#also i have felt this since pestillence one of them needs to lose the girl

[peakyblinderswhore]

req: where a girl runs away from ireland, pregnant and scared and rents a cottage in small heath before accidentally becoming good friends with ada. one day they go to john’s estate and find it in chaos, you go to save michael as he’s still breathing. later on, polly wants to meet me and thank me for everything and this is where they find out about me being pregnant and alone.

a/n: this was initially supposed to be a wattpad exclusive since i was asked on wattpad for this but man, i wrote so much that i think it deserves to be seen on here too. anyway, i hope you enjoy! ps: between me and you, i flaked our at the end and went cliché as per my usual writing.

w/c: 2.8k

warnings: mild abuse (skip past the “keep reading” line and you won’t have to read it)

Somehow, I had managed to catch a boat from Dublin to England. I wasn’t entirely sure where it was headed specifically, I had been much more worried about getting out of here. I’d seen a woman Tuesday evening, she had confirmed my suspicions — I was pregnant.

I carried life and I was overjoyed, until I went home to my husband, bouncing on my toes, waiting to tell him the good news. Initially, I had been ecstatic; that was my first mistake. The second had been talking and the third was for being a whore.

In those moments, my heart shattered. He went out drinking and told me to be gone before he came home. I’m sure he just meant out of the house, to sleep at a friends house for a small amount of time, or something along those lines, but we’d been down this road before. The last time, he had beaten the child out of me. He didn’t know it and it broke my heart even just thinking about the potential it could’ve had.

Of course, I chose the only thing that could guarantee a good life for my child, I fled. First I pulled the house apart looking for every penny in every corner and crevice of the house, then I packed my bag and walked in the shadows to the docks. It was daylight and I hadn’t wanted anyone to see me this way. Upon reaching the boat, it took me all of my grovelling to make it onto the ship. I don’t know if they felt guilty or just wanted me to shut up but they let me on the boat under the promise that I would get off wherever they docked next.

When we docked, I kept my promise, glad to be away from what I called my husband. 

“Where are we, please?” I asked a younger sailor.

“Birmingham, Ma’am. Small Heath, specifically, I believe.”

Nodding at him in thanks, I made my way off, following the small crowd that had emerged from within the ship with me. I had almost no idea where I needed to go. Of course, I had to figure out where I was going to sleep.

Once a week or so had passed, I had found a place to rent with the money I had fled with. I think I must’ve drawn some attention as a woman called Ada took a very quick liking to me. She was present, wherever I went and I was worried at first, possibly paranoid that my husband had sent someone to fetch me or do something about me, but I quickly found out that she had absolutely no idea where I’d washed up from.

She was one of the few things that kept me sane over the coming days. My life was a small mess but she helped me set everything in order again.

“Why?” I muttered to her one day, fed up with everything that I was dealing with that day.

“Because once, I was like you. Pregnant and alone; trust me, it’s not fun nor is it good for the baby, whether it’s been born yet or not,” she diligently replied, walking past me into the cottage I was renting.

For a second, I blubbed like a fish, wondering how she had guessed my pregnancy without me giving her any clues.

She must’ve sensed my confused face staring into her back as she set down some food she had brought over from the market because she carried on, “I know because I’ve been there. It’s the small things that give it away the most because you don’t try to hide them as much — you simply think others won’t notice if you pretend that you don’t either.”

She’d managed to hit the nail on the head, shocking me mostly but also making me think about some of my choices, my presumptions about her and what her family was like or what they thought of her.

“Karl and I,” she began, “well, Tommy wasn’t Karl’s Dad’s biggest fan. I was pregnant before we got married and then when we were married, it didn’t last for long. Freddie… he died. Pestilence got him in the end. All of that fighting for a disease to end it.”

I didn’t quite get what she was talking about for the most part, I’d known her long enough to have met Karl but apart from that I was clueless.

“Ada —”

“Don’t pity me, it was a long time ago.”

I clasped my lips together and abruptly nodded my head as I changed the direction of the conversation, “Shall we go out today?”

“Actually,” Ada said as she stepped away from putting the food away, “I was going to take Karl to visit my brother and his kids. Wouldn’t be bad for the boy to get some fresh air and to see his cousins. I’m sure they’ve been driving John doo-wally.”

Giggling, I say, “Doo-wally?”

Ada rolls her eyes, “Get ready, we’ll be off soon.”

Within the hour, you had set off in a car that Ada borrowed from one of her brothers and I had arrived at John’s estate. Karl had gotten out of the vehicle, eager to be greeted by his cousin's big smiles and playing around with them.

“He seems excited, how long has it been since you last visited?”

“Oh gosh, I don’t think I’ve been since they first…”

Ada’s voice trailed away as we turned a corner, revealing the pools of blood covering the expanse of the patio. Who I assumed to be John’s wife was screaming and crying, barey taking a moment to breathe as tears streamed down her face and blood seeped into her dress, staining it dark.

“Oh fuck,” Ada muttered, still in shock before commanding her body to move towards John, “Esme. Esme, is he alive?”

Ada turns to face me as Esme ignores Ada to continue weeping, “Go to Michael, his chest is still moving!”

I fell to the ground once you reached Michael. Without acknowledging the blood that was dying my skirts and now smudged all over my hands, up to my elbows.

I held his head, “Where? Where does it hurt? There’s blood everywhere; I can’t see where you were shot.”

He weakly pats his abdomen, to which I quickly rip open his suit, popping a few buttons from his shirt when I managed to pull it apart and apply pressure to where it became evident of the hole in his skin. Wincing, he groans and I hurriedly say, “I know, love, this is gonna hurt so much, but I have to stop it from bleeding.”

“I’m calling an ambulance!” 

I nod, not even turning my head to watch Ada, “Karl go inside,” Michael muttered.

I lift my head, having not noticed the boy standing, lifelessly as he watched me and his mother frantically try to fix things.

