#her looking in wonder and awe at the trees in the vault and then fucking cinder pulling that shit

[waltwhitmansbeard]

chapter two

She becomes a hummingbird, light, fast, impossible to track. Out the window, away from the house she has occupied like a specter haunts a tomb, to the nearest tree. She is powerful enough now to crack open its bark into a portal without needing her hands, her voice—(so much power, and for what? What has it wrought? What has it done for her?)—and before the hazy light of the Abundant Terrace can reach through the tree, she is there, flitting high above the heads of Melora’s faithful on her way deeper into Vasselheim. Vaguely, she wonders if Pike is here; if she didn’t know what to say to her before, she definitely doesn’t know now. 

Quick like lightning, she is in the Duskmeadow, surrounded by the dark stone that feels more right to her than the cherry blossoms of Zephrah do. She passes masks of skulls and veils of black, and never, never will she understand this celebration of death. Only those who have not been brought low by its might could ever stand in awe of its power. 

She lands on the top of the steps to the Raven’s Crest, and once her bones and skin have shifted back into place, she stares up at the massive doors, opaque and oppressive. The fact that she must knock is an insult; the last thing she wants to do is beg for entry. She balls her fist and bangs once, twice, three times against the glass. 

It takes little more than twenty seconds for one door to swing in, just a crack. A face appears, or, rather, a veil, the vague outlines of facial features evident beneath it. The person does not speak. Jaw clenched, Keyleth says, “I must speak with her.”

Even though she can’t see the eyes, she knows she’s being regarded with skepticism, and fair enough: far from the ethereal, commanding Voice of the Tempest, Keyleth knows she looks like a cat dropped down a well and dragged back up by the scruff. Her hair is a nest and her clothes are working on their third day. Perhaps this sycophant of death is used to more polish in those who would entreat their mistress. Keyleth doesn’t give a fuck. 

The face disappears, and the door opens further. Keyleth doesn’t wait for spoken permission. She shoves inside, taking long, quick steps along the seemingly endless hallway. In another life, the transition of glass to slate and bone would be disorienting, chilling, even, but this is Keyleth’s life, and clever architecture cannot hold a candle to the horrors she’s witnessed. 

Up the staircase, and she determinedly does not think about the last time she was here. She doesn’t think about what they asked for, doesn’t think about what it cost. The door at the top is thick oak, its brass door knocker hanging like a condemned man right in front of her. Keyleth pauses. Again, knocking feels like a request, and she is not here to ask anything of the goddess of death. But there is no handle, and while setting the wood ablaze might be deeply satisfying, it likely will not get her where she wants to go. She grips the metal ring—it might as well be made of ice, so cold is it—and slams it once against the wood.

As if by magic, the door opens, just enough for Keyleth to slip through. She is confronted with the damned pool of blood, round and impossibly still. This time, Keyleth doesn’t look at the stained glass or the vaulted ceiling. She stares at the blood. Gods, she’s seen so much blood. 

She strips quickly, efficiently, leaving a haphazard pile of disgusting clothes at the edge of the pool. Her bare toes curl over the edge, and for a moment, she is properly afraid. She wonders if he would disapprove of her being here, if this is an intrusion on something that was just for him. Whatever. It’s not like he’s here to argue. She steps into the pool.

continue reading on ao3 please consider donating to my ko-fi

#critical role #critical role fic #cr fic #my fic #vaxleth #vaxleth fic #vox machine #vox machina fic #isar

[my-little-girlboss]

I’m so fucking sad, I just want Vernal back 😭

#vernal #rwby #vernal rwby #vernal branwen #vernal deserved better #her looking in wonder and awe at the trees in the vault and then fucking cinder pulling that shit #i'm legit crying

[mrsalwayswrite]

To Call Forth Love - Chapter 10

I’m sorry its taken me so long to update. I haven't had much time to write lately due to....well, life. But here we are and its long, so hopefully that makes up for the length. 

Side note- the Norwegian used is from Google translate so....

Warnings: swearing, mild sexual content, Lothbrok family dynamics (yes, its a warning), threats of violence

Words: 15,700 (yep, my longest chapter yet. I packed ALOT into this beast)

Tag List: @youbloodymadgenius @evelynshelby @pomegranates-and-blood @heavenly1927 @zuxiezendler @punkrocknpearls @love-all-things-writing @southernbe @ecarroll1978 @breezykpop @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie​

Series Masterlist

"Where are we going? I thought we were going to your flat?" 

 Gyda slyly smiled at Kari, sitting in the passenger seat of her bright yellow Porsche. "Change of plans."

 Kari stared at her friend. "I'm scared to ask."

 "Torvi asked for female reinforcement. So, we are going to keep her company."

 "Ok…. But where is that?" 

 "At the brothers' house." The blonde answered nonchalantly as she made a quick right-hand turn. "It's tradition. Kind of a last family summer party before it's too cold to swim anymore. They have a pool in their backyard."

 Kari felt her stomach drop. Ivar had told her he lived with his three other brothers. Gyda had her own flat while Bjorn and Torvi owned a house nearby. Whenever she tried to ask Ivar about his home, he would shrug off the question or ignore it completely. Eventually she just stopped asking. Curiosity certainly reared its head when she wondered what his home was like. For how much money meant nothing to him, she guessed it was massive and expensive. Maybe he knew she would not fit in and that was why he never brought her? Even through his speeches of wanting her to be his girlfriend, he knew she would not fit into his lifestyle. Why else would he keep her away? It was a valid truth that she had come to terms with. Even if she found herself secretly desperate to ease into his life, she never would. 

 "Of course, they do…." Kari rolled her eyes at the notion that obviously, there was a pool in their backyard. It fit the stereotype in her mind. Then she thought about what Gyda just said. "Wait. Do you have a swimsuit with you?"

 Gyda raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow at her while keeping her eyes on the road. "Don't worry, I've got you covered. Torvi brought an extra of hers for you."

 "You had this planned, didn't you? We never were going to your flat, were we?"

 "I don't kiss and tell."

 "Yes, you do. There was that guy you hooked up with two weeks ago that kept sending you dick pics after."

 "That guy was way too proud of his dick. I mean it wasn't even that big."

 "I don't want to hear this again." Kari groaned, tugging on her diamond earring. She enjoyed Gyda but she had learned far more about the woman's sex life than she had any desire to know. 

 "Okay, fine. And yes, Torvi and I planned this. Ivar doesn't know you're coming."

 "Why?"

 Gyda smirked. "Because he's been so secretive and only Hvitserk has seen you two together. Besides, the rest of the brothers want to meet you. We may be at each other's throats most of the time but we do care for one another."

 The brunette let her friend's words sink in. Hvitserk had mentioned the others wanting to meet her, but she had not fully believed it. Sure, she wanted to meet them and was curious after hearing Ivar talk about them, but why would they be interested in her? She glanced down at her clothes, the capri leggings and tank top that were practically a signature look for her. For once, she wished she dressed nicer regularly. "I wish you had said something before."

 "You wouldn't have come then. You'd have created some excuse why you couldn't come." Gyda pointed out the obviously painful truth without remorse. 

 Kari slouched in the passenger seat, butterflies doing somersaults in her belly. Slowly, she pulled her ponytail down, letting her hair hang loose past her shoulders, running her hand through it absent-mindedly in hopes it looked decent. 

 At a red light, Gyda looked over at her with a bright smile. "It'll be fun." 

 "I don't know…. isn’t it supposed to be just family?"

 "Ubbe sometimes brings his girlfriend but yeah, it's usually just family."

 There was another long silence before Kari spoke again, unable to fully conceal her nerves. "You should drop me off and just go. I don't want to intrude."

 "You're not. I'm bringing you because there is always way too much testosterone." Gyda groaned, then reached over and swatted Kari's leg. "What are you so worried about?"

 "What if they don't like me?" She whispered. The weight of her confession hung over her like a dark cloud. 

 "What?"

 She kept her gaze out the window. "The…. the others. What if they don't like me?"

 Gyda laughed. "Kari, don't worry. They will love you. I promise. And if they say anything fucking stupid, I'll slap them or Ivar will stab them. See? Simple."

 A smile grew on Kari's face. "That shouldn't make me feel better…. but for some reason it does." Maybe she had already spent too much time with various Lothbroks if the idea of people resorting to violence made her feel better. 

 "You aren't alone, if anything we'll steal Torvi and Asa away and have a girls' party."

 "Asa? That's her daughter, right?"

 "Right, and Hali is her son. I swear that boy is going to be a miniature version of Bjorn."

 "I've never been around kids much." 

 Gyda chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "They are great, Asa is a sweetie who prefers to cuddle in someone's lap. It's Hali who is a bit wild but all his uncles love to play with him. He'll probably be swimming in the pool the whole time anyway."

 Still staring out the window, Kari thought about everything Gyda had said. Of course, she was still nervous about just showing up to a family event unannounced, even if she was sort of being kidnapped by Gyda. Some of her nerves faded away with the knowledge that Gyda and Torvi both wanted her there. She really would not be alone. She had friends. She had people that wanted to spend time with her. Hopefully Ivar would be pleased to see her. His potential reaction was the only real wrinkle in her fluctuating confidence. 

