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imdefyingmavity · 2 years

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(inspired by that singing caretaker prompt)

Funny, he’d just been telling himself that it looked like he was in for a quiet night. No such luck.

It’s 2:34am. Michael was just finishing the fourth X-men movie. Or was it the fifth? Did the awful one about Wolverine count? And he if anyone thought Jeremy Bearimy was a nonsensical timeline only had to attempt to watch these weird ash movies. He kinda wishes he’d chosen to binge watch the cartoon series instead.

He’s not too irritated then when Eleanor’s screaming gets him up from the couch. It’s almost as natural a sound to him as the whistle of the boiling kettle or the beep of the microwave when food is ready. This is his job, right now, he knows the routine, what he has to do. At least it’s starting to get down to just once a night, sometimes even being lucky enough to have her sleep through till morning.

“It’s okay, Eleanor, I’m coming.” he starts to call before he’s even entered her room, hoping the sound of his voice is enough to start to calm her down.

He finds her on the floor, having dragged the bedsheets across the room with them still tangled around her legs. She’s wailing pitifully, palms slapping against plain wall, tears streaming down her cheeks as she bangs her forehead. Her cries are incoherent caterwauling, probably still in the mindset that her tongue is gone, or that she’s unable to speak, forgetting the few syllables she’s been recovering lately.

Michael bites the inside of his lip. Fork, how many times did she kneel in her cell like this and bang on the walls? Crying for salvation? Not a lot to begin with, he reckons, a strong hunch telling him that she took many days, if not weeks, and a lot of gruesome torture to be broken down to that level of pathetic.

He goes over and kneels down, palm reaching out to stroke her hair; “Shh, sweet girl, you’re okay. You don’t have to do that anymore.”

Sometimes his touch causes her to flinch in terror. Not tonight. She merely crumbles, mewling, curling up against the wall. Michael sighs and continues to massage her.

“There we go. C’mon.” He shuffles closer, slowly reaching for her hands. There’s been times that he’s come in to find her having scratched into the walls until her fingernails bled, or bruised her knuckles by punching the floor.

Nothing so bad this time. Her palms are just a little red. Even broken, she’s still a fighter.

He cradles them up in his own hands, willing them to stop stinging, while rubbing them warm. Eleanor sniffles, turning her head towards him, messy hair covering half her face. To think he brushed it so nice for her after her bath a few hours ago.

“Look around you. You’re not there anymore, Eleanor. Just a bad dream.” Though given how often she sleeps and how frequent the dreams return, it must feel like she spends more time back in her cell than here, in the...less Bad Place (for now).

Her eyes peek through the wayward strands of hair, frowning suspiciously, darting around the room and back to Michael. His chest tightens, the sound of her racing heartbeat pulsing against his essence. Is she close to figuring out the truth? Was it too much of a coincidence that he let her go only to bring her back? It’s a niggling worry in the back of his head, every day, that as she starts to regain her spiritual strength, the better her intuition will become and this will all be for no-

Eleanor whimpers, her shoulders slumping, nearly collapsing forward in exhaustion. Ah. Nothing to worry about, Michael quietly exhales with relief, instantly moving forward to grab her, gathering her close.

“I gotcha, sleepy head. You’re okay.” He moves his hand to unwrap the sheets from her legs; “Let’s get you back to bed, yeah?”

Her head shakes, one of her hands reaching up to grab his shirt.

“N-n...” She struggles, finding her voice again; “No’ yet...Puh-please...”

Michael stills, shifting to sit properly on the floor, letting her rest in his arms; “Okay...” Whatever she wants. She’ll obey her strange requests, for as long as this takes; “You sure you don’t want anything? Glass of water? Midnight snack? Extra blanket?”

Eleanor’s face turns to bury her nose in his chest. She murmurs something, her low, inaudible voice rumbling against him. Not even with his advanced hearing senses is he able to decipher her words.

“What was that, sorry?” he asks, pulling back a little to look at her face, the tears on her cheeks now shared with the front of his shirt.

She looks up, lip wobbling a bit, unsure, eyes wide.

“Could...s-sing?” She stutters, wearily; “P-please, Mi’...?”

He blinks, surprised by the request. She’s not typically a fan when he practices playing his guitar, covering her head with the nearest pillow, cringing as if she expects to be tortured again. She’s never asked for a song before, though he does often croon along to the radio in the morning when he makes breakfast, presumably loud enough for her to hear from her bedroom as she wakes.

