#and since hes loathe to talk more than he has to. beating around the bush by slipping into a language no one around his gets | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

the-s1lly-corner · 4 months

Note

I wanna try something different this time around.

I’ve started to grow an interest to Eyeless Jack, I mean I haven’t read the story but the character has intrigued me.

What’s some fluffy headcanons you can think of for him with a partner in general?

General hcs for Eyeless Jack x Reader !

ehehehehe welcome to the ej fan club!! evil laughs >:) gotta admit my take on ej is only loosely based around the original story (guy waking up to find one of his kidneys missing is the TLDR version) but a lot of my hcs are based around a fic (?) reimagine (?) of ej that i remember seeing floating around yeeeeears ago back in middle school and im unsure how many people follow the "jack used to be a human but got dragged into a cult/human sacrifice unwillingly" idea since i admittedly dont interact much with the fandom outside of writing these lil hcs and making fanart TToTT

after everything that happened to him jack ran off to the woods to be away from prying human eyes, and as far as he knew he was viewed as (albeit unwilling and you could argue it was in self defense) murderer.... kind of puts a stop into your plans of finishing school and going into your dream career.. oh and also the teeny tiny detail that you now rely on human flesh as sustenance with no hope for being able to physically accept alternatives and as more time goes on you start to resemble something.. not human... theres that, too

if you want to see him during the day you're likely going to have to visit him in the woods, but fear not hes not homeless, hes found refuge in an old cabin; slowly hes been patching it up

dont expect him to make you do any work on the cabin, he views it solely as his responsibility and he'll likely deny any actual work helping rebuild it... though i dont think he would be against any tools and decoration (ex. stuff for a generator so he can have power, means to wash his clothes, basic supplies that arent food ectect)

i think overtime he would even get a little mini fridge for you so you can store snacks and drinks at his place, since he doesnt. have food

sometimes visits you at your place, but he only does this during the night so he doesnt get caught wandering the streets by other people... usually enters through the backdoor, to avoid anyone seeming coming from the front

very quiet and reserved, not very high energy... so most nights hanging out with him are calm... usually him asking you how you've been doing... you /could/ ask him the same, but he can only talk about patrolling his area in the woods for hikers straying too close so many times, and he doesnt want to bore you

thats actually another thing, he has traps set up around; mix of a means for hunting without having to go out and pick someone, and to make sure no one gets too close to the cabin

so i think, in the beginning he would ban you from coming to him without him guiding you, at least not until youve had ample time to get used to the traps and how to look for them and remember the general locations of them

teaches you how to forage, him being alone for so long has forced him to pick up new hobbies to keep him from going insane, so you now know how to do that sort of thing as well as identifying plants and fungi... fun!

on the very rare occasion you can convince jack to walk around town with you at night when everyone else is asleep.... its nice, i think.. kind of gives him a chance to just sink back into what his old life used to be and feel like hes normal again; though he tends to be quieter than usual on these walks

i dont think hes particularly possessive, dont get me wrong he cares about you and he does have the passing thought of you just up and leaving him one day (and he doesnt blame you, he holds a lot of self loathing for himself nowadays) but hes not going to be breathing down your neck and watching your every movement... he has enough trust in you not to get hurt or stuck in any situation

blunt, he doesnt beat around the bush and sometimes he doesnt sugarcoat things when the blow needs to be softened... mix of jack just being a little insensitive to others but also because hes gotten so used to thinking so logically and straight forward and numbing his own emotions over... who knows how long, probably even before he got all messed up..

can be a little sarcastic at times, so he might come off as an asshole every now and then, especially when you mix in the bluntness

i dont think he would actively try to be mean to others though, he'd try to understand and fix something if his habits upset you because he doesnt want to lose you

very cold, physically, so be sure to bring blankets and stuff when you want to cuddle into him

very careful with you, he has claws and teeth... and sometimes shedding blood around him can be really dangerous (he feeds on human material, he tends to push off eating for as long as he can since the fact hes eating people meat messes with him.. argument between survival of himself and survival of others; but due to his curse he can go into 'frenzies' and momentarily lose himself to his hunger. think how in finding nemo the sharks went nuts when dory cut her fin on accident, its like that but he doesnt go nuts all the time) so hes very very gentle even when he has a strong hold on himself

speaking of his forced diet, he doesnt eat often.. only really needing to do so every now and then, but i like to think he would still sit at the table with you to keep you company while you ate dinner

though he wouldnt want you to do the same when he DOES eat, might prefer you not come at all on those days actually

him and reader remind me of the "its rotten work"/"not to me, not if its you" audio

#creepypasta x reader #creepypasta x you #creepypasta imagine #eyeless jack x reader #eyeless jack x you #eyeless jack headcanon #eyeless jack imagine

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ribesrubrum · 1 month

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under the mask of pride (fear rises as a guide)

//so i feel...honestly, a little guilty for how little i've been around as of late, especially since things are picking up drama-wise. irl debuffs aplenty will do that to you. but i wanted to get some writing out to kind of describe Carmine's mental state, so. here we are.

//fair warning: this fic is technically kind of offscreen rp in that it's at least canon that ren and carmine talked like this, though i'd greatly prefer it not be spread as a rumor or leak or something. but it also does talk about some heavy topics; namely very heavy self loathing, some mention of parental abandonment and abuse (heehoo headcanoning carmine's parents/why she's like this), mentions of bullying, self harm in the form of hair pulling/trichotillomania, and uh. ...look i'm not gonna beat around the bush, i don't wanna edgelord, i wanna treat this with respect but i also don't wanna sugarcoat it, this gets about as close to implying carmine was about to take drastic measures to alleviate her suffering as i'm comfortable with getting. the less implicit version of this warning will be in the tags. please uncollapse the tags before reading. dead dove: do not eat is in full effect here.

//this is going to be pretty heavy, and also stupid long. feel free to click if you're okay with handling that.

Carmine's listlessness has only grown as the days have worn on, she's finding. It doesn't help that her knuckles are still raw from punching her wall a day prior--she's thankful it seems like the wall fix went off without a hitch, and all she got was a rather stern talking to about making noise so late at night before the teacher that spoke with her went off. Cardigan's been sticking close to her side since Leavanny elected to stay near Kieran at least for a time, but even now, she feels pathetic for it.

Pathetic that she can't help her brother. Pathetic that she can't help her girlfriend, who simply wants to make sure that the whole club that they built together and maintained isn't destroyed because of Drayton's boneheaded move. If Carmine looked deep within herself, she'd be looking at Kiki's actions too, that he allowed this, that he's possibly setting himself up to lose everything. That Drayton's encouraging it, and she's been more on edge than ever and ready to tear someone apart for it. If she doesn't wind up punching him out when all is said and done, she's going to be very surprised.

Cardigan trills a bit from beside her, and she looks down to the flower-less Lilligant, pausing a bit as she looks down. She recognizes that trill, and knows that she's probably being concerning right now. Emotional regulation is still something that Carmine struggles with, even now, knowing that she can't and she shouldn't scream her feelings out to try and get people to understand, that yelling doesn't help, that you have to see other's perspectives. Even if sometimes, they trounce all over your own. Carmine looks down to Cardigan, giving the Lilligant a tired smile.

"...Sorry, Cardi. I know I'm probably not making your job very easy." It's soft in a way Carmine never usually is. In a way that Carmine never allows herself to be--she's all bravado and arrogance because for years, that's what kept her safe. That's what kept her and her brother safe, even if it clipped his wings and made everyone around her hesitant to approach either of them. It was safety, the thorns and briars that she metaphorically planted around herself, letting them spread where she walked and lashing them out at anyone who would even for a second think of hurting her. It was safety, it was lonely, but it was home.

...It's no wonder she likes grass types so much. The Lilligant's gaze only seems to get sadder when she says that much, gentle, leafy hands going to take one of her own as Cardigan stares up at her, as if trying to communicate something with those amber eyes that almost seem pleading. Carmine's hand trembles a bit, because once again she doesn't understand, she can't understand, why can't she--

Carmine hears footsteps, and immediately, her guard is up. She's immediately ready to go on the attack, in case anyone saw her, in case she has to defend being out for a walk in the Canyon Biome with her therapy Pokemon, something she's already received plenty of jabs about--but no. There's a familiar mop of blue hair, and that silly, dorky looking Orthworm is following them and waving with them, as Terry and Mio seem to take over where they left off. Ren's an idiot, in the bluntest of terms, but there's a sense of safety that comes with them. That they can see her, at her worst and most cruel, and laugh and let it slide off their back so easily. Because they were her age once. Her gender once, even, though that's largely irrelevant. They always seem so certain and keep their spirits so high, even if she's the only one they've trusted with some of their worries. And Carmine in turn, has trusted Ren with some of hers.

...They're about as disconnected from this entire situation as they can be, even though they met during that trip. It's as Carmine is contemplating going up to them and being a bother and just turning heel and walking away that the choice is made for her, as they turn around, start walking and see her--

"Oh! Miss Carmine, hey!"

She could walk away. She could just tell them to piss off and lash out, and destroy one of the few unconnected relationships she has with this entire mess, one of the few things that's genuinely hers. She could recede inside herself, lock herself away like she did after she reached her breaking point, when she nearly...

"Hey, Ren. Finally getting your nose out of those cameras?"

The barb is light, half-hearted at best, and could probably make someone deeply passionate a little upset at being teased. And yet Ren takes it in stride, laughing easily as they walk up, Lulu going to Cardigan and just kind of talking with the Lilligant for a moment. "You know it, girlie! Arc, all of these worms are doin' so well, they ain't overwhelmin' the environment nor gettin' overwhelmed themselves--everything's so perfect right now, it's really amazing! Ohh, I gotta tell you about some of the babies, they're just--"

For a brief moment, Carmine thinks she can just get away with Ren going on a hyperfixation ramble and forgetting her own worries in favor of focusing on the things her rival has accomplished. Because it is quite the accomplishment, even if Carmine's definitely harped on them for trying to downplay it before. But their gaze goes to Cardigan and Lulu, falling quickly and their words fading off as Carmine looks, and now everyone looks concerned.

Carmine's posture tightens as she realizes she can't get away with this so easily. She feels their gaze dart back to her, and she's already sure her expression is stormy, and...

"...I think that's enough about me." Fuck. Their voice has softened considerably, and she knows she's done for. "Miss Carmine, are you--"

"I'm fine, Ren." It comes out too sharp, too defensive, and there's a brief moment where she's hoping Ren will just walk away at that. She's shaking, she knows she is, and her gaze averts a bit only to feel not just Cardigan, but Lulu--that stupid, brainless worm--take her hands, wrapping them both in leaves and tendrils, and it feels disgusting and bitter and she wants to run and hide, she wants to tear her hands away--

"...Miss Carmine." Ren's voice sounds so soft, so...sad for a moment, and there's a pause as more footsteps can be heard--Carmine doesn't even bother to flinch, but she feels a tug on both of her hands as she opens her eyes, seeing Ren nod at both Pokemon before looking to her with a smile that's both soft and sad.

"Come on, Miss Carmine. Let's go somewhere else to talk, okay?"

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

The trip back to her room is arduous, even though it barely takes more than fifteen minutes. Every agonizing second feels like a walk of shame, but she realizes something along the way. It's only so long because Ren knows their way around here like the back of their hand now; they know where people aren't, because they aren't some social butterfly who likes to help in every club. They take her through an easy but arduous path that leaves her alone in her head, and it takes a couple of second after Ren's stopped for her to stop too.

"...You must have a lot on yer mind to be makin' mistakes like this, Miss Carmine." Ren's voice is soft, non-judgemental, and they don't even flinch when she turns back to face them with something of a severe expression. It's the kind of care and kindness she doesn't deserve, she's sure, but as she unlocks the door to her room and ushers Ren and their Pokemon inside, it's something she finds herself internally thankful for.

Carmine's room is a mess, perhaps moreso than usual. Stress eating will do that, bags of chips and other sweet and savory alike strewn about. Cardigan doesn't even seem surprised, but Lulu, bless his stupid little soul, seems taken aback by it as he draws himself inside. She hears Ren's footsteps as they close the door behind them, a small sound escaping them as they walk in front of Carmine.

"You want some help cleanin' off that bed of yours?" Carmine looks over at her messy, disheveled bed, and it's many snacks and wrappers as well. It's an absolute Tepigsty, more than she'd ever allow anyone to see. She feels herself listlessly nod her head as she looks over to Ren, who's concern hasn't dampened even an inch as they move to help in an instant. She's thankful she's got a vacuum and that it's early enough in the afternoon that nobody's likely around the dorms; Cardigan and Lulu both assist as well as they help clear it off, at least enough to let Carmine sit down on it once they're all done.

Cardigan hops on the bed with Carmine as she sits down, and Lulu rests his head near Ren's feet as he gets himself comfortable on the floor, and Ren looks to her, finally broaching the topic, "Ya look like you got a lot on yer mind, Miss Carmine. You sure everything's okay?"

It takes Carmine a lot longer than she'd like to respond. Cardigan gently takes hold of one of Carmine's hands, gently petting it with her own leafy appendage. The eventual response she settles on is a bitter laugh.

"...I don't know." It comes out so soft and uncertain, it feels like she's a different person entirely when she says it. "I thought everything was fine. I thought...I don't know, I thought that everything would be okay. I really let myself believe that now that I made up with my brother, that everything would go back to some sort of normal, but..."

Carmine's voice pitches higher and higher with every word, and she finds herself shaking a bit. She can't even look at her rival right now, how pathetic can she even get?

"Oh, Carmine..." There's not even that weirdly respectful 'Miss' at the beginning of her name, and a part of her hates that, that she's being seen as sympathetic for even a moment when she doesn't deserve it, she doesn't deserve this, if she'd just trusted Kiki-- "Nothin' is ever that easy, but I remember how relieved ya were when Kiki actually bothered to respond."

"Yeah." Carmine confirms that much, listlessly, but a ghost of a smile traces her face. "...It really filled me with hope, for a second. That maybe things could go back to some sort of normal, that I could really see Kiki for all he is. It wanted to be seen and come into it's own, and I...I didn't know how to do that, but..."

"...But you wanted to try." Ren's words softly intervene. Carmine nods shortly after.

"I wanted to try. I still do. But it's...that big fight happened, and now everything's just...it feels like we're right back where we started."

Carmine's voice breaks a little bit, and try as she might to rein it in, it's harder to get back on track. At this point, she feels, she might as well just give up.

"...I don't know what to do."

Carmine's gaze stays down, because she can't look at Ren, she can't, she just can't. But Ren's words; soft, steady words, a contrast to the cold steel they loved so dearly, pour out none the less.

"...It's a tough position to be in, Carmine. Ya got your brother and it's undyin' need to win on one side, and ya got Miss Amarys tryin' her damnedest to hold everyone together on the other, yeah?"

"Yeah. And it's like--I don't want to destroy the relationship I have with my brother. I want to rebuild it, to let it come into it's own. But I...my beloved is right, even if I worry about saying it. She tries so hard to uphold the rules of the club, of this school, and these--these jerks keep sending her horrible, disgusting things for it. And for what?"

A quiet settles over the room, and she's sure Ren expects her to elaborate, but she doesn't. Not even she knows what, and she's sure Ren gets it by the time they speak up next.

"...I ain't gonna go makin' any assumptions, but...I don't even think I know the answer to that, Carmine."

It's soft, when Ren admits it. Sad, even. She can only imagine what their face is doing right now, and it gets Carmine to laugh a bit. Bitterly, wretchedly.

"Neither do--neither do I, Ren. And do you know how much that kills me?"

Carmine's voice pitch rises, and she feels her free hand drawing into her hair, Cardigan's trills of concern becoming more apparent as she tries to hop over and dislodge it--

"I love Kiki! I love Amarys! I love them both more than life itself and I--if I say anything at all, I'm going to hurt one of them. Both of them, even, maybe, whether I intend it or not! And the little Mandibuzzes on here, flying around and trying to hurt everyone in this school, they'll be on it in an instant, they'll--they'll hurt them both, they'll turn them both against each other, and I--if I do anything, they already know it's my fault from the start, that all of this is, that I was stupid and boneheaded and lied to my brother because I was scared it could've gotten hurt--"

"Miss Carmine."

"--and I told Juliana to lie, yes, I got so worried that Kiki would just get so excited and that Ogerpon could've hurt or done something worse to it, but then my grandfather told me to keep my mouth shut about helping Ogerpon and I--I didn't--"

"Miss Carmine."

"--And then it--it stole her mask, and I've never been more angry in my life at it, and it just--it keeps stomping on others feelings, and it won't believe anyone, and I don't know what I can actually do--"

"Miss Carmine, please--!"

"WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

Carmine's shriek practically causes her to lunge at her friend, the firm tone in that moment making her see someone else. Wide yellow eyes fiercely stare at bright blue ones, as Ren startles a bit at the ferocity in her tone. The quiet over the room is tense and uneasy, and Ren already sees a few strands got torn out because of it. They take a gentle breath in as realization hits Carmine, but she's still for a moment. Still as Cardigan trills with concern, as Lulu looks up with even more concern on his dopey little face, though he looks ready to hold Carmine back more than anything.

Ren's surprisingly quick on the uptake, at least, and they speak up again before Carmine can.

"Isn't that somethin' you should be askin' of yourself?"

Ren's words are confusing, and the confusion must be apparent on her face as they reach her ears. Ren gently breathes, and continues, "I mean it. You've been talkin' this entire time about Kiki this, Amarys that, and I ain't gonna disparage you for that. Sure puts any rumors of ya bein' self centered to bed, not that I believed 'em anyway. But..."

"What is it that ya want, at the end of it all? Isn't that a question that's come up even once for ya...?"

Carmine can't even believe what she's hearing.

"Why does that matter? I've taken what I wanted for years, I--"

"Okay, you hold on a second here." Ren's words are still soft, but there's a firmness to them now that cuts through her words like butter. "When did that stop bein' a question you asked yerself?"

"It doesn't matter--"

"It absolutely does matter? Girl, yer gettin' tugged in two different directions and ya sound like yer long past the end of yer rope."

"Why does it matter when I've been nothing but a selfish bitch this entire time?!"

And that startles Ren enough to actually get them to stop for a second, completely taken aback. Carmine's gaze goes downward, and she's shaking, horribly.

"Those anons were right, okay?! I ruined Kiki's one good friendship because I'm a bonehead, I'm a failure of a girlfriend who can't even help the girl I love so much with her anger and problems other than just being there like a useless cardboard cutout, I deserve this, all of it, even all of the hateful words and it would've just been so much easier if I had--"

Something stops Carmine in her tracks from speaking. Multiple of them, really. Cardigan's hands, for starters, wrapped firmly around one of her own hands; two of Lulu's tendrils wrap around the other, and even Carmine has to admit that she's surprised by how little an Orthworm's head seems to weigh as he rests his head on one of her legs with concern.

The final thing, that she didn't even hear, is Ren getting up and putting a firm, supportive hand on her shoulder, tiny as said hand is. When she actually gets a look at their face, they look like they're about to cry, and for a brief moment she wonders if she's just gone and ruined another friendship.

"Don't--don't you dare talk about yerself like that again, you hear me?"

Oh. That's not what she expected at all; Ren's voice practically trembles as they say that, and it hits something in her. Carmine's eyes well up with tears of her own, and she can practically hear herself sniffling.

"...I'm sorry, Ren." Her voice is so soft, so delicate, so fragile in the moment that she wonders if it's her own. "I'm...I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm..."

"I know you are." Ren's voice softens from that point on, and their grip becomes a little easier. A little more slack, but still there. "When did ya stop seein' yerself as someone not worth considerin' the feelin's of, girl...?"

"...I don't know. It was...before that. Maybe when Amarys and Kiki fought that one time. I--I don't know." Carmine's voice is shaky as she struggles to keep herself together, and she feels Cardigan shift and pull her arm into a hug, and the tears start pouring down at that. She can't stop them, even if she's not a sobbing wreck with no dignity. Yet, at least. "...I don't want to lose anything else."

That gets a pause from Ren, who does their best to calm themself down. "Anything else...?"

"...My parents are divorced. My dad was...he was awful. Just a screaming, bumbling oaf who went from job to job while my mom stayed home and took care of us. Though she was...she was way more focused on Kiki..."

Ren listens carefully, nodding their head as Carmine continues.

"I haven't seen either of them in...years. We usually live with our grandparents, when we're not here. Last time I saw my mom, we got into an argument. I asked her why she stopped caring for me. Why she just...tried to leave me with him--"

"...She what?"

Carmine spares a quick glance at Ren's face, when they say that--practically seething with an anger they don't usually express. "...Yeah. She--she said she could only handle one of us, and that I was Dad's favorite, so..."

"Girl." Ren's doing their best to keep their tone level, but the anger doesn't leave. Hell, if anything, it mixes with the sheer unholy audacity of what they heard, leaving them flabberghasted-- "What the fuck is wrong with your mom?"

Carmine laughs, and while it sounds bitter, there's almost some mirth to it. "Yeah. Like I said. We got into an argument last time I talked to her. I told her I wanted an apology for her trying to abandon me, before Dad went and ran away. I...haven't spoken to her since."

"Carmine...what the fuck, that's so..."

A silence hangs over the room as Ren trails off, but Carmine breaks the silence after a few moments.

"...Between this, and the rest of the shit I dealt with at school...I...I didn't want Kiki to turn out like me." Carmine sniffles, tears still coming unbidden. "I thought you had to be tough and mean to make it, but I just...I wanted Kiki to grow up happy. I wanted it to have a better life than me. I was this bitter, mean girl, but I thought I could at least make it so my little brother--it'd have a chance at growing up to be a gentle hearted little dork who had something happy in it's life. But all I did...it all just amounted to...to..."

There's a few seconds more of sniffling before the dam finally breaks, and Carmine just starts to sob without an end. She's pretty sure her makeup is running down her face, if it hasn't been already; she finally just breaks, her tears pouring and pouring down as she sobs wretchedly and loudly, her hands finally being relinquished so she can try, in vain, to wipe those tears off. But still they come; the pain of so much more than a simple inciting incident, but still mostly that.

Ren uses their own free hand to wipe away the tears falling from their own eyes, as they just let her for a bit.

"...I want to stop hurting." Carmine speaks up, and Ren starts for a moment as they listen. "I want to stop feeling like the evil person that everyone thinks I am. But what if I'm just born evil, and there's no changing that...?"

