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like-rain-or-confetti · 3 years

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Request: Ignorance (Volturi Leaders x Reader)

Judging by the atmosphere of the room, something was wrong. You turned to your three mates, skepticism all over your face. "What's wrong?" You asked warily, watching for any changes in your mates faces, even the slightest micro-movement. “Nothing you need to worry yourself about, my dear.” Aro responded with a reassuring smile. Whilst he was convincing, you didn't buy it. It didn’t take long for the thoughts to creep in, a reminder that you had been here before, in this exact situation. A thought rushed through your head but never left. “This doesn’t have something to do with Bella...does it?” You asked. “No.” Aro smiled at you gently. Again, convincing but you noticed the tiny details within each of your mates and those details led you to believe this was a lie.

You felt a pang in your chest, you had been here before. It always hurt to know your mates could and would lie to you again and again. “Why are you lying to me?” You had visibly faltered, hurt etched across your face. You were met with silence at first. “Why would you think that?” Caius responded. “Marcus looks like he just kicked a puppy, you are trying to will me to believe Aro with your eyes alone and Aro has a particular smile when he lies.” "It's a private matter." Aro responded. "A private matter? So of course I wasn't included." You said with a cold smile.

As you began to turn away, Aro responded. "We can tell you later-" "No. It's fine. We all know you won't. Don't let me interrupt." You interrupted him with a forced smile. Marcus was the next to speak. "No, (Y/N), we'll discuss-" Once again you interrupted, if you had to hear their excuses or empty promises again, you’d make Alec take away your senses for good. "No, how about you don't bother and neither will I." "If you want to be treated like an adult, (Y/N), then I advise you stop acting like a child." Caius’ words made you freeze mid-step and your blood boil. So much so, you had no doubt every vampire in the castle sensed it.

You had once made a comment that the three treated you like a child, whether it was the age gap or the fact you were human, you didn't appreciate it. You wanted them to trust you as you trusted them and instead they hid things from you under the pretences that you wouldn't understand. However, you swallowed back your rage, sending Caius a blank stare.

“We have received word from one of the Denali coven that the Cullen’s have created an immortal child.” Aro declared. Caius turned sharply to his brother, clearly displeased that he had revealed the secret. You, on the other hand, looked taken aback.”Bella and...?” You trailed off. Aro nodded. “You’re sure?” You responded quietly. “I saw for myself.” Aro assured you. “We’re about to vote on the situation.Perhaps we could use your involvement.” Aro continued. However Caius was quick to let his thoughts known. "They're human, reckless and don't understand, so why allow them a vote? We know what must be done. We do not offer second chances and this is breaking another law. We cannot cloud our judgement because of (Y/N)."

You used to be good friends with Bella, but that friendship had since fallen away ever since you had met your mates. Although, that was Edwards fault if anyone’s. You’d have likely never met if you hadn't gone to Italy with Bella and Alice. You turned to Caius with another hurt look upon your face. "I...I was going to agree with you." You said quietly. If the Cullen’s had broken the law, then what else could be done? Yet now Caius was treating you like the weakest link, like you’d betray them so easily. You crossed your arms before turning to leave the room. “(Y/N)-” Aro was following behind you in seconds and reached out for your arm but you pulled away from his reach. "Don't touch me." You mumbled, this time successfully leaving the room.

Within a second, Aro was back on his throne with his others. Aro turned to Caius. “I understand your motives brother but you don’t need to be so harsh.” Aro said icily. “I’m not going to dote to them like you two. When it comes down to it, I will say what needs to be said. If either of you did the same, perhaps I wouldn’t be the villain.” Caius shot back. “I’ll go to them.” Marcus said. “Ah yes, Marcus to the rescue from the evil Caius.” Caius scowled. “You do it to yourself, Caius.” Marcus said as he stood up.

You looked up to see Marcus in the doorway of his room, where you had went after the altercation. “Marcus, i’m really not in the mood to do this right now.” You began. “We didn’t want to upset you. We only had your benefit in mind.” "No, you hold me at arm's length and then make me feel bad about it. Like I did something wrong when the truth is you don't trust me enough to even give me the chance." You responded sourly.

Suddenly both Aro and Marcus were behind you. “You’ve done nothing wrong, cara mia and we do trust you. Of course, we trust you.” Aro explained. “We choose not to involve you because it seems, in our eyes, unnecessary stress on you. It’s our job to do this but that doesn’t mean it’s you must endure it.” “It’s not your job to shelter me!” You turned, arguing back. “I’m so tired of this!” “Tired of what, cara mia?” Aro pressed, knowing something else was bothering you.

You tended to bottle things up and eventually the emotions overflow from the even the smallest of changes at times. "I am tired of it being three against one. I am tired of only existing when it's convenient to you. I am tired of making excuses for him and I'm tired with you assuming that I won't leave all three of you!" You said loudly making the two men pause. You had never mentioned leaving before and it had never even crossed their minds on what to even think if you ever brought it up, never mind do. Aro seemed to clam up, his expression unreadable whilst Marcus looked almost terrified. "Don't say things like that! You don't mean it!" Marcus pleaded slightly. You stared at him. You sighed. Once again leaving the room. However only Marcus’ followed you this time. "I'm trying to talk to you!" "I don't want to talk!" You snapped back, storming into Caius’ room this time. "(Y/N), I love you- we love y-" You interrupted Marcus. "Don't say that!" You snapped.

That was your weakness and you loved them more than you could describe but you couldn’t go ignored. They couldn’t wish it away with those three little words. You couldn’t look at Marcus who looked absolutely heartbroken. “You’re pulling away.” He said quietly. “I can see it...you’re pulling away from us.” You said nothing and Marcus left the room.

An hour passed and Caius entered the room briskly, Aro and Marcus remaining at the door. “You two, leave. (Y/N) and I need to have a conversation alone.” “Excuse me?” You responded. "You're angry with me and releasing your anger on them. Be that adult and if you have something to say. Say it!" Caius turned to his brothers. “Get out.” "It drives me mad that you overlook everything I feel and do whatever is convenient for you! And you win! Every time, you always get your own way!" You said almost immediately. “It drives me to madness that I have to be careful with what i say because you assume the worst of me.” Caius shot back. "I hate that you make me feel so inferior!" You said louder, the anger rising in you once more. "I hate that you're so naive you fail to realise that I do this because you mean more to me than anything else! I want you to be happy, I want you to be protected!" Caius scowled. “I hate that you will drag out every situation until you win. Even now, you’re winning!” You argued back. Caius looked at you incredulously. “Don't you understand!? I've already lost! I'm losing you right now! Everything I have ever done is to protect you because if you're gone I won't be able to survive it! I'd rather you hated me and were safe than dead and loving me!" You moved closer, growing exasperated. "Caius, why don't you understand that there is other ways? I love you. I love all of you but everyday it's a tag team against me!" "You don't understand how much of a blessing you are and at the same time how stressful it is to know that any tiny little movement could hurt you!" Caius said flatly. You stared at him and Caius sighed. “You’re so stubborn.” Caius shook his head. "You won't want to hear it." "That's never stopped you before." You responded quietly. Caius sighed again. "I don't want to involve you. I fear that if I do and something hurt you...I can't fix it." “That deci-” "I don't want to force you to make any decisions! If you did, I couldn't live with you hating yourself. So if I did it and you hated me for it, I can live with that!" You were at a loss for words. Dumbstruck by Caius’ words. He had never been so vulnerable with you to actually admit his fears, especially involving you. “I want you to be loved and i want you to be happy. I cannot without a doubt expose you to these things and believe you wouldn’t be affected.” “Caius...” You pleaded, tears welling in your eyes. “I lost my friend for you. i haven’t contacted anyone in months since coming here. Bella was my best friend and i lost her. I gave her up for you. It might hurt, but it hurts more knowing that the three people i gave everything up for, are holding me at arms length.” You took hold of Caius’ arms who said nothing as you continued. “I am willing to face all of that, if it means i have you three with me. I can face all of it. I am willing to face it all if it means i get to keep you at my side. I don't want you hiding things from me, or pushing me away. That hurts more than any of it.”

A blur of black in the corner of your eye catch your attention. Once again Marcus and Aro were at the door. Meanwhile, Caius stared down at you with a surprisingly soft expression. "The truth is that we don't tell you a lot of things...but that doesn't mean we want to hurt you." Marcus spoke up. "Listen," You said softly, tugging Caius' hand and looking over at Aro and Marcus. "You will never have to worry about me leaving. I could never leave you behind." You turned your gaze to Caius, stepping closer to him. "Look at me." You whispered and Caius' gaze shifted. "Never." You promised him. "There have been so many more good times than bad and none of them could keep me from you." You closed the distance with a kiss that Caius was just as willing to return. One of his hands moving to your cheek. Even Marcus couldn't hold back a smile when you reached out towards them, beckoning for them. You broke the kiss to declare. "If you two don't hug me in the next three seconds I will cry."

#twilight #volturi #the volturi #aro volturi #marcus volturi #caius volturi #reader #one shot #oneshot #request

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mskatesharma · 2 years

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Yes exactly. Anthony’s insistence on Edwina made no sense for several reasons. It wasn’t just her proximity to Kate, she was a bad fit! The family would’ve eaten her alive lmao. I can’t see her commanding their respect. Edwina’s disposition wasn’t right, as Pall Mall demonstrated.

I also think because she’s been so coddled by Mary and Kate she likely doesn’t have much fortitude for when things go wrong. For example, Edwina immediately looks to Kate when Anthony flees the dinner party to fix the problem. Edwina would definitely suit for the socialite/hostess part of the Viscountess role. However, even though she was presumably raised to be a housewife as all women were, I can’t see Edwina excelling at the family politics, the day to day managerial part of it or the crisis management with all the scandals the Bridgertons get into. It at least would be a rude awakening and an adjustment imo.

(This post.)

I thought Colin's comment after Edwina runs from the alter, it was along the lines of "Miss Edwina does have a rather delicate disposition", was rather telling, at least about how the older siblings saw Edwina? And that idea isn't helped by the way she's been coddled by Kate and Mary for most of her life.

Charithra has talked about how Edwina has been brought up being the centre of her family, and as such, she hasn't really had to think about anyone but herself (which explains a lot tbh). And obviously Edwina can't help the circumstances of her upbringing, and how she's been shielded and coddled by her sister and mother, but at the same time, it kinda should be clear to everyone that Edwina is rather sheltered? And it just makes Anthony's insistance that she has to be his bride weird, because like you said anon, for the role he wants his wife to play within the context of his family, he needs someone with more fortitude and grit than Edwina ever really exhibits in his company? Whenever there's a problem or an issue, her first response is to look to Kate, either for an answer, or to fix whatever has gone wrong. Like after the dinner with the Sheffields, Edwina asks Kate if Anthony will forgive them, when Anthony is Edwina's fiance; surely Edwina should know the answer to that question better than Kate?

Marrying into the Bridgertons would have been a somewhat rude awakening for Edwina for sure, and tbh, I can imagine it would have been really isolating for her? On top of everything, it's the fact that we see Edwina doesn't appear to be comfortable with the Bridgerton's dynamics and how they relate to each other? Obviously it would get better with time, but prior to the wedding, the only Bridertons that she seems to be at ease with (that we actually see) are Anthony, Violet and Daphne? And Daphne is kinda moot seeing as she has her own household and she isn't with the Bridgertons all the time. You would hope she feels at ease with Anthony considering he's to be her husband. I think Violet obviously would have helped Edwina, but Violet is the mother, where Edwina is the sister in law, and considering the way Anthony told her that he didn't really expect to spend that much time with her, she wouldn't necessarily have the support of her husband, which she probably should have done in that situation. And I think that lack of support would have been made worse by the fact that Edwina wouldn't have had Kate to lean on either, and tbh I'm not sure how much help Mary would have been either. Because it's like you said anon, what would she have done at the first whiff of a scandal or crisis, especially with no Kate there to fix it for her? She would have struggled.

It's certainly not definite that Edwina would have floundered as Vicountess Bridgerton, of course not, but considering the above, and just how young and naive she was (almost painfully so at times), I think she would have struggled somewhat fitting in and and finding her place within the Bridgerton dynamic. And when you consider how much his family mean to him, and how the woman he married was going to help him lead his family, Anthony's insistence that Edwina would be his wife was just plain odd. It was like the only thing he cared about was that his bride read, played an instrument, knew latin and greek, could dance, and was someone he knew he would never be in love with, and he wasn't really bothered whether they fit in with his family. And honestly, it's such a dick move, because if the person he married didn't fit in with his family, it would be so lonely for them? And for what? All so Anthony could be sure he'd never be in love with them? I just find it so callous, no matter how much I might understand his motivations because of his grief and trauma.

#ask #anon #bridgerton

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bloodbenderz · 4 years

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Can I ask what your season 1 Lok reboot looks like?

this is about 3k words i checked lmfao dont say i didnt warn u

a key part of the whole thing is that korra gets way more perspectives and more experiences representative of like, normal people in republic city bc i think something that really defined what a good avatar aang was was how many people he met and got to know and how he didnt exclusively or even mostly associate w cops and bureaucrats and leaders. so mako and bolin. well first of all their backstories are a little more fleshed out and we get a less black and white view of the “triads” (lol) and mako and bolin’s experiences w them. cuz the show very much does the whole thing of like Criminals Bad but dont worry even tho mako and bolin did commit crimes theyre not Criminals!! so just a little more nuance on the alleged gang problem and the poverty in the city

korra does start out very naive w very black and white ideas (ex. “you guys are CRIMINALS?”) i think a really good way of developing her away from her sheltered naive worldview is putting her in whats clearly an incredibly complicated city w an absolute cesspool of political conflicts, ethnic tensions, the lasting effects of colonization, etc and having her try and understand the needs of “the people” in a more complicated way than “i have to save the good guys from the bad guys” ykwim? and i think the absolute WORST way to do that is what they did. bc we get mako and bolin who could contribute genuinely compelling thematic elements to the story: one parent who was indigenous and one who was from a colonizer background in the decades directly following the end of the war, kids who grew up in poverty apparently without any familial support, and who now are trying to be “respectable” members of society (especially mako). and then most of that is pretty much tossed aside bc asami swoops in w her capitalist dad and her piles of money and the class issue is just never talked about again.

so the way i’d fix all that is like. introducing more, like, normal people. some nonbenders, more workers, more immigrants, etc, to show what daily life is actually like for people. because. we dont know! we dont have any context about whether the nonbender oppression thing is actually an issue bc we dont KNOW any nonbenders with normal lives! and spoiler: the nonbender oppression thing is not an issue. bc it doesnt make historical sense. lok is set 7 decades after the end of the war. that is not by ANY stretch of the imagination long enough to heal from the scars of imperialism, ESPECIALLY not when lok is also set in a settler colonial state. like that fact should have featured PROMINENTLY in the political and social setting! realistically, nonbenders arent an oppressed class, earth and water nation people are, regardless of bending status! as in all settler colonial states, the colonizers and their descendants (in this case fire nation people) retain most of the financial and political capital, leaving the colonized and racialized immigrants (in this case earth kingdom and water tribe people respectively) generally impoverished and politically suppressed. like aside from the fact that theres no way toph would have become a cop, it’s so ridiculous to think that an established privileged class of fire nation colonizers would EVER accept being policed by earthbenders!

imagine how much more nuanced and interesting it would be to set republic city as a remnant of a colonial past still fraught w the violence and tension that colonialism and the associated ideology imposed?? instead of some vague ideas of criminal who wear 1920s outfits and harass shopkeepers think about why extralegal and violent groups like that might form! earth kingdom people trying to push for the reclamation of their land? ethnic groups protecting themselves against corrupt cops? ESPECIALLY w the history that the fire nation has of SPECIFICALLY jailing and killing earthbenders and waterbenders BECAUSE of the potential they have to resist against fire nation imperialism like it just makes no sense at all that earthbenders would be privileged on land that, 70 years ago, they would have been imprisoned on! like these various paramilitary groups falling along these different ideological or ethnic lines, fire nation or earth kingdom or water tribe, pro colonization or anti colonization, pro cop or anti cop, pro immigrant or anti immigrant, and then you juxtapose that w depictions of a govt thats failing to keep this all under control w tenzin trying desperately to keep it together despite the fact that it’s becoming increasingly obvious that the state has no interest in taking the conflicts seriously and would rather just point vague fingers at criminals and gangs? and THEN you bring in korra, who has no idea about any of this and thinks that all its gonna take is kicking some ass every couple days, meeting normal people who offer all kinds of different opinions abt the efficacy of the state and the different violent or nonviolent groups and ideologies clashing in the city and the way all this shit is affecting people’s lives and livelihoods and relationships w other citizens??

theres so much good shit there so many incredible things u could do w that like Where do we go after colonial atrocities? is it possible for a settler colonial state to take revolutionary or indigenous ideas seriously? is liberal reform enough in a state like this? and then all the growth that korra could do going from a simple black and white life about mastering the elements to this messy complicated sociopolitical knot of a city? and all the different kinds of characters u could introduce in this city? like why would u EVER think that the most interesting characters that this story has to offer is a police chief a congressman and a billionaire????

but anyways. that’s what the Setting of my idealized version of lok is. as for the actual plot, it is as follows

it starts out similarly as the show. republic city is MUCH more fraught w political tension and violence and korra knows this but assumes that it’s just a matter of throwing a few gang leaders and corrupt officials in jail. tenzin manages to come see them in the south pole and intends give korra real lessons while he’s there but they receive news of a terrorist attack in republic city only a few days after he gets there so his family has to pack up and leave again.