Michael’s never been complimented on his singing. This might be the closest he ever gets.

“Sure...C’mere, get comfy.” He sits against the wall and holds her to rest against his chest. Her hair tickles his chin as she tucks her head in the alcove of his neck; “I’ll sing the most frequently heard human ballad that most seem to enjoy...”

He takes a breath, rubbing circles in the space between her twitching shoulder blades.

“We're no strangers to love You know the rules and so do I...”

Eleanor giggles as she yawns, a strange and surprisingly adorable sound. He smiles, glad that she finds his choice amusing, especially as he knows it’s sometimes used as a form of modern day human torture. Or pranks. Honestly, he doesn’t know the difference. Perhaps a prank is something both the torturer and victim find funny?

He attempts to sing it slower and softer than the original, creating a rather warped lullaby for his damaged human.

“ I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling Gotta make you understand.

Never gonna give you up Never gonna let you down.”

Her arms slide around his torso, holding on tighter. Does she think what he’s singing are promises from him? They are very similar to many words of comfort he’s given her - because the books and movies said so - over these past couple of months to make her feel safe.

This is exactly what you wanted, Mikey. Her complete and utter trust. Isn’t it wonderful?

“Inside we both know what's been going on We know the game and we're gonna play it And if you ask me how I'm feeling Don't tell me you're too blind to see.”

His fingers glide through her hair, her breath evening out against his body. It’s working. No doubt about that. She’ll be back to sleep by the time he’s finished, probably. Ready for another nightmare...

No. We don’t want that. We want her better. We want her whole and confident again...for the fall, of course.

Of course.

Why does she always feel so much smaller at night?

“Never gonna make you cry Never gonna say goodbye Never gonna tell..”

Eleanor glances up at him, blinking tired and confused, not sure why he suddenly stopped. He’s not looking at her, instead peering out ahead, looking as baffled as she is as to why his throat went so dry before he could finish the lyrics.

“A lie...” she prompts him, weakly, eyes already fluttering close.

He’s rushed back into reality, looking down at her, returning the smile. Try not to force it, Mike, or she will start to suspect. He kisses her forehead, his hand moving up to guide her to rest back down on top of him. Just get her to sleep, then put her back to bed, maybe stay a while to make sure she drifts off properly. No more nightmares, not if he can help it.

It’s just a forking song. It doesn’t have to mean anything. And even if it does, it’s not as if he has anything to feel guilty about...

“Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you...”

#npl hellstrop #missing eotb scene #writing practice #i dont have the time to update proper fic at the mo #so this is just to keep me going #whump #hurt / comfort #bad-ish caretaker

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cas-kingdom · 4 years

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Hey what order should I reread all your Witcher fics in?? 🤔

Oh gosh, order? XD The thing about my TW fics is that there isn’t a specific timeline - I just write whatever whenever, they don’t really follow on from each other per se, and they definitely don’t go along with Jaskier and Geralt’s 20 year timeline, Yenn’s 70 year one and Ciri’s couple weeks lmao (perhaps I’ll write a multi-chap in the future where that will become more specific!)

So, for that reason, I don’t think there’s much of a timeline, but there are some instances that are mentioned in other fics that would make more sense if you read another one first (for example, reader/Akela’s background).

Here’s an order then (don’t have to follow it at all but for those who find it easier):

The White Wolf and His Pup - Obviously first as it tells the story of when Geralt found her. She’s a few days old.

Fragile - This is set 2 weeks after Geralt finds the baby in the woods.

Raising a Wild Pup - The only story I currently have of her as a very young child - 3 years old. (also as an OC, not reader, due to the age).

Eleven - Set at Pavetta’s party in episode 4. Reader/Akela is 10.

Book - Reader’s 11.

Little Traveller - Reader is 15 here, which is the youngest after RAWP.

First - 15 here, too.

Dad - Not really set anywhere particular but was likely before Jaskier, as the next 3 are. Though tbh each scene could easily be set somewhere different - from early to late teens.

You Make Me Smile - Same as above. Age isn’t mentioned but she’s between 15-16.

Each Other - Same as above.

Wild Rabbit - Same as above, but reader is 16 here.

Heart of Geralt - First one with Jaskier. Reader is 16.

To Annoy a Witcher - Set pretty soon after meeting Jaskier, though he’s not with her and Geralt. Reader is about 16.