“Karl, honey,” I whispered, “follow your Mum. Go inside; don’t come back out until after we come and get you together,” he nodded his head silently and walked inside, as if he had been sleep-deprived and stumbled up the steps.

Michael’s head was lolling about, barely conscious at this point. Focusing my attention back on him, I noticed his eyes rolling into the back of his head, “Hey,” I grab his head, pulling it to face me, his eyes were still rolling so I shook his shoulder a little, “don’t go anywhere. They’re so close to being here, don’t make their journey not worth it.”

He manages to avert his attention and put all of his might into focusing on me, “Wow,” he hastily breathes out, “I made it to Heaven, who would’ve thought? Ha, fucking Tommy, eh...”

“Nu-uh,” I slapped his face before forcing him to look at you and sternly said, “Don’t go anywhere.”

He seems rather amused and continues his rambling, “That felt pretty real to me, you Irish angel.”

Stopping for a moment, I was connecting the dots between what he said earlier and what he was muttering now. My face flushed and he whispered, “Wow, all the way to your ears? That’s adorable.”

Suddenly, I was acutely aware of my hands and how bloodied they were, drawing my attention away from his lazy grin. Deciding in my head quickly, I tore off a strip of my skirts to help prevent any more blood loss from his bullet wound when I applied pressure. I wrapped it around my hand twice and let the rest bundle on top of his wound before pressing down to the point where he winced.

“Sorry,” I murmured, “I can’t have it leaking before they get here.”

At that moment, Ada rushes out of the double french doors, “They’re almost here, I’ve been consoling the kids, as Esme gathers herself.”

Slowly I lift my head to see a quivering Esme, looking longingly at John’s body. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what must be going through her head.

“I’ve got Michael for the moment, not much more blood loss and he’s holding up a conversation for the moment,” I glanced over to a scared Karl behind Ada, clutching onto her skirts, “go back inside with the kids; get Esme cleaned up.”

Ada simply nods, suddenly needing someone else to give the orders, she was in shock from the scene we had stumbled upon this afternoon. It would be hard on anyone but it’s more shattering when it’s your brother. Her hair bounces a little, the only movement that suggests she was still breathing, even if she was shaking — scared hadn’t been a look I’d seen on Ada before and you weren’t sure if I ever wanted to see it again.

Until the ambulance arrived, I had continued talking to Michael, keeping him there and making sure he didn’t lose consciousness at any point.

Eventually, they came and took Michael, keeping him alive better than what I could, I hoped. It had taken every last bit of my energy to drag Ada away once Tommy had arrived to sort the rest out. It had felt like he’d surely taken his sweet time turning up; I had no idea who was more distraught, Esme or Ada; it definitely wasn’t Tommy.

I managed to pull Ada and Karl into the car they had borrowed and drove them back to the outskirts of Small Heath, stopping right outside my small cottage, where the fields met the streets. Neither had argued when I woke them up, their tear stained cheeks and bloody clothes sticking to the seats. Despite Ada’s wishes, I pushed them into my bed and took the sofa for the night, acknowledging the fact that they probably needed a better night’s sleep than I did tonight, after everything that had happened.

. . .

Weeks later, everyone had been to John’s burial. It was strange, Ada had insisted that I was to be there as she didn’t want to go alone but I said otherwise.

“It’ll be harder for you if I’m there. I was there that day too, you don’t need another face to remind you of what happened; neither does Esme, the woman has already been through far to much for me to even get into right now,”

Ada’s face had gotten swollen over the days, mostly from crying over and over again, never getting the chance to get it all out before Karl interrupted. I had often tried to distract the boy but on days when I went out to the market to buy food it was hard to control what he did. He didn’t want to go out, sometimes I had successfully managed to drag him away but I couldn’t blame him for wanting to be with his mother so much.

“Karl, is she home?” Ada called, one morning after I’d been out and bought some flowers to liven up the atmosphere a little.

“Yes, she’s home. She’s got pink flowers too.”

Surprised at Ada’s voice, I walk through, “Awake, love? I got some freesias to lighten the room a little.”

Ada smiled, “Polly wants to meet you. And Michael, properly. They want to thank you for that day, for saving Michael… and for trying to save John,” she sniffed, forcing her smile to stay on her face, “Pol’s invited us to afternoon tea today. I was just trying to convince Karl to go with you to the market to buy something nicer to wear.”

“I might have something that I can adjust for him.”

“So you’ll come,” she says, turning her head away from the newspaper that she was reading, “to Polly’s this afternoon?”

Wincing, I reply, “I suppose so. I think it might be good if I got to see Michael the way he is conscious.”

After fussing about for a few hours over sorting something for Karl to wear and making sure you wore something that was fresh, yourself, you had made it to Polly’s townhouse. It was grand, especially compared to the cottage you were renting out. The front garden was neat and had colour coordinated flower beds and a neatly trimmed border that accentuated the pathway that led to the wooden front door.

Upon knocking, Ada had pushed me in front of her so that when the door opened a beautiful, classical lady answered. Instantly her face lit up, she held out her arms, “You, my darling, must be the one who saved my boy’s life,” she pulled me into a hug and engulfed me into her embrace, tightening her grip so as to not let go and whispered, “thank you so much. I only wish we could’ve helped John.”

Carefully, I wrapped my arms around her, and breathed in her homely scent, “Of course, Polly. My deepest regards, I wish I could’ve done more too.”

She pats my back twice and pulls away, holding me at an arm's length, “Pregnant, pretty and a lifesaver. I’m not sure what else we could’ve asked for. Come in, I have some tea ready,” she beckoned us in, stepping aside to allow us to walk into her home.”

She led us through to the sitting room, offered me a seat next to Michael and walked off to fetch a teapot and some cups and saucers for us all.

“Wow, this is she?”

I turn to face him, blushing profusely, “It is she. How are you Michael?”

“Much better thanks to you. Mum says she doesn’t think I would’ve made it without you.”