korra stows away to republic city (katara catches her leaving and gives her blessing im a SUCKER for that moment). she does have a hard time adjusting but she doesn’t do what she did in the show lol the first person she meets in the city is this older woman who works on the docks, directs her to a place where she can eat and gives her a roof to sleep under for the first night. so korra’s first exposure to republic city is just about forming connections w ordinary people like ship workers and a family owned restaurant and people practicing their bending in the park. and by the time she reaches air temple island a day or so later her head is spinning w all this new information and the way that nothing is really what she expected it to be. tenzin gives her his own perspective on everything and pema gives her her own perspective on everything and even those two seem wildly different from all the people she’s already met. and so korra starts to get a kind of outline of the conflicts plaguing the city as extremely complex and a lot more influenced by older ideas of fire nation imperialism and earth kingdom land reclamation than she had any idea about.

mako and bolin are still pro benders but not like. super famous like they are in the show. korra’s picked up a couple friends by now and one of them takes her to a gym where a lot of amateur pro bending (is that an oxymoron? lol) matches happen and thats how she meets mako and bolin and joins their pro bending team. Unfortunately for korra, this gym is run by lin beifong, and also has the distinction of being one of the most notoriously anti settler state organizations in the country. lin beifong is NOT a cop but she runs this gym (and the pro bending league) as a way to offer support to local earth kingdom/water tribe youth, teach self defense skills, a center of community organizing, and sometimes to act as a front to hide revolutionary/combat organizing against the pro fire nation paramilitaries/police force. tenzin is DISTRAUGHT that korra does this and this is where the friction btwn them comes from bc (from tenzin’s perspective) she does things like this without thinking or even fully understanding the context behind them and tenzin will have to deal w the political fallout of the avatar openly aligning herself w a very divisive figure in the community and (from korra’s perspective) tenzin is too unwilling to take sides in a conflict that’s claiming lives and when the state is clearly not taking sufficient steps to protect people well then why the hell shouldnt she align herself w lin beifong, who IS taking steps to protect and support people?

as korra more fully integrates herself into the city and learns more abt how different people think abt everything going on this is where the real exposition abt the equalists begins. they’re a paramilitary group w an ideology thats gaining increasing support among middle/upper class fire nation people, esp nonbenders. on the face theyre abt putting checks on “bender oppression” but really it’s an excuse to persecute and surveil earthbenders waterbenders and airbenders, bc fire nation people have all this leftover fear about benders who arent fire nation Rising Up Against them and these people who r using their Savage Excuse for Bending to terrorize good innocent (fire nation) people. theres all too frequent terrorist attacks that the equalists claim credit for mostly against monuments to earth/water/air nation people and earth/water nation community centers (one like it was the event that forced tenzin back to republic city) but also like the govt doesnt take a lot of these seriously or if they do only a couple people are charged without doing damage to the entire organization

this is also around the time that they meet asami and she becomes part of their friend group. asami likes pro bending but her dad HATES it so she sneaks out to watch matches at lin beifong’s gym (korra says ironically like don’t u know how ~divisive~ that is and asami answers that the only reason its Not divisive is that gyms like beifongs are the only place where nobody recognizes her). and asami alongside korra is also kind of developing a more nuanced perspective on the city that she lives in cuz obviously the only worldview she’s ever been exposed to is her father’s right? and she keeps pushing it off making excuses not to bring mako and bolin and korra around to her house or even not to be seen w them in certain neighborhoods until they call her on it and she’s like Well honestly my dad might do something awful to u! and i dont wanna risk it!

and as time goes on we see more abt asami’s home life like her father’s hyper conservative politics and asami keeps these secrets abt her hobbies and her friends from him but she’s still clearly under his influence and mako bolin and korra r getting increasingly worried abt it cuz like...asami seems to tend to make excuses for him so that she wont have to be drawn into conflict and originally they think its just her being privileged and thats def part of it but the more they find out abt it the more they realize what a tight fucking grip he has on her and the way that like. asami sneaking out once or twice a week is the Only thing she does for herself. and it really starts freaking them out how influential this billionaire is and all the information theyre getting from asami abt what a piece of shit he clearly is. and so that whole plot thing comes about and shows us how deeply embedded these “equalist” ideas are in conservative republic city politics and how much influence theyre actually having in policy making and law enforcement.

asami suffers in the aftermath of this like being forced to truly confront the harm her father is doing both to the city and to herself. and she ends up leaving home when this discovery really breaks. but bc of the deep corruption in govt and police sato isn’t really....dealt with? like this big story breaks and everyones like Oh, My God! Hiroshi Sato Is Funding An Illegal Paramilitary Group! and theres all kinds of inane political discourse about it and he’s arrested but he bails himself out immediately and his finances are examined but he maintains control over them and after a few weeks the gang (bc they Have become close among all this w much less interpersonal drama lol) has to admit that this news story hasnt done what they thought it was going to it hasn’t dealt the equalists a real hit its just given them a very high profile ally

and this is when things really start to ramp up in terms of action like up until now korra’s daily activities are mostly like hanging around in the city w her friends (which in part entails doing little avatar stuff that people dont feel comfortable going to police with, like Can you help me my ex husband wont pay child support or Please help i got robbed and i really needed that money for rent next month or Help my son keeps skipping school can you talk to him cuz im worried abt him being safe and doing well in school) and pro bending and airbending lessons (which i know ive neglected this part of the story in terms of her whole spiritual/physical conflict but it’s more of a subtle thing like it’s one of tenzin and korra’s more frequent arguments like tenzin says she needs to focus on spirituality and korra asks why she even needs to bc republic city is a sociopolitical problem not a spiritual one) but now the equalist threat seems to really be looming on every level of society like the storyline of equalists preventing pro bending matches happens here and everyones just at a total loss of what to do next. plus increasing and scary rhetoric about tenzin and his family that destroying the last airbenders is necessary to preserving the integrity of the united republic

and so theres the equalist takeover of the city. the people who are mostly resisting this are lin and ragtag group of people who have been resisting colonial rule for a long time (including suyin, who is part of a communist anti colonial community outside the city, because i said so and i think it would be fun), people who have been visiting her gym for years, members of her amateur pro bending league, plus asami and korra and tenzin. korra and tenzin have a sweet moment (bc they do genuinely care abt each other a lot even if their relationship has been marked w a lot of tension and arguing) where tenzin says like you know i think that ive lost focus on the kind of spirituality that might actually help you. korra says what do you mean? and tenzin kind of gestures to where theyre sitting with people buzzing around organizing to take care of innocents and civilians and to fight the equalists and he says this is a kind of spiritual too, isnt it?

and something something plot plot blah blah i havent decided on the details of the plot climax yet but that’s the climax of korra’s character development and what helps her connect w her spiritual side in order to protect the city: the realization that community is its own kind of spirituality. and it kind of represents the real development that i want her to have going from somebody who thinks that the world is divided into criminals and victims and she has to save the victims Into the kind of avatar who understands the people that she’s bound to serve. she becomes an avatar of the people!

and then happy ending lol korra and asami get together lin and tenzin reconcile after years of being at odds the show ends on a hopeful note that the inhabitants of republic city and the united republic as a whole Can move on from the scars of colonialism by reckoning w the remnants of fire nation colonial ideology and reparations to the earth kingdom people whose land this is and destruction of colonial systems that have maintained and enforced colonial violence all these years

#the ending of this isnt as detailed as the beginning and middle bc ive drafted the first couple chapters but i havent thought out the #logistics and details of the climax lol #asks #lok

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quazartranslates · 3 years

Text

Welcome to the Nightmare Game II - CH43

**This is an edited machine translation. For more information, please [click here]**

[<<< Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter >>>]

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Chapter 43: Star Death Reality Show (XXVI)

Just like watching a poor lamb trapped in a hunter's snare, wailing would not arouse the compassion of a seasoned hunter. On the contrary, the hunter would only be excited about the delicious food dying.

Looking at Qi Leren who had been struck by lightning, Su He said faintly, "I know many ways to avoid contracts, but it’s not easy to do. Most of the methods are one-off skills or items, or there is an extremely long cooldown time. Even if you don't have one… It’s best to be careful."

Qi Leren gawked at Su He, as if he had been drained of all his strength. He didn't say a word for a long time, and his lowered head did not show anger. Only his eyelashes were shaking, as if he was almost unable to bear such a failure, and he was crying.

This long silence was not ridiculous, but sad.

It was like watching a gambler at the end of his rope, piling up all the chips on the gambling table and then losing everything.

Everything that followed seemed to be a mechanical repetition. Qi Leren once again signed his name on the parchment with no facial expression, and the signed letters were distorted by his shaking. At the moment when he put down his pen, his spine seemed to be knocked out section by section, slumping on his chair and silently watching the sunrise.

A rising sun that would never rise.

"Can I leave now?" Qi Leren asked softly, looking deeply tired.

"Anytime, but I suggest you stay a little longer or even get some sleep. Anyway, I have adjusted the time flow rate in this area for you, so you won’t be delayed too long." Su He, like a considerate friend who fully thought of him, gave him friendly advice.

But Qi Leren didn't want to stay any longer. He was willing to face the monster in the institute, and didn't want to face Su He. So he stood up, and the chair rudely dragged a harsh sound across the ground.

"I'm leaving," Qi Leren said stubbornly, his tone carrying the anger of being deceived.

"If you insist, go ahead." Su He wasn’t reluctant, anyway. His purpose had been achieved.

The Witch of Lust looked at Qi Leren curiously, because his attitude was disrespectful. As a native devil accustomed to the hierarchical atmosphere of the underworld, she didn't quite understand the relationships between human beings. Sometimes a worm could say "no" to an elephant, which was really interesting in her eyes.

To be fair, Su He was not a strict leader. If the object of comparison was the Devil of Power who had a strong desire to control, then he was an easygoing boss. If you wanted to compare him with the Devil of Slaughter, then he was a perfect boss—at least he wouldn't go crazy and dare to kill anyone, leaving him in his current state of lying half-dead under lava. The Devil of Fraud was quite tolerant of his subordinates, sometimes even almost deliberately indulgent towards them. He seldom pointed out your mistakes, but every time you made a mistake, he would remember it, but he would not show it. This attitude made people feel that he didn't care about them. This slightly malicious indulgence contributed to the weakness and self-deception in human nature, and he watched and waited with great interest until you finally crossed the boundaries he set for you...

Then you would find that you had lost everything. Even if you knelt at his feet and kissed the tips of his shoes and begged him to give you another chance, he wouldn't look at you again.

This extreme gentleness and extreme coldness combined to form a contradictory and complicated person. The witches favored him and feared him. Even the Witch of Lust, who was famous for her debauchery, was much more disciplined in front of him. At least when she appeared in front of Su He, she would pick clothes from her closet that didn’t show her off. When Su He told her to dress properly to entertain guests, she would always find a dress that wrapped her from head to foot. However, in order to express her dissatisfaction, she didn't mind expressing her protest in a small way by means of excessive obedience. Her boss didn't care about this level of protest.

He was really unpredictable sometimes.

She had thought that trying to deceive the Devil of Fraud would make people lose his favor and even irritate him, but Su He's reaction was just the opposite. It seemed that he had added ten points in his heart to this audacious human being.

The Witch of Lust yawned a little and watched the poor man hesitate by the chair. She looked at Su He's face and asked politely, "Shall I take you out, baby?"

"Thank you," Qi Leren, who was worried about how to leave, said quickly.

Su He’s left hand on the armrest of the chair supported his cheek. He asked without warning, "Who gave you the necklace around your neck?"

Qi Leren's cold sweat came back again. In these past few minutes in the field, he had experienced great ups and downs, and his nerves were over-stressed. He had become a frightened bird. He was just glad that he had successfully crossed the border, and he was ready to keep this state and leave quickly. Who knew that Su He would come out with something else?

Fortunately, Su He hadn't found it.

He hadn't found that when he signed his name for the first time, he hadn't used any skill cards at all.

No, he hadn't.

He had made a wonderful deduction—he had successfully deceived Su He once, using an item of unknown origin as the laptop. So this time, under almost the same precondition, would Su He still fall for it? Would he believe that he had honestly signed the contract and was ready to fulfill it? He was not an obedient man in Su He’s eyes.

The best way to dispel Su He's doubts was to make him feel that he had seen through him, expose him personally, watch him suffer, despair, and collapse, and then watch him give in.

So he had had a bold plan, and he had decided to take a gamble. Then he had succeeded.

He was so ecstatic that he had to lower his head to hide his inner secret and fanatical joy and let that passion explode as fireworks in his heart.

However, he also had to consider that this decision would bring him great risks in the future—when he was really raised to a half-field, how should he explain it to Su He?

This concern slightly diluted the excited mood, and even the last resort was shattered by Su He’s sudden question, which made Qi Leren tremble with fear.

"This aura... It’s the Prophet’s?" Su He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Qi Leren did not say yes, nor did he say no. He asked, "Do you know the Prophet?"　　

As if they could never talk well, Su He also threw out a rhetorical question: "Don't you think that the Village of Dawn is too similar to the Village of Dusk?"

Qi Leren was stupefied. So, it turned out that this field was not a "field that imitates the scenery of the Village of Dawn" as Su He had once said, but was the real Village of Dawn.

But if the Village of Dawn was a field, then the Village of Dusk...

Qi Leren suddenly understood. The Prophet who slept beneath the Courthouse and spent most of his time in the cold ice pool, it turned out that he had been silently supporting the Village of Dawn that sheltered mankind. As a player, he did not know how to escape the sanctions of time. He had even spent more than 20 years completing compulsory tasks, and had survived to this day.

"A naive idealist inherited Maria's will, created a box of time with the belief of protecting, and fixed the newly established refuge under dusk forever. His original force was 'time'. Originally, he was the one most likely to evade mission sanctions, if he had not lost to the box." Su He's expression was full of compassion and tenderness.

The Prophet’s original force? Qi Leren seemed to understand. He knew that some of the higher demons had original forces, such as jealousy, lust, despair... They were getting stronger and stronger while approaching the original force. At the level of the three Devil Kings, they had almost merged with the original force.

But did the Prophet, a field-level human being, also have his own original force?

His force, was it time?

Qi Leren's heart was full of curiosity and doubt, but Su He had no intention to solve his doubts: "Go, don't challenge your limits with your life, you’ll never know what kind of miracle you will create. Although 99.9% of people end up dead through this process, I sincerely hope that you are the exception, because I have some expectations for you.

"Qi Leren, today's adventure is only the first step. I am waiting for the day when you complete the transformation," Su He said.

The beautiful Village of Dawn began to become blurred, and even Su He's voice gradually drifted away, as if separated by a dream.

When Qi Leren came to his senses, he still stood in the corridor on the lowest level of the institute, and only a few seconds had passed.

It was the fourth day of the game... No, the zero hour had passed, and it was the fifth day. He didn't know if the army’s ship could arrive. He had reason to suspect that it wouldn't come too quickly. After all, the rescue was always late after all the problems were solved.

Su He said that he had released the octopus in the underground glacier, which was definitely more difficult than the ones he had encountered before. He needed to upgrade his equipment, such as finding a rocket launcher like what Mark had used against him.

This was in the institute’s armoury, but Qi Leren hadn’t taken it since he hadn’t expected to use it. He decided to double back and look for it. In addition, we should find a NPC that was still alive, and take them to the instrument that could detect whether they had become a host, and he hoped to meet Dr. Lu and Du Yue along the way...

Qi Leren returned to the stairs and began to go up. When he passed the power room, he went in again, restarted the power supply, and restored power to the whole underground research institute.

With the light, he was feeling much better. Qi Leren finally recovered from the frightening meeting just now, stopped thinking about Su He, and absorbed himself in preparing for the next challenge. According to game logic, there must be a restock of supplies before the war. Unfortunately, the copy world did not necessarily come according to game logic, so he had to rely on himself. He didn't want to rush unprepared into that horrible boss battle.

Suddenly there was a noise in the corner of the power distribution room. Qi Leren suddenly looked towards it and raised the gun in his hand, shouting, "Who?"

"...It's me." He Yi stood up. His condition looked worse than before. He was emaciated and almost withered. "Mark came in, I met him!"

Qi Leren was taken aback and realized that what he said was in reference to when Qi Leren had wanted to leave the institute through the laser corridor before, but He Yi, who had made an agreement with him to cut off the power supply, did not cut off the power in time—because at that time, Mark had moved the debris in Annie's basement and had entered the institute to attack He Yi.

"I’ve taken care of him, and Annie, Xue Jiahui, and Francis; all four of them were parasitized," Qi Leren said calmly.

He Yi looked at him in astonishment: "How did you do it?"

If it weren't for the enemy at present, Qi Leren would still use the rhetoric of "an apostle of God" to fool him. Unfortunately, now that his Prophet's Heart skill was cooling down, he didn't need to continue acting. He simply said: "It's a long story. Let's talk about it when we have time. Right now we’re in danger..."

"I know." He Yi leaned wearily against the wall and smiled bitterly. "It’s come out."

"What?" Qi Leren became nervous.

"That monster..." He Yi looked desperately at the ceiling above his head, as if he were an outlaw being chased by troops behind the cliff ahead, and murmured in a low voice, "We can't escape."

"Do you... Do you know something?" Qi Leren finally asked the question that lingered in his mind.

For a long time, He Yi's attitude had been a bit strange. Qi Leren hadn't thought much at first, but with the discovery of the plot, he had to face up to this problem—He Yi, he was an insider.

"Why is there an amphioctopus here? Why did I happen to find a basement when I was kidnapped by Mark? Why am I able to blow up the access to the research institute accurately but I am safe and sound? Why can this institute’s power supply, which has been off for many years, still be used? Why do I know where there are weapons and how to use the equipment? Have you thought about these questions?" He Yi asked, one question after another.

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Editor’s Notes: To clarify, the “forces” mentioned in this chapter are along the line of forces of nature but on a more human scale, ie. the “forces” the witches and demons have as their titles. A closer translation would have been to use “power”, but I wanted to make sure it was distinct since “power” is already used in several other contexts in this novel.