Eye of the Beholder - First with Yennefer. Reader’s about 16.

Sex and Apologies - Set directly after EOTB (same episode).

Mud Monster - Jaskier’s back with them, and he’s extremely close to reader. Probably 17-18 years old.

Like Him - Same as above.

Drabble - Same as above.

To Love and Be Loved - Second with Yenn, perhaps set when they next bump into each other. Reader’s 18.

Until the End - Set in episode 6. Reader’s 18, and obviouslt Yenn & Jaskier have left.

Constant - This is set perhaps a week or so before they find Ciri. Reader’s 18.

Jealousy - Set after Geralt & reader find Ciri, and the first story with her in it, so she’s 18.

#the witcher #the white wolf and his pup #text #ask

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eagle-raider · 3 years

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Gauging interest here: I've been writing the Revolution AU for the last couple of days - the plot document is getting longer and the story structure is turning into something I hadn't really anticipated.

What it means: surprise multichapter fic! (three or four for now)

This will take place after the events of EOTB, a few months after the end. It'll be constructed in a way that it won't give spoilers away since we're going back in time. Lara and Kassandra's relationship won't be the focus of the main storyline, however it'll be mentioned in the background.

With that being said, I could write the whole thing and wait until I finish EOTB before posting it (which, let's be honest, is going to take another year probably), or I could post it as I go. Obviously EOTB remains the priority - I'm not abandoning it.

I guess, what I'm asking is: would you like to read a "sub-story" taking place within EOTB's verse in a month or two, or would you like to have the thing uploaded after the main story is finished?

#I need a better title for it #narrative frames story structure is very interesting to explore #but i can't cram all the events in one chapter #lol at me thinking it was ever going to be a one shot #I'm a clown #writing #eye of the beholder

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joh-gaming · 6 years

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It has begun

Visually, it is a huge improvement over the first game/season. Characters and story feel so very Life is Strange which, believe it or not, was one of my biggest worries when the sequel was announced. There’s always that chance where a sequel is either more of the same (in a bad way) or more like a fan fic than an actual sequel (Before the Storm) Granted, what I think of Before the Storm is just my opinion and I hope Deck Nine works on their own stuff because they clearly have the skill.

I started with the graphics because the first game came out in 2015, while it used the Unreal Engine it was Unreal 3, not 4. I have a particular love towards Unreal Engine 4 that comes from playing Paragon for so long. Seeing how good it makes the game (and how smooth it runs) and the lighting on an already atmospheric game it’s just AhMeiZing!

I feel a bigger attachment to Max than I do with the Diaz brothers ‘cause I have more personality traits with her than them. That being said, Sean drawing and a “minority” (eotb) are two things I truly relate to. Of course I’m into it, the story and characters. But it’s also giving me vibes of Brothers: Tales of Two Sons and worst yet, Grave of the Fireflies. On top of that they added Mushroom and I just can’t take this. I’ll probably wait for the whole thing to be over and make sure certain things DON’T happen.

After what happened to us last year, I’m no longer the same person, I’m not ready for this game or anything along those lines. Detroit was different ‘cause David Cage crafts good endings as part of the options so I knew I could get a good ending before jumping into it. Granted, my focus playing the game was to keep the character as I saw them, Marcus the leader and an example, Kara the protector and Connor the lost sheep looking for purpose.

I’ll talk more about episode 1 after some time has passed, so I don’t accidentally spoil anything. I want to talk about the new “mechanics” which are very creative, as well as certain characters and moments.

Thanks for reading, hope you’re enjoying the game.

#Life is strange 2 #personal opinion

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vvmxo · 3 years

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There's a (most likely) fake list of participants of the next EOTB going around and both A'Whora AND Tayce are on it. 👀 I mean, I know it's 99.99% chance it's fake, especially seeing the other contestants too, but still... 👀 👀 👀 Can you imagine? Now I need the fic for that. Here it is btw:

https://ex-on-the-beach-us.fandom.com/f/p/3281608895365246550

Interesting 😳 if Tayce is Awhora’s ‘ex’ it will be pretty anticlimatic for storyline purposes 🤣 can you imagine Tayce turning up and Awhora being like “HI BEST FRIEND” and having to explain to the rest of the cast they live together 🤣🤣

Though now she has a boyfriend im really really hoping she pulls out (unless it is the case Tayce is her ex and theyre just using it as a chance to get a free holiday because that would be iconic)

#asks

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angelic-holland · 4 years

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sorry to be a bother but when the anon was asking for fic recs they said they read eotb and i was wonder what fic that was

Ex on the beach I believe !!