"That's--" Ren speaks up, briefly, but Carmine speaks again and they let her get it out of her system.

"I want to make things better. I want to just know if it's all my fault, I want to know if I'm just--if I'm justified, in being unable to forgive Kiki for some of the stuff it did." Carmine sniffles again, wretched sobs still escaping her. "...I want to be able to be happy again, without feeling like I'm walking on eggshells. I want to make my girlfriend's pain go away--I want to make Kiki's pain go away, and fuck, maybe even Atlas' and some of the others. I want the world to just stop for a bit, at least so I can stop aching like this. I...I think I just want, more than anything, for someone to tell me I've suffered enough for this, or at the very least, that I just haven't grown up to become a little clone of Dad."

"...Is that so much to ask?"

The question is soft, full of despair, but it at least feels...somewhat good, to try and dislodge some of the thorns in her. It's painful and it feels dizzying, but Ren's hand remains steady, even if their own tears come down hard.

"...You're a teenager. A teenager shouldn't--you shouldn't ever have to ask that kind of shit of yourself." Ren's words are soft, with an empathy forged in the same shit they went through. Just without a depressive spiral and a shut-in phase. "You deserve to be happy, Carmine. You made a dumb, boneheaded mistake, but that doesn't mean you're evil. And it sure as fuck don't mean that you've gone and become your Dad."

Carmine pauses a bit, her sobs coming slower as she tries to listen.

"None of that shit yer askin' about, none of it's too much. But how's anyone else gonna be happy--how can ya share happiness with others if ya ain't gettin' happiness for yerself, y'know?"

"Because ya do deserve it. Whether ya want to admit it or not. Yer not evil, yer not your dad, you're literally a confused sixteen year old girl who should've never been made to feel like that."

It's shocking to hear, really. All of it is. Ren says it with so much conviction that Carmine almost believes it.

"...I don't want to talk anymore. I...I think I just want to...cry..."

"...Cry as much as you need, girl. I'll be here as long as you need."

"Don't--don't tell anyone about this, Ren. Please. Everyone has enough to worry about, and I...I don't want to put more on them. Please, I already feel bad enough burdening you..."

Ren manages something of a soft, warm chuckle at that. "...No worries, girl. What we talked about is stayin' in here, I swear on my life."

"...Thank you, Ren."

Carmine cries herself out eventually; by the time she's done, the two of them have shifted from the bed to the floor, bringing Carmine's mattress down to floor level so they could distract themselves until Carmine fell asleep. It's no easy fix, listening to a friend, but...if it makes the burden lighter, then Ren has no problem with it.

They were in a similar place many years ago with no one to help them, after all. It's the least they can do.

#carmine talks #pokemon irl #pkmn irl #pokeblogging #rotomblr #long post #pokeirl fanfic #drama stakes pokereality #cw suicidal ideation #cw self harm #cw abusive parents #cw emotional abuse #cw bullying #cw mention of attempted child abandonment #cw child abandonment #ask to tag #//that SHOULD encompass everything #//but if i have missed anything at all. please let me know and i will tag #//this is a long and very difficult ride i worked very hard on

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moonstruckbucky · 4 years

Text

Say Love [one shot]

Summary: You and Bucky are at a stand-still in your relationship, all because neither of you can say three little words.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Warnings: Idiots in love, a smidge of angst, the rest is fluff.

Notes: So this is a fun fic, but it’s also a very real fic. I know I’ve had that should-I-shouldn’t-I when it comes to saying the L word in a relationship, so this is for anyone that’s had that struggle. Enjoy & let me know what you think! x

P.S. - it’s also a birthday present to @captain-kelli aka MY WIFE 💕

It’s palpable, the tension. A smothering, suffocating heavy cloud stretching between the two of you, and you almost wonder how you got here, to this hurdle in your relationship.

It builds like an avalanche - a tiny, harmless snowball that’s picked up speed as it rolls, rolls, rolls, until it’s so big you can’t be in the same room as him without feeling like you’re walking on eggshells.

Even now, on a night meant for the two of you, you feel distanced from him - despite sitting beside each other on the couch. You’re pressed up against his side, It’s a Wonderful Life playing on the screen - a favorite of Bucky’s. It’s supposed to be a bonding time for you, but you’ve never felt so far away from him.

His arm is around you, but it’s stiff, and where his fingers would normally dance across your skin, raise goosebumps in their wake, now they’re still, limp. Careless.

And despite the movie being a favorite, he looks utterly bored when you peek up at him from under your lashes. Eyes vacant, fingers of his vibranium hand holding up his head, teeth chewing on his bottom lip.

You wonder if he feels it too, this mountain that’s suddenly erected between you.

You’ve been dating eight months - is he bored with you already? Disinterested? “Just not feeling it anymore”? Is he too afraid of hurting you, and it’s why he hasn’t said anything yet? Is he waiting for you to get fed up and leave?

Because you won’t, you can’t. Despite this emotional gap between you, you feel a connection to him you haven’t felt before. He’s level-headed where you can be chaotic - being an Avenger is probably to thank for that - and he’s soft spoken despite his large, often gruff exterior.

He’s a perfect counterbalance to who you are - how could you not fall in love with him almost as soon as you met him?

Part of you believes that if Bucky didn’t want to be with you, he wouldn’t. He’s sure of himself, thanks to the hard work he’s done for himself since being officially recruited as an Avenger. He’d told you a little of how difficult it had been - in the 30s and 40s, people didn’t openly talk about their struggles, least of all with a psychologist; they just lived with them.

It only made you fall for him even harder, for the sheer strength he has and the determination to come to grips with what’s happened to him.

But it seems those feelings are one-sided, and the revelation sits like lead in your stomach. With pressure building behind your eyes, you fake a yawn.

“I think I should go,” you mutter, thankful that your voice doesn’t crack. Bucky turns his eyes to you, wide and - is that disappointment?

“Oh, yeah, okay. I’ll call you a cab?”

You stand up with a shake of your head. “Not necessary, I’ll get an Uber on my way down.”

He walks you to the elevator, hands in his pockets and feeling awkward. The kiss you share is quick, chaste, and stiff, much like the rest of your evening tonight. When you turn your back to him to enter the elevator, your chin wobbles.

Bucky stands in the hallway for a while after you’ve gone, his thoughts running away from him. He can’t be the only one between you who felt that distance, could he?

Have you changed your mind about him? Realized the former Winter Soldier isn’t who you want to give your heart to? Perhaps all the atrocities he’s committed are truly too much for you to handle.

He couldn’t blame you if they were and yet... You own his entire being, body and soul. If you were to leave him, a large part of him would go with you, a piece he isn’t sure he’d be able to get back.

He knows you noticed his demeanor tonight, the way he hid behind himself in an effort of self-preservation. He nearly made himself bleed from biting his tongue so hard to keep three words he didn’t think he’d ever say from slipping out. He didn’t want to scare you, to make you run off,

but it seems he managed to do that anyways.

Bucky leans forward, bonks his head on the elevator once, twice, three times before a door opening behind him makes him pause.

“Are you done brooding yet?”

Bucky’s shoulders drop, in no mood for Sam’s ribbing. The man teases out of love and respect - it’s just how their relationship is - but tonight, he can’t bring himself to return the dig. He turns away from the elevator, shoulders up to his ears and hands still in his pockets.

Sam’s face changes when he takes in Bucky’s posture, and he sighs, leaning up against the frame of his door.

“What’s up, Tin Man?” he prods gently.

Bucky’s eyes find a place just over Sam’s shoulder, torn between opening up to Sam about the turn his relationship has taken and remaining silent, attempt to sort through it himself.

A helpless look at Sam, and the dark-skinned man opens the door wider, turning to the side to allow Bucky entrance.

“Talk to me, man. You look like someone kicked your dog.”

Sam offers Bucky a seat on his couch, an expensive, black leather that feels as cushy as a cloud. The man leans back, crosses his arms over his chest. The black metal of his arm catches the low lighting in Sam’s room, turns the gold bronze.

“I think she’s going to break up with me,” he starts, and before he knows it he’s spilling all of his insecurities to Sam. The other man listens patiently, cocking his head curiously at some parts and pursing his lips for others.

Bucky half-expects the man to jab at him - joke about how she finally realized what a mess he is - but to his surprise (and relief; he has enough self-hatred for both of them), Sam nods sagely and looks almost empathetic. It would throw Bucky for a loop, if he and Sam haven’t come to some middle ground.

Steve would be so proud of them.

“Then she’s not worth it, Buck,” comes Sam’s response almost immediately after Bucky’s finished. The brunet’s eyes go wide. “If she can’t handle you as you are, if that’s too much for her, then it isn’t worth it. I like her, man, but I like you a lot better, and you deserve somebody who’s going to take your baggage, embrace it, accept it, and help make you better for it. And you shouldn’t have to settle for anything less.”

Bucky wants to argue, say that you are absolutely worth it, but the words get stuck in his throat. He knows Sam is right, acknowledges that yes, he has more baggage than most, but also that he does deserve someone who’ll accept him regardless of it.

But haven’t you? Eight months in and Bucky had been sure you’d accepted him for who he had been, not just who he is now. But perhaps you’d changed your mind. Perhaps you’d thought long and hard over it and realized a broken soldier wasn’t who you wanted at all.

He couldn’t blame you, but it still hurts to think about.

“I think you need to talk to her,” Sam continues, watching the emotions play out over Bucky’s face - shock, sadness, realization, and finally, utter heartbreak. Sam feels no pleasure whatsoever in telling Bucky this, but he’s never one to beat around the bush. His years as a VA counselor wouldn’t let him.

“Talk to her, and find out where her head’s at. It’s the only way you’re going to know.”

You don’t talk to Bucky for two weeks. After leaving the Avengers compound, you thought it best to distance yourself, prepare your heart for the eventuality that Bucky would break it off. But it’s even worse that he doesn’t contact you at all, and you begin to resent it.

Bitterness ekes into everything you say and do, your very being so clouded by resentment you’re not even sure who you are anymore. You don’t recognize yourself or the cynicism your attitude seems to have adopted.

You hate it.

In a whirlwind of anger, resentment, and self-loathing, you drive to the compound. Flash the card Bucky had given you for access whenever he didn’t come pick you up himself. The gate rolls open, and your heart pounds with the notion that this might be the last time you'll ever see it.

You take the elevator up to Bucky’s floor, hands twisting together as you sort through every thought you’ve had in the past two weeks. Doing so reignites your anger, puts a scowl on your face that could curdle milk.

Bucky’s surprised to see you - even more so to see that look on your face - when he opens his door after you’ve slammed your fist against it.

“What the fuck is going on, Bucky?” you demand, and he winces, steps aside and waves you in so that the two of you don’t draw attention.

His shoulders hunch, hands sliding into his pockets - a clear sign that he’s feeling out of his element and is trying to make himself very, very small. In the space of his bedroom, your anger cools a little, fond memories of time spent in the space taking you over.

“Are we over?” you ask, outright, and Bucky’s head snaps up in alarm. “I mean, did I miss any hints you might’ve been dropping? Am I just making a fool of myself by being here, trying to fix this?”

Bucky’s mouth opens and closes like a fish, rendered speechless and dumb by your questioning. It isn’t what he’d been expecting, and it’s caught him off guard.

“I- what?” He shakes his head as your eyes turn sad and manages to connect his brain to his mouth. “Where the hell did you get that idea?”

Eyes going steely, you straighten your shoulders. “Well, considering you acted like you’d rather have been anywhere else but with me the last time we saw each other, paired with the fact I haven’t heard from you in two weeks? What am I supposed to think?”

He laughs shortly, incredulous, until your eyes flare up in anger again, and he reins it in, but only just. He just can’t believe what he’s hearing from you, how all this time he thought you were bored of him - or scared. Either way, the relief warming his chest keeps the smile on his face.

Your posture is rigid and you move to take a step back as he closes the distance, but his arms wrap around you and tug you into his chest. The kiss he lays on you is firm but warm, an outpouring of emotion that slowly destroys the wall you’ve erected just to face him.

His hands are warm, even the metal appendage, where he grasps your face to keep you close to him. He sighs when your arms wrap around his waist, hands gliding up to his shoulders to grasp his shirt, and he swallows the little whimper you let loose.

Until he tastes the salt on your lips and he pulls away.

Your eyes are glassy, tears leaking from the corners to slide glistening tracks down your cheeks. His thumbs brush them away as he smiles softly.

“Sweetheart, don’t cry,” he coos. He kisses you again before looking you in the eye. He wants to make sure you know he means every word. “I’m sorry I was a little emotionally constipated. I- I felt it, too, that weird air the last time you were here, and I thought you - I thought you had changed your mind about me, about us, and that you were just too shy to say anything. So I gave you your space even though it nearly killed me to do it. I thought it was what you wanted, but clearly I was wrong.”

Bottom lip trembling, you sniffle and wipe your nose on your sleeve. “No, I... I could have called. I know you felt a little off that night, too. I was just. I didn’t know how much I could push, if you even wanted that conversation at all. I guess I just thought it was your way of saying you were done with me.”

He chuckles, deep and reverberating, and he shakes his head. “Never gonna happen. I love you too much.”

He enjoys the change on your face - the surprise and then the utter elation - and he grins like the cat that ate the canary.

“You what?”

Bucky isn’t sure why he’d been so scared to say it before, not when you’re looking at him like he’s the center of your universe.

“I love you,” he repeats, punctuating it with a kiss to the corner of your mouth. “And I should’ve said it sooner, especially if you were having doubts.”

He’s entranced by the way you chew your lip thoughtfully, shrug a shoulder shyly. “I could’ve said it, too. I love you, Bucky.”

The smile that breaks upon his face is blinding, radiant. This man was born to smile like this all the time. And he’s mine, you think. He’s all mine.

You giggle, tuck your face into his neck as you shake your head. Still grinning, he holds you tight, chuckles in kind when you say, “We’re idiots.”

“Mm,” he hums in agreement. “But idiots in love.”

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes angst

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lemonlushff-iy · 4 years

Photo

Had an itch....decided to scratch it....

Choices were made.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Inuyasha universe, but I sure do love playing with them. The rest is mine.

Chapter One

Inuyasha sighed as his father prattled on about this and that. He knew he should probably pay more attention to the man, but he really didn't want to be there right now. Sure...He enjoyed the warm sun on his skin...Could practically taste the fresh air on his tongue…But there was just something about being here that made him feel holier than thou.

He loathed coming to the tea fields his father owned, dressed in his best, while workers toiled around him. Women's fingers stained yellow green as they plucked the leaves from the bushes. Their backs hunched over, straining to support them as they worked. Their brows beaded with sweat while he…

He walked amongst them like a god.

They controlled their pay...and thus...in a way...their lives.

He didn't like it. Running a business wasn't meant for him, and yet.

That's exactly what he was being groomed to do. His elder brother had started one of his own, leaving him as the heir to his father's throne.

And he didn't want the crown.

He continued to follow his father as they walked through the rows of shrubs, his father nodding towards the women from time to time. He caught something about a harvest...something about profits and tea cakes...But nothing really held his attention.

Not until his father uttered the words, "What do you think of Zhao Kikyo?"

He felt his throat constrict.

Kikyo was the daughter of one of his father's business associates. A relatively attractive woman...nice...They had always gotten along, frankly.

Yet there was only one reason his father would be asking him about her.

And he didn't like it.

"I have no opinion of her," he replied dryly, swallowing. He knew what was coming next. This hadn't been the first time, after all.

"Perhaps you should obtain one," his father advised. "I have a meeting with her father next week," he continued, stepping over the legs of a kneeling woman as she worked. Like she was some tree branch that had fallen in his path. He didn't even give her the courtesy of a "pardon me".

"A meeting? To discuss what?" Playing dumb was not a wise choice, and he could feel his father's ire as he stopped, giving him a knowing look.

"Business. He has no son. I have two. One who is off in the west, and the other," he paused, turning to face him and rest his hands onto Inuyasha's shoulders. He looked him dead in the eye as he smiled, "The other is my legacy. The other will take this business and make it flourish for another generation. The other...will settle down with a nice woman. A respectable, educated woman, from a good family. A woman like Zhao Kikyo."

He could feel all the blood drain from his face.

Settle down?

With her?

He didn't know her that well!

Then again, what would that matter to his father? He hadn't known his mother when he married her. Hadn't known his brother's mother either.

He treated marriages as business contracts, and Inuyasha…

Inuyasha was a modern man with different ideals. He didn't have the heart or brain of a businessman. And he was...perhaps a bit more of a romantic that he should have been. Which is why he was blanching at the idea of wedding Zhao Kikyo.

"Father, I-"

"-She will be attending our meeting. It is our hopes that you will keep her...entertained during that time. Perhaps show her the fields. Take her by the ponds. Have lunch with her there."

"But-"

"-Her father and I are hoping that in perhaps, a few months, we can announce an engagement. Expanding and combining our empires together. Just think of it, Inuyasha…"

He didn't want to think of it.

In fact, he was finding it hard to breathe, let alone think of anything else. His father was all but forcing him into an engagement with this woman, all to expand his tea empire. He was using him as nothing more than a pawn - his own son - to get whatever he wanted.

Didn't they have enough?

Wasn't this enough? Why did they need more?

He couldn't handle more. He couldn't run more.

"I can't meet with Kikyo," Inuyasha blurted in a panic, and his father raised his silver brow at him in displeasure.

"Oh? And why not."

His mind was racing. Whirling. Why the hell couldn't he meet with Kikyo? His father would never accept anything he told him. He was single and of age and-

-And that was the problem.

He was single.

"Because I'm married," he blurted out, causing his father's face to shift in surprise.

He watched his father take a deep, slow breath before calmly exhaling.

"Married? Since when?"

"Last week," he nodded. "When you sent me to Beijing. She came with me, and we married in the city."

"Really? And who is my new daughter-in-law?" he pressed, crossing his arms over his chest. "One would have thought that their son would at least introduce him to her before now...It's a rather sudden marriage. Is there a reason for that?"

Inuyasha clenched his fists together at the implication.

"Love, father. Nothing else. You won't be a grandfather anytime soon."

"A pity since you ran off to marry this woman! Tell me, what is her name? Does she at least come from a respectable family?"

Respectable family.

Of course that's what he cared about. The family name. The family legacy.

And...he knew that he was calling his bluff. If Inuyasha said any number of the names his father would deem acceptable, he would be trapped and caught in a lie. He would be forced to marry either the woman he named, as having shown proof that he was interested in her or…

...He would be forced to wed Kikyo.

He needed someone else. Someone his father wouldn't know. Someone who would lie for him. Someone…

His eyes drifted past his father to the woman he had stepped over moments before. Her fingers moved like the wind as she plucked tea leaves from the bush before her, and her head was cocked to the side. She was trying to be subtle about it, but it was clear she was listening to them...and he found himself not minding.

Her profile was rather lovely...Familiar?

Her skin was tanned from working in the sun. Her fingers stained from the tea leaves. Her cheekbones were delicate, and her face soft...and her eyes…

It was rare to find a woman with familiar blue eyes like those. Let alone eyes that seemed so soft and caring. He felt like he remembered those eyes...She flicked her eyes up from the bush, as if she were waiting to see what he would say and do, and before he could stop himself...before he could think what he was doing, he was kneeling before her.

He took her hands and encouraged her to stand, her eyes widening as it seemed to click in her mind before it did his.

"Please," he whispered softly, so only she could hear it. "I'll repay you, I swear it."

Her jaw went slack, as he took her hand and turned to face his father.

"I'd like you to meet my wife."

His father's face was stoic, and betrayed none of his thoughts...until it slowly cracked into a wide, cunning smile. Inuyasha felt his blood freeze. He knew what his father was thinking now. This was a joke. An attempt to weasel out of another marriage...and if this was the game he wanted to play, then game on. He would smoke him out. Test him and his sham marriage...and when he emerged victorious…

He would not only be humiliated, but forced into another marriage.

A real one.

"Your wife," he all but mocked. "And what is your wife's name?"

"H-Higurashi. Higurashi Kagome," the woman replied, swallowing thickly as Inuyasha wrapped his arm around her side pulling her against his body.

"I was asking my son," he replied curtly, and Inuyasha glared at his father in return.

"And what does it matter who replies? You wanted her name, and she gave it to you. She's your daughter now!"

"A daughter who rebukes the family name?"

"I-I'm still used to saying my old one. The joys of wedded bliss seem to have made me forget that it's different now."

"Of course," his father drawled. "How foolish of me. Forgive me, Kagome. How long have you known my son?"

"A few months," Inuyasha interrupted, and his father shifted his gaze back to him.

"You seem to have a habit of answering for each other."

"Isn't that one of the joys of marriage?" He replied, trying to keep calm as his father attempted to rattle him.

"Mmm…" his father responded, his eyes roaming up and down Kagome's form, and he felt himself become a bit territorial over the small woman tucked into his side. He was weighing her. Judging her worth.

And he found her to be wanting.

"Just how did you meet? I cannot imagine that it would have been in a...social setting."

"He was visiting us to check on our work. He wanted to see how we were fairing. He was kind," she smiled softly, looking away from both him and his father for a moment. "I looked over heated, and he brought me some water. He stayed with me as I drank it until he was sure I would be alright, and began to talk. I was sad to see him leave, but he came back the next day with more water for me, and we spoke again, and again, until he asked me to come away with him and be his bride."

He...he remembered that.

The first part about bringing a woman water. It was her, wasn't it?

It was!

How many women had blue eyes? That was why they had looked so familiar.

"Mmm...and yet, my son hasn't swept you away from your work before now? You've been married for a week, after all."

"I've been looking for her replacement, upon her request," Inuyasha explained, giving her side a small, reassuring squeeze.

"Of course," his father smiled cooly. "Wouldn't want to leave us short staffed...Why don't you take her home then? You're newly weds, after all. I'm sure you would much rather be spending the day together exploring the joys of married life than be here in the fields."

Inuyasha swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to beat back the panic he felt.

"Of course. If we can take our leave then…"

"Please," his father gestured, waving them off, and Inuyasha gestured for Kagome to turn around, exhaling a shaky breath he was sure she heard a little too well. They hadn't made it more than five feet away before his father called back out to them again.

"Inuyasha? Bring your new wife over for dinner tonight. Your mother would love to meet her as well."

He felt his back stiffen as a new panic settled over him, and he glanced down at the small woman in his arms. She was refusing to look at him, and he hated himself for doing this to her. To them both.