 "Okay. I can do this." She said aloud, wondering if she was trying to fully convince herself. 

 "Good, cause we're almost there."

 Kari stared out the window as they approached a gated community. Gyda showed her ID to a guard who chatted with her like they were old friends. As the yellow Porsche drove by the houses in the community, Kari just stared in awe. She had seen houses, mansions was a better term, like these before but it always amazed her that people lived in them. What did they do with all that space? All of the homes were set back from the road so Kari only caught glimpses of them but it was enough to remind her how out of her element she was. 

 Finally, they pulled up a long driveway to a massive two-story house. It was white with an insane number of windows, and a huge garage attached on the left side. On the right side looked like an expansive addition that made Kari wonder why they needed more space. The roof was made of some slate gray tiles, with a balcony above the front door and ivy draping elegantly over the corners. There were various sized potted plants and shrubbery around the front of the house and leading down the sides. Several European beech trees were strategically placed in the front yard to block most of the view from the road in an attempt at privacy. Whoever the grounds keeper was, for surely they had one, needed a raise. 

 Kari could only gape for a long moment, unable to move as she took in the immaculate, beautiful house. To think this was where Ivar lived and he always came over to her tiny townhouse. It was a struggle to tamper down the post embarrassment. 

 Gyda started talking as she parked in front of the house. The only other vehicle in sight was a silver four-door Audi, that Kari recognized as Torvi's. "Aslaug chose the house for them. When she isn't traveling for work or staying at their family home in Norway, this is where she stays. So, she insisted on this place. Something about the natural sunlight and old aesthetic blending with the new vibe. Or some other shit. I can't remember."

 "Huh." Kari said as she followed the blonde out of the car. She noticed there was no mention of the father, Ragnar, and wondered where he stayed but knew it was none of her business so she kept her question to herself. Maybe Ivar would explain it to her. 

 Gyda opened the solid, wood front door, waltzing in like she had done this a million times. Kari took two steps in and froze. The vaulted ceiling in the foyer was enough to stare at but it was the large chandelier that caused her to stare. The way it caught the afternoon light through the many windows and gently cast it about was truly gorgeous. This view was worth owning the house for itself, in her opinion. 

 A tugging on her arm made Kari squeak as she found herself suddenly being dragged along like a ragdoll. 

 "You can stare later, Torvi is waiting for us." Gyda stated, a large purse over her shoulder and her heeled boots clicking on the shiny, wood floor with each step. 

 Kari caught glimpses of other rooms as they passed down the long, straight hallway. A living room with a TV that took up most of the wall it was on. A kitchen that would make any celebrity chef drool. Pictures and awards displayed along the walls in the hallway that were obviously put up by their mother.  

 The two finally stepped out into a room with glass walls, where the pool and expansive backyard lay before them. Most likely what used to be a porch before being enclosed. Still being pulled along, Kari followed Gyda through a side door onto the stamped concrete that surrounded the pool and lounge area. A pool in a rectangle shape dominated the area, a diving board on the far end. A quick glance around showed a jacuzzi on the other side, closer to the house, the water bubbling like a cauldron. There was a large grill, several short tables and lounge chairs spread over the stamped concrete. At the far end was an adult size statue of the Buddha with two flowering pots on either side of him and some kind of cheap, plastic crown on his head. 

 The backyard was several acres wide and at least that many in length. Trees and large shrubs blocked the views of the neighbor's properties and made the place feel almost like a hidden oasis. Further down in a corner was a lovely gazebo with a cobbled stone path leading to it and gardens decorating the way. 

 "Gyda! What took you so long?!" A distinctly male voice called out. 

 "I had to pick up a package." She called back, pulling Kari into full view of the others. 

 The brunette gave a small, self-conscious smile at the many pairs of eyes that she could feel land on her. Before she could really get a good look at who was around, a shout of her name startled her. 

 "Kari!" Hvitserk jumped up from his lounge chair, wearing only dark green swim trunks, and walked over to her with a beaming smile. 

 "Hey…. OH!" She started to greet him only to be swallowed into a hug and spun in a circle. Unable to deny him, she hugged him back and laughed. It was funny since last time she saw him, he was in business attire, coming to check on her per Ivar's instructions. Now she could not help but notice his toned body. His form reminded her more of a runner, while she was used to seeing Ivar's muscular torso. A couple tattoos on Hvitserk caught her eye and she wondered if all the brothers had them. 

 When he finally set her back on her feet, he kept his hands on her shoulders, green eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint. "I didn't know you were coming here."

 "Yeah, I didn't know either until Gyda told me on the way."

 He chuckled, glancing over her head to his half-sister. "Yeah, not surprising."

 "Uh huh. Watch yourself, boy. I could still beat your ass if I wanted too." Gyda quipped. 

 "Maybe fifteen years ago. You don't have a chance now."

 "Keep telling yourself that, Hvitty." She teased, then yelled at Torvi. "You got it?"

 As soon as Kari was released by Hvitserk, she could sense a pair of sharp, blue eyes boring into her. Skin prickling under the sensation, she hesitantly looked up and immediately met Ivar's intense gaze right away, as if subconsciously her mind already knew where he was without having to search for him. 

 Reclined back on a cushioned, lounge beach chair, he wore loose black sweatpants, instead of swim trunks, under his leg braces, but without a shirt. His tattoos were a stark contrast on his skin and shamelessly on full display. Her fingers twitched with the urge to trace them again. It was his penetrating gaze though, the lack of emotion on his handsome face, that made her wonder if being here was a bad idea. 

 Before she could make a run for it, Gyda grabbed her arm as if sensing her desire to flee. "C'mon, let's get changed."

 With one last glance at Ivar, she followed behind Gyda and Torvi, who had joined them, back into the massive house. They headed to the kitchen and Gyda pointed out a bathroom across the way. 

 Placing the beach bag on the kitchen counter, Torvi dug in it for a moment before murmuring a quiet "here it is" and handed Kari something. "Here. I bought this forever ago but never wore it. Bjorn said he didn't like the colors."

 Kari took it, guessing it was the promised swimsuit, and peeked down at the two pieces of clothing in her hands. "Um…. where’s the rest of it?"

 Laughing, Gyda rolled her eyes. "Get in there and change or I'll do it for you."

 With a concerned look between the swimsuit in her hands and the two blondes staring at her expectantly, Kari finally conceded defeat and stepped into the bathroom. It was only a half bath, with a toilet and sink, but it was still roomy and felt fancy somehow. The mirror above the sink was large and there was a small, pretty flowering plant on the counter that upon inspection, turned out to be real. 

 Quickly, she changed out of her leggings and tank top and into the swimsuit, figuring it was best that way, like ripping off a band-aid. Plus, if she stopped moving, her nerves would get the better of her and she would somehow find a way to sneak home. Even if she had to crawl through a window. A smile grew on her face remembering Hvitserk's enthusiasm to see her. That had honestly surprised her but she found she did not mind. Hvitserk seemed like a good guy and the little bit of time they had spent together, she felt comfortable with him. He was funny and caring. 

 Then Ivar's blank face came to mind and all of her excitement slipped away like water down a drain. There had been no acknowledgement, not even the hint of a smile, only a hard stare that made her anxious and self-conscious.  

 Taking a deep breath, she tried to remind herself what Gyda said. At least the two Lothbrok women wanted her here, and apparently Hvitserk was happy to see her. That was what she needed to focus on and not Ivar's reaction.

 Once done changing, she finally took stock of what Torvi had leant her and gasped.  

 "Oh no. No, no, no. Hell no."

 She stared down at the wide-band bikini. The top and bottom both had alternating white and light pink stripes, strangely reminding her of cotton candy. The design was certainly something she would never pick out for herself but she did not hate it. The real problem was the way half her ass cheeks hung out of the bottoms and more of her breasts saw the light of day than they ever had before. Never had she been so exposed. Even swimsuits she bought in the past were never this revealing. Her gaze immediately zeroed in on her fuller hips and thighs, fully exposed. Faint whispers that sounded like her mother's taunts echoed in the recesses of her mind as she stared at herself. There was no way she could go out in this. She would rather wear her leggings and tank top than have anyone see her wearing this. They would all laugh at her. 

 "Kari? You done yet?" Torvi called through the door. 

 "I'm…. I’m not coming out in this!" 

 "Let us see it first!" Gyda shot back. 

 "But…." Kari tried once again, unsuccessfully, to tuck her breasts into the bikini top. "It's padded!" 

 "Open this door, Kari." Gyda demanded, suddenly sounding closer. 

 She took one more look at herself, feeling the embarrassed tears welling in her eyes. With a deep breath, knowing she could not escape Gyda just yet, she opened the door. Immediately her blue-green eyes scanned to make sure it was only Gyda and Torvi in the kitchen before she further opened the door so they could see. 

 "Shit, Kari, you look great." Gyda said after giving a wolf whistle. 

 "Half of my butt is hanging out and most of my boobs. I can't wear this out there." She said, almost panicking now. 

 "No, they aren't, you're overexaggerating."

 "Kari," Torvi said kindly, drawing the brunette's frenzied attention, "you're more curvy than I am and let's be honest, your ass and tits are bigger than mine. I'd kill to have a body like yours. You look beautiful. But if you're uncomfortable, I think I have a cover you can wear over it."