#alice answers #anon

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spiderman-homecomeme · 2 years

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My favourite fic of yours: We know it's Ex on the Beach. It's so heart-wrenching and heart-healing. It was my first AO3 bookmark. I still feel so many emotions about the way you made them hurt each other and then come back together. Honestly, G, it's masterful. I'm going to joyfully scream about the EotB flashbacks forever. You write about love in such a beautiful, messy, and complex way. You let Peter and MJ be petty as FUCK (truly, new levels of pettiness were pioneered in this fic) and then so tenderly drop all these clues that they still love each other. You are genuinely, deeply funny and sharp and I love the way you put that energy into the dynamic you created in this story, not just between Peter and MJ, but amongst their entire group. Oh, and Paulina and Brad are an iconic pairing that I will NEVER forget lol

Second!!! i'm crying you are so kind!! thank you bröther

ex on the beach my beloved!!

ilu

fanfic asks for the askers!

#ask games #second #my love #my brother #spideychelle #petermj

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justhere4kpop · 11 months

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Chapter 13: Paid Vacation.

“Just until this all dies down, think of it as a paid vacation.” The words rang out in my head as the phone call played again and again. I got too comfortable, I got too cocky….of course, they’d be mad about this….of course, there were consequences….ones I had to pay. I opened Twitter again, refreshing the search bar on my name…Why did I have to pay? Weren’t they happy? Weren’t we all happy? Was I using them? Just making a name for myself before leaving? Was I just…lying? How are there more pictures?

I felt the tears sting behind my eyes calling for me to be fired. My throat tightening and drying out. Were we not happy Mingi?....Yunho?

“Final Boarding call for flight 1896 for Seoul….Final Boarding.”

I got up from my seat and made my way to the gate stowing my phone away. Do I listen to the company….or do I risk everything and run back?

The chime of my plane ticket rang out.

“Welcome Aboard.” the flight attendant smiled sweetly.

“Thank you.” I nodded and made my way on.

We’ll send someone to get you at the airport, don’t worry this will all be dealt with. The text messaged from the CEO stated. The messages left on read.

Where are you? I don’t know anymore Yunho…..I’m scared….

The flight was long, I couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t work on anything. I threw up three times. I pulled up my hoodie and left for baggage claim. I could get my camera, get to the company headquarters and I could explain myself. Of course people found out what plane I was on..of course I was the target of all the girls yelling at me to leave the boys alone, get fired for inappropriate conduct… It was one date…. I just need my camera and then I can leave if I can just get it. It was one date…one kiss…

I pulled my bag off the belt and made my way to the driver they sent for me, more insults hurled my way. We got in the van and I opened my camera bag only to find tears falling from my eyes….my equipment…my lenses, my stand…my camera…broken. I bit my lip for the third time, blood pooling from the tear I created.

“We’ll get you a new one, it’ll be okay.” the driver said upon realizing my horror.

“It’s fine.” I whispered. “I won’t need it.”

My phone began buzzing, Mingi. Just let it ring. Pretend you’re sick. Anything.

"Y/N thank you for coming back. Look, we'll get all this handled, just take a break, let everything calm down and we'll get you back out there." CEO Kim sat me down. "We'll say it was all a misunderstanding, I mean you three have known each other since high school. You kids are going to go out sometimes, it's perfectly normal."

"The fans…" I mumbled into the floor.

"We'll worry about the fans. They'll be fine, you know how people can be."

"They're calling for me to get fired for unprofessional conduct for going out for sushi with my partner."

"I know y/n….this is going to be rough but we'll get through it. Think of this as a paid vacation. Just give it some space."

Yeah…. space.

"Are you going to tell them?" I looked at my phone ringing again.

"Here." He held out his hand for my phone.

He got up and answered my phone call. I couldn't listen, he was telling Mingi I just needed to take a leave. I'd just be working from the home offices for a while and that there were already great photographers on hand and they would be in good hands. They were right….right?

“Y/n, take the day off, go home. Get some rest. Just take it easy and call me when you’re ready ok.” Kim looked at me. “They understand, you’re going to be okay, let this die down.”

I nodded and was lead back to the van leading me home to my apartment.