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goth-girlfriend · 4 years

Note

I really LOVE your writing. It makes me happy && really love Endeavor more then I already do. 🥰 But! While I was reading you’re Stain fic I couldn’t help but feel like you would write a GREAT angst. I mean that whole good bye scene had my twisting all the way into my soul. So if you could? 👉👈🥺 would you, could you, please write an Angst fic for Endeavor or Dabi? I’m a sucker for pain 😫😩😩

Dabi x Reader aggressive Angst? Reader x Brief Overhaul/Kai Chisaki

Aggressive angst?

Inspired by a weird dream and the song Daddy Issues

I’ll try to redo it! I want to put more effort and more angst. I wanted them to be lovey dovey at first but my progress was lost so I just came up with another plan. I still hope you enjoy what I wrote! Thank you!

“Touya!” I screamed running up to him. I plopped down beside him, in the next swing.

“We match again.” I pointed to the white bandages on his arms and neck.

“Heh, yeah, I had another quirk accident. Trainings getting harder.” He mumbled looking down at his feet.

I smiled and nodded, “I’m sorry, maybe it’ll get easier?” It was more of a question.

“Yeah, hows you get hurt?” Touya pointed at my own bandaged arms.

“Daddy issues.” I shrugged, that’s what I’d heard mom call them, so I guess that it.

“Oh.” He mumbled.

“Yeah, but it’ll get easier....” I realized how big of a lie it was for the both of us.

“Let’s get ice cream!” I jumped out of my swing and held my hand out to Touya.

“I guess.” He shrugged and took my hand.

I pulled him with me, five year olds, crossing the park, in twining bandages, in the late afternoon, just before dark. Everything seemed okay at the moment, everything was good. For the twenty minutes we sat, staring at the cars passing by, and licking ice cream.

“Whatcha thinking about?” I turned to Touya who had been staring at the bare popsicle stick in between his fingers.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked.

I shrugged, “I wanna be known, a hero, maybe. I don’t know, my dad says I won’t be anything. But I can try right?”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Touya mumbled.

The years like this passed, We grew up and we fell in love. We tried to spend more time together, well at least the time we could steal. Spending late nights at the park talking in whispered and hiding when cars or a hero would do a round, fining a hill off to the side of some train tracks and laying down on the grass judging the stars and feeling the summer warmth in the soft grass, the occasional sounds and yellow lights of a passing train up hill. Jumping off of bridges into the water streams, trying to smile when things got hard. Fixing each others bandages and talking through it all. Night walks home on the dark streets the only safe haven being the street lights we’d rush to and stand under. Finding one of the few wooden posts and carving our name into it was a sharp stone. I fell in love, and I fell hard. I smiled like an idiot every-time I turned to look at him, and he’d return the smile twice as big.

I found myself hugging Touya’s chest and crying, he rubbed my back, “what’s wrong?”

I only hugged him harder the tears falling harder as I rubbed my eyes into his chest tears staining his black button up school jacket. I cling to the black fabric on his back still not wanting to let go. My wrist and palms and body was hurting, when I got here I could even stand without wavering, not I’m clinging to his jacket like it’s my life line. I couldn’t get word out, “I wanna runaway an-“ I was cut of by a gasp for air between my sobs.

“It’s okay, I already know you have daddy issues, because I do too.” He sighed, his chin resting on the top of my head.

“You wanna runaway?” He asked and I nodded against his chest, not letting go of the back of his jacket, he sighed, “I guess I can’t let you go alone.”

The day came, I’d packed a bag with necessities, and money I’d been slowly taking from my dad. My mom was long gone and now I suffered the abuse for the both of us. The day had been grey and muggy, humid. Nasty, disgusting, irritating and just infuriating. I was getting antsy, the cop car would do its final round of the neighborhood for the night and then I was home free. I picked up my window watching the tail lights disappear. And dropped my bag out and a second bag of secondary supplies. I pushed everything away from the window and so it wouldn’t look like I escaped through the window. I cleaned the window with ease and closed it from the outside. I picked up my bags and headed out, to meet Touya where he’d promise to meet me.

It was all the way across town, he wasn’t there, not a sign of anything, no bag, no shoe prints, nothing. I dropped my bags on the floor behind a dumpster, I sat on the floor and just waited the night. Touya was supposed to be here, he wouldn’t leave me would he, he wouldn’t break his promise would he? I waited all night, nothing, and all the next day, nothing. I sat in the rain all the second night, I’d found some pallets and a piece of plastic tarp and made a makeshift shelter. After a few months of being homeless and on the move to make a life for myself I had a small apartment and day job. All out of spite I can add, because by the fourth day I’d realized I’d been stood up completely. He wasn’t coming, he left me alone, he lied to me just like my dad. I found myself wondering the streets tonight, it was winter and I could see my breath under the street lights I passed. I shivered at the satisfaction of cold air over taking my body and internal organs with every deep breath I took.

That was until I had to lunge and send my right fist foreword, and ice wall and shard of ice flying at the man who decided to attack me.

“Leave,” I snarled and got ready to attack again.

“What are you an idiot, don’t you know fire beats ice.” The guys voice was snarky.

“Yeah, well frostbite kills the flesh and fire wont bring it back.” I snarled as flames melted the ice and I stopped the and sent more ice flying at the man.

“Feisty,” he chuckled and through the steam I watched a blue light being held at my shoulder height.

“Too bad feisty gets on my nerves.” He growled and the light grew coming at me.

I made a thick and large ice wall

It surpassed the buildings we were between in height. I focused on my feet and made an ice pillar below me shoving myself up. Once Kent he air I melted the ice making a ramp to the roof top and slid in my heels down the ice ramp. Thank God this place was far away from my apartment.

“STAY STILL BRAT.” Fire came flying up catching everything in its path.

I snarled and focused on the ice that and turned to water, I tried to manipulate it and form a ring around me, I focused on the broken building pieces and tried my bets to bright them closer the stones tumbled before forming another ring, and finally I tried to manipulate the air and it formed swirls around me. I felt my hair getting pulling in different directions, not painful just being tossed by the wind.

“Listen here, I don’t know what you want but I just need you to leave me alone.” I snarled and stepped back not knowing where he could come from.

“You’re still as naive as ever, begging wont help you. Nothing will, I’m here to kill you. Nothing ever gets easier.” I shivered the voice finally hit a nerve and I was enlightened.

I snarled and ran to the edge of the biking jumping straight down, splitting a ball of fire in half with the help of ice. I started trying to physically fight the boy who left me, abandoned my after making a promise. I landed a coupe hits but he used his quirk, it resulted to me using my mine, my hands freezing and finger tips almost going number I went to using the rocks and earth to throw things at him and trying to just immobilize him. But he burnt through ice, water, rock, mud, dirt, and his fire was strong enough to break the air currents I was using. All I had was fire but since that day I vowed I’d never use it.

“TOUYA TODOROKI YOUR A DIRTY LIAR, A NASTY HUMAN BY, AND AS BAD As your father.” I snarled and brought my hands up together, a huge ball of colorful flames leaving my palms burning the skin and bringing feeling back to my palms and fingers.

That hit something because attacks got worse, we battled this out destroying half of the abandoned infrastructure around us. I managed to pin him down, and by pin him down I caught each of his hands in a pillar of concrete and and ice and brought him to his knees pulling his hands underneath the ground.

“WHY DID YOU JUST LEAVE ME?!” I screamed wanting answers, the problem was I was full of anger, wet anger, the kind of anger where you care to much and builds up and rushes up to your eyes and then your crying and you don’t want to cry because then you’ll weak. I didn’t want to look weak in front of the boy, because a man wouldn’t hurt anyone this way, but this boy did.

“Couldn’t you tell?” He scoffed, looking up from his place in the dirt, “I didn’t want you, you cried to much, no one could ever want you with how much your cry, look at you, crying right. Go and ahead and cry little girl, because no body can cry like you do. You cry for every little thing, and it’s annoying.”

I couldn’t say anything if it’s how he felt then fine, I’ll just leave, if he thought I was annoying then why did come here, why was I here? I scoffed and closed my eyes, the tears stopping, I looked up to the sky and opened them coming face with a full moon. With a wave of my hands I ripped the rocks away from Dabi and sent them flying into every light post around us, dressing the neighborhood in a dark shade then it already wore.

“You’re right, I guess that’s the problem when you care about someone to much. You trust them with everything, but in the end its all one sided.” I huffed and turned around and walked once a few blocks away I turned a corner and just ran, I was gone, I wasn’t waiting for anyone or anything anymore.

It’s time I live for me, if Touya wants to play villains good for him, but I have my own life to live, and as long as I’m as far away from him as possible, I’ll be fine.

“Overhaul sir, I’m at the meeting spot, I’ve scoped it out and everything seems clear.” I spoke into my phone and quickly disappeared from scene hiding on a rooftop nearby.

“Thank you (Y/n), I’ll be arriving shortly. Make sure to take care of any problems.” He spoke smoothly into the phone.

“Of course.” I nodded my end of the phone and he hung up.

I tucked my phone away and squatted against the wall do a roof top door entrance. The shadow covered me and left room for movement. I pressed my back against the wall and sat my butt on my heels, it prepared me for easy lunges and more forced if I had to run. I watched intensely at the large alley below, just waiting. I watched as a white van pulled up, the side door opened and a group of people poured out, one with hand son his body, a girl in a school uniform, a guy covered in black mist, a another in a grey and black suit, the man driving was a lizard and he made a hand motion and drove off. A few minutes passed and the lizard guy came walking up with someone who I couldn’t help but feel familiar.

They all stood around waiting and talking, until a new It was time, using moisture in the air, I created a cold thick dog to block out the view, I left a clear entry way for Overhaul and his men. I was paid to make sure they got in and out unharmed, so you can bet, it’s what I’m going to do. I watched as a black sleek car pulled up, I was blocking out the sound of commotion, and dropped the temperature causing ice crystals to form in the air.

As soon as Overhaul gave the sign the I split the fog, he wanted a great entrance, so I made sure it showed him first and spread to show the people around him. The crystals in the air slowly dropping forming a wind chime symphony.

“Tomura Shigaraki.” I shivered at Chisaki’s voice.

It’s not hard to admit that I’d found myself tangled up with Kai more then just one way. I sighed and pried my eyes away from him staring at the other group. Form what I had learned they were called the league to villains. I didn’t learn the names, I didn’t need to. All I needed to know is that they work under the man I had a bad run in with. But it was a benefit for me when I escaped his grimy hands. And then fell right into the clean gloved hands of Kai Chisaki.

He forced me to work with him, he knew who I was and learned what I was capable of, and with the new quirks that had been engineered into my DNA, he had even more reason to hold me down.

I let out a silent sigh and crossed my arms over my knees counting the people across from Kai, the same number, so everything was alright. That’s was until screaming started, I noticed a blue light starting up and my shoved myself forward left heel pushing against the wall I was just propped up against. Crashing down I manipulated the blue fire up into the sky in a pillar, quickly the ice crystals forming a thick wall between the two as I landed beside Kai. The sounds on the other side of the ice we’re muffled, Kit barked orders at his team and they quickly went into action, they rushed to the open end of the alley making sure Chisaki got out, I followed in the back among sure no one got hurt. I looked back seeing a large ball of blue fire coming, I quickly brought my palms up fingers spread using my own fire to break through and send a baldy back, it was yellow with streaks of green, red, blue and purple. I quickly erected a stone wall at the alleys entrance as I stepped out blocking their exit.

I rushed and found Chisaki getting into his car, the man held the door open, Kai turned to me, “Get in.” He barked.

Just as I was about to another ball of fire caking crashing near the other cars.

“I’m sorry Kai,” I turned around to face the source, “I promised to get you all out safe and right now you just need to go, I’ll find you soon.” I shut the door and told the man who was holding the door to go.

He quickly left no waiting or denying. I ran back to the cars that were almost being burnt, using the water moisture again I put out the fire and froze it causing another wall of ice.

“GET OUT OF HERE.” I screamed at the men who were lingering trying to fight back.

They listened and rushed off to escape, I snarled standing in the middle of the empty street alone. Facing the blurred figures on the other side of the ice, they came through in black pools of mist. I reached behind my head tightened my lunar eclipse Kitsune mask.

“It must be terrible being left behind, why don’t you join us.” The little school girl spoke up bringing her hands to hold her mask.

“We don’t need her, we just need to know where your boss is going,” Tomura asked hunching over.

I scoffed, “He’s not my boss, and I don’t know where he’s going, Im only here to make sure they get in and out safely.”

I reached down and grabbed the handle to a katana. I slide it up and brought it foreword taking hold with both hands. I examined them hoping to find a weak point on each of them, I did, and got ready to use it if I had to.

“Lets just burn her, she won’t be any help anyways.” The guy with black hair piped up, I looked at him, something inside me clicked, he looked familiar, but why couldn’t I remember him, I knew him.

“I’ll just finish this.” Was all I heard before a hand came in contact with my mask, I was watched it crumble and then a hand planted on my face.

I stood there not knowing what to do, there was literally just a hand on my face. The pressure on my nose cause me to sneeze, the hand was pulled away as I rubbed my nose and used the back of my Katana to knock the guy down.

“What are you doing” I scoffed and turned to sneeze again, “that was my good mask.”

I looked at the crumbles that remained on the floor, Kai is gonna yell at me, and then yell some more, and then some more, and then he’ll buy me a new one.... but when he yells it lasts like an an hour... and a half.

“WHAT?!” He screamed and looked up from his kneeling position.

“I know it doesn’t look like much but it costed a ton.” I picked up the ribbon it was all that was left, “Rude.”

“Why is she alive?” I looked up to see the guy with the grey and black suit looking shocked.

I heard a ding in my ear from the ear piece, they were long gone and it looked like I was in the clear to escape.

“Well, it was nice wasting time here,” I took a few steps back, “But I have to go.”

Using one of the few quirks I opened a white portal behind me but was stopped by a scream and blue fire. I dropped my Katana and quickly counter acted closing the portal and making a wall of cement and jumping on it, with the wave of my hand I ran a stream of fire over all of them hoping they would run or burn. I stopped and noticed they were gone, maybe they’d left, until I felt something hit my back, quickly breaking the ice wall I tuned it into water and whipped it around to smack down whoever had hit me. I looked back to see the same black haired guy. Everyone else was gone, I quickly dropped the cement wall and put distance between us.

“Your little group is gone, shouldn’t you be with them.” I scoffed and brought my fists up preparing to counter act whatever this guy had.

“I could say the same thing,” he fought his right hand up a blue flame igniting, “Do you remember me?”

“Should I?” I asked annoyed and trying to make more distance.

“Eleven years and then some and you forget about me,” he scoffed.

“I guess you aren’t important.” I shrugged.

“Id say I was, you cried when I left you and you cried when I found you after all that time. And now you don’t remember me.” The fire in his hands died out.

“Like I said bud, nothing.” I couldn’t fight the feeling though, I totally knew this guy.

“Well, do you remember your da-“ just before he could finish I sneezed.

“Sorry, my bad didn’t mean to cut you off.” I rubbed my nose, “anyways, I don’t have time to waste, I don’t knew you, and if you know me good. But back to the point no time to wa-“ I was cut off by a cold feeling in my chest.

Not ice cold, but a burning cold, my reaction was to surround myself with ice spikes, the guy in front of my just dissolved, I looked over my shoulder, there he stood, blue fire pressed in between my shoulder blades, and in my body, singeing every organ it could touch.

Looking at his face this close, his eyes, memories quickly flashed in my mind, just brief second of the past.

Dripping ice cream, bloody tissue on the floor, blue eyes, bruises, passing train, cloudy full moon, stars on water, blue fire, snowflakes, bandage tape, red hair, school uniform, dumpster, unknown men, tubes, burning house, cop car, tail lights, hands clasped in the a bush, standing under a street light, (e/c) eyes, screaming, running, laughing, tears on the dry dirt, empty swing moving, crying, balled up fist, blood dripping from finger tips, a bag with money, a black tarp, a little girl screaming Touya

I don’t know when but I held my breath, my insides had frozen over killing off the fire inside, I felt the fist in my flash, my organs immediately starting to regenerate, burning in my lungs, stinging my eyes followed by and echo in my mind “You cry for everything.”

“YOU BURNT BASTARD ILL KILL YOU.” I screamed blood flying from my mouth and a tip as I turned ripping his arm out of my back, my own fists lightly up with fire.

I went for it not nothing to looking which able to feel the vibrations through the ground, the tears dropped forming ice crystals building up as blood dropped from the wounds that were closing, “I TRUSTED YOU, YOU LIED TO ME! YOU LEFT ME AND I SUFFERED, I LET GO AND I MOVED ON I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU CAME BACK ILL KILL YOU BUT THATS NOT IT! YOU SAID WED RUNAWAY TOGETHER, YOU AHD DADDY ISSUES AND I WATCHED YOU CRY, I WAS THERE EVERY TIME YOU CRIED, EVERY TIME YOU WERE HURT, I CARRIED YOU WHEN YOU WERE WEAK, I WAS OUT LATE WHEN YOU COULDNT GO BACK HOME I WAS ABUSED FOR STAYING OUT LATE I GAVE EVERYTHING I COULD IN THOSE TIMES AND NOW YOUR LITERALLY STABBING ME IN THE BACK FOR A SECOND TIME!” I didn’t stop even when he started to fight back, I took burn after burn, not caring about the pain.

I stopped the moment I had him in an all to familiar pose, ok his knees the way that night played out, I snarled and my chest heaved, with quick heavy breaths, “I should kill you.” I mumbled.

“Do it.” He snapped and struggled.

“I won’t, it’s ridiculous. You probably want to die, it’d make it to easy for you.” I snapped at him.

“Whatever, so do you want to know why I’m bac-“ I quickly cut him off with a muzzle of ice.

