call them back and see if anyone else might be a better fit?" You wondered out loud

"Naw, we can beat any villain, baby bird!"

If only he knew how wrong he was...

At the scene:

It took about 30 minutes to reach the site, flying high above the city as Keigo carried you bridle style, happily spinning in the sky as you giggled softly. "Come on Keigo! We need to focus-"

Suddenly, he stopped, staying in place as he stared ahead in horror. "What is it?" You asked looking over your shoulder, soon gasping as smoke and the smell of blood clouded your senses

'God what's happening, just..what quirk does this villain have?' You thought in horror as you and Keigo landed, scanning the area, Keigo sent out some of his feathers to search for survivors

You and Keigo only found a couple of survivors, they were wounded, as you used Y/Q to help them find shelter and stay safe, Keigo continued looking for survivors. You had only found a few more that were still alive, you were becoming increasingly alarmed, as you kept searching. When Keigo came back, he almost looked as grim as you, only having 4 people with him

One of the survivors Keigo brought back was a child, no more than 6 years old, crying and shaking in fear, you had to save them somehow. There were only a couple low ranked heroes nearby, you called for them, asking them to protect and look for more survivors

Suddenly the ground shook, a huge dome was enclosing the area, it looked like black tinted glass, ominous and evil

Your eyes widened as you got into a fighting stance, 'Fuck, this can't be happening' you thought, steadily growing anxious

"Y/H/N!" Keigo called out

As you turned around to face him, explosions went off in the distance. He quickly informed you that the villain had a quirk named "Black Crystal"

"I tried to break through the crystal already, nothing seems to be working, we're trapped..." Keigo muttered angrily

Your eyes teared up for a second before you quickly wiped them away, "W-we have to find the villain who's doing this" you exclaimed as confidently as you could

Keigo nodded, spreading his wings as he picked you up. While in the air you spotted a figure in the middle of the street, its arms were wide as it stared up at the dome. You quickly informed Keigo, as you both descended to the ground a couple of meters away the figure, you realized just how little you knew about the situation

'What is this person capable of? Who are they? Why are they doing this?' You thought worriedly as you and Keigo tried to make a plan

You and Keigo decided that he should try to distract the villain, since he was faster than you and could dodge if needed, as you would sneak up behind the villain and attack. As Keigo stepped out into the open, you couldn't help but fear for his safety, you couldn't live without him...you just couldn't

"What's up ugly? You make that weird domey thingy?" Keigo asked, successfully getting the villains attention

As planned, while Keigo distracted the villain, you started to make your way behind the villain. You were almost there, just a couple more feet! When suddenly, the villain spoke

"What do ya think you're doing girlie? Sneaking up on me?" The villain spoke eerily whilst chuckled creepily

You froze, 'what do I do now? Should I attack anyway?'

As you were about to respond, whether it be fighting or talking, Keigo beat you to it, sprinting forward as he used one of his feathers as a sword

Deciding it was now or never, you started attacking too, using Y/Q you and Keigo worked in sync. The villain seemed to be able to make objects out of black crystal, since the villain made weapons to fight you and Keigo with. It seemed like you were finally weakening the villain, 'just a little more and we'll have won!' You thought, feeling relieved

Wishful thinking I suppose...

Suddenly the villain allowed Keigo to punch him as he focused on you, kicking you straight to the ground, sputtering, you slowly got back up, only to realize you were to late, the rythm that you and Keigo were using was broken, the villain landed a hit on Keigo, before focusing back on you

Using Y/Q you attacked on your own, only landing a few hits before the villain grabbed you by the collar of your hero suit

Your eyes widened as the villain made a jagged crystal tentacle and pointed it right at your chest

Smirking, the villain slowly traced your neck with the sharp end of the tentacle, leaving a small cut as a tear trickled down your cheek. Then, still holding you, the villain turned around to face Keigo. Seeing you in such a position, Keigo could barely take it, he had to save you, but how?

Keigo stepped forward

"Ah, ah ,ah, don't come any closer, or she won't make it out alive" the villain cooed evily

Keigo froze, 'Fuck, what do I do?' He thought anxiously as you sniffled and bit back a sob

"It'll be okay Y/n, you'll be okay, I'll save you, I promise" Keigo said softly, you slowly nodded

"Now, be a good bird and send your feathers far away, hm? We wouldn't want you using them on me right?" The villain said, continuing to smirk confidently

You eyes widened as you fought against the villains grip, eyes watering, but to no avail. The villain pointed the tentacle straight at your chest before looking back at Keigo

Little did the villain know, while he was looking away Keigo had sent a couple feathers behind him

"Now, where were we-" the villain started, only to be cut off by a feather pressing against his back, the villains eyes widened before he chuckled darkly

"Okay then dumb bird, we'll play that way" the villain muttered

It all happened so fast, the feather killed the villain, but not quick enough

You gasped as the tentacle impaled your stomach, your scream being cut off from the pain as you fell to the ground

"NO!" Keigo screamed

Keigo rushed to your side as he cradled you on his lap

"No no no, this wasn't supposed to happen" Keigo cried, his tears hitting your face as you stared up at him, eyes wide in shock as tears ran down your face

"You'll make it okay dove? Okay? Everything's gonna be fine, you'll get through this, when you get better we'll cuddle and I'll buy everything you want..." he whispered, putting a hand over your wound, attempting to stop the bleeding. His eyes watering even more as he felt your blood coat his hand

You winced as you cupped his cheek, shaking your head at him, sadly smiling

"Kei-"

"No, listen to me Y/n, you're gonna make it. I'm going to be able to wake up next to you every morning, kiss you everyday. You'll be able to tease me whenever you want, just stay with me..."

Your head felt heavy as his words started to fade out

"You can't leave me, dove, I need you. You make my life worth living, I want to spend the rest of my life with you! I love you baby bird, I can't lose you, please, please don't leave me..."

"I'm sorry" you mumbled eyes starting to close

His eyes widened, he couldn't fly you to the hospital, the wound was to deep. He had to do something! He couldn't just stand by and watch you die

"I love you Keigo, my pretty birdie..." you whispered softly, while smiling

'God, how can you smile at a time like this? Don't show me that beautiful smile I fell in love with, my heart can't take it...' Keigo thought sadly

Your eyes closed, they felt to heavy to keep open

"No, no!" He was losing you, "This is all my fault, I should've been able to protect you, keep my promise and save you" he spoke, vioce breaking as he lost control of his emotions

"No....don't....love......please....Y/n."

What was he saying? You can barely hear him...

Keigo cried while holding you close, head resting against yours as his wings lost their shine

"Don't go..." he whispered

____________________________________________

🕊🥀🕊🥀🕊🥀🕊🥀🕊🥀🕊🥀🕊

Sorry for any mistakes, I'm pretty sure this sucked, I'm more experienced with fluff, but I tried!

The picture isn't mine, credit to the artist

#anime #bhna #mha bnha #bnha hawks #my hero academia hawks #hawks x reader #keigo x y/n #keigo x reader #i tried

[bored-storyteller]

Okay, I humbly apologize. I had a bad time - and unfortunately it's not over 😩- but here's the second part with three other leaders. I know I know I know! Malleus is missing! I'll try to post Mal today too- tomorrow, it depends on where you are - I promise.

Please I know you love him so much but love me anyway 🥺

14- Dorm leaders x down!s/o pt.2

Kalim Al-Asim

· Kalim is magical and exhausting at the same time. Yes, s/o love him from the bottom of their hearts, but dealing with him in times of stress is exhausting.

· The young nobleman does not really know the stress, at least, for what s/o can see, and this leads him to overcome any worries. It's not that he doesn't want to see other people's problems, it's just that he can't think of them.