 "Please." She replied softly, hating how she sounded like a fearful child.  

 Torvi smiled at her. "I'll be right back."

 Swiftly, Kari stepped back into the bathroom before Gyda could say anything. Her nerves felt alight and not in a good way. Grabbing her phone, she scrolled through her Pinterest, anything to distract herself from this nightmare. If it was just Gyda and Torvi seeing her in this, she might have been uncomfortable but she could tolerate it. Even with Ivar she might have shied away some but he always made her feel so desirable that she doubted her nerves would have lasted long. It was the thought of prancing around in this in front of the other brothers, men she had never met, that made her stomach twist into knots and her breathing quicken painfully. 

 Finally, a gentle knock on the door and a quiet, "It's me," had Kari open it to take the cover from Torvi. It was a solid white oversized V-neck cover with a simple pattern around the neckline. Without wasting a moment, she slipped it on over the bikini, immediately feeling better. The hem of the cover touched the tops of her thighs, higher than she would have liked, but it was better than before. 

 She looked up, running her hands over the cover. "Thank you." 

 Torvi smiled softly with understanding. "I understand. I don't wear swimsuits that show my stomach anymore. Stretch marks." She shrugged casually, moving back to slip onto an island stool. 

 Kari trailed behind her with her bundle of clothes and purse. Without a word, Gyda slipped into the bathroom to change, leaving the other two waiting for her. It was now that Kari really took note of Torvi's swimsuit; it was a classy black and white one piece with thin crisscross straps across the back. The blonde could easily wear a bikini and look amazing in it, but it made Kari feel marginally better that she was not the only one self-conscious about her body. Perhaps that was why Torvi shared about her stretch marks?

 "Is it…." Kari started then stopped, leaning against the black marble countertop. Surveying the grand kitchen for a second, hoping to gather her thoughts, she took a deep breath before continuing. "Is it okay that I'm here? Gyda said this is a family event and I don't want to intrude."

 Torvi turned to face her fully, green eyes gazing at her before she shrugged again. "Normally we try to keep it just family, Ubbe sometimes brings Margrethe, but I doubt anyone will be upset you're here. Honestly, the brothers keep asking about you, so now maybe they will finally shut up and stop teasing Ivar."

 Kari fiddled with the hem of the swimsuit cover. "He didn't seem happy to see me."

 "Ivar?" At Kari's nod, Torvi snorted. "I don't think it's you he's upset with. He's a very private person, as I'm sure you know. If I took a guess, I'd say he was keeping you hidden."

 "But why?"

 "Look, I've known the Lothbroks for about ten years and during that time, I've seen Ivar go through some ups and downs…. well, as much as he lets anyone see. I mostly heard it from Bjorn. Point is, he's allowing you into his inner circle. Hell, you're probably at the center of his inner circle. I saw how he acted with you at the yoga studio. You mean something to him. It's no secret he wants you to be his girlfriend. Maybe he is worried that you'll meet his family and decide we're too much or that you find one of his brothers more attractive or easier to deal with? He pretends to be super confident but it wouldn't be the first time that a woman chose one of the others over him."

 Every time Kari heard that, her heart broke once again for Ivar. How many times had he been overlooked because of his legs? Or his harsh demeanor? Something that she was beginning to realize was just to protect himself, to keep others at arm's length. It made her want to hug him and never let him go, to remind him he was more than just his disability. That he was worth being cared about by more than just family. 

 Kari must have been lost in her thoughts for longer than she realized. Suddenly she was drawn out of her inner musings by Gyda coming out of the bathroom, having changed into a plant print cutout tankini. Of course, looking like she just stepped out of a magazine cover. There had to be something in the Lothbrok blood for everyone to be this damn attractive. 

 "Are we ready?" She asked, her large bag in hand, presumably with her clothes in it. "Kari, you can put your stuff in here for now."

 Torvi touched Kari's shoulder. "Don't worry. If anything, you are here to keep me and Gyda company, okay?"

 Kari smiled, finding herself reassured and grateful for the two women. "Thanks." She slipped her clothes and shoes into Gyda's bottomless bag. They stashed their bags in the glass room and then headed back out into the backyard. 

 Soon as they stepped out, a little girl came running over. Torvi swept her up into her arms gracefully. She turned to Kari with the little blonde girl on her hip. "This is Asa. How old are you, Asa?"

 The little girl stared at her mom before shyly tucking her face into the crook of Torvi's neck, while her blue eyes stayed on Kari. After a moment, she held up two fingers. 

 "You're two?" Kari asked. When the little girl shyly nodded, Kari's smile widened. "I wish I was that old. It's nice to meet you, Asa. I'm Kari."

 Torvi pressed a quick kiss to the top of her daughter's head. "Did daddy let you play in the pool yet?"

 Asa shook her head. 

 "Alright, let's go kick his butt. He did promise, didn't he?"

 That made the little girl giggle and Kari could feel her heart melting slightly. She was just too cute and most likely spoiled by all her uncles. Even her swimsuit was a purple halter top and green bottom with a little skirt that was very The Little Mermaid-esque.  

 A happy scream followed by a splash drew Kari's gaze to the pool. A young boy resurfaced laughing loudly. Bjorn, she recognized, was in the pool also, but turned to look up at Torvi as she approached with Asa on her hip. 

 "Let's go sit down." Gyda slipped her arm through Kari's and pulled her along to where there was a grouping of lounge chairs. Ivar, Hvitserk and a curly-haired blond reclined with beers in hand. 

 Kari could feel Ivar's gaze tracing over her form as she approached, like fingers trailing over her skin leaving a fire in its wake. She sneaked a peek at him, only to find his ardent gaze on her. She blushed and kept her eyes downward. At least he did not look impassive anymore, but she still felt hesitant. 

 "Hey boys. What are we drinking this time?" Gyda questioned. 

 Hvitserk turned the beer bottle to show the label. 

 "Ew. I don't why you drink that shit. I'm going to get some wine. Kari, you want some?"

 "Ah, sure." She murmured.

 "Good. You boys be nice to my friend, especially you Ivar." With that Gyda walked back towards the house but not before giving Kari a subtle wink.

 "Take a seat, Kari." Hvitserk gestured to an open chair next to him. 

 For a split second she considered slinking into the seat, anything for the attention to be taken off her, but realized that was not what she actually wanted. It had been two days since she had seen Ivar and the last time they hung out, it was when he returned from his trip to Italy. He had picked her up the next day to take her out to eat but he ended up spending the majority of the time on his phone, yelling into it in a foreign language and seeming on the verge of throwing his phone or punching a wall. She ended up ordering take-out for them that they ate at her townhouse but he was too wired to really relax and left soon after. The next two days he had been busy with work so they could only text. The one time they managed to Face-Time, she could not help but notice his bruised knuckles and when she asked him about them, he said he did some boxing to release stress. 

 With butterflies doing somersaults in her belly, she took a step closer to stand near Ivar's lounge chair. Tugging on the hem of her cover as she quietly spoke. "Hey, Ivar. Can I sit with you?"

 "Oh, you're acknowledging me now?" He snapped, never removing his severe blue eyes off of her.  

 She blinked owlishly, surprised by his sharp tone. Her stomach dropped to her feet and she could feel an embarrassed flush rising on her cheeks. "Yeah, I'm sorry." She whispered, dropping her chin, unable to meet his eyes anymore. This was all a mistake, she knew it. This only sealed her poor decision. 

 Shifting to look back at the house, she wondered if she should find Gyda and beg to drive her back home, or if she should find the closest bus stop. Before she could take a step away, a calloused hand snatched hers in a firm grip. Startled, she looked down to see Ivar holding her hand. Her eyes jumped up to stare at him in shock, confused by his conflicting actions. In those vivid, expressive eyes she could easily read the regret in them. Without her conscious decision, her heart softened. 

 "Sit." He said quietly, what most likely meant to come out commanding but sounded more as a plea. She nodded and allowed him to guide her onto the wide lounge chair next to him. 

 A furious blush warmed her cheeks when Ivar wrapped an arm around her waist, tucking her into his side and pressing a quick kiss to her temple. What she assumed was his nonverbal apology. 

 "Hey, this is Sigurd." Hvitserk said, gesturing to the unknown blond sitting with them. "I don't think you've met him yet. Ubbe had to take a call, so you'll meet him later."

 "Hi, it's nice to meet you." She said, looking at the other Lothbrok. He had light blond, curly hair in frazzled braids and brown eyes. At first glance she would not have guessed he was one of the brothers, but she figured genetics were always weird. He had a lean body similar to Hvitserk with a tribal tattoo sleeve and a Thor's hammer necklace laying on his bare chest like the other brothers wore.

 He silently raised his beer bottle at her, still stretched out in his chair like a lazy cat in the sun. 

 Thoughtfully she peered up at Ivar, keeping her voice low. "I'm sorry, I didn't know Gyda was bringing me here otherwise I'd have told you. She literally didn't tell me until we were pulling up."

 "It's fine." He murmured evenly, but Kari got the feeling that was not how he truly felt. 

 "Do….do you want me to leave?"

 He sighed, his grip around her tightening for a moment, before he seemed to relax. "No. I'm glad you're here. It won't be boring…." a wolfish grin grew as he slid his hand up her exposed thigh sensually, ".... especially if you take off this cover and let me see what's underneath." 