“I’m sure you would’ve…”

Ada pipes up, “Michael was in a pretty bad state. Polly spoke to the doctors and they said he’d been stabilised at the scene; that was you, love.”

I sat, bewildered by the thought that I had literally stopped someone from dying. Before, it had only been talk and I had let them while they were mourning but now — it was real.

We sat in silence for a moment as Polly walked back in, now carrying a tray full of tea for us all.

“You know,” Michael began, “you’re beautiful. Your baby is going to be so well-looked after and is going to be just as smart and beautiful as you are… I bet your husband is thrilled to have someone like you.”

I let my head fall slightly and ignore as Polly hums in agreeance with her son and I stare at my hands as I fiddle with the sleeve of my dress.

Ada notices the tension I was radiating and quietly states, “She ran away from home because her husband doesn’t want anything to do with her and her to-be baby.”

Polly halts in her position, currently pouring tea into a cup and turns to face us properly, “Excuse me?”

Michael stands from his seat, “What? What kind of idiot doesn’t want something to do with their wife and kid?”

His face slowly distorts and his cheeks redden as the anger boils inside of him, “You saved my life and fucking goddamnit if I let you and your child grow up without a father figure. You saved mine and I want the chance to repay you.”

“Michael —”

“No, love, he’s right. You’re so strong and you’ve made it this far, but we want to help. Nothing will ever repay the fact that you saved Michael’s life but let us try,” Polly says, resting a hand on my shoulder affectionately, her voice running through the room like silk as she softens.

“That’s right. Marry me.”

My eyes widen, “Ah, Michael, I’m not sure that’s necessary.”

“You’ll be shamed if your baby doesn’t have a father,” Polly soothes, “It’s different if you’re a widow but if word gets out, we can’t fight every single fucker who natters on about your personal life.”

“Marry me; I’ll be the father figure for your baby. It’s the least I can do.”

tags: @saintd0lce​ lmk if you want to be tagged! :)

#peaky #littlemissshelby #littlemissshelbyreplies #John Shelby #Esme Shelby #michael gray #Michael Shelby #aunt polly #polly gray #polly shelby #Ada Shelby #ada thorne #Peaky Blinders #peaky blinders season 4 #birmingham #1920s #luca changretta #shelby

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Two: Famine (Prompto x Reader) Chapter Two

Noctis and Ignis were still unconscious. While the prince would make a full recovery, his advisor would not. The severe scarring around his eyes signified the use of some unknown power. One of the doctors who checked over him said his eyesight would never return.

It had been two days since the attack on Altissia and Prompto had been plagued with the same nightmare. Nothing would change and all he would see were blurry images of (Y/n). Very few were joyous, but most of them she was suffering. He had no idea why his mind was tormented by such gruesome images and remembered what she had told him during their short rendezvous during the attack.

Take the orb in your hand and say my name

Prompto pulled out the yellow orb from his pocket and clutched it tightly in his palm, his other hand gripping tightly to the corner of the bed he sat on. The spherical artifact dug into his skin from how hard he was clenching it. With a defeated frown, he whispered her name.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking over to see who it was, he was baffled and frightened when he saw (Y/n). He flew to his feet, tripping over the sheets that had fallen off the bed and landing on the floor with a painful grunt.

"Guess I've got some explaining to do, huh?" (Y/n) forced a smile. Prompto nodded and pushed himself off the floor. "I know you're not gonna believe me, but here we go. Remember when I asked you on the gondola if you've heard of the Four Horsemen?"

"Y-Yeah," Prompto swallowed anxiously.

"Well..." The golden-haired girl sighed. "The Four Horsemen are real and I am one of them. Would you like me to tell you the real story of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?"

Prompto nodded and crawled back onto the bed, listening intently.

"Glad you decided to sit." (Y/n) claimed the spot beside him, crossing her legs. "Because this is gonna be quite the story."

••••• Four souls were pulled from the four corners of Hell, gifted with abilities no human, Astral, nor daemon could comprehend. Each soul was given one of four aliases that accompanied their newly bestowed powers-War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. Now dubbed the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by the Daemon King, Aeshema, they were sent to a world between the living and the dead known as the Inner Sanctum-a domain where the Four Horsemen would reside and keep order of the monsters who relish to break the seal preventing them from entering the world of the living and quenching their bloodlust.

With the seal preventing the monsters from escaping to the land of the living shattered, the Horsemen were tasked with traveling to the bustling world to hunt down the monsters that escaped and kill them before humans fell victim to their bloodlust. Once each Horseman slew their share of the monsters, they would be granted passage back to the Inner Sanctum.

Once the Four Horsemen reached the gateway and entered the portal, they arrived in the land of the living. Famine, Death, Pestilence, and War went their separate ways and disguised themselves amongst the humans in order to walk among the living and hunt down the monsters incognito without interfering with the lives around them. •••••

(Y/n) stared into Prompto's cerulean gaze, seeing he did believe her. "You believe me that quickly?"

"I mean, I've only known you for a few days, but I know you wouldn't make something up like that. They're four of you, right? Which one are you?"

"Famine, but I prefer to use my real name. My sisters... not so much. Just keep calling me (Y/n). It's nice to hear it after such a long time."

Prompto nodded, still trying to wrap his head around the revelation. He's heard many variations of the tale, but he never believed the Four Horsemen really existed. He wanted to ask more questions, but he held his tongue. Now that he knew the truth about her, he was frightened of what she could achieve, knowing she had powers he nor anyone else could imagine. But he would never admit to her that he was afraid of her in fear she would sever her ties with him.

"Prompto?" (Y/n) softly called his name. "Are... Are you alright?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, her own fear showing through her tone.

Silence

Biting her bottom lip to keep it from quivering, the Horseman released the boy's shoulder and stood up. She spotted the summoning orb in Prompto's hand and snatched it up before leaving the room, which brought the boy out of his thoughts. What he feared more than her status as a Horseman was transpiring. He flew off the bed and chased after (Y/n). "W-Wait, (Y/n)!"