· S/o as the days go by they feel worse and worse. The head often hurts and tiredness brings them into a state of almost half asleep. If Kalim saw this he would be very worried about them, but their presence for him is a fact. He is convinced that if something went wrong s/o would tell him, right?

· But no. How could they say no to his requests? That is, actually there is not even time to refuse.

·  Jamil is worried. He sees what is going on and tries to marginalize the problems. S/o should rest, they could ask him for help - as if he wasn't already doing everything in the dormitory-. But s/o know that the vice leader is already very busy, burdening him with their study problems and their worries is not the case.

Having to deal with Kalim really means having almost never breath. Even his affection can sometimes be a problem.

Yes, s/o certainly love him, but three days before the start of the test session, the thing more than making them happy is shaking them.

They have studied practically nothing and really feel their strength failing. While everyone is studying carefully, they are struggling to finish their homework for the next day.

The nights for s/o are now nothing more than a staring at the ceiling in desperate search for information that does not exist in their head. And the lessons are so heavy in the morning that their hope of getting through the year is almost zero.

Sometimes the idea of dropping out of school even went through their mind. They would certainly be freer.

Right now, s/o they are hiding in the bedroom, surrounded by study books.

It doesn't matter how much they read and reread those words, their overfull mind wanders over their fears, not making them memorize anything.

There is no way they can overcome this. They curl up on the bed, clutching their knees to their chests and doing everything they can to keep from crying.

Suddenly the door swings open. Kalim comes in with his cheer, filling the room with his happy voice.

It seems that he is excited about something, but s/o can’t help but look at him with wide eyes without understanding.

His exclamations echo in their heads as if it were empty, breaking the delicate crystal walls.

"Stop!" They cry when even the last fragile column of their sanity is brought down.

"Stop!" They repeat, bringing their hands to their faces and collapsing supine on the bed.

"Stop it! I can't take it any more! If I continue like this I will go crazy!"

The arms cover the face wet with tears. They are not really shouting at Kalim.

He stops suddenly, a little frightened by that reaction.

What happened? Where did he go wrong this time?

When the silence weighs too much, they still speak: "I ... I need to get out of here, I... don't want to be in this school anymore. "

Kalim listens in silence for a few moments to their sobs, then slowly, shyly, sits beside them on the bed.

"No ..." he murmurs, "I will help you, whatever your problem is." His voice is that of an injured child, but his arms raise s/o to his chest, to hold them against him and protect them.

"Everything will pass, I promise you. But I can't be without you."

The fingers pass slowly through the hair of s/o while his crimson eyes scan the books around them.

Kalim's arms hold them desperately. Right, how could they leave him alone? In short, who would help Jamil then?

That thought makes them smile, and while s/o get up seated they give to the boy a simple and light "ok", and then they resume the study with a quieter mind.

Kalim no longer talks, but neither does he leave, he simply remains close to them a little to comfort them, a little for the fear that they will move away from him, until he ends up falling asleep on their lap.

Vil Schoenheit

· Here, another guy who made stress his life. Some type of stress. Obviously, he must meet expectations.

· This also applies to those around him, or rather, to those who are close to his heart. If he demands so much from someone, it means that he cares about them. In a sense, even his insult when it is constructive is flattering.

· But for an already stressed s/o, dealing with him is extremely anxiety-provoking. You have to be perfect, everything has to be in order, and for an already fragile mind, well, the step to break is not far away.

· Still, he bears a great deal of stress on his shoulders without showing it, but he doesn't notice that others can sometimes be overwhelmed, and his manners aren't exactly delicate when it comes to appearances.

·  S/o are almost afraid of him every time his eyes meet them. What will he say? What's wrong with them?

Yes, they know how important the smile is, but they can't do it. In the library they leaf through the book they hold in their hands with empty and dull eyes.

They don't have to look good, on the other hand disappointment for themselves keeps them up all night.

There is no way they can get through this period, not for how they are.

They sigh, placing the book on the shelves and giving up. They fold their arms on the table as they sit, and there they hide their tired faces.

S/o  would like to go into hibernation, everything would be easier. No commitment, no judging eye ...

"S/o, my dear." The firm voice of the Poemfiore leader makes itself heard. It is firm, severe even if placid.

What's up now? Oh sure. They are not sitting upright with their backs. Hair is probably a mess and their eyes have been ruined for days. They already know to suck, there is no need for him to say it. They already hate each other, and there is no need for him to see how ugly their sticky face is with tears.

S/o do not move, as if he were not there, they remain closed inside themselves, in such a state of surrender that not even Vil can grasp immediately. But he understands that something is wrong. It never happened that they ignored him.

 “S/o.” the name is repeated again, but this time it is accompanied by the delicate hand of the leader who touches the hair of s/o.

As soon as the fingertips touch the head, as if they were of fire, s/o spring back, scared as if they had a ferocious beast in front of them.

Vil stares at those eyes so full of fear. Afraid of him.

In their dark circles he sees all the suffering of those days, all the dozing sadness. And in that situation of desolation, they feared him as if he were their enemy, the one who wants to harm them.

"No… Please..."

A prayer comes out of their fragile lips as if he is ready to kill them. He's not sure if they're clear-headed... no, they seem to be in another world. A dark and lonely world.

Vil's white fingers caress s/o's chin. They do not retreat, but tremble as if they were blades.

"I won't hurt you. I'm just worried about you."

His words are clear, as always, but a little sweeter than usual. He patiently sits in front of them, without losing contact.

"You can tell me what troubles you."

Finally the gaze of s/o meets the beautiful eyes of the boy. Eyes so beautiful, admired, and at this moment sincere.

S/o they bend down again, resting their forehead on Vil's hand while holding it with theirs. There they cry, for once without the weight of the angry gaze, but only surrounded by affection, while Vil gently caresses their head.

Idia Shroud

·  Ok, how to say, this guy is made of stress.

· Idia fears the social relationship, people stress him, what is not his room and his computer stresses him. He is not an easy person to manage.

· S/o are practically elected. They are fortunate to be admitted to his. In short, they can remain curled up on his bed without him saying anything.

· Usually are s/o who take care of him, who try to support him and calm him down, but sometimes of course they are the ones who need support ... but well, Idia practically doesn't exist.

· It is not his fault, but even if he cares about s/o in a way that even he did not believe possible, he is not good at social relationships. Very often he will limit himself and stay next to them, still connected to the internet. They don't mind, usually.

But this time the boy's body isn't even close to them. He is far away, in the darkness of the room, illuminated only by the screens. Yes, they are not even totally sure that he is aware of their presence.

Ortho, to their disappointment, is not present.

S/o don't need to be there, but for some time now they have felt a lump in their throat that they can't swallow. They have failed a test, and there is no way to recover it, or so they believe.

The truth is that they are nothingness.

They have to study, but loneliness echoes in their head. Nobody wants them.

So they slipped from the leader of Ignihyde to find comfort. It would have been fine even if he had been silently beside them, but no, he was elsewhere. They had seen an excited light in his eyes when they arrived. Maybe chat with someone online? Of course, those friends are better than them.

A failure, a weight, that's s/o.

Small tears wet the already dimly lit page.

In the darkness in which they find themselves, they sink into the anxiety and fear that they have been holding inside for weeks.

That horrible feeling of emptiness that causes the brain to tilt.

Idia does not notice the sobs. S/o are hidden, curled up into a ball on the boy's bed. Nothing makes sense to them anymore. More they cry, more they lose consciousness of their surroundings, and everything disappears.

Idia is too caught up in his game. He does not really notice that s/o are not well.

Only when he turns enthusiastically to communicate something to them does he hear them.

Sobs are louder now, but they don't know it.

Heart breaks in Idia. How long have they been crying? Two hours will have passed since they arrived. Why didn't they speak?