It’s cold here. No let me rephrase that…there’s no warmth here. I can pile on all the blankets I own and I still don’t feel them. I threw my phone down, alert after alert, tweet after tweet. I couldn’t take it. So I sat there. I curled up in my couch and I sat there.

I didn’t move for four days. Turning off the tv when the news got to talking about music, the mysterious girlfriend all over social media, and music news, everywhere. Fans were waiting for KQ to make a statement, everything was crashing down. I was ruining everything by being selfish….I wanted them both…I flew too close to the sun. My dad always told me, I’d never be good enough. I picked up my phone one more time….One text…

~Prev/~Next

tags: @yunbug, @byuntrash101, @gxlden-bxbyy

#ateez #ateez x reader #yunho #yunho x reader #my writing #mingi #ateez fic #yungi #yungi x reader #yungi smau #my stuff #my writings #eotb #ateez fanfiction #ateez smau

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cosmicretribution · 1 year

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🤡 and 👀

[ask game link]

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

oh this is a fun one. eotb had a LOT of these, i feel like-- one that's come to mind right now is the bit where elias decides to fuck up a like 10 year old jon's block tower for literally no goddamn reason. their dynamic is fuckin hysterical to me

also another slightly more recent one. in my. hcs7 raid on the resistance base fic this bit where they just fucking pause to debate the plural form of shulkers while grian steadily loses his last remaining shreds of sanity definitely made me laugh:

there's definitely more but i think ill leave it at that <3

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please

OH BOY. WOULDN'T I LOVE TO.

i've Mentioned my 3l timeloop au on here before im sure, which i love so much, and also i have a part 2 to my fic crystalline outlined i just have to actually sit down and write it...

but my most recent insanity i've been workingn on is like. its a hc/3l au, i wanna say modern fantasy type vibe, scar and cub both get taken by The Vex™ to be trained and changed and only one of them gets away in time before it's too late :)

mumbo has to go on a quest with this strange man who's shown up on scar's behalf to bring scar home safe-- and hopefully find some way to get him back to normal-- or risk losing him forever...

meanwhile in his absence, grian returns after having gone missing five years prior, only to find that his best friend is gone.

#that last one we've just been calling vex au and it's everything to me #hoping to work on that one more today maybe actually so if that sounds interesting at all then :) keep an eye out #i have to work on timeloop and crystalline pt 2 some more before i can show them but ive gotta catch the brainworms in their right alignmen #you know how it is!#ask game

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imdefyingmavity · 3 years

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What She Needs

Quick EOTB (not a) drabble for @cecret-with-c . This should make up for me clearly not finishing my other whump fic by the weekend as I’d hoped.

This stinks!

For that matter, when did the waves outside get so rough and loud? It’s as if every sound in this little corner of paradise he created has been amplified for his annoyance, right down to the mice scurrying around in the walls who only came out to help carry a lost remote or dropped earring.

No matter how what position he lays in, no matter how much he tosses and turns, he can’t seem to get himself comfy. It makes no sense! He made sure to summon the most desirable sofa, specifically for human napping, as he knew it would be used as Eleanor’s second bed as much as sitting to watch TV. Neither of them had any issues with it before so why was it so hard for him to get to sleep now?! Why did the pillows suddenly feel so damn lumpy?

Maybe sleeping on the couch was always this difficult. He can’t say he ever did it before. Ever since he learned how to sleep, it was always with Eleanor, in her bed. Sometimes they would take the occasional nap on the sofa together, curled up in front of a movie or spent after a day of simulated adventures. She took many a snooze on here during those early weeks, where she’d be buried underneath a blanket, clinging to one of the cushions like a shield while Michael pottered around her, trying to create as calm and normal an atmosphere as possible. Perhaps she found it as awkward as he did now, but was too frightened (and mute) to complain?

Oh, stop it, Mikey. Stop trying to rationalise this.

He knew the reason he was truly so alert. The same reason he had been exiled to the couch in the first place.

“Are you just not gonna talk to me for the whole weekend then?” He asks once they’ve made it through the threshold and she’s still storming ahead.

He makes sure to scan the area, ensure the soundproofing is on, never too careful if one of his coworkers has followed to spy on them.

“Yep!” Eleanor snaps back before realising her mistake; “Oh...fork, that didn’t count!”

“Oh, c’mon, I said ‘my bad’! What more do you want?”