 "No!" She squeaked, grabbing his roving hand before it could migrate further. 

 He chuckled. "Come on, kitten…. just a peek?"

 "Ivar, no."

 "Why not?"

 "Its…. it’s scandalous."

 Hvitserk raised his hand, a devious smirk on his face. "I want to see."

 She covered her face with her hands, embarrassment flooding her. "Oh gods, this was such a bad idea." Then she had to rapidly grasp Ivar's hand as it slipped under the swimsuit cover to caress her hip and trace her bikini bottom. "Ivar…."

 "Fine." He slipped his hand back out but splayed it over her exposed thigh. "You can show me later."

 Thankfully, Gyda reappeared with a glass of white wine in each hand and another blond male in tow who carried the wine bottle. He had short, cropped hair and a muscular body that spoke of many hours in the gym. Kari wondered if this was the brother that Ivar regularly worked out with. 

 "Why are you sitting with Ivar? I brought you here! I'm even bringing you wine!" Gyda teased, handing a glass to Kari. 

 "You also dragged me here unknowingly. Wine is the least you could do." Kari said without thinking, making the others laugh. 

 "You know damn well you're happy to be here." Gyda winked then took the open lounge chair next to her. "Right, I'm guessing you've been introduced to Sigurd." She flicked a hand in the curly-haired Lothbrok's direction followed by vaguely gesturing to the last unknown brother. "Now this pain in my ass, over here, is Ubbe. Ubbe, this is Kari."

 Sitting between Hvitserk and Gyda, Ubbe rolled his blue eyes but leaned forward to shake Kari's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."

 "Yeah, likewise."

 Ubbe sat back with an impish glint in his eyes. "So, you're Ivar's girl?"

 "Um…. we’re just..." She started, unsure what to say to his family. 

 Ivar broke in, his single word answer almost coming out in a growl. "Yes."

 She whipped her head to look at him, only for him to stare her down as if waiting to see if she could refute his claim. Logically, she knew she should say something, argue that they were only friends. Yet any rebuttal died on her tongue under his fierce gaze. Instead she chose to sip on her wine generously.  

 "Right." Ubbe finally said, watching the two with an amused look. 

 Sigurd scoffed loudly before taking a swig of his beer. 

 "Something you want to say, Sig?" Ivar turned narrowed eyes at his brother.

 The curly-haired brother smirked, seeming to debate saying anything. Finally, he sat up and his gaze zeroed in on Kari. "How much does he pay you to fuck him?"

 The reaction from those around was instantaneous. Next to her, Ivar tensed, ready to spring up and fight his brother. A sharp reprimand of "Sigurd!" came from both Gyda and Ubbe while Hvitserk pinched the bridge of his nose. 

 Something rose up inside Kari though. She understood enough to know about the animosity between Sigurd and Ivar. His comment felt more like a cruel jab at Ivar than her. She was just the pathway to try and cause torment between the brothers. But if no one else was going to stand up and defend the dark-haired Lothbrok, she would. 

 So instead of taking his words personally, she just smiled sweetly at Sigurd, placing a hand on Ivar's thigh as she responded. "He doesn't. I'm happy to do it for free. Besides, he has something you never will."

 "And what's that?"

 "A cock big enough to pleasure someone….is that why you go through girlfriends so quickly?"

 The rising tension evaporated in a flash. Gyda snorted so hard she almost dropped her wine glass. Hvitserk threw his head back laughing while Ubbe tried to cover his smile with his hand. Kari was sure her eyes were comically wide as what she said without thinking sunk in. Her face flushed and she pressed her face against Ivar's shoulder. Sure, she had meant to defend Ivar but she had not meant to be so crass. The statement seemed to fly out of her mouth before her brain could catch up. 

 Next to her, Ivar laughed as he nuzzled her. She squirmed under his onslaught but also at realizing she just insulted one of Ivar's brothers. Even if it was the one he liked least of all. For a fleeting moment, the idea she had just made herself an enemy crossed her mind. 

 When she sneaked a peek, Sigurd quickly drained the rest of his beer and walked away murmuring something about getting another one. 

 "I think you'll fit in, Kari." Ubbe stated, still trying unsuccessfully to hide his amusement. 

 Kari was unsure of that. She quickly took a large sip of the wine to settle her fraying nerves. What had she been thinking? It hurt to hear Ivar's brother being so blatantly cruel to him and if this was a regular occurrence, no wonder Ivar wanted to spend most of their time at her place. 

 "I didn't realize you liked my cock so much, kattungen." Ivar whispered salaciously into her ear, drawing her back to the present. His tongue flicked her earlobe, making her jolt. "I think I'll have to give you a reward later."

 She shivered at his tone, her core clenching without resistance. It was unfair how just at his husky tone alone, her body betrayed her desire. But they were in public though, in front of his family no less, so she willfully attempted to cool the heat warming her veins. With a smile, she tried to nudge him away from her but he was too strong, only tightening his grip on her and laying a quick kiss to her neck. 

 "I can't believe I said that." She whispered, hoping only he heard her. 

 He smirked, an unmistakable fire in his eyes. "It was sexy as fuck."

 Thankfully, Torvi came over to join the group, a welcome distraction for Kari as she was sure the fire in Ivar's gaze was enough to set her ablaze and further stoke her own heat. 

 Torvi settled into Sigurd's now absent spot. "What did I miss?" 

 "Kari said Ivar's cock is bigger than Sigurd's." Hvitserk stated smugly. 

 Torvi stared at Kari with a tilt of her head and an amused grin. "Really? And how did we get on the subject of dicks already?"

 Some of the group laughed as Kari covered her face once again, mortified that she was the center of attention because of what she thoughtlessly said. She had the sneaking suspicion none of them would ever let her live this down. 

 "Alright, enough. Come on, it's girl time now." Gyda grabbed Kari's hand and dragged her to her feet, much to Ivar's obvious chagrin. She scoffed, meeting her half-brother's gaze. "I'll give her back later."

 The three women wandered over to some open chairs further down from the guys and closer to the Buddha statue. Gyda carried the wine bottle and her glass while Kari carefully held her own glass. Torvi snatched a beer from a nearby cooler as they meandered over. Gyda settled on a single, lounge chair adjacent to a cushioned two-person seat which the other two sat on. 

 "Alright, we have a very serious matter to discuss. Your answer may or may not break our friendship." Gyda started, leaning forward as she pointed a single finger at the brunette. 

 Kari found herself straightening in her seat, hand clutching her wine glass tighter. 

 Eyes intent, Gyda's voice dropped conspiringly. "Who is sexier: Steve Rogers or Bucky Barnes?"

 Shock rendered Kari momentarily speechless. At Gyda's serious tone, she had imagined a topic that would involve confessing a secret, not…. not a movie franchise. "Um…. Bucky." She hesitantly answered. 

 "Yes!!" Gyda shouted, throwing her arms up and almost spilling her wine. "I knew I liked you! Ivar, she is mine now!"

 Kari laughed at her enthusiasm; all concern having vanished instantly. "I take it you like him too?"

 "Hell yeah. I would willingly choke on his cock or he could pound my pussy to pulp and I wouldn't complain either way."

 Torvi shook her head, a hint of a smile tilting the corners of her lips up. "Something's wrong with you."

 "You prefer Steve?" Kari inquired, once she recovered from choking on air at Gyda's blunt statement. Her friend always had a way of surprising her, and giving her second-hand embarrassment.

 Torvi shrugged. "A tall, handsome blond. That's my kind of man."

 Peeking over at Bjorn who was still playing in the pool with both kids, Kari hummed thoughtfully. "Huh. Makes sense."

 "No wonder you are with Ivar if you prefer Bucky Barnes."

 "But we aren't…. together." Kari fixed her eyes on her wine, knowing her answer sounded lame even to her own ears. 

 Gyda patted her leg. "You keep telling yourself that."

 "We're just friends."

 "No, you aren't."

 "Kari, it's fine." Torvi shot Gyda a look. "It's between you two, it's not really our business."

 "She's our friend!" Gyda whined, throwing herself back in her seat dramatically. 

 "And she will let us know if something changes. Including telling us if Ivar does something stupid and we need to kick his ass."

 Kari giggled as Torvi tapped her beer bottle against her wine glass. "I promise. Hvitserk already made me swear too."

 "Good. So is Ivar really that good in bed?" 

 "Gyda!" Kari exclaimed but laughed at how shameless her friend was. 

 Torvi thankfully changed the topic of conversation to Ubbe's birthday coming up next month. Asa wandered over, wrapped in a green and brown towel with long ears sticking out that made her look like baby Yoda. When Sigurd eventually appeared, Hali dragged him to the pool where they jumped in together. Not long after, Hvitserk joined them, doing a cannon-ball with the splash almost hitting the ladies. 

 Kari chatted with Torvi and Gyda for some time, enjoying herself immensely. The topics varied, but she never felt unincluded. More than once, she glanced over, only to find Ivar's gaze already on her. After the third time, he tipped his head to the side and patted the spot next to him. A not-so subtle invitation or demand, depending on how you looked at it. 

 A smile teased her lips and she nodded. She started to rise, with her second glass of wine in hand, when the sound of a loud "shit" from Gyda distracted her. 