Oh God, it's his fault ... he sucks with people so badly, and he always ends up hurting them.

Maybe they came to him because somehow they believed he made them feel good, didn't they?

He gets up from his chair, unsure of what to do. Embarrassed he approaches them.

God, they seem so fragile. Will he break them if he touches them?

Slowly, as if he were dealing with a kitten, he places his sweatshirt on them, and then, a little scared, he sits next to them.

They seem lost, s/o don't react.

Idia feels the butterflies in his stomach from agitation. Suddenly, it seems to him that the figure of s/o is fading away in the dark of the room. It's scary.

Shyly he stretches his arms around the small figure and carefully pulls them into his chest.

He feels their sobs freeze for a moment, almost frightened, and then finally the muscles relax, while they abandon themselves to him.

"Sorry, I'm a delusion..." They murmur, clinging to him.

So is this what they think?

"No ... you ... I ... find you beautiful ..."

He speaks shyly. He's not exactly that these words are what they need, but that's what he really thinks.

His cheek is warm against their head. Maybe he's blushing.

How can they not smile at this?

#twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twst #kalim al asim #vil schoenheit #idia shroud #twst kalim #twst vil #twst idia #twisted wonderland idia #vil schoenheit x reader #kalim al asim x reader #idia shroud x reader #twst headcanons #scenarios #headcanons #request

[kuronanox]

A promise in heaven - Julius Novachrono

"Let me go!"

"No, you know I can't do that."

"I hate you Julius I can't stand looking at you."

Yanking her arm from his grip she cried and screamed. He tried to hold her and comfort her but she refused. The feeling of betrayal overcame him.

"Why don't you trust me!" Julius shouts, letting his emotions get to him. "I only love you and I've proven it so many times! What must I do to make you stay."

(Your Name) shakes her head and looks down at the floor. "Nothing, how could you love a broken person like me?"

"(Your Name)." He says with a crack voice as she looks back at his pained eyes. With one last yank Julius let her arm go as she ran away.

It was 10 years ago and it still hurt him till the present day. At first he laid around his room and neglected his duties more. After a few months he knew she wasn't coming back.

Julius looked out the Clover Kingdom and sighed. She was a troublesome girl and often got into trouble a lot. He just wanted to be there for her and protect her from the cruel world.

They met when she was running away from a group of thugs, she had stole a bag of gold from them out of desperation of money.

"The dumb bitch is running around the corner!"

(Your Name) ran as fast as should could, she was running out of money and by the next week she was going to be on the streets again. Turning the corner she came across Julius and he looked shocked.

Clicking her teeth she advanced towards him and kicked him in the stomach and made a run for it.

Julius was the wizard king but getting kicked by a civilian shocked him that he couldn't move.

"It-it's the wizard king!" The thugs yelled and ran away back to their homes afraid he was going to send them to prison.

(Your name) looked back to see no one as she sighed and smiled. The money would last her months till she can get a steady foot.

"That wasn't really nice miss." Julius says in front as her mouth gasp and she pulled out a dagger.

"Move or else." She says with fear in her voice.

"Hey hey, I won't hurt you. Tell me where are you from?" He gently says holding her hands down safely.

Knitting her brows she scanned him up and down. Shaking her head she shut her mouth.

Julius sighed and took the bag of gold from her. Her eyes widen "Hey!"

"Tell me, why are stealing gold from under ground thugs?"

"Because... isn't it obvious. I need the money."

"Get back to work!" Marx shouts to Julius as he spaced out for the 5th time that morning. "Ahh I'm sorry, I got distracted again."

Picking up a piece of paper to sign Marx gives a sympathetic look and walks away. He knew Julius was thinking about her. (Your Name) the only person to bring out his smile besides when he saw new types of magic.

Julius and (Your Name) were in love but she couldn't handle the life and the people here.

It seemed like everyone was against their relationship at the time and tried to bring them down. They succeeded as she left a part of Julius left with her.

"I'll help you back to your feet." Julius offered as he brought her to safety in his office.

"I don't need help from you." She sneered looking away from him.

"Alright well I guess you won't be needing this either." Julius smirked dangling the bag of gold as her eyes followed in desperation.

"Ugh fine! What do you want me to do?"

"You can get a job as a server at one of our nicest restaurants in the kingdom."

(Your Name) crossed her arms and took a seat across from Julius, listening to the opportunity she has.

"Fine, where will I stay till I can get a place?"

"Um here!" He exclaimed with a bright smile as she gave him a smug look.

"Whatever, deal."

A loud thunder clashed as (Your Name) eyes opened from her sleep. She sat up from bed and pushed her hair away from her face.

"Why do I keep dreaming about him? I left him I shouldn't be this sad."

"(Your Name)! You have your regular!" A coworker had shouted out to her.

The past few months she was working there she became a natural and tips became so easy to make.

Julius also became a regular because he wanted to check up on her to see if she was okay and also because he was entranced by her.

She smiled to herself and turned to see Julius waiting patiently for her.

"The usual?" She asks him as he nodded.

After her shifts he was always there to walk her back safely and at the same time she was still staying in his office.

"You know I can get my own place now."

Julius stiffens a bit and gives a weak smile. "Actually (Your Name) I wanted to talk to you about sometime."

"Um alright." (Your Name) says noticing that he was acting unusual that night.

"I've been feeling this for a while, but I really enjoy your company and would like to have you by my side and would be sadden to see you with anyone else."

"Did you just confess to me?" She laughs as he grabs the back of his neck and lightly chuckles.

"Kinda."

"Well lucky for you I will accept!"

(Your Name) gets a message from Marx asking her to return to the Clover Kingdom. Throwing the paper away she goes out and starts to harvest her plants because winter could get harsh.

"Why does that mushroom keep sending me updates about Julius! It's been years and I've moved on!" She tries to convince herself and dig in the dirt planting some tomatoes.

"I'm home!" (Your Name) shouts as Julius hoisted her from behind.

"I'm glad you got back safe. How was work?"

"Ugh I had a table leave without paying but either than that it was good."

Julius smiles and kisses her

gently on the on the lips taking her to the shower.

They relaxed in the tub as he told her about his day and all the new magic he saw.

"Seems interesting, I'm not really gifted in magic..."

Julius notices her sadness and lifts her chin to his face. "You are more than enough to me, I'll be here to protect you."

"But I won't be able to protect you! What if something happens to the kingdom and you can't stop it! I won't be able to help."

Julius sighs and drys his body along with her as they laid in bed.

"Shh, stop. Nothing will ever happen. I promise."

"Julius, don't make promises you can't keep."

"I promise." He whispers to her, laying his head on her as she sadly smiles and lets him drift to sleep.

Julius thought back about that time, he promised to protect her and the kingdom. As he fought licht he had a small feeling of guilt.

He was about to break his promise, he thought about (Your Name). Wondering if she was still alive or in trouble.

When Licht plunged his sword into Julius, he smiled. Maybe it was better this way. He was getting older and a new wizard king was bound to happen.

Then he thought again. "Maybe this time I'll get to be with (Your name)."

Although he wanted to cry no tears came out.

"What are you reading so intently?" (Your Name) asks Julius as he tried to hide the letter but was snatched out of his hands.

"Wow everyone hates me here. I told you Julius I'm nothing but a burden to you and the kingdom!"

Julius sighs and looks out the window, it was the 10th letter that week regarding (Your Name) and how she didn't deserve to be with him and how weak she was.

"No one thinks that."

"Everyone thinks that. Stop trying to hide the truth from me. I know no one accepts our relationship. Especially bird braid Nozel.”

Julius sits up from his chair and brings her to an embrace as she hugged him. "I hate this. I hate myself."

"Shh, stop."