"We will see you tonight, father."

Inuyasha opened the door to his apartment, nervously gesturing for Kagome to enter before him. The car ride here had been quiet. She had snuck peaks at him under the fringe of her black lashes, and he her...but...he hadn't known what to say. He was still reeling from what he had done to them, and she was trying to mentally piece together what was suddenly happening as well.

She shakily nodded her head and took a few steps into his apartment, her eyes widening as she looked around. It was nice. Large. Larger than a single man would need, and it was tastefully decorated. Hardwood floors, soothing floors...His home felt warm and welcoming.

She absently wondered if his mother had been responsible for this as he closed the door behind her and slumped against it, looking down at the floor.

They hadn't spoken yet about what he had done, and she looked at the silver haired man in curiosity. She had always liked Inuyasha. Far more than his father at least...but...she also knew that Inuyasha would have no memory of her. Why would he?

They had hundreds of workers in the fields, and she was no one special. Just one of the many...and one of the many who fancied the younger man. He was as handsome as his father, but...gentler. He had a softness in his eyes that his father didn't.

But…

Perhaps that was from the war.

It changed men. Normally for the worse...but with Inuyasha…

It seemed to soften him. Give him a greater appreciation for everything, big and small.

"Higurashi," he began slowly, and she tried to not blush at the sound of her name leaving his lips. "I don't think I can ever apologize enough for what I've done. I...I wasn't thinking clearly, and I've...Well…" he sighed, running his fingers through his silver locks. "Is there anything I can even do to make this right?"

"Perhaps...this is a conversation we can have sitting?" she prompted, and he felt his face twist from confusion to horror, scrambling away from the door.

"Yes! Of course...I...Let me take you to the living room. Can I get you something? Tea?"

She nodded shakily as he took her arm, guiding her out of the foyer. He could feel the heat of his hand through the thin fabric of her clothes, and she tried not to blush. She swallowed as he led her to a couch, and gestured for her to sit, before he scampered off to boil water for tea.

When she had awoken that morning, she never would have dreamed that this was where she would find herself by day's end. Sitting in Inuyasha's home...pretending to be his wife...summoned to dinner that night with his parents. Her head was spinning a little from the thought.

She wondered if he had a plan yet?

This charade couldn't last forever...and what happened when it came time for it to end?

He had told her that he would repay her somehow for this...she couldn't help but absently wonder how?

He had all but plucked her from the fields that morning, dubbed her his wife, and now she was out a job.

Oh…

Oh no…

She heard the door to the living room open and Inuyasha stood on the other side of it, looking guilty and remorseful as he placed a tea tray before her before pouring it for her. He sat down in the chair across from her, nervously gripping the cup in his white knuckled hands.

He glanced from his tea up to her, and she was struck by the guilt etched into it.

"Higurashi," he swallowed, "I...I'm so sorry for this mess."

"It is quite a predicament, we're in," she nodded, taking her own tea cup and sipping from it. Her hands looked so dark against the pale white and blue of the china. It was lovely. It probably cost more than what she made in an entire year.

She placed it down onto the table before her - her hands returning to her lap as he mutely nodded.

"It's my fault. I...I panicked and I seem to have spun quite the web of lies for us…"

"And you have no plan, do you," she surmised. He shook his head, looking down into his lap.

"I don't."

And it was true. God...what was he going to do? He had all but made her his prisoner.

"I...I was thinking that...perhaps we could do this for a year?"

"A year?"

He nodded, his mind slowly trying to cobble together some plan.

"We could tell my parents we divorced after, and then you would be free to live your life again. I can pay you? I know I've cost you your job...My father won't allow you to return to the fields today, or ever again..." he mumbled, running his hands down his face. "You could - should, I suppose - live here with me so they won't suspect. That...that could be nice? And...and you could cook and clean? W-wives do that…" he proposed nervously.

Wives did other things too…

"Would I...Do you expect me to…" she felt her cheeks blush bright red as he furrowed his brow. Confusion gave way to understanding and she watched his jaw drop ever so slightly.

"No! No, of course not! We're...married in the eyes of my parents only. I wouldn't...we wouldn't...I don't expect that from you, Higurashi."

She felt herself relax slightly, and she nodded, delicately sipping her tea.

"I can do that for you...but...I...I have a request to make, if I may."

"Of course," he nodded, leaning forward.

"When this is over, I won't be able to return to a life in the tea fields, but I'll still need employment. I have...responsibilities to my family that I can't overlook. I'll need something still."

She watched him nod his head, encouraging her to continue, and she took a deep breath.

"When we...divorce, I'd like your help finding employment elsewhere, and I'd like you to help me prepare for that. Whatever it may be."

She watched him relax further, a smile spreading across his face.

"I can do that," he nodded. "Something better than before...A secretary, at the least. Do you know how to use a typewriter?"

She shook her head looking down into her lap.

"I...I can't...I don't know how to read," she admitted, looking back down into her lap. "I've never received a formal education…"

His face became soft as he murmured, "Forgive me - I shouldn't have assumed. Higurashi...if you pretend to be my wife, I promise you this. I'll treat you kindly, I'll pay you, I'll get you an education, and I'll find you employment."

She looked into his eyes, and saw how genuine he was. Looking at him when he looked like that...it made her heart skip a beat. He was such a handsome man. Strong jawline. Proud cheekbones. But his eyes...those amber eyes framed by long lashes and thick brows…

She mentally pulled herself away from the man before her and focused on his words instead. It felt like a fair trade. More than fair. He was giving her a chance at a better life, and all she had to do was pretend to love him and be his wife for a year.

She could handle that.

"Kagome," she mused, picking up her tea cup again.

"Kagome?" he replied, furrowing his brow in confusion. That wasn't an answer to his proposal.

"You should call me Kagome if you want me to pretend to be your wife," she reasoned, raising the cup to her lips and taking a small sip.

"Of course...Kagome."

Wall of tags for all new fictions:

@clearwillow, @underwater0phelia, @keichanz, @dangerouspompadour, @sunsetskys, @ajoy3fanfics, @sangoslays, @zelink-inukag, @v0dka-cat, @cloudsz04, @theinuyashareader, @itzatakahashi, @l-taisho29, @lavendertwilight89, @yurawiththegoodhair, @saturnsilence, @lavaffair, @liz8080, @blairex, @eringobroke, @fawn-eyed-girl, @fandomobsessions016, @neutronstarchild

I know. Needs work. BUT. I feel better for having scratched the itch at least. Got the bulk of this done last night...and it kept asking me to work on it more today.

Mother appeased.

Hopefully the child is pleased.

......For now.

#inuyasha fanfiction #inuyasha fanfic #inuyashafanfic #inuyasha #inukag #not for all the tea in china #lemonlushff #lemonlushfanfic

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mqttsun-writes · 4 years

Note

Good day! Do you do headcanons for all Hashiras? If yes, then suddenly hashiras have a very self-contained s/o? That is, they keep all the negative emotions in themselves, they do not know how to cry, they tolerate everything, they do not talk about their problems and not a very good past, from which their health slightly deteriorates. If this is very bad, I apologize for disturbing you!

u got it anon!!

tw - mentions of self loathing, self depreciation, mentions of death, and negative thoughts!!

also yes ik that dating didn’t exist back in the taisho era but, for the sake of headcanons and writing, lets say it does

also sorry this took me so long adkfjdf a lot of pillars to cover

pillars w/ self contained s/o

Tomioka Giyuu

he’s one that wouldn’t notice for a while

he isn’t the most in tune with his emotions, expressing emotions, or reading other emotions

so if his s/o were to hide their emotions, he honestly wouldn’t notice until someone would point it out like

if kanroji or rengoku were to pull him aside and be like, “tomioka, did you see how sad s/o looked?”

“no, are they sad?”

and they would just give him a look that said are you fucking dumb because he had been with them for nearly half a year and hasn’t even thought to point out something about their emotions

from then on, he’d watch them more carefully

he’d notice more and more things, like how they always took the blame and never accepted any compliments, how they always changed the topic when something was asked about them or how never seemed to do anything but smile and make everyone else happy

and even with this information, he wouldn’t know how to approach them and confront them about it

because he does the same thing. he doesn’t show emotions or weakness, he doesn’t talk about his past, he’s detached from others and refuses to speak about it

but he realizes that this is his s/o, and he learned from doing that, it only made things worse for himself and those around him

so he very awkwardly tries to ease it into the conversation, because he wants them to open up instead of bottling in the emotions that will only hurt them in the future

it takes months, nearly a year to get them to open up, but he’s willing to be patient with them, because he understands this is difficult

Rengoku Kyoujurou

kyoujuro is on the more observant side, compared to the other pillars. he is good at noticing when someone’s mood is down and when they need comforting, so it won’t take him long to realize his s/o needs him

he offers time at first, seeing if they’re willing to open up about it on their own. he doesn’t want to peer pressure them into talking about their emotions, knowing that it could become worse if he did that

he doesn’t want to pry but he knows that if he doesn’t, then they’ll never talk to him about why they feel as though they aren’t strong enough or how they think that the death of their comrades and civilians are their fault

he understands some of the turmoil they go through and does his best to reassure them that it’s not their fault, you can’t save anyone and all that matters is that those you saved can keep on living

if it takes more than a few months for his s/o to think about opening up, he’ll sit them down for nightly talks to hopefully ease their mind

he’ll up the compliments, refusing to let them deny or refute them, complimenting everything about them in all honesty. from their skill set to their appearance and their personality

once his s/o will decide to open up, he’ll gladly welcome them with open arms.

he’ll listen to every word they say, wipe every tear they shed, hold them for every tremor, and offer comforting words for every disheartening thought.

he’s more in tune with his emotions, so he would make sure his s/o never felt these emotions again and would slowly help them open up and realize that it’s ok to ask for help and to be vulnerable.

Shinazugawa Sanemi

sanemi is brash, but he’s also caring.

it’s not the most obvious, but he definitely cares about his s/o more than others think

his brash nature is actually what might lead to self loathing and such in his s/o. with his quick and harsh retorts and blunt remarks that are brutally honest, it’s not surprise that it leads to doubts in his s/o about various things involving appearance and skill set.

if anything, sanemi will start noticing these traits in public or when they’re around his comrades. he’ll be able to point them out better when it’s the two of you alone, considering he’s only focusing on you and you’re responses and physical actions just make sense.

he’s not the type of guy to beat around the bush, he’s blunt and will immediately point it out

“oi, why the fuck are you so mopey?”

not the best execution, but it gets the question on the table and also adds insult to injury.

it starts a fight, at first. his s/o is getting tired and hurt at the harsh remarks - a person can only take so much, and they knew they signed up for this when they decided to date sanemi. that doesn’t change that his words can hurt, and they do hurt

this leads to his s/o blowing up and spewing their emotions at sanemi, ranting, yelling, cussing, and more. for once, sanemi with be silent and soak in the information.

he’ll understand and take in account your feelings, making sure you open up more and also making sure that he thinks before he spews out an insult that he spews to everyone to you

Himejima Gyomei

gyomei may be blind, but he’s not oblivious

he’ll take note of their dismissive behavior, how they deflect compliments and refuse to ever talk about themselves or their troubles

and it troubles him, and it makes him tear up knowing this his s/o is hurting

so he does what he can do confront them early about it

she’s his wife and he refuses to let them suffer in silence, especially if he has something to say about it

so one night, on a day off where he’s had time to think about his words and how he would like to approach this, he would ask them to sit down with him

pour some tea, set the mood to be serious but also friendly and welcoming - after all, it is his wife and they are at home

he would approach the topic slowly and steadily, easing it in and making sure not to pressure too hard

once the mood is set and his s/o starts to pour out their emotions and their problems, he would gladly listen, holding their hand in his larger one and gently caressing it to soothe them

he will make sure you know that he will always be there for you as a shoulder to lean on and that he cares for you

he’s a soft baby boy

Uzui Tengen

this boy will notice in a heartbeat and he will act in an instant

he has three wives, he’s a rather amiable person so he knows an abundant amount of people, which means he’s seen a multitude of personality types and the like

he’ll wait a few days before saying anything, wanting to see if you’ll come open up to him first if you’re comfortable enough

if not, he’ll ease in compliments into the conversation and meaningful, sincere flattering remarks

he wants to make sure you know that you have a voice, your concerns and problems are valid and you shouldn’t be afraid to voice them out to him or his other wives

he’ll make sure that you remember that you are his number one priority, above him and above the lives of other citizens, and that you should feel that way too

he will absolutely refuse to let you act as a doormat

if anyone tries to use you to their advantage, he will instantly step in and teach that person a lesson for even trying. he’ll teach you to learn to say no and to be more assertive

he will never let you forget your worth and how much he absolutely adores you

Igurou Obanai

he is more silent and observant compared to the rest, but as for reading emotions, it’ll take him a little longer as he isn’t exactly the most adapted to that

but since you’re his s/o and he will literally kill for his s/o, it wouldn’t take too long for him to notice

he’s going to assume someone made you feel this way first, asking you who did and swearing to murder them in a heartbeat

but if you reveal that it’s just how you always acted then he would tone down on the violence and up the caring meter to 2k

he will rather easily take you to a secluded and rather calm place to let you talk about it, giving awkward hugs and reassuring affections

he isn’t the best in consoling, so don’t expect kind words or from him

instead, just expect silent physical affections - after all, actions speak louder than words

he’ll do whatever you want to do with him, mainly to get your mind off of it

he’ll be subtle in his affections but he’ll hope he can make you realize that you’re worth more than you think

he won’t force you to talk about his past, considering he himself refuse to talk a bout his own past

but he wants you to let out your emotions, so he reminds you occasionally that he’s there to listen to you when you feel the time is right

Tokitou Muichirou

muichirou isnt the type of person to pry into his s/o or anyones personal life

he’s more of the “if they want me to know, they’ll let me know” kinda person

but he’s also very observant and will immediately take notice if this habit and behavior becomes kind of ongoing and continuous

his first tactic is to try to ask about it in private

“you know you have the right to say no, right?”

“i saw that uzui made you uncomfortable with three more missions and you could’ve said something”

he’ll try to talk some sense into you, first trying to be nicer and not nearly as blunt before just going

“i know how you’re thinking. like you don’t have worth, that if you help others then that’ll give you some kind of purpose, that if you just tolerate everything then it’ll be ok. take a look at yourself in the mirror and look me in the eye and tell me you’re ok.”

if it takes being brash and rude to break down your walls and to get you to spill, then he’ll do it because he knows in the future, you’ll thank him for it

he just wants the best for you, and as a smol bean boi, he will do whatever he can to help you

Kanroji Mitsuri

mitsuri is hesitant to ask or pry

she knows you’re strong and you can take care of yourself

but she sees your health going down rapidly

and she can’t help but worry increasingly

she’d ask rengoku for advice first on how to approach the situation

and he’d immediately advise her to take charge sooner than later, cuz it’ll only get worse the longer she waits to take action

he’ll give words of advice and some pointers that he would say before sending her off immediately to take action right that instant

and mitsuri is a little bit nervous but she puts on a brave face and marches to you

“s/o! remember i love you but what you’re doing to yourself is not good and very bad for your health so please talk to me! i’m really worried and the others are too, so...” she’ll start to waver in the middle of her confidence burst before steeling herself, her eyes getting this built resolve as she continues, “rely on me. rely on us! we’re here for you, so don’t feel like you need to keep doing everything we ask just to make us happy!”

she’ll honestly get a little emotional and cry while in her spiel because she’s spilling out her emotions as to watching you deteriorate your own health

and when she’s finished, she’ll stand and huff for a minute before opening her arms and just offering a hug

she’s good with physical affection so she wants to show you as much as possible to show that she loves you and you are worth so much more than you could ever imagine

that you are her inspiration and reason to keep fighting when she feels as if she has no energy left

so she just wants you to realize this because she thinks its the most obvious thing ever

Kocho Shinobu

see

she does the exact same thing

but this is about you

and since she knows how she does it and how she hides it so easily

she’ll spot it in the blink of an eye and work to stop it as soon as possible

she knows firsthand just how much it can deteriorate one’s health and she refuses to let you suffer through that just as she does

so she will immediately pull you aside, sit you down, and make sure you listen to each and every word that will spill out of her mouth

she’ll half lecture you and half vent to you with her own emotions (in the moment you won’t realize this but later you’ll see that she was dealing with the same thing)

she’ll shed a few tears and let her anger show through just to get her point across

she won’t stop until she’s made sure you’ve understood your worth and your importance and your own health

she will stay up all night by your side just to make sure you realize this because she admires and loves you so much that it hurts her to see you suffering

please expect a lot of cuddles and pampering

she will refuse to let you lift a finger and she’ll stand up for you if a pillar asks you for something

“yo s/o can you take my mi--”

“back the fucK off tomioka”

this ended up being 2319 words and it took me like two months eye--

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a-crimson-lion · 4 years

Text

“It Makes Me Wanna Keep Him At Arm’s Length” An Overview On Katsuki Bakugo’s Development

[I should by no means be the one writing this analysis, but here we are. Obviously it’s an overview on Katsuki’s character development, but there’s a bit more to it than that. Keep reading if you want the details.]

Table of Contents

i) Prologue

I) A Brief Explanation

II) The “What The F*** Is Your Existence” Phase

II.A) Breaking The Barriers

III) The “I Can’t Let You Get Ahead Of Me” Phase

IV) The “Why Don’t You Care About Yourself” Phase

V) Final Address+Conclusion

Word Count: 4415

[Warning: Contains manga spoilers up to Ch. 284. Will also include spoilers for the movies and OVAs, as well as the special Deku & Bakugo: Rising two-shot manga. Reader’s discretion is advised. Not scared off yet? Good. Let’s do this.]

i) Prologue

Alright, no beating around the bush, I guess.

We all know this has to deal with Ch. 284, and the milestone that came with it. We got a rare look inside Katsuki’s perspective, and we saw firsthand how much his perspective has changed from the start of the story. I don’t think we’ve ever gotten such an in-depth look into Katsuki’s psyche since Deku vs Kacchan 2. It’s honestly impressive.

...which is why I’m so confused by a certain kind of response to it.

When you look past the swarms of tumblr posts absolutely losing their s*** over Katsuki getting further character development, you come across an… admittedly troubling response. The idea that “Katsuki always cared.” The idea that as early as the Battle Trial, if not middle school, Katsuki was secretly keeping an eye out for Izuku in their tumultuous relationship.

...no. Just-. No, what the-

I’ll get to why this particular response pisses me off in a bit, but before that, I wanna give a run down of Katsuki’s development, according to the narrative. Anyone who’s been around my blog long enough knows that I don’t exactly hold Katsuki in good graces. (Pretty much the opposite, actually.) However, in light of recent developments, that’s not what this post is gonna be focusing on. And as such, I’ll keep the snark and branch conversations to a minimum… to the best of my abilities.

So… how are we gonna do this?

I) A Brief Explanation

After we finish this brief “tutorial” section, the next three segments of the post will cover the various time frames of Katsuki’s development. I’ll be going through a general rundown of Katsuki’s perspective and the various evidence points that lead me to my conclusions. It’s essentially a glorified retelling. Sound good? Alrighty then!

II) The “What The F*** Is Your Existence” Phase

Time Frame: Ch. 1-Ch. 116 [Sludge Villain Arc-Late Provisional Hero License Exam Arc]

In case the Prologue didn’t make things clear, let me spell it out: Katsuki didn’t always care.

At least, he didn’t “always care” in the positive sense.

To clarify, this isn’t just 3rd Year Middle School Katsuki to UA Katsuki. This is all the way back to the River Incident. Katsuki has had this mentality for that long and then some when you shift out of backstory territory. We’re talking about the same kid who nearly murdered Izuku in the Battle Trial, blasted Izuku to kingdom come in the Training of the Dead OVA, and decked Izuku during the Final Exams. So…

The following hinges majorly on the line Katsuki stated in Chapter 284, and the title of this analysis: “It makes me wanna keep him at arm’s length.” Contrary to popular belief, this does not just apply to the idea that Katsuki wants to stick around Izuku to keep him from destroying himself.

...it’s also a major contributor to the reason Katsuki bullied Izuku in the past.

So let’s backtrack to the River incident. Katsuki takes one wrong step on a log, slips, and falls down into the river below. Izuku is the only one that goes down to help him. This infuriates Katsuki because he was fine, as was said by him and everyone but Izuku that was present that day. This is also the first time Katsuki becomes aware of something he echoes in the Ch. 284 flashback:

“He just… Deep down, he doesn’t take himself into account, y’know?”

This is Katsuki’s first run in with Izuku’s inherent selflessness. Initially, he takes it as pity; in his words, Izuku is “looking down on him.” And this bothers him a great deal. Then when it comes to Quirks, Katsuki gets one and Izuku doesn’t. This assures Katsuki of something he shortly discovered previously: Izuku isn’t all that special.

It’s a brief comfort. Because Izuku hasn’t taken the damn hint and stopped hanging out with him and his friends. The Quirked kids. The normal kids.

And worst still, he’s willing to get in Katsuki’s way just because someone else is in his line of fire. In the back of his mind, it’s the River Incident all over again, though he’s not being feared for; he’s being feared of. It’s all wrong. Deku isn’t strong like the rest of them. Deku can’t be a hero. Deku knows that.

...he knows that he doesn’t stand a chance, right? He knows how the world really works. Is he… is he putting on an act?

One of the few remarkable traits Katsuki has right from the get-go is his disdain against dishonesty. So, when he sees Izuku putting on a brave face and acting like a hero, and Katsuki decides that Izuku’s just “pretending,” Katsuki takes the matter into his own hands. He’ll get Izuku to show his true colors in due time. That’s what heroes do, right? Take down the bad guys? And Izuku faking about caring for others when everyone else clearly puts themselves first and foremost sounds pretty bad guy-like, at least at the time.

So, Izuku keeps on trucking, occasionally trying to join back up with Katsuki’s group on a near frequent basis. Even when that fails, he tries his damnedest to catch up.

But what many people forget is that at some point, Izuku stopped following, at least actively.

By Chapter 1, he’s making sure to keep from drawing attention to himself. He’s not as enthusiastic as everyone else in the class, he tries backing away from Katsuki and shrinking down on himself, tries defusing the situation. That doesn’t sound like Izuku’s still trying to keep up. Even in the special two-shot manga dedicated to Heroes: Rising, Izuku isn’t the one to draw attention to Katsuki’s presence. And even when he does go after Katsuki and the villain, his attention is more so focused on the villain, thoughts of staying out of Katsuki’s way to not offend him likely somewhere in his mind.