“I don’t want to know anything, at all,” I turned away from his eyes closed, “I don’t even want to see you, if I annoy you so much why do you come after me, the first time alone, this time alone after your team left. I don’t care, I take that back I don’t even wanna know why.” I turned away completely and opened my eyes staring at the new moon phase of the moon, a void, surrounded by stars.

“Because I keep trying to let you go, but I Can’t,” He spoke to clearly for my liking, “I’m not entirely here anymore, half of me disappeared and I want it back.”

I scoffed not looking back, I took a few steps away from him, “I guess it’s just not your call anymore Touya.”

I kept wasn’t going to look back, I heard a sniffle, I shouldn’t look back, but I did. For once his burn tear ducts leaked, his eyes looked sad for a second, his jaw clenched teeth showing. All I could see was a red haired six year old crying, standing alone in a park, bandages on his right arms as he forcefully wiped his eyes, his left arm hanging down in a fist, bandages falling loosely, bandages skeins his neck tears pooling in his eyes and dripping down his chin hitting the ground. He was crying and sobbing, he was human once, and for a brief minute he was human again. I wanted to join him and tell him and hug him the way I did before, but I was afraid of getting hurt, I couldn’t let myself get hurt again, I wouldn’t.

“It’s disgusting to see a grown man cry,” I snarled and turned away from him, “and it’s annoying watching little girls cry.”

I heard a final sob before I sighed and opened a portal, I entered before I backed out, I found myself immediately in a dark alley across town, I slid down the wall probably ripping my costume as I cried, my fingers digging into the flesh of my biceps as I hugged myself.

I heard a tune around the corner

‘You gotta let it out soon, just let it out, Go ahead and cry little girl, Nobody does it like you do, I know how much it matters to you’

It was cut off, I looked up from my knees to meet a hand, I looked up past the hand.

“You’re dirty, lets get you home,” The voice was authoritative but it’s didn’t hold the cold feeling that usually accompanied it, “(y/n).”

He sighed and reached into his pocket and pulled out a white folded square, he squat informs of my, his left hand coming to my chin, his fore finger and middle finger lifting my chin, his right hand came up the white pocket square soft against my cheeks as he wiped them.

“Don’t expect me to ever do this again,” he huffed and pushed an arm behind my back and the other under my knees.

“Filthy, now we’re both dirty.” He scoffed and walked into the back door of the building we were by, I sighed and dropped my head against his shoulder, “Thank you, Kai.”

Small tears fell from from the outer corners of my eyes as the image of young Touya crying alone in the park faded to a black memory. I fell in love with him, the problem is, I never fell out of love with him, he was just erased from my mind when I became All for One’s year subject..... but how can you love someone when....you can’t even look them in the eye anymore..

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amaya777 · 3 years

Text

Deal with the Devil | A Twisted Wonderland OC Oneshot

Here is the next part of before Chapter 3 with Sander and Azul. When I started writing for Sander, I did warn that the relationship won’t be healthy and this will be the breaking point of it. One has to be very careful with what they wish for and reading the fine print after all.

Warning: Emotional/mental abuse, manipulation/coercion, forced enslavement, toxic relationship, major angst/trauma

------------------------------------

For the next couple of hours, Sander had studied in his room except when he went to have dinner. It seemed as if time flew by so quickly and before he knew it, it was time to head to the Monstro Lounge. So he left his room, fixing his appearance and wondering what Azul wanted to talk about while he walked. Was it regarding their relationship or perhaps his work performance in the Monstro Lounge? As far as he knew, Azul never said anything bad and has always thanked him, never slacking off at all.

Hopefully it wasn’t bad news, thinking of the nightmare he had last night and hoping that wasn’t a sign. He got to the Monstro Lounge, the Closed sign hung up but the door unlocked as he walked into the dimly lit cafe and headed over to the VIP Lounge. Knocking on the door first, he heard Azul tell him to come in as he went inside and shut the door. There was Azul sitting at his desk, looking up at Sander with a smile as he stood up.

“Sander, please sit down. I just wanted to talk about us and our relationship going forward without the twins or anything else to interrupt us.”

He nodded back, sitting down on the couch as he was a bit nervous at hearing that. But then he saw as Azul sat down next to him, holding onto his hands now which made him blush.

“There’s no need to be nervous. Even though it hasn’t actually been that long since we started dating, it certainly doesn’t feel like it. You still feel the same way about me as I do you, yes?”

“O-Of course! I love you even more now.”

This made Azul chuckle, taking one of his hands and gently caressing Sander’s cheek, smiling at the other blushing in embarrassment.

“That’s good. Recently I had been thinking of our future, the remaining years of time here at school. You would never want to be apart from me at all, right?”

“Yes, I don’t want to be without you Azul.”

Sander was so passionate and honest, holding onto the other’s hand some more. Azul was the one who inspired him and made him feel like he could actually become a better version of himself with time. He was also the first person that he had feelings for, so lucky and blessed to have found someone that could love him. Azul grinned, taking his hand off of his cheek and letting go before he pulled something out of his inner jacket pocket. It was a rolled up piece of golden paper, opening it up to reveal a contract.

“You know how I grant wishes for my clients. This is rather selfish since it’s for both our benefit, but I’ve found a way to keep us together no matter what.”

Azul set down the contract on the table in front of Sander, handing him a fish skeleton pen.

“While we are far too young to sign a marriage contract, this is the next best thing for now. We’ll be bound together forever, nothing will keep us apart. All you have to do is sign it.”

Sander was surprised, hearing this as he saw the contract and held the pen. A golden contract and a fish skeleton pen? Why does this feel so familiar? He hesitated as Azul noticed, moving closer to him before giving a sad and worried look with tears starting to well up.

“Why aren’t you signing it? Do you not love me after all? Don’t you want to be with me forever? Were you just using me then?”

W-What?! Sander was shocked to see Azul start crying, panicking and now feeling terrible as he shook his head.

“Azul, please don’t cry!! I do love you, I really do want to be with you! I would never use you at all. I’ll sign it.”

He quickly told him before taking the pen and using it to sign his name on the contract. Sander sighed in relief, knowing that at least now he will get to stay by Azul’s side no matter what. Azul smirked, his tears suddenly gone before flashing his signature grin.

“Wonderful. Now we will truly be bound together forever, my darling little Sander.”

Azul took the contract and rolled it up, standing up as he started to walk toward his desk with the biggest smile.

“It’s A Deal.”

That’s when Sander felt it, like something was suddenly being taken from him at that moment. What the? Then he felt a sensation around his neck that wasn’t there before, putting his hand up to his neck only to realize that it was a choker with a seashell on it. What is this?!

“Azul, what is going on?! What is this around my neck?”

Just what is happening here? The door of the VIP Lounge opened as Jade and Floyd came inside, standing together while smirking at him. Then Azul turned around to face Sander with his own smirk, eyes no longer kind as he shook his head.

“You poor naive fool. For someone so smart, you are extremely easy to manipulate. You just signed away your Unique Magic and everything over to me. You are bound to me as my personal slave; your body, will, all of it belongs to me now and is mine to control as I please.”

No, that can’t be! Sander had stood up and ran over to Azul, grabbing him by the shoulders.

“W-What are you saying? That can’t be true. You must be joking, right? Please, this isn’t funny. Unique Magic, everything, personal slave? Azul, why would you go this far for a prank?”

Azul just laughed at him, snapping his fingers as Sander felt his body fly back on its own away from the other. Jade and Floyd caught him, grabbing onto his arms tightly before Azul walked over and held his chin with his hand.

“This is no prank or joke. All of this is very much reality and the cold truth. Your parents really did shelter you so much, keeping your Unique Magic and your actual lineage hidden, even from you.”

Wait, what? Sander struggled a little, so damn confused right now as Azul could tell from his reaction.

“You still don’t get it? You are actually a prince of the royal family above the Coral Sea and your Unique Magic is that of causing powerful storms, uncontrollable though. You didn’t think to question the sudden storm back a while ago, or why your parents claimed to be working for the royal family? They must have wanted to hide and protect you. But now your fortune, title, Unique Magic, all of it belongs to me. You shouldn’t blindly trust others, tricking you all this time was so simple and worth it.”

He was still trying to process what Azul just said, a whole lot of information that now made sense to him. This was why his parents were always away, why he never felt like he belonged on that island, and why there were so many storms that happened growing up when he was upset. But then Sander had heard that last sentence, shocked and wanting to deny it.

“Tricking me? So then…..you didn’t love me after all?”

Sander managed to get it out, feeling something well up inside him as Azul let go and moved back. He turned around, simply nodding his head as he grinned evilly without a hint of remorse or giving a care.

“That’s right. Since the beginning, you were the one student who I couldn’t get information on, such an enigma with your Unique Magic and your family unknown. So in order to find out, I knew that I had to get close to you. I hired those students from Savanaclaw to bully you so that I could ‘save’ you and ‘confess’ to you, since it was so obvious that you loved me so much. But honestly, how could I ever possibly love someone as pathetic as you? You even foolishly signed over all of yourself and everything to me. It was fun, but now I finally got what I wanted from you.”

His body was shaking, listening and unable to hold it in anymore as he started to cry. No, no, NO!! Why?!

“Azul! How could you?! All of it was a lie? The times that we spent together, everything that you said to me? You just wanted me for my magic and the fact that I’m a royal?! AZUL!!”

Sander struggled even harder, screaming and so angry while tears ran down his face. But Azul just waved his hand and the other was stunned, opening his mouth but no sound came out. It was like his voice was gone.

“I own you now. I can take away your voice, make you do whatever I want and you can’t do a thing about it. When you’re not in classes or working here, you will study to get into the top 50 of the exams. They are approaching, so I need as many of my clients below it as possible. Jade, Floyd, escort him out now.”

The two smirked as they started dragging Sander out of the VIP Lounge and through the cafe, having gotten his voice back and struggling all the way. But they were too strong before they literally threw him out the doors and shut them, locking it.

“AZUL!!!”

He stood up and pounded on the doors, screaming while still crying. But there was no sound or reply, hopeless as he then ran back to his dorm room. Slamming his door shut, Sander collapsed onto his bed and cried even more. Why, why did this have to happen?! The person who he idolized and fell in love with, who he thought loved him back and believed in his potential; nothing but lies! Damn it! He should have known better, that this fairytale romance was all one-sided and not real after all. Why did he think that he deserved happiness and love, knowing that he really is so sad and pathetic? Hugging his pillow, Sander was so exhausted and drained before crying himself to sleep eventually.

#twisted wonderland oc #twst oc #octavinelle oc #twisted wonderland #twst #azul ashengrotto #twst azul #twst wonderland #oneshot #twisted wonderland scenarios #twisted wonderland fanfic #fanfic

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astromechs · 4 years

Text

slipped away into a moment in time ('cause it was never mine)

taylor swift made me do it. expect more, because the entire folklore album was basically angst fodder.

also on ao3!

All things considered, Gamora has been through worse. Fought through worse.

There’s a lot of blood, but the gash across her thigh, courtesy of one of Annihilus’s minions, isn’t terribly deep — no exposed bone, nothing that would suggest any long-term damage. Still, though, when the Front has made its retreat to the makeshift camp and the wounded are being ushered into a medical shelter, when the skies clear over this rocky planet she’s already forgotten the name of, when the surroundings are quiet and there’s no longer a fight to focus on, a spasm of pain seizes her entire leg when it bears weight, and for a second, just one split-second, she winces.

You know what happens when you show weakness, Gamora. The voice of Thanos in her head, right on cue. That voice is right, of course; she knows what happens next, knows that it’s a mistake that’ll cost her.

Instantly, her hand reaches for the hilt of her sword, hanging on her hip; if someone’s coming to take advantage of that weakness, she’ll be ready for them. She’ll be ready for anything.

“Hey. You okay?”

Except, maybe, for this.

It’s not that she hadn’t heard Richard Rider, Nova Prime, Commander of the United Front, coming; that man doesn’t have a subtle bone in his body, and his steps would’ve likely been noticeable from several clicks away. He could never sneak up on her, but — something about him always seems to throw her off balance. Something about the perpetual kindness in his eyes, even through the worst of this war. Something about the gentle tone of his voice, a stark contrast to the power he holds in his hands.

No one like him has ever existed in her reality, and even now, months after joining a war effort that seems more destined to lose by the day, she still doesn’t know what to make of… any of it.

Her hand drops back down by her side, and she’s the picture of perfectly cool, even, with the requisite: “It’s nothing.”

She doesn’t quite see it under his helmet, but it’s obvious from the expression on his face that he’s raising a skeptical eyebrow. He’s a lot smarter than she’d initially given him credit for; maybe strategy isn’t his strength, no, but he knows those working under him, every single one — by name, by capability, by his own keen intuition that alerts him to anything that might be amiss.

There’s no getting past him. She knows in the instant before he says, “Doesn’t seem like nothing. You should go to medical.”

His voice isn’t chiding — just genuinely concerned. Again, she feels the ground shift under her feet; again, she feels so unsteady she could topple over. Instead, though, she swallows down a strange lump forming in her throat, hating the way her own voice sounds more strained than it should when she insists, “I’ll be fine.”

The conversation should end there; she owes him nothing more. But something tugs in her, prompts her to offer one useful piece of wisdom, perhaps in some attempt at equivalent exchange:

“Kindness will get you killed one day, Richard Rider.”

Then, she turns on her heel and leaves without another word, head held high, doing her best to ignore the limp in her steps.

ii.

He’s been staring aimlessly out the flagship’s viewport for hours.

She hasn’t been keeping track, not really; she’s purely exhausted her need for sleep on this particular night cycle, and in all the times she’s wandered by, he hasn’t moved, not even the arms folded across his chest. Nothing’s coming for them in this stretch of space, so any effort to keep vigil is pointless at best.

But she knows this isn’t that. Even if in this war, they’ve been handed nothing but defeat, Richard takes every single one of them hard, personally shoulders the weight of every life lost under his command. It’s a risky quality to have in a leader, and she’s still certain in what she’d told him before. Still certain that, one day, kindness will kill him. Break him.

She doesn’t want to see it happen.

Instead of moving on, she stops. Watches him for a moment longer, eyes lingering, before crossing the floor to stand next to him. If he’s heard her approach, he doesn’t acknowledge it, and so, for a time, she lets the silence hang in the air between them. Until —

“People die. This is war.” Her voice isn’t cold when she says it, nor is it any semblance of gentle or comforting, because she’d never been built for that; it simply is, another piece of factual wisdom that she’s trying to impart.

He exhales a long breath, and when he turns to look at her finally, expression haggard, he looks much older than anyone as young as him has a right to. “I know.”

Perhaps it’s that, above all, that tugs at something deep in her core, past years of hard-learned truths and carefully constructed armor; it aches in her chest, this sudden thought that maybe, in some ways, they’re not so different.

A hand reaches for one of his, winding their fingers together.

After a beat, he squeezes back.

iii.

Gamora gives him whatever small pieces of inconsequentials that she’s capable of giving. She gives him her nights, saves a spot for him in her bed. Gives him release from the pressure he threatens to crack under some days, gives him just one place where he doesn’t have to make all the calls.

Sometimes, she gives him an extra hour of the sleep that’s so difficult for him to find.

Already, she’s declined four pings on his comm this morning, but sooner or later, someone will come looking for him. He’s important, after all. And he would be angry at himself over missed duties.

“Richard-Human.” Her hand reaches for his forehead, gently brushes the hair from his forehead.

At that, one bleary eye opens to peer at her, followed by another. His hair is sticking up in all directions on the pillow, and he looks completely ridiculous. “Hey,” he says, raspy but soft.

His smile, though, lopsided as it cracks his face — his smile is bright enough to light up a star.

She thinks she could burn under the force of it, because for someone who’s spent most of her life in the dark, it’s almost too much to bear. The eye contact certainly is in this moment; her gaze drops, fixating on the tangled sheets that still cover them both. Time’s ticking on these moments she’s stolen, she knows — this thing they have, whatever it is, can only live in a warzone, and if they both make it out of this alive, he’ll go on to a life that certainly doesn’t include her. That’s what he deserves. What….

Fingers brush the lines of her jaw, graze over the skin of her face, and pull her out of her thoughts. Bring her eyes back up to meet his. She drifts closer, ever closer, until their lips meet and everything else fades away.

She lets herself have this.

For now.

iv.

The Kree prisoners fall under her sword. Their deaths are quick under barely more than a single stroke; their blood rains down, soaks the ground below.

If you find nothing useful, her teachings would tell her, wipe them out.

By them, she had done well.

She wipes the blade and sheaths it, steps delicately over a body that’s still warm. And —

Meets a pair of eyes that she’d never wanted to disappoint, their cold stare cutting through her like daggers.

It’d only been a matter of time. She’s so skilled in exploiting limits that it’s practically reflex to her; sooner or later, she’d have found the limits of his affection, his naive faith in her, too.

She’ll never see those eyes again. She’s sure of it.

The first thing she thinks is that she feels — empty. Cold.

It’s a feeling she’s far from a stranger to. For years, it’s been her constant companion as she’s drifted, from one planet to the next, one galaxy to the next, between wars fought for causes and jobs taken for nothing at all, looking for something that’s long eluded her: purpose. Richard had been imbued with it every single day like it’d been effortless, conviction burning brighter than the force of a star that had propelled him — and she’d wanted that, more than anything, wanted to experience even just a fraction of what that could feel like.

Eventually, she had found it, buzzing through her veins with every directive from the Phalanx. Purpose. As part of a whole, part of something beyond herself, she could keep moving forward on a clear path with a set destination; weeds like guilt and regret had withered, making everything… blissfully uncomplicated.

And now it’s gone. It’s gone, and all she feels is cold.

They’re cured, Richard says, with his particular brand of bright-eyed earnestness, like all the universe’s problems are fixed, just like that, but it isn’t a solution at all. It puts her right back where she flarking started, and she’s — she’s tired, down to her cybernetic bones. Tomorrow, she’ll have to start drifting again.