(Your Name) sighed, even when going out alone people yelled and called her names. Some refused to let her in the store or provide service. Although she never let Julius know, he knew.

"We will be okay, I promise."

She scoffed and hugged tighter in his embrace. "You and your promises again."

Opening the millionth letter again from Marx she scanned through it and was about to throw it away when she read that Julius had passed away and her attendance at Clover Kingdom was necessary.

Her mouth went dry as her eyes watered. Packing everything that was important to her she hit the road and left to see him.

It was when she entered, Marx immediately brought her to the body. Holding in her cries she saw his face. He was at peace, no more work no more duties to attend. He was in heaven.

"I wish he could have seen you one last time if we had known he was going to pass." Marx states looking down at the body.

Crying ugly tears she screamed and took his hand with hers. "I'm sorry I left Julius. You know me to well I was to stubborn and I selfishly left you."

The days passed and she lingered in his room and bed looking out the window it had been raining the last few days.

No announcement had been made to the public yet, although everyone had been curious where the wizard king has been.

“Yo.” A gruff lazy voice calls by the door way.

Sitting up she calls out. “Yami.”

“Still see you lounging around?”

She laughs and looks down at her hands. “Yeah it’s been tough. Glad to see you are doing well.”

Yami puffs out some smoke and leans against the door. “Yeah, you too. Thought you were dead if I’m being honest. Julius never told me what happen.”

Sighing she looks up to Yami and gives a weak smile.

“I wish it was me rather than him.”

Silence fold between the two as they listened to the rain fall. “Well I gotta show you something.”

“What?”

“Just follow me.”

Walking down the hallway they make it to a balcony.

“It’s raining Yami.”

Turning around he was gone.

She saw that the kingdom was a mess, the buildings were destroyed, the people were trying to rebuilt their lives again.

“(Your Name).”

“I don’t have time to see this Yami!”

“Well after all these years you still have some sassy in you.”

“You know I don’t really need-“ turning her body in slight irritation she sees Julius standing behind her with a smile.

The smile that lit up the world and all that was there.

“Julius!”

“I’m back (Your Name).”

Giving him a big hug she rubbed her face in his chest. “I’ve missed you, I’m so sorry.”

Julius caresses her hair and embraces her.

“I forgive you, this time you are saying.”

“But how did you come back? I saw you out cold.”

Julius looks away slyly. “It’s complicated, we will get back to that another time. At the mean time we have lots to catch up on.”

Grabbing her hand they walk back to room and sit on the bed.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” She says back holding both his hands looking down ashamed.

“We will fix this (Your Name), nothings ever perfect.”

“I know, I’ll stay and I’ll push past the obstacles that tear us down.”

Julius kisses her hands and brings them to his face.

"I didn't break my promise and came back."

(Your Name) punches him lightly and scoffs.

"Whatever."

They lay in bed and look out the window together. "Well looks like we have a lot of work for the kingdom in the next few months."

"I like the we." She says and he kisses her forehead.

"It's always going to be we for now on." Julius says closing his eyes, enjoying this peace of heaven he could stay for a while.

#black clover oneshots #black clover oneshot #black clover julius #julius novachrono #yuki tabata #black clover #yami sukehiro #black clover yami #black clover x reader #black clover imagines

[funtimebunnyblog]

Diamante d’Italia: Chapter 5

(Chapter 5: Another day in paradise)

Josuke grit his teeth, his chin resting in his hand as he held the phone slightly away from his ear, though the guffaw that continued to ring out from the speaker could still be very much heard.

He had already called his Mom to check in with her when he first woke up this morning and since he had the whole day ahead of him he waited until after a much needed shower to call his best friend.

That now seemed like a mistake after listening to him howl with laughter for almost five minutes now.

He winced as Crazy Diamonds hands ghosted over the mottled flesh of his back, sharp pinging following their careful movements as the stand dutifully patched him up.

He was just glad the bed made it easier to sit down with that one.

From what he saw in the bathroom mirror, where those junkies had kicked him in the back had left a bruise that was the size of a basket ball and it was as black and green as Rohans signature hair.

Spots of the same colours along with splotches of an ugly purple were also sprouting on his upper left arm and shoulder. Not to mention the particularly ugly one that was currently taking up residence on his thigh and.... a more unsavory place just slightly north of there.

He had definitely been right about hurting in the morning that's for sure because he practically yelped when rolling over, causing him to fall out of bed and onto the carpeted floor to add to it all.

Staring up into the face of Crazy Diamond looking down at him from where he laid half-whimpering and aching all over was not a way he would recommend starting your day.

The fan of the hotel room spun slowly above him from where he sat on the huge marshmallowy bed in only a towel, his damp pale skin starting to dry and chill beneath the breeze.

"--so-so... lemme get this straight-... you..." Josuke rolled his eyes as Okuyasu struggled to keep his giggles in check over the phone. "You get there..... and-... hehehe.... and- not even like 2 hours.... -and you get beat up?"

"Yes." He sighed.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"--oh Josuke!" He wheezed into the receiver, dying down into giggles again. "--I'm so sorry buddy- but that's.... -that's funny.... oww... owww my stomach..."

Josuke grunted, pulling the phone away from his head to avoid going deaf in his right ear as more barking laughter rang out.

He could practically feel Crazy Diamonds own eyeroll as they continued their ministrations on his back.

"Yeah, yeah. I know." He groaned. "Just don't tell Mom, I don't want her to worry about me."

"So what happened after? You must've gotten away somehow right? Did CD put them in their place?" His words were almost drowned out by the obnoxious crinkling of a bag in the background, followed by the unmistakable crunch of potato chips drilling into his eardrum.

"No. I didn't even think about it. It was all happening so fast all I could think of was to grab hold of my suitcase and not let go."

"Oh man, you didn't lose your luggage did you?" Okuyasu questioned after swallowing his mouthful of junkfood very quickly. "Your Mom would have a fit!"

A smile found its way to Josukes face, "No actually. Someone helped me, oh man you should've seen him! He put a run to them and he was really cool too!"

Josuke proceeded to tell Okuyasu all about the one and only Abbacchio and their time together along with meeting Bucciarati.

He spared no details in telling him all about the scrumptious meal he had devoured that night, he could practically hear the other teenager drooling all over the phone as he described the juicy details of prosciutto stuffed chicken breast.

Bruno looked very anxious and warned him it was very dangerous to wander the streets at night, most especially when he was a tourist carrying all his possessions that didn't know where to go.

After Josuke had eaten last night, Bruno asked him if he was staying somewhere and the teenager realized he had completely forgotten about finding a Hotel!

The streets by then were dark and it was late, they had talked for so long but the time had just flew right bye. Jouske had grabbed his bag and thanked the two men graciously for the food and their company, making sure he bowed deeply in respect as he done so, about to head out to find one before he was stopped.

More importantly, he wouldn't even be able to read any signs leading to a Hotel.

Josuke realized he had gotten ahead of himself and accepted the mans proposal to take him to the Hotel a few blocks away, which he did and Josuke had to say, the place was like paradise on Earth.

The building itself was huge! Not to mention high-class. The lobby had a chandelier that was the size of his Livingroom back home! And the fountain in the center of it was bigger than the one outside his School!

Bruno chuckled seeing the owlish expression on his face as they entered through the glass sliding doors, the reflection of the golden lights above them on the polished white marble floor made his baby blue eyes sparkle. Abbacchio simply opted for staying outside and smoking a much needed cigarette while his partner helped Josuke arrange a room.

"Oh man!" Okuyasu said through another mouthful of chips. "That sounds A-B-C-Delicious! I wanna eat that!"

"You'll have to bug Tonio about it if you're that eager." Josuke laughed. "Speaking of food, you've eaten a full meal today right?"

The crunching came to a sudden stop.