So then why does Katsuki keep antagonizing him in the first chapter of canon proper? And even before that, most likely?

“It makes me wanna keep him at arm’s length.”

...Izuku didn’t stop being Izuku. Izuku didn’t stop being selfless.

And his selflessness is what pisses Katsuki off to no end. So, he keeps pursuing Izuku, keeps trying to get him to “drop the act.” Makes him a “punching bag,” as Izuku states in Chapter 8. Because the way things work, Izuku should not be trying to be a hero. He should not be trying to put on a brave face when he’s scared s***less. He should not be sticking his neck out for others when he doesn’t (or rather, didn’t) have anything to stick up for himself.

Katsuki was born with something that made everyone consider him prime hero material. Izuku was born without that, and was considered the opposite… and yet, he still tries.

And this character trait, this selflessness, it drives Katsuki insane. And it continues to do so well beyond the Battle Trial Arc. Even when Katsuki is able to begrudgingly accept that Quirkless Deku has a Quirk now, somehow, his selflessness continues to bring Katsuki grief. While it’s never inherently brought up, this is the dividing factor between Izuku’s fight against Shoto in the Sport’s Festival and Katsuki’s fight with Shoto in the Sport’s Festival.

Izuku was willing to go all out at the cost of himself just so Shoto could accept what was his. Katsuki just wanted a good brawl, to be the undisputed first place.

This even continues well into the Final Exams, though the fact that Katsuki is running high on arrogance and anger does nothing to soothe matters. It takes a deck to face and later an explosive kabedon wall smash to get Izuku and Katsuki working together, and let’s not forget that when Izuku was trying to get Katsuki to realize they were still fighting All Might, regardless of whatever handicaps he may or may not have, he gets decked in the nose for his efforts. While it’s technically a subtler play on Izuku’s selflessness and concern for others, Katsuki likely took it as further mockery, another attempt for Deku to try and get under his skin and throw him off.

In any case, throughout this time period, Katsuki cares f*** all for Izuku or his philosophy, opting to brute force things up until the very end of the time frame. But what causes the eventual shift?

II.A) Breaking The Barriers

A number of things, actually.

None of the proceeding events ever do a clean cut on Katsuki’s worldview. It’s more like chiseling through a wall than breaking it down with a hammer.

The Sludge Villain is the first hint that Izuku might not be faking and Katsuki might not be at the top. While many claim that Katsuki leaves Izuku alone because he feels indebted to him but doesn’t want to admit it, it’s more than likely that he’s more focused on his own self-loathing. This incident is what defines him for a good chunk of the series, to his chagrin.

The Battle Trial is just another nail in the eventual coffin. Katsuki thinks he’s finally got Izuku right where he wants him, only for Izuku to pull a 500 IQ play and prioritize the exercise over his and Katsuki’s squabbles, taking the brunt of Katsuki’s attack and attention while giving Ochako the opportunity to capture the bomb. That look of frustration is Katsuki realizing that not only did Izuku get ahead, he got ahead with the very thing Katsuki despises. Needless to say, it f***s with him well until the aftermath outside of UA’s gate.

Shoto refusing to use his flames is another chip off the marble that is Katsuki’s pride. It reinforces the idea that Izuku is doing something that Katsuki isn’t, something that Izuku shouldn’t have in the first place, beyond a Quirk at least. So, Katsuki rages, because he can’t understand why it’s such a big deal, in both Izuku’s and Shoto’s cases.

The Final Exams just hammer the point home further. Katsuki’s one-track minded attempts to bring down All Might are met with no results. He would have failed that exam if it wasn’t for Izuku’s selflessness or Katsuki “lowering himself” to cooperate with him. Had Katsuki not gotten decked in the face and dragged off or got saved at the last minute while he was knocked out, he definitely would have failed on account of becoming a liability.

The Training Camp attack is an odd mix of Katsuki’s current philosophy and the next stage in it. He knows Izuku’s gonna go and save his ass, and he wants no part of that because hasn’t he made him suffer enough already? Hasn’t he already proved time and time again that he’s getting better, despite the fact that Katsuki doesn’t want or believe it? Despite the fact that it shouldn’t even be happening if things were right in the world? Izuku does recognize Katsuki’s wounded pride, however, which is instrumental in getting him out of All For One’s clutches during Kamino.

If we briefly direct our attention to the Make It! Do-Or-Die Survival Training! OVA, Katsuki is pretty adamant on claiming he only got the power back on in the underground mall to complete the exercise. And I don’t think that’s Katsuki’s “tsundere” talking, either: I genuinely believe that Katsuki’s only thoughts at the moment was getting the exercise done. Everyone else was just secondary. And remember, Katsuki hates dishonesty, which is probably why he doesn’t take credit for “saving” Izuku and Shoto. While his actions did save the two of them and everyone else in the mall, that wasn’t his intention, which is an interesting flip on Izuku’s performance back in the Battle Trial. Couple that with the fact that Katsuki is injured (and therefore weak, and in need of help), and it’s no wonder he’s in a sour mood towards the end of it all.

And this sour mood carries over to the final nail in his coffin: the Provisional License Exam. He only gets by the first half because other people had the sense to tag along, but the second half regards his undoing because he still doesn’t get the whole selfless aspect of saving people in the second half of the exam. This was also foreshadowed back in the aforementioned OVA with Katsuki’s excessive animosity towards the victim dummy. Whether they be real or fake, Katsuki’s disregard of either victim doesn’t grant him his hero license.

This is the straw that breaks the camel's back for Katsuki. And ultimately, this sparks the start in his shift to the second phase of his development.

III) The “I Can’t Let You Get Ahead Of Me” Phase

Time Frame: Ch. 117-~Ch. 257 [Late Provisional Hero License Exam Arc-Early Paranormal Liberation War Arc]

Since this is only the second phase of Katsuki’s development (and given that this is Katsuki we’re talking about), don’t expect to get much of an upgrade with this shift.

Essentially, it boils down to two things: Katsuki stops viewing Izuku as an annoyance, and starts viewing him as an obstacle. Simultaneously, he starts seeing the viability of saving, at least as a tool in a hero’s kit.

Let me explain.

While Deku vs Kacchan 2 is the first time Izuku and Katsuki have attempted to talk out their issues… not much gets addressed. Sure, Katsuki becomes aware of Izuku not looking down on him, but Izuku is never made aware of the deeper issues regarding Katsuki’s loathing beyond that. It primarily serves as a half-barebones narrative checkpoint, a segway for Katsuki to get in on the secret of One For All.

...let’s also talk about that, shall we?

So Izuku’s been getting better as a hero and with his Quirk. Then Katsuki finds out after he gets kidnapped and rescued that Izuku is the successor to their mutual idol. And that’s after essentially being told he can’t be a hero in his current state due to the PLE. And what is his usual response to adversity? He decides to get ahead of it.

He’ll surpass Class 1-A so there won’t be another Battle Trial. He’ll surpass Izuku and One For All so he can truly claim that he’s the best of the best.

Unfortunately, we don’t get to see more of this development until the Joint Training Arc. However, keep in mind that this is only the second stage. Katsuki wants to prove that he’s the best, so of course he’s gonna step up his game. That means taking advice from the LITERAL (former) #1 HERO, and making the victory as flawless as possible. After all, Katsuki himself said in Chapter 208:

“I’ve decided! We’re gonna win this match with a perfect victory! 4-0, with everyone unscathed! That’s the kind of victory there is for the strongest guys out there!”

...it might be a slight exaggeration when he says he’s hardly changed at the end of that chapter, but then again it is a stretch to even call it an exaggeration.

That aside, Katsuki also makes it part of his agenda to keep tabs on OFA. This would fit into the “Katsuki secretly cares” agenda, but we haven’t reached that point. Right now, in these moments, Katsuki figures that if One For All starts getting freaky, he wants to know about it so he can get a leg up. And maybe part of him still wants to call Izuku out.

He was minorly ticked when Izuku allowed himself to make a mistake during their unauthorized fight. And he constantly reminds Izuku to not forget that he’s supposed to surpass him (or the other way around).

Taking off the rose-colored glasses for a moment, it does make sense for Katsuki to say this beyond the context of positive motivation. We are talking about the same Katsuki who lashed out at Shoto for holding back. It’s reasonable to assume that he doesn’t want Izuku to do the same, and lagging behind more or less equates to holding back.

And Katsuki still isn’t completely invested in Izuku’s training for Izuku’s sake. After the Joint Training, Katsuki tries getting Izuku to manifest Black Whip again, and nopes out shortly afterwards when nothing comes of their sparring sessions in Chapter 217. This still isn’t the Katsuki we see in the 284 flashback. He’s still got a ways to go.

Yes, this even rings true for Katsuki during Heroes: Rising. While the film might be the ultimate Bakudeku dream come true, there really isn’t… much depth in regards to Izuku and Katsuki’s past. Y’know, the thing that most people are hoping gets resolved? It only gets referenced a few times in the film, but doesn’t overall factor into anything meaningful. Most of the time when Izuku and Katsuki team up, Katsuki only gets to the fight because he wants to throw hands with villains on an island where (if the status quo had remained unchanged) was likely selected because it had little to no serious villain activity. It just so happens that protecting and working with Izuku is an unintended byproduct of these fights. Katsuki even drops the infamous “lowering myself to work with Deku” line just before the big climax. And even with the transfer of OFA to Katsuki, it strikes less as overcoming a longstanding obstacle and more as plot convenience, especially since by the end of the fight OFA nopes back into Izuku so hard that Katsuki gets mind wiped about the whole thing.

Even during the Endeavor Arc, we don’t see much growth beyond the Ending fight, where Katsuki prioritizes saving Natsuo over throwing hands like he usually would, learning to take saving as more than a tool. This is significant considering it’s Katsuki, but unfortunately, there’s not much else thereafter. The entire arc won’t get referenced as an overall stepping stone until Ch. 284.

And thus, we head to the final phase.

IV) The “Why Don’t You Care About Yourself” Phase

Time Frame: ~Ch. 257-Ch. 284 [Early Paranormal Liberation War Arc-Paranormal Liberation War Arc (Present)]

So here’s an interesting tidbit: Katsuki can’t handle nonphysical confrontation.

Leave him with the fact that his kidnapping could have gotten most of the class expelled because they decided to go rescue him or avoided such while knowing of the operation? He’ll pay back Eijiro for the expensive night vision goggles and make Denki suffer Quirk overuse so he doesn’t need to be reminded.

Get stuck in the middle of a Todoroki Family Drama scene? He’ll try bragging about how he did better than the current #1 Hero to attempt curbing off the situation.

Put him in a discussion with Izuku where they address his additional Quirk manifestations and the full weight of his potential/legacy? Katsuki will brag about having a skill already in his toolkit to ignore the fact that he has the potential to fall behind.

This defines the earlier days of this phase. We don’t see what happens in the timeframe between that and the start of the War Arc until the Chapter 284 flashback. I believe that during the gap between 257 and this flashback, Katsuki allowed himself to process the full weight of what he and Izuku were told during that meeting.

And this marks one of his biggest revelations to date.

Izuku’s selflessness is no longer something annoying. It’s a potential fatal flaw.

For the first time, it’s hitting Katsuki that Izuku is no longer an obstacle, or just an obstacle. Izuku is a person who is working himself to the bone and past that, who would die at the drop of the hat if he thought the payoff was well worth it. He’s finally starting to see that what Izuku is doing to himself is dangerous, and he wants to know what he can do to prevent the serious ramifications.

This is a big phase in his development, no doubt, but um… it’s not the last phase.

If I’m being honest, we’re nowhere close. Why? Well, two reasons:

A) Katsuki still has yet to properly take a loss.

Any and all of Katsuki’s losses are either in his head or narratively negated. And his disproportionate win/loss ratio doesn’t do him any favors either. He’s culminated a philosophy that he can’t and shouldn’t lose, but losing is a crucial aspect of improvement and being human in general. In the case of the story, Chapter 275 suggests that Katsuki wants to face off against Tomura as payback for Kamino. He essentially wants to extend the narrative and treat that loss like a delayed win, as if the loss hadn’t happened yet. Many people claim that this is a bluff he used to cover his true intentions of keeping an eye on Izuku, but I don’t think that’s the case. While sticking by Izuku is a contributing factor, getting a win is equally so, because Katsuki hasn’t properly adjusted to a loss. His strategy for dealing with any kind of loss is just to bulldoze through it like nothing happened, instead of taking the time to understand why he lost and to apply that knowledge for future encounters.

Be aware of your surroundings during the Sludge Villain.

Focus on your priorities and communicate with others during the Battle Trial.

Don’t ignore the situation just to focus on your own intentions during the Training Camp attack.

HELP PEOPLE during the Provisional License Exam.

There are so many lessons Katsuki could have learned sooner if he had taken the time to properly digest his losses. But he didn’t. He still doesn’t. He might have learned some of them eventually, but the fact remains that he nearly ran head first into a suicide mission just because he couldn’t take the loss and was dead set on getting even.

And keep in mind, Katsuki was lamenting on struggling to keep up with Izuku earlier before their encounter with Tomura, and how he couldn’t afford to stay a loser, so this is likely less far-fetched than you think.

Okay, so then what’s the second reason Katsuki’s development is far from over?

B) He hasn’t fully connected the dots on what he did to Izuku.

So far, Katsuki has recognized that he was off-put by Izuku’s selflessness, and that he bullied him over that.

What he hasn’t recognized is how much of a role he played personally in that part of Izuku’s personality, or at least it’s present day incarnation.

Let me clarify a bit. Katsuki is aware that he was distrubed by Izuku’s selflessness. He is aware that bullied him and that, at some degree, was wrong. But I don’t think he’s quite connected the dots on how his intervention has led to Izuku’s current brand of martyrdom.

At the start of the series, Izuku just cares about others. After making sure he gets down to the river safely, he’s willing to lend a hand to Katsuki, who fell from a pretty concerning height ig we’re being honest.

But this unnerves Katsuki. And it leads to his physical altercations with Izuku from time to time.

Remember, Izuku followed Katsuki at the time, but somewhere down the line he stopped. But he never stopped being Izuku, so Katsuki continued to pursue him. Izuku had already been willing to give up in some degree on ever keeping up with Katsuki the way he used to. He knew, at some level, that he wasn’t accepted.

That he wasn’t worth as much as everyone else.

Katsuki bullied Izuku because he was selfless. But Katsuki’s bullying, coupled with the rest of society’s ostracization, twisted and warped that selflessness with low self-esteem, low self-worth, and self-destructive tendencies. Katsuki wasn’t the sole bully of Izuku, but he was a primary perpetrator. And his actions only made the very thing he despised so, so much worse.

...and until he can recognize THAT aspect of his relationship with Izuku, his journey is far from over.

So yeah, Katsuki’s making progress, but we’re still not out of the woods yet.

V) Final Address+Conclusion

So now for the obvious question: why did I write all of this?

I said it at the beginning, about how some people claimed that Katsuki cared all along. I brought up a bit about how it pissed me off. Why, exactly?

Because when people insist that Katsuki threatening Izuku to not go to UA comes from a place of concern, they disregard Chapter 1 Katsuki’s gigantic ego and utter disregard for others, much less so for Izuku.

Because when people insist that Katsuki’s shocked face at the end of the Battle Trial was because he was upset with how he hurt Izuku, they disregard the fact that Katsuki was willing to almost murder Izuku, and if not that then brutalize him, and that at this point Katsuki absolutely loathes getting shown up, which is what Izuku inadvertently did.

Because when people insist that Katsuki always cared from the very beginning, they (un)intentionally undermine one of the few things that draw people to Katsuki’s character: his character development.

On his own, Katsuki is an prodigious, antisocial and angry teen looking for fame and fortune in the industry who grows into a dedicated source of confidence and understanding as he finally allows himself to branch beyond his initial handicaps. If you insist that Katsuki always had the awareness and concern he displayed in 284’s flashback, what do you get instead?

A selfish, self-centered, fickle, emotionally-constipated asshole whose growth is more comparable to a ramp instead of a mountain.

...not as impressive, is it?

While I’m pretty sure this is just a minor trend, that doesn’t excuse the lack of care it demonstrates. If you aren’t willing to admit and live with the fact that Day 1 Katsuki is the worst of the worst and that he did progressively get better through trials and tribulation, why bother? When you insist a character like Katsuki was fine from the start, you take away part of what makes that character so endearing. If they were never an ass to begin with, then what the hell was their problem at the start, or even now? Why the hell would we condone that? It’s important to recognize character flaws and to give them their due, because seeing a character grown out of them is far more self-fulfilling and relatable than insisting that they were always in the right place from the start.

...but then again, that’s just me. Thanks for reading.

-Crimson Lion (20 September 2020)

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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 4 years

Text

with you [chapter 6]

Summary: Clementine pops the question, Louis has nightmares, Violet can’t let go of the past, Mitch doesn’t know how to handle gross feelings, Ruby’s a goddamn sweetheart, Willy doesn’t ever remember to knock, Aasim can’t dance, and James is here, too.

Nothing like a wedding to bring this family together.

Note: Not much to say this time around. I just had some extra time since I didn’t have to go to work, so I figured it would be a great time to work on [with you]. Here’s the Violet part that always get me in trouble [but like not really, just from people who think I hate Violet or don’t understand her and whatever, y’know] but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Thanks for reading!

Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6

Read on: AO3 | FF.net | Wattpad

---

Violet’s door is shut.

Clementine makes no move to knock.

Mitch stands beside her, waiting with more patience than she expected.

Her arms grow heavy, weighed down with dread. During the slow walk here, she thought of several things to say and has yet to settle on a starter. Different scenarios ran through her head, all a jumbled mess.

She hears a sigh. Mitch leans over and knocks on the door.

They wait.

He knocks again, this time harder.

Nothing.

“Shit,” Mitch mutters. “Either she’s not here, or she’s ignoring us.”

Neither option would surprise her.

“Violet?” Clementine tries, only to be met with more silence. Leaning forward, she presses the side of her head against the door, listening. Everything’s still, and Clementine’s sure the room’s empty. Relief begins eating at her brain, giving excuses of “Well, there’s always tomorrow!”

“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” she whispers to herself, agreeing with the thoughts, knowing full well that putting this off wouldn’t help the situation tomorrow.

“I coulda told you that,” Mitch mumbles, knocking again.

Before she can tell him to stop, to suggesting coming back tomorrow morning, footsteps turn her attention down the hall.

Violet stands alert, her glare fixated on the two of them, arms crossed. It’s enough to send any normal person to hightail it out of there, but Clementine’s not frightened so easily despite the erratic nervous thumping of her heart in her throat.

“Violet-”

“What the fuck do you two want?”

Violet’s voice- It’s like someone injected ice into Clementine’s veins.

“I-” Clementine clears her throat. Her voice feels so small, insignificant. She pushes down those anxious feelings, a skill acquired when she was far too young and dealing with tense situations such as this- if not worse- and asks, “Can we talk?”

Violet scoffs.

“It’s important, Vi-”

“Fuck. Off.”

Violet moves towards her. A prickle of intimidation dampens her faux confidence once they’re close, face to face. Violet’s glare bores straight into her, but before Clementine can address the situation, Mitch pushes her back and stands in between them.

“Watch it,” he warns.

Clementine moves from behind Mitch, saying, “Please, Violet. I just want to talk-”

“I don’t really give a shit what you want.”

“Can you just fucking chill?” snaps Mitch. “She just wants to talk.”

“Can you just go fuck yourself?”

“Excuse me?” Mitch steps closer.

“Don’t,” Clementine warns, grabbing his sleeve. “You’re not helping.”

He backs off, but not much, keeping his focus on Violet, watching the girl’s every move.

Clementine tries again, “It won’t take long. It’s about Louis.”

That catches her attention.

“Can we talk?” Clementine asks again, this time much softer. “Privately?”

“Before that, though,” Mitch holds out his hand. “Give it.”

Violet doesn’t move.

“I know you have it.”

“That’s not necessary,” Clementine tries.

“Consider it a precaution.”

The tension between the two as they scowl at each other is suffocating.

With a sigh, Clementine reaches and pulls out the knife she always carries.

“Here,” she offers it to Mitch.

He doesn’t take his eyes off Violet, even when he takes the handle.

“I’m unarmed now,” Clementine says. “Please, Vi…”

She breaks her gaze away from Mitch to look at the floor.

“Fine.”

Violet pulls her cleaver out and tosses it down the hallway.

“You wanna talk?” She shoves her door open, turning to glower at Clementine. “Let’s talk.”

She walks into the dorm room, straight to her desk, taking the chair and turning it around.

Violet sits facing her, waiting.

And Clementine’s terrified.

Not the kind of terrified like when walkers are circling them, or like the terror she feels when someone gets hurt or doesn’t come back on time. This is a terror of facing Violet with the possibility of saying the wrong thing and shattering that little piece of lost hope for their friendship.

This is her last chance.

Mitch gives her a firm nod.

“I’ll be right out here.”

She knows he says it more to Violet than to her.

Clementine closes the door behind her.

They’re alone.

Fuck.

Where did she even begin?

She can’t bring herself to look at Violet, so she does a quick glance over the room. It’s similar to hers, but with only one bed and nothing to decorate the walls. It’s empty.

“Well?” Violet asks.

Clementine digs deep inside herself, deciding to be as honest as possible. Beating around the bush, or only scratching the truth never ends well.

“It’s been two years,” she starts. “Since we’ve actually talked, I mean. I know that you still hate me, and I know that I’ll probably never be able to change that. I just don’t understand why.” She waits for a reaction but gets none. “I mean, I understand why… why this whole thing started but I guess I don’t understand everything. I don’t want to fight with or avoid you anymore. I- ...I really miss you, Vi.”

“You are un-fucking-believable.”

Clementine bites the inside of her cheek. Breathe in, breathe out. She tries to ignore the absolute loathing that vibrates from the other girl, and she recalls that last time someone looked at her like that.

Eleven-years-old… a poor woman dying in the arms of a man who loved her… the fiery hatred in that single eye…

Fuck.

She can’t curl in on herself this time.

“Is that really all you have to say?” Violet asks. “You miss me? Fucking really?”

