#and ava's looking back at her like they're the only people in the room

[kittanthalos]

#always worrying about each other

#warrior nun #avatrice #wnedit #warriornunedit #wngifs #ava silva #sister beatrice #ava x beatrice #wlwsource #wlwedit #dailytvgifs #dailylgbtq #alba baptista #kristina tonteri young #bea was ready to k word vincent and then ava wakes up #and she has the softest look on her face #and ava's looking back at her like they're the only people in the room #yeah #!mine

[notroosterbradshaw]

slow dancing in a burning room - six

word count: 5.5k

warnings: nsfw 18+, smut, language, angst.

part of: The Boyfriend Experience universe

a/n: well, they're broken. it's unceremonious and it's real and they're hurting so deeply, coping in ways only they know... the wrong way. You're here to meet Bad Choice Bradley, I presume? I hope you enjoy it. thanks to those who read, reblogged and commented on previous chapters. you’re doing god’s work. I truly appreciate all the effort you make to show your support and if you like it… please comment and reblog it! x

five.two

“Rooster,” Annie smiled before him, Ava strapped to her chest in her baby carrier sleeping peacefully.

Bradley felt his poor, old heart sink because he’d done so well to now avoiding you and your family since everything blew the fuck up in your relationship. It was a small town and the more you tried to avoid someone, the more likely they were to cross your path. “Ann,” he gave a slight smile. “How you doin'?”

“Morning coffee brings me back to life after a rough night,” she reported. “Not on base today? Look at the beard,” you said, fondly as he realised Annie didn't have a clue. 

“No,” he bit back the sour taste in his mouth. Obviously you’d not told your family about his pending trial… and in a way, he guessed he was thankful. It probably brought a certain amount of embarrassment to you, if he thought about it truthfully, given Viper and the respect he still commanded at work and from the locals. You didn’t need his bullshit on your shoulders. "Few more weeks to myself. Just finished my run,” he said even though it appeared the most obvious thing in the world. Shorts, runners, Navy tank glued to him, sweating from top to toe from morning humidity.

He just wanted to get his coffee and head home to shower. He should have just forgone the fucking caffeine. He had a perfectly good coffee machine at home for Christ’s sake. He cursed the fact you introduced him to this coffee shop and he knew, eventually he’d see you here, but he’d been so smart. He knew your work schedule and now, he was always the first in line when he knew your first classes for the day were clocking over. He was no dummy - sure, he had his moments when his head was stuck up his ass, but caffeine was his drug of choice and after you’d secretly revealed to him the best in the town and he was addicted.  “Lucky. You just missed her…” Annie told him softly, nodding off in the direction towards work... his villa was in the opposite direction and taunting him and his poor choices.

He hummed, unreadable. “Did I?”  He was pleased with the relief that washed over him. It was such a non-committal response and he knew he owed Annie so much better. Annie wasn't the cause of his recurring cycle of problems. But shit, he was so good at making his problems... everyone’s.

“Loves her morning coffee,” Annie waved her reusable cup towards him, and gee, it was so awkward. Rooster nodded, pleased that he wasn’t the only uncomfortable one in this conversation. Even Annie, usually outgoing, funny Annie, seemed completely out of character with her current word vomit.

And though he was desperate to, he would not ask after you because he knew there was no way you could feel as awful as he did but he forced it out anyway. “How is she, Annie?” he tried to hide the sadness in his voice, but it was impossible. He was so desperate to catch even the slightest whisper about you - whether it was Annie, Phoenix or any other mutual acquaintances. The radio silence was quietly killing him.

After a beat, Annie replied warily, “A wreck. Not that she’d ever let us know. We’re not seeing hell a lot of her so that kind of speaks for itself, I guess. Or it's exactly what she wants, I don't know," she rambled because Bradley could see Annie didn't know what to do to help you, and that hurt him more. The frustration in the air was paramount. The people you were once closest to now the one furthest at arm's length and he knew that was because of him.

“Right,” he replied, forcing a lack of interest in his voice. He didn’t want to sound emotional that you were upset, but he certainly didn’t want to feel sad for you for the decision that you made. Bradley needed you to know that you were feeling the way you were feeling for what you decided to drag you both through. He wanted to work things out, he didn't want either of you to be hurting like this - “Sorry to hear that.” He shrugged, knowing how cold it sounded and the surprise on Annie's face telling the story. What the fuck else was he supposed to say?

All the texts he'd sent bounced, and he knew you'd blocked him - what was the use of calling? He considered sending flowers, champagne, fucking skywrite if it got your attention, but all his desperate ways for your attention would fall on deaf ears. And as desperate as he was to go to you, knock on your door and hold you until reason came back into that smart brain of yours, he knew for now, you simply needed your time. He just hoped it wasn't forever.

“So... how are you?” Annie asked, welcomingly changing the subject.

He shrugged, sipping his coffee. He didn't feel like admitting he was about to head home, shower and see his JAG. It just didn't feel like it could roll off his tongue properly without the rest of his life crashing around him. He’d been so good to protect his façade and damn, he lied so easily. It was his most hated personality trait and he wished he could stop it, but sometimes it was just easier. “PT,” he lied, but he knew fully well Annie didn’t care for his physical recovery - she had good intentions but he knew she wanted to pry into his convoluted, messed up brain, see if he was as tragically missing her sister, if he was as tormented as you were. 

Dissect and get into the deepest, darkest crevices. 

But Bradley would never tell. There were enough people trying to get in there as it was. And right now he wasn’t going to give anyone the benefit of that bullshit. That hurt stayed with him, no matter the cost. It motivated him, got him through the day to be better, stronger, harder and he wasn't letting his guard down for anyone, not Annie, not Phoenix, not Mav.

Not you. No one.

“That’s fantastic,” she said as Ava wriggled against her, waking. ��I’m glad for you, Rooster,” Annie bobbed to settle the little one, whining and probably ready for her morning feed. "You need your head in the clouds."

If that ever happened again.

“She got big,” Rooster said, keenly changing the subject and turning his attention to Ava. He reached for her her little hand and Ava wrapped her chubby little palm against his pointer. Bradley knew even if kids weren't in his future, the future he had quietly hoped to share with you, this was a cute kid and it only reminded him of you when you were playing World’s Greatest Aunty and putting the idea in his head that maybe… yeah, he could get the family he always wanted with you. It was going to take more to desensitise himself, he realised. 

“They do that,” Annie said, with a gentle smile. “Way too quickly. I feel like she's minutes away from rolling, crawling, and then up and walking out to college."

And Rooster laughed, because there was Annie, the Annie he grew up with. They both needed that little break in the terse. "I hope not that fast," he gently pressed a kiss on Ava's knuckles and loosened his finger, free again.

"Well, I’d better get her home for some food and start our day. Good to see you, Rooster,” she gave him a small smile. “If you need anything, call me, okay? Don’t be a stranger.”

Bradley did the cordial thing and nodded. “Will do. See ya around, Annie," he said, not waiting for a dragged out goodbye and heading in the other direction. He had a house to start bringing back to life even if he had fallen apart in every other way.

It had been about month since you and Bradley… yeah. Since then. Things had been fairly busy for you, you’d stayed to yourself, regardless of nagging from your family, some other friends who wanted to claim your time now you were single again and, of course, Natasha. She was shipping out in a few days and wanted to have a drink but the last place you’d be caught dead at was The fucking Hard Deck. Reassuring everyone you were good, or okay, was next to useless. No one believed you anyway.  

You'd kept yourself busy. The apartment needed to be unpacked again, with no time like the present, a perfect time to purge and it felt so much better in your small part of the world that you’d rid yourself of those little things you simply didn’t need anymore. Clothes, kitchenwares, changed up the orientation of the bedroom, indulging and confusing yourself with feng shui and vastu shastra on household karma/good vibes among other things. 

But you really did feel lighter. You built a cute study nook for your business stuff. You and Bradley had planned to use one of the rooms in the Bradshaw place, giving you more time to work from home, instead of staying later after classes to do your never-ending small business accounting.

But that wasn’t the case now and you had all the time in the world.

“Fuck, Nat. Stop,” you muttered to yourself, scarfing down some leftovers for dinner. It was late and frankly, you had little to no interest in heading out, even if it was to a venue of your choice. You had to give Natasha credit: she was trying so hard to release you from your self-imposed imprisonment. You know what you were up for - 20 questions about how you were coping. You'd be lying to say you weren't worried about his impending trial and were curious to reach out. But it probably would just distract him and he didn’t need that. You were sure it was this week or next. 

Maybe you would get Grandpa to contact Bradley? 

But as far as you were concerned, Bradley seemed to be doing just fine. Like you’d agreed, you didn’t need each other anyway. Besides, he hadn't contacted you - and you hadn't let him after yep, taking the high road and blocking him. Maybe he needed this more than you did, you tried to reason with yourself. A guy like him didn't deserve to be tied down with someone who had the baggage you did. He deserved better. 

You tossed your fork on the plate, suddenly not hungry for the stir fry you were desperate for only minutes earlier although the need to get tiddly didn't sound terrible at all.

Enjoying his quiet drink, Rooster knew his time was running out as Phoenix sidled her way to him, a fair smile on her face. Unreadable, and God, he hated that. “Didn’t know you were coming out tonight,” she commented, as she put two beers on Payback’s tab, placing one before Bradley. 

She followed his gaze to the pretty woman across the bar, making pathetic doe eyes and suggestive overtones with her beer bottle and tongue. Natasha would never get used to it. And sadly, Rooster seemed pretty into it, for what she could gather. “Know her?” Phoenix asked as Rooster’s lip quirked and he stumbled to find an undefined answer.

Truth be told, yeah. Rooster did know her. Not super well, but well enough to remember how into him she seemed as she led him back to her place last week, the first person he’d fucked since… and, he supposed, it was fine. It was good, she was eager to please and she had zeroed in on him the minute he walked in last week and again tonight. Rooster didn’t generally put his boots under the same bed twice, but he lately wasn’t feeling particularly fussy. He did ask himself if there was a supposed grieving period for how long he should probably wait before getting into the game again but his brain (and Hangman) told him what he needed to hear.

Fuck her. 

“Oh, Rooster, no. You slept with her?” Natasha asked, the disappointment dripped from her voice and Bradley felt about three feet tall.

“Oh, fuck this,” he bemoaned. “She broke up with me, I have to be celibate too?” he asked. It seemed so rehearsed and he didn't lie but he knew the shit he was going to cop for spending time with any woman that wasn’t you. 

Natasha sighed. “No, I guess not.” 

“Believe it or not, I can fuck who and when I want, Phoenix,” he gruffly reminded her. "You don't get to dictate."

“No, you’re right,” she agreed. Who was she to argue? She was desperate for her friends to get over this little ‘blip’, but seeing you separately and the hurt you’d both caused each other, she began to wonder if this blip as she'd hopefully referred to is as was really the end of what could have been the best thing that happened to both of you. 

You were no longer a couple. Rooster had moved into his parents' old place alone and seemed to be enjoying taking to it with a sledgehammer. You were doing your usual MO when things went sour – you didn’t answer calls, and rarely responded to texts before anyway. You were working and looking at growing the business, so it was the best excuse in the books not to come to the bar, a surefire way of making sure she didn’t pump into Bradley.

“I can’t see him, Nat. He was the love of my life. And not being able to touch him, kiss him, laugh with him? It would just kill me,” you had told her sadly, week’s earlier when Natasha came over unannounced and sporting Thai food and rosé. 

“What is so fucking funny is that I keep hearing how badly she is doing, yet no one gives a flying fuck that maybe, just maybe, I’m going through it too," Bradley muttered, Natasha surprise crossing her face as he continued, "Nat, we were moving in together. But it’s over now,” he poured what was left of his beer down his throat, knowing that coming out tonight was not his wisest idea. Bad Choice Bradley was bubbling in his bloodstream and frankly, he didn't mind if he escaped. He was so sick of doing everything by the rules, but where had that gotten him? Absolutely no-fucking-where. Jobless and Loveless. “And for the record?” he hissed purposefully to Natasha. “I was in that fuckin’ relationship too. I didn't call time.” 

“Okay, okay,” she said softly. “I’m sorry. You’re right. You’re wholeheartedly allowed to feel that way. We just don’t see you… as down about it,” she used her words carefully.

“It was weeks ago,” he sniped.

“It wasn’t that long - ”

“Jesus, Phoenix. She was the fucking love of my life,” he hissed. "I wanted to work this out. She blocked my number, she wants nothing to do with me."

Natasha held her palm towards his chest but didn’t dare touch him, she could feel the heat, the anger reverberating off him. “Okay, I agree. I’m sorry, I know you’re hurting, buddy. And I’ve let you down.”

He frowned and paused. “What are you talking about?” 

“This isn’t just the breakup, Rooster,” Natasha said, adjusting her posture to stand with him and continuing before she could let up. “Everything has been a bit of a shitstorm. Your past is always following you around, you were part of a suicide mission that almost got you killed and now you’re waiting for trial and I should have been doing more to make sure you were okay with that."

And for the moment, Bradley was silenced and frown in reply.

"Are you still seeing the shrink?”

He huffed out a breath, replacing his beer eagerly with the one Natasha had slid towards him. He didn’t need this holier-than-thou bullshit where Natasha got to try and save him to be really honest. He just gazed back at her, now unreadable. 