Famine ignored his cries and briskly walked down the hall. She turned the corner, hearing Prompto run down the hall towards her. She tried to vanish when she walked down the stairs, but a hand grabbed ahold of her wrist and stopped her from disappearing. Her head snapped around, staring into Prompto's pleading eyes.

"Please..." He begged, his jaw quivering in fear of losing her. "Don't go. You're the first real friend I've made in years. You don't judge me or, or... treat me like a kid. You actually listen to me and laugh at my stupid jokes. I don't wanna lose you, (Y/n)."

"Prompto, I-"

"Hey, Prompto!" Gladio's booming voice resounded throughout the corridor as he rounded the corner and headed down the stairs, causing the boy to turn his head away from (Y/n). The brute saw the blonde and something rolling by his feet. "You drop something?"

Prompto quickly glanced back to where (Y/n) was standing only to see she was gone. Glancing down, he saw the yellow orb by his boot. He quickly picked it up and held it close to his chest. "Y-Yeah."

"You lookin' for someone? Never seen you run so fast," the shield commented.

"Uh," Prompto glanced once more where Famine once stood before turning his gaze back to Gladio. "No." He held the orb tightly and passed the brute as he made his way back up the stairs. When he thought the shield was going to stop him again, he didn't. Thanking Gladio for not prying, he went back to his room.

Closing the door behind him, Prompto sighed and pressed his back against it. In the corner of the room stood (Y/n), who was leaning against the wall. The blonde stared at Famine with a gleam of hope. "You left the orb behind."

"Glad you grabbed it before someone else did," she sighed. "You're the only person I trust it with."

"You... dropped it on purpose?" He asked.

(Y/n) nodded. "Yeah." She sauntered over to the small bed and sat down, patting the space next to her. Prompto sat down beside her, placing the orb between them. "I did it because of what you said. I... I haven't had a friend in over eighty years and the time I spent with you in Altissia were the best moments I've experienced since coming to Eos."

Prompto smiled at her words, knowing she would be sticking around. He replayed the story of her and her sisters in his mind, remembering a crucial detail. "What happens when you take down these monsters you're suppose to kill?"

"Well, I'll be granted access back to the Inner Sanctum. King Aeshema never said I had to leave Eos right after I killed the monsters. I was thinking about hanging around after I slew the creatures anyway."

"So you'll be staying around for a while?"

She nodded with a smile, nudging her shoulder against his. "Hope that's not an issue."

"Far from it, actually," the sharpshooter smiled in response.

"Good. While we're here, are there any questions you want to ask me? I'm sure you're still confused with all of what I've told you so far."

The game of twenty questions began. Prompto learned (Y/n) had been a Horseman for eighty years alongside her sisters. She had only arrived on Eos about a week ago in search of her targets-the Phantom Knight and the Gashadokuro. She had no luck in locating either in Lucis and moved to Altissia in search of any leads among the populous. When the boy asked how she became a Horseman, she fell silent and told him to ask a different question. He respected her response and moved on to another question, which had slipped off the tip of his tongue before he realized it. "Did you have a boyfriend?" He quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, cheeks set ablaze in embarrassment.

(Y/n) was shocked before bursting with laughter. "No, I didn't. I never really thought about dating. I was too busy with... family affairs to even have time for a date."

"I-I didn't mean-! It just slipped out!" Prompto ran a hand through his spiky, blonde locks, tugging on them slightly.

"Don't worry 'bout it," she patted the top of his hand that rested on his knee. "You were just curious."

Prompto felt his blush deepen at feeling her hand against his. She was slightly cold to the touch, but her palm was rather warm. He plucked the summoning orb off the bed and placed it in his pocket before asking his final question. "What all can you do-like, what're your powers?"

"Well, I mainly use a sword in battle. The Sword of Judgement can tell me whether a person is lying or not and also helps me harness powerful magic. I also have the Touch of Starvation, but I rarely ever use it in combat." Prompto squirmed uncomfortably. (Y/n) noticed and offered a reassuring smile. "I would never raise a finger against you, Prompto. You've no need to fear me. I'll help you and your friends in any way I can."

Famine stood up, adjusting the hem of her skirt. "Now, you better get some rest." She glanced out the window, seeing the moon loom overhead. They had been talking for hours and Prompto hadn't noticed it became nighttime. "I know you've been having nightmares the past two nights and haven't been able to sleep properly."

Prompto hadn't noted his exhaustion until she mentioned sleep. "Yeah. Maybe it won't come back tonight."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" (Y/n) offered kindly.

He shook his head. "I rather not... Goodnight, (Y/n)."

She smiled back with a small nod. "Goodnight, Prom. Sleep well."

<----------<<<<<<<<<<

Ignis woke up the next day, followed by Noctis the day after that. Once the boys were well enough to travel, they departed with their sights set on Cartanica. Lying in wait would be another royal tomb and another weapon for Noctis' flourishing arsenal.

On board the train, Prompto and Ignis were sitting together in one seat with Noctis sitting alone across the aisle from them, hanging his head. The blonde glanced towards his best friend before eyeing the blinded advisor next to him. "So... we're gonna roll through Tenebrae."

"Not before visiting the royal tomb in Cartanica," Ignis stated.

"You're sure you're up to that?" Prompto questioned worriedly.

"The wounds have mended. Eyesight's a matter of time."

Gladio suddenly gets up from his seat and walks over to Noctis and stares at him. The sharp glare casted towards the prince was laced with anger and annoyance. "The hell is wrong with you?"

Noctis slowly raises his head at hearing his shield's irritated tone. "What?"

"We're not stopping in Tenebrae. You need to grow up and get over it," he growled.

Noctis stands and confronts his friend. "I am over it. I'm here, aren't I?!"