"Define--"

"As in you've eaten something cooked and not just junkfood." He interrupted, drumming his fingers on his knee, he already knew his answer however.

Silence... he could actually hear the sounds of Stray Cat (whom both boys had taken to aptly nicknaming 'Guns and Roses') purring along with the feint sound of the TV playing in the background.

"Okuyasu!"

"Sorry! I'll eat real food tomorrow!" He whined. "I just forgot is all!"

"I've actually just been binge watching this goofy tv series. I've heard about it for a while but I finally decided to get into it. Man, I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow, I've been sitting on my ass for so long!" He cackled.

Josuke huffed, however deciding to not press him further on the matter and take his word.

Okuyasu needed to take better care of himself and Josuke usually had to remind him of the importance of it, along with helping his friend pilot through all his emotional troubles.

"It's this Anime thing called 'Dodo's Wacky Quest'. It's pretty good!" There was a pause as a indignant 'meow' sounded close to the phone, followed by more rustling of the chip bag. Okuyasu grunted, the phone crackling  as he moved to hand the living plant a chip. "The series is pretty long though. But hopefully I'll have most of it done by the time you get back."

'Speak for yourself...' Josuke thought, shifting slightly on the bed to try and inevitably get more comfortable.

Crazy Diamond was almost finished with his back, the worst one was next.

"What series is it?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Huh," Josuke rubbed his chin, smiling. "I'll have to watch some of it with you."

"That'd be cool! Dodo kinda reminds me of you actually. I dunno if I've met any Jio in my life though, dude gives me the willies..."

Crazy Diamond leaned over him and tapped his leg, shooting him a look.

"I'd better go man. I'll try to talk to you tomorrow, remember your promise!" He said into the phone, turning away from his stand.

"Ok. Ok. I will. Jeeze..." the eyeroll he was getting was evident in the others voice. "Be safe JoJo!"

"I will. Bye."

He put the phone back in its cradle on the bedside stand and sighed, swatting away the phantom hands that pulled on the towel covering him and ignoring the exasperated 'Dora' as he shunted it aside himself.

'Lay on your stomach.' Came the telepathic order from Crazy Diamond. 'I can give you a massage after I'm done with the last bruise to help relax you further.'

He was just glad he didn't decide to tell Okuyasu about his last bruise, otherwise he would've probably passed out from laughter, resulting in Josuke to have to end the call promptly.

He'd never be able to live this down from his stand alone....

☆☆☆

There was so much he wanted to do, and so much he wanted to see. He decided to leave his suitcase behind within the safety of his room (not wanting a repeat of yesterday) carrying just his wallet, a disposable camera his Mom had given him to take pictures and his handy dandy comb of course.

Finally walking again and not shuffling along uncomfortably like an old man (as he had been doing earlier), Josuke strutted downstairs to the lobby without a hair out of place.

His precious mane had been properly lathered, rinsed, gelled, combed and hairsprayed and he was ready to tackle the day!

The golden charms adorning his uniform gleamed like his eyes and he walked with pep in his step, shoes shined and clicking on the polished marble floor.

He needed to tackle business first before he went about to getting some breakfast. He had already had a cup of strong instant coffee after the massage given to him by his stand, using the machine inside of his room (this Hotel really had everything).

"Hello." He greeted the lady at the desk in the lobby, a woman in her sixties with greying hair pulled back into a bun, maroon lipstick and matchig rectangular spectacles. "I was just wondering if I could pay for my nightly stay now and maybe pay for tomorrow too?"

"Can I have your name, dear?" She asked, already typing away on the keyboard of the large white box computer before her.

"Josuke Higashikata. J-O-S-U-K-E."

Her long black nails clicked and clacked away loudly on the keyboard, he watched in silence as her dark red lips pursed, her eyes scanning the screen.

"It says here you're already covered for your full stay."

'Embarrassing' wouldn't be a word he would use to describe a situation where he had to call his Nephew and demurely ask if he could get a lift home like a drunk teenager calling a half-alseep Parent in the middle of the night.

He blinked at her, raising both his eyebrows.

"Umm... I don't think that's right. I only booked the room last night..." he trailed off, feeling his heart starting to pound in his chest.

He prayed to God this somehow wouldn't end with him being in debt with no way home.

She hummed, "It says you're fully covered. You just need to inform the Hotel of the date you're departing and a direct deposit is already in order." She explained.

That answered absolutely none of his questions.

"How is that possible?" He asked, doing his best to keep his voice calm as he rubbed the back of his neck idly.

More typing and clicking.

"It says here that your stay has been covered by..... a Mr. Bruno Bucciarati. He arranged for the bill to be footed to him." Came her reply at last, turning in her chair to look at him.

It took the Highschooler a moment to process that, blinking like an idiot as she stared at him.

What.... when.... how did..... why did....?

"Oh.... uh.... I-I see. Thank you." He told the older woman at last, with a half-hearted wave goodbye as he left the lobby, out into the world of golden sunshine awaiting him outside.

Each question seemed to short-circuit in his brain, he couldn't decide on what to ask first.

Josuke finally realized he was lingering and staring as the old woman addressed him again, before averting his eyes, his face tinging a little pink.

Why on Earth would the man put himself through so much trouble? Paying out of his pocket for him at a Hotel where people who looked like they wiped their asses with dollar bills stayed there no less! It didn't make sense!

This Hotel seemed a little one the pricy side, he had actually been wary about staying here the night but didn't want to be rude and ask Bucciarati to take him to another Hotel, so he decided to risk it and see how much it was the next day (silently praying he wouldn't be dialing Jotaro Kujo afterwards with a speech prepared of course).

This however changed everything.

He was still a virtual stranger to Bruno and his partner, and he didn't feel like he had earned such a kind gesture. He didn't have a doubt in his mind that both men were wealthy but this just felt akin to stealing in Josukes eyes.

It was the least he could do. It's what he wanted to do. It's what he was raised to do.

Josuke leaned up against the stone wall of the Hotel, considering his options. He could tell the Hotel that wasn't necessary and to cancel that previous order and allow him to pay.

Or he could find Bucciarati again (it couldn't be that hard) and offer to pay him back, if not in money maybe he could do something in return for him.

That did it.

He took one last look at the Hotel to remember the name as he prepared to cross the street (he needed something to go off of if he was gonna find a way back afterall).

He had a new mission added onto today.

He was going to do some sight seeing, eat some more damn delicious food and keep his eyes open for either one of the men he dined with last night.

"Albergo brillante Diamante..." he murmured, absentmindedly scratching his cheek as he did his best to pronounce the words (in what he hoped was the correct manor).

"Hmm... wonder what that means."

All he truly knew was that he Josuke Higashikata, had a mission he was going to see through today.

...

He mentally added 'buying a dictionary' to his list today as he narrowly avoided a car coming in the street, yelling out a "Sorry!" To the driver laying on his horn (who wasn't supposed to have the right away).

[To be coninued... 》

#Diamante d'Italia #josuke higashitaka

[sirro85-blog]

Dark Horses 4

Becca jerked awake as Kovac tossed in his sleep, he was drenched in sweat and as she reached out for him Kovac sat upright with a gasp, he looked around wildly and then a shudder seemed to pass through him. Becca reached a hand out to touch his shoulder, he flinched violently and stumbled out of the bed, there was a crash as he overturned a bedside table.

"It's ok, it's ok, baby it was only a dream," Becca hurried round the bed to his side, Kovac turned to her, nude and gleaming with sweat, his eyes were wide and he was still shaking.

The door burst open and Knickers was in the doorway, a pistol in her right hand supported on her left wrist, in her left hand was a long bladed knife. She scanned the room and on seeing Kovac, his back to the room his muscles taut and his breathing heavy she lowered the weapons and hurriedly crossed the room.