But today, with his steady hands there to pick up the pieces, she allows herself to break.

It’s as ugly as she is inside, full of ragged breaths and stumbling words, full of the kind of weakness that would get someone killed. She hates it, she hates this entire situation — and she hates herself most of all.

But in spite of everything, in spite of the fact that not an hour ago, she’d been ready to kill him, blade pointed at his throat, he doesn’t waiver. She doesn’t deserve anything that this man doesn’t hesitate or question giving — not his comfort, not his acceptance. Doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near the presence of someone so unfailingly kind and good.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he says into her hair, both arms wrapped tightly around her as he pulls her close to his chest.

Foolishly, she doesn’t fight it. But what’s most foolish of all is that in the warmth of his embrace, she almost lets herself believe him.

coda.

She hasn’t cried in decades; Thanos had firmly seen to that. Tears had been considered a weakness, and like every other she’d once carried, they’d been removed under the cut of a knife, her back strapped to a table, screams so long-buried that they hadn’t even attempted to rise to her throat. Several times since, in the private silence of cold nights, she’s waited, head bowed, for some kind of reminder that she can still feel, that she lives and breathes beyond being someone’s object.

But even if she could cry, could let tears cloud her vision and allow for some kind of release for the heaviness in her chest, she doesn’t think she would now.

There’s no point in crying over what she’s long known to be inevitable.

When her passport activates and the Cancerverse fades from view, when the familiar sights and sounds of Knowhere fill her senses once again, she doesn’t even get angry. There’s no point in that, either, she thinks.

Hope is fleeting, a flower that can sometimes manage to grow even in the hardest and driest of dirt — but it will always get crushed out of existence. Light can never overtake the dark; this is the way of things.

Richard Rider’s days have always been numbered; a light that brilliant could’ve never stayed.

The universe returns to balance.

#gamora #richard rider #richmora #* fic #my stuff #please go to the tags #IT WENT TO THE TAGS YAY

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hopefullyababe · 3 years

Text

jack kline deserved better :/

so far i havent seen anyone discussing jack klines ending so im gonna put my thoughts here are you ready lets go

spoilers i guess

it felt immensely unsatisfying for him to have become god(and amara), mostly because jack is just a kid youknow? and a role like GOD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH doesnt at all jive with his character.

time and time again were shown jack being clueless and naive and it makes sense given his upbringing. every! single! moment! at every turn since his birth hes been told where to go and what to think and who to trust and what to do and so on.

this kid wasnt allowed to just live. and hes quite sheltered too. hes all holed up in the bunker 24/7. and anytime he doesn go out its with sam and dean, on a case, directing him to one thing and one thing alone.

he lives his like like a race horse i think. blinders on so he can only see and focus on the finish line. not allowed to stop and experience the world. we know why of course; ever since his birth the worlds been in a bit of a schrodinger state where its both ending and not ending at the same time, and they gotta focus on fixing that.

i dont think its fair that the literal moment after his birth the weight of the dying world was pushed into his hands and he was the only person who could save it, and then after his life was over he still had to look after the world. because its his burden. how tragic, to have to save and look after something you can never experience.

the only side of the world he knows is the little pocket of supernatural happenings hes brought along to fix.

hes had moments where hes unleashed upon the world on his own but those are few and far between. and he doesnt understand how the world works

and because of that he wouldnt take well to the role of god. he doesnt have enough worldly knowledge to make decisions or restructure anything to make it better.

and i get that he has chuck and amara in his like- essence, or whatever and they have lots of worldly knowledge

but like what im saying is everything about who he is leading up to his end does not jive with "god now, ok bye"

it feels like he deserved better, and this wasnt where he was supposed to end up.

tldr: jack deserved a different ending, that fits his character better.

this was very unorganized and im so very sorry but i just wanted to say so much and i dont know how to words

if you have thoughts or arguements or maybe a better way to say all this, please put them in the replies, or the tags, or whatever youre most comfortable with! i love reading everyones thoughts. :)

#spn #supernatural #jack kline #supernatural finale #daphnes talking again

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sandalaris · 4 years

Note

OTP/Pairing questions: SethKate 1, 9 and 10? 💖

I put 1 under a cut, because it became really very long.

9. Favorite aspect of them/their relationship dynamics? (Can be headcanon)

Probably how, despite everything working against it, there’s an equality to them once they get out of the abductor/abductee mentality (which happens fairly quickly all things considered.). There’s hints of it through out the show, but my favorite moment of it is when Sonja enters the picture. Seth does the same power play with both of them, glaring them down while advancing towards them in a display of dominance, and yet Sonja backs down, dropping her gaze and giving up ground to him while in her own work space, a place she should feel in complete control in, and a large, uncovered window right there that keeps her from being isolated with him. But when he pulls that same shit with Kate, while utterly alone in a motel room that belongs just as much to him as it does her and no one around to play witness, she stares right back and refuses to give into his dominance play. (There’s absolutely more evidence to Seth and Kate being on equal footing, but this one *chef’s kiss*)

There’s something I find so utterly delightful in someone like Kate, young and a little naive at first and all softness wrapped around steel, able to stand on equal footing to the bank robbing murderer who’s at his utter worst for a bulk of the time she knows him. Especially when the tough and fiery tattoo artist/forger who’s used to being in the criminal world and dealing with people like Seth couldn’t do it.

10. Least favorite aspect of them/their relationship dynamics? (Can be headcanon)

As much as I like what all it means/represents for them and how it contrasts with the Seth and Sonja dynamic, the fact that Seth pulled a power play on Kate in the first place, that he tried to cow her into submission, is something I don’t care for (wouldn’t change it, too necessary for their individual story arcs and I like what it reveals about their relationship), and how much Kate aimed for Seth’s most vulnerable points when fighting with him in season two. (Which if I’m honest, I would be tempted to change, even though logically I know it’s a character flaw for her that helps round her out as a character. Which probably says more about me than her that I’d be tempted to change it if I’d had the power.)

I know they’re each dealing with a ton of shit in season two. Seth’s got control issues to begin with, and that’s not even getting into all those protective instincts, both the new one’s with Kate’s name on them and the one’s belonging to Richie that find her a convenient target, and how much Seth feels that if he can just bully Kate into obeying him he can keep her safe and with him. And Kate’s angry and hurt and lashing out at someone who she feels holds some of the blame for those feelings. She keeps threatening to leave, and Seth’s abandonment issues are extra sensitive after what went down with Richie and Kate knows this. They’re both in a fucked up place, although Kate is trying to put herself back together while Seth’s still wallowing in his hurt and anger.

It’s something that I don’t think is a big problem after season two. Kate was already on the path to healing before she left (even if she’s not there yet by the end of the season) and while it falls more in the realm of headcanon, I think she acknowledges her destructive lashing out to herself and makes a point to try and not let herself slip back into the habit. And while Seth still has his issues, he’s not being ruled by them quite so hard after season two. He probably still does some controlling things, ordering her meal for her if they’re at a sit down restaurant and phrasing things more as commands than requests, and I still have a headcanon that he assigned her bodyguards without her knowledge after the events of season three, but those things are manageable. Again, I wouldn’t change anything that happened or their respective issues, but if I had to point out my least favorite part of their dynamic it would how they were in season two when he was too controlling and Kate took careful aim to hurt Seth as much as she could with her words.

1. If you had to change the pairing’s very first meeting, how would you change it? This has gone into full on What If territory and thus is long and under a cut. :P

If I had to change how they met and somehow keep it in the same canon-universe, I’d probably have Carlos drag the Fullers to the Twister, because he’s the one who wanted the family there so badly. Seth and Kate wouldn’t really meet until all hell broke loose and the initial massacre had passed, leaving the Geckos, Scott and Kate, and Professor Tanner still alive, and Seth wouldn’t really get to know/care about her until after they were on the road together (meaning no scenes where they’ve linked arms or him shoving her behind him while they navigate the underground tunnels, because Kate doesn’t mean anything to him at this point, is just another body to place between him and the vampires).

Instead of asking if he wants company, Kate would ask for a ride to the nearest town, because she doesn’t know enough about who he is and what he’s capable of to truly trust him not to mean her harm, especially after Tanner. Everything, both good and bad, that happened between them in season one wouldn’t be there to bind them together or give the other insight into who the other is. They’d stick around after actually finding the nearest town because Kate doesn’t actually have a plan and Seth’s terrified of being alone and they’ve talked just enough and are just tired enough to find it easier to not leave the other just yet, but it would be with this idea that’s its temporary. Their relationship would be different, far less trust or care between them, but still enough of a foundation and understanding that they decide to stick together for a bit. First week would pretty much be the same because trauma needs sorting through.

Seth would be a lot more obvious about his physical interest in her as time goes on, because he doesn’t have the guilt of being the one to put her in that place or her daddy’s death hanging over his head (Carlos would have disposed of Jacob before they ever even got to the Twister in this, and Seth only finds out after the fact that he even existed at all or what he meant to Kate and the fresh grief she’s carrying with her), and because he doesn’t care for her nearly to the same depth here and is therefore less careful with/protective of their relationship/her (if he makes it too awkward and she leaves, oh well. He'll wish her luck and then find someone else to travel with.) It doesn’t mean as much as it would’ve had he made the offer in canon, more just him making it obvious that he’s interested if she is as opposed to the declaration it would have been in show. Kate is a still a sheltered, sexually-repressed teenager who’s never gone past kissing though, and while she’s been through a shit ton of trauma that has her questioning where she stands on her convictions, she’s not really ready to jump into bed with anyone, let along an almost-stranger, even after she realizes he’s interested in something more akin to dating than a one-night stand. They may or may not start something, I’d have to write it out to see (and I’ve got too many fics in the works as is :P), but if they did it’d be caught somewhere between Seth’s jumping in feet first and Kate’s more celibate dating habits. All shared meals at actual restaurants and heavy make-out sessions in various stages of undress and Kate still asking for separate beds (they sadly never do grow to that level of familiarity and emotional intimacy while on the road together that they do in show). She’s not comfortable telling Seth about her inexperience here and he makes his own assumptions based on hormonal teenagers who stiffen everytime he messes with the button on her jeans. (They both keep jumping to the wrong conclusions, but neither are at a place where they will ask the other such questions.)

It’s a much slower emotional build, taking those weeks on the road to get to what they had by the end of season one in the show, but Kate still leaves, because Scott is still the most important person to her and Seth still has issues with brothers. It happens sooner and without a big fight, because they don’t mean as much to each other here to try and convince the other to stay/come with, but it’d feel more like an end to both of them than it ever did in canon. They’d eventually come back together after they fix things with their brothers (and maybe dealing with Amaru, I’m not sure how much of that would change in this without diving deeper into it). Scott’s still a culebra but holds none of the loyalty he did to Carlos in canon, and would be more likely side with the stranger wearing glasses who wants to rule Malvado’s territory than the man who murdered his dad and gave his sister to a serial killer, and Kate’s going where her brother does. Her and Seth give off a This is my Ex vibe when they meet again, but it’s not as awkward or as angry and hurt as people think it should be and Richie is a nosy little shit who genuinely likes Kate (a first for him with Seth’s romantic entanglements) and Scott has no problem sharing stories of his sister’s past exes with the new guy and basically they learn about each other’s pasts through the other’s brother in a way that means they understand a bit more of what they are getting into when they get back together.

Fin!

If I got full room to play and didn’t need to keep the storyline in tact in the slightest and can do an All Human AU (which I not-so-secretly want to explore) where they meet under entirely ordinary circumstances....

Kate’s in college and living away from home, and has come to the realization she doesn’t want to live the life she was always told she wanted.

(Kyle put a promise ring on her finger during senior year and keeps making comments about getting a job so he can support them and looking at houses in the same small town she grew up in and no one gets why she went to college in the first place when she’s already got a man to take care of her and why don’t you come home, Katie, when are you getting married already, what are you waiting for-

Kate can’t breathe when she thinks about it because she’s only eighteen and there’s so much she wants to do even though everyone she went to high school with is already settling down and talking babies and she’s not ready not ready not ready--- She calls and breaks up with him while sporting her first ever hangover. She only went to the party because the semester was almost over and she needed a break, but she got drunk on purpose. Some part of her wanting to experience this one thing that she was always told she shouldn’t do, and somehow started talking to a complete stranger and out it spilled just how utterly terrified she was of being trapped into a life she’s come to realize she's never wanted. She doesn’t go into details, but she wakes up with an inner peace and utter clarity of what she has to do under the headache and rolling stomach and the taste of something having died in her mouth, and she can’t help but know is was the best decision she ever made.)

After that she settles into this life she’s built, gets her own place off campus and learns who she is in a way most people don’t do until they’re in their thirties, and maybe she doesn’t know where she’ll end up but she knows its not Bethel and the life she’d almost fallen into.

They meet at some hole-in-the-wall restaurant that Kate goes to with friends now and again and has good enough burgers to attract someone like Richie who’s a secret foodie at heart. Seth’s at the counter waiting for his to go order and she’s been sent up to see if her group can get more napkins or something else equally mundane.

Seth’s not really the kind of guy she normally goes for, sprinkles of gray in his hair hinting at him probably being too old for her and a rough manner of speech that would have shocked her not even a year before when she was still getting used to life outside a small town. She notices him though, and that’s worth noting she thinks. When he looks over, quick and casual, before looking again less so.

Kate’s close enough to his type, even with the modest layers of clothes and apple pie sweetness, that he starts flirting before he’s really considered it. She doesn’t quite flirt back, but she doesn’t not flirt either, something smothered and peeking out at him when he manages to catch her attention more fully. She snarks at him when he gets cheeky and isn’t quite able to stop the smile from creasing her cheeks that makes him want to coax another from her. Both of them linger at the counter when their purpose for being there has long faded, not quite ready to end their little back and forth until its stretched past of the point of Too Long and Kate makes her excuses to go back to her friends. He ends up turning around in the parking lot to go back inside and ask for her number, half cursing himself for it because he doubts he’ll be in town long but part of him felt far too disappointed when she walked away to not go for it. If she’s entirely honest, Kate’s not sure if she would have given it if her friends weren’t watching the whole exchange, because she’s always been able to logic her way into making the smart, safe choice over the one she wants (one of the reasons it took quite so long to break up with Kyle) and Seth seems to have Bad Idea stamped across his forehead - see rough manner and possible too old age and hints at a crude sense of humor - and the way he leans forward with that smarmy, utterly confident grin that says he knows just how much she likes that suggestive flash of teeth and play of muscles beneath his button up... She consoles herself with the (very disappointing) thought that he probably won’t contact her anyways.

He calls her that night.

(I’m gonna stop there, because I have ideas on how Kate and Seth’s relationship would progress in something like this, and this question is entirely based on how they met, not how their relationship progresses. Plus, this is way too long already.)

#SethKate #asked and answered

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skreekies · 4 years

Text

I Used To Say “All Lives Matter.” Here’s why I stopped, and think you should, too.

I hope this reaches someone who is confused, scared, and unsure, just like I was.

Hello. My name is Emma. I’m a white kid from North Carolina, raised by a couple of Canadians. Not terribly long ago, I was one to believe that it was impossible for all police to be bad. I was also one to do research into the negative effects of the Black Lives Matter movement’s actions. I don’t even consider any of these anymore, but I see people I love exhibiting these same ideas and values. I’m writing today to explain to you how and why I changed my mind, perhaps so you can understand.

When I was 14, Michael Brown was murdered by his local police. I was heartbroken and angry. But, while I did speak up in support of BLM, on the side I dug deeper into the idea that it might not be a great thing. I was quicker to be willing to dismiss the growing revolution than I was to join in. Why?

Looking back, I believe I was truly overwhelmed, and did not realize how overwhelming I found it all. I had a quiet desperation to neutralize everything, to say, “not all cops” and “not all black people” at the same time. That made it easier; processing the un-processable sorrow of millions of black Americans that I truly wished was not real. I was a pacifist. I wanted every breathing creature to live in peace and happiness. I still do. So why am I not going about it the same way now?

Let’s talk about ACAB. Why ARE all cops “bastards”? This acronym, as I understand it, was not made to suggest that each individual cop is a horrifyingly racist monster. What ACAB represents is the fact that police who work for the police system, which is historically and systematically racist in and of itself, who continue to work for that system and/or are silent in the face of these great injustices enacted by it, are part of the problem. Being silent is the least helpful thing anyone can do. It says: “No matter how I feel, I can’t bring myself to fight for the change I may or may not want to see”. So, yes. All cops who do little or nothing to help in the reconstruction of their rotten system are, indeed, bastards.

Now, why do I no longer indulge myself in researching the unsavory acts of “the good guys”? Why am I fast to jump in with the anger and protest and slow to join in on talk of the repercussions of their actions? This is because I’ve come to understand that anger is not an evil emotion- anger is liberating and powerful and is the cause of many great successful protests. Stonewall and World War II were not seen or won by peacefully roaming the street singing Kumbaya; they were won with destruction, passion, and anger.

I’m one to believe no one is beyond saving. But I understand now that bigots and killers are only salvageable if they choose to listen. Racists of past and present have made it abundantly clear they are not interested in hearing what black people have to say.

Black people have tried being peaceful. They have tried taking a knee. They have tried befriending and loving those who hate them. But it has never been enough and never will be enough. Love alone cannot save everyone, and it cannot prevent more innocent black people from being murdered. Hitler would never have surrendered; he had to end his life before his terrorism was stopped. We cannot sit and wait for another 6 years to see if the police system has a sudden change of heart. Change must rip violently through it from the inside out.

And yes, I did wonder why we didn’t just say “All Lives Matter” instead of "just" black ones. I’m no longer entirely sure of why this specifically was. Perhaps I wasn’t used to feeling excluded due to my sheltered, white only-child life. But now I have a crystal-clear understanding that, duh, all lives matter, but that’s not the point. The point is black people have been treated like dirt for centuries, and THAT matters. White people have always inherently mattered to the United States, nobody even needs to SAY white lives matter, we've NEVER had to say that. It’s the black ones who are in danger, have always been in danger, and who need all of our help.