Gladio grabs the young prince by his jacket and yanks him close. "Maybe when you're not too busy moping, you can look around and give a shit about someone worse off than you."

"Let go of me," Noctis snarled.

"How's that ring fit ya? You'd rather carry it around than wear it? She gave her life so you could do your duty, not so you could sit around feeling sorry for yourself."

"You don't think I know that?!"

"You don't! Ignis took one for you, too, and for what?!"

"Enough, Gladio!" Ignis bellowed, but his cry fell on deaf ears.

Gladio's eyes narrowed, gripping the front of Noctis' shirt more tightly. "You think you're a king, but you're a coward."

"Shut up!" Noctis shoves the brute and grabs him by his jacket as well.

Prompto stands and addresses Gladio, trying to stop the argument from turning into a brawl. "Don't do this-!" The bodyguard puts his hand on Prompto's face and shoves him back.

Suddenly, a figure intervenes and shoves Noctis and Gladio away from one another. Prompto looked up from where he fell and his azure eyes widened. It was (Y/n). She had her hood pulled over her head and a mask obscuring her face.

Gladio turned his glare to the girl before stepping back and wandering off. Noctis stormed off with the Ring of the Lucii in his clutch, wishing to separate himself from the others without caring who and where the mysterious girl came from. Both were blinded with anger to care about anything else.

(Y/n) helped Prompto to his feet then took pulled down her hood and took off her mask. "Sorry for the sudden appearance."

The boy shook his head with a grateful smile. "Nah, don't worry 'bout it. If you hadn't stepped in, it might've gotten worse."

Famine's (e/c) eyes traveled over to Ignis, who seemed to not hear their conversation. "Will he be alright?"

"Yeah, but he won't be able to see again," the blonde sighed.

"I think I know someone who could help with the pain," (Y/n) smiled. "I'll contact her when we reach Cartanica."

Prompto thanks the Horseman before returning to sit beside Ignis. (Y/n) decided to sit in a seat a few rows behind them, staring out the window. She leaned her head against the back of the seat and watched the scenery pass by. Gradually, she removed her hood and mask with a heavy sigh. Her thoughts raced to her sisters, wondering if they were having difficulty locating their targets, too. In her mind, she hoped traveling with the four boys would help her locate the monsters she was assigned before any innocents are killed in cold blood.

The golden-haired girl didn't realize Prompto had switched seats and sat next to her until she felt his hand brush against her thigh. Torn from her thoughts, she eyed the boy next to him. "How'd you sleep last night?"

"Well..." Prompto trailed off for a short bit. "Not so good..."

"Same nightmare?" Famine inquired.

"Yeah. But this time, it was much more vivid and... frightening," he confesses.

(Y/n) turned in her seat to face the marksman. "I know you said you didn't want to talk about it yesterday, but... maybe you should."

Prompto clamped his hands together tightly in his lap. He inhaled deeply before sighing and meeting the girl's (e/c) gaze. "It's about you, (Y/n)."

#final fantasy xv #ffxv #final fantasy xv x reader #prompto x reader #prompto argentum

[itskateak]

Oceans and Stars - Chapter 7

Story Summary: A story of how Bucky Barnes falls in love with oceans, stars, and the woman who gave him the reasons to.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Velika Dante King (Fem!OC)

Chapter Summary: Velika has been on the frontlines. She finds herself camping on the beach of the Ocean at the Edge of The World. 

Words: 2K

Warnings: Mentions of war, mild language, 

A/N: Whenever I write Tzion’s character in relation to Velika,the phrase “baby girl” just happens. Don’t ask me to explain, please. It’s just a character thing with her now.

Masterlist

                       ⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅ 

𝓛𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓵𝓲𝓿𝓮. {𝐿𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒}

"We're making camp, soon," Velika called back to her unit, hiking her bag higher on her shoulders. The grass was tall and she nearly tripped as some wound around her boot. She cussed and ripped through it. She hated the plains with a burning passion.

 It hadn't been bad in the beginning, with short grass that stretched on for miles. Then the grass started to get taller and now Velika was nearly up to her chest in plants.

"Need me to carry you, Vel? Almost losing you in this forest." Her old friend, Tzion, asked as she caught up to her, a teasing lilt to her voice. The large ex-general sauntered casually next to her, over a foot taller than Velika herself.

"Shut up. Not all of us are taller than the trees." Velika shot her a playful glare. "The Ocean at the Edge of the World is about four miles down this bluff. Should be space for us to settle down for the night and wait for instructions."

"You ever been to the Ocean?" Tzion checked the area, her head swiveling as she scanned for any approaching enemies. She was Velika's right hand in their unit, making sure that their backs were watched and everyone's ideas were heard and taken into account. She was a fantastic leader and worked well with her old friend.

"I've never been this far into Hell," She admitted, avoiding a hole in the ground. "I popped out on the Other Side and Baphomet had to bring me over here through the northern gate."

"How long ago was that?"

"Uh, like...four hundred years? Three hundred? I haven't been keeping track." Tzion snorted and shook her head in amusement. They fell quiet, content to just walk and stay attentive to their surroundings. 

The war had lasted eleven years already. Time moved differently in Hell, meaning that they'd been fighting for roughly two Earthen years. It certainly wasn't the longest war she'd been in, but it was still hard. Her body was tighter, leaner, and constantly sore. She felt like she was constantly being watched (she was, by her unit), constantly threatened (she was, by pretty much everything around them), and constantly holding the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Velika shifted Bucky's dog tags under the collar of her armor. She hadn't taken them off since she'd left. She'd also stolen one of Bucky's shirts to wear under her armor. It was the red one that he didn't wear much anymore so it was the perfect one to swipe without him missing it too much. It still smelled like his cologne, miraculously, and it brought her comfort on the darkest and roughest days.