"Same dream big man?" She asked softly.

Kovac blinked and looked down at her, He nodded mutely and let her reach up and hook her fingers round the back of his neck, she pulled his head down so their foreheads touched. They paused like this for barely a moment and then pulled apart, Knickers nodded to Becca and turned for the door.

Becca stared after the soldier for a moment and then turned to Kovac who looked calmer again. "You alright?" She handed him a glass of water.

Kovac took a drink and nodded, "I'm sorry, did I scare you?"

"One of these days you're going to explain to me why I have no problem with you and Knickers sharing a naked cuddle in our bedroom...does she know what your dreams are about?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't I? Look I love the woman but I've known you longer, we go back to the academy."

Kovac closed his eyes for a moment and then turned to face Becca directly, "When you and Wolf and all our old friends were settling into your first commands I was burying a wife and child and when she..." he pointed after Knickers and then paused, "we've been through a lot together and we've helped each other out."

"Ok, are you alright now? Do you want to talk? Look if the dream keeps happening maybe we should retire, you've been through enough surely."

"I sleep fine after battles Bex, that has never been my problem, I'm alright," he kissed her, "Thank you, I might go down to the gym, not going to sleep much more tonight."

Dawn found Becca sitting with Wolf watching Kovac in the ring, "didn't fancy facing him yourself today?"

Wolf shook his head, "No fear, not in this mood, I'll stay out of his way."

In the ring stood Ty a soldier from Captain Dorman's 3 Troop and probably the largest man in the squadron, nearly equal in height to Kovac's 6 and a half feet, he was bigger in build, the Major and Trooper had enjoyed a competative sparring rivalry since their days in the 88th.

The two men circled one another, and locked up, Ty's dark black skin contrasting against the white of Kovac's hair as the Major was forced to one knee. The watching crowd stood and roared it's approval as the Major had to break free.

Becca could barely see as she heard the shouts of the soldiers.

"That's it Ty batter him, don't let him out of the corner, keep the pressure on,"

"He's gone southpaw Ty, look out!"

"No, move quicker, don't let him circle you like that!"

"No stop him moving, lock it up, use your strength."

Wolf who was standing on his chair looked like he was close to joining in he was so animated, "god Kovac is quick, COME ON TY!, GO ON SON PIN HIM IN THE CORN....OOooooh."

Becca clambered onto her chair to look over the heads in front, Ty was staggering backwards but unloaded a thunderous right hook that Kovac ducked under before straightening and with a jump bringing his own left cross into the side of Ty's jaw. Ty dropped to his knees clearly dazed and Kovac applied a sleeper hold, it was over moments later.

When the two officers reached the front Kovac was shaking hands with Ty who was in full flow explaining the origin of the term "southpaw".

That afternoon in Kovac's office after Staff King had been by to reprimand the Major for injuring himself and a trooper Kovac delivered the news everyone had been expecting.

"We've been back for long enough, time to go out to Fo-ro-shall and deal with the Bartuq. Gilly is content with the set up out there although he would like some bigger guns...wouldn't we all."

"The sergeant-major has been briefing the sergeants so stay out of their way, let them do their jobs and look closely at the new info Gilly sent back."

"Bartuq pirates are a nuisance out there but isn't it more of a concern that any troop movement out there is going to stir up the Xhost? Do we need permission to carry out our operation?" Becca asked, it was a question she had asked before.

"That's being handled." Kovac replied.

The exact solution to the issue was revealed the day after the Dark Horses had deployed en masse to Fo-ro-shall the Towoli planet. Kovac was sitting with Wolf when Capt ain Gillespie arrived with two others in tow.

Wolf saw them coming and stood, Kovac turned and copied his Captain.

Gillespie stopped and turned to introduce the man on his right, "Major I'm sure you're pleased to make the reacquaintance of Staff Sergeant Sam White, call sign 'Ugly', Gunner extraordinaire of Griffin Battery and," said Gillespie turning to his left, "needs no introduction but I like saying it; Brigadier-General Michaela Jones."

The four officers shook hands, "Major, how are my soldiers?" The general asked.

"Well ma'am, it's good to see you," Kovac said to the small heavy set woman opposite.

"Your soldiers ma'am?" Ugly asked.

"Oh not anymore, not since Kovac stole them," Michaela replied with a grin.

"Still your soldiers ma'am, like their OC they'd follow you anywhere, I'd have invaded Hell if you'd led the way"

"I think with two more of you I could conquer it, but I think the day this lot were anything but yours is long gone, gone up in Aprasi smoke," the general said taking a seat.

"That's right I heard about this, you were on Doltoi-4 when the Korlax attacked and you received orders to retreat," Ugly said leaning out of his seat to point at Kovac.

"The Aprasi had declined membership to the Galactic Council and so were not entitled to our defence was the decision, so when the Korlax Dominion struck and were systematically wiping out whole villages we were told to retreat to Council space." Kovac said.

"The Major here, fresh from whatever heroics he'd pulled in the Reinax system decided he wasn't going anywhere." Michaela said with a faint smile.

"We'd been there as an envoy, a good faith mission, 1st batallion the 88th Combat Engineers had been constructing some new planetary docks as a hearts&minds effort," Gillespie said, staring into the night, "we saw first hand what the Korlax were doing."

"I saw the parents of the Aprasi young form a living wall between the Korlax and the creche...mothers and fathers facing down war machines, so I decided I was going to have their backs." Kovac said a little harshly.

"And you pinched a batallion of combat engineers to do it," the general teased.

"I ordered my men off the planet and then I went about my business," Kovac said calmly.

"To a man, the 88th followed Kovac," said Gillespie proudly.

"I heard that because a whole batallion defected they couldn't hold all those courts marshal so they just let you all go as a band of mercenaries?" Ugly queried.

"With the help of a sympathetic Brigadier," Kovac said nodding to the general, "it was bad press, hero humans save the day and get charged."

"Human pack-bonding is how it was sold to the media," said the General.

"It wasn't, was just the right thing to do," said Kovac, "We were engineers, ubique, quo fas et gloria ducunt and all that, seemed the right thing to do. So I reformed the survivors into a squadron and we became the Dark Horses, the Brigadier as she was then made sure we were looked after."

Michaela waved the comment away and gave a gesture to the darkness, "what is the situation here Major? What are you dealing with?"

"Short version? The Towoli are getting raided by the Bartuq and the presence of the Xhost border is stopping any involvement of the GCDF, nobody wants to rile up the zealots. We've been approached to deal with the raiders."

"It's unlikely the Xhost will take offence at the presence of a mercenary unit but I'll do what I can to ensure them we have no intent to increase our presence here."

"And the presence of the EDC near Thresh?" Kovac asked.

"Is not the purview of a mercenary leader nor of a Combat Engineers Squadron leader," the general replied a little abruptly.

Kovac and Gilly shared a glance and Gilly turned to Ugly, "you know Kovac is with Becca? Uhh Captain Hayward?"

Talk moved away from the past to the present and the future, and thoughts moved away from the violence that was to come.

Dawn broke on a cold grey morning, the Dark Horses shivered through stand to, and then broke camp and the three troops were moved into position.

Captain Gillespie looked through his omni-goggles and called positions through his comms, 1 troop advanced quietly as 3 troop pushed forward hard, racing to get in position.

For a minute there was peace and then the silence of the morning splintered as Griffin Battery opened their first volley, directed to their targets by Captain Gillespie one more time, in the years since they had worked together Ugly and his men had lost none of their skill and in the 10s flight time of the first shell the guns sounded twice more, in less than a minute the 18 targets were reduced to rubble and Griffin Battery fell silent.