“Isn’t it mandatory?” she pressed lightly. “You should really be talking to someone – ”

“I’m still going, I’m hating it. If I don’t get clearance from the shrink, I never get in my jet again regardless of how the trial plays itself out. Satisfied?” he rolled his eyes. “See ya later, Phoenix,” he said, leaving his her side and heading over to his new friend, who greeted him with a tender kiss on the side of his mouth, and while he wasn’t repulsed, you used to do that to him, and he didn’t like it half as much as he used to.

“Didn’t think you were going to come over and say hi, Rooster.”

“I’m here with friends,” he admitted, whom he’s just ditched to come over here and line up an easy lay for the night. 

“You wanna dance?”

He nodded, a small grin gracing his features that didn’t quite make it to his eyes. “Yeah, lemme hit the bathroom first really quick, okay?” 

“Sure,” she smiled as he grasped her forearm, gave the easy smoulder and disappeared. And she, with the name he couldn’t recall (but really wanted to), devotedly followed moments later. Messy, unplanned bar head wasn’t on his bingo card for the night, but he’d surely take it. He tried to be surprised when she cornered him into the stall and undid the few top buttons on her shirt, her breasts brushing against his chest as she groped his half-hard cock and played with the zip on his jeans before letting her soft, warm palm slide beneath his boxer briefs. His breathing immediately shallow because her hand was better than his hand and she sank to her knees and licked her lips, she didn't give an ounce of hesitation to take him deep.

He guessed he never really had to work hard to get what he wanted. 

And he couldn’t hate himself more for it, because he compared everything to you. The way your big, beautiful eyes would peer up at him, begging for reassurance you were pleasing him, giving everything he deserved and more, your delicate strands he’d mess his long fingers into… it wasn’t the same but he came deep in the back of her throat that she swallowed and tidied up devoutly and he kind of wanted to be sick. But as she did that thing with her tongue, he wanted to cum so badly, as she gripped his thighs to keep her balance, he regarded her, knowing this wasn’t a woman he could fall in love with. He would only ever love one woman and right now, she wanted nothing to do with him. 

He shook the notion from his head, concentrating on how silky her tongue caressed the head of his cock and remembered this didn’t happen all the time and to enjoy it as he thrust into her face, closing his eyes and imagining you again, getting him over the line as he knotted his fingers in her hair and fucked her face. Seeing you and those pretty sounds you’d make gagging on his cock, deep as you possibly could and what you couldn’t, pumping in your delicate palms. 

He grunted as he came in wild spurts down her throat until he was spent and watched as she tidied him up, sweetly placing his softening dick back in his boxers and pulling his jeans back into place, sweetly caressing his throbbing groin. 

With a quiet laugh, he helped her to her feet, cupping her chin a little rough. "You didn't need to do that, you know?"

"No," she agreed. "But you tasted so good time, I couldn't wait for more."

Bradley blushed, mostly ashamed. He certainly had nothing to be proud about. “I’ll be right out…” he said to her and she nodded and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her lipstick was improper, her hair was well and truly a mess. Just how he liked it… if it was you. And he knew she would run out to tell her friends exactly what had happened, darting out alone.

Rooster looked at himself in the mirror, taking in his reflection and rubbed his tired face. “Who the fuck are you, Bradshaw?” he accused himself. He took a deep breath, ran his hands under the cool water, washed his palms then splashed some water on his flushed face. “Jesus,” he muttered to himself before inhaling sharply and straightening up. 

“Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck,” Natasha muttered to herself as Bob caught wind of her strife and looked up from his peanuts, concerned for his friend. "Fuckkk."

“What’s up, partner?” he asked, perplexed. She lifted her phone and the text you’d just sent. “Oh,” Bob said, adjusting his glasses, a trait he did constantly as he grew nervous. “That is… that is not good.” 

“No…” Natasha agreed, casting her gaze to find Rooster, but he was nowhere to be found. “Shit.” 

Rooster had spotted his new friend with her group and gave a slight nudge towards the exit when she caught his eye. Excitedly, she gave a wink back as her friends gave her teasing words of encouragement but Rooster didn’t care. He just needed to get out of there. 

The bar was stifling and he didn’t feel like Phoenix’s third degree on his life choices anymore. He wasn’t a dickhead – he was well aware he was making poor decisions. Bad Choice Bradley. But this wasn’t his first one lately, and it certainly wouldn’t be his last.

Darting through the throng of officers and civilians, he made a beeline for the door, thrusting it open, and he’d be lying to say in his frustration, there was some heat and malice behind it.

“Jesus, goddammit,” the voice hissed on the other side, the heavy door hitting a patron on the other side trying to enter. Rooster tried to catch them, almost knocking them to the ground in the process and he couldn't believe his dumb luck that it was you who were on the other side as he tried to phantom his escape. You skipped backwards quickly as Rooster yanked the door back, trying to stop its force. His face paled when he realised just who it was he’d almost knocked off their feet.

He whispered your name, and you’d swear you had seen a ghost. “Shit, I’m so fuckin' sorry," he said, the recognition all over his face as he took you in, scared and studying you.

"Shit," you muttered. Bradley could hear the pain in your voice, whether it was through injury or just disgruntled, he couldn't be sure. “Hey,” you said nervously. This was not how you wanted to see him for the first time since you’d broken up. 

“I was just leaving,” he explained, reminding you the door had walloped you in the elbow and you rubbed it in recollection, a gentle thrum from its impact. He looked back over his shoulder. “Shit, I’m so sorry,” he said again. He so badly wanted to reach out and kiss your injury better. The injury he caused, and he loathed himself for it. “How bad I get you?” he asked softly, taking a step closer. 

Before he got closer, you closed in on yourself and covered the sting in your elbow with a step or two. “It’s fine, Brad – Rooster. It’s no worries,” you reassured him, flippantly. Your body language told him everything he needed to know. He was flatlining. 

He nodded slowly, saddened at how you recoiled from him. "You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sure."

“Okay. Sorry, huh?” 

“It’s fine really,” you said as a pretty young thing wandered out. She joined Bradley on his hip and you didn’t miss how her hand curved into his elbow and how his face changed, the guilt masking his handsome features. She looked back at you both expectedly. 

“Ready to go, Rooster?” she asked as he paused, gauging your response. He knew his timing was about as bad as it could be. 

And yep, it looked exactly as it looked. 

“Yeah. I’ll be just a minute,” he said, the embarrassment etched all over his skin as he ripped out your heart and toyed with it in his beautiful hands before you. His ears reddened and he licked his lips as she wandered away, calling back over her shoulder when she’d reached his Bronco. Well, she knew his car, maybe this wasn’t as new as it looked. 

Yep, it looked exactly as it looked. 

You’d thank Natasha personally for the warning in a moment - she probably wouldn't like it though. “Friend of yours?” you figured trying to balance your tone. Who were you to get upset at him? To Bradley Bradshaw, you were no one and that was what hurt the most.

“Something like that,” he admitted quietly. 

Maybe you didn’t need that drink Nat promised. You needed Penny to drown you in the top shelf. “Nat’s waiting for me,” you explained to him. “Have a good night, Rooster,” you told him as he reluctantly pulled the door open for you to scurry under his strong, golden arm and get lost in the Friday night throng. He watched after you until he lost you.

Rooster ran his clammy palm over his face, he felt ill as he stepped away from the door. He wanted to be sick, he knew exactly how pathetic he looked. Why the fuck didn’t Natasha tell him you were coming? He would have hauled ass ages ago and without incident. He pulled his phone out and threw a brutal one-liner at her about giving him a head’s up next time and made his way to his car, where his friend/date/hook up/whoever was waiting with a bright grin. 

“Thought you were gonna ditch me,” she laughed lightly, he could hear the uncertainty in her voice. 

“Look, I’m really sorry, but I’m not feeling too well right now, and I have a real early start tomorrow morning. Think we could take a rain check?” he asked, keeping a safe distance from her. She raised an eyebrow.

“You sure? Five minutes ago, you seemed really fucking into that blowjob in the bathroom,” she hissed at hime. And it was fine head, her lipstick was still smudged on his cock, he would always be appreciative of anyone giving him their best. But again, it wasn’t your pretty lips, nose desperately trying to nuzzle the soft hair at his happy trail, staring up at him like he possessed all the stars in the sky. God, he was truly beginning to hate himself and he missed your mouth, however smart it was, wrapped around his cock, giving him an earful... kissing him.

He shook his head dismally. “Look, I can’t do this, okay? M’sorry,” he unlocked the car, hopped into the driver’s seat and keyed the ignition, peeling out of the carpark to the allotment of insults and birds being hurled his way. It would be some time before he decided to venture back to The Hard Deck, which was probably best.

And deservingly so, he reminded himself. He'd take a few weeks off from the bar, he’d been through this before. Never go back to the scene of the crime, especially after one-night stands. He knew better, but it all seemed so easy tonight until you were before him and ruined everything. 

He pulled into a car park, the ocean bustling before him and he sat for a moment, his palms latched onto the steering wheel, his knuckles white as the adrenaline of the night coursed through his veins. Taught and teetering, he stared out to the ocean, needing answers to all the questions in his messed up brain.

God, you looked so beautiful. You had done something different to your hair, not a lot, just subtle, but he noticed it, the scent of his favourite perfume, it was so ridiculously expensive but it was the only real fancy thing you afforded yourself even if you used it sparingly, that drifted off you and enveloped him. He remembered it on his pillows, it lasted for the week until the sheets were changed. 

But your eyes… They told the story. Seeing each other was a shock to the system, but you just looked so upset when… fuck, whatever her name was made her presence known. Getting his phone from his pocket, he sighed and found your last texts to each other. 

It was all so sweet. 

You: I love you, big boy. Hurry home to me xxx

Bradley: Love you too. Lemme finish up and I’ll be right there x 

He ignored the subsequent texts he tried to send that all bounced back. Now it all seemed like another world and another time.

“So, yeah, that was fun,” you told Natasha as she gave Penny the signal to keep lining the shots up. 

“You okay, darlin’ heart?” Penny asked sadly. Not that she wanted to pry, but Live had asked her to keep an eye on you if and when she could and she didn’t know if your mother was really wanting to see how brokenhearted you were.

“I’m awful,” you confided, voice strong but powerful because if you didn’t talk about this, you’d sink into another one of those solitary states where you wallowed in the misery of your broken heart, you were going to explode. “I have ruined the best thing that has happened to me then I get to see him take a one-night stand home.”

In no world would Natasha tell you this wasn’t their first hook-up and tossed back one of the lined up shots to avoid putting her foot in her mouth. “He’s slipped back into old habits,” Natasha shuddered as the tequila burned. She wasn’t defending him, but it was what it was as Penny made some polite excuses to continue working. “He a fucking moron, all dudes are the same. Easy pussy, get their dicks wet. They should all be lobotomised," she raised her shot and you, Natasha and Penny whipped the shots back.

But Rooster Bradshaw owed you absolutely nothing. And he proved he knew it too.

“He talked to me like a stranger. He’s never spoken to me like that in thirty years.”

“What do you mean?”

“Has he said he’s missed me or anything?” you asked, sadly and as Natasha prepared to answer, you dismally added, “I’ve ruined everything because I was scared about all the wrong things. Nat, I’ve messed this up and I don’t know what to do to fix it.”

She nodded but she heard what she heard. “…do you want to fix it?”

“I can’t function without him. I am just bumbling along, missing him while he is recovering alone. He's about to stand trial... he needs support,” and you know fully well that Natasha, Penny, Mav and others had Bradley's back but you also knew there were only a few people he'd truly let help him. “Will you still be here for the trial?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be here… I’m a witness. It’s the day after tomorrow.”

“Can you tell me how it goes?”

She nodded. “Of course.” 

“I can’t believe I gave all this up.”

She nodded. “I hate seeing you hurting like this.” Both of you, she wanted to add.

“Does he talk about me?” you asked quietly.

Phoenix sighed, she didn’t want to get into this. Anything he’d ever told her was done so in confidentiality. And while you were her great friend, he was too. Rooster didn't have many confidants. "I - "

“Natasha. Does Bradley want to fix us?” you raised your eyes, and Natasha saw the tears that threatened to spill. 

“I don’t know,” she admitted. Only hours before he was talking about his latest conquest. She saw that woman follow him into the bathrooms but she had no idea where her friend stood, even if she knew you two were so much better together. She could tell you how angry about it he was. But there was no way that was going to help the situation even if she was desperate to say or do anything that could possibly help.

You shrugged and took another shot. “Whatever, he’s clearly moved on and I will just have to accept that. Another round?" you asked, a casual frown gracing your features and Natasha nodded.

"One more," she loaded the bar up and couldn’t imagine being in her plane tomorrow if this was how the night was going to go. 

masterlist.

Big thanks as always to @gretagerwigsmuse for helping me get this fic over this line x

A/N: the tag list no longer exists. To keep up to date, give @notroosterbradshaw-library a follow x

#notroosterbradshaw #bad choice bradley #rooster #rooster x reader #bradley bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw #rooster fanfic #rooster imagine #top gun rooster #rooster bradshaw fic #rooster fluff #rooster smut #rooster top gun #rooster x you #tgm #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #rooster bradshaw x reader #rooster angst #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley bradshaw x female reader #rooster x female reader

[jpitha]

Just a Little Further 34

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

Janais stands. "Come. It is time for bed. The hour is late. I shall call what residents are left here and we shall all return to the Reach. There we can plan our next steps."