The others had given her small things to carry with her, too. Wanda's ring was on the chain with Bucky's tags. Tony and Bruce's tech was ingrained in her armor. But Tony also gave her the deck of his favorite playing cards. Steve had gotten her a sturdy bracelet. Peter had written her a letter talking about one of his days at school, complete with little doodles and even a small note from Ned. Natasha gifted her a knife, even though she knew it wouldn't do anything against the angels.

The photos of the team, Peter's letter, and Tony's playing cards were tucked into her bag, which seemed to grow heavier with every step she took. Exhaustion was settled deeply in her bones and she was certain that no matter how much she slept, she thought she'd never feel rested.

The war was turning in their favor. It had been in their favor at the start, she hadn't known that until she saw the Four Horsemen riding towards their enemy. Death, War, Pestilence, and Famine were defending Hell alongside every demon, fallen angel, and other creatures that called it home. The Horsemen themselves were mostly Archangels, except for War. But this isn't about them.

"Four miles are nothin' compared to what we've already trekked," Tzion muttered with a sigh, falling back to talk with an ex-officer.

Four miles. In the grand scheme of things, four miles was a walk in the park. If the park was a war-torn battlefield where death could befall them any second.

Yeah, just a regular old walk in the park.

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𝓖𝓻𝓸𝔀 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓰𝓻𝓸𝔀. {𝒢𝓇𝑜𝓌 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝑔𝓇𝑜𝓌}

The Ocean at the Edge of the World was the most beautiful thing Velika had ever seen. The crystalline blue waters stretched on until the horizon, reflecting the dusky sky. Waves washed against black sand, tumbling stones and shells onto the shore. The beach was a mile wide from where the plains ended and went on for miles either direction.

"Wow," She breathed, dropping her bag into the sand. People milled around her, putting up tents and gathering firewood and grass to start fires.

"Just wait until the sun sets." Tzion nudged her before walking down the beach a little to set her tent up.

Velika dug through her bag, finding her stakes, and slowly started to get her tent ready. She was suddenly reminded of camping with Bucky while on the recon mission in the Caribbean. She bit her lip and pushed down tears, taken off guard by the wave of emotion. 

She missed them all terribly and she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. She'd done her fair share of crying in private moments and she was sick of it. The tent refused to cooperate and she dropped it in frustration, the tears blurring her vision.

"Hey, baby girl, it's okay." Tzion was suddenly at her side with concern. "Take a breath" 

Velika clenched her jaw and drew in a deep breath, eyes closing. 

"I'll get this set up. Go for a walk. Take some time for yourself, baby girl. You've been leading us all day and you're stressed out. I'll get take care of this and take over for a little." Tzion rubbed her back and gave her a soft look.

"Alright. Thank you." Velika nodded and strode off down the beach towards the tidal pools for at least five minutes alone away from the prying eyes of her unit and the expectations.

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𝓢𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰.

"Okay, so, who do you have waiting for you back home?" Tzion asked before taking a swig of her beer. Where she had gotten the beer, Velika had no idea. She had mentioned something about a smuggler's cache a mile down the beach, but Velika really had no idea where she'd produced it from.

The people sitting around their campfire took turns talking, some showing photos and others telling stories. In the beginning, no one wanted to bond in case they died on the battlefield soon after. But after eleven years of fighting and losing very few, they all had started forming small groups and trusting each other a lot more.

Velika's brother talked fondly of the people that worked in the business he co-owned with his best friend (who he was definitely not in love with). His best friend also told stories of their staff, smiling at the memories and staring longingly at her brother.

The ex-sergeant of the Bellators (the highest legions in the warrior caste) showed a picture of a little girl with wild brown hair and a smile to match. Her mother was crouched behind the girl, hair wild as well and her smile nearly identical to her daughter's. The girl wasn't his biological kid, but he'd been her father figure since before she was born. 

Tzion spoke of a red-headed man she'd met who she helped save from the gallows. He was lanky and tall, and reportedly good in bed. She was still taller than him by a good few inches, but he didn't seem to mind.

"So, Veli. Who do you have?" Tzion called her out since she hadn't said anything yet.

"A whole team. It took a long time for me to find my place among them and actually trust them, but once I did...it was like finding a family. A really, really dysfunctional family." Velika laughed, taking a quick sip of her beer. She grimaced, but wouldn't complain. It was one of the better tasting things she'd had since they stopped in a village two years ago. 

"Anyone special?" Tzion gave her a pointed look over the campfire.

"They're all special. Here, hold on." She turned and dug through her bag, pulling her photos out. She passed them around, explaining who each person was. 

"Veli, tell them about Bucky." Her brother chimed in with a sly smile. 

"For the record, I hate you." Velika glared at him, but everyone had already turned to listen to her. She sighed and shrugged. "I don't know what there is to tell. He's a good friend on the team. Quiet, a little reserved at times, but he's good company. He sits with me when I can't sleep and we help each other when the nightmares get too much. He has a great sense of humor and his laugh is infectious. He doesn't smile often, but when he does, it lights his whole face up."

"He's smiling in this photo. Is that him, though?" The ex-sergeant leaned over and pointed to Bucky.

"Yeah. And that's Sam Wilson." Velika smiled despite herself at the photo. "They have a love-hate relationship. Prank wars between the two are genuine wars. One time, Bucky's arm got superglued to a piece of workout equipment and they had to remove it."

"They cut off his arm?" Her brother's best friend asked with wide eyes.

"His left arm is a metal prosthetic and that's the one that got superglued. Well, heat bonded on accident. He was so pissed and chased Sam around the compound for an hour. He came storming into the kitchen at one point and looked me in the eye like he was planning a murder and said 'where's Wilson.' I pointed the way and he ran out while threatening to throw Sam off the roof." Velika laughed, shaking her head fondly. 

"Sounds chaotic." Tzion snorted, taking another swig of her beer. "Did he give you anything before you left? I know the others gave you things to hold onto."