On the sound of the first gun Captain Dorman led his men out, the guns sounded their last retort as Gray led his men through the new breech. The outer defences reduced to rubble Wolf led his men forward into the killing ground and as the Bartuq defenders opened fire 2 Troop started to hammer their position. Gillespie directed howitzer fire to the centre of the Bartuq defences, many of the shells were deflected off but they were enough to limit the Bartuq defence.

Inside the Bartuq fortifications Captain Dorman and his men were hard pressed, Dorman knelt over the wounded trooper Ito shielding him from further harm. He shouted orders and directed fire as the defender's numbers started to count against his men. Aware he was being flanked Dorman pulled some of his men back and raced round the edge of a building.

Attacking a group of armed aggressors with hand to hand combat was not wise or logical but it was unexpected and would hopefully buy his men the time they needed to receive the back up from Wolf. Besides Dorman was a human and that counted for something, the Bartuq would be more afraid that humans were attacking than they would by superior numbers, or so he hoped.

Hearing the approach of the Bartuq unit Dorman closed his eyes and repeated the only prayer he thought might work, "God I hope I live through this."

As they rounded the corner the Bartuq were met by a single human, armed with a knife and a side arm he dropped the first three amphibians before the creatures could react. Dorman did not have the skill of Wolf nor the speed and power of Kovac but he was a human, powered by human adrenaline and fear and he was frantic. By keeping in their midst he neutralized their weapons but he couldn't do much about their numerical advantage, his attack lasted nearly 30 seconds and he injured over a dozen before they knocked him off his feet and the shots rang out.

Dorman had his hands over his head when Fluke reached him, "sorry sir, couldn't open fire till you were down or we may have hit you. We're in sir, Captain Wolf asks if you can regroup your men and move to the west post for the next advance to contact."

Dorman thanked the sergeant, took a moment to ensure he was bullet free and turned to find his men, Sergeant Webb had them in position when he joined them, the career soldier gave his commanding officer a nod and dropped back.

The Dark Horses pushed through the defences of the Bartuq meeting stiff resistance but only suffering minor casualties. Wolf and Dorman used their troops to good effect, capturing choke points and stopping the enemy from organising.

The humans didn't have it all their own way, the Bartuq rallied and counter attacked cutting off a small group of soldiers, the attack itself was stopped by Captain Becca's 2 Troop who were moving behind the two advance troops for precisely that reason. Communications relayed the situation, Kovac had been cut off with three soldiers, Ty, Costa and Butlanska.

"We can't cut our way out, but we can hole up till you push through, over" Kovac assured his concerned Captains.

"Wolf is going to hold position, Dorman and I will push through together and get to you, over" Becca said, she lowered her communications device and gestured at her Sergeant "why was Kovac that far advanced!?" Knickers gave a shrug.

"Negative, maintain the advance, this is what they want, they want to break us up and big us down, maintain the advance, Wolf must keep pushing forward. We can hold until Dorman gets to us, 2 Troop must maintain the screen, acknowledge, over" Kovac's voice came over the communicator.

Becca swore, "confirmed, continue advance, over,"

"We're secure here, we're able to..." Kovac cut off.

"Kovac!?" Becca sent the call repeatedly.

"Wait. out," came the terse reply.

Kovac and Costa flattened against the wall as the Bartuq hurried past, Kovac growled in irritation, "these counters are going to keep happening unless they keep the pressure in and we'll end up just rescuing people all day."

"Can we not fight through sir?" Costa asked.

"Not bloody likely, we can still be a thorn in their arse though, god knows you and Ty have enough practice..." Kovac broke off as two Bartuq rounded the corner.

Costa raised his rifle but lowered it as Kovac sprang into the gap, he drove his body into the Bartuq on his right and stabbed out with his long bladed knife at the amphibian on the left. He rounded on the winded Bartuq and stabbed it through the skull.

The two humans fell back to the room Ty and Butlanska were concealed in, both were nursing injuries, neither life threatening but enough to put them at risk if attacked. Kovac checked them both and returned to the doorway.

"Listen Costa, the only way we stop them from clearing us out is by making them think we are more than two non-injured soldiers. That means no extended firefights, get in close and personal. Side arm and that damn kukri I'm not supposed to know you carry," Kovac clapped a hand on his shoulder, "you're quicker and faster than the Bartuq but remember they outweigh us, a frog your size will have significant weight on you so avoid a wrestling match."

"Sir I'm not sure I'm up to this, I'm not you or Captain Wolf or Sergeant Knickers." Costa said weakly.

"You're afraid? Good, fear makes you quick, human adrenaline is a black market drug in the outer rim," Kovac turned to face Costa, "stick a collar on that beast in your chest and ride it till we're done. If you want to keep waking up with Ty and sneaking back to your own room then you'd best fight to keep them away from that room, and trooper while we're on the subject, it's been 3 years, you're a couple just accept it." With that Kovac leapt out on three Bartuq.

For the rest of his life Costa remembered that afternoon as a blur, the Bartuq seemed to move at quarter speed and all the while he battled a fear that threatened to overwhelm him.

When Sergeant Knickers led a sortie into the tunnels they found dozens of Bartuq dead, Kovac was covered head to toe in the purplish blood of the Bartuq, Costa imagined he must look similar. The Major gave him a nod before heading off to meet with his captains.

The Bartuq had suffered heavy casualties and lost much of their equipment, their heavily defended compound was captured but two more bolt holes had been found and would need clearing before they could go home.

It's a subject of much debate wether humans are the galaxy's best warriors. Many would say the Flet are superior and it's accepted that the Rhul are both stronger and faster, certain other races like the Frell possess weapons of mass destruction to rival the human's.

In my experience humans don't all possess an affinity for war, but those trained to do it can tap into a level of ingenuity and physical capability that no other race possess.

#humans are space australians #humans are weird #humans are space oddities #humans are insane #humans are space orcs #space faerie #space australia #space orcs #earth is a deathworld #dark horses #this is why i call kovac daddy #kovac

[takadasaiko]

Howl Until it Hurts: Chapter Three (a Rowdy 3 fic)

FFN II AO3

Story Summary: When Amanda asks how they met, Martin reluctantly tells her the story about how Project Incubus became the Rowdy 3. Following from Martin being brought into Blackwing through their escape.

Chapter Summary: Martin arrives at Blackwing and to the harsh reality of what he's tumbled into.

Chapter Three: Learning to Cope

They'd taken his bag at the door and with it went his extra clothes, a couple of comics, and - worst of all - his walkman and headset. He'd told them no when they had asked, but then they'd just taken it anyway. Martin had fought, but it hadn't taken a lot to haul him off his feet and start down the hall to the room where they'd instructed him to strip, shower, and change into the white jumpsuit with a symbol sewn into it that he didn't recognize. All like it was the most normal thing in the world.

As he stood in the shower, feeling the hot water burning his fair skin, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was completely and utterly alone in the world.

He had had no one to help stop this. He was a minor, and now that they had ahold of him they sure as hell weren't going to let him live on his own. His mother had been all he'd had in the world. He had no idea what had happened to his father - nor did he care to ask - and if his mother had had extended family they were long gone by now. It had just been them. Now she was hospitalized and he wasn't much better off.

Martin frowned at the ugly jumpsuit. It was too bright and too heavy. Instead of pulling it up around his shoulders like he was supposed to he left it hanging halfway at his waist, the tank top they'd given him to put under it serving as his sole shirt. He blatantly ignored the woman that tried to tell him to fix it. If they thought that he was there to be their perfect little lab rat, they'd have something else coming.

The shoes they left for him were too soft compared to his usual heavy boots that he wore. They squeaked with every step, making it impossible to not alert the world to his presence and by the time that he was led to his new room he was in a foul mood.