"We?" I look up at Janais. She looks down her nose back at me.

"I may not be Empress anymore, but I am still a Builder. You only have what... 5 Builders in total now?"

"4 Actually."

"Oh, That's right, your prisoner is not yet a Builder."

Yet?

Raaden crosses her arms and makes a face.

"Regardless, you need all the help you can get. I shall come with you and remain a Builder and assist you in your task."

"My task?"

Janais looks at me like I'm an idiot. "Rebuilding the Empire and ruling it as is your right. You need people, you need starships, you need Builders. It is a large task, but not an impossible one. It's been done before, it can be done again."

"Wait, wait, what does this mean? Am I going to have to go out and... conquer everyone?"

Raaden sighs. "We've been over this, Empress. They're not going to see a human that can use a Commanding Voice to make anyone who is around her do anything she wants as a friend. If you want to survive, the only option is at the top."

Janais nods. "Your prisoner is wise. You should make her a Builder. She would be an excellent commander of your fleets."

Both Raaden and I blink. "What? No. I can't be Fleet Commander here. For one, there's no fleet. For two, I'm from Venus. For three, MmEmpress would never allow it. I tried to take over here."

"And you failed, but yet you live. The Empress sees value in your still. She hasn't ordered your death, she hasn't even commanded your silence. She listens when you speak, even when you tell her things she doesn't want to hear. You are more valuable than you realize Helen Raaden."

I look over at her. Maybe Janais has a point. It would have been so easy just to order her to be quiet. But, she has experience, she is very intelligent. It would be stupid to throw away such a resource. Is it really just that she was on the wrong side all this time? She is incredibly ruthless.

We could use ruthless.

Ugh. This is going to cause trouble down the line, I just know it.

"Y̸̰̚õ̶̱u̴͚͛ ̸̢̌m̸̜̎a̴̢̎y̴͇͊ ̶͇̈́c̶̩̐ą̶͘l̸̙̓l̶̙̍ ̶̮̽m̵̝̊e̴̼̋ ̵̖͋M̵̟͝e̶̻̿l̴̯̅o̷̱̽d̷̹͆y̵̹͋.̴̻̑ Raaden."

Raaden snaps her head over to me and looks at me, eyes wide. "Why did you do that... Melody?"

Ava looks at me flabbergasted. "Yes, why did you do that Melody?

"Let's say that... you've earned it."

Raaden nods. "I did notice that you stopped calling me Helen after interviewing the crew. Who told you I hated that name?"

"Ginny did."

Raaden smiles gently. "Ginny is more observant than she lets on, good girl. It's not that I hate my name, I hate fake casualness. I hate when people use my first name to try and be friendly, when I don't want to be their friend and they really don't want to be mine." Raaden stood and stretched, and held out her hand. "Let's try this again. My name is Helen Raaden. Nice to meet you."

I stand and grasp the hand. "Melody Mullen. Nice to meet you too."

Omar gets up from his chair and starts walking around the room. "Okay, now that we're all best buds here, we need to figure out what we're doing. We're going to sleep here tonight, and tomorrow take everyone home? Empress Janais, how many people are left here exactly?"

Janais holds up a finger. "Builder Janais now. The only Empress here is Melody."

"Okay fine. Builder Janais, how many people are left here?"

Janais closes her eyes and for a moment looks far away. Do I look like that when I'm connecting to the Reach? Her head tips forward just a bit and her eyes snap open. "There are one hundred and twenty three people that I can feel. I think that's everyone."

"Call them here please. It may take most of the night to get them loaded safely. Tell them to bring only what they can carry. If there are precious things, we can leave them and come back. We're moving, not fleeing."

"Of course, Builder Omar." Janais closes her eyes again. "They have heard my call. They will be here shortly. Come with me, I will meet them with you and we can begin loading."

She stands and strides out of the room. Omar looks at me questioningly. I shrug. "Sure, go ahead." I appreciate him making sure I'm okay with it, but I can't think of a reason for him not to follow her lead. Omar shrugs too and hurries after her.

Starlight stands as well. "I will head back to High Line. I... am not comfortable here, I will sleep in my cabin. Good night Empress, Ava, Raaden."

Starlight walks out of the palace and it's just me, Ava and Raaden sitting at the table, alone.

Ava goes first. "Okay Raaden. It's just you and me and Melody. Why the hell are you with Venus? You know that everyone else in the galaxy thinks they're fascist assholes right? It's not a surprise?"

Helen looks down at the table. She then looks back up at Ava. "Venus is where I'm from Ava. I was raised in Regantown, I did ROTC at VPI, signed on right after graduation, majored in Leadership, the works. I've been steered towards the military from an early age. Most upper class Venusians are."

Huh, These are all things about Raaden I never knew. "Are you from a military family... Helen?"

She smiles slightly when I use her name. "Actually yes. My Dad was Rear Admiral Klein Raaden. He served for many years as part of the Inner Planet Defense Force, the IPDF. They handled the defense of the Mercury Array, Venus and Luna. Earth had their own force of course, and then from Mars out was the OPA. Dad was retired when Venus... struck out on their own. I remember being about 13 and Dad getting called back up to "serve his homeland." He... didn't think much of the Emperor at the time, or their ideals, especially around AIs. Dad had worked with and served with AIs for years. He thought AIs were fine and were probably the reason we were so successful with interstellar flight. But-" she pantomimed a salute, "-he was called to serve, and he did. Served until his dreadnought Redemption Arc was sabotaged by an OPA operative and crashed into the floating city Lavinia, destroying both. They sank into the atmosphere and lost all hands. Over one million people died."

My eyes go wide with recognition. "So your ship..."

"Was named for the incident that took my Dad, yeah." She gave me a wan smile and looked at both of us. "I was incredibly proud when I was given command of the Lavinia. It was only my second command. Nobody gets a dreadnought for their second command, that's usually an end of career thing. But 'the daughter of Klein knows what's she's doing' and so it was given to me."

"But all the anti AI rhetoric! They're sapient, have been for more than a thousand years. You must have known that stuff would have made you unpopular." Ava sounds conflicted. I wonder if she's trying to come to terms with the fact that Helen is... a person with good parts and bad parts and not just an attractive woman in a sharp uniform who she can just be labeled "bad guy" and stuck over in a corner.

She shrugged. "Well sure. That's for the folks at home. The AIs don't go to Sol much anymore. That makes it easier to make them out to be an enemy. Give the people a bad guy, and they concentrate on them and... less on you. Or the fact that Venus keeps losing ships and not getting more. They don't notice we've tried to take the Heinlein shipyards in the Earth L2 point three times now and failed every time. They don't notice how our trade deficit is eye watering. We are not self sufficient, not by a long shot. If everyone cuts off trade, we die, it's that simple."

"It's propaganda?"

"Mostly, yeah. Don't get me wrong, the Emperor hates AIs. He is absolutely convinced that they're behind every corner and are all actively plotting to overthrow him."

Okay, my turn. "What do you think about AIs, Helen?"

Her shoulders rolled gently. "I tend not to. I don't work with them, I don't interact with them. Other than the propaganda, I don't know much about them. I do worry that they'll decide we're just not worth the effort and try and take over, but the thought doesn't keep me up at night."

Raaden leans forward intently. "But what about you Melody? What do you think of them? An AI declared your captain unfit if I am remembering your story to Janais correctly. The AI, now in charge, left you here. An AI abandoned you to your fate."

I'm taken aback. "I-I-I mean, she was thinking of the mission and..."

"And what Melody? You just said that she didn't continue the mission. She went home."

Ava raises her eyebrows, surprised at herself. "Raaden... is right Melody. FarReach was scared of you. She only gave us a few minutes to grab our things. Omar and Um'reli came with me because their minds were already made up. Nobody else who was unsure got time to think about it. FarReach locked Q'ari in her cabin, declared her unfit and left."

Raaden sat back. "Sounds like you have your own reasons to not particularly care about AIs Melody."

I sigh. It feels like Ava and Helen are right, but it also feels wrong to agree with them. "It doesn't matter anywhere. There are no AIs on this side of the galaxy."

Ava gestured with her teacup. "You heard Janais, we might be all that's left on this side. We should go to the other locations she knew and see if anyone is there. If there isn't, then... well the other side of the Galaxy is where the action is." Ava looked worried. "Melody, I don't want to lose you. If the only way that you can ensure that you won't catch a sniper's bullet is to be in charge... then be in charge. I can think of worse people to rule."

"Easily" Raaden agreed. "Frankly Melody, if you're half the ruler I think you are, you'll be the best ruler that anyone alive has ever seen."

"Thanks Ava, Helen... I think. You really think I'd be a good ruler?"

Ava nods emphatically. "You're ruling over the Reach now and are doing great. Do you remember how nervous everyone was when we first showed up? Now they cheer you, and tell you about their families when we go for a walk and say hi."

"Believe me when I say, I've known Emperors Melody." Raaden looks around for something to drink, finds her tea and sniffs it. "You're a better ruler than any Emperor I know." She tosses her tea back. "Come on, I don't feel like sleeping in this mausoleum. Let's go back to High Line and sleep. We can make sure everyone is loaded up and leave tomorrow."

We stand and leave Janais' Palace for the last time.

Ava and I have a comfortable night in our cabin. It's not our rooms in the Royal Dawn, but Omar has really made an effort to make our cabin seem homey. I appreciate it. In the morning I left my cabin and almost ran into an Azurian standing in the hall. "Oh, I'm sorry, excuse me."

The Azurian looked up at me and stepped aside. "Empress."

I made my way down the hall to the Command Deck squeezing past people here and there. Thankfully, when I got there, the only people inside were Ava, Starlight and Janais. "Where's Raaden?" I walked up to Ava and bent down and gave her a hug while she was seated at a station.

"She said it was too cramped, and was going to stay in her room." Ava returned the hug quickly, but then bent back down to her terminal.

Starlight looked up at me. "Empress, this is going to be an unpleasant flight. High Line is overloaded as it is. We should get going quickly."

"Good idea Starlight. Omar, how soon can we go?"

"We're ready now. Ginny and I just finished loading everyone. It's tight, but we can do it in one trip. Actually..."

"Yes Omar?"

"Since things are so tight, and nobody wants to be onboard any longer than necessary do you want to give the wormhole generator a spin and link over?"

"Do we have the power for it?"

"Ginny says we have more than enough for a link of that distance. We could clear the Wilds and link over to the Reach in minutes."

"Okay then. I approve linking from here to Reach of the Might of Vzzx."

"Excellent. I'll let you know when we're ready for you to order it. Maybe another hour."

"We're going to use a wormhole generator?" Janais looks nervous.

Ava looks up. "They're common on our side of the Galaxy, we're using an existing design. It should be no big deal."

She is clearly trying not to look as nervous as she feels. "Then I defer to your judgement, Builder."

I spent the hour on the Command Deck. It was the only place I could have more than a meter on either side of me without risking bumping into someone. As we cruised between the Wilds and the Gate Omar came over the PA. "We have reached safe distance from the Wilds of Besmara. Empress, we can link to Reach of the Might of Vzzx on your order."

"Omar, please link us home."

"Aye Empress."

And... that was that. It was like any wormhole link back home. There was a flash of white, and we were back in the system that housed Reach of the Might of Vzzx. I let out he breath that I didn't know I was holding and...

I heard the screaming.

"What's going on? Omar?"

"It sounds like it's coming from the people from the Wilds. None of them have ever taken a wormhole link before. We forgot to tell them about the side effects."

The side effects.

When humanity developed the wormhole generators, it was discovered that about one in one hundred (now one in one thousand thanks to further refinement of the technology) for lack of a better word dies when we link.

It's not permanent at least. But those people swear they died and visited the afterlife. Usually only for a few moments, but enough people do it that it has opened up all kinds of new theological arguments that people thought were closed and gone millennia ago. It doesn't happen to me, or anyone I know, but from what I understand even when you're expecting it to happen, it can be a shock.

I look over to Janais and... she has tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Janais! Are you all right?" I rush to her side.

She turns and looks at me, wild eyed. "I saw her Empress! I saw my Aeche! She was wearing a beautiful gown and when she noticed me she smiled like a dawning star and walked towards me." Janais looked into the middle distance and continued. "She said "You have done it, just like I knew you would!" I said "Done what?" and she smiled and said "Found our salvation." and then I came back here." She chokes back a sob. "Tell me. Tell me Empress. What did I see? Did I see my Aeche waiting for me, or was is all a hallucination? Did I go to the Beyond, or was it a dream?"

I gently touch her hand. It's warm and soft in mine. "Janais... nobody knows. About one in one thousand people experiences what you just experienced. Nobody has ever been able to confirm if your soul really leaves your body, of if it's just some kind of... mirage. A side-effect of going through a hole in spacetime. People who... experience it have tried asking the people they meet, and they always get a cryptic answer, if they get one at all. In the end, everyone must decide for themselves if it's real or not."

Janais looks at me strangely. She reaches into her pocket and takes out a small handkerchief and wipes her eyes delicately. "Thank you Empress."

What? "You're welcome, but why?"

"You have enabled me to see my love again. I do not know if it is real or not, and right now I do not care. I got to see Aeche again, and she as so happy, so beautiful. If I have to wait seventy four years to see her again, it will still all be worth it." She wipes her eyes again and looks at the forward screen. "Is that the Reach?"

"It is, Janais. Shall we go home?"