“We used to be friends before everything happened. Remember my first night here?” Clementine asks. “When you came in looking for that pencil box and we talked? And the card game and-”

“I remember,” Violet interrupts, “I remember being grateful to have another girl around to talk to. You said I kicked walker ass. You were so nice, and you listened to everything I had to say. For the first time in a year, I thought I found someone I could care about, even if I didn’t want to admit it. ”

Violet looks down to the wooden floors.

“I also remember AJ shooting Marlon. I remember everyone turning against you, ready to throw you both out right then and there. I also remember stopping them. I stood between you and a group of kids ready to tear you apart with nothing but my meat cleaver.”

Violet leans forward with a burning gaze.

“You know what else I remember? I remember voting for you to stay. I remember telling them it was bullshit that you had to leave. I remember leaving you out there in the woods and then seeing that boot on your neck and shooting my bow to save your life. I was at your side the entire time, being the only one to defend you, to listen to you!”

“Vi-”

“I let you back into our school! Despite what everyone said- despite what Louis said, I let you stay because I knew you were our best chance of survival, even though they couldn’t see it. But, do you know what I remember the most?”

“Violet, I-”

“I remember when the raiders finally got here and the bomb went off. Everything was so fucked. They already had Omar and I saw them knock Aasim out and throw him in the cart, too. But before I could even think, I saw you fall off the balcony... Lilly point her fucking gun right at you. And I stopped her. I tackled her to the ground.”

Violet stands.

“I saved your life.”

Clementine remains still, even as Violet advances towards her, slowly, one step at a time.

“And I remember looking for you.”

They’re barely a footstep apart now.

“And you just let them take me.”

“That’s not what happened,” Clementine protests.

“Then, what did happen, Clem? Why didn’t you save me?” Violet spits. “Because I have a pretty good idea.”

“What? Vi, I told you, it wasn’t like that. I didn’t have enough time or a clear shot-”

“Bullshit,” Violet says. “Tell me the truth.”

Clementine searches the fury held in Violet’s eyes and finds she can’t speak. She opens her mouth, stuttering.

Violet leans close, whispering.

“You chose him.”

The words hang in the air between them.

“...What?”

“You chose him,” Violet repeats. “He wanted you gone after AJ shot Marlon. His head was so far up his own ass that he couldn’t... He wanted to leave you out there in those woods to die. He wanted nothing to do with you or AJ. And you still chose him.”

“Vi, what are you talking about?” Clementine asks, baffled. “I- I didn’t just choose him like that, it- everything was so-”

“I was there for you, not him! And you still let them take me! Why? Because Louis batted his eyes at you and said sorry?”

Now an angry warmth spreads through her now, melting the terrifying ice into liquid anger.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The fuck I don’t! You two barely said a word to each other the whole time we prepped-!”

“What? That’s not true-!”

“-and then we play some stupid card game and you’re suddenly putty in his hands? Suddenly you have feelings for him? You decide to play that stupid piano with him instead of preparing for our fucking doom? Like fucking around with him was more important than our lives?”

“That’s not how it went down and you know it!”

Violet lets out an angry groan, turning around and kicking at her bed frame. “Just admit it, Clem, you let them take me because you cared more about him!”

“Don’t twist it around like that!” Clementine glares. “I tried to save you both! And- and I went with him that night to play piano because I needed some comfort-”

“Pfft-!”

“-and I couldn’t go through the raider attack without seeing if there really was something between us! I had feelings for him before everything with Marlon and I needed to know if he felt the same way. I wasn’t going to have that regret with me! And- and when I saw them grab him, I didn’t stop to think, I just shot. I couldn’t let them take him-”

“Oh, but you were happy to let them take me?”

“No! I saved him but that doesn’t mean I didn’t try to save you or anyone else!”

“Bullshit!”

“Raiders were everywhere and then the walkers came in! I did the best I could to try and protect as many of us as possible!”

“Well, you did a shit job.”

Clementine’s nails bite into her palm as her fists tighten. Her heart is hard in her chest, it’s beat vibrating throughout her entire body.

“I’m sorry that they got you, Vi, I am. I always will be, but there wasn’t anything I could do except plan to save you. We all risked our lives to go back for you!”

“You should've just left us.”

“How can you say that? You’re here, alive, and at home because of what we did!”

“So? You have no fucking idea what it was like on that ship, Clem. What they did to us.” Violet turns back to face her. “What they did to Minnie. They threatened us with inhumane things like it was nothing- Like we were nothing! Just dogs ready to be mutilated and thrown out if we didn’t sit down and roll over!”

“Then how can you say that I should’ve left you?”

“Because at least I would’ve had Minnie-”

“Violet, you were there when she admitted to killing Sophie! You were there when they tried to cut Louis’ hand off! When they took AJ away! They threatened you! And you still tried to stop me from breaking out! We’d all be dead if I hadn’t done anything and you know it! That wasn’t the Minerva you knew! How could you-”

“Do you know what it’s like to lose someone twice? Someone you loved more than you could ever love yourself? No, you don’t! Minnie never would’ve let them hurt me-”

“You really believe that? After she murdered her own sister?”

“She protected me, told me how to be safe while I was locked up! She stayed beside me for hours while Lilly-” Violet sucks in a short breath, biting her lips and squeezing her eyes shut. “...All you ever did was abandon me when I gave you so much. I never would’ve left you.”

“If that’s the case, then put yourself in my position,” Clementine says, glaring. “If it’d been you with the bow, and you had to try and save both me and Minerva, what would you have done?”

For the first time in several minutes, the room’s quiet.

Clementine steps back to steady herself. “You already know your answer. You would’ve tried to save us both but you also know that you would’ve tried to save her first. I wouldn’t hate you for that.”

“It’s different- I loved Minnie-”

“I loved Louis-”

“You barely knew him!”

“I barely knew you!”

“It’s not the same thing, Clem! You may love him now but you didn’t love him then, so don’t even try and pull that shit with me!”

“Fine,” Clementine crosses her arms tight over her chest. “Fine. Let me ask you this, then: Who would you have saved if it was me or Louis?”

Violet turns her back to her, still shaking with resentment.

“You can’t answer that, can you? Because it wasn’t a choice like that. When you look back on it, it seems like it is… but in the moment, that's not what it is.”

Violet says nothing.

Clementine’s throat is sore, and her chest aches. Frustration wets her eyes. Her head, filled with so many thoughts and so many emotions, feels ready to cave in under the pressure of the room.

“...What do you want me to say?” Clementine whispers.

Violet shakes her head. “There’s nothing you can say. What’s done is done. It doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change that I thought you cared about me more than you really did.”

“I did- I do care about you, Vi. Why do you think I’m here?”

“Because Louis sent you.”

“No, he didn’t.”

Violet scoffs.

“He didn’t,” Clementine reassures. “I’m here because I want to be. I meant what I said, Vi. I miss you, and I want us to be friends again. I know that’s asking for too much, that you will never forgive me for what happened. But, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry, Violet. I hate that I can’t just talk to you like I could before. I hate that we can’t play stupid card games together with Louis. I hate seeing you hide away from everyone. We all miss you.”

Violet faces her again with an unreadable expression.

“Okay, Clem,” she says slowly. “Say I forgive you. Say we work this out and become friends again. We’ll play our stupid card games and have a grand ol’ time.” Violet shrugs her shoulders, weakly motioning to her. “Everything’s all sunshine and rainbows. But, what happens when a new set of raiders come knocking on our doors?” She brushes her bangs out of her face, holding her hand against her head. “What happens when they break in again and I need your help?”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“No? It’s not?” Violet gives a dry laugh. “Let me tell you what’ll happen, Clem. I’ll look for you and you won’t be there.”

Clementine closes her eyes and lowers her head. “You- You’re not listening-”

“You’ve made your choice,” says Violet. “And I won’t be hurt again because of it.”

She moves to the window, peering out. Clementine watches her with nothing to say. Truly, what could she say to make Violet understand?

“Most days, I hate him, too.”

“What?” Clementine asks.

“Did he ever tell you what happened? After you knocked Minnie out?” Violet peers over her shoulder at her.

“That you guys jumped into the water before the boat could explode.”

Violet turns back to the window and runs her finger over the glass, smudging it.

“Minnie was out cold and I couldn’t wake her up. I refused to leave her and Louis refused to let me stay. So, he carried me. I kicked, punched, screamed, scratched, bit… anything I could to get him to put me down. Got him right in the chin a couple of times, made him bleed. And he just wouldn’t let me go. He dragged me out and just… tossed me overboard.”

Violet sighs, pressing her forehead against the glass.

“Do you know how cold the water was that night?” she asks quietly. “Or how many walkers there were?”

Clementine doesn’t answer.

“…He left Minnie lying there on the boat.”

Clementine knew that.

Louis confessed it to her one night after one of his nightmares, how they could’ve saved her from the explosion, how he tried so hard to convince Violet to get up but once the boat started rocking, got scared and threw both of them overboard.

What Violet didn’t know- at least, Clementine assumes that she doesn’t know- is that Louis looked back at Minerva, a guilty thought nagging him to bring her, too… only to find that it was too late.

That woman, the one Louis has nightmares about, got to Minerva first.

He cried about it until he physically couldn’t anymore.

Even though Louis hated her in those last moments, hated what Minerva had become, he still occasionally wept for the girl he used to know.

“Know what he told me? After we got back?”

Clementine almost doesn’t hear her she’s so quiet.

Violet smiles, actually smiles. “He said he loved me. Called me family.”

Clementine’s lip curls, just a bit, into what could be a smile, as well.

Until Violet says, “I hate that he loves you.”

“...What?”

“It drives me insane, the fact that you love each other. He thinks the world of you, y’know. He never talks about you when he’s with me, but I can just see it on that stupid face of his. He fucking adores you. You and AJ.” She goes quiet. “You’re his family now.”

“He still loves you, Violet.”

“I know,” she murmurs. “He tells me all the time.”

“So, why do you hate him? Because of Minerva?”

“Sometimes… but honestly?”

Clementine risks taking a few steps closer.

“Because now I’m no one’s first choice,” she whispers. “He’d pick you first, always. He proved that after we escaped… after I attacked you. He didn’t even hesitate.”

After the delta ship completely sank and they all regrouped, Violet had lunged at her, knocked her to ground. But, she didn’t stand a chance, not with everyone there. Not even with the knife she’d stolen off of Clementine.

“I’ve never seen him do that. Even when Marlon threatened you, he hesitated.”

Louis stepped in front of her, shielded her from the distraught girl she once called a friend. They yelled at each other and he was ready to wrestle the knife away from her if words didn’t work.

Thankfully, it never came to that.

“I’ll always be taken,” Violet’s voice cracks.

It takes the tears spilling over to make Clementine realize she’s actually crying. Her first instinct is to reach out and grab her, but then Violet turns and glares at her again.

“Violet-”

“You got what you wanted. We talked. I don’t think there’s anything else left to say.”

That’s far from the truth. There’s still so, so much more.

I wish I could take your pain away.

I wish I could have saved you, too.

Louis loves you. Tenn loves you. I love you. We all love you.

We miss you.

You don’t have to be scared.

You don’t have to be alone.

And, of course, the whole reason for this.

Violet, I’m asking Louis to marry me tomorrow.

But, she doesn’t say any of those things.

Instead, she wipes tears off her cheeks.

“I’ll never let anyone take you again, Vi,” she musters up all her confidence. “We’re family.”

“...You need to leave.” Violet turns her back to her one final time. “We’re done.”

She doesn’t want to, hesitating, waiting for Violet to change her mind.

And when she doesn’t, she leaves.

Mitch is there, right next to the door with a sullen expression. There’s no doubt in her mind that he heard nearly every word spoken between them.

The door closes with a soft click.

His hand touches her shoulder gently.

“You okay?”

She shakes her head.

“It’s late,” she says. “I- ...I think it’s time for bed.”

Mitch nods. With a comforting hand on her shoulder, the two head down the hall.

They stop when there’s an anguished scream and the sound of broken glass.

Clementine whips around and dashes for Violet’s room.

The door flings open and Violet runs out. She goes in the opposite direction, turning the corner and out of sight.

“Violet!” Clementine calls.

Mitch stops her from going after her.

“She’s probably going to Tenn’s room,” he says. “Best not to get in her way.”

Shit.

Mitch watches her as she rubs at her tired eyes and pushes all the air out of her lungs in a heavy sigh. She looks over into Violet’s room. The cause of the breaking glass sound is evident on the floor. From here, she can see it’s a framed photo of Violet, Minerva, and Sophie.

“Look,” Mitch says, “I’ll follow her and make sure she gets to Tenn fine, okay?”

She glances up at him and tries to smile. “Thank you.”

He pats her shoulder one last time before going down the hall.

Now, she’s alone in the middle of the hallway with a lump in her throat and an overwhelming desire to be in Louis’ arms.

---

The lantern lights up the dark dorm in a warm hue. Louis is sitting on their bed, eyes drooping as he attempts to read the book in hand when Clementine comes in.

“Hey, there you are,” he says with a smile, setting his bookmark in before closing the book. “How was watch?”

“Fine.”

“Anything exciting?”

“Not. Nothing exciting.”

Something’s wrong. Clementine won’t look at him and her voice is raw. Setting the book aside, Louis gets off the bed and approaches her. She keeps her back to him as she takes off her hat and slips off her jacket. He places his hands on her shoulders, lightly turning her around.

“Clem?”

Now that he’s closer, the redness ringing her eyes is much more prominent.

“It wasn’t a great end to the night,” she admits quietly.

His warm hand grabs hers tenderly. Her chin quivers.

“Hey,” he pulls her closer, only for her to bury herself in his chest and hold onto him for dear life. He holds her tight, running a comforting hand along her back.

“What happened?” he asks.

She shakes her head.

“I talked to Violet,” she murmurs against his skin. “About everything.”

Louis’ eyes widen.

She doesn’t say any more. He doesn’t need her to.

Moments later, the lantern's off and they’re in bed, laying side one another in comfortable silence. Neither can sleep, so Louis grabs her hand to trace the letters of her name on the back, then her palm to make her laugh.

"That's cheating."

"So?"

"So you lose."

"Oh, so it's only okay when you cheat?" Louis laughs.

She plants a tender kiss on his chin, right where his scar is.

"Yes."

His eyes flutter shut. A grin remains on his lips.

Tomorrow is so close.

“Louis?” She whispers.

“Clementine?”

“I love you.”

He doesn’t hesitate.

“I love you, too.”

#[with you]#twdg clementine #twdg louis #twdg clouis #clouis #twdg louisentine #louisentine #twdg violet #twdg mitch #twdg aj #twdg tenn #twdg omar #twdg james #twdg willy #twdg aasim #twdg ruby #twdg marlon #twdg brody

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winchester-fantasies · 5 years

Text

Until My Dying Breath

Summary: The Mark has changed Dean and taken its toll on him and your relationship. Will you ever come back to him?

Word Count: 2841

Warnings: angst, swearing, smut, fluff

Pairing: MOC!Dean x Reader

Winchester Fantasies’ Masterlist

The first thing he noticed through the haze of sleep was the quiet. It was deafening. He rolled over, his hand reaching to the other side of the bed - her side. It was cold and empty.

He jerked out of bed and fumbled for the lamp. The room was flooded with light, and he squinted against it, silently cursing as his eyes struggled to adjust. He glanced around the room desperately, trying to find something, anything to indicate she was still there.

Finding nothing, he jumped out of bed and practically ran down the hall, silently praying she’d be sitting in the library doing research as she so often did. She always said 2:00 a.m. was her hour of inspiration.

Panic took over when he found the library dark and empty. He hurried to the kitchen, flipping on the light and searching wildly even though he already knew she wasn’t there.

His eyes fell to the counter, settling on a piece of paper. He picked it up with trembling hands. It was a note - a simple one: “I can’t do this. I’m sorry.”

“Son of a bitch!” he shouted, pounding his fist on the counter. He swung around, jerking pots and pans from the hooks over the island and throwing them against the wall, each one making a dent. He shoved bowls, plates, and cups off the metal shelves, the ceramic shattering on the concrete floor.

He leaned heavily against the island, his breathing labored. His heart beat hard as rage pumped through his veins. He glanced down to the Mark on his arm, angry and red. He wished he could take his knife and carve it out of his skin. But this godforsaken Mark wouldn’t let him.

He had warned her it would change him. She reassured him she could take it. He told her to leave. She had stayed. He promised he’d never hurt her. She had believed him. Now she was gone.

“Dean?” Sam’s voice broke through his thoughts. “You okay?”

“She’s gone,” he choked out.

“What? Why?” Sam asked incredulously.

Dean shoved the note into his brother’s hand. Sam’s eyes roved the paper, his lips silently mouthing the words. He frowned and turned it over. Finding nothing on the other side, he looked back to Dean, confusion written on his face. “What is this about?” he asked.

“What do you think, Sammy?” Dean barked, motioning to his arm.

“The Mark,” Sam stated as if it weren’t already blaringly obvious.

Dean ran his fingers through his hair roughly. “Fuck, I knew this would happen,” he lamented gruffly.

“What exactly did happen?” Sam asked, still not entirely following.

“I…. Fuck, Sam! I hurt her!” Dean shouted.

Sam’s eyes darkened. “How?” he asked, his voice low.

“I…we were in the library. She…she said something that really pissed me off.” He let out an angry chuckle. “I can’t even remember what she said. Shows just how petty I was being.”

His face hardened. “I hit her, Sam. I hit her hard. She was bleeding. And crying. I…I couldn’t stand to see her cry so I left her alone. I didn’t even try to apologize or see if she was alright.” He looked to Sam, his eyes wide with anguish. “What kind of boyfriend am I, Sam, that I don’t even check to see if my girl is okay?”

“Not a very good one,” Sam said. Dean flinched at his brother’s brashness, but he didn’t argue. He knew Sam was right.

Dean groaned as he leaned against the island again, his forehead resting on the cold metal surface. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do without her, Sam,” he said in bewilderment.

“Just give her a few days. She might just need some time to cool off,” Sam said. Sam was always the peacemaker, and the one who saw the good in every situation. Normally Dean found comfort in his brother’s encouragement. But this time Dean found little solace in his brother’s words.

Dean shook his head. “I don’t think so. It’s too late.”

**********

Two weeks. Two long, agonizing weeks. That’s how long she’d been gone. Sam had tried to track her phone, and they had even used Bobby’s old tracking spell. When neither of those worked, they turned to Cas. But even that turned up nothing. It didn’t surprise him that she knew every move in the book. Dean had taught her well.

He leaned back against Baby’s hood, her cold metal matching the iciness in his heart. He raised the bottle to his lips and took a long and generous gulp. The whiskey strung on the way down, but it was nothing compared to the ache in his heart.

He threw the bottle to the ground, and the glass shattered against the rocks that sat only a few feet away. He looked around him, at the wide open field before him, the forest that sat on either side of him, the cloudless sky and the moon that hung low. This was where they had first consummated their love, where they both realized the passing brushes and lingering glances were more than casual flirting, more than just friends.

He took out another bottle and chugged. His head was buzzing and things were starting to get a little hazy, but it didn’t matter how much he tried to drown himself in alcohol. Nothing seemed to numb the pain.

He thought he had loved Cassie and Lisa. He really did. But nothing could have prepared him for this. This was on a whole ‘nother level, one so deep he was finding it hard to swim or make sense of anything. She was his life preserver, and the one light that shone in the shit show that was his life. But without her, he didn’t know if he really wanted to live.

He took out his phone and fumbled with the screen. He pulled up her name, and his heart seized up when he saw her caller ID. She was so beautiful. She was always so insecure and critical of herself, and no matter how many times he tried to convince her otherwise, she never fully believed him. But she would always be the most beautiful and precious treasure to him.

His fingers hovered over the call button. Should he? Sam would probably tell him no. That she needed space and that he’d only be complicating things. Well, to hell with space!

He hit the button and raised the phone to his ear with trembling hands. It rang one…two…three times. He began to lose his nerve. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Just when he was about to give up there was a click on the other line.

“Hello?” she said, and his breath hitched. Her words were unceremonious and monotone, but her voice was about the prettiest sound he’d ever heard. He wasn’t even sure what to compare it to. Maybe like that symphony she’d shown him that one time or maybe like the gentle rain that fell around them when they had shared their first kiss.

He must have remained silent too long because she sighed heavily. “Dean, I’m hanging up.”

“No, no, please!” he begged. At any other time he would have kicked himself for sounding so needy, but right now he didn’t give a damn how he sounded. He needed her to know how lost he was without her.

Silence met his plea, and his stomach dropped. Had she hung up anyway? “(Y/N)?” he whispered, hoping against hope that he was wrong.

“What do you want?” she asked bluntly, and relief washed over him.

“I…I don’t know,” he said.

“Then there’s no reason to stay on the line,” she stated.

“Wait!” he demanded, his voice ringing out in the open air. “Can…can we talk?”

She didn’t answer, and he was almost certain she never would. But then she sighed. “Not on the phone,” she said. “Meet me at that little coffee shop outside of town. The one with our favorite pie.” His heart leapt at her use of the word ‘our.’

“The place where we had our first date,” he said softly.

“Yeah,” she whispered, and he could have sworn her voice quivered just a little. “Be there at 10:00 tomorrow,” she said quickly before hanging up.

**********

He walked into the coffee shop, requesting the table near the back. He ordered coffee before he settled back in his chair. She hadn’t arrived yet, and he kept bouncing his leg as he waited impatiently.

He took a sip of coffee and pulled out his phone, opening the file Sam had sent him. Maybe if he read up about their new case, he wouldn’t be such a basket case when she finally did arrive.

He was two pages in when the bell over the coffee shop door tinkled. He looked up, and his heart nearly stopped. There she was. Just as beautiful and radiant as ever.

Her eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on him. He sent her a half-hearted smile, but she didn’t return it, instead casting her gaze to the floor. She walked over to the table, her shoulders slumped. Anguish and self-loathing filled his mind as he realized he was the cause. He was the reason she was so broken.

“Hey,” he whispered as she settled down across from him. She looked up at him. Her eyes were red and bloodshot like she’d been crying too much, and if the dark circles under them were any indication, she hadn’t slept in days.

“Hi,” she rasped. Her eyes were down again. She played with the strings on her hoodie absentmindedly, feigning interest in the slightly worn out tabletop.