"Yeah, hold on." Velika tugged on the chain around her neck, drawing the dog tags into the firelight. "He gave me his tags from World War Two. I gave him my Praesidium tags. And I also stole his shirt." She pulled the collar of the red henley with a sheepish smile.

"Wasn't he the Winter Soldier?" The ex-sergeant asked warily. That familiar look of distrust in his eyes.

"Yeah." She tucked the dog tags back into her shirt and collected the photos. "But I was also Reaper."

"That's not that same, Velika. You didn't know what happened and you didn't have a choice." The ex-sergeant narrowed his eyes in concern.

"And neither did he. He fell off a cliff, lost his arm, and was brainwashed and controlled by Nazis for seventy years." Velika picked her bottle up and took a long drink. 

"Okay, I stand corrected. Apologies." 

"In any case, he sounds special," Tzion said, giving her a concealed knowing look. 

Velika stared distantly at the fire with a wistful smile. "Yeah, he is."

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Velika sat in the sand, arms wrapped around her knees. She stared up at the star-filled sky. The horizon blended and it was near impossible to see where the Ocean ended and the sky began. The stars were reflected in the water, which was still enough to appear glassy.

There were no constellations to make out, but that didn't stop her from trying. She connected the dots, making her own shapes and stories. A dolphin. A rose. A bunny with the full moon. Her hand played with Bucky's dog tags, fond memories of nights on the roof coming to surface. She missed them all, but she really missed Bucky.

Velika looked down at the photo of Bucky in her other hand. He was laughing at something stupid Sam had said, his eyes crinkled up and smile wide. It was her favorite photo of him and her heart skipped a beat. Her stomach fluttered and she smiled to herself. 

She returned her gaze to the sky with a new feeling in her chest. She realized what it was and although it scared her a little, she welcomed it.

Love.

𝓨𝓸𝓾'𝓵𝓵 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰. 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓯𝓵𝓸𝔀.

Taglist-

#oceans and stars #bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #bucky barnes x oc #bucky barnes x original character #bucky barnes x ofc #bucky barnes x original female character #mcu #marvel #mcu fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #my writing #velika dante king

[incorrect-pokespe-quotes]

Fanfic Band AU: First Chapter

“Second call!” was announced behind the door.

He saw his bass, red as his trade mark, they were RGB for something the young man thought. The eyeliner made his eyes scarlet eyes remark that even more.

Three songs, only three, they had troubles with the place so they cut their time in stage.

“Fucking cunts.” said the brunette at his side like reading his thoughts.

“Green, please, don’t aggravate the obvious…” said the youth playing with her drumsticks.

“Guys, keep on, we are going to end this like the stars we are…” he said while putting his costume.

“Yeah, stars that some no good owners treat like anything… Red, we aren’t the bastards of the Elite Four yet…” Green said while eyeing Blue’s costume.

White high heel boots, a tight short black dress and a navy blue jacket. He lust a bit over her friend, but seeing her face killed his hots. Then he eyed Red seeing how that tight shirt defined his chest and those ugly pants marked his friend’s bulge, but again, seeing that face killed his desires, that wine colored coat also murdered his mood.

“Green, I know this sucks, but please, we have to keep this, it’s enough with how much money was refund to the shortage of the concert, so just suck it up and let them fuck us anally…” Red said not really believing in his motivational junk.

“Besides, that two things are your best talents.” the one with blue eyes laughed mockingly bit most of all entirely in a false way.

“Says the one who is ready to flap her purse in the corner…” Green responded.

“Sure, the one with bad boy style can say shit about my clothes, leather jackets with fluff in the collar are not as edgy as you think, you twink… or some biker bear that took your daddy issues with poking your prostate left it in the motel?” she said while trying to decide in the mirror between ponytail or just free.

“Yeah, fucking older dudes or women ‘cuz your parents leave you with your grandfather is worse than having hots for your brother…” Blue laughed at that.

“If we can kill each other…” the young woman started.

“Then we’ll kill ourselves…” the skinny man said.

“Guys… can you lighten up a bit, just don’t kill yourselves until we have our third album….” the black haired youth sighed.

“Third call, go to the stage!” it was announced.

“Okay, get your shit together and let’s explode the hell back to this world.” Red said while seeing him in the mirror trying to find any imperfection.

“Princesses, let’s do it!” claim Blue while leaving the camerin.

The darkness and silence before the storm, the omen of a concert they thought, expecting, waiting, blessed and most off all, wasted or drunk, the three youths loved it.

Spotlight shining, dazzling lights and colors exploding as the masses did in screams, attention, devotion and people living the idea of them, what else they could wish for?

Blue started, what better than go straight with this?

Then Green, guitar as precise as him.

Red started the bass… gulped and then

“Walk right in all you sinners and saints, tonight’s the night we’re gonna take off these chains!”

“Some wounds will never mend!” the crowd exploded.

The stimulating pestilence of sex, alcohol and cigarettes, Green wasn’t in the mood to think about the bunch of probably underage girls who were naked in his bed, he didn’t mind at that point they weren’t more that confused teens who would do anything for their idols.

He got up, put some pants and took some random bottle from the floor and chug it. The burn in his throat wasn’t enough, all of them were still there, every thought was still there.

The door knocked, he couldn’t care less about what happens or who could that, after all, Daisy already said he could go fuck himself.

Apparently his fortuite romance with ignorancia has already left him behind, at that point in his mess he called life was too early for surrender and too late for a prayer.

He opened the door to see his manager, Steven Stone, living in his father’s orders and shadow Green supposed.

“Hey, Green, you have a gig so grab your stuff and let’s go.” Steven said in an authoritarian voice, Green found that quite attractive of the man.

He was blind by design, Green didn’t care anymore after all he bounded with his manager by being divided by deception but being together to rise. It still hurt after all.

“Come on, the concert is in almost a fucking day, besides, we still have plenty of time…” he said while unwrapping Steve’s tie.