She exhales, relieved. It was real. "Yes, Empress. I would like to go home. Let's build you an Empire."

Part 35

#humans are deathworlders #humans are space orcs #humans go on adventure #humans are space oddities #sci fi writing #writing #humans and ai #humans and aliens #the k'laxiverse #jpitha #just a little further

[romeulusroy]

Imagine being Sam's twin with abilities of your own: Pt. 3

"Gay porn. All hours of the day."

You're the only one who seems to find this funny. Sam gives you a look, the others do, too. Jake and Lily, they're both too serious for their own good. Angry. At least there was a little entertainment. Andy just smiles at you. You and him bonded the last time you saw one another. Being a twin freaked him out. You reminded him it wasn't all that bad, even if Webber had been evil. You two got along. He was weird, but so were you. He made you laugh. He lightened even the most dire situations. Andy was proof. Proof you guys weren't all that bad. That you wouldn't turn out bad. You knew, in some ways, he was a comfort to Sammy. He was to you, too.

You texted from time to time, even called one another when you could get away from your brothers. It was nice. Someone who understood without lecturing you. Mostly, though, he made you laugh. He couldn't send you thoughts. It didn't work on other people with abilities, so you mostly messed with Dean and only when he was sleeping. He always complained of weird dreams afterward. You told Andy about your ghosts, even about Gordon, all the things you couldn't tell anyone else. He liked listening. Made a lot of jokes, too. You kept these conversations secret. It was easier that way. Even now, it seemed like you gravitated towards one another. Sam was there, taking charge, but it was Andy you took comfort in.

You two stuck by each other. Both Sam and Dean had made fun of you, how he liked you so much. You told them he was just being friendly, like that with everyone, but you hoped, secretly, they were right. When Ava went missing, you followed him across the salt line, hand in hand. It wasn't the right time, and you and him weren't kids anymore, but it still made you giddy. You didn't talk about it, he just grabbed you and you grabbed back. Sam and Jake went searching outside. That left the two of you.

"Ava, we were calling for you. Where were you?" It's like she didn't even hear you. She turned around, looking at you both. Andy takes a step in front of you, letting go of your hand. It came through the window in a cloud of black. Her nails are long and she uses them to slice through him. Butcher him. You can't move or scream or do anything. All you can do is watch. When she's done, she disappears, leaving you and Ava staring at one another. That's when you regain your senses. You try to put pressure on his wounds, trying to talk to him, but he doesn't respond. The cuts, they're too deep. You're covered in his blood. The whole room is. Ava stands over you, your cries hysterical, deciding what to do with you. In the end, she makes her decision.

You can't leave him, you can't. You know she'll kill you if you don't. You apologize to Andy, his body, over and over, but it doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel real. She moves towards you, another cloud forming beside her. You don't pray. You've never prayed. But this time you do. You hold Andy, and you pray. Pray that it will be painless. Pray for Sammy and Dean, and Bobby, who loved you like you were his own. You pray for Lily and Andy, who didn't deserve to die in a place like this. Mostly though, you say that you're sorry. For everything. You beg for forgiveness with your final breath.

It isn't as painful as you thought. She tears into your spinal chord, into your insides, and all you can do is cry. When Sammy finds you, he takes notice of two heartbreaking things: the way you're holding Andy, shielding him, and the tear stains down your cheeks. You died protecting his body.

You died scared.

#i love andy lol #i also love angst #sam winchester #sam winchester imagine #dean winchester #dean winchester imagine #supernatural #supernatural imagine #series #ennasfavorites #tw death #tw gore

[nat-seal-well]

20-25 for ava and elena and 10-15 for nat and marin 🫶

Hi, friend! Thank you so much <333

(OTP asks)

20: Choose one song that perfectly describes their relationship.

Stitch Me Up, by Set It Off!

21: Who would get in a fight to defend the other's honor? Who tends to the other's wounds?

Elena would be the one who would fight on Ava's behalf--or try to, much to Ava's surprise. And worry. If it were nine hundred years ago, Ava would have, but you can't really just draw a sword and challenge someone to a duel nowadays, hahaha. That doesn't mean she wouldn't be clenching her jaw and looming over Elena the entire time to get the other person to back off; Elena would just be the one who would try to throw a punch for her partner.

Ava would be the one to tend to Elena's wounds :) Part of this is because she doesn't have that super-convenient vampire healing. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop her from trying to throw herself into fights. Ava would absolutely use bandaging her up as an excuse to touch her gently and with tenderness. <3 Elena tries to bandage Ava up, too, but Ava is stubborn and always insists she doesn't need it.

22: What reminds each of their partner?

If Elena is away from the warehouse for more than a few days, Ava will go into her room. Elena has a ton of foresty candles she likes to burn (with the window open). You know, those green ones that say they smell like cedar and stuff? Ava will take the lid off one to breathe the scent in, just for a little while. She always says they're way too strong, but they remind her of Elena!

Ever since Ava told her about the life she lived before the Agency, Elena takes pictures of anything she sees while she's out that involves a sword. A plastic toy sword? That gets sent to Ava. A replica she found at one of Wayhaven's many antique shops? That gets sent to Ava. A painting of a knight she sees at a museum? That gets sent to Ava, too with a message that simply says, "u."

23: Who's more likely to convince the other to stay in bed in the morning?

That would be Elena, lol. She's clingy and will roll over and drape herself over Ava like a cat. It doesn't usually work; Ava likes to stick to her routines. But sometimes, very, very rarely, she's able to get Ava to stay. She always gives in with a sigh, but then Elena will feel a hand resting against the back of her head, and she knows Ava isn't nearly as annoyed as she's trying to seem.

24: Who's more likely to give the other a massage?

Ava insists that they're unnecessary, but after a long day or an intense few hours in the training room, Elena always offers. She has special oils that smell, very faintly, like lavender. It's always hard to tell Elena no, because she gets so excited about it, lol. And Ava has to admit that it feels nice. Elena's hands are soft and warm, and she always likes to cover her in kisses, too. How is Ava supposed to turn that down?

25: Do they have any hobbies they share?

Elena likes to go hiking. She used to go alone, before meeting UB, because no one else ever wanted to go with her. But after Murphy... well, it just wasn't possible, for a number of reasons. At first Ava only went with her for protection. But Elena is different in the woods. She's quieter, and she'll spend hours looking up plants in field guides. It's a side of her that not many people get to see. Now Ava likes to go with her simply for the sake of it; she insists on packing way too many supplies and carrying the bag, and forces Elena to stop for regular water breaks.

10: Describe their first date.

It was Nat's idea, lol. She was eager for a chance to take them out for an evening, just the two of them--no mission or work to worry about. She made reservations for a restaurant in town, one of the nicer ones. But since Wayhaven's a coastal town, that means a lot of places specialize in seafood... which Marin doesn't like. They tried though, and picked through some salmon, before Nat noticed and asked for the bill. She tried to make up for it the whole time until Marin dragged her into a little bookstore/coffeeshop. They split a slice of cake that was almost as good as what Hailey makes and left with books that they bought each other :)

11: Do either try to hide their emotions if they're upset? Can the other still tell?

Nat tries to hide hers a lot more than Marin tries to hide theirs. Any time she feels even a little bit unhappy or upset, she'll try to keep it under wraps. The problem is, though, that Marin knows her well enough by now to be able to tell. And it drives them up the wall. There have been a handful of... discussions... about it.

12: Do they have many heated arguments? How do they smooth things over?

Real, actual arguments don't happen very often. Nat always tries too hard to avoid confrontation, but sometimes, that's what makes things worse. Her placating is another thing that gets on Marin's nerves. It makes it feel like Nat doesn't want them to feel their emotions, and sometimes they just need to be upset! Both of them will go off on their own to cool down, and then after a few hours, one will go find the other; it's usually split 50/50 on who goes searching. There's always lots of apologies and tight hugs and kisses, usually on the cheek (from Marin) or the forehead (from Nat).

13: Who's the bigger tease?

Nat is, for sure. She's very good at being sneaky and sly and smooth about it, and it always leaves Marin red-faced and flustered. They try their best to retaliate, but they aren't nearly as suave about it as she is. Their attempts are endearing, though. (Sometimes they go to Felix for help, which is always a bad idea.)

14: How do their personalities compliment each other? How do they clash?

Marin and Nat have a lot of the same interests, which helps a lot. For example: while Nat is neat and organized with her books, Marin is a little more... eclectic with their own. There's stacks on the floor, stacks by the bed, stacks on tables... They've also always cared very little about their appearance, because they never thought it was something important. (Becoming a detective was very exciting. No uniform!) And Nat, on the other hand... well, she's Nat.

At first, their similarities where what helped them make a connection and deepen their bond. Nat finds it fascinating that someone can be so much like her and so different at the same time, and Marin loves how gentle and caring she is. Even if Nat keeps trying to coax them into coming up with an actual organization system for their book collection. And to wear something other than the same handful of sweaters over and over. They clash the most when they're trying to get ready to go somewhere, lol.

15: Do they always say, 'I love you' before leaving?

Yes! Both of them do. Nat does it because she worries; if Marin is on their way out the door, she always makes sure to tell them, and tack on a "come home safe" at the end of it. It melts Marin's heart, and they're already a defensive driver, but their caution ramps up way more whenever Nat sees them off. Marin always makes sure to tell her, because they love the smile she gives them before she leaves. It's like the first time they told her they love her all over again. It helps make both of their days a little bit brighter <3

#sealy answers #ask game #oc: marin #oc: elena

[ofwrxth]

+ TAMMIE / ADAM'S LAKE, BC OCTOBER 24TH

The woman's cries are haunting. They echo throughout the abandoned building like a ghostly call to something long gone. Nora can't help but think of her mother with each cry of pain that emanates from the woman. Was this what she'd gone through? Was this how it had all ended for Ava Jones? She swallows a lump in her throat and rakes a hand through her hair, surveying the room around them. "We can't move her like this." Nora whispers, looking to Tammie, the two of them with heads bent together as they work out what to do. She can hear the sky rumbling low outside, a slow, rolling tide that'll soon become a downpour. Their option are few and far between.

"And I don't think we got time to find JJ and Soph," she sighs. Rubbing her jaw, she observes the woman on the wooden floor, curled on her side and cradling her stomach. They'd patched up the bullet wound in her shoulder, but then the contractions had begun and they had to sort out another plan. Nora nods at her sister. "We should make her comfortable, before we do anything, right?" It's a question and suggestion all at once because birthing cows seems a lot different than birthing one of their own. But they'd split up from JJ and Sophia an hour ago to explore the town. And, small though it was, it was large enough that to cover ground fast, pairing off had been their best bet. Nora knows that is going to be a small detail they leave out when they tell their dad how the run went.

"Ma'am?" Nora finally addresses the lady, glancing to Tammie with a worried brow before taking a step forward towards the woman. She crouches down beside her, the floor creaking beneath her boots as she hovers a hesitant hand over the woman's uninjured shoulder. "We're gonna help make ya more comfortable in here and then we're gonna help you with this here..." Situation seems too cold given the circumstances, "miracle you've got goin' on." She settles on a word people loved, though Nora never understood why. One that evokes hope for those who think magic exists. She can't deny that if there was ever a time she wishes it were real, it's right now.

"We're gonna be with you the entire time," Nora encourages as they help her up so they can move to the couch in the next room. The only reason they were in this abandoned home is because they'd heard her groans of pain. And then when they saw the state she was in, they couldn't leave. "I'm Nora, and this is Tammie." She introduces them as they wrap an arm each around her waist to help her up, careful as can be with her current state.

It's clear by the pallor of her skin that she's lost a lot of blood, if her clothes weren't indication enough, stained so dark with it they're almost black. The woman lets out another cry, doubling over and Nora stops short. She rubs the stranger's back until the contraction passes and the woman's head slumps forward with exhaustion. Was this how it was for you, mom? she thinks, another stone in throat as she looks at Tammie with a worried gaze. Somehow, Nora knows that they share the same thought. @rviner

#nora. #nora x tammie 002. #timestamp 001.

[purpleprincessonfyre]

And now something a bit soft, inspired by an idea that @jackiequick gave me that devolved into a full fledged Found Family fic. Sorry not sorry.

Marvel AU - Not Your Barbie Girl

Characters: Liane Felton and Jason Underwood aka JJ

Mentioned: Ethan Lensherr, The OG Avengers, Rochelle Romanoff-Felton, Rei Stark

Setting: The Avengers Tower, post Battle of New York

Themes: Found Family, Grumpy and Sunshine friends

IB: Not Your Barbie Girl by Ava Max

Liane was stressed. She was pacing her room back and forth, her music nearly blasting, her bed strewn in dresses and outfits, shoes cluttered across her floor and she was clenching her pillow tightly, trying not to scream. She was not doing well.

Ethan had asked her on a date. Yesterday. He was very slightly nudged by his brother Cole into saying it outloud but Liane had said yes almost immediately. Actually she'd shouted it. Causing everyone to stop in their tracks as her cheeks turned a deep shade of peony. But Ethan had smiled, that dumb sweet grin that made Liane feel special.

But now she had the arduous task of choosing what to wear. Smart? Casual? Smart casual? Streetwear? Black tie? She was racking her brain trying to predict what kind of date this was going to be or how her date was going to dress. Ethan wasn't really a suit person but what if he wore one tonight? There were too many options.