“You hungry?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Not really,” she said, but he doubted it was true. Her face looked a bit thinner, like she hadn’t eaten properly since she’d left. She probably hadn’t. She was always so selfless. Always putting him and Sam first, forgetting about herself and her own needs. He’d always have to remind her to eat and drink. But he didn’t press her this time. He’d make sure she was taken care of right after they took care of the elephant in the room.

“I’m really sorry about the other night,” he said, wasting no time in getting right to the point. She appreciated transparency and despised when people beat around the bush.

She looked up at him again. His eyes searched hers, but her face was unreadable. “Me, too,” she breathed.

He frowned. “There’s no reason for you to apologize. You did nothing wrong.”

A tear rolled down her cheek, but she quickly swiped it away, almost as if she didn’t have the right to feel hurt. “I made you upset. I promised I’d be there for you; help you through this. I just wanted to be your comfort, Dean. But I only made things worse for you.”

His heart nearly broke that she felt so responsible for what happened. She looked down again, but he reached across and took her hand. She didn’t hold it, but she didn’t pull away.

He squeezed her hand gently. “Look at me, (Y/N),” he whispered. He swallowed past the lump in her throat when her eyes met his once more, hurt swimming in their (Y/E/C) depths.

He forced a smile. “Listen to me, and listen good. None of what’s happened the last few months or the other night was your fault. None of it,” he emphasized. “It’s all me. It’s all because of this god-damned Mark!” he spat out. She flinched at his tone and quickly withdrew her hand from his, shrinking back into the chair.

Where was the badass and fiery hunter he knew? Wherever she was, this wasn’t her.

“I know the Mark hasn’t taken a toll just on me, but on you, too,” he said quietly. “But, baby, I don’t want us to give up. I want us to keep fighting this, and fighting for each other. I don’t want you to give up on me,” he said desperately.

Her eyes shot up to meet his, piercing his very depths. He caught a glimpse of the fighter he loved so much as her eyes flashed. “I’ve never given up on you, Dean!” she stated, her voice cracking from the exertion of trying to maintain control of her emotions. “And I’m not about to give up now!”

“But, Dean,” she said, sobering. “I can’t stay with you if you’re only going to keep hurting me.”

He looked to the table. What was he supposed to say to that? He couldn’t promise he’d never hurt her again. He placed his hand on his forearm, heat from the Mark penetrating his heavy jacket and flannel. He couldn’t promise anything when this thing dictated his every emotion.

“I can’t promise that,” he breathed. She nodded, her eyes welling with tears that she tried hopelessly to hold back. “But I promise I’ll try,” he said, desperate to give her something to hold on to.

“Everyday is a battle,” he continued. “But it’s one I’m willing to fight if it means I’ll have you by my side. With you, everything makes sense. You’re the missing piece that keeps everything in alignment. You’re the only thing that makes sense to me anymore, (Y/N). And without you, I’m not sure that even the Mark could keep me alive.”

“Dean,” she said, her voice trembling. “To try is all I ask.” She reached across the table and took his hand, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. And for the first time since she’d walked inside, he saw her smile.

**********

Before either of them could really register what was happening, they were in a motel room. He had her pressed against the door while he kissed her needily. If felt like months since he’d seen her even though it had only been weeks, and his hunger for her was insatiable.

Her hands wound around his neck as his fingers fumbled with the button on her jeans. He pushed them and her panties down in one fell swoop, and she quickly stepped out of them, kicking them into the corner.

He placed his knee between her legs, spreading them wide, and she bucked against it, moaning as his jeans made contact with her sensitive clit. He removed his leg, replacing it with his hand. His fingers slid past her swollen bud and dipped inside, coating them with her wetness. She shuddered as his fingers briefly touched her sweet spot, and she gasped when he began to stroke her clit. Within moments she was cumming, his name a prayer on her lips.

She was breathing hard when he captured her lips in his own. Her hand found his throbbing erection, and he bucked into her palm until he was on the precipice of release. “Need to be inside you. Now,” he panted. She nodded and released him. He turned her around and started backing her up towards the bed. But they never made it.

Her hands gripped his shoulders, and her back rubbed roughly against the stained and mildewy carpet as he pounded into her relentlessly. Her walls were a soft cocoon of velvet, and he wondered if someone could die from ecstasy.

His hands found her legs, cupping the underside of her knees and bringing her legs around his waist. The new position afforded him a better angle, and he knew he’d found her sweet spot as she arched her back and moaned, the sound breathy and wanton.

“Almost. There,” she breathed, and he pressed on harder and more ardently. He was determined to show her how much he needed her, how much he loved her.

She came hard, her walls clenching around him, his name a cry of praise on her lips. Her legs shook as he came inside her, his warm seed filling her to the brim.

He fell on top of her, his head coming to rest in the crook of her neck. He whispered a litany of sweet nothings while her hands paved trails over his sweaty back and up his neck, fingers weaving through his hair.

He pulled out once he was limp, and he got up, his legs shaky. He picked her up bridal style, carried her to the bed, and laid her down gently. He placed a soft kiss to her brow before going to the bathroom. He returned with a damp cloth, and he cleaned her up with tender ministrations.

He tossed the cloth into the corner before climbing into bed, pulling the blanket over them both. He snuggled under the covers, pulling her close to him and giving her a loving kiss.

She laid her head on his chest, her fingers brushing his skin while his stroked her hip. His eyes grew heavy, and he was on the verge of sleep when she spoke, her voice quiet but strong. “I’m going to fight, too. For you. For us. Until I can’t fight anymore. Until my dying breath.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading!

***Please do not share my content on any other platform without my consent.

#dean winchester #dean winchester x reader #dean x reader #dean winchester smut #supernatural fanfiction

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sevenincubistolemyheart · 5 years

Text

Black Ties, White Lies- Taehyung’s Oneshot

A/N: SURPRISE!! Finished editing a little earlier than I thought...have at it my princes and princesses~

Au: Mafia

Tag List: @xsunnyhoseokx @wilhelminalucinda @amiraclerenee @inutiledediscuter

Rating: T

Potential Triggers: Nothing too serious in this one, especially compared to prior chapters. Weapons are seen, the tiniest amount of blood ever. Let me know if I’m missing anything but I’m pretty sure that’s it.

Pairing: BTS x Reader/OT7 x reader

Genre: Drama, Crime, Angst, Fluff, Hurt & Comfort

Length: 3k+

You blinked your eyes sleepily, yawning as you came to and wincing at the bright light that blinded you when you tried to embrace the day. Finally, your eyes adjusted and you realized with a start you were restrained to a wooden chair, the unkind bark biting into your skin.

You felt fear begin to fill you and looked around, quickly taking in your surroundings as you tried to make sense of what had happened. Had you been kidnapped? You hadn't done anything last night, just sleeping in your and Yoongi's bed as usual. What if they couldn't find you? Or worse, thought you'd run away and didn't search for you at all?

You took a deep breath, forcing yourself to calm down and think rationally but just as you went to exhale a voice from behind your chair startled you.

"If you panicked like that in a real kidnapping, you'd already be at a huge disadvantage to escaping."

You never thought you'd be so relieved to hear Taehyung's confident voice.

He walked around so you could see him fully. You were still in your pajamas; a silk t-shirt and shorts and were getting cold from the air conditioner; causing you to start to shiver a bit.

He smirked.

"Cold? Good. It'll urge you to escape faster. I'll be teaching you how to escape a situation like this should you ever be kidnapped."

He grumbled under his breath as he grabbed a

simple looking bracelet and latched it onto your wrist easily, nimble fingers locking it in place; surprisingly not too tight as you thought he'd make it.

"I wanted to teach you how to torture others but apparently that's "too intense' for you and Yoongi is already planning to help you withstand torture so I'll be teaching you how to escape should you ever get taken." His eyes flickered and he sighed.

"Shit, don't tell him I told you that. Forgot we were supposed to keep what we were planning to teach you a secret till the day of."

You highly doubted that given he'd used the element of surprise himself today but opted not to comment on it.

He stood up straight, pointing to the bracelet he'd put on you. "Never take that off. It could quite literally save your life."

You raised a disbelieving eyebrow and he sighed, rolling his eyes.

"I'll show you. Press down as hard as you can on the bottom of the bracelet."

You hesitated, but did as instructed, pressing the metal into the coarse wood before you flinched slightly at the metallic sound of a blade suddenly popping out, though it was tiny.

"Since your wrists are smaller than most people they'll be interrogating, you'll have a bit of movement, even with the braces tightened all the way as they are currently. That's your opening."

"Now, escape. I'll be timing you. Get out within 2 hours or you'll face interrogation."

Your heart leaped in fear.

"I thought you just said you couldn't torture me!"

Taehyung looked over his shoulder and smiled smugly, not responding with anything but the click of the door sliding shut.

You pushed your panic aside and huffed, looking at your bound wrist and beginning to move your wrist back and forth the small bit you could. The hidden blade barely made much difference as far as you could tell but you kept it up, a cool, steely resolve replacing your fear as you continue, no matter how tired you became.

No matter how much you loathed Taehyung, he was more skilled than you, and this really could save your life. You may as well learn all you could, especially since it was for your own benefit.

When you were about halfway through, the door suddenly slammed open and you pressed up, rather than down as you'd discovered while accidentally pushing too hard to cut that doing so would once again hide the blade.

Your face was stoic as Jungkook and Namjoon entered, though inwardly you were surprised. Namjoon observed you from afar while Jungkook got in your face, clearly trying to intimidate you.

You merely raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him.

"...I thought we were waiting on torture? Taehyung's already training me today."

Jungkook scoffed.

"You think this is torture?"

You smiled sweetly.

"I'm looking at your face, aren't I?"

His eyes sparked with anger before Namjoon snarled.

"Jungkook! Enough."

He waited for the boy to step back before he met your eyes.

"Taehyung wanted to test you. To see if you could think fast under such pressure and hide the blade in time. Luckily, you succeeded. Since I bet on you...I get to reward you."

He stepped forward, cutting through the ropes easily with his own knife.

You rubbed your slightly chafed wrists and looked at him curiously. "But...the whole point of escape training is to learn how to escape on my own, no? Doesn't letting me free kinda make the whole lesson mute?"

Jungkook stepped forward with a smirk.

"I'm more than happy to tie you up again if you'd like sweetheart."

You nimbly hopped away on instinct while Namjoon merely shook his head and sighed.

"You two need to learn to get along at some point. Taehyung too. This is already beyond exhausting."

You scoffed at that.

"How do you think I feel? Not my fault they both like to target me for no reason."

Jungkook growled attempting to step forward though Namjoon held a hand out, a wordless order to back off. His eyes flicked to you as he seemed to be contemplating his words carefully.

"It certainly doesn't help when you provoke them."

You shrugged, grumbling under your breath.

"I'll still heal their wounds when they're injured won't I?"

Namjoon could only sigh. Why had he let you join again? He rolled his shoulders and raised his chin towards the door in a silent order to leave.

"...Go find Taehyung. He's waiting for you in the front yard."

Your eyes lit up at that. You were going outside? You hadn't gotten the chance to ever since you'd entered the house really so you were looking forward to it, even if it was with Taehyung.

You nodded, bowing quickly to the two before all but running out; the promise of fresh air too enticing to wait any longer. You exited through the front exit, only to yelp as you were pulled against a built chest by an arm around your neck.

"That was quick. I suppose Namjoon won the bet then? Aish, I told him cutting you loose was too nice but he is our leader after all. He gets a pass.”

You squirmed in his grip but he only tightened his arm a bit; making you panic slightly as you feel your air supply decrease.

A cleared throat and a strong arm suddenly pulling your forward made him release you and you coughed and panted as you recovered your lost oxygen, eyes briefly flicking up to observe your savior as he released his firm grip on your bicep.

Jungkook snorted at your state but his gaze quickly turned back to Taehyung, head tilted in a predatory manner as his lips twitched in amusement.

“Careful hm? I’ll need her in one piece for when I train her.”

Taehyung’s gaze narrowed and a low growl escaped him at the lack of respect and his warning both.

“Watch your mouth makane. I know what I’m doing. I’ve been here longer than you- don’t try and talk down to me.”

His voice had lowered an octave ringing with his own clear warning as you looked between the two.

Just as you opened your mouth to say something and hopefully put a stop to their uncomfortable glaring contest; a cheerful voice interrupted before you could.

“Jungkook-ah! C’mon don’t you want to train?”

Jimin's appearance caused a gleeful grin to overtake your face before you forced yourself to smile gently instead so the other two wouldn't see how excited you were to see him.

Jungkook grumbled under his breath but reluctantly let Jimin toss an arm around his shoulder and start tugging him away. He snuck a wink your way when Taehyung wasn't looking making your cheeks warm.

Taehyung rolled his eyes at the brief distraction but turned his attention back to you once the two had left.

"As I was saying…you're going to need to do more than escape your bonds. You're going to need to escape the building. I want you to try and escape our compound. I'm giving you 20 minutes. I'll be in pursuit of you and guards have been stationed around to watch for you."

He gave you a cheeky smirk.

"Good luck kitten. You're gonna need it."

He pointed towards a metal gate leading to the back.

"I'd start running if I were you. I'll only be waiting 5 minutes before coming for you because that's all the time you'll have before your escape has been noticed."

You didn’t need any further prompting and bolted; your adrenaline continuing to drive you forward even as your legs and lungs burned. You abruptly came to a stop at the sight of 2 guards; covering your mouth to muffle your panting from exertion. Your eyes widened as you spotted a third guard coming around the corner and thought fast as you threw yourself into the bush next to you; crouching down and trying to slow your breathing.

You could hear your heart beating in your ears as you watched a pair of legs stop in front of your bush; looking around briefly before continuing on.

You didn’t leave for a full minute though, even though your paranoia of Taehyung catching up to you was begging you to just run for it. You knew you needed to be strategic to make it out of this. You had no doubt that Taehyung was counting on you acting irrationally out of fear.

You slowly exited the shrubbery being wary of your surroundings as your eyes darted around until they lit up at the sight of the exit. You were still cautious as you made your way there being as stealthy as possible. You made it through grinning happily as you turned to look up back at your makeshift prison.

Only to be roughly tackled to the ground as you were blindsided. You gasped for breath as you tussled with the much taller and stronger individual frantically trying to fight them off to the best of your ability as you grasped at the dirt and rubble by your palms and threw it in their face as a distraction. They still didn’t release you though, resolutely keeping a tight hold on you as they subdued you by pushing your hands behind your back and your face into the dirt.

"...Final lesson. Even once you escape your attackers- you're never truly safe. They will always be there, waiting for you to give them a chance to get revenge. Us kidnappers don't like being outsmarted."

With that Taehyung released you leaving you to sit up and rub your wrists with a pout.

He snickered at your expression.

"Oh relax. I could've had you in a much more painful pin. Be thankful I went easy on you. Our enemies won't."

With one last look over his shoulder, he rolled his eyes at your lack of response and walked over, dragging you back to your feet as he pulled you back into the compound. Or tried to as you gripped the wall and you spoke up.

"W-Wait!"

He looked back at you expectantly and you steeled yourself as you asked.

"...This is the first time I've been out here since I joined. Can't we just explore for a bit?"

He looked at you blankly for several seconds before he looked around with a huff.

"I suppose surveying the terrain will be good for you. Should you ever be kidnapped you should be able to differentiate between our insignias and know what safe areas there are for you; as well as having an advantage on the enemy."

You tried to hold back your excitement but he rolled his eyes as he saw the sparkle in your eyes.

“Don’t get too excited. It’ll only be for a little while. Come with me; I have to get my other weapons, and I want to give you a knife as well; just in case we get separated. This city may seem quiet and nice but we’re still going through turf wars with the GOT7 faction and EXO family.”

“How come?”

Your innocent question actually made Taehyung stop in his tracks just as you were about to reenter the mansion. He was quiet for several moments.

“...For reasons you aren’t ready to hear yet.”

He finally mumbled before holding open his door and motioning you inside after him.

You weren’t sure what you were expecting but it honestly wasn’t too unlike Hoseok’s or Yoongi’s room.

It has a simple color scheme, mainly with wood and burgundy being his colors of choice along with splashes of black.

On his black bedside table sat several knives of varying sizes. He picked up one, feeling the point and nodded in satisfaction when it caused blood to bead at the tip of his index finger, licking it away as he turned to you and offered the knife after closing it.

"Here. It's sharp enough that even someone with no skills should be able to cause enough damage to be lethal if necessary. I doubt it'll come to that, but you should have a weapon on you just as well whenever you leave the house."

He turned back to the small black dresser and crouched to open the drawer just beneath the knives, making your stomach flip at the assortment of sinister-looking weapons. Torture implements no doubt. The bottle of chloroform (thank God for Hoseok) and rag you noticed just behind the knives suddenly made you anxious again.

Despite his matter of fact approach to training you today you had to admit...a part of you was still petrified of him and what he was capable of.

"There. I'm ready to go now. Just needed to add a few more weapons just in case we're ambushed."

He called to you, having slipped a smaller gun in his shoe and a larger knife of his own into his pants when you'd been distracted in addition to his typical gun holster.

You nodded and the two of you left swiftly afterward.

You were still excited to be in the fresh air but seeing all the weapons had definitely not been comforting.

You made your way outside the mansion, Taehyung leading the way through shortcuts you never would've thought of and stopped in front of a carved insignia. Two wings breaking out at the top of a circle.

"That's our symbol. When you see it, it means you're in our territory. Any guards or even people we have undercover are under our jurisdiction. If you ever do get kidnapped but manage to escape and find one of these, stay out of sight until you see someone with a tattoo with this symbol or one of us obviously."

"What about the patches? Too easily faked?"

You inquired, talking about the several guards you'd seen wearing simple black bands with silver engravings of the symbol.

"Yeah, exactly. Good to see you're actually learning and paying attention. Mine is here if you're curious."

He pulled down his shirt slightly to reveal the marking on the left side of his collarbone with the same color scheme, though his wings were fully colored in with the metallic silver whereas the circle kept the same simple outline.

No doubt to show he was one of the leaders.

"Huh. Do...do I need to get one of those?"

You wondered, having never gotten a tattoo before; you wondered if you could stand the pain.

He chuckled and ruffled your hair.

"Maybe after you've earned it newbie. Now c'mon; I've still got to show you the other two family's crests."

-----

It was a long day of walking and talking over shortcuts and what you should do to trick your pursuers as well as an informative one.

He was oddly quiet about the other 2 groups though and would change the subject to other things or accuse you of not paying attention to his teachings when you tried to continue asking.

It was weird seeing him so calm and put together. Sure, he’d always been meticulous and crafty but you’d never pegged him for a logical type as you’d found him to be today. He was smarter than you gave him credit for.

You returned home after many hours of roaming and he dropped you off at Yoongi’s room. You went to knock only to look up in surprise as Taehyung grabbed your wrist to stop you; making you freeze.

“Hey wait-”

‘Was he going to hurt you again?’

Your fear must’ve become apparent to him because he dropped your wrist like he’d been burned and took several steps back; cutting his words off and looking unusually pained.

His eyes met yours as he shrugged; closing himself off as if the slip-up had never happened.

“...Forget about it. I’m sure Yoongi is waiting for you.”

With that he went to leave but your curiosity was piqued and it was your turn to reach out to him, catching his sleeve gently between your fingers.

“Please. Tell me what it is you were going to say?”

Your voice was soft; gentle even and it made him pause.

He hesitated before turning to look over his shoulder and you were even more taken aback to see the shame in his eyes; the agony.

“...Let go before I make you.”

His voice was barely above a whisper despite the threat and you felt your heart cry out for him despite all that had happened. Who was this man standing before you?

“Taehyung…”

You went to step forward to comfort him but he suddenly jerked his sleeve away from you and shook his head; as if awakening himself from a daze.

He risked one last glance at you; expression unreadable and then simply walked away leaving you more confused than ever.

-----

A/N: Welp there you have it! I hope you guys enjoyed it as I got pretty into this one!! Please do let me know what you thought as always...you know I love it when you talk theories and ish to me!

Love you all!

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miraimisu · 4 years

Note

I'm too sober for this with Lona from the dialogue prompt list? Only if you want of course :3

—

Gladion knows full well he should have never come to this party. He’s not even a party person, not to mention that he’s not here out of his own volition per se. Lillie had tickled him right where it hurt when she mentioned Moon would be coming– and he knows that Moon herself isn’t that fond of university parties either.

She likes small meetings with a few friends. She’s as fond of their tight circle of friends as he is, but sometimes, Moon likes to show off her social skills and meander around to find a victim to target with her bad jokes and wonderful personality.

What Lillie hadn’t mentioned – maybe on purpose, maybe not – was that Ilima would be coming, too.

It’s not like Gladion loathes Ilima. He’s an outstanding student, an aspiring lawyer, a charming man with that tilt to his words that could make a rock swoon. He’s had approximately half of the campus under his arm and blankets, and luckily for Gladion, Moon hadn’t met that destiny yet.

Yet.

Hau strides close from a side. There’s a slight wobble to his step. “If you keep lookin’ at Moon like that, you’re gonna burn her to the ground, man.”

Gladion takes a sip of his non-alcoholic drink. His nose is filled with about ten different drinks with varying degrees of intoxicating properties. “Ilima is around her like a snake.”

Hau blinks at him like nothing’s wrong with that statement.; if anything, it looks like something is wrong with Gladion himself. “So?”

“Ilima is a flirt.”

“And you ain’t Moon’s man, dude.”

And it’s true.

But Hau doesn’t know the many complications under that umbrella statement, so Gladion swallows a response down with his soda. Hau continues talking, an eye arched at Gladion’s lack of a comeback. “Did I miss anything between you two?”

“Anything worth mentioning.” That’s a lie he manages to get away with, inexplicably. “We have classes tomorrow. I shouldn’t have come here.”

Gladion stalks away from the common room to the small fridge installed at the corner, and Hau follows close behind, sporting a grin too wide to not be suspecting. “And I guess that Ilima fluttering around your crush ain’t got a thing to do with that, eh?”

Gladion wishes he could pull up a façade and lie.

He glances at Moon; she’s laughing at something Ilima has just said and he’s about done with everything.

He swallows a careful sigh.

Gladion isn’t prone to possessive tendencies, but he has a very particular dynamic with Moon that he’s very fond of. Secret movie nights at this very common room, alone and buried under blankets where they’d end up in each other’s arms without noticing. Nights of binging series on Rotom TV, commenting movies with soft laughter and mild banter. Sometimes, he had kissed her forehead and she had pecked his cheek.