 "What is she doing here?" Torvi quietly asked with an undertone of frustration. 

 Curious, Kari followed their gazes towards the door leading into the glassed-in porch. She was met with the sight of two blondes emerging in matching, white swimsuits that barely seemed to cover anything. Both strutted as if they were on a runway, while chatting with one another. 

 "Kari, go sit with Ivar." Gyda encouraged, snatching her hand and leading her back without a moment's hesitation towards where Ivar and Ubbe were still sitting. The wine was left forgotten on the side table. 

 "What's going on?" Kari asked in a hushed tone. 

 "Drama. I can't believe that bitch brought her. What was she thinking?"

 "Gyda?"

 She clicked her tongue but hurriedly whispered back. "That's Ivar's ex."

 Surprise made Kari almost stumble but she managed to catch herself at the last second. Further explanations had to wait because they came upon the brothers at the same time the two blondes did. Soon as Kari was close enough, Ivar held out his hand, a sweet gesture, but she could see the tension and anger in the set of his shoulders and the thin line of his lips. Silently, he guided her to sit between his spread legs, arms banding around her waist and pulling her indecently close. For once though, she did not complain. 

 "Hey, baby." One of the blondes said in a sickly-sweet voice as she pressed a kiss to Ubbe's cheek. "Sorry we're late."

 "It's fine." Ubbe slowly answered as he shifted his gaze to the other blonde. "I didn't know you were bringing someone."

 "This is supposed to be family only." Gyda snapped, having dropped into her seat next to Ivar and Kari. 

 The blonde, who stood next to Ubbe still, narrowed her eyes at Kari. "Then why is she here?" 

 "That's Ivar's girlfriend." Ubbe answered.

 "Uh, hi, I'm Kari." She decided to speak up, hoping introductions would somehow break the rising tension. At her words, Ivar momentarily dropped his head to kiss her shoulder. Unsure if his actions were encouraging or reprimanding, she laid her hands over his, which were still wrapped around her. 

 "Hmmm…. Margrethe." She replied flatly, with a pinched look, as if talking to Kari was beneath her. "I'm Ubbe's fiancé."

 The other blonde smiled pleasantly as she looked Kari in the eye. "I'm Freydis. It's lovely to meet you."

 "Yeah, nice to meet you too." Kari managed to say around the suddenly tightened grip around her waist. She would be a liar if she said she was not intimidated by Freydis. While both women were beautiful, something that seemed required to be in the presence of the Lothbrok family, Freydis was a step beyond that. With her doll-like features, lovely blue eyes and flawless skin, she was gorgeous. Kari could feel all her own insecurities screaming at her in the presence of Ivar's ex. How the youngest Lothbrok went from someone as stunning as Freydis to as girl-next-door as Kari, she had no idea….and it made her uncomfortable. 

 "What the fuck is she doing here?" Ivar demanded, ignoring Freydis' presence completely.  

 Margrethe rolled her eyes as her hand slowly stroked across Ubbe's shoulders. "I get bored and wanted to spend time with my best friend, so fuck off." She turned her head to look at Freydis beside her. "Come on, let's get something to drink." 

 After a quick kiss to Ubbe, the two headed back towards the house but not before Freydis glanced back at Ivar and Kari one last time. 

 Once they were far enough away, Gyda rounded on Ubbe, not even bothering to contain her ire. "Fiancé? Really, Ubbe?" She sneered. 

 "Hell no. I haven't proposed. I damn well don't plan to and she knows it."

 "Why are you still with her? She's a greedy bitch."

 "Gyda, I know you don't like her but she's still my girlfriend."

 "Who the fuck knows why." 

 Ubbe turned his attention to Ivar. "I swear I didn't know she was bringing Freydis. I'd have told her not to come then."

 "As long as she stays the fuck away from me, I don't give a shit." The dark-haired Lothbrok growled at his older brother. 

 The residual tension in the air was painful to abide in. It felt like a caged animal, pacing, waiting, ready for the moment to unleash a terrorizing attack. 

 "Hey, I have a question." Kari blurted out, unable to take the way the tension made her skin feel like it was being sunburned. Once Gyda and Ubbe shifted to watch her, she posed her question. "Ah, well, I've been wondering for a while but why don't you guys have bodyguards or something?"

 Ivar snorted, brushing her hair over her shoulder to press his face into the crook of her neck, making her squirm although he did not relent his position. 

 It was Ubbe that answered with a wide grin. "Eh, we don't need them. We can handle ourselves."

 "But you guys have drivers, isn't the next step to have bodyguards?"

 "You worried for us?" Ivar whispered, nipping at her skin, only to soothe the spot with his tongue. 

 "I'm serious."

 "Let's just say we know how to protect ourselves. Besides, no one is stupid enough to come after us." Ubbe concluded, raising his beer in a mock salute.

 Gyda snickered. "This is why I stay out of the family business."

 "You've no issue spending Father's money though." Ubbe retorted in a jovial way. 

 She shrugged and sent Kari a playful wink. 

 A minute later, Bjorn, Torvi and Asa came over, taking open seats with Asa sitting in Torvi's lap. Even though Kari had met Bjorn before, it still shocked her to see how much larger he was compared to the other brothers, both in size and physique. Now sitting next to Torvi, he appeared larger. With his long, braided ponytail and shaved sides, a short beard and sharp, blue eyes, he seemed quite formidable. Kari wondered briefly if that helped with the family business. 

 "See Kari there, she is the one who teaches yoga." Torvi softly said to Asa. 

 Asa peeked over at Kari, shyly smiling, still wrapped in her towel but with a juice box in hand. 

 "I bet if you ask nicely, she might show you something." Torvi said then looked up at Kari. "Lately she loves watching me do yoga at home. It's cute when she tries to do it with me."

 Bjorn chuckled, slinging an arm over the back of his wife's chair. "And usually falls down onto her face."

 "Hey, she's trying!" Torvi defended, elbowing Bjorn in the side.

 Looking at the little girl across the circle of seats, Kari smiled. "Want me to show you something I've been working on? I'm not very good at it though, so if I fall over, you can laugh at me. I'll be laughing at myself too."

 Asa nodded fervently, eyes wide in anticipation. 

 "What do you say?" Torvi tapped her daughter's nose. 

 Asa looked up at her mom then back to Kari. "Please." Even though it came out sounding more like "peas".

 "Sure. I need to stretch some first." Kari stood up and immediately had to slap Ivar's hand away that prowled down the curve of her ass. She tried to glare at him over her shoulder, only to be met with a mock innocence. Overly aware of the eyes on her, she chose a spot nearby in the plush, green grass, trying to keep her nerves to a minimum. Carefully, she warmed up her muscles, doing a few simple stretches so as not to hurt herself. Honestly, she was nervous since she never did advanced poses in front of others. It was not that she was unable to, for she did them frequently at home on her own time. It just felt like she was vying for attention or trying to show off when she did advanced poses in view of others. Conflicting memories of her grandmother's encouraging voice fought with her mother's reprimand in her mind as she stretched. 

 "What are you going to do?" Gyda called over, returning from retrieving her wine glass and bottle. 

 The question pulled her from her mind's internal war, bringing her back to the present. "Um, it's called the super soldier."

 "Oooo, I like it already."

 Once stretched, Kari stood frozen for a moment realizing she was going to need to take her cover off to do the pose. 

 "Kari, you look sexy as hell, now take the damn cover off." Gyda called out. 

 Kari hesitated, fears and insecurities rising afresh within her. 

 "Do it or Ivar will get his ass up and help you. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

 "I hate you." She mumbled but gave in. Slowly, she walked back over to the circle of chairs, pulling the white cover off and dropped it on the lounge chair Ivar still sat on. Her eyes briefly flickered up only to meet Ivar's smoldering gaze. Instantly, she could feel herself flush. Hoping no one noticed, she moved back to her grassy spot. A loud wolf-whistle came from the direction of the pool, most likely from Hvitserk but Kari ignored it, knowing if she thought about it too much, she would make a run for it. Mentally preparing herself, she pulled her hair back into a bun on the nape of her neck, then faced the group but kept her gaze downward, too scared to look at them. 

 After taking a deep breath, she bent over to lay her hands flat on the grass without bending her knees. Next, she hooked her right shoulder behind her knee and extended her left arm for balance. She took a long, deep breath before continuing onward. Then she lifted her left foot and grabbed it with her right hand, still tucked behind her right leg. After another deep breath, she pulled her left leg up until her knee was pointed towards the sky. She held it there for three breaths before slowly releasing her leg back down and carefully straightening back up. 

 A small round of applause greeted her when she straightened. 

 "Another!"

 "You go, Kari!"

 "Do another one!"

 Blushing furiously at the cheers, she leaned forward into downward facing dog. Carefully, she slid her hands forward until her elbows touched the grass with her ass still in the air. Taking a deep breath and hoping she did not make a fool of herself, she engaged her core and kicked her legs up so she was doing a handstand but still on her elbows. Once she felt stable, she pressed her legs together and slowly bent her knees until they were almost parallel with her forearms on the ground. Feeling the burn in her core and arms, she hoped she could finish the pose without falling on her face. Next, she lowered her legs, knees apart now and big toes touching until her feet touched the top of her head. She could not help the smile that stretched across her face as she held the pose for a couple seconds, making sure to breathe slow. Scorpion pose was one she was still trying to master on her own, let alone in front of others. If anything, this felt like a victory for her. Methodically she unfurled, bringing her legs up and then back to the ground. 