Finally Liane settled on a classic look of hers; white collared blouse, pale pink sweater, plaid grey skirt, white knee socks and black Mary Jane heels. She smiled as she put it on, feeling that confidence she had before and stepped out of her room to check with the other girls about her outfit choice.

But as Liane entered the main area she realised how quiet it was. She looked around and only saw one person. Jason Underwood. She frowned, clearly confused.

"Where did everyone go?"

"Nat's off training Rochelle and a few of the others, Bruce and some of the guys including Rei are at the lab and the rest are busy. I'm only here so the Tower isn't left unsupervised."

"Oh. Okay. Do you...do you mind if I get your opinion on something?"

"Go ahead but it might not be flattering," stated Jason, his eyes still fixed on his newspaper. Liane stood in front of him in her outfit, smiling.

"Does this outfit look good for my date tonight with Ethan?"

"Sure it does." Jason replied, still not looking up. Liane sighed.

"At least look at it."

"Fine." His gaze flicked up to her outfit then back to his paper.

"Yep, you look like your usual...pinky self."

"I- But what do you think? Be totally honest."

Jason lowered his paper, making eye contact with her, not sure if this was a trap or not.

"You want ME to be honest?"

"Brutally honest."

"Fine." He put his paper down, sat bolt upright and fixed his gaze on her outfit. He looked her up and down carefully before he spoke, having made up his mind.

"You dress like a Boarding School Student who thinks they're rebellious for wearing nail polish and earrings at school. You're on a date, not taking your SATs. All you'd need to top it off is a dog in your purse and a crucifix necklace to show them just how devout you are."

"Okay now you're just being rude."

"You wanted honest! And honesty is I don't like your outfit. You need to find something new."

"Wait what?" Jason stood up and got up to Liane's eye level, using all his skills acquired from being a godfather to Rei to try and talk some sense into Liane.

"You have spent your whole life dressing the way people expect you to dress, talking the way people expect you to, dating the way people tell you to and living the way people think you should live. Why don't you figure out who the real Liane Felton is for once?"

"N-no one's ever asked me that before...I- would you come shopping with me? For new clothes?"

Jason stopped still. He hadn't expected that. He turned around and saw her hopefully eyes and remembered that despite her reputation she was still so young. And naive. And he was literally her only option. If anyone could help this poor girl salvage a personal style from the wreckage of her preppy barbiecore closet then it would have to be him.

Jason held out his hand kindly, smiling.

"Let's get you some new clothes, Doll."

-----

The unlikely duo got out of the car and headed into the mall, in search of new clothes for Liane. Liane strode ahead, her eyes determined while Jason followed behind closely, also slightly acting as a guard dog to her since she wasn't the most liked person in the world.

They headed into the first clothes store they saw and grabbed a basket.

"Okay so what is your signature colour right now?"

"Uh pink?"

"Exactly. Not that pink isn't pretty but of course but maybe it's time to add some other colours to your closet. Pick out an outfit in every colour of the rainbow. A jacket, a dress, pants, a suit, skirt, you name it. And well we'll see what your new thing is."

Liane grinned. If there was one thing she excelled at, it was making an outfit. Soon the basket was overflowing with shades of crimson, ochre, tangerine, emerald, azure, navy and lavender and some whites and blacks were thrown in for good measure. After being satisfied with her choices, Liane marched into a dressing room with her outfits ready to try each of them.

Jason took a seat outside the changing area, ready to critique each look. Eventually Liane emerged in a red dress, topped with a red coat, black boots and a red hat. Jason raised an eyebrow, amused.

"A bit Carmen Sandiego for you."

"I dunno I think femme fatale suits me."

"Try again, Miss Scarlet."

Next she entered wearing a sunny yellow 50s style dress with white heels, a little cardigan and a bow in her hair. Jason tried not to laugh.

"Tell me about it, stud."

"Oh man! Not Sandra Dee! I was going for Marilyn.."

She kept trying on outfits in varying shades and pulling funny faces when Jason gave his verdict until he stopped her when she reached green, looking her up and down.

"None of these are working...what colours do you have left?"

"Blue, dark blue, black, white oh and purple!"

Jason's eyes lit up. He took Liane by the hand and led her back to the room.

"Try the purple jacket with this top, these pants and those mini gogo boots."

Liane nodded, seeing his vision and stepped back into the dressing room to redress, hopefully the final time. When she finally emerged Jason beamed from ear to ear. Liane was wearing a turtleneck styled white top with high waisted blue jeans, a purple leather jacket, white mini gogo boots with gold hoops in her ears and had stuck her signature heart-shaped sunglasses in her hair like an Alice band.

"What do you think?"

"I love it. It's mature, the colour suits you so well and you don't look like a school girl. And it's understated too. Very nice. But what do you think?"

"I really like it, it's so comfy too!"

"Liane Felton we have found your colour. But don't be afraid to experiment with other colours too don't limit yourself."

"Who knew you were so good at fashion?"

"Clearly I didn't."

"Ethan would be crazy not to be impressed by that outfit too."

"You think so?"

"I know so, Doll."

Liane smiled softly, then flung her arms around Jason's neck, standing on her tiptoes to reach as she hugged him tight, engulfing him in a cloud of her candy scented perfume. He was taken aback at first but realised she probably really needed this hug. Reluctantly he wrapped his arms around her in the hug, smiling as she held him close. Sometimes it was easy to forget that these Heroes of the Future are still pretty scared young people with fears and needs.

None more than Liane, who had been her mother's personal doll since birth. He'd heard the stories and the rumours but now he knew the real Liane he had nothing but sympathy for her. And after having dealt with her father in previous skirmishes and work, he felt sort of protective of the bubbly blonde princess. And she finally had a chance to break out of her shell for once and be her own person.

Hope you enjoyed!

Tagging: @jackiequick @gcthvile @cherrysft @blueboirick @meiramel @askstevella @ask-missparker @ask-starrk @therealdaydreamstark @thechoooooosenone @wizzzardofoz @finlayholmes @rickb-chaos @luna-d-marsh @missstrawbs2001

#liane felton #liane's blog #askliane #marvel roleplay #violet pyre #marvel ask blog #mcu fandom #ask my ocs #ethane #uncle jj #jason underwood #glenn powell #amanda seyfried

[duckapus]

Alright so last time I said in the tags that what Frenzy found at the Arles' meeting place would have to do with that one mannequin-looking character I drew a little while back, and that's because...well, as you might expect from an emotionally unstable Avatar combining code she only sort-of understands with a complicated spell from a magic system she only just started using, there were some unforeseen side-effects. The biggest of which is the creation of an echo, of sorts, of the part of Blue Arle that identified as an Avatar (it ended up being that aspect of her identity in particular since it was the one she was least secure in).

It technically has Arle's memories and emotions, but in a detached sort of way, and it doesn't quite see itself as Arle so much as just An Avatar. Also, in terms of how it would be portrayed in a video, it would have grey subtitles with dull red borders and absolutely no dialogue sounds. When it speaks it's completely silent but people can still "hear" what it's saying.

Anyway, Frenzy realizes it has something to do with Arle thanks to its eye color, and it confirms it and explains what exactly happened. He ends up giving it the nickname "Ava" (obviously short for Avatar) since he's gotta call it something, and the two of them start heading back to Primp Town.

Meanwhile, the rest Avatars are also in Primp right now, having decided to meet there instead of in the Mushroom Kingdom "as a change of pace" (really because most of them have noticed that Arle's not quite acting like herself lately and want to make sure she's okay), and Satan's group have pulled together enough evidence to figure out that Doppel's involved in Arle's strange behavior somehow, so things are about to get a bit hectic.

Well, not quite all the Avatars. Nimbus and the rest of the Luminos Crew have Important Business in Magnamiel. That unfortunately gets put on hold because Dapple is missing and Bolero and Peony are freaking out. The only clue, if you can even call it that, is an abandoned attempt at a note where the only message that's still legible is a messily scrawled "I'm sorry." They hadn't thought of checking her "secret" lair for answers yet (again, they're freaking out), and after the suggestion is made they're about to head down, but they're stopped by an unusually large portal command appearing near the top of the throne room and dropping...well, I guess you'll have to wait and see.

#smg4 ocs #the arle arc #frenzy the chupacabra #ava #satan puyo puyo #nimbus #king bolero #archimage peony #three cliffhangers in a row #i'm not even sorry

[janfraiser]

"So, who..." "Not going to talk about that." for the Ivy au maybe? 👀

this prompt for this au is absolutely iconic ily ❣️❣️

Ava makes the mistake of heading to the ER's doctor's lounge instead of trekking back up to the CT floor, needing any moment of rest she can steal ten hours into a twelve hour shift. But when she enters the room, Will, Natalie, and April all stop talking, instantly and badly acting like they're focused on random things. Ava rolls her eyes, resisting the urge to tug her lab coat back over her abdomen. "God, you can just ask."

Natalie holds up her hands in a gesture of innocence, and Will grimaces and looks away, but April offers an awkward smile. "Congratulations...?"

"Yes," Ava confirms, the word ending in a hiss of irritation. "I'm pregnant. And I was really hoping I could avoid becoming everyone's business."

"Sorry," Will says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How are you doing?" April asks, a mixture of curiosity and compassion in her eyes. Honestly, Ava doesn't want either.

"I'm alright, just tired," she answers, her gaze drifting away. She sinks down onto the couch, hoping for a moment to close her eyes, but Natalie speaks before she can actually relax.

"So, Ava," she says, lips pursed, clearly going for nonchalance, "who..."

"I'm not going to talk about that," Ava says, a little more sharply than she means. Between the ache between her eyes and the fuss happening around her, she's at the end of a quickly-fraying rope. But her attempt to firmly end the conversation is foiled by Will.

"Nat," he says, not even doing Ava the kindness of actually addressing her, "it's gotta be Connor."

Ava drops her head into her hands-- she's too stressed and tired to argue, and besides, any protest she could make would only make him more certain.

"Wait, Ava, did you sleep with him?" There's an added weight to the couch, telling her Natalie has taken a seat next to her. She doesn't answer, fast regretting inviting this conversation at all.

"Hey," April interjects, "are we maybe crossing a line? Ava, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"Thank you, April," she sighs. "I don't-- I don't mind people knowing, I just don't want to be everyone's gossip. It feels..." she shudders, picking up her head and running her hands through her hair. "...gross."

She almost regrets her wording at the look on Natalie's face, but really, she can't spare much energy for comforting the other woman, even if her intentions are harmless.

"Hey, sorry," Will offers. "Congratulations. And it's... none of our business."

"Of course not," Nat agrees. "Sorry, Ava. If you need anything, just ask, okay? I'm happy to help."

Ava knows the offer is genuine, but she can't help but feel that she's not sure she knows her well enough to take her up on it. Another thing that's not Natalie's fault; she never really feels like she can connect with people easily, even when there's no reason they shouldn't be her friends. Again, she closes her eyes, too tired to voice any of this. "Thank you, Natalie," she murmurs, her voice almost too quiet for anyone to hear.

"Hey, let's clear out," Will suggests. "I can't even imagine what surgery shifts are like when you're wiped out like this."

"I'll come get you if you're needed for a patient," April promises.

"Good luck, Ava," Natalie says, her hand brushing her shoulder.

Ava makes herself open her eyes to smile gratefully at them. "Thank you."

It's not enough, but it's something.

#actually rly happy with how this turned out!! #i just needed to make ava Struggle #i also rly like how this is the Very Start of her actually trying to have friends at the hospital #especially outside the ct floor #thank you for the lovely request 💞💞💞 #chicago med #chicago med fic #ava bekker #natalie manning #will halstead #april sexton #ivy au #nova tag

[slaasherslut]

An Angry Bean Rises: Ava & The Sinclair Boys

Part two of "An Angry Bean Rises: Ava's Side"

Ava awoke from her short nap on the couch to her phone vibrating on the coffee table. The stress of today and all the yelling tired her out and gave her a massive headache, the pills she took earlier had done nothing. The vibrations caused annoyance to build up inside her. When they didn't stop, she answered.

"What?" She answered, the annoyance was obvious.

"Hey sweetpea, you doin' alright?" It was Lester and he sounded concerned. She felt bad for how she answered him.

"Hey baby, where are you? I've been missing you." She sat up on the couch and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"I'm just helpin' out around town, everyone's all in a tizzy. Have the twins been there yet?"

"Vincent is here, I have him up in the guest room. Cleaned him up a little bit, Michael really did a number on him. I think a few of his ribs and his nose is broken." Lester sighed, Ava sighed right back before she continued. "Can you come home? I need you here... please?"

Lester smiled softly, it could be heard in his voice. "Of course, ill be home as soon as I can. Okay?" She hummed in response. "I love you, Ava."

"I love you too, Les." The line then went dead. She checked the time when she hung up, looks like she was only asleep for around half an hour. She was definitely gonna need a lot more sleep than that after today was over.

She set her phone back on the coffee table before making her way upstairs to check on Vincent. As much as she was absolutely furious with him for the way he acted, he was still her brother in law, and she knew Ellie would be disappointed if Vincent went home in a worse state. When Ava approached the guest room, the door was already open halfway. She tapped her knuckles on the door before pushing it all the way open. Vincent was laying in bed seemingly in deep thought. The sound of the door opening and her footsteps alerted him to her presence, turning to face her and attempting to sit up. Ava made a motion as if to say "No, don't get up" before walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"How are ya feelin' Vin?"