It was too perfect, but not for him. The walls were bright white, freshly painted. The bed was made, every corner of the sheets tucked in at all the right places. There was a desk with books and a pad of paper and a bin full of pens. An open closet showed several sets of jumpsuits just like the one he wasn't wearing correctly then and another pair of the horrible shoes. It was stifling. Suffocating. Like a pristine little cage so the rat didn't know he was in the lab. He turned his nose up at it and shoved his glasses up the bridge of his nose irritably.

"Don't like it?"

Martin whirled around, finding Major Scott Riggs standing with his hands clasped in front of him. "I want my stuff back. They took it."

Riggins nodded, but something told Martin that didn't mean he was agreeing to do as the teen had demanded. It was an acknowledgement that he'd been heard. "It's an adjustment, I know, but we need to limit outside contacts to get the best results. A controlled environment will help us narrow down what needs to be done to better help you control what you can do."

Blue eyes narrowed and Martin stared at him for a long moment. He could smell something off of him. It wasn't fear, but something else. He wasn't sure what yet. "Least give me my music."

"Eventually. Maybe."

"What'dya expect me to do until then? Make friends in the freak zoo? Or am I the only one here?"

"There are others. I imagine you've… sensed them. But no, not yet. Again, we're limiting outside contact. You'll keep a steady schedule. Up at five for testing. Breakfast at seven. Morning studies to make sure you don't fall behind. Afternoon testing begins after a lunch period and it's lights out at ten."

"I don't like quiet."

"It'll help you focus."

"I don't have a problem focusing."

"Don't you?" Riggins asked, quirking an eyebrow at him. He motioned into the room. "The room is yours. I'd say it's a little bigger than what you're used to back home, wouldn't you? It'll start to feel like your own soon." He patted Martin on the shoulder and made a comment about zipping the jumpsuit up before turning to leave, the doors shutting automatically behind him.

Martin couldn't sleep that night. He tried, but he was still buzzing with energy and it was too quiet in the room. The walls were too thick and too bright and it was too quiet. It was deafening like his mother's screams that morning.

Martin had been poked and prodded by enough doctors for a lifetime. Nothing bothered him any more, and it hadn't even occurred to him to be nervous over the testing. He'd assumed it meant what it always did: drawing enough blood work to feed a small coven of vampires, a few physical tests, maybe some scans….

Blackwing wanted that and more.

The first round of morning testing left him exhausted and achy, though funny enough the electric shock had actually given him a burst of energy rather than taking it from him. They were more interested in that than Martin liked.

He had thought they might finally show him the cafeteria when breakfast time rolled around, but instead they delivered him into a mostly empty room. It was pitch black, but he could smell the fear rolling off the other person there. Not for the first time in the last twenty-four hours or so of being in Blackwing's custody he got the impression that choosing to go with them had been a bonzo bad idea.

The lights flashed on without warning and Martin squinted hard. His eyes finally adjusted and he saw a terrified man strapped to a chair, a gag in his mouth keeping him mostly quiet. His fear spiked and it tasted amazing, and Martin got it. Breakfast. The guy was breakfast.

"Good morning, Martin," Riggins greeted over a loudspeaker and the teen squared his shoulders.

"No."

"You're never going to learn to control it without practice."

It was so practical sounding, or would have been if the bound man weren't whimpering like a kicked dog.

"I might kill him. No."

There was a short sigh before the comm cut and Martin heard the door unlock. He scrambled for it before they changed their minds. Or before he changed his. The man smelled like a damned feast, but he couldn't control it, and he was far from desperate enough to be forced into it.

Riggins was waiting on him with two armed guards. Martin eyes them warily and Riggins waved them off. He took a step forward. "Martin, I told you when you came in that we're not going to let you starve to death in here."

"So just put me in the room with him," the teen snapped. "I'll… I dunno, soak it up. It happens sometimes. Anywhere there's a lot of people with a lot of hype."

"Is that how you've been doing it?" Riggins asked curiously. "It won't last, son. You're proof of that right here. You may gain some time, but you will starve if you don't feed."

"You don't know that. You said you don't know how it works, so you can't know that!"

Riggins sighed, his expression reminding Martin of so many other adults that seemed to think they knew best. They rarely did in his experience. They did want to control though. "Okay."

Blue eyes blinked hard. That had been unexpected. "Okay?"

"I can't help you if you won't help yourself, son, but unless you feed, you're not going to survive long. I didn't bring you here to die."

The words hadn't sounded like a threat, not then. It was days later that one of the scientists that were supposed to be helping him fit him into a machine, locked him down, and flipped a switch.

Martin screamed. The sound echoed in the room and bounced off the walls as his back arched and somewhere amidst the pain he felt the hard tug of the straps against his wrists and ankles. It wasn't electricity. That he could take. That he could absorbed. This was something very different and it hurt like hell.

He wasn't sure how long it lasted. It could have been seconds, but it felt like it would never end, and when it finally released him he collapsed back against the table. Everything pulsed around him. He didn't think they'd taken his glasses, but he felt like he'd stuck his head under water and opened his eyes. He couldn't see, couldn't breathe. He could barely think through the pain and the clawing hunger. It had only been this bad once before that he remembered, and it hadn't been that long. He shouldn't be this bad yet.

Somewhere in the back of his mind Martin felt them unstrapping him and lifting him up. He couldn't focus on where they were taking him or do anything except being dragged between them.

He must have lost consciousness somewhere in there because when he opened his eyes he was seated on the floor, propped up against the wall. His head was killing him and his limbs were heavy. Everything hurt and the hunger was strong enough to make him sick.

Then there was the smell and it drew his undivided attention. The same man from days before was strapped to the chair in the middle of the same room. He was terrified and a struggling, muffled cry escaping him.

Energy flooded his system, filling him up and replenishing strength. Martin pulled himself to his feet, staggering just a little against the wall even as the door opened. He turned, a deep growl startling him, especially when he realized it had come from his own throat. He felt better. Stronger. More focused. He also felt like taking Riggins' head off about then. "You son of a bitch!" he snarled as he exploded forward, but suddenly he found the pair of guards from days before with their guns aimed directly at him and he slammed to a stop.

Riggins was completely unruffled. "I told you I didn't bring you here to die, Martin. I'm not going to let you starve yourself to death because you're stubborn. You are my responsibility, do you understand that?"

"Gonna have them shoot me?" the teen growled. "Lota good that'd do."

"It won't do any actual damage, but what comes out of those guns will pack a hell of a punch."

"So what? Is this the plan from here on out? If I refuse to go through with one of your crazy tests or refuse to feed off of someone you zap the hell out of me and force me?"

"I hope not. That's not going to get either of anywhere. Walk with me, Martin. They're not going to hurt you, because you're not a threat, are you?"

Martin snapped his snarky retort short and his shoulders sagged a little. Pick your battles. That was a lesson his mother had always tried to teach him and he was doing this to help save her. He was trapped in this place and even if he attacked Riggins right then he'd never be able to fight his way out from where he was. It might feel really good right about then, but it'd be pointless.

He followed Riggins back to his room, listening to the older man explain that things were different because he was different. Special. He would have to adjust and that would take time. Riggins understood and he'd help in any way he knew how. They would learn together.

Martin let him talk, his silence taken as acceptance and he was left alone to his pristine cage with its white walls. He stood there a moment, excess energy stirring inside, desperate for a release.

Well, Riggins had told him they were going to help him to cope.

It didn't take him long to trash the room, but he felt better for it in the end. They wouldn't though, and that'd just be the cherry on top.

Notes: Originally this was going to be two different chapters, but I decided it flowed a bit better as one, so you get a bit longer one this time. I've gotten some really positive feedback from this little series, so I'm glad you're enjoying it!

#Dirk Gently #DGHDA #Rowdy 3 #Martin #colonel scott riggins #Howl Until it Hurts #fanfiction