“Green, we can’t keep doing this, what if Red or Blue find us, or my father?” the man said getting off Green’s hands.

“Like your father is one to talk… no problem, you are still the better Stone in the bed…” he said leaning into his neck and removing the tie. Steve pushed the young adult. “Well, you’re father is more into violence but if that’s what you want…” Green didn’t care anymore, he has already lose everything. He unbuttoned all of Steve’s shirt already.

What was the point of caring? His parents didn’t care in any time for him but most off all, his sister and grandfather didn’t are anymore… he couldn’t go to hell if he was already in there.

“They say the end is coming and I need to prepare!” jumps, dances, screams, everything, the world was reflected in their music. “We can’t go to hell if we’re already there!” then it ended, applauses and happiness. Sure, that was fulfilling but still not enough. “Thanks everyone for coming tonight, I know we had to cut our time here but me and my friends are so excited to be with you and let’s get ready with this…” Red exclaimed to be interrupted by the frenetic sound of Green’s guitar.

“Black sheep, come home…” the unison whisper of the crowd started, he licked his lips.

“Hello, again, friend of a friend I knew you when!” the drastic end, the erratic guitar and drums. “Our common goal was waiting for the world to end!” the claps started.

A moonlit starry night, it was quite beautiful, but for Blue it sucked just like everything. After all, truth was just a rule that she could bend at her please, it wasn’t a big deal after all. The restaurant was boring for her tastes, she only wanted to get out, but she promised for Giovanni and Silver that she would spend that time with them.

“Hey, Blue.” there he came, Silver, the one and only person she truly cared about. Caring, harsh, distant, mysterious, naive, strong and everything she could wish. “Sorry, but father said he couldn’t go out of his work, you know how it is…” excusing his father as always.

“It’s not a big deal…” she cracked the whip with that words, maybe they were truth but maybe don’t.

“Come on, Blue, he is our father, and he is proud of you.” he is your father, she wanted to say. She didn’t want Giovanni as his father and most of all she didn’t want Silver as his brother.

“Like I care…” she said while, grabbing a menu. “And how’s college?” she shape shifted the trick of the conversation not wanting keep talking about Giovanni.

“It’s great, I was admitted quite easily.” he said with a monotone voice. She thought that whoever that had for dad the richest, most corrupted and feared men in Kanto would have easy that stuff. “And how are Red and Green?” the red haired asked. She didn’t know how to answer, Red always seemed to be stressed or just plain distant, Green kept sleeping with Mr. Stone and that kept them high in Devon.

“Well… Red is somewhat stressed and Green is… more loose these times.” she really didn’t know a bit about her best friends.

“I hope you get a vacation, too much work could be harmful…” always caring for her…

Was he always that naïve? That innocent to not see what was happening. She hated Giovanni for taking everything for her at least anything she had now.

Her parents were murdered by The Masked Man who was later found and killed by Team Rocket as she knows it was because that man was a rogue assassin from that group and how curious that the men who was behind all that adopted her from the kindness of his heart.

And most of all Silver.

She’ll send her love from a wire, lift him every time everyone walks away from him, but her feelings would never reach out. After all, she was no more than his sister.

At least the loved she wanted wasn’t the same he felt toward her, and she wasn’t okay with that.

“It’s a mechanical… bull, the number one, you’ll take a ride from anyone, everyone wants a ride,” hysterical yells, he knew some people were crying, others were so wasted to even care, but this was how they made them feel alive. “pulls away, from you…” silence, destruction a death from a reborn. He could feel it everything and at the same time it was an infinite finite world of possibilities to end this.

He saw his partners, excited and full of energy, this was RGB, and they were that.

“Okay let’s give them a night so awesome they’ll have every other one that comes…” said Blue pulling her hair behind her ear.

“If I can’t kill myself, then let’s trigger a massive suicide…” Green cracked his knuckles.

“Was a long and dark december, from the rooftops I remember, there was snow, white snow” guitar and bass together, just like Red and Green since they were kids. And the drum entered with full force, that was the raw power of Blue in a sole sound. “Clearly I remember from the windows they were watching while we froze down below…”

Cold, that was the only thing that he felt.

“Sorry, Red, but we can't… I won’t keep with this…” the blonde told with a hint of sadness in her voice but most of all it was decision in her.

“Yellow, please, give me time, I… I still want to be with you, we will sort this out… please…” the one of yellow orbs was done, her future wasn’t going to be architectured by Red’s carnival of not caring, she’ll prefer lay low.

Red didn’t understand a but, if she loved him, won’t she let him know? His armour was hollow now, his emotions just died and hit the ground. He did everything he could, but his best wasn’t enough he tried but it wasn’t enough, his love wasn’t enough but most of all, he wasn’t enough.

“Red, it’s for the better, our lives are heading different directions… and I ratter bit mingle with yours…” his love was like a poem that Yellow unfold and then returned it to him. It seems that he was a captain of a sinking ship.

Their unwound future… now there was nothing.

“Yellow, you love me?” a harsh and desperate question for a desperate man, it was like a single thread of light and hope that refused to leave him.

“Yeah, and that’s exactly why we need to end this…” she said with a smile, no sadness in her, just a bright smile and a gentle voice. If she loved him why she’d let him go? “It was a pleasure, our time together I mean, sorry for this, but we deserve something we don’t provide each other.

He still didn’t understand, he was sure de was the love of her life, then, why?

“You promised me… you promised me, Yellow!” he tried screaming, but his pain had already transcended words.

Yellow only gave him a warm smile and walked away.

“I took my love down to a violet hill, there we sat in the snow. All the time she was silent still.” he looked down and pointed the microphone toward the audience. That was all his being in just one song.

“So if you love me… won’t you let me know?” they answered.

“So if you love me… won’t you let me know?” but most important, at the end, their music reflected their world.

#profanity // #pokespe AU fanfic contest #trainer red #trainer green #trainer blue #trainer yellow #not a quote #submission