"Still in pain but ill live." He signed.

Ava nodded. "Listen, I know today has been totally fucked up. I'm gonna try to talk to Ellie and-" The front door swung open. She assumed Les had finally made his way home until a different southern drawl called her name. It was Bo. Oh god not him too. She called down to him. "Were up here!" She gave Vincent an apologetic look before Bo made his way into the bedroom. He nodded a greeting to Ava, who was moving to stand, before looking at his twin.

"Damn Vince, you look like you got hit by a truck."

"Feels like it." He signed back. Bo stood with his arms crossed. The longer he stood there staring at Vincent the more Ava could see the gears turning in his head. He was thinking, and that thinking was starting to make him angry.

"Vin." Bo started. "I fuckin' told you not to do it you jealous bastard. I fuckin' told you not to. Ya did it anyway and you dragged me into it." Ava scoffed. She thought she was quiet enough to where it wouldn't be heard but Bo turned his attention towards her, barring his teeth and clenched jaw.

"What're you huffin' at, princess?" His voice was filled with malice.

Ava chuckled. "Jealous bastard? Really? You of all people are gonna call Vincent a jealous bastard?" She took a step closer to Bo, glaring at him. "You've killed men so violently that Vinny couldn't even use the bodies for so much as breathing the same air as Percy. You aint one to talk, bud."

"Oh shut the fuck up, this aint yer fight." He sneered.

"Aint my fight? You two are in my house and my friend was almost murdered today so yes it is my fucking fight!" Ava was, for the second time that day, yelling at one of the Sinclair boys. They're argument was so heated and loud that they never heard the front door opening and closing followed by footsteps bounding up the stairs. She was pulled backwards as Lester came up from behind her. Both parties continued to scream at each other while Vincent sat on the bed in silence watching the calamity unfold

"HEY!" Lester shouted loud enough to be heard over the screaming. The three others stopped and stared at him. All three of them have never heard Lester get so loud or angry. "Quit fuckin' screamin' in my house! You!" He pointed at Vincent. "Fuckin' stay here!" He turned to Bo. "And you! Go downstairs and shut the fuck up for cryin' out loud!"

The room fell into a deafening silence. The three were still baffled. Lester was never one to yell or even raise his voice. Ava could feel her stomach flip at his angry outburst. She was glad he did it though, she was tired of all the yelling. Bo muttered a few hushed curses before storming out the door and down the stairs.

Ava gave Vincent an apologetic look. "Sorry for all the shouting, Vin. Ill bring you up some water and a couple ice packs." Ava said before Lester closed the bedroom door as they left him to relax. The couple walked down the hall a ways, stopping at the top of the stairs before they both breathed a sigh of relief, Lester leaned back against the wall. Ava looked at him with a sly smile. He had a puzzled look on his face but his lips started to tug upward.

"Whatcha lookin' at me like that for?"

"You're kinda hot when you get all angry." Ava giggled as a blush coated his face. He grabbed her by the belt loops of her shorts and pulled her to press her body against his.

"You think so?" He asked as her arms wrapped around his neck. She bit her lip and nodded with a giggle. He pulled her in for a deep kiss when the sound of a car horn was heard coming from just outside. They separated with a sigh.

"Were finishing that later." Ava pointed at him with a wink as she started descending the stairs.

"Yes ma'am." The couple jogged downstairs, Ava headed for the door while Lester went to go find Bo. She looked out one of the front windows to see Percy's signature mustang in the driveway. Ava walked outside to meet her, walking around to the drivers side as the window rolled down.

"Hey Perc." Ava leaned her elbows against the door.

"Is Bo here?" Percy bit her lip, she looked worried. This girl could never go without her "southern tempest" for too long.

"Yeah hes inside, you gonna take him home?" Percy nodded and Ava laughed. "Okay ill go get him." She pushed herself off the car and jogged inside. Lester and Bo were standing in the kitchen talking and drinking a beer.

"Bo!" She called "Percy's here to take you home!"

Bo muttered a "thank god" before downing the rest of his beer and heading out the door, jumping in his girlfriends car. Ava shouted "Love you!" as they backed out of the driveway. The door quickly shut and the stressed out girl fell back against the wood.

"Oh thank god! I don't think I could handle another minute of all three of you under the same roof today."

☾ tag list: @rottent33th @cries-in-latino @vincent-sinclair-deserved-better @the-pinstriped-hood @allthingsblood @25bohemianmoons

#angels of ambrose au #oc ava #ava walker #percy jones #bo sinclair #vincent sinclair #lester sinclair #house of wax

[badnikbreaker]

@adventurousblur : [ ARM ]: sender wraps a protective arm around the receiver and guides them away from the threat and out of the premises. - for amy! / accepting!

It really isn't Jewel's fault.

She hadn't known — she has no way of knowing. Amy's fought so, so hard to keep the number of people who know about her struggles with unreality small. Only Sonic, Knuckles and Silver have any meaningful sense that they're sick at all — only Knuckles really grasps how bad it gets and why. It isn't Jewel's fault. Amy feels compelled to defend her as Sonic's arm wraps around their shoulders, but their mouth won't work.

Jewel asked about Infinite.

Just small talk while the pair worked. Discussing past battles. Talk of Amy's time as a leader had lead to discussion of being Vice - Commander of the Resistance, which had lead to talk of the war. Jewel didn't know. Jewel couldn't have known. Amy hadn't reacted outwardly — not in any way most would ever notice. The smile had remained sunny and sweet, only barely smearing at the edges. But — they'd been fighting the madman who killed the axis on which Amy's world spun. They'd been fighting the madmen who conquered most of the world.

They'd been fighting the madman who could create illusions that were indistinguishable from reality.

Amy manages to make some excuse to leave for Jewel, and can't focus enough to read Jewel's expression to tell if she buys it. Sonic's already guiding her carefully out of the room; Jewel hadn't known the signs to look for, but Sonic and Amy grew up together and he'd seen her tells. ( sometimes she hates that. there's no one she hides from more than sonic, after all. ) Shaking hands. Absent eyes. Sonic doesn't know how bad it gets, or why it happens, but he knows Amy forgets how to breathe or be in their body or where they are are. They were up against a madman who could create illusions indistinguishable from reality. Sonic comes back after being dead — is that real, or an illusion? Ava survives the sun — is that real, or a lie meant to break their hearts? They win —— is that real? Is that real?

How would Amy even know?

Jewel asked about Infinite, and suddenly Amy is reminded that she can't know if this is real or not. Suddenly Amy is reminded that she can't know if she's real or not. She can barely feel Sonic's hand on her arm. She loses time, doesn't realize he's taking her outside of Restoration HQ entirely until the naked sunlight makes her wince into the other. Her head hurts. Her — head? Is there a her?

"I'm sorry about that!" Amy finds their voice, but the words are rote and far away even as they try to infect the syllables with their typical sunny enthusiasm. "I'm okay. Just a little tired, that's all." They lift their head to look at his face and can't read his expression. Sonic's here — that has to be real. Whether it is or not, Amy has to believe it's real or they'll come undone. Sonic's always felt like the most real thing in the world, long before Infinite gave her any reason to doubt. The laugh she adds on is tinny but closer to normal. "Guess I need more coffee, huh?"

#adventurousblur #answered. #amy : main verse. #queue. #[taking medium damage in a fighting game sound] ough

[timothylawrence]

when you finish the eden 6 arc lmk how was it because i want to know your opinion on it

Hello!!! Finally finished this arc LOL. took a while but we did it. I'll put it all under the cut !

Good stuff:

Wainwright and Hammerlock are so, so, good. It's one of the few moments in the game where you go huh, there actually was someone behind this game that genuinely loved the franchise and it's characters. You can feel the love between them while also laughing at their silly banter :,)! boyfriends who get shot together stay together :,)

Love the Saurians, they're cute!!!

Clay Borderlands I love You. Quite literally my favorite character in this arc, I love his aesthetic his style his conversation, I literally couldn't help how much I loved him. His backstory is one of those that takes a second to hit and then you're :(. my bestie clay ily

The whole planets look/aesthetic is awesome. It did feel pretty honest to southern USA (specifically Louisiana!)

I loved Clay's buddies. QuietFoot dying in front of me was so fucked up i literally said "OMG HE's ALIVE" and then he died. come on man.

Troy and Tyreen were actually funny at some points sorry. I had a few laughs. I think their banter is great.

The Vault fight was probably the funnest fight to date!!! i really enjoyed it :)!

Bad stuff:

Okay, so I really, really want to like this game, but the racism here is like. astronomical. Aurelia's entire character is a racist shitshow. It's genuinely so awful I had to stop paying attention when she spoke cus it just felt disrespectful. I know it's the writer's fault but like dear god. this is. you should get an award for fucking her character up. and then be forbidden for ever looking at nonwhite people ever again. I genuinely got so, so sad. took a few days break after meeting her (before her fight even!!!!) and just. didn't want to pick it back up 'cause her whole character is just. treated so shittily. how many woc in that game are dead or bad guys atp?? like 70%??? i can only think of Ava and Amara!!!! (fiona and sasha do not count, they're MIA. and fucking Yvette is dead + Juno is literally treated like shit by her own characters for 90% of her arc).

Although I love Eden-Six's aesthetic, fighting Jabbers and Saurians is virtually impossible WHEN EVERYTHING IS BROWN AND GREEN. There were so SO many moments in this arc where I just couldn't see enemies!!! everything is brown and green and ugh, it all blends into one another. I genuinely got so frustrated at certain points that I just had to shut my eyes.

So uh. no warning about BALEX or whatever??? i didnt think the incels in the writing room were this upfront but wow, an awful robot lady who broke up with the good guy and gets murdered? like that s really textbook. it was so uncomfortable to watch and deal with. Sure ICE-T is funny but like. at the cost of every other word that leaves his mouth being misogynistic.

The number of bugs me and my group encountered was just obnoxious. Multiple times of having to restart the whole game, restart the lobby, random crashes and shit- My PC can handle this game fine yet in certain areas the whole game just freezes!!! And starts to lag!

This is a whole game issue really but the plot holes are just plot canyons at this point. It's all so stupid and shittily weaved together. ugh it's frustrating to try and play this game with your brain on.

Again, I think the arc had some genuinely good moments. The puzzle scene with Wainwright and Hammerlock, meeting Clay- all of it was nice for a brief, two seconds. And then you are brought back into the reality that the game is just. unfortunately misogynistic, racist, and plain awful.

#asks #wainwrightjakobshammerlock #i tried to make this as positive as possible LMAO #also not going in tags and unrebloggable because i already get vagued in there often enough LMFAOOO

[ghostarr]

Because production started! Some thunderbolts thoughts...

We already know yelena has been working for valentina for some time, and in hawkeye it seems implied she got her as a contact from another ex-widow after she blipped back. So valentina having red room connections makes sense. As does alexei and antonia joining through yelena. (Though i am curious if antonia survived the snap and how she's developed in those years. i feel like she needs those extra years to properly age her up, and become her own person. i'm still pretty iffy on the bw timeline...)

We saw valentina recruit walker in fatws after being stripped of his title. So once again she's swooping in to pick up a displaced soldier in a desperate moment. It's obvious she has interest in a very specific kind of enhanced individual, ones that were strictly trained and bitter about being used and now lacking direction. The red room, hydra, and shield are now all gone. So they're "free." But they're all used to taking orders and not really used to making their own life choices. Ava, antonia, and yelena didn't have normal childhoods past a young age, how would they adapt back into society after being isolated from it? Even walker who has been in the military pretty much his entire adult life, that's his entire purpose and we saw how upset he was to lose it. Obviously this makes it very easy for valentina's offer to appeal. What are any of them going to do? Get an office job? Lol

We only got some hints of val's actual agenda as cia director in wf, but there's definitely more to be revealed. But it'll be interesting to see the mcu political landscape through secret invasion, cap4, and thunderbolts.

So i'm curious how she's not just recruiting bucky, but positioning him as the leader of the team. since valentina has shown longterm plans, it's got to be more than slapped together for a single mission. How would she have sold it to somebody like bucky? Giving him the opportunity to mentor and guide troubled heroes like himself? Obviously he'll be in a good position to understand what a lot of them have been through. And since he's worked with the avengers in iw and endgame, his experience legitimizes the operation. I'm pretty sure most of them will be convinced they're working on the good side doing the right thing, even if they're getting their hands a bit dirty.

But the one I'm most curious about is of course ava. How do you get somebody with such trust issues against the government on board with working for the cia. Does she have prior history with valentina? Is she being blackmailed or threatened the raft instead? Is she playing along because she has insider info she's looking to sabotage? There's a lot to work with given comic ghost's thunderbolts history and motivations, it'll be interesting to see if they tie her motivations into those storylines.

The appeal of the thunderbolts comics for me has always been all the conflicting agendas and loyalties that unravel in the worst way. I'm definitely expecting betrayals and twists if it's being done correctly. And after watching beef i feel like the creative team really understands messy dynamics. I know a lot of people were initially skeptical over the members lineup, but i see so much potential!! And i'm so excited to see how sentry ties into this too.

Anyway ive been waiting forever for this 😭

#thunderbolts #mcu

[inmyarmswrappedin]

I read some of the reactions on the tag before the clip was subbed, and those posts confirmed the bad feelings I've had about the season so far. So I was feeling this dread in the pit of my stomach about watching the clip. Overall, the clip wasn't as bad as I was expecting though.