 When she finally stood up, brushing the grass off her forearms, it was to another round of applause.

 "That was amazing!" Torvi said. 

 "I was thinking sexy as fuck!" Hvitserk exclaimed, a smile on his face from where he now stood, leaning against Ubbe's chair. 

 Self-consciously, Kari tugged on her swimsuit, making sure everything was tucked into place, as much as it could be, before pulling her hair out of the bun. She walked back over to the lounge chair quickly and yanked the cover back over her body. 

 "I'm going to wash my hands." She said without meeting anyone's eyes, skirting around the group and heading towards the glassed-in porch. 

 Laughter erupted behind her as she approached the door but she ignored it as she walked inside. She padded through the porch, stomach twisting in knots, and turned into the kitchen. Her feet stuttered to a halt as she noticed Margrethe and Freydis standing there with bottles of something in hand. For a split second she thought about turning and heading to the bathroom but it was too late as the two blondes noticed her intrusion. 

 "Hi, I just need to wash my hands." Kari explained. After a moment's hesitation, she walked around the opposite side of the massive island from them and towards the kitchen sink.

 "So, you're Ivar's girlfriend?" Margrethe stated with a mocking undertone. "I didn't think someone like you was his…. type."

 "Margrethe…." Freydis chided. 

 "What? Look at her. I mean she's got tits and an ass, and I guess she could be pretty but that's it."

 "I'm sorry." Freydis apologized kindly. After a long, awkward pause where the kitchen was silent besides Kari washing her hands, she asked, "How long have you and Ivar been together?"

 "Um, we aren't…. we’re just friends." Kari found herself admitting, as she finished drying her hands and turned around to see them both staring at her. Though Freydis had a gentle smile on her face, Margrethe looked nothing less than the cat that caught the canary and planned on lording it over everyone. 

 "Oh?" 

 "See. Told you, Dis. He is still single." Margrethe smugly said, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "He's just playing the game."

 "Game?" Kari muttered aloud. 

 Freydis set her glass down and came around the island to stand in front of Kari. Her blue eyes were bright as they met Kari's. "You seem like a nice girl and clearly the others like you too. So, I'll be honest because I don't want you to get caught up in the Lothbrok drama and get hurt. Okay?"

 "Okay."

 "Ivar and I are getting back together. We're just taking a break right now. Truly, I know we are destined for each other and he agrees. We had a bad fight and needed some space but he loves me just as much as I love him. So, I know he will come back to me when he is ready. I'm so sorry to tell you that you're just the rebound girl. I'm sure he likes you but that's as far as it will ever go. Gyda likes to try and mess with the brothers' love lives so I am sorry if she dragged you into this without telling you the whole truth. It's not your fault. I am sure Gyda lied to you and probably Ivar too. But it's good for you to know now. I don't hold it against you if you've have had sex with him but just know your time with him is limited, okay? How long have you two been 'friends'?"

 "We met last month." Kari whispered, dread and despair a writhing mess of snakes churning in her stomach. Air refused to fill her lungs, leaving her struggling for breath. 

 Freydis sighed. "It probably will be soon then. Just take advantage of the things he purchases for you, so when he leaves, you can have something to sell if you're in a pinch. Yeah?"

 "Ah…. sure."

 "Good. You seem like a nice girl. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this."

 "It's…." Kari choked back a sudden sob. "It's alright. Thank you."

 "Of course, we girls need to look out for each other. Is there anything I can do for you?" She inquired, sounding so genuine in her desire to help, her gaze imploring and lips in a faint, comforting smile. 

 "No…. no. I just need to check my phone. Have you seen Gyda's bag?"

 "I think she left it on the porch." Margrethe helpfully added, never having lost the smug grin on her face as she watched Kari with a hawk-like intensity. 

 "Oh, right. Thank you." Kari shifted back and forth on her feet, body primed to run, to flee before anyone could see the tears that welled pathetically in her eyes. 

 Freydis reached out and squeezed her arm, a brief exchange of understanding, then strutted back around to grab her drink and follow Margrethe to the porch and outside. 

 Once alone, Kari pressed a hand over her mouth to try and stifle the sob that lodged itself in her throat. She knew it. Everything Freydis said made sense. 

 Without a second thought, she rushed around the island and onto the porch, quickly locating Gyda's bag. She scooped her purse and clothes out only to hurry back inside. A quick check of the time and she figured she might be able to catch a bus, but in this gated community, there was no way buses came through so she would end up walking somewhere. Feeling the sting of tears in her eyes, she sniffled, trying desperately to hold them back. She looked up the nearest bus stop on her phone, pleased it was only a few blocks away from the gated community. 

 Once positive she knew where she was going, she stared down at her clothes on the counter, wondering if she should change before leaving. It would certainly look odd for her to be walking down the street in the swimsuit cover and sandals in such an upscale neighborhood. Then she thought about any of the Lothbroks finding her trying to leave and pushed the potential oddity of her attire from her mind. It appeared there was a gas station nearby when she found the bus stop, it would be simple to change there quickly. Somehow she could give the swimsuit and cover back to Torvi…. but not today. Right now, she needed to leave. 

 She tried to shove her clothes into her purse, only succeeding by making it look like an over-inflated balloon but it worked. Lastly, she reached to grab her phone off the kitchen counter but froze. Ivar bought it for her. Freydis' words came back to her about taking advantage of the things he bought for her. Bile burned the back of her throat at the idea. She promised herself she would not be one of those girls to him. Slowly, she retracted her hand, forming it into a fist by her side. Ivar could give the phone to Freydis or throw it in the trash for all she cared. Even with the feeling of her heart being ripped in two, she refused to take advantage of him or his money. She was a better person than that. Or so she hoped. 

 Worried someone would come in soon, she tossed her purse over her shoulder and swiftly headed towards the front door. She passed through the hallway she entered in, but the pictures and awards blurred before her eyes as the repressed tears threatened to make an appearance. Hastily, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand but knew it was ultimately futile. 

 "Kari?" 

 Her stride never faltered towards her escape, even after hearing Hvitserk call her name from what sounded like the porch. 

 "Kari? Where are you going?" His voice came from behind her, probably standing at the entrance of the hallway now. 

 "I have to go." Kari said, not bothering to turn around, unsure if he could even hear her. She could barely hear footsteps behind her over the sound of her sniffles and ragged breathing. It did not matter since she was close to her escape, just a couple more moments. Her hand touched the handle, just beginning to pull the door open when Hvitserk's hand appeared in her direct line of vision and slammed it closed. Although the sound was muffled, it echoed in her mind like a gunshot. 

 "What's going on?" Hvitserk stood directly behind her, his hand still firmly planted on the door as if to prevent her from even considering leaving without permission again. 

 "It's nothing." She murmured, staring down at her feet. 

 "I seriously doubt that if you are trying to sneak away while crying…. what happened?"

 "Nothing. I just…. I just want to go home."

 "Okay." He shifted to lean his shoulder against the door, ducking his head to try and catch her eyes. "Does this have to do with the yoga stuff?"

 "No. Just…. please, Hvitserk."

 "You need to tell me something. Look, I'll give you a ride, we can leave right now but you have to tell me what happened."

 She swallowed thickly, still refusing to look at him. It was taking all of her willpower to keep the tears at bay. At any moment she felt the tears would come forth with all the power of a hurricane, reducing her to a sniveling mess on the floor, nursing a broken heart. It was all her fault though. How could she have believed someone like Ivar Lothbrok would actually be interested in her for more than just a one-night stand. She was just a challenge for him, someone to pass the time. Then once she gave in, once they finally had sex, he would walk out of her life and back into Freydis' arms and bed…. where he apparently belonged. 

 "Kari?" Hvitserk softly prompted. 

 "It's…. I just have a better understanding now…. of where I stand…. of my purpose here."

 "Your purpose?"

 She sniffed, wiping her wet eyes once again before the tears fell. "I'm just a rebound girl….and that's alright. I get it. But I just want to go home now." 

 "Fuck. Freydis said that, didn't she?"

 "It doesn't matter. Can you please just take me to the bus stop, I can get home from there." She knew she was begging but she did not care anymore. 

 "Kari, give me that." He grabbed her purse from her and tossed it onto a wooden side table. His hands held hers in a manner that was comforting verse restraining. His thumbs rubbed along the back of her hands as he softly spoke. "Look at me, you know it's not like that."

 "It doesn't matter." She shook her head, even as her hands gripped his tighter, the feeling being the only thing keeping her from falling apart at the front door. "I shouldn't have let Gyda bring me here. I should have made her drop me off."

 "Kari…." He began but was interrupted. 

 "Hvitty?" Ivar's loud voice boomed from the kitchen. "You better not be trying to fuck Kari!"

 Kari flinched at the sound. The facade of strength she fought to maintain evaporated like smoke. The tears she had been trying so desperately to withhold slipped free, rolling down her cheeks like a cleansing rain.  

 "Over here!" Hvitserk called back, releasing her hands but not moving away. 