Now, the looting. Is it bad? Yeah. Is it worth writing an essay about instead of a black man having his neck knelt on for 9 minutes, resulting in his death? No. I can acknowledge the fact that some actions of protesters are wrong, and still not give it the time of day in favor of the bigger problem. That is what the system wants; for you to be angry at something easier, like I was at the age of 14. Be mad that a perfectly fine Arby’s was burnt to the ground, make 3 Facebook posts about THAT instead of the murder of George Floyd.

The buildings will come back. Target themselves have stated that they are not concerned with having to rebuild their stores; that’s what insurance is for. If they’re truly a good company, their employees will get paid leave, too. If not, that’s a whole other nasty problem that needs fixing.

Small businesses are another story, of course. Target and Arby’s are big business. They can afford to rebuild and keep paying their employees. Small businesses cannot necessarily, and I do condemn those who light them ablaze (unless, of course, they are known to be owned by racists and/or other nasty types of humans).

Here’s where things get tricky. We haven’t forgotten about the pandemic, and there are plenty of protesters with no masks. I support the protests 100%, but not those who go without the proper protection. With masks, gloves, and other such precautions, protests become doable- just like going to the grocery store. Without masks, you put yourself and others in danger. It’s a very tricky situation, because indeed these protests are necessary. You can agree or disagree with that all you like. No change has ever come from taking no action.

The fact of the matter is, I and millions of others are tired and out of patience. I do not have the naive faith I had at 14. I understand now that it is up to all of us to make our voices heard and not ever shut up. I do not have faith in the police to sort itself out; I have faith in us.

I understand that talking about this can be uncomfortable, exhausting, and heartbreaking. I certainly felt all those things when I was 14, and I feel them now. But now I know how to manage myself, how to take care of my mental state in the face of a world on fire.

I am no longer afraid. I am enraged, loud, and tired. I stand with Black Lives Matter now and until the day I die.

I’m angry. And I won’t stop being angry until I or this broken racist system dies.

#ACAB #black lives matter #BLM #george floyd #breonna taylor #ahmaud arbery #my writing #riot #protest #protests #raleigh #nc #north carolina

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daphneallard · 4 years

Text

of good samaritans & pawns

@diveronarpg submitted:

DIANA has managed to establish a Robin Hood-esque reputation for herself among the Capulets and make it look graceful, even when confronted with more difficult decisions. It just so happens that a week ago, a Capulet soldier reached out to DAPHNE looking for financial aid on her part, begging for help in getting out of the city and away from the mob that they’ve both dedicated their livelihoods to. This sort of thing does not occur often, and could give her a significant advantage or a severe shortfall. What does DAPHNE do?

MENTIONED: @lavolumnia, @reginadalys, @dukemassetti, @stlapin, @la-bella-falco

TW: death, violence, grief, dark themes

There are approximately 590,452 things Daphne Allard doesn’t know about Luca Caprio, but here are five in particular.

1. His sister’s name is Marta; they’ve barely spoken in three years. Not because of anything serious, but Marta lives in Berlin and the two have just never found the time to put in the effort.

2. When he was seven, he wanted to take over his grandfather’s bakery. It burned down when he was 14. The arsonist’s were never caught, but everyone whispered that his nonno had offended a Montague of some power and status.

3. Luca went to university in Milan.

4. He professed not to care about astrology, but he knew he was a Cancer Sun, a Leo Rising, and a Scorpio Moon because a date made him check. After he showed her his co--star account, she went to the bathroom and never came back.

5. He deserved better.

Actually, she knew that last one. Counting that, Daphne knew precisely ten things about Luca Caprio.

1. LUCA IS A CAPULET.

A soldato, more specifically. Daphne was hosting a small get-together for the initiates and soldiers. A sort of networking opportunity, if you will. A chance to feel like family. That was how this city worked – blood ties and bloodied ties, invisible strings wrapped around every citizen’s throat. It was a reminder that everyone in this city is connected with a vice grip.

They were only able to do what they did because people felt like they were getting something in return – a mirage of a family, if you will. But Daphne wasn’t truly cynical – it was good for them to spend some time together outside of work. Make each other feel less alone.

She didn’t remember Luca very well. He hadn’t been quiet because she’d gone and put a friendly arm around the wallflowers and made them feel welcome, and she would’ve remembered him. He hadn’t been particularly loud, because she would’ve remembered him. He ran in the middle, and he seemed happy enough.

Daphne remembered he wasn’t an initiate though. “I’m a soldier,” he’d told her when she asked, not in the least offended that she didn’t remember him. “I ‘graduated’ after the Castelvecchio blew up.”

Before they count continue their conversation, Elisabetta – a lanky, freckled initiate, barely 19 – gathered up the courage to speak to her. “Signora Allard, can I speak to you in private?” The muscles in her shoulder tensed up, like she was expecting to be slapped. Daphne had told Luca she’d catch up with him later – she wanted to know everyone, and said it in a way that convinced everyone, even Daphne herself, that it was true, and to come to her if he needed anything – and pulled Elisabetta into a spare room.

In which she’d promptly burst into tears. She needed help – an orphan with no family and no fortune, a cruel landlord who let her apartment become infested with cockroaches and threatened to evict her, and could Daphne help her? Of course, darling. That’s what I’m here to do.

Daphne hired someone to break the landlord’s legs and gave Elisabetta the downpayment for a newer, nicer apartment, and a day job as a barista at a cafe her father invested in. Just something to help you get settled, until you decide what you want to do for your day job. No, no need to pay me back. This is a gift, Elisabetta. When you decide what you want to do, let me know and I can put you in touch with people.

2. LUCA BELIEVED IN GOD

The boy was Catholic. He believed in the rituals. He was spiritual, too. Luca managed to find the balance that many spent their lives in fruitless pursuit of. His eyes lit up when he talked about it – something about how he saw himself as a prodigal son – and sure, Daphne thought it was a little naive, but perhaps that was her own envy.

She could never feel at peace with the Heavens – and not just because of the blood and poison and atrocities hidden underneath a kind smile and an impeccable reputation. Whatever was in the skies, whatever or whoever governed the universe didn’t care for mortals who tried to fashion themselves as folly.

Her heart sang when he’d shyly brought up that he heard what she did for Elisabetta, who mentioned to him that she’d done something similar for a Vittorio, for Massimo, for Charlotte, for Honoria, and so-on and so-forth. “You’re like a Good Samaritan,” Luca said. Daphne liked that.

Good Samaritans don’t want their pound of flesh, though.

She became concerned about Luca, though. Believers were difficult, and in all honesty, Catholic guilt was going to catch up with him sooner or later.

The worries started after they’d gutted that spiare in the Cathedral. Her name was Valentina Gallo, and she mattered to someone, but the only memory Daphne had was of her bleeding out in the hallowed halls. It’s quite cruel, for the only memory you have of a person to be the light dimming from their eyes.

Luca had been late to a few meetings, and his captain had complained to Daphne – not anything specific, only in passing. Daphne had assured them that she’d take care of it. She’d check in with Luca. He seems like a good soldier. He seems like a good man.

3. LUCA CAME TO HER

She didn’t need to find him. He’d knocked on the door to her office and asked if she had time for a word. Daphne didn’t, but she smiled anyways and invited him inside, offering him his choice of water, coffee, or tea. Good seeds get overrun by weeds if they’re not taken care of.

“Do you remember Elisabetta?” Luca asked.

Daphne nodded. Of course she did. She could never forget the face of a person who owed her their happiness. “Of course. She’s just started an apprenticeship at All That Glitters.”

He wrung his hands. “Good, good. That’s good.”

She poured him a glass of water and placed it in front of him. “Drink, I insist. You look like you’re about to be sick.”

“I might be.”

But he drank the water and didn’t vomit all over her carpet.

“I’m glad you came to see me, today. I’ve heard some colleagues express concern about you. It’s been....a long few months for all of us.” She brushed her hair out of her face, “Can I do something to help? Even if you just need to talk, I want you to know that I’m here for you.”

4. LUCA DIDN’T LIKE BEING A CAPULET

But only because he told her.

“I don’t like being a Capulet.” That was the most confident she’d ever heard it. Not a doubt in his mind. She could see it in his eyes that he meant.

“Oh,” was all she could say. What else could she do? After a moment, Daphne got her wits about her and knitted her fingers together. “Is there something in particular that you don’t like?”

“All of it. Well, not all of it. I -- it’s complicated, you know?” Daphne nodded, because she did. “But when I joined, I thought I would be doing something good for the city.”

To that, she was quick to respond. “You are.”

“How?”

“The Capulet’s are involved with a number of charitable organizations – we’ve helped more than a few local businesses get on their feet and stay on their feet through hard times. I personally work with several local women’s shelters. If you want to do more work in that field, than you’ve certainly come to the right person. Here, let me --”

He’d cut her off, “It doesn’t matter. None of it matters when we do things like what we did in the Cathedral.” Daphne fixed with a stony look and Luca stopped talking mid-sentence. “Sorry, Signora Allard. I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

She softens, because Daphne isn’t cruel and that’s what he needed to see – that this work doesn’t make as monsters. “It’s alright, Luca. Really. I’m here to listen.” She takes a deep breathe. “You’ve made a vow to the Capulet’s, Luca, and the particular vow you’ve made....it’s not an easy one to break. I understand that you’re scared and frustrated and, well, horrified by what you’ve seen. We all should be. It’s normal, you know, for newer members to get cold feet.” She twists her engagement ring around her finger. “Like a bride before the wedding.”

“It’s more than jitters,” he says, desperate to make her understand. “I’m telling you that I can’t live like this anymore. I can’t.” She puts her hand over his, and gives it a squeeze.

“I understand.” She said it with her whole heart.

“Can you help me then?”

5. WHEN LUCA MADE UP HIS MIND, IT WAS MADE

Daphne didn’t give an answer to his last question. Instead, she’d asked what exactly he was asking of her. How much have you thought about this, boy? How badly do you want this?

“There’s someone I know in Rome who can help me get the papers to start a new life.”

“Where are you thinking of going?”

“Athens, Berlin, or Marseilles – you went to school there, didn’t you?”

“Those are all rather different. I went to school in Paris, but I spent quite a lot of time in Marseilles. It’s beautiful. You would like it.”

“After that, I would need help getting housing and a job. I’d also need my identity scrubbed – I, uh, I don’t know what I should do there. Faking my death is an option, but that seems a bit much.”

“And you would what me to contribute financially?”

Luca nods vigorously. “Yes – about €60,000.” Daphne doesn’t blink at the sum; that’s mere change to the Allard fortune and to all of her personal investments.

“That’s a pretty penny,” Daphne says. She’s not talking about the money. She’s talking about the task. “Luca, this conversation – I’m more than happy to let this stay between us and do everything in my power to help you feel comfortable with your position in the Capulet’s, but if this is serious and it comes out that I knew someone was consider desertion....”

“This can’t be the worst thing someone’s done in Verona. Orsino, Reagan, Cosimo, Volumnia, Iago, Othello, Lady Macbeth – This can’t be the worst thing anyone’s been asked.” Oh, you darling, sweet, stupid boy. “You’ve helped others who needed...a higher price tag, though. I --- I wouldn’t ask unless I was serious. And I’ve thought about, signora. This is what I need to do. I need to leave this city, even if I have to bury Luca Caprio to do it.”

“I see how much this means to you, but --” His eyes widen like a deer stuck in headlights. His arm twitches, and he almost reaches for his gun, but steadies himself. “Don’t worry, I’m going to help you, Luca. Of course I am. It’ll just take some time for me to get the funds in order and distribute them to you secretly and safely.”

6. LUCA’S SMILE WAS BLESSED BY THE HEAVENS

Don’t worry. I’m going to help you, Luca. The boy audibly exhales and slumps in the chair, almost trembling. It’s then that she notices how deep the bags under his eyes are. Some bodies aren’t meant to bare the weight of the world – or their decisions – on their shoulders, Daphne thinks sadly.

Then, he starts laughing and smiling and crying – but it’s all happy tears and relief. His smile makes Daphne wish she was as good of a person as he thought her to be. “A Good Samaritan,” he mumbles, still trying to process everything. “You’re a rare breed in Verona.”

Daphne thinks of the Capulet ranks – how many twisted and lied and killed for no reason other than their own personal gain, or their own ego’s. She thinks of everyone in Verona who looks at life like a chess game – rook takes bishop, protect the queen, pawn to queen, sacrificial pieces. Those who shuffle the board so that it suits whatever their interests are. Daphne’s one of them, and she knows it, even if she’ll never admit it. I wish I was a rare breed, Luca.

7. LUCA DECIDED ON BERLIN

Three days later, Luca’s captain lets her know that he’s been on time and that he seems like the soldier is back on track. “What changed?” Daphne had asked. “I don’t know,” the captain admits. “He said he talked to you, so I guess whatever you said helped.”

Later that evening, Luca returns and asks her how long it will take her to get everything together. “A few more days, at least. Have you decided where you’re going to go?”

“Berlin.” He says it with such conviction, and Daphne is scared to ask what made him decide to go there, lest it make her miss the boy too much. “How long will it take to get everything ready for me to go to Berlin?”

“Two days. I have a good friend there, actually. She’s good. Very discreet. And she owes me a favor. I can give you her address? That way you know someone in the city, at least.”

“That’d be perfect.”

“What’s the name of your Rome contact? The one who can help you get new documents?”

“Alessandro Marino...do you know him?”

Daphne nods, “By reputation, primarily. As far as people in his field go, Alessandro is one of the more...ethical ones. You’re in good hands with him.”

8. LUCA CAPRIO WAS GOING TO CHANGE HIS NAME TO LUKAS SCHMIDT

"How quickly can Alessandro get you the new papers?”

“I’ve already paid him half.” Off Daphne’s quizzical expression, he adds, “It cost all my savings. After I told him I was good for the rest and that you were helping me --” Idiot, Daphne thinks. “-- he’s agreed to messenger me the documents by the end of tomorrow.”

“Are you still going to be called Luca?”

“No, something similar though. That’s what’s best, right? In the movies, they always give someone a fake name that’s close with their real name so they don’t get confused.”

“Daphne, Diana. Bernadette, Bianca. Vivianne, Volumnia. Same practices goes for the aliases here. It makes sense. What’s the name?”

He hesitates. “Schmidt. Lukas Schmidt.”

“Pleased to meet you, Signor Lukas....did you tell anyone else?”

“Of course not. I’m not an idiot.”

9. LUCA BELIEVED IN DAPHNE ALLARD

She didn’t need him to tell her. She could see it in the way that he looked at her adoringly, like she was a guardian angel. A Good Samaritan, he’d called her. A Good Samaritan, he thought her to be. A Good Samaritan. A good person.

There was something good in Luca that didn’t exist in Daphne. Something normal about him. He lived by a different set of rules that she couldn’t even begin to fathom, and she knew that. Luca was a good boy. She doesn’t know why she keeps calling him a boy when he’s 25 years old.

He is good. Not wise, but good. And good people always pay their debts. With this, he would owe her everything – his freedom, his happiness, his life. This kind of power, this kind of debt was the most powerful. Daphne could get him to do anything in the future.

This was why she became a Capulet. To help people.

It was quite a pity, though, that by the nature of this arrangement, the only thing Daphne couldn’t ask him to do was stay.

10. LUCA DIDN’T SEE IT COMING.

The second he asked her to help him leave, Daphne knew she would sign his death warrant. After he told her that he told Alessandro that she was helping him, Daphne knew she would need to oversee a larger clean-up operation. It wasn’t worth the risk. No matter how well she did the money, someone would find it. Her name and reputation wouldn’t protect her. And Daphne was many things, but she was not a fool.

It appeared that Luca was true to his word in that he told no one else about his decision to leave. That was the conclusion Daphne came to after using the Capulet pipeline to find a hacker who gave her access to his phone, computer, and all CCTV footage. No text messages, no phone calls, no late night meetings in his apartment or anywhere else in the city. Of course, as a precaution, she’d gotten someone – someone loyal – to trail him just to make sure.

Daphne Allard was no Good Samaritan. She was a Capulet.

Luca couldn’t have known that. Daphne didn’t want anyone to know of the rot inside of her. This decay was her problem, and no one else’s, and both she and the city had bigger problems than this. No one needed to know.

Daphne had informed his captain and the appropriate higher up’s of the upcoming defection. No one needed to remind her that the cost of treason was death. She remembered the Gallo girl’s fate. No, I’ll take care of the details, she offered. He came to me, so I will deal with it.

He comes to see her before he departs. She tells him she’s wired the money to his new account. She hasn’t. She kisses him on the cheek, before sending him on his way. Luca Caprio doesn’t make it two miles out of the city before a masked assailant shoots him in the back of the head.

It was a quick, clean death, Daphne tells herself, as she pays the hitman handsomely for the cleanup of Luca Caprio, Alessandro Marino, and the messenger who made the mistake of delivering the documents.

This is mercy, she thinks. This way he and his family get to keep his dignity and the Capulet’s are spared the embarrassment.

She helps pay for his funeral, but doesn’t attend. Daphne doesn’t know this, but when the priest informs Luca’s parents that everything has been taken care of, his mother wept and thanked the Lord. There’s still Good Samaritans in Verona, she had said through her tears. There’s still good.

“If they ask, can I reveal their benefactor?” The priest had asked her when she stopped by to drop off the payment.

“No, not this time, father.” She doesn’t see the benefit of having this family owe her. Maybe later, if it proves useful, she will reveal herself. But Daphne doesn’t see the advantage. Your son is dead and I paid for the funeral. The debt is paid. You owe me nothing.

There’s a sixth thing Daphne knows about Luca: He died thinking well of her. It gives her comfort. It shouldn’t. But it does.