“Cockroaches, dude! You called me and my friends ‘cockroaches’ - you really don’t get why that pisses me off?!” She turns and rounds on him.

Maybe she, too, had been waiting until they were out of demon-sight to rage at him.

Michael raises his hands; “I did not say that!”

“Oh so your exact words weren’t ‘you guys are like cockroaches’?!” She quotes him, lowering her voice to badly imitate him.

He waves his hand.

“Yes, but I wasn’t...I wasn’t trying to insult you. Chidi asked me a straight question, I gave him a straight answer...Which happened to be a metaphor!” He tried to defend, stepping through the foyer of the beach house.

Eleanor was already on her way into the kitchen to grab a can of J.D and coke.

“Look, he asked me if I knew why I was struggling with understanding some of the things in his class and I was just trying to say, as an immortal being, I am technically superior to the rest of you...Your species!” He corrects himself as soon as she turns to scowl at him; “And I tried to put that into perspective for him! How it feels for me, a creature with unfathomable abilities and has been around since the dawn of time, to have to be taught lessons from a creature like him - a tiny, fragile, mortal species whose only existed for a tiny blink in all eternity.”

“And the first thing that came to mind...was a cockroach?!”

Oh, she really is pissed about this.

He took a breath and tried to move closer, his hands out.

“Babe, c’mon now. You know I’d never mean to call you anything like that. It was just a force of habit, it’s how they would explain our jobs to use in Torturing 101.” He tries to tell her, his palm hovering near her elbow as she swigged her drink; “Old habits die hard but I’m trying my best, you know that, right?”

She meets his eyes, the sternness in her brow weakening a little, he can see. There’s a twinge in her lips as she refuses to melt.

“Old habits seem to be alive and well this week, man. Especially when you made Chidi’s writing come off the wall and attack him, just because he corrected you on Consequentialism!”

“Come on! You laughed at that!”

“No, Jason did! I...wanted to but resisted, which is what you should be learning to do! Stop lashing out at Chidi whenever he gives you the slightest bit of negative feedback, he’s only trying to help - which he keeps doing even though you can be such a nightmare student that you make me look like a teacher’s pet!” Eleanor cringes, putting down her can and stepping back; “Oh, what the fork have you turned me into?!”

“Hey, it’s not my fault you’ve become a total nerd! That’s on you.” Michael deflected as he hung up his jacket and removed his bowtie, snapping his fingers to turn his trousers to jeans.

“Actually, ding dong, only reason I even asked Chidi to help me be a better person was because you tricked me into believing I wasn’t good enough to get into Heaven!”

“That wasn’t a trick, that’s a fact of the Universe.”

“You know what I mean! This is all your fault! We’re having to put up with these stupid fake tortures every day and when I’m not pretending to be miserable about that, I gotta babysit my demon boyfriend to try and stop him from actually torturing one of my best friends!” Eleanor raises her tone as she rounds on him; “And even when I finally get a chance to escape it all, I end up having a fight with said stupid demon boyfriend who’s too much of a jerkash to admit when he’s crossed the line!”

He watches her get closer, inch by inch, doing his best not to dismiss her comments and only focus on how cute she looks when she’s angry, as well as how hot it is for her to be so fearless shouting down an all-powerful immortal being.

Michael blinks as he realises she’s waiting for a response.

“Oh, you mean me?”

Eleanor groans again, moving back to the fridge. She grabbed as many J.D cans as she could carry before pushing past Michael and heading towards their bedroom.

He watches her go with a frown; “What you taking all those in there for?”

“Because I am gonna spend my torture-free night alone, in my room, drinking, eating crab and watching Real Housewives until I pass out.” She mutters as she turns the knob.

“Sounds good, count me in.” He went to follow.

“Alone!”

That sounded less good. Michael stops in his tracks, watching her slam the door. He scoffs. She’ll be back out soon. What’s she gonna do, just leave him to sleep alone on the couch?

Yes, apparently.

Were he a true demon, he’d be hoping that Eleanor was having as much trouble getting to sleep as him. That she was regretting starting a fight on what was supposed to be their monthly getaway together and was going to appear any second to apologise and agree to forget it ever happened.

But he doesn’t, because he’s already passed failing at being evil, try as his natural instincts might try to rear their ugly tentacles again. He can’t wish anything bad upon her, the woman who changed his life, who shone a light in the darkness. He doesn’t even enjoy torturing her friends, not really. Chidi, a little, as an outlet, but only for an instant high that quickly wore off when he had to deal with the consequences. Which was mostly Eleanor being pissed at him.