 Ivar's measured gait could be heard coming down the hallway like the footsteps of doom. 

 "What the fuck is going on? You disappear to find Kari and then…." His voice trailed off as he entered the foyer, piercing gaze zeroing in on her tear-stained face. What sense of jovial teasing transformed into enraged fury. When he spoke next, it came out in an animalistic growl that bespoke impending violence. "Who fucking hurt you?"

 "I'm fine." She mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. Her chin rested on her chest, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "I just want to go home."

 "Freydis….and I'm betting Margrethe also said something to her." Hvitserk snitched, leaning fully against the door. He watched both Kari and his brother as if ready to intervene at a moment's notice. 

 Ivar snapped, stepping closer. "What did they say?"

 She was unsure who he directed his question to but she still shook her head, refusing to look at either brother. Hearing his wrath, it only made her heart ache more. All of this was a show, it had to be. Why would he truly care? The sound of his heavy gait coming closer brought a fresh wave of silent tears. 

 Moving to her other side, he cupped her cheek. When she resisted looking at him, he shifted his hand to grab the back of her neck, forcing her gaze to meet his. A tempest swirled in his icy blue eyes. "What. Did. They. Say?"

 "Why does it matter?" She questioned, bottom lip trembling as a sob rose from her chest. 

 "Because they hurt you."

 "But I'm no one. I don't matter." She shook her head, pressing a hand over her mouth to contain the cries bound to escape at any moment. "You're just going to get back together with Freydis when you get bored with me."

 His eyes widened as if she had sucker-punched him. His mouth dropped open for a moment before he collected himself, the maelstrom rippling under his skin on the verge of breaking free. "Did they say that?"

 "Freydis said…. she said you two were just taking a break….and I'm the rebound girl."

 "Fuck. Fuck!" Ivar stepped away, running his hands through his loose hair. In an instant, he grabbed the decorative bowl off the entrance table and threw it. The shattering against the wall reverberated in the foyer followed by Ivar's guttural shout. "FUCK!" 

 "Ivar." Hvitserk softly said, warily watching his younger brother. 

 "I'm going to kill her. Fuck! I can't believe she would fucking say that!" Ivar ran his hands through his hair again, looking on the verge of ripping the strands out. The ferocity in his eyes was unmatched as he glanced down the hallway, clearly wanting to go after his ex, then shifted back to Kari, who remained silent and unmoving. "What else did she say?" He barked at her. 

 "You're destined for each other." She confessed after a moment's hesitation. 

 Ivar stormed over to her, devouring the ground beneath his feet as he invaded her space. Standing before her, he cupped her face, eyes imploring her to believe him. "Freydis is a crazy, jealous bitch. She manipulates to get what she wants. Don't believe a word out of her fucking mouth. Fuck! Please, Kari, don't cry. I'm right here, kitten."

 His words seeped into her mind, slipping in through the cracks and delving deep into her soul. His words alone should not have reassured her like they did. Between his pleading eyes and his gentle touch, her few walls surrounding her heart crumbled, unable to fight him. She believed him, even before her mind fully recognized it. 

 She lightly placed her hands on his bare chest, one directly over his heart, feeling the rapid tempo under her fingers. "Promise?" She whispered wetly. "You're not just…. I’m not just a rebound girl?"

 Ivar groaned, pressing his forehead to Kari's. "I swear. I never thought that about you." 

 And she believed him again. The truth falling from his lips resounded in the very core of her being. It made no sense how she knew, but somehow, she did. 

 After a long second, Hvitserk pushed off the door from next to them. "I'm going to head back and keep an eye on them. Kari, if you still want a ride just text me, alright?" 

 "Thank you, Hvitty." She reached out and snagged his hand, giving it a quick squeeze. With a smile, he responded in kind before heading down the hallway towards the backyard. 

 Soon as Hvitserk started walking away, Ivar grabbed her hand and led her in the opposite direction. They hurried through a short hallway to arrive at a closed door. Impatiently, Ivar thrust the door open and pulled her into a room, slamming the door shut behind them. She had a brief moment to scan the new room and notice the two walls with floor to ceiling bookshelves packed full and the couple couches near a large window. 

 Before she could do anything, she shrieked as she found herself suddenly yanked back, her body colliding with the closed door. Immediately Ivar's mouth claimed hers in a hungry, feverish kiss. His body pinned her to the door, hands kneading her hips. It was all she could do to just breathe. Her hands clung to his broad shoulders, desperate to stay above the waves of passion-fueled desire that surged unchecked within her. 

 Ivar withdrew his mouth from hers, but only to place kisses over her cheeks, washing away her tears with his affections. "Don't listen to her. Her and I. We are through. I will never go back to her. She has been sniffing around but that ends tonight. I won't fucking let her talk to you again. I fucking swear it."

 "Ivar…." She whined, tilting her head. An open invitation which he took. 

 He swooped in, continuing to speak between leaving open-mouth kisses on her neck. "It's you. It's you I want. It's you I think about all the time. Fuck, kitten, you have no idea how much I want you. And seeing you do those yoga poses in that swimsuit…. fuck! You looked so goddamn sexy; I got a hard-on just watching." He grabbed her thigh, lifting it up and curling it behind him, pressing himself against her core. At the touch of his hardened length against her, she whimpered. "Do you feel that? That's for you, søte Kari."

 She could not help but roll her hips, grinding against his erection, body automatically seeking friction. 

 "Yes! Fuck." He growled against her neck. "Come here."

 She whined when he released her leg, letting it fall down to the floor. Her breathing was unsteady already, heart hammering away in her chest. A part of her knew she should stop this, open the door behind her and walk out to avoid the temptation. Yet when his hand latched onto hers once again, tugging her towards one of the couches, she followed willingly, unable to deny the sweet sin that was Ivar.

 He dropped onto the couch and settled her into his lap to straddle him. As she settled, he grabbed a handful of the cover over her and yanked it off, tossing it haphazardly onto the floor. Her first instinct was to cover her chest, but as her arms moved to do that, Ivar guided them behind his head. His gaze drunk in the curves of her body, an unashamed starved look in his eyes that made her shudder as it further ignited the fire in her belly. 

 "Kattungen min." He whispered reverently. "Fucking hell, so gorgeous. No one else gets to touch you like I do. Got it? You're mine." He started lavishing her chest and neck with his mouth, alternating between his lips and tongue. 

 She knew she should feel more self-conscious straddling Ivar's lap in only the swimsuit that barely covered all of her assets; but it was as if his touch banished the thoughts away. Instead she felt beautiful and cherished. 

 He palmed one of her breasts and the moan that escaped her was pure wanton. Hands tangled in his long locks as her hips ground harder against his erection in response. His leg braces were only an afterthought that did not impede her actions. 

 "Ivar, please."

 "That's it. Fuck, you're so beautiful. I can't wait to fuck you senseless."

 Suddenly he shifted under her, his hand fumbling between them. Her mind barely took notice as he sucked the skin between her breasts, something that would definitely leave a mark. Next thing she knew, his cock was freed, standing at attention between them. 

 Before she could protest, he spoke up. "I know you're not ready." He slid it under her, pulling her hips back down. At the sensation of his cock rubbing her slit with only the thin barrier of the bikini bottom between them, she threw her head back with a whine. Desire roared through her like a freight train as his cock rubbed against her soaking core. 

 "You like that, kitten?"

 "Yes." She sighed out, head tilted back as she rolled her hips. 

 "Good, my turn." He reached behind her and promptly untied the straps of the bikini top behind her back. 

 "Ivar!" She tried to cover herself but he swatted her hands away. 

 "Trust me."

 Once she relented, he laid a hard kiss to her lips then tugged the top over her head, the band behind her neck without a tie. She desperately wanted to cover herself, now before him feeling on full display. But it was the look on his face that stilled her movements. 

 "Guder. Du er utsøkt. Faen. Den vakreste kvinnen." He murmured with adoration and awe dripping off each word. 

 "What did you say?"

 Instead of answering her, he lowered his face to her chest and captured one of her perky nipples in his mouth. His other hand moved to grab one of her ass cheeks, encouraging her to keep riding him. 

 All breath vanished from her lungs. All thoughts and insecurities fled under his touch. Her hands tangled in his hair, keeping his mouth on her. All she could feel was him. All she wanted to feel was him. Gasps and moans slipped from her as she allowed herself to be overtaken and drawn into an ocean of pleasure. 

 She could feel herself rising higher and higher, riding the wave. Her mind was becoming delirious from fire in her veins and the motion of her hips rocking over his exposed cock. 

 To her surprise, Ivar grabbed a handful of hair at the back of her neck. "That's it, beautiful. Fuck. Let's see what that bendy spine can do." Carefully, he pulled on her hair, not in a painful way but as if to guide her. Willingly submitting herself, she bent her back, following his lead. When her chest was parallel to the ceiling, he stopped pulling, keeping her suspended with her back arched. 

 Ivar groaned loudly, thrusting against her. She met his action, too absorbed in the bliss to care about decency. 

 "All the dirty, fucking things this makes me want to do to you." He licked a scalding line up her sternum, only to swirl his tongue around one of her nipples, making her mewl as she continued to move her hips faster. "Come for me."

 "Yes, yes." She chanted. "Ivar, please."