Verona makes a different sort of monster out of everyone. This was the monster it had made of Daphne Allard.

#&. muse | i will answer to knife #self para #tw death #tw dark themes #tw violence #i...have zero idea if i did this right #but ? uh #this happened?#tw grief

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crmsfanfiction · 3 years

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Second Chances-Chapter 6

Authors Note: Once again some heavy stuff in this chapter. Mentions of eating issues and emotional and mental abuse. Please read with caution.

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Chapter 6: Revelations

Sebastian was watching TV relaxing, when Willa finally stirred in the other bed. He had wanted to curl up with her, but didn’t want to risk upsetting her. He also had his girlfriend to think about. He knew he’d fucked up, by rushing to Mina’s side, but he’d been hoping for so long that she’d forgive him. They needed to have a long talk about everything that happened. He had made the decision while Mina was sleeping that he was going to break up with Margarita and beg Willa to take him back or at the very least start over in their friendship.

“Baz?” Willa called out as she slowly shifted in the bed. “I’m here Mina. What do you need?” Sebastian said as Willa opened her eyes and looked over at him. “In my make-up bag there should be some Tylenol and Motrin. Can I have two Motrin and one Tylenol please?”

“Can you take both together?” Sebastian asked as he headed for the bathroom and grabbed her make-up bag. He riffled through it coming up with the two bottles of medicine. “Technically yes, but you really shouldn’t. Right now I don’t care. I hurt and they will help.” Willa said as she pushed herself up to a sitting position groaning as her ribs protested the movement. Sebastian handed her the pills and a glass of water. Willa quickly downed the meds and set the glass of water on the bedside table.

“Are you hungry? We could take-out from the BBQ place or something else?” Sebastian asked as he settled back down on the other bed. Shrugging, Willa made a noncommittal noise. Sighing Sebastian pulled out his phone and pulled up a local pizza place. It was her favorite, as close to New York as she could get around here and ordered a large pepperoni with extra cheese.

“Pizza will be here in about an hour.”

“From Pink Door? You remembered my favorite?”

“Of course. I remember all your favorites. Lilacs and lavender dahlias are your absolute favorite flowers, though you still love red and yellow roses as a close second. You love all genres of music, but 90s grunge is what you listen too when your stressed out or pissed off. Prince is still your favorite artist of all time. I could go on.” Sebastian said as he listed a few of her favorites. Willa laughed. “No stop. I get it. You remember. I still remember all your favorites too.”

“I also know that you still look better in my clothes than I do.” Sebastian said quietly as he looked at the shirt hanging off her frame. She’d lost a good bit of weight from the last time he’d seen her. At 5’8 she wasn’t a tiny person. He’d always loved her curves, but now he was hard pressed to even see any of them with the way she looked now. Even he knew she was starving, whether by choice or force he wasn’t sure.

“Yeah, I realized it was your old shirt after I put it on. I’d honestly forgotten I had it. I haven’t worn it in years. Tony hated Prince. We could only listen to the latest stuff. The newest hits.” Willa said as she pulled the shirt tighter around her frame. It had gotten a lot looser than it used to be on her. Tony used to pick at her weight all the time, though she wasn’t overweight by any stretch of the imagination. Anytime they would sit down to eat, he would ask her if she’d planned on eating all that, or if they were in public he would glare at her if she ate more than half of the food on her plate. Soon it turned to him ordering for her. She wasn’t allowed more than a side salad and water in a restaurant. At home he’d fix her plate and only put a few bites of everything she’d fixed on her plate, while he would fill his.

She was starting to see how badly Tony had her fucked up in the head and knew she would need to get into a therapist to help her sort out and break through his conditioning. She couldn’t believe that she’d allowed him to treat her like this, though looking back even this short time later she could see it was subtle and vicious. She’d been a prime target for him. She knew she was naive to the world in a lot of ways. She’d been sheltered for a lot of her life. She didn’t blame her parents, they had only wanted to protect her.

“Mina hon, you still with me?” Sebastian asked as he watched several different emotions play across her face as she gazed at the wall. Shaking her head Willa looked over at Sebastian. “Yeah I’m still here. Sorry was thinking. I need a therapist.”

“That is a good idea. I know it helps me to talk with mine when I am having trouble. I can call mine tomorrow and see who he would recommend that is taking new patients.”

“Really? Thank you Baz. I appreciate it. So How much longer before pizza is here? Do we have time to go get some beer or wine?” Sebastian checked his watch. “I think we have time to run down to the store. Let me go and I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Willa nodded as she handed him the room key. He pulled his hat down low over his face and and slid on his sunglasses as he left the room. Willa flipped through the channels until she found the history channel. It was showing about Egypt and the Pharaohs. It was the type of program that was good for background noise and you didn’t need to really pay attention to it.

Twenty minutes Sebastian was back with some of her favorite wine and he’d even gotten her a dove chocolate bar. It wasn’t the best chocolate, but it was a guilty pleasure. He really did remember her favorites. He’d grabbed a 6 pack of Heineken for himself. It wasn’t his go too, but it was the best he could find around here. Ten minutes after he’d gotten back their pizza had arrived and they were digging in. Willa took the smallest piece and had taken three small bites, when she claimed she was full.

“Mina hon, I don’t want to overstep, but I’m concerned. You’ve lost a lot of weight since the last time I saw you. Please don’t be afraid to eat. I know you love this pizza. You used to demolish a medium by yourself. I always loved how you weren’t afraid to eat what you wanted and how much. This isn’t you.” Sebastian sighed as he looked at her scared expression.

“I know, but he used to criticize my weight and body. He got into my head. Always told me I wasn’t good enough. Wasn’t thin enough. It will take time to feel like food isn’t being used to control me.” Willa said sadly as she stared at the pizza in front of her. She wanted to eat it, but Tony’s voice was in her head telling her that she was too fat and didn’t need to eat it. She picked up the slice in front of her and took a bigger bite. She wouldn’t allow him to control her anymore.

“Mina you’ve NEVER been fat! You have always been a healthy weight. You’re tall. You naturally need more weight to look healthy. You couldn’t have been more than 150 when we dated if you were even that much.” Sebastian said as he hugged her as tight as he dared, being careful of her ribs.

Willa pulled away from him and shook her head. “I know, but he was a master manipulator Baz. I let him beat me down mentally and it will take a very long time to get through that. I can try to push past it, but I can’t do it alone. I can’t be who I was Baz. Who you are hoping I’ll be. I’m not the girl you walked away from a decade ago. I’ll never be that girl again. I don’t even know all the abuse he put me through mentally and emotionally. This is why we can’t ever be together. I know your hoping for that, but the free-spirited wild child isn’t who I am anymore. I grew up in the past few years. The girl you loved is gone. The woman in front of you now is beaten down and broken. She may never fully recover from this.”

“I’m not hoping for anything, other than your forgiveness. I know I messed up all those years ago and I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I still hope I can have it. I want my friend back. In fact I have a girlfriend. We’ve been together for about a year now. She is in Atlanta waiting for me.” Sebastian said as he tried to hide the hurt of her words. He knew he didn’t deserve her in any way shape or form.

“Baz I forgave you a long time ago. We can try to be friends, but you have to give me time and space. Also I’m glad you have someone. I never wanted you to be sad and lonely. We didn’t work out. We both moved on.” Willa said as she finally finished her pizza and finished her glass of wine. She slipped under the covers of her bed and looked at Sebastian. “We have a busy day tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep. We need to head to Becca and David’s so I can pack a couple bags and then we can head for the airport. Got to get you back to your job and girlfriend.” Willa said as she turned over to face the wall to not show how hearing he had a girlfriend had truly affected her. Even after everything she said to him, she still loved him. She never stopped, but now it was too late. She wasn’t the same girl. He deserved better than a broken shell. So she pushed him away. She broke her own heart to save his.

She would be his friend. That is all she could ask for. He was happy and she wasn’t, but it was for the best. She was a complete mess at the moment. She had just broke off a three year engagement and a five year relationship with an abusive manipulator. She wasn’t ready in any shape or form for another relationship if she would ever be ready for another relationship. She wasn’t about to lead him on or let him twist in the wind waiting for her to be ready.

Sebastian turned out the lights and turned off the TV as she slid into his bed. His heart breaking for the woman in the next bed. He knew she wasn’t the same as she’d been. He thought he was partly to blame for it, but mostly he knew her ex was a complete asshole and he’d love to have a shot at him. He turned to face Willa’s back and closed his eyes wishing she was wrapped up in his arms. If he hadn’t been pressured to walk away from her, he was sure they’d have still been together. He wished with all his heart he could go back in time and change what happened between them.

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Feedback much appreciated. They give me fuel to keep writing.

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fireblaze5555 · 4 years

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Fire Away: Chapter 8

Also on Ao3: Fire Away: Chapter 8

Frank was so fucked. He watched Karen dozing on his completely numb arm as the morning light streamed through the balcony doors and he couldn't tear his eyes from her. Last night kept playing over and over in his head. The expanse of her beautiful pale skin, perfectly shaped breasts, the noises she made when he had his hands on her. The way she looked at him, like he mattered. Like he wasn't a monster. Like she loved him.

He watched her face as she took in the long slow breaths of someone in deep restful sleep, his eyes scanning her features and memorizing every line, as if he hadn't already. Her bruises had almost completely faded, leaving just a light discoloration at her temple and he wanted to press his lips to that spot and kiss away the last of the damage. For a moment he nearly forgot why he shouldn't be doing this, he just reveled in holding this incredible, beautiful woman in his arms.

Frank was unable to stop the flash of pride in his chest, he was one lucky bastard. Her words, I never regret you , echoed in his head over and over and each time he felt a little piece of his soul repairing itself. His demons never retreated for long though, rendering what Karen had managed to rebuild back to rubble. Suddenly it hurt to look at her, flashes of the family he couldn't protect filling his vision only this time her face was there too, covered in blood and unblinking.

He could no longer lie still, so to keep from waking her, Frank stood and threw his sweats on before stepping out on the balcony. She couldn't love him. He doesn't get to have that anymore. Karen was smart, beautiful, strong and resilient. She could have anyone she wanted. She fought for justice and saw the best in people while still accepting the darkness in them. There was no universe where he deserved her love.

It was that moment, with sickening clarity, thinking about her bravery, her smile, her kindness and her wicked sense of humor, that Frank realized he loved her. Most people felt light with a realization like that but all he could feel was a mix of guilt and disdain for himself. That's what she fucking needs, your psycho ass adding your bullshit to hers . A small childish part of him had hoped maybe it was just sexual tension and once they got that out of the way, they could walk away from each other. He knew how ridiculous that was when his heart wrenched painfully at the thought of being done with Karen when this was all over.

Frank was lost in his thoughts, not acknowledging the chill of the morning until a warm pair of arms wrapped around his torso and Karen pressed herself flush to his back.

Her voice was light but he could hear tension and worry there as well, "I could hear you thinking in my sleep." He felt her lips moving against his skin as she spoke, "Wanna talk?"

Frank turned in her arms so they rested chest to chest against the balcony railing. Her hair was mussed from sleep and she was squinting against the morning sun. Frank shifted a bit to shade her eyes with his body and the smile she gave him was so radiant he was nearly blinded himself. Her eyes were so blue Frank felt like he could drown in them and for a moment all he could do was stare in wonderment, his hand coming up to rest against the side of her face.

She leaned into his hand and stared at him expectantly and it took him a minute to remember she had asked him a question. Looking to the side to try and break the spell she had put over him, Frank took a deep breath, steadying himself for what he needed to do. He kept his voice low as he dropped the hand from her face to rest at her hip, "This," He looked at her hand that had come to rest on his chest over his heart, "is not a good idea."

Karen's beryl eyes turned to flint, pinning him to the spot even as she took a step back. Frank instantly felt the warmth she had brought retreat with her. He tried not to let it affect him. He tried not to feel the loss as acutely as he did. Tried but didn't succeed.

Frank wanted so badly to say something, anything to make her smile again or something to make her see how right he was but they had been through all of this before. So instead, he braced his arms on the railing behind him and regarded her carefully with narrowed eyes.

"Honestly, Frank, you give me whiplash." Her eyes were still hard but the gentleness with which she addressed him did far more damage, "You think that you being around is what gets me hurt. The truth is, it's watching you leave that hurts me more than anything. Seeing the way you look at me, the way you touch me, only for you to turn it off a second later and disappear." She gives a humorless laugh and his lungs constrict when he sees her eyes swimming. If only she knew how much he couldn't turn it off.

His throat is tight but he forces the words out anyway, "I can't be responsible for getting you killed Karen, I just can't. That's why this is a bad idea, 'cause when you're around I forget why I'm supposed to push you away."

She wiped a stray tear away quickly and took a step closer to him. Frank gripped the railing until his knuckles turned white, trying so hard not to reach for her. He was busy watching her rose colored lips as she pulled them between her teeth so when she spoke again it took him a moment to process her question.

"Then why are you here?" She asks, raising an eyebrow at his frustrated confusion, "I know you don't want anything to happen to me, but Frank, my job is dangerous. I deal with dangerous people almost every day. I mean, for God's sake, I work with the devil of Hell's Kitchen. If you think you shouldn't be around me, you didn't have to track me down, you could have left it up to Matt to help me." He hopes she doesn't notice the flash of contempt he feels cross his face but she doesn't miss anything with him. She huffs out a humorless laugh before fixing him with a hard stare, "You don't get to make me walk away only to pop back up when it's convenient for you. It's not fair. To either of us. Either you are in my life or you aren't, you can't have both."

Logically he knew she was right, he's sure he has told himself that before, but hearing it fall from her lips caused his chest to spasm painfully. He felt panicked, like he had to make the call right now which caused anger to spike since he thought he had already made that call. He's the fucking Punisher, he didn't need anyone, everything he needed died at that carousel but facing her now, last night playing over in his head in startling detail, he realized he hadn't been as sure as he thought. His chest and throat hurt, everything he was trying to say blocked his airways and made him choke, a small distressed sound the only thing he managed. Frank was shaking his head, trying to jostle some coherent thought loose and his eyes were wild, like a trapped animal.

Karen saw him struggling and like the angel she was brought his attention back to her and away from his spiraling thoughts, her voice was solid as she said, "Back in that hospital room, I told you to make it mean something, me being there. What were you going to say? Before the kid walked in."

The vortex of his thoughts came to a sudden, disorienting halt, focused solely on that memory. Clicking his tongue, Frank turned to glare into the distance. He really didn't want to relive that day. He regretted so much about it.

"I don't know." he said.

"That's bullshit." she spat.

He turned to look at her, her cheeks were slightly pink, her eyes glinting in the early morning light and she was so damn beautiful. Calm and steady to his anxious, agitated uncertainty. He wanted to tell her there was nothing he wanted to say, that he had already said it. He wanted her to believe that he was pushing her away because he genuinely didn't want her. But they never lied to each other.

His voice was rough, almost resigned. "I had no idea how to tell you everything I wanted to in the time I had left to do it. I wasn't lying, Karen, I don't want to give up the war. I don't know if that will ever change, it is something that is a part of me now. It may have always been a part of me. I thought if I could push you away you would be safe." He gave her a pointed look. "That was obviously a bit naive of me, knowing you. I couldn't stand the thought of you getting hurt because of me. Still can't. The idea was I would distance myself, then I could just focus on fightin', cleanin' up the city without worrying it would reach you. But I can't stop thinkin’ about you. Thing is, you don't know when to quit, even when you're just in my head."

Karen gave a little sniff, stepping back into his space and placing her hand back over his heart. The smallest touch, one she had perfected, one that could dismantle his armor in seconds. He wondered if she knew how much it affected him. How he could feel that small touch in every atom of his being. She stared at her hand where it rested for a moment while he stared at her and tried to control his breathing.

"In that hospital room, when I said you could love someone else, instead of another war, I didn't mean you had to give up the war. I just meant you could love someone else, not just the war. I do wish you could leave it behind but I understand why you can't." She looked up at him, eyes like blue fire as she flexed her fingers on his chest, voice vehement, "I know who you are Frank Castle. I know what you are capable of. Hell, I've seen what you are capable of, first hand. I know you can kill a man with your bare hands. Take down entire cartels in a matter of a week. I also know that you nearly gave your own life to give David Lieberman his back. That you would have given everything to keep Amy safe, both people you barely knew. That you used your own body to shelter me from a spray of bullets, from a fucking bomb. I know that this mission you have means dangerous people will be after you. Most importantly, I know, I would rather face that danger with you than live safely without you. What you do with that is your call."

Frank could feel his heart beating harshly against his ribs. It almost felt as though it were trying to break out of his chest to rest in her capable hand, God knows she already had his heart metaphorically, she might as well have it literally. He watched in fascination as her other hand loosened his death grip on the railing to place it on her hips once more and his other hand followed suit without a second thought from him.

"I'm not asking you for forever right now Frank. I am just asking that, once we are back in the city and this whole mess is over, you give this a chance. I can't promise that shit won't go sideways but I want us to try. Okay?"

It was a bad idea. He knew it was but that voice that always urged him to deny her couldn't be heard over her soft breathing as she is watching him expectantly. With no shortage of hope and anxiety. Everything swirling around in his chest made it difficult to form words but finally, he said, "Okay."

The smile that tilted her lips would have knocked him off his feet if her hands hadn't come up to wrap around the back of his head, pulling him to her so she could ghost a quiet, "Okay" over his lips before she was kissing him fully, running her tongue over his and holding on to him like he may fade away in her grasp.

Finally Frank pulled back, giving her a light kiss on the cheek before turning her back towards the door and nudging her into the condo. "Let's get our stuff together, we've already stayed too long, we need to get moving." He tried to sound rough and in control but it came out soft and more of an entreaty than he had intended. Judging by the little smirk Karen threw over her shoulder she wasn't impressed but she dressed quickly and started to gather her things.