Ava, Yara and Mailin are on stage talking about some of the upcoming graduation events. In the end, the various vaccines have ensured that the kids get their abiball. They're free like Britney!

Yara says Nora is already working on the banner design but again the actress isn't available. Ava is in charge of choosing a location.

Mailin will be in charge of the abi prank. She starts off her speech confidently, but Finn chooses that moment to come into the room all adorable and hot in a Skam slo-mo (name of the clip!) and throws Mailin off her game! Why are boys so cute, don't they realize they're keeping girlbosses from their goals with their distracting good looks? Anyway Mailin manages to finish her speech and asks for volunteers. Fatou volunteers. Bestie time! Sporty Spice volunteers. Half-assed redemption arc enthusiasts rejoice! Finn is also in. Romance is in the air 🌪

Then Yara says that this year they won't do abi books. Each student will be assigned someone else, and make a video of them. Because that's way less polluting than cutting down trees I guess. Anyway Ava does a whole song and dance to produce the vase with all the students' names written on paper (no cutting down trees here!). Yara gets Josh, one of maybe three people she's friends with. They're both very happy about that. Mailin, who's still all shaken up about Finn just being so fucking cute, gets Zoe. Mailin pretends to be excited that she's got to do a video about Maddy Perez one of her best friends' sister who she knows to have been going through some shit recently with her mom. Zoe claps happily, unaware of the drama coming her way. Then Ava isn't important enough to draw a name while she's still on stage, so the meeting is over.

Mailin walks off the stage with the biggest stankface. She literally looks like a cat who's just smelled something funky. She looks at Zoe and Finn who are FRIENDLY with each other, despite Zoe MISTREATING Finn only a few months ago! Ava moves to Mailin's side and says she's drawn Mailin's name. Mailin snarls that there's nothing interesting about herself to make a video of. Okay Mailin, now you're just repeating what people said on the announcement of your season.

Ava's like, "Dude chill. I'm making this video so it's not gonna be boring. Plus I'm gonna dig up all your secrets and make it extra juicy." Ava says this as Mailin looks at Finn talking to Zoe, as the show heavy-handedly points out that Mailin's big secret is that she looooves her friend's sister's ex.

Finn looks back at Mailin, and does yet another act of cute boy terrorism by smiling at Mailin. Mailin gets all excited because her crush has smiled at her!!! Omg! Ava looks at Mailin all confused like, "well at least you're smiling again I suppose..."

#druck #druck season 8 thoughts

[pricemarshfield]

merci beaucoup

[Image ID: a woman with brown hair and highlights facing away from the camera, edited so that it’s colorized purple and with the text merci beaucoup | zava 2.0 / 3k over it. End ID.]

Image Source: found on Pinterest, earliest source I could find was WeHeartIt.

Title: merci beaucoup

Pairing: Zava 2.0

Rating: E (minors DNI).

Word Count: 3475.

Summary: A Zava 2.0 smut fic, diverging from 5x04, requested by @hizzieluthor.

Warnings: Infidelity, minor dom/sub (explicitly negotiated in-story).

Created For: @lgbtqbingo, filling the kiss on the forehead square! Read below the cut or on AO3 here.

"Behrad, now!"

The burst of wind is perfectly timed to keep Zari from getting tackled by the rabid mob of paparazzi and publicists and CatChat influencers, and Ava allows herself a little pride. Sure, this mission's gone haywire, thanks to Zari's theft, but it's a well-executed move, and under her command, at that. It gives Ava the chance to move in front of Zari, stop her in her tracks and execute the most important step of the plan.

Zari looks touched, eyes wide and open and surprised. "You guys came back for me."

"A Legend never gets left behind, even an interim one," she says, grabbing Zari's hand. "Follow me." Zari does, letting Ava lead her up to the fountain.

She stops there, though, and Ava looks back at her. "What are you doing?"

"Trust me!" Ava reaches a hand out, and Zari glances at it for just a second before turning to stare at the crowd. Behrad's still holding them back, but it's clear they're not gonna be able to do that forever even before he gets on comms to say as much. "Come on!"

"Okay," Zari says, grabbing Ava's hand. It's warm, which is a weird thing to notice when the timeline is in danger.

Staring down at the fountain, Ava thinks for what's far from the first time about how well-made the A.L.O.H.A. system is. They don't even need the last step this time! "Hydrate!" They jump into the fountain together, and even with the Dragonesque fucking up her sense of smell, she'd swear she gets a whiff of the best thing she's ever smelled as a spray of green sparks go flying up and away.

Ava stands up in the fountain, Zari ineffectually brushing herself off next to her. "You know, there's a reason I never did this."

"Because it's gross?"

"So gross."

Ava smiles, just a little, and moves to help her on her way out of the fountain, Nate scrambling on the other side to help them. He looks completely infatuated with Zari as he helps her out, but he does at least get Ava out of the fountain, too.

Now that people have their minds back, Ava'd like to get out of here sooner rather than later. She always keeps her time courier handy, though, so it's just a matter of meeting up with Behrad before they transport back onto the Waverider.

There. Only a bad showing for her first time as captain, rather than an abysmal one.

"Wait, what does that last A stand for?" Nate asks as the portal closes behind them.

"Attack!"

Before Ava has a chance to be surprised and delighted at Rory actually reading her post-briefing email notes on the mission brief, he and Ray tackle Marie Antoinette's body. She stares at them in abject disbelief.

"We got her," Ray says brightly.

"I can see that," Ava says, and is about to congratulate them for a job well done when a draft reminds her that she is soaking wet, and not in the fun way. "And we'll have a post-mission wrap-up once I'm wearing anything else, okay?"

"Sounds good, captain," Behrad says casually. "You gonna need the bathroom?"

"No, go ahead, I'll be in my room," Ava says. "If anyone needs me--knock first."

"Aye, aye!" Ray says with a little salute that's--appreciated, if unnecessary.

It's nothing like her old apartment, but Ava's grown to love her room on the Waverider. Her and Sara's room, even if Sara's out on missions in the timestream or Star City more often than she's not. She's got the blazer of her jacket off when someone knocks on the door.

"Yeah?"

"Can I come in?"

Ava honestly isn't feeling up to conversation with Zari right now, but she's captain, so it's her job to be here. "Yeah, go ahead."

The door slides open and Zari walks in, thankfully closing it behind her. She stares at Ava for a second, eyes catching on her arms before her gaze snaps back up to Ava's face. "I just--I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Oh." Ava hadn't honestly anticipated that, at least not before a few missions worth of development. "Well. I appreciate it."

Zari frowns. "And thank you. You saved me."

"Like I told you, a Legend--"

"--never gets left behind, yeah," Zari says with a huff. "But, I mean...you know, I really appreciate it, Ava."

"Okay...?" Clearly there's something else going on here, but Ava can't quite pick up on what. "Is that...all?"

"Oh my god," Zari says, like Ava's the one who's missing something here. "You know what? No, I can do this. I'm glad you came to save me!"

"I am too?"

"I mean, I'm sure I had it handled," Zari says with a cocky little shrug. Ava rolls her eyes and is about to refute the point with a numbered list of reasons why no, she didn't "have it handled", but Zari keeps going before she can. "Not that I didn't like getting wet with you, but--"

"I'm sorry, are you serious? You're--what, hitting on me and ignoring your extreme irresponsibility--"

"Well, you didn't seem to be getting what I was after with just me thanking you, so! Yeah! What if I am? Are you gonna punish me for it?"

What Ava should say here is, "No, and get out of my room. My and my girlfriend's room." What she says instead is, "Why, do you want me to?"

Zari smiles and Ava hears the click of the door locking behind her. "I think I'd like that."

"This is--" Ava laughs, the situation absurd. "You barely know me. And I'm taken! And for that matter, aren't you?"

Zari's expression shutters. "After that stunt, I doubt it. And besides, he--I don't want to talk about him. There's better things we could do with our time, don't you agree?"

"Look, I don't know why you--"

"I needed you to help me, and you did," Zari says, interrupting her. There's an openness to her voice that she's not used to hearing from Zari. (Or, for that matter, from anyone, when it's directed at her, not even--) "And that's--I don't get that a lot, okay? Or ever. And I just--Ava, I didn't exactly come here looking to talk feelings."

Maybe it's the raw honesty in how she's talking. Maybe it's the speed Sara ditched her with earlier. Maybe it's that she's as selfish as the man who made her what she was, maybe she's just as unable to love as she's worried about, maybe it's that she's more human than she thinks of herself as being. But instead of doing any of what she should, she pulls Zari in.

At least Zari doesn't make it complicated, lets herself be pulled in with a grin still too-smug for Ava's taste. Ava's sense of smell is still--pretty much gone, so she can't taste whatever probably-lovely lip gloss Zari has on, but she's still as warm as she was earlier, even with the fountain water all over her, dragging her dress down.

Ava kind of wants to rip it off of her.

Zari lets Ava pull the dress off, leaving her in her unsurprisingly pretty underwear, even soaked through as it is, follows Ava to the bed and straddles her lap. Ava's clothes are getting pretty uncomfortable at this point, but not enough to distract her from the weight of Zari in her lap. This is--stupid. She already feels guilty for doing this to Sara, there's no reason to keep going except that she doesn't seem to want to stop.

Ava pulls back from the kiss. Zari makes a little dissatisfied noise that quiets  as soon as Ava leans back in, pressing kisses to the corner of her mouth, the line of her jaw, the column of her throat, being careful not to leave a mark. As she does, she tries a few times to unlatch Zari's bra. On the sixth unsuccessful attempt, she pulls back and says, "Okay, you deal with it, that's needlessly complicated."

Zari huffs, annoyed, but does take her bra off, setting it next to them on the bed rather than doing what Sara does and tossing it to whatever corner of the room she's facing. "Seriously? My bra stumped you?"

Ava's hands tighten on Zari's hips, and Zari's eyes get a little darker as she looks down at Ava. "You seriously want me to punish you, don't you?"

"Mm, yeah," Zari says, a surprisingly shy smile on her face. "I mean, I'll sleep with you anyway without that, if you don't want--"

"I didn't say that." Ava taps her fingers on Zari's hip. "What were you thinking?"

"Uh, I'll leave that up to you." 

Ava rolls her eyes. "That's terrible kink etiquette. Negotiations are an extremely important part of any BDSM scene."

Zari snorts. "You probably have a binder full of notes on it somewhere, don't you? Listing all your limits and safewords and things to do in scenes where verbal safewords aren't possible?"

Ava's cheeks feel warmer than the contact between the two of them, which is to say, very. "I find it's best to be prepared."

"Oh, I'm not complaining," Zari says, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead, which shocks Ava into stillness for a second. "How about this: stoplight system, and really basic stuff. Spanking and the like. We can work our way up to the rest."

It sounds fair. Well, actually, it sounds like a terrible idea, but no more than sleeping with Zari at all is a terrible idea, so. "Works with me."

"Great," Zari says. "Oh, wait, do you have toys? Because I'd like to try a lot more if you have toys."

Ava groans, leaning in to rest her head on Zari's shoulder. "You're gonna be the death of me. Yeah, I have a few."

Zari hums, pleased at her reaction. "Any strap-ons?" Ava nods without moving off of Zari. "How do you feel about anal? Me receiving, obvi."

At this point, Ava's hands have to be tight enough on Zari that they're going to bruise. "Pull your underwear off and get on all fours."

"Ooh, that's a yes, then!" Zari rolls off of her, and Ava goes to grab a strap-on from the drawer of toys. Most of what's in here are Sara's, but this strap-on had been hers, something from a date that had gone so disastrously wrong that they'd run into the nearest store to hide from cops and they'd had to shop for something to blend in.

Sara's not a huge fan of it. Ava's been dreaming of using it for ages.

She doesn't put it on yet, though, just turns to the woman waiting for her on the bed. Zari's done exactly what she asked, though somehow is visibly impatient even though Ava can't see her face. Rather than hurry right to her, Ava strips, the weight on her clothes back to uncomfortable without Zari pressed against her as a distraction.

"I can hear you," Zari says. "Hurry up."

"What, you thought spanking was gonna be the only punishment?" Ava says. Zari shivers. "You can wait. Color?"

"Green," Zari says quickly, and only mutters something brattish once it's clear that she's fine with everything that's happening.

Once Ava's got all her clothes off, she throws the toy and a bottle of lube next to Zari for easy access later and climbs up behind her so that they're both in arms reach. She runs one hand down the line of Zari's back, the angle such that she can't arch into it. Ava can't help but move closer, until they're hip-to-hip, Zari wet against her thigh. Zari whines and tries to grind into it until Ava grabs her hip, more a warning than actually holding her from it.

Leaning down so that she's holding herself over Zari, she says, low and right into Zari's ear. "Remember you asked for this."

Pulling back so that there's no place they're touching, Ava slaps Zari's thigh. Zari jolts and hisses at the pain. After giving her a moment to adjust, Ava hits her on the other side. This time, she yelps, loud enough that--

Ava freezes, stopping completely and wondering if there's any possible ways to wipe the memory of not only everyone on the ship, but Gideon herself. Fuck, fuck, she knew she shouldn't do this, but she just--

Zari looks back at her over her shoulder. "Why'd you stop?"