He wondered how close she was coming to being tempted to turn a steak knife on him again? He probably deserved it.

It was...tough, being part of a team. Bonding with Eleanor on her own, two of them here isolated away from everyone else, had run so smoothly, as if it were destiny if he dared to entertain such a lame concept. But having to share her with others, taking classes with them, sometimes it was fun but other times...Ugh, he could gladly wish for retirement. He didn’t enjoy feeling dumb or small or...so clearly inferior to the kind, ethical human who got to spend way more time with his girlfriend than he did.

Not that Michael would ever bring that up. He’d sound as bad as Ross in Season Three when he was being possessive of Rachel with that Mark guy. What a tool.

Don’t be a Ross, Mikey. That’s Ethics for Dummies right there.

He sighs, heavily, imagining losing Eleanor forever because of being like that doofus was with Rachel. He was better than that. He understood how important this was to her. He tried to respect her friends and what it meant for her to have all of them as a group; the family she’d been denied...that they’d all been denied in some way or another.

It’s on you to make this right, he tells himself.

He hit his pillow before groaning again. Fine! First thing in the morning, he’ll wake her up with a nice breakfast, he’ll say sorry, he’ll let her know how frustrated he’s been with Vicky and others lately, and how he should make it up to Chidi and-

Click.

Michael freezes. That was definitely Eleanor’s bedroom door.

He closes his eyes, pretending to sleep. He doesn’t wanna try to do this now, not at this hour. Let them have a night apart to think, let her sleep, let it be a surprise to wake up to. She’s probably just coming in to grab some water from the Brita. Or some midnight shrimp from that infinite platter in the fridge. There’s a rapid thumping sound rippling through the air. He can barely hear her bare feet pad across the carpet...

On their way towards...him...

He struggles not to open his eyes when he feels the smaller body push against him, moving him back against the cushions and slipping under his arm for the lack of a blanket. He doesn’t need one and, even without his natural fiery body heat, it’s warm enough tonight. So why is she shaking all over as she curls into him-?

Oh. Oh shirt. Not again.

“You okay-?” he whispers only to find a palm pressed to his lips.

“Shut up!” her voice commands, her fierce tone trembling with fear; “M’still mad at you!”

Clearly. That’s not his main concern right now.

He nods, opening his eyes. The remnants of tears shine on her cheeks.

He carefully moves his hand to wipe them with his thumb, cradling her face as if it were the most precious object in existence.

“Just tell me what you need.” He says, softly.

They can deal with all the rest in the morning. Right here, right now, he’s to do what his role has always been since they first arrived here.

Does she want to talk about it? Can he get her anything?

He doesn’t need to ask these questions. They’ve been uttered a hundred times, over a hundred nights, throughout this house. He’s never denied her a thing and he’s hardly going to stop tonight.

Eleanor sniffs; “...Just...do the thing...”

He nods; “C’mere.” he lifts his arm again, letting her curl in close against this chest before he wraps her up tight. His fingers gently massage up and down her back as she tries to sync her breathing with his, burying her face in his chest. He whispers the same soothing words, the same promises of safety, the same tender reassurance that it will all be okay. She can never hear it enough, not after what she had to endure. It’s a miracle she ever came back from it.

Michael chances his luck a little when he feels her begin to calm by brushing his lips against her hair. She gives the smallest hum, fingers still clutching on tight.

“Still mad.” She mumbles, nuzzling into him.

“I know.” He whispers, “And I’m still here.” Always.

He’s not sure when the couch became comfortable again but he can feel his own eyes becoming heavy. He watches her face, so close to his, admiring the smoothness of her skin and each hair out of place.

“Guess I might as well stay...” Eleanor says, sleepily; “I know you need me to look after you.”

He grants her that, smiling; “We cockroaches gotta stick together, right?”

She doesn’t respond.

“Still not good?”

Her lips twitch; “Getting better. We’ll make a human outta you soon, demon babe. Now go the fork to sleep.”

#hellstrop minific #npl au #fluff #michael x eleanor #nightmare hurt / comfort #established relationship

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ao3jamiexbrienne · 7 years

Text

The Book of Love

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2w5f4or

by hardlyfatal

Modern AU. Similar premise to EotB. Brienne doesn't think much of love. Neither does Jaime. Then a chance meeting and a cross-country road trip force them to reevaluate what they thought they wanted out of life. Turns out, it was someone like each other the whole time.