In the blurs of dreams after gentle nights and loving embraces, Gladion had dreamed of her in his arms where they were more than friends, his crush on her no longer under control. They had met nearly 3 years ago and he’s sure he’s had some itty bitty feelings since shortly after their first meeting. Moon is hard not to fall for.

And now she’s hanging out with Ilima, who is smiling at her like she’s holding the sun in her hands, and tucking a strand of hair behind her hair.

The hand that was reaching for another can of soda suddenly wrangles to grab the last can of beer on in the fridge. He makes quick work of the tin opening and takes a thick gulp.

Hau chuckles. “Ilima’s always been a tease. Don’t get so worked up over it, dude.”

Gladion idly flicks the little tin chip, seeking a distraction that won’t be a brainsore like Hau is. “It’s much more complicated than saying that Moon and I are just friends, Hau.”

As simple-minded as he is, the other cocks his head to the side. “Then why don’t you just work it out, my dude? What’s holding you back?”

Looking at him, Gladion realizes that Moon’s dorm stands a few feet away from them, properly locked. It’s a place where they would sometimes cuddle to have deep conversations, a bed where they had sometimes slept on, a place where they once almost–

“I’m too sober for this conversation,” mutters Gladion, taking another swig while he swears he hears Moon laugh in the distance, a noise he’s learned to pick up in the muddled chatter of the crowd, a presence he hasn’t had near all night–

Hau is about to say another word, but Gladion sharply turns around and shuffles into the crowd, wondering if there’s another fridge with drinks somewhere on the floor.

—

When the party’s over and everybody has gone home, Gladion finds himself stumbling through the empty corridor of the building, slightly dazed. There are plastic cups carefully piled inside a plastic bag and snacks that have been forgotten on the countertops of the corridor. There are a few tissues on the floor, as well as a few coins that people must have dropped while dancing.

The common room is hauntingly empty, too. Long gone are the loud music and the overpowering crowds: the couches are empty, the TV is off and all that remains are the plates with crumbs of food and a few bottles of vodka and rum.

The music and the ambiance of it all has left him light-headed and slightly scarred: he can still hear the music booming within his brain when silence takes over.

And then there’s Moon, throwing food into a plastic bag and shaking her head at the amount of trash that nobody but her has bothered to pick up. Leave it up to her to do the work that other people should be doing.

“Want some help?”

Moon’s back stiffens at his words, and she turns around like there’s a sniper aiming at her. The surprise soon wears off as she realizes it’s him, sighing with a smile. “There you are. I thought you would’ve gone to your dorm.”

In all fairness, he should be going to sleep instead of lingering around his crush, who probably isn’t interested in the way he is and holy shit he didn’t drink enough for this.

“I thought I’d take a small detour.”

He can’t materialize any excuse into existence, so he remains quiet in hopes Moon is tired enough to think nothing of it.

His wishes come true and she giggles. “I’m glad to see you. There were so many people around I barely got to see you. I wished I had danced with you a little.”

“You know I don’t dance,” he admits with a chuckle, remembering the many times he had seen her dance to the songs of the radio and the many times he had refused to follow her steps– and then something else comes up. “And you, um, looked busy.”

Confusion flickers in her eyes, frowning softly. “Busy? I don’t recall being busy.”

“You were talking to Ilima all night.” The bitterness in that sentence is so evident he’s not sure how to follow it up without sounding jealous. “I didn’t think it would be polite to intrude.”

There were about a thousand ways to get out of that situation and he took none of them.

Instead of moving, Gladion remains there, rooted to the ground as he sees many emotions phase through her eyes. She carefully drops the bag, looking at him with wide eyes. He stands behind the red couch of the common room and she walks towards it, digging her knee on the cushion as she studies him.

The couch is the only thing standing between them and it still feels like she’s an inch away. She’s a few good inches smaller than him but damn he feels small.

Her eyes narrow, lip bitten in thought. “Don’t you get along with Ilima?”

It’s not about that but he decides to let her think that’s the issue. “I guess I do, sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

“I respect him much more when he’s not fluttering around you like a crocodile.”

The way her eyes widen is worth a thousand dollars. It’s hard to make Moon pull a reaction that vivid and while Gladion is proud of himself for that feat, he’s also very aware that Moon has caught the pang of jealousy in that admission.

Gladion gulps down the desire to run away and shoves his hands into his pockets. Moon leans forward until her hands are on top of the back of the sofa. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She’s giving him one last chance to step away from the lagoon and not wade through the mess, yet he jumps headfirst into the muddy waters.

“Ilima is always, um, hanging out with girls. I’ve heard he takes a pair to his room each week– and not to precisely study.” Moon’s eyebrows disappear under her side-swept fringe. “I didn’t want him to woo you too. I know you’re not like that but you never know. I didn’t want him to hurt you. Whatever.”

It’s the whatever that betrays the lie and Moon remains quiet, yet moves to where her knees are on the couch and, out of the blue, she’s smiling at him and looping his arms around his shoulders.

“Were you that fretty about me hanging out with Ilima?”

“Define fretty.”

“I’ll give you a synonym: worried.” Gladion nods at this. “And I’d take the risk and say jealous, too, but I don’t wanna assume anything.”

His eyes widen at the conflict in her tone, as though she’s just as bashful about this thing between them as he is. It gives him hope that she feels the same, that maybe they could talk this out, that this is the night they will finally stop beating around the bush.

“I… I guess you’re not wrong per se,” her arms twitch around his shoulders as he says this. He looks to the side, ashamed of himself. “I know we’re not a thing and that I’m not entitled to feeling like this, and that you got all the right to hang out with Ilima, he’s not that bad, I just gotta get over myself and–”

Moon places a digit on his lips and any cohesive train of thought dies on the spot. After she’s sure she has his attention, a smile shows up, crooked at the side.

“Oh, Gladion,” she leans a little closer, shifting upward to reach him better, “did you think I was flirting with Ilima?”

At least she seems outwardly fine with his feelings. “I thought he was flirting with you and that he was going to sweep you away,” he says, clearly having drunk a little too much to retain his inhibitions. Moon’s proximity isn’t making things any easier. “I didn’t want him to take you away. I don’t like him for you.”

Her head tilts, her smirk growing. “You’ve definitely drunk tonight, haven’t you?”

“Just a little,” he admits, curling his arms around her with a dry sigh.

“Then do tell me,” she whispers, only loud enough for him to hear. “What made you think anyone would take me away from you when you’re the only one I’d ever consider, you idiot?”

His heart stills as Gladion’s ever so analytical mind picks apart her words, puts them in order and lets them soak.

And next thing he knows, she’s grabbing his hair and he’s pulling at her shirt as they kiss, crashing their lips in desperation and pent-up frustration. They breathe in heavily and moan out slowly, kissing like they don’t have enough and like they need a taste of each other to survive. Each pull of her hand on his hair feels like nirvana; he never thought kissing her would be this wild and primarily exciting.

He dips her back a little in eagerness, kissing her hungrily, nipping at her bottom lip and brushing his tongue against hers with a sigh of relief, dipping his hands under the divide of her shirt, shifting upwards–

Moon abruptly breaks the kiss. Gladion becomes aware that the top buttons of his shirt have been snapped open and that her hands are exploring the exposed skin. “I guess I’m not the only one who’s been waiting for this, huh.”

Her voice is ragged and breathy. It sounds just right. His is husky with impatience. “I’ve been waiting for more than a year. Maybe more than two.”

Moon’s laughter jingles through the empty corridors. “What a coincidence: so have I.”

Gladion can’t help but tackle her to the sofa after that.

—

#lonashipping #request #gladimoon #JEALOUS GLADION FOR THE WIN AM I RIGHT #ALL MY REQUESTS KEPT GROWING BIGGER AND BIGGER LMFAOOOO #and this turned into a University!AU REAL QUICK LMAO #I've been playing Sims 4 University and ummmmmmmmmmm yes #so here you have two dumbasses kissing and maybe they'll later do the devil's tango but that's for an M rated work to tell #not that I've written it so #ANYWAY THANKS FOR ASKING AND I'M SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG I'M A MESS LMAOOO

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purplesurveys · 4 years

Text

753

Are you more optimistic or pessimistic? It depends on the task or situation, and how likely it is to get better. I’m rather realistic and choose whether to be positive or negative only after I weigh the pros and cons. Are you comfortable with your weight? Yeah, I’m happy with it. I do sometimes wonder why I get to maintain my weight no matter how much I eat though. How often do you listen to Classic Rock? Never? It’s not really my genre of choice in any context. What about country? Even more never, if that’s even possible haha. Do you know anyone inside and out? That’s a very grand feat to reach and I'm not really comfortable claiming that this is how I am with anyone. I do know for a fact that there are still some things I’m only learning now about my girlfriend and I know her the best out of all the people I know.

Do you have days where all you feel like doing is dancing? Not at all, I hate dancing. Have you learned anything depressing lately? Yes. I talked about it in a survey last night and I don’t feel like going over it again because I’m actually doing a little better now. Is anyone in your family sick? For some reason I’m getting bad coughs every night, but other than that no one is seriously sick. Do you worry a lot, or are you pretty much carefree? Hahahaha the first one. I’m worrying right now; I’m just answering this survey to distract myself. Do you have a lot of freckles? Nope, that’s not a common feature here. Have you ever thought someone was really interesting, but when you got to know them you realized they weren't anything special? Back when Reiven and I were applying for our org, he stood out in our batch since he was hilarious and would make everyone crack up no matter what he said or did. I found him interesting because of that; once I got to know him more he turned out a liiiiiittle bit annoying and also difficult to work with since he would never accept edits and corrections on his works and he’d always stand by his writing errors. Are you very up-front about things or do you "beat around the bush"? Upfront. Everyone who knows me in real life knows I hate nothing more than people who beat around the bush. What kind of camera do you have? I don’t have a legit camera anymore after I gave my old DSLR to my sister, but these days I just use my iPhone’s camera to take photos since its quality is very good anyway. Was today good or bad, or has it just started? It was meh. And the meh-ness is starting to get to me already, ugh. What is something you know you shouldn't do, but do anyways? Stay up criminally late. I think that and my nightly coffees are the source of my bad headaches so I’m trying to sleep earlier these nights. Last night I was in bed my midnight and I gotta say, it was heaven lol. Do you know anyone who doesn't listen to music? Like, no songs at all? That’s so weird; no I haven’t. I can’t imagine anyone never encountering music ever. Tell me the initials of the person you can't get off your mind. ADHM, only because they’re my thesis partner and I feel bad for not having touched the thesis we’re both working on for quite some time now. I did work on it yesterday for the first time in weeks so I’m really proud of myself, but there’s always a part of me thinking it’s never enough. Ever broke something really expensive? Yeah I’ve broken all the phones my parents have ever bought me, which is why they always take forever to buy me new ones, i.e. they’re always hesitant because they know I have a knack for breaking them lol. My current iPhone 8 has stayed with me the longest so far and it’s still going strong though. What is the most amount of money you have ever lost? Probably the ₱700 in the wallet that got stolen from me five years ago. Do you trust a lot of people, or very few? I do trust a lot of people but I like keeping my circle small. Is photography one of your interests? Not anymore. It just used to be. Do you know your neighbors very well? I don’t know them at all. We’re not a very close community haha. I’ll smile at a neighbor when I walk my dog, but other than that I don’t know any of their names or who has which kid. Have you ever hurt yourself just to get attention? [trigger warning] No. When I do it it’s because I loathe myself, and I proceed to cover it up with long sleeves precisely so that it doesn’t get any attention. Has anyone ever called you conceited? Probably my mom at some point. Has anyone ever called you heartless? Again, probably my mom at some point. Do you tell people what you think? Only when it’s necessary and called for. Sometimes it’s simply unnecessary to say every single thought that occurs, like for small stuff like not digging someone’s shoes or if I find their car too hot. Someone says, "I don't judge people." Do you really believe them? No. I think we all judge people initially, it’s just a matter of if we let that judgment linger or not. Do you write ever write poetry just to get your feelings out? No. Poetry has never been my outlet. Who were you last really mad at? My mom, for having been a petty little kid for the last two days. Do you miss anyone? Yeah absolutely. What is a sad song that you like? I have a Spotify playlist literally called ‘sad hours’ and it’s for all my sad songs hah. Here are some of them:

Misguided Ghosts - Paramore

I Forget Where We Were - Ben Howard

I Saw You In A Dream - The Japanese House

Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

Cherry Wine - Hozier

Last person you talked on the phone to? Gabie. How many bones have you broken? Zero. It’s one of my biggest fears so I’ve always been very careful lol. Are you active? I would have been if the semester went uninterrupted and I got to have PE twice a week, but I’m not these days. Last person to get on your nerves? My mom, but also tbh just the weather overall. Are you one of those people who never stops fidgeting? Only when I’m nervous. Otherwise I can stay pretty still. Do you love the Hillshire Farm commercials? (Go meat!) I’m not familiar with them.

Oops, are you a vegetarian? Nope. Are you in any pain right now? Yeah a bit. Even though I stopped drinking coffee I still feel a mild headache coming, but I’m chalking that up to how humid it is right now. My current posture is also not the best and I’m starting to feel it on my lower back. Last time you drank water? Two hours ago, over dinner. Last thing you ate? I had white rice and calamari. Who's house did you visit last? Gabie’s.

#survey #surveys

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lilacmoon83 · 4 years

Text

Dashing Rose: A Finding You Always Vignette

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 2:True Love Born

Fandral gazed up at the stars that night, somehow looking for answers. He knew his home world was gone now, but he hoped at least that some of his people had survived. He thought he would have desired to find out, but his thoughts were consumed by the woman who had saved his life instead. Never in his considerable fourteen-hundred years had he met a woman that was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. Until Rose Red.

He had been a bit disappointed when a servant had delivered his evening meal at her request and told him that she regretted that she could not join him. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong and so when the servant knocked to collect his tray, he pressed her for information.

"Can you please tell me where Rose is?" he requested.

"I am afraid I am forbidden to say," the woman said and he could tell she was quite troubled by that.

"Please...I care for Rose Red and you will not be implicated," he promised. The woman looked around and then stepped closer to him.

"The King was dissatisfied with the quality of her work today and when he is dissatisfied, he punishes her," she whispered. Dread knotted in his stomach.

"What sort of punishment?" he asked. She closed her eyes.

"She receives a whipping...he does it in the cellar so no one will hear her scream," she revealed. Horror and outrage filled him, as he extracted his sword from the stand by the door.

"Where is this cellar?" he questioned. She looked around and then motioned him down the hallway, where she opened a door that revealed a dark, winding staircase.

"This will lead you down there. Save her," she pleaded, as he hurried down.

~*~

Tears were already falling down her cheeks, as Sir Hiss led her to the cellar that evening. Her dwarf caretaker had informed her Uncle that she had failed to complete some of her chores that day and she had been late with the evening meal. That meant she had to face the consequences of those failures.

Sir Hiss prodded her into the cellar where her Uncle awaited her.

"I give you everything, my dear and yet you fail to complete such simple tasks," he said sternly.

"I'm sorry Uncle...please don't do this," she pleaded, but he raised his hand.

"You will be silent, Rose Red. This must be done and you know that you deserve this," he replied, as he took her arm and led her to the post in the center of the cellar.

"Raise your arms," he ordered and she obeyed, knowing that one way or another, this was going to happen, no matter what she did. Her wrists were tied to the post and she was already crying, as she felt him unzip the back of her dress. He pushed the fabric aside, baring the fair skin of her back. He picked up the harshly woven whip and took the first lash. A scream ripped from her throat. She sobbed, as he spent four more lashes. By that time, she was hanging from the ropes, in a haze of unbearable pain and cried uncontrollably, knowing that she had five more lashes to endure. But the sixth one never came.

John's face was alight with twisted glee, as he abused his niece. He feared her kindness and her strength. He resented how the people loved her and loathed him. He knew if she ever had the courage to rise against him that she could rally the people to help her overthrow him. So he kept her down. He forced her into servitude and he made sure she would never rise against him. And soon, he would force her to marry a rich Lord from a far away Kingdom. Lord Farquad was quite enamored by her and willing to pay him a large fortune. Once the marriage was final, he would be very rich and never have to be bothered with her again. As he wound up for the sixth lash, he felt someone catch his arm and then it was him crying out in pain.

"How dare you!" Fandral growled, as he shoved the King against the wall.

"Guards!" King John called, as several flooded the cellar, but they were cut down with ease.

"Would you care to have the rest of your army cut down as well?" Fandral questioned, as he shocked them with his super human strength and prowess with a blade.

"How dare you...I am King!" John boasted.

"You are no King...you are a monster, but if you ever touch a hair on her head again, you will meet your end at my blade," he warned, as he cut the ropes and caught Rose Red in his arms. He swept her into his arms and no one stopped him from carrying her out of the cellar.

~*~

He choked, as the breath in his body stilled and her blade protruded from his chest. He fell to the floor and was in and out of consciousness for the next few hours, slowly dying and unable to open his eyes at all. He soon felt himself floating and knew now that he had somehow been sucked away from his home realm by the bi-frost. The next time he opened his eyes, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen was peering over him with worry and concern. And then...complete awareness as his deadly wound was magically healed. She had smiled at him and his heart skipped a beat at the sight. That's when the memories changed though into a nightmare. He saw that demon woman come through a portal after him. Hela...his would be murderer.

"Guess I should have made sure you were really dead," she hissed, as her attention turned to Rose.

"Who is this?" she asked, as she strode toward her and Rose's scream filled his ears.

He startled awake from the chair he had fallen asleep in and breathed heavily, as he got his bearings. The last part had just been a nightmare and he was reasonably certain that Hela wouldn't come for him. He was insignificant in her plans and as he got up to check on Rose, he realized that, while he loved his former home, he was but a small cog in a very large wheel. But here...he felt purpose like he had not felt in a very long time. Purpose at her side and the memories of what she had endured last evening were very fresh in his mind. He was still livid and thinking that letting that monster live was a mistake. But firstly, his focus was on Rose and he gently checked the bandages he had placed on her back.

She stirred and hummed the most beautiful noise he was sure he had ever heard, next to her voice, and opened her eyes. She was startled at first, until she saw him.

"Easy...your wounds are mostly healed, but take it slow," he said.

"How…" she started to say and then the memories came back to her.

"You...you saved me…" she realized.

"And he will never touch you again, lest he wishes to meet his end at my blade," he told her.

"How...how am I healed already?" she asked curiously. He smiled gently.

"Your garden is quite impressive. You had all the ingredients I needed to make an ancient Asgardian healing salve that works wonders on wounds such as the ones you had," he explained, as he helped her sit up.

"You...you did all that for me?" she asked.

"How could I not? He has been abusing you for years, hasn't he?" he asked. She looked down and swallowed.

"Since I was very small," she admitted.

"But you shouldn't have done that. He'll find a way to retaliate against you," she added.

"I don't care and I assure you I can take on his entire army if I have to, for he will never lay another hand on you," he promised, as she sat up.

"He is undeserving of his Throne...it is you that should sit on that Throne. That is what the people want, isn't it?" he asked. She looked at him.

"Yes...but I am no Queen. How can I lead them when I cannot even stand up to my Uncle?" she asked.

"You can if you have the right people behind you," he replied.

"And you would stand with me?" she asked.

"I would," he replied. She was about to say more when she heard the dwarf call to her.

"I must go for now...but will you meet me in the garden later?" she asked.

"I will," he promised, as she stepped closer to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Th...thank you for saving me," she whispered, as she hurried off to tend to her chores. He was stunned by the feel of her lips on his cheek and realized at that moment that he had fallen in love, real love, for the first time in his very long life.

~*~

"And this is the garden, Lord Farquad. You will find no garden as beautiful as this one in all the Kingdoms," King John boasted.

"Quite...my compliments to your gardener," Farquad said.

"Ah, well...my gardener is none other than my fair niece, Rose Red," John said, as they came upon the young woman, as she was tending to the rose bushes.

"Forgive her appearance," he apologized, noticing the dirt on her dress.

"My my, it is true...you are the fairest in the land," Farquad said, captivated by the beautiful Princess.

"This is Lord Farquad," John said, as he grabbed her arm.

"You will bow to him," he hissed. But for the first time, Rose Red looked at him with defiant eyes and pulled away.

"Oh...she has fire. I do love fire," Farquad commented.

"It's nice to meet you, Lord Farquad. Please excuse me," Rose said politely, as she hurried off into the garden to get away. She wanted no part of any of the dignitaries that her Uncle was trying to impress. Her face lit up though when she found Fandral waiting for her and her heart skipped a beat when he smiled at her. She knew what she was feeling for him, but she wondered if she dared to hope for something as wonderful as true love.

~*~

Over the next few weeks, Rose Red and Fandral spent much time together. She helped him acclimate to this new land since he really had no other to return to. He was curious if any had survived Asgard, but found himself taking to his new home very well. Much of that was because of the beautiful princess that had come to his rescue though. They talked and laughed together for hours in her garden when he was not keeping up with his rigorous training.

Rose was fascinated by his stories as a warrior alongside the God Thor and all his adventures. She was enthralled by the adventures he had been on and places he had been.

"It must have been so incredible to go so many places," she mentioned.

"It was...though I admit, sometimes it was hard to feel like I was home, even when I was," he replied.

"Sometimes, I don't think home is a place. This palace has been by home since I was a child, but it never felt like home until...until you came," she admitted.

"And I come from a land far from here, yet not even Asgard felt as home as this place does," he admitted in return. Rose felt her face go hot, for it was not the first time she had noticed how handsome Fandral was. Or how dashing or charming he was.

"Do you think I could learn to fight?" she asked suddenly. He looked at her curiously.

"I mean, I know such is not proper for a Princess and many think not proper for a woman...but," she stammered, but he lay his hand on hers.

"One of the most skilled and valiant warriors I ever fought with was a woman. I'd be honored to teach you," he replied. She beamed at him and threw her arms around him. He chuckled and then stopped, as they stared at each other, their faces mere inches apart.

"We...we should begin your training," he said, trying to keep his voice even.