"This room is only soundproofed when we ask--" She can't say Gideon's name; on the off-chance she's not paying attention, this is hardly the type of thing Ava wants to call attention to. "Everyone can hear--"

"Oh, is that all? Yeah, I made sure to turn on the soundproofing before I went in," Zari says, as though that's not encrypted. "And I also made it so that the computer can't look in here for the next couple hours. Told her it was because I wanted to apologize in privacy. Technically not a lie, too!"

Ava didn't know she could do that, and is honestly pretty impressed at the display of competency. "Oh." 

"So, you know, you can keep going."

Against her baser instincts, Ava waits for her to close her mouth before hitting her again, this time a little lower so it doesn't overlap the last place she hit completely. It would be harder to explain away bringing Zari to Gideon for a bitten tongue. "That's three."

"Oh, don't count, I don't like that," Zari says. "Just--you know, color check occasionally."

Works for Ava. "Color?"

"Green," Zari says, resting her face against the bed. Ava keeps spanking lower and lower, trying to make it so that there won't be an inch where Zari doesn't feel this later. She alternates sides so Zari has an idea where the next hit will be. She's holding back, but every hit still makes Zari gasp and grunt and, when Ava accidentally hits the crease between her ass and her thigh, screams.

"Color?" Ava asks, rubbing her lower back in a hopefully-comforting gesture.

"Green," Zari says. "Sorry, I'll be--quiet--"

"It doesn't bother me," Ava says. "If you want to sing, we don't have an audience."

Zari sighs and looks up at her with eyes that are too fond by half for a tryst. "You are checking every one of my boxes, just so you know."

Ava doesn't acknowledge that because she has, quite frankly, no idea what to say, just hits her again. Now that she's been given the go-ahead, Zari can barely stop moaning long enough to breathe in more air. The sound's the hottest thing Ava's heard in a long, long time. She doesn't want to stop, but she also doesn't want to actually hurt her, so at around fifteen strikes she stops completely, waiting for Zari to catch her breath before she runs a hand over one cheek.

The pain has to flare up at that, but Zari just moans again, sounding barely pained at all.

"Good job," Ava says, because she did take it well, and she's trying really hard to give concrete feedback the times when the Legends don't fuck up, too. Zari preens at the praise, a smile on her face even half-pressed into the pillow. Her eyes are wet, though Ava can't see any tear tracks on her face. Still, she did well, so Ava presses a quick kiss between her shoulderblades before working her way down until her head's buried between Zari's thighs.

The noise Zari makes at that is going to haunt Ava's fantasies for the rest of her life. Even if the guilt catches up to her, she won't be able to forget it, has to actually press her thighs together as a distraction even with her mouth otherwise occupied. Ava licks into Zari, coaxing her onto the edge and then pulling back so the friction won't be enough to push her over. Zari whines, frustrated, and Ava pulls back completely when she tries to jerk her hips herself to get some pressure.

"I'm so close, please--"

"I know," Ava says, reaching for the toy. Her hands are shaking slightly, making it a little harder to get it on. Eventually the thing's tightened enough that she can move without it slipping, and she moves closer so Zari can feel it against her thigh.

"Yes, yes, c'mon--"

"I still need to open you up," Ava says, grabbing the lube and drizzling it over her left hand.

"Oh, ugh, it's vintage," Zari grumbles. "You need to stop by 2040. They have toys that open you up as you go, makes this way faster--"

Rather than argue the point, Ava slides the tips of two fingers into Zari's hole. Zari's noise of surprise is going to haunt Ava as much as her moans did, so Ava teases her, pushing only the very tips of her fingers in and out, over and over, slow and careful. One, it'll be good to open her up slowly, and two, Ava loves the sight of it.

After awhile of the slow  pace Ava's set, Zari starts begging. "Ava, I can take more, just give me more, I'm so close and I want you inside me--"

Ignoring the stir of heat she feels at that last part, Ava says, "Oh, come on, you can ask more nicely than that."

Zari whines and pushes back, but Ava does the same so she doesn't actually get any more pressure. "Please, please, I'm sorry about being irresponsible but I've been good, please please please--"

"Well, since you asked nicely," Ava says, though mostly because her control's already fracturing and better to speed things up now than rush and hurt Zari later. She opens her up as quickly as she thinks Zari can take after that, generous with the lube and unable to tear her eyes away from the marks she's left all over Zari. No one will be able to see but Zari won't be able to forget it, will have to shift in her seat for days.

When Zari can take three fingers easily, Ava pulls out entirely, drizzles some lube onto the toy for good measure, and guides the toy into her. She doesn't bother with teasing at this point, Zari already on the edge and Ava not far behind even though she hasn't even gotten a hand on herself, sliding into her in one quick motion. Zari winces when Ava's hips meet the bruises on her ass, but still pushes back into it, a constant stream of please and yes and thank you. (That last one has Ava's hips jerking forward almost involuntarily.)

Ava waits until they've gotten a rhythm to get a hand around to touch Zari, who shudders out an orgasm practically two seconds after Ava finds her clit. Fucking her through the aftershocks, Ava doesn't pull out until Zari's stopped begging. It's easier to take the harness off than it is to get on, so she manages to get it fully off before Zari's fully back to herself.

She expects that she'll just have to make do with her hand, but Zari surprises her yet again, rolling over and eating her out. She lets Ava grab her hair and direct her, even though her pace stays leisurely. Really, her whole demeanor is like the cat who got the cream, and it's working for Ava more than she'd like it to be, following Zari over the edge not long after.

This whole thing is a mistake, Ava knows it, but when Zari nestles up next to her, mumbling something about how that was exactly what she needed, she can't help but picture next time, picture having Zari in the shower, on her knees, in the library, a practically endless menagerie of mistakes they could make.

"You're thinking too loud," Zari says, breath fanning out over Ava's neck. "Interrupting my beauty sleep."

"We'll have to set you up with a room of your own," Ava says, and doesn't miss the way Zari's arms get a little tighter around her. "Make it permanently soundproofed and Gideon-free."

"So you do wanna keep doing this," Zari says, sounding surprised. "You're not kicking me out of the Legends forever?"

"What? No. For--this? This is at much my fuck-up as yours, if not more--"

"No, for the perfume."

"Oh, that. Listen, screwing up the timeline is as much a part of being a Legend as fixing it. More, even. Just--try not to steal things that come from hell anymore, and we're good."

"Good," Zari says, and promptly falls asleep. Ava pets her hair--still soft, even with the fountain water, and Ava has got to get the name of the shampoo she uses--until she dozes off herself.

#lgbtqbingo #legends of tomorrow fanfiction #hizzieluthor #zava #ava sharpe #my fics #fic: merci beaucoup #dc #arrowverse #zava 2.0 #zari tarazi

[the-insomniac-emporium]

4, 7, 9 for Runnek, 11, 15, 16, for Ava and 22, 23 and 29 for Aveline! :D

<3<3<3<3<3<3

Okay, oops, got a bit long but that's okay! Putting it under a read-more for convenience<3

Runnek: 4: Is your OC good at keeping secrets? Yup! They had to leave their home at one point, out of fear that people would discover their magic (which is banned in most if not all of that region, not 100% lorewise tho). Ever since then, they've actively worked on being subtle about things. Redirecting conversations, intentionally seeming suspicious at the right time in order to draw attention to the wrong details (a friend hides to the right, Runnek nervously glances to the left, and the enforcer takes the bait, giving time for the friend to slip away), etc, etc. Ironically, Runnek doesn't gain obvious magic powers (or, well, powers that are obvious when being used, but otherwise don't make them stand out) until after they return home. 7: What song reminds you of your OC? Does it line up with what you think they would listen to? First two songs that come to mind are Heroes- David Bowie, and Nuclear- Mike Oldfield. Heroes was written about the Berlin wall, and how Bowie witnessed people kissing next to it, below a mounted gun. In some ways, that reminds me of the Zaun/Piltover conflict, and how Arcane's central characters are kind of torn between the two, with the conflict separating loved ones. Meanwhile, Nuclear is both about the devastation of war and the everlasting effects of it, which perfectly lines up with A: the trauma that Runnek + their friends went through (especially Jinx), and B: the fact that they pretty much lost their childhood because of what happened ("the abandoned child" is a recurring lyric). I think that Runnek would enjoy both songs, but would only go out of their way to listen to Nuclear. 9: What are your OC's goals for the future? That one sorta depends on which of the story branches they're following, which I have tentatively nicknamed "Daybreak" (siding with Zaun in the hopes of securing a brighter future) and "Nightfall" (siding with Piltover to prevent their darkest hour, or ensure they endure it). Either way, their goals are almost entirely consumed by their desire to help their friends, despite having been separated from them for close to eight years. Daybreak: Runnek wants to help Jinx recover- and once it becomes clear that there's no chance of that, they just want her to find some balance of happiness and safety. Nightfall: While Runnek was in hiding, Vi lived out their worst nightmare, stuck in prison, being abused by guards, unable to help her family outside. Now that she's back out, Runnek wants to stick by her side, and return the favors from their childhood.

Avaskian Caldwell: 11: Does your OC have any hobbies that they hide from everyone? Why do they hide these interests? After a certain point (post-Cadou, once they're essentially a member of House Dimitrescu and can actually leave whenever they want to), there's a 95% chance that they discreetly order tabletop miniatures from the Duke (some are made for any ttrpg, others are from war gaming franchises, primarily WH40k) and painting supplies. They don't bother to keep the finished figures super hidden, but none of the Gremlins (aka Dimitrescu Daughters) really bother going to Ava's room and actually look around. At best, the gremlins pop in to grab Ava, and swarm out before taking in the decorations. Ava never mentions it to anyone, but literally only because they're not great at painting, and they'd be embarrassed if Cassandra saw. Not that Cassandra would care. Ava just has anxiety, the poor babs :( also Ava used to beatbox, but these days it hurts their throat, so they don't do it anymore 15: What's your OC's morning routine like? For the sake of clarity, I'm interpreting this as "what your OC does when they wake up for the day", since Ava mainly works the night shift at the castle. First thing they do when they get up is pretty much dunk their head in cold water to wake up. Okay, not really, but they wash their face, clean the wound on their throat (which canonically never fully heals), and fluff their hair a bit. After getting dressed, they take a couple minutes to write in their journal, maybe make notes of their dreams. Early in their time at the castle, they'll check in with Cynthia (head maid) about their duties for the day, then grab a quick snackie from the kitchen and get to work. If they're part of the senior staff/honorary member of the family, then they have some time to spare for personal interests, but will likely check in with the gremlins about plans for the day. 16: What's your OC's nighttime routine? Shower first, most nights. If they know the following day won't be super intense, they'll go for a bath instead, and let themselves stay up longer than usual. Their hair tends to dry fairly quickly, but they do fluff it with a towel before going back to their room. During winter, it's not terribly uncommon for one of the gremlins to come to them for nighttime cuddling (Ava is essentially a space heater, and post-Cadou Ava also purrs and it helps folks sleep), which they literally never decline. Once in a blue moon, Ava will stop by Alcina's room for late night tea, or actively seek out Cass for cuddles (because the two of them are the most touch-starved people in the entire village).

Aveline of the Plains: 22: What is your OC's dream job? Is this similar to what they're doing now? Do they believe they could ever achieve this dream? At the point that Skyrim takes place, Aveline is in the very common stage of life where you have no idea what you want to do (in her case, specifically because she wants to do everything). She grew up in a circus, and participated in performances starting when she was only knee high to a grizzly bear. But she kinda wanted to do more, or at least try her hand at other things. I think, in the end, she would decide that adventuring really is the life for her- traveling all over the world, seeing new sights, trading help for coin and new friends. But she'd still always love performing, as well as her time at the College of Winterhold (where she taught illusion magic). Once she got older she might semi-retire, and work as an assistant teacher at the college. 23: Who would this OC consider family? What is their relationship with these people? !! Aveline was raised by a single mother, who later married a woman that Aveline fully accepted as a second mom. While growing up, several other families in the circus had children, and Aveline kind of... assumed that they were her family too. So she, an elven woman, has three brothers who are as follows: A lizard, a cat man, and a big Orc. Everyone treats them as siblings, and lovingly refers to them as "the wild ones". Though they're essentially her brothers, she still refers to their parents as her aunts/uncles (which often confuses people who meet her family, especially because Aveline always forgets to tell people that she's not literally related to these people). Further down the timeline, she starts dating Serana, and while the two of them never actually get married (Serana has some very deeply rooted trauma involving churches and ceremonies) they do consider themselves wives/life partners. Both of Aveline's mothers also express their admiration for Serana when they first meet her (pre-relationship, during very mutual pining), and outright tell her that she's always welcome in the family, even if she doesn't return Aveline's feelings. Technically, Aveline, uh, killed Serana's dad? But her dad was trying to cause a mini-apocalypse of sorts, and Serana made it 100% clear that killing him was the only option. He's also partially responsible for the trauma she experienced, so... Serana's mother is "alive" (also a vampire), tho, and owes her freedom to Aveline, so they get along quite well. 29: What's your least favorite thing about this OC? I can't stop visualizing her in a modern-day AU, wearing a tank top that says "suns out, guns out" and then being mortified when Serana (her vampire gf) sees her. No, seriously, every time I think about doing art of her, it's the first (and sometimes only) thing that comes to mind. Also she has such a wolfish, shit-eating grin (how did that phrase even come to be???) and it's great, but, like, really hard to draw right

#asks #melthedwarf #aveline of the plains #avaskian caldwell #oc: runnek #j has ocs