Words: 2145, Chapters: 1/18, Language: English

Fandoms: Game of Thrones (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Brienne of Tarth, Jaime Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, Shae (ASoIaF)

Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth, Tyrion Lannister & Shae (ASoIaF)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Road Trips, My first fic with this pairing so be gentle

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2w5f4or

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #jamiexbrienne #jamie lannister #brienne of tarth #jamie/brienne #the maid #w

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eagle-raider · 4 years

Note

Can I get greedy and ask for another one? Because I was 'kinda fishing' for some snippets about that French Revolution thingy and I should have been way more precise with my previous ask 😅

Ah, sorry :) the French Revolution one shot is called Mein Engel (for now at least but it's highly subject to change).

It takes place within the same universe as EOTB and follows the same pattern as that one chapter in EOTB. The story spans over decades (from around 1770 to 1793).

It's not so much about the Revolution as it is about the Royal family slightly before/and during that time, and more precisely, about Marie-Antoinette. I think AC Unity covered the uprising from Paris and the folks’ perspective, while this fic isn’t even taking place there, but in Versailles. You can look at it like a parallel to Arno’s story, perhaps (I haven’t played Unity and I won’t, but I might look up a few vids on YT). With what we know of the Staff and Kassandra’s work as the Keeper, there’s absolutely no way she’d have missed that :D

But really, my main motivation was that I wanted to see Kassandra strutting down the Galerie des Glaces of Versailles, looking all swag. Think the Rose of Versailles (Lady Oscar) meets Game of Thrones - that’s what I’m going for.

Excerpt under the cut because it's a bit long and rough (400 words).

Kassandra stood near the window, watching the Countess of () fawn over (Louis' bro). Her smiles and forced laughter would have been less wasted on a brick wall. The man wasn’t paying any attention to her, his attention was drawn to (OC)'s back like a moth to a flame.

Kassandra kept herself from frowning. She would have to tell (OC) to be more careful when crossing the forecourt, next time. The glint in his eyes wasn’t boding well for the girl.

She breathed in and removed herself from the scene. The tick-tocking of a hundred clocks bounced off the large room. It was soothing in a way, and for a second she could almost understand why Louis liked this place so much.

Almost.

“I like you, little prince,” Kassandra turned on her heels, facing the ostensibly large desk and the gentle, hopeful smile sitting behind it. “But I don't care about you.”

The wood creaked under her steps, adding their own thumping to the small cacophony of gears. She leaned over the desk, fists on the table and watched Louis squirm under her gaze.

“I care about her (MA), and right now she's being blamed for your own shortcomings," Kassandra threw a sidelong glance between his legs.

His thighs snapped shut almost immediately. Louis sunk down on his seat, shrinking, like he wanted the cushions swallow him whole.

"I—I will talk to the C-court. Ask them to leave her a-alone," he squeaked, looking every bit of the twenty year-old boy he was.

Barely out of childhood, and not a man yet. Pudgy cheeks and kind eyes, the prince hadn’t grown out of his baby fat. And to think Aletheia wanted him on the throne of France. It was laughable, really.

A lamb in the midst of wolves.

Kassandra tutted and shook her head. "Enough talk. The Court works like this," she leaned forward again, entering his space. "I don't want you to talk, I want you to act,” she took the vial from her concealed pocket and waved it at him. “I want you to drink this. Then, I want you to think about your clocks, whatever gets your little friend going," Kassandra pointed downward with a flick of her hand. "And tonight when the Court leaves, I want you to do your job. Am I clear?”

Marie-Antoinette's life was on the line. Pregnancy assured her safety from the dissonant voices calling for her blood. There was too much at stake—Kassandra's whole plan for the decades to come relied on him, and she had waited long enough.

She was practically in his face by then. Louis gulped at her raised eyebrow, before nodding briskly. "Yes. Y-yes, General."

Kassandra withdrew herself, standing straight. "Good," she nodded.

#Louis and Marie Antoinette didn't consummate their wedding until 7 years after said wedding #and she got blamed for it big time #While the real issue was Louis' impotence #And their youth #And his obsession with clocks #wiriting #fanfic #Really I'm just going to nerd out on this fic #hope you guys don't mind

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