"In a minute," she responded, as she pressed her lips to his. Fandral instantly kissed her back and squashed any daylight between them. True love had been sparked between them almost instantly upon their meeting, but in that moment, it was born in the garden where they realized they were each other's home. Little did they know, the evil dwarf had other plans for Rose Red and he glared at the scene before him from the tower. He was determined that true love would not spoil his plans…

#Snowing #Snowing parallel #Rose Red #Fandral the Dashing #Fandral of Asgard #a finding you always vignette #romance #adventure #Dashing Rose

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twitchesandstitches · 4 years

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twitchy mass effect squad thoughts: 2

Kasumi Goto: It’s hard to get a read on her, but she’s a ton of fun; I genuinely like her a fair amount, and she definitely sticks out of the cast. Not the least because as she admits in the third game, she’s out of place in a squad of commandos. I can honestly see her as a support member, in all honesty.

Grunt: This giant super soldier is Shepard’s son. She has a family, it’s Garrus and her adopted krogan son. Grunt is fascinating to me for his very understated character arc of going from a bloody-minded berserker, to... well, a berserker, but one who wants a REASON to fight, a purpose to live for. Being born in a tank and educated in visions, he has no real attachment to anything and he feels lost; Shepard gives him a purpose and its really good watching him grow.

Thane Krios: I just, I love this guy so much. He gives me big Nightcrawler vibes; A religiously devout and sincerely compassionate man. Him being an assassin doesn’t take it away for me, as the hanar don’t seem particularly cruel about employing him. (The hanar are chill.) HE’s genuinely got some of the most badass moments in the game, for how understated they are, and he evokes some of the biggest teary moments for me; dying from sickness, working to make the universe brighter in his last days. he was my first romance in mass effect, and I’m still brough to emotional compromise by the letter he wrote to Shepard as a last testimony. “I will wait for you by the sea.”

Jack: remember when I said ‘most of the humans in this game are kinda boring’? Jack is one of the big, BIG exceptions to that, though I have a hard time befriending her because I can’t be mean in this game. She’s a loud, rough, tough and fundamentally broken woman who is the biggest example of how horrifically evil Cerberus really is, having been kidnapped as a baby and experimented on her entire life; her turnaround into a protective teacher and reformed figure in 3 is genuinely an amazing change for her, given her life of violence.

Miranda Lawson: I will be straight forward; for the most part, I really DON’T like Miranda, and I don’t care for how popular she is in the fandom. She is the 2nd in command of Cerberus, and endorses it wholeheartedly for most of the 2nd game, and this makes her a human supremacist by default, so I automatically have a great loathing of that. Her constant excuses for the worst of Cerberus’ horrors is grating, though I like her more in the 3rd game, when she becomes a lot more responsible and less ‘humanity first’. (I also think her fanservice-y ness is really weird and at odds with her character, though i attribute it to Cerberus having weird uniforms.)

Legion: MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE CHARACTER IN THE ENTIRE SERIES, AND I AM NOT KIDDING AT ALL. Legion is absolutely the entire reason I got into this series at all; I am not even kidding. I prefer to call this robot buddy ‘they’, since they are literally a plurality of many small minds in unison; I’m not very happy with the 3rd game treating Legion becoming an individuality as personhood because they were already a person; different does not mean lesser, yknow. I love Legion for being one of the most moral and ethical people, in their own strange way, and reading between the lines, it paints the image of someone who greatly regrets the deaths of the war with the geth’s makers, while at the same time resenting the quarians a lot for what they did. I totally interpret Legion as an abused child at the hands of the quarians, hating their makers but at the same time longing to understand WHAT they did to make their creators stop loving them.

Zaeed Masani: He’s entertaining, for sure, though his moral ambiguity makes him... questionable, to say the least! His thoughts on revenge, hate and retribution really do speak to me, but he’s not in my list of favs. It says a lot that him being against torture is honestly surprising.

Samara: why isn’t SHE the fanservice icon of the series. But seriously, I love Samara lot; if I had a proper list of favorite characters in the series, she’d be at the top five, most likely. She’s a paladin-archetype, absolutely devoted to her code of honor while being willing to look beyond the letter, and willing to do what must be done; her story is deeply tragic, and she’s one of my favorite characters. Also, she’s an actual MILF; im surprised she’s not more popular.

Morinth: I’ve never actually played with her, because you have to murder Samara to get her, and FUCK THAT. But I do have some opinions on her as a character, and these are them: she’s a terrible person, and her reasons for being a mass murderer are insufficient. Let’s not beat around the bush here; she’s a sadistic serial killer, a sexual predator. and she relishes in the kill. Yeah, she’s like that because she is an ardat-yakshi, but its one thing for her to flee the monatstaries; its another for her to have such an astronmically high body count. she didn’t NEED to kill anyone, she just wanted to do it to make herself feel good, and I insist she absolutely deserved getting her head squashed like a melon.

Mordin: Mordin reminds me of me; I am not even kidding at all, I genuinely talk like he does. (I have the speed and lack of focus of Mordin, and the detached, straightforward speaking fashion of Rogal Dorn from Text To Speech.) He’s a really interesting look into the salarians, and similar to Wrex and Garrus, he’s largely critical of their broader practices. He’s also notable in having participated in updating the genophage, keeping the krogan trapped in their slow rot, and his character development from someone who fully endorses it, to someone willing to die to atone for his sins, is a really striking thing. His loyalty mission is deeply affecting, with the quiet moment in the hospital and the corpses of dead women who let themselves be experimented on just for the hope of curing what he did to them, fanatical krogan driven to madness by despair... because of what he allowed to keep happening. Mordin’s soft words hinting at his remorse and doubt genuinely get me teary eyed.

Jacob: I’m one of the few people to have actually said this, I think... but I actually LIKE Jacob. Specifically, I like him for a lot of reasons that other people don’t; he’s straightforward, honest, doesn’t let his feelings get in the way of his duties, stays on track and does his job. I like him more than Miranda as it’s made clear that he is NOT a supporter of it’s motives, and is largely making use of its resources to do things with expedience, and seems to be working as an internal affairs, chipping away at its corruption. (He loses points for being mean to Legion and Thane, though.)

#queued #twitchy!mass effect

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my-personal-writing-wonderland · 6 years

Text

My favorite - Lucifer x reader

Words: ~1910 words

Warning: incest (don’t read when you’re not comfortable with it!), a bit more swearing than usually

Pairing: Lucifer x sister!reader

Summary: Lucifer has inappropriate feelings for his baby sister. Will you return his feelings or does his love for you destroy everything?

Everyone knows the stories of the four archangels Michael, Lucifer, Raphael and Gabriel. But only a few people know about the existence of the fifth archangel. She’s the youngest of all of them.

And her name is (y/n).

She is everything her brothers aren’t. While her brothers always argue with each other over the most ordinary things, (y/n) hated every kind of beef. She isn’t as frantically law-abiding as Michael, as prideful as Lucifer, as imperious as Raphael or as mischievous as Gabriel.

No she is the most innocent, insightful and selfless angel god has ever created.

Lucifer may be his father’s favorite but she’s the archangel’s. Every one of them saw her as their perfect little baby sister which needed to be protected at all costs. They would murder, even die for her without a second thought.

Normally, the archangels do nothing but argue all day. No matter how trivial the topic is, they find a reason to argue with each other. Before (y/n) was born there were differences in opinion on a daily basis but she managed to bind them together without even trying.

The first time she started crying after she witnessed an argument between her brothers Lucifer and Gabriel about Gabriel showing her some pranks, the angels vowed to never argue in front of her ever again. It was a heart-breaking sight to see her crying because she thought her brothers don’t love her and each other anymore.

Especially Lucifer hates to see her cry more than anything and to be the reason for her distress was the worst thing he ever had to experience. Since this day he swore to himself that he will do everything in his power to never see his sister crying again.

Of course, all archangels loves (y/n) with all their heart and would do everything for her but to everyone’s surprise Lucifer was always the most devoted from all of them.

Moreover, he is very, very protective, yeah nearly unhealthy possessive, over her. If it was possible he would be by her side 24/7 in order to protect his baby sister from everyone and everything. He just couldn’t risk to lose her, she’s his favorite sibling and there isn’t any being he loves more, not even his father.

His life would be perfect if there only weren’t these certain feelings he developed for his little girl over the last years.

These unmorally, impure feelings no brother should have for a sibling. But no matter how hard he tries he isn’t able to deny his feelings for her. His baby sister. You.

Lucifer’s POV:

I’m making my way to you after another argument with my older brother. Michael really knows how to make me livid like it’s his only purpose. Oh father, no matter what I do Michael always finds a reason to bash me. Without you I probably wouldn’t talk to him at all anymore.

Sometimes I fear my brother suspects me to have inappropriate feelings for you. He never said anything but his look when I hug you just a bit too long or snap at any other angel who dares to touch you in my presence(except for the other archangels even if I don’t like that either) shows his resentment.

After a little eternity I find you sitting on a huge stone in your favorite forest. From all places in heaven you choose this one to spend most of your time in. I don’t understand what’s so special about this place but as long as you like it here I won’t complain.

“Hello, (y/n).”

You turn your face around to face me. A huge smile crosses your face which let my heart skip a beat.

“Shh, not so loud, Lucy. He’s sleeping,” you giggle innocently.

Only now I see the little rabbit sitting on your lap. Smiling, I shake my head while approaching you. You always had a weak spot for animals, it’s just adorable. If it was possible you would adopt all of them.

Silently, I sit beside you, my arm casually finds his way around your shoulder. It’s something so natural for us. Cuddling, holding hands, hugging each other, it’s just our thing.

Thinking about it, this whole place is perfect for us. No other angel, not even Michael knows about this place. Since you first found it it’s your safe haven and a few years ago you told me about this place because you wanted “to show me its beauty”. To be completely honest, it makes me beyond proud that you chose only me to share this place with.

“I found this little fellow behind a bush. He hurt his leg, so I healed him,” you tell me softly.

“He’s lucky you found him, (y/n). You definitely are the most good-hearted angel father has ever created.”

Again you’re giggling. In these moments you look so perfect. Screw that, you always look perfect in my eyes. The shining in your eyes when you laugh over the smallest things, the way you bite your lips when you’re nervous, I mean how can someone not love you?

Sometimes I really hate father for doing this to me. Why do I have to have feelings for you? My pure, little baby sister. But no matter how hard I try I can’t stifle my feelings for you. It physical hurts to have you near me all the time without being able to suppress these feelings, to touch how I want, kiss you how I want. And shit, I do want to kiss you so bad.

And I can’t stop these fantasies I have with you. There is no other being I want to call mine and the thought about you with someone else gives me the urge to punch a wall. No one is allowed to touch you but me.

But there is no way I will ever be able to suppress these feelings. It’s impossible that you feel the same. You’re too innocent and commendable to want a relationship with your own brother and I would never impose you to return my feelings.

“Luci, what’s wrong? Did something happen with Michael? I can talk to him if you want me to. It’s mean of him to shout at you all the time.”

Another thing I love about you, no matter what you always know when something upset me.

“Don’t worry. Michael is indeed rather annoying but it’s nothing I can’t handle, my dear little sister. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not fine, Luci. You do know I can see it in your face when something’s wrong, don’t you?”

I really want to tell you I’m alright but I could never lie to you. No matter what I try you always see right through me. It’s like you have a sixth sense for this.

“It’s nothing, just… there’s an angel. She’s kind and beautiful but there is no way she will ever be interested in me.”

“Oh…”

You’re silent for a minute or two and for a moment I’m afraid you know about whom I’m talking about.

“Did you told her about your feelings?”

“No, she would be disgusted by me.”

“Why would she be disgusted? She should be honored that you fell in love with her.”

Again, I begin to smile but this time it’s a sad one.

“She’s out of my league, little girl. Furthermore, father wouldn’t approve the bond. Even if I told her, she doesn’t feel the same and our…friendship wouldn’t be the same anymore. I can’t lose you.”

With that you fully turn to me, your brows furrow in confusion.

“Why would you lose me?”

“What?”

“You said you can't lose me,” you state.

Shit. For the first time ever I’m not able to interpret your look. Normally, you have this sweet, innocent puppy eyes but now they’re just… indescribable.

“Did I?” I asked hesitantly and start laughing nervously. Wow, I just want to punch myself. Now you will definitely know something’s wrong. You can read me like a book anyway but in this case it’s easy for everyone to notice I’m lying.

“Yeah, you did, Luci.”

Your voice is tentatively, your look still confused. My hands start to sweat like crazy. Oh father, since when can an archangel sweat?!

“Luci…,” you start in a quite voice, “Michael once told me to stay away from you because he thinks you have unsuitable feelings for me. I didn’t really understand what he meant by that. Do you have feelings for me?”

I want to deny it and tell you how wrong Michael is but no matter how loud my mind screams at me I can only nod.

How is it possible to fuck up like that? I had everything I ever wanted. A loving sibling who understand and support me like no one else ever had. Someone I could tell all of my problems and struggles without fearing to get judged. Well, at least nearly all of my problems.

But now I can’t even look you in the eyes. You’re the most important person in my life and now I will lose you forever because of my disgusting feelings for you.

“(Y/n), you don’t have to say anything. You can’t believe how ashamed I am to have these feelings. I know how fucked up and wrong that is and I promise I will let you be from now on.”

It’s obvious that we will never be the same. You will tell Michael and Michael will tell everyone else, including father. He will probably banish me for this. Then I won’t ever see you again. Alone the thought let tears well up in my eyes.

I’m about to stand up and leave you alone when you grab my arm.

“Don’t you want to know what I think about it?”

The question isn’t what I expected. Finally I’m brave enough to return you view unsurely. But I can’t find the hatred and loathing I expected.

“I don’t think your feelings are disgusting. I have the same feelings, Luci and unlike you I’m not ashamed of them,” you smiled softly. Your cheeks turn bright red while you’re talking and it’s the cutest sight I was ever able to witness.

“You… what? (Y/n) you don’t have to say that. I would never demand you to return the feelings I have for—“

But fortunately, you interrupt me by caressing my face in your soft, tiny hands. “I know you don’t demand anything. But you always were my favorite and I love you with all my heart.”

With that I can’t stop myself anymore. Finally, after all these years of admiring you, I lean in to kiss you.

And the kiss is better than I’ve ever imagined. After all these years it finally happens. No matter how often I fantasized about this exact moment I never thought it would be THIS good. I wish this kiss would never end and I can’t stop myself from hugging you tightly during it in fear you will disappear any moment if I don’t.

After an eternity we forced ourselves to break the kiss and both of us can’t stop smiling like idiots from the happiness we’re feeling.

“You sure you want that, my little girl. We can never tell anyone about this.”

“I don’t care. I want you, Luci. Now and forever.”

“Now and forever,” I repeat before kissing you once more.

#supernatural #supernatural one shot #supernatural x reader #spn #spn x reader #lucifer x reader #lucifer spn #lucifer #sister!reader #sister #fanfic

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pitchannawarmsourblackhearts · 5 years

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arranged marriage AU. By the way... I loved your Star Wars headcanons!

thanks, I loved writing it! I’d like to do a one shot, if I, you know, ever get all my other one shots done. 😅

In a land where magic isn't as uncommon as our own, war is about to greet the borders of Arendelle. Elsa and Anna try desperately trying to keep a brave face for their people, but know perfectly well that their little city state simply lacks the military strength. Their allies, what remains of them, may not make it in time to help. And this is no ordinary army of the enemy; they're magic users as well, and Elsa can't hope to take them on alone. Anna feels even worse, because she has no obvious magic to speak of.

Elsa, feeling more and more hopeless, sends messengers to every corner of the land that has been untouched by the war, pleading for a help. In the far away Realm of Night and Dreams is its mysterious ruler Pitch Black, who has already won a few impressive battles against the evil force. He's received the message from the ice queen and her sister, and sends his ward- Jack- as an envoy to begin working out an arrangement until Pitch has finished the battle he’s currently in and can come.

Arendelle is one of the kingdoms that uses “soft” magic. At best, they’ll use it to put up protective shields over their cities, but otherwise they prefer to use it for less war-related uses: decorating clothes, keeping wine at the perfect temperature throughout a whole feast, soothing fussy babies in their cribs, that sort of thing. They’re a relatively peaceful, ordinary land who see no need for much stronger magic like the Realm of Night and other places do. Jack, who shamelessly uses his magic for anything and everything he likes, is surprised to see a far more powerful ice mage like Elsa use hers more to entertain her sister than anything else.

The Realm is scary but not evil. Most people don't venture in there to see for themselves. Sandy is from there! And Jack's family found it suitable enough for him to be fostered there.

Jack doesn’t beat around the bush long: Pitch agrees to an alliance, in return for a bride, to better secure their union. Elsa is astonished to think of either of them having to marry into such a kingdom renowned for its twisted creatures, dark forests and lack of sun, but does see the merit of it. Her council advises against Elsa marrying; Arendelle needs her protection too much to leave for the other realm. That leaves Anna, and Elsa is loathe to send her sweet little sister off to a man the people call the King of Nightmares. The council points out Elsa is essentially married to the realm already; they have no other protector, and Anna is only the spare with no magic to speak of. Elsa hates hearing them talk about her like that, but her logical nature is fighting her heart.

Anna is courting Hans and hopes to marry him when the war is done. She takes the proposal about as well as you think. Lots of tears and emotional outbursts. She takes a few days to calm down and spend as much time with Hans as she can, until Pitch arrives.

Anna is upset, but sees the benefit of the arrangement. She blames herself for being unable to save her kingdom any other way. Elsa hates herself for it, and readily accepts that Anna might not forgive her, but agrees to a marriage between her sister and Pitch, along with Anna’s very reluctant acceptance. Elsa knows how much Anna loves Hans, but without Pitch’s huge army of monstrous soldiers, they have no hope to defend their people.

The deal goes beyond a marriage and army, too; Arendelle is quite rich in goods, and has many things the Night realm can’t in its lack of sunlight, and the Night realm has many rare magical objects a more mundane place like Arendelle doesn’t.

The two finally meet formally. Anna is surprised he would “settle” for the second daughter who has no special abilities at all. Pitch tells her he has more magic in his little finger than her whole kingdom; he doesn't need a magical bride. She’s still surprised a wife is all he wants. Pitch admits as much as he loves his dark, drafty, eerie palace, it’s becoming hard to enjoy without someone to live in it with. And he secretly is charmed by the princess and thinks a beautiful, loyal wife is a good bargain for an army. Not that he would dream of telling her this.

Jack likes her as well, which helps. Later in the early stages of the marriage he’s often the one to try to cool both of them down when they argue, and cheers Anna up every time she misses home too much.

Anna and Pitch don’t quite hit it off, though. Anna is intimidated by him and still a little angry to be torn from Hans. Pitch is polite, but refuses to open up to her and show her he isn’t as frightening as he looks. His need to look in control and have no emotional ties makes him patronizing and cold when he deep down- too far for even him to realize- he does want Anna to like him. She in turn knows she has to make this monster like her to win his help.

The rush to have a wedding in time doesn’t keep it from being lovely. Anna tries not to show her unease and enjoy the celebration with the people she loves before she’s sold off to a strange shadow mage and be a queen without much training for it. Pitch is aware of her previous romance and how much she's giving up, and manages to adequately pleasant to her for the entire affair. Anna has a final dance with Hans. They manage to sound almost cheerful talking, and pretend Anna is only going abroad for a short while, and they’ll meet again soon.

After a a week of goodbyes and packing, the day comes. There’s am heartwrenching goodbye between the sisters, unsure when and if Anna will visit again. Anna assures Elsa she’ll make Pitch take her back sometime. She’ll have no qualms nagging the Nightmare King to do as she says. Elsa isn’t sure she believes that, but Anna’s courage inspires her own slightly. Anna has already said her tearful goodbye to Hans earlier that day, and he’s promised to watch from further away, because seeing her leave with that monster might make him act unwisely. She waves to them both and leaves in Pitch’s chariot for who knows how long.

Anna has brought her own things, but is surprised to see Pitch provide her own chambers filled with a wardrobe, jewels, and even books never seen on her side of the land. It doesn’t entirely lift her spirits, but it helps to see he cares about her comfort. (Which is just as well, because Anna has no intentions of staying in his rooms anyway.)

There’s barely any sunshine or bright flowers in the realm; not much light at all in the giant, winding palace, or in her marriage. Pitch is never cruel; he’s actually interesting to talk to. He just isn’t the warm-hearted, sensitive husband Anna had always pictured she’d marry. He does go a little far with his teasing and sarcasm, which fires Anna up. She doesn’t even realize she’s started feeling safe enough around him to bicker. Their relationship is not love yet, but it’s not without passion. (And occasionally sweet moments, like Pitch getting down a book Anna is too short to reach, and Anna asking him to spend the day showing her around her new palace.)

They get to know each other. Anna discovers Pitch loves music, asks him to get some musicians to play for them at dinner from then on, asks his opinion of popular pieces. Pitch discovers Anna loves parkour when one particularly dreary day he sees her homemade obstacle course in 3 of his unused rooms. He knows she misses flowers, and promises to send for some from the forest to keep all over her chambers, ones she hasn’t seen.

A few months in, Pitch’s and Arendelle’s armies have defeated the evil. Anna can’t stand the dark silence any longer while Pitch is gone. He returns (and he and Anna are mutually surprised that she missed him) with word that many kingdoms are celebrating the defeated enemy. Arendelle is holding a ball, and she begs him to go- just to get out of the palace so she might breathe and feel the sun on her skin again. Pitch doesn’t really want to go, but can’t make himself deny her the only thing he thinks will truly make her happier than anything he’s done, and he refuses to let her go alone with Hans around, so he agrees.

They go, and Anna sees Hans. It's the first time she's talked to him since her wedding and they share a dance. it's the first time Pitch has seen his wife laugh- really laugh hard- in the whole duration of their marriage. Pitch, for all he talks about this being strictly a marriage made for mutual benefit of the kingdoms and not love, feels a little hurt and jealous. He corners Hans and tells him off for getting too friendly with his wife. Hans, in icy courtesy, says something like, "What, jealous I'm making her happy when you can't?" A nerve is struck and Hans learns his lesson about angering the Nightmare King. He only does this for pride and image, of course, to show how unwise it is to insult the Nightmare King or his VERY political marriage to his wife he totally isn’t fond of. 😂

Sorry there’s no more, but it’s late and I’m pretty tired. 😌 I’ve already started a little one-shot to go into more detail though. Plot ideas are welcome!

#pitchanna #pitch black #anna #black heart #headcanons #arranged marriage au #everydreamcancometrueworld #princess anna #kozmotis pitchiner #crossover #rotg #frozen

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