They ate a quick breakfast with what was left in the fridge and in less than an hour they had all of their things together and loaded up, surveying the condo to ensure they didn't leave anything behind. Frank glanced over and felt a pang of sadness when he saw the open longing in Karen's face. Maybe, if they get through this and actually get their shit together, maybe they could come back. Actually explore and relax and just...be. But they had things to take care of first so he turned, watching her carefully as she turned as well, giving him a small smile before she stepped out of the door.

Mountains rolled by as they hit the interstate headed East and they settled in for the long drive back. It was a quiet comfortable silence in the cab as both were lost in thought, whether it was about their earlier conversation or what was to come. It had been nearly two hours when Frank glanced over to see Karen sifting through her bag. She held up the burner phone they had purchased for her triumphantly and began to punch in a number.

Karen didn't even look over to respond, she knew Frank was dividing his attention between the road and her. "Watch the road soldier, I'm just calling Foggy. I want to check in and let him know that we are headed back. I won't give him any details yet, maybe once we are back in the city we can get everyone together to finalize a plan." She looked over to him, he wouldn't say it was to ask permission, more of a chance for him to protest and her to probably do it anyway.

When he glanced over again he gave a small nod. If it were up to him he would storm the place, give the lady no other option but to leave Karen alone and then find a way into Rikers to kill Fisk. Simple. But this was Karen's plan, her situation. As much as he wanted to take care of it for her and remove all the danger, he knew she would resent him for taking it out of her hands. That being said, if it looked at all like shit was going sideways he was taking over, she could be as resentful as much as she wanted, as long as she was alive when it was over.

Frank focused on his driving, occasionally checking the rear view to ensure there was no one following them. When he tuned back in it was to Karen laughing quietly into the phone. He had to force himself to keep his eyes on the road instead of putting his full attention on her. It was novel, witnessing Karen just...being. No bad guys, no immediate danger, no bombs or hospital rooms. Just Karen talking to her friend.

"Yeah Foggy, I'm fine, I promise. We are headed back now. What?" A startled laugh. "Sorry I forgot to get you a souvenir, will a gas station shot glass be okay? Sunglasses for Matt? What an original idea you have." She giggled a little bit more before he heard her sober up. "Yeah, we know who is behind it, I-" He looked over just in time to see her roll her eyes. "Tell Matt eavesdropping is rude, even if it is a superpower." He couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped, Karen turned to him with a smirk and a wink. "I'll fill you both in once we are back in the city and I've got all of the information. I want to be sure we aren't being followed and there is a safe place for us to meet, I don't want to put you in danger." Her voice gave a little tremor but before he even had a chance to reach for her, she gave another laugh, "You're right, Marci would probably scare off anyone threatening her Foggy Bear."

Frank's eyes went wide, storing that information for future ammo in case he needed it. Judging by the loud groan he heard over the line, Nelson had not wanted that said out loud. A couple more reassurances and pleasantries and Karen was hanging up the phone, tucking it back into her bag.

Clearing his throat, Frank gave her a mischievous look, "So...Foggy Bear, huh?"

Karen bit her lip, laughter in her voice, "He's never going to forgive me for saying that in front of you. Try not to torture him too much with it."

A loud ping came from Frank's front pocket before he could make any promises he couldn't keep. He pulled it from his pocket and handed it to Karen to read the message.

"It's from David." She said, quickly scanning the text. "He got the information all together and has sent it. Once we get somewhere with internet I'll download it and work on it more. He also says your safe house is clear, there hasn't been any activity there since before you left."

Frank scowled. He never gave David any indication of where his safe house was located. They were going to have to have a serious talk about boundaries, that may include Frank punching him at some point.

He glanced over quickly when he heard Karen snort, she was looking at him, "You never told him where it was did you? He just used creepy hacker skills to find it didn't he?"

With a resigned sigh, Frank just nodded.

"God, he is terrifying." she said, a mix of admiration and a healthy dose of wariness in her voice.

"He can be but he's also an annoying idiot so I guess it balances out." He gave her a sideways grin when she let out a surprised laugh, tucking the phone into the center console and settling herself back in the seat.

Despite the shit storm they were driving back into, Frank felt at ease. They bantered about music, both settling on an old rock station for the trip. He outlined why The Boss was one of the best musicians out there and she nodded along in a placating manner. Her preferences were all over the place, some he could agree with others that just had him shaking his head.

It took them nearly two days, Frank insisted they take their time so they could arrive back in the city when it was dark. Karen would take over driving when Frank got tired and he would crash on the cot in the back or just lay the passenger seat back. The easy conversation slowed as they entered the city and their situation came back into focus. Frank took them in convoluted loops through the city until he was confident they wouldn't be followed before he finally pulled into a small abandoned warehouse.

Despite David's reassurance, Frank did a quick sweep of the premises before letting Karen out of the van, insisting she stay in the back where he had her hiding for most of their trip through the city streets. When he gave the all clear and she stepped out, Karen turned slowly taking in her surroundings, from the mini-fridge next to the table that held his burner for cooking to his sparse cot and neatly stacked clothes. Of course there were also stacks of weapons lining the walls and a computer set up he had gotten from David. Frank cringed inwardly when she leveled her gaze back on him, he fully expected her to give him the third degree for living like this.

Before she could comment he spoke up, "I have an apartment. I stay here when I need to lay low or if I need to do some recon." Karen gave him a small knowing smile and he felt the tips of his ears turning red. Here he was, a grown man, feeling as though he needed to explain his living situation to a pretty girl like he was a teenager who didn't clean his room. Admittedly, it had been awhile since he had been to his apartment and it wasn't much more furnished than this but she didn't need to know that.

Turning back to the van, Frank busied himself with unloading the rest of their supplies before he could say anything else embarrassing. The first thing he brought out was Karen's laptop, he set it up with the password for the wifi and pulled up the most comfortable chair he had to the workstation for her. He was a bit distressed, these kinds of conditions were okay when it was just him but he hated the idea of Karen living with so little comforts, even if it was only temporary. It couldn't be helped though, so he tried to make it as comfortable as he could.

Karen sat down at the laptop giving him a grateful smile and began digging through the files that David sent over. He knew she would be at it for awhile so he went about checking his ammo and supplies, grimaced at the very empty mini-fridge, and then made up the cot with the procured hotel comforter.

It wasn't long before he had everything in order so he stepped over to where Karen was jotting down notes and furiously scrolling through files. He gripped the back of her chair, reading a bit over her shoulder, "Finding anything you can use?"

She made a somewhat noncommittal noise and continued to scroll for a few more seconds before she answered distractedly. "There is a ton of suspicious activity here, a lot of it corresponding with her communication with Fisk and that is just the phone calls I see on her calendar, there are probably more. If it were anyone else, I would say yes, we should be able to take them down with what we have here." Pausing for a second to bury her hands in her hair, Karen let out a disgusted huff. "But this is Fisk we are talking about. This is the second time we have sent him to prison and he still has just as much freedom as he did before. It's infuriating."

Frank moved his hands to her shoulders, rubbing them soothingly but when he spoke his voice was hard and unforgiving, "He needs to be put down."

Karen's shoulders tensed for a moment before she lowered her arms with a resigned sigh. "I really want to disagree with you Frank. I really want to say that the justice system will prevail and he will be held responsible but we both know that sometimes the justice system doesn't work, don't we?" She looked over her shoulder to give him a sad smile and Frank wished the world was good enough to deserve Karen Page.

There was really nothing he could say to that so he brushed his lips over her forehead in a light kiss before pulling back and heading to his own computer. "I'm going to go over the blueprints for the house, look at security details and schedules and put together a tactical plan. Do wanna meet with the lawyers tomorrow, run what we got by 'em?" He turned enough to see that she had already gone full steam back into her research, giving him a distracted 'Mhm' as she made a couple more notes.

Shaking his head with a smirk, she was an investigator through and through, Frank sat in his own chair and began booting everything up. While he waited he pulled out his phone and sent David another request.

The house, well mansion really, that Vanessa Fisk was residing in was a pretty basic floor plan and Frank had outlined an infiltration plan in a couple of hours, leaving room for adjustments if they got any additional information from Nelson or Murdock. All said and done he figured he could have Karen and himself in and out of the house within 30 minutes, more than enough time to say what needs to be said and get out. His email pinged, David getting him the earlier requested information just in time for Frank to shift his attention to his next objective.

A few more hours passed and vaguely acknowledged Karen moving behind him before he heard the bathroom door shut. There were many moving pieces with this objective and he didn't want to miss any details so he poured over it again and again.

"What is this?" He had been aware of Karen exiting the bathroom but it still startled him a bit to hear her just over his shoulder. She could be damn quiet when she wanted to be, noted.

"It's the blueprints for Rikers, personnel list and where the high profile inmates are kept." Frank felt Karen go completely still.

"No." she said. Her voice was sharp and when he turned to look at her, her eyes never left the screen.

"What do you mean 'no'?" His own tone was sharper than he meant.

"I mean, no, Frank. You're not breaking into Rikers to kill Fisk." She finally tore her eyes from the screen to glare at him. "Are you crazy? Do you want me to wrap you up in a pretty bow for them? Go ahead and put you in an orange jumpsuit to save them the trouble so all they have to do is throw you in your cell, lock you up and throw away the key?"

Frank felt his own anger rising, "You just agreed that he needed to be put down." He stood and took a few steps toward her when she turned, tugging at her hair and cursing quietly.

She whipped around so fast her hair came undone from the loose bun she had it in, hissing at him like a feral cat, "I said the justice system fails sometimes. How the hell did you get, 'Break into a maximum security prison to murder the biggest kingpin in New York' out of that?" She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest and stared him down.

Frank advanced, stopping just in front of her, his voice dark and echoing around the room. "He's a threat Karen. He's already had too many chances at you and I'm not gonna let him have another one. He signed his own death warrant when he signed that letter to you. Besides, I've got unfinished business with him." He started to turn but Karen gripped his arm, spinning him back around.

"You are NOT breaking into Rikers, Frank. Whether or not he deserves it, I'm not letting you put yourself in that situation for me! So fucking forget it!" She was shouting, her cheeks were red and her chest heaved with her anger, it would have been a beautiful sight if he wasn't so pissed off, his own breath coming in angry bursts.

Placing a hand by her head, Frank leaned in, his voice going deadly soft, "Fisk is a dead man, Karen. There's nothing that is going to change that." He saw a shiver run through her as she looked away but when she brought her eyes back to his, his lungs seized. The fire in her blue eyes burned hotter than anger and he had to place his other hand on the wall as well to steady himself when she slid her hands under his shirt to skim up his sides.

It was his turn to shiver when she ran her nails down his sides to hook in the waist of his jeans, her voice was quiet as well when she leaned in. "I'm not asking you to let him live, Frank. I'm asking you to not throw your life away to kill him.” Her breath tickled the sensitive skin behind his ear and Frank was dizzy with the sudden shift. He wanted to still be angry but the way she was running her fingers along his waistband he found that his anger was bleeding into arousal, the adrenaline fueling something else entirely. His body was reacting to her without much input from his brain.

She pulled back to look at him and the mischief in her eyes made him step closer until they were chest to chest. Karen’s back was pressed against the wall and Frank leaned his forearm above her head, his lips ghosting over her temple, “Are you trying to distract me from the discussion, ma’am?”

Karen turned just enough to nip his jaw, one of her hands ghosting down the front of his jeans, making him clench his teeth, her voice was low as she alternated between laying dragging kisses over his jaw and sucking at his pulse-point, “That depends, is it working?”

It definitely was. Between the residual anger and adrenaline from their fight and her wicked hands running patterns over his stomach, occasionally dipping into the waist of his jeans, he was rock hard. With the hand braced above Karen’s head, he buried his fingers in her hair and lightly jerked her head around to devour her mouth. Frank felt his cock twitch when she let out a breathy moan. It seemed Karen liked a little rough handling and that was knowledge that nearly had Frank weak in the knees with need. Once he had ravaged her mouth to the point they were both panting, he started to push away from the wall and guide them over to the cot but Karen dug in her heels and kept him in place by holding on to the front of his waistband, her long fingers tucked against his skin while her thumb circled over the button.

Frank was distracted by the sight for a moment, staring down to where her hand was so close but not nearly close enough, he wanted so badly to guide her hand further but didn’t want to push too hard. However, when he looked back up to Karen, she had a determined devilish smirk on her lips and he felt the silky strands of her hair still tangled in his fingers slip free as Karen slowly slid down the wall until she was looking up at him from her knees, her eyes wide and the darkest blue he had ever seen them.

The image made Frank blink rapidly to ensure he wasn’t dreaming because if he woke up from this it damn well may kill him. When Karen leaned forward until she was directly in front of the bulge in his jeans, he held his breath. She studied him for a moment before she brought one of her hands up to cup him firmly, drawing that damned bottom lip between her teeth and suddenly the breath he had been holding left him raggedly as he watched in fascination when she dragged her teeth gently over the head of his dick through the fabric of his pants.

“Holy shit .” His voice was broken and he was surprised he hadn’t been able to say anything considering he still hadn’t been able to refill his lungs.

Karen drew back just enough to allow her nimble fingers access to the button and zipper of his jeans, making short work of them before hooking her fingers into his pants and underwear alike and slowly tugging them down. She hummed appreciatively as he sprung free and Frank had to bite back a groan when she turned hungry eyes up to him. If there had ever been any question of the power Karen Page had over him it evaporated when she slid her hands up his thighs so she could dig strong fingers into his hips and run her tongue from base to tip of his cock, never breaking eye contact with him.

He let out a growl, burying the hand not braced against the wall into her hair, “God Dammit Karen, you’re so fuckin’ sexy.” She didn’t reply but he saw the shiver run through her body, instead she ran the flat of her tongue up him again this time wrapping her lips around the tip bobbing her head shallowly over him. Frank rested his forehead against his arm on the wall for a second, clenching that fist tightly, closing his eyes and just focusing on the sensation. Her lips felt so fucking good on him, he felt lightheaded.

His eyes snapped open and another curse escaped him when he felt one of Karen’s hands wrap around the base of his cock, her mouth sinking to where her hand was squeezing before he rocked back in time to see her full lips slowly dragging back up. Her pace was torturous but he fought to keep his hips still, letting Karen take her time. As torture goes, this was more than acceptable and Frank would endure it happily.

Having Karen Page, a woman so fierce and strong, on her knees in front of him was a humbling experience for Frank and he extricated his fingers from her hair only to reverently push them back through the silken strands, pulling it out of her face and gripping it loosely at the crown of her head. Her lips leave him with a soft pop and she looks up at him with hooded eyes when she strokes him firmly with expert hands. Frank lowered his hand from the wall to run a calloused thumb over her bottom lip, smearing a bit of saliva across the swollen skin. She catches his digit between those sinful lips and swirls her tongue over it before sucking lewdly, rolling her palm over the head of his cock at the same time. Frank has to remove his hand from her hair to lean against the wall once more when his knees threaten to give out.

Releasing his thumb, Karen gives him an innocent smile which, considering the proficient way she was building him towards release, was far from innocent. He gives her smirk of his own, burying his other hand in her hair this time and slowly, giving her a chance to protest, guides her back to his straining dick. She purrs, parting her lips slightly, just enough to drag them down one side of him and back up the other before she opens again and takes as much of him as she can. Frank growls at the sensation, he’s too big for her to take him completely in her mouth, but she doesn’t flinch when he feels himself bump against the back of her throat. Goddamn . As if he didn’t already worship this woman enough. She moved fluidly back and forth over him, her hands alternately gripping and pumping him to groping at his hips and thighs.

The telltale coiling of pressure at the base of his spine had Frank tightening his fingers in Karen’s hair urging her to move faster. She didn’t need much encouragement, bobbing her head quickly, her hands moving in tandem with her talented mouth. He was on fire, he felt sweat dripping down his spine and every muscle in his body was straining to reach his release.

Frank never tore his eyes from her face as he ground out a warning, “I’m coming, fuck , Karen-” She hummed against him and snapped her eyes open to watch him, never slowing her pace. It only took a couple more pumps from her and Frank was letting out a low gravely shout, leaning heavily into the wall as his orgasm tore through him. A deep moan escaped him as Karen continued to work him over, drawing every last bit of his release from him. When he had the strength to open his eyes again he watched as Karen sat back from him, holding his gaze as she swallowed, giving him a knowing smirk when he growled lowly at the sight.

He tugged gently at the hair he still had fisted in his hand and helped her back to her feet. Before she could say anything, Frank had her pressed against the wall once more, kissing her with all the gratitude and adoration he was feeling. When he pulled back he shook his head, smirking at her smug expression. His voice was rough, still recovering, as he attempted to reprimand her, “You don’t fight fair, Ms. Page.”

She smiled coyly at him, “Yeah, well, all’s fair in love and war and all that.”

Frank gave a huffing laugh, pressing his lips over hers in a quick kiss. “The discussion isn’t over, just to be clear.”

Karen’s smile grew before it turned into a yawn. Taking her hand, Frank pushed away from the wall and moved them toward the cot.

“What are you doing? I still have stuff I want to go over.” She asked even as she stifled another yawn.

“It’s been a long couple o’ days, we need to get some sleep. We can sort out the rest tomorrow.” Truth be told, if it were just him, he would stay up all night until he had everything planned to his liking but he didn’t just have his own health and safety to look after at the moment so Frank climbed into the cot first before pulling her down and tucking her between him and the wall and tugging the blanket over both of them. Despite her protests, Karen tucked into his side, burying her face in his neck with an arm thrown over his chest and was breathing deeply in a matter of moments. He wasn’t far behind, turning just enough to be able to drape an arm over her waist, Frank breathed her in, honeysuckle and vanilla, and drifted off as well.

#kastle #frank and karen #frank castle #karen page #fanfic #sexy times

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