 "Keep begging, kitten. Let me know how much you want my cock."

 As her climax hit, the tightening coil in her core sprung loose, her mouth dropped open in a silent scream. Wave after wave rolled over her. She could feel Ivar grunt and thrust a few more times beneath her before retracing his cock and spurting onto her exposed stomach. After he released her hair, letting her rise back up to face him. Their eyes fixated on one another, chests heaving as they struggled for breath. 

 Gently, she reached out and touched his cheek, a shy smile on her face. Then, when he made no move to pull away, she leaned forward, uncaring of his cum slipping down her stomach, and drew him into a lazy, slow kiss. He responded, lips melding to hers in a way that was full of softness and contentment. After a moment, she felt him reach behind him for the blanket laying on the back of the couch and wipe her stomach off, all the while never abandoning their kiss. 

 Once she was clean, he dropped the blanket to the floor and somehow managed to keep their lips locked as he guided them to lay down on the couch, their bare chests pressed together and his arm under her head, legs tangled. 

 "Do you believe me now?" He eventually asked, leaning back but only far enough so the tips of their noses almost touched. 

 "Mmmm?"

 "That it's you I want. Freydis and anyone else can go fuck themselves for all I care."

 She bit her bottom lip and dropped her gaze. "I don't understand why."

 "What are you talking about?"

 "I mean…. Margrethe said I'm not your…. type."

 He snorted and muttered under his breath, "fucking bitch".

 "But she's right." Kari pressed onward, her hand running up and down his side as if to ground herself. "I mean, I could never compare to Freydis…. or Torvi or Gyda or any of them. They are all beautiful and….and in perfect shape. I'm not. My thighs and butt are too big and I'm maybe pretty but that's it."

 "You're right. You're not my usual type. But those girls, I'd fuck them and then never look their way again. You though, fuck, I can barely take my eyes off you when you're around. And these," he reached down and grabbed a handful of one of her ass cheeks, making her squeak. "I love them. And these thighs, fucking hell, kitten, I want you to suffocate me with them when I finally eat you out."

 She gasped, a bolt of electricity shooting through her at the image. 

 A devilish grin grew on his face, his hand stroking her ass cheek. "You like that idea? My tongue teasing your folds before slipping inside of you. Your thighs wrapped around my head as I feast on your pussy."

 "Ivar." She whined, unable to stop the sudden roll of her hips. 

 "Soon, sweet Kari." He chuckled darkly, ceasing her movement by melding their hips together. "And your tits, gods, they are perfect. I could stare at them all day."

 She giggled even as she flushed under his praise. "I'm sorry for doubting you. I guess, I'm still just surprised you'd…. well, that you want me."

 "You are mine. You're my woman." He stated resolutely, gazing directly into her eyes so she could see how serious he was. 

 "But we aren't dating…."

 "Doesn't fucking matter. You're mine. And one of these days you'll change your mind and stop playing this game of trying to keep me away."

 She sighed, wishing it would be that easy. Before he could continue with that argument, she changed the subject. "You know, I think we exceeded our kiss quota for the day."

 He snorted. "I didn't see you complaining earlier."

 "That's true. Do you think we should head back out?"

 "If I see Freydis or Margrethe right now…." His voice trailed off, but the fury from earlier lingered in the unspoken threat. 

 "I know. We don't have too. I'm okay right here." 

 A grateful smile on his lips, he kissed her quickly then rolled her onto her back and laid his head on her chest. They relaxed like that for several minutes in silence, her hand running through his hair, just enjoying the feeling of complacency and peace between them now after their fight. If you could even call it that. 

 Finally, she spoke up in a hushed tone, a random question coming to mind. "Do you ever get in the pool?"

 "No."

 "Oh." Was all she could say after his sharp, barbed answer. Clearly it was a subject that was not open for discussion. Her mind wandered, wondering what happened to cause such a response from him. An uncomfortable tension hung over them after his response. Something she was not sure if she should try and dissipate or ignore for now. 

 After a minute of continued silence, he kissed her chest, letting his lips linger there as if using the extra time to mentally prepare himself. Before she could tell him it was none of her business, he spoke. His tone was quiet and, in anyone else, almost shaky. 

 "I…. I used to try when I was younger. They'd put me on one of those stupid floating things and pull me around or someone would hold me. Then, when I was about seven…. Sigurd and I got in a big fight earlier that day. He claimed I broke one of his toys. Fucking asshole. I was sitting by the pool, this in our childhood home in Kattegat, I liked to watch things float on the water. Sigurd walked by me and….and pushed me over the edge."

 She gasped. "Oh Ivar…."

 "Ubbe jumped in and pulled my half-drown ass out." He nuzzled against her skin; his tone having lost the insecurity as he reassured her. "I'm alright, Kari."

 She drew his face up and gave him a long kiss, their mouth connecting with a deeper need and alleviation. "Remind me to thank Ubbe when I see him next."

 He rolled his eyes. "Don't. He's never let me forget the fact."

 "Still."

 They laid there for some more time, wrapped up in one another and content in the peaceful stillness. She could not help but think about the memory Ivar shared with her. How far back did that resentment go between the brothers? Had there ever been a time where they cared for one another? And how bad was the animosity between them if one was willing to kill the other, even as children? If her arms tightened around him, neither one mentioned it as they continued to lay there. 

 A loud knock on the door followed by a yell through the door of "are you two done yet?" disturbed their peace. 

 "Hvits, fuck off!" Ivar called back, burrowing his face between her breasts. 

 "Do you have clothes on at least?!"

 "I do!" 

 Kari swatted the back of Ivar's head at his admission. Leaning up slightly, he gave her a cheeky wink before laying his head back down. 

 "Well cover up, I'm coming in!" Hvitserk yelled through the door. 

 "Ivar, get up." Kari softly said, a panic setting in at the brother coming in and seeing them in this suggestive position and her topless. 

 "No." He mumbled. 

 Before she could shove him off, he snatched the throw blanket off the floor and threw it over his head to cover her chest. As she began to protest, the door cautiously opened. In an instant, she tried to spread out the blanket over them as best as she could, keeping the blanket over her chest and spread it somewhat over their torsos. Although how much good it did was questionable. She peered over to see Hvitserk standing in the doorway with an amused look before shaking his head and stepping in, closing the door behind him. 

 "What the fuck do you want?" Ivar asked, muffled by the blanket and his face still pressed against her skin. 

 Kari raised her gaze to the ceiling for a moment then mouthed to Hvitserk, "I'm sorry."

 Hvitserk winked at her before answering. "Bjorn and Torvi want everyone together before they leave. Sounds like they have an announcement or something."

 "Are the bitches still here?"

 "Yeah." Hvitserk sighed. 

 "Then no."

 "I'll go." Kari softly said. "It must be important."

 "No, you aren't." Ivar nipped at the side of her breast, making her squirm. 

 "Well everyone is waiting on you two." Hvitserk pointed out as he watched, clearly entertained if his broad grin said anything. 

 "I'm coming."

 Ivar pulled the blanket back slightly to stare up at her. "Why the fuck do you want to see them?"

 "Is it….is it terrible I want to show Frey…. her that I'm still here. That no matter what they said, that I'm not going anywhere."

 A positively, feral grin spread over his face. He swooped in and pressed a devastating kiss to her mouth, not letting up until she thought she would suffocate from the intensity of it. "Let's go." 

 He started to rise up but when she squeaked and tried to clutch the blanket to her, he froze. 

 "Hvits, leave."

 "You sure I can't stay?" His smirk grew as he caught Kari's eye and watched her flush deepen. 

 "GO!" Ivar bellowed, glaring at his older brother. 

 "Fine. I'll wait out here for you. If you're not out in three minutes, I'm coming back in." Hvitserk stepped outside and closed the door behind him. 

 Ivar carefully slid off of her, standing up beside the couch, the blanket in hand. His predatory, blue eyes remained trained on her form, raking over her body like a sweet he wanted to devour completely. A familiar warmth awakened in her core, even as she shyly glanced away, covering her naked breasts with her hands. 

 "Fuck, you're gorgeous. On second thought, I think we should stay. I need another taste of you and to hear you moaning my name for everyone to fucking hear."

 She squealed, quickly skirting away from him before he could pounce on her. "Ivar, no!" Yet, miraculously, he managed to snag an arm around her waist and drag her back against his chest. 

 "Should we make an announcement of our own?" He asked, running his nose along the shell of her ear, chuckling under his breath when she shivered against him.

 "What do you mean?"

 "That you're my girlfriend. That this just-friends is shit."

 "I…." She balked, eyes wide and heart beating a painful staccato in her chest. “We…. we can't."

 "Why the fuck not?" He grasped her breasts, rolling her peaked nipples between his fingers. 

 She practically swallowed her tongue, biting back the moan lodged in her throat. When she was positive she could control her voice, she replied. "We've talked about this. I'm just…. I’m not ready."

 "But you'll practically let me fuck you?"

 At his harsh snap, she tried to push out of his embrace, unwilling to have this conversation in their current predicament or maybe have the conversation at all. The innate desire to flee rose up in her but she tried to force it down as she squirmed in his arms. He held her firm, not giving up an inch, her body flush against his own. 

 "Ivar!" 

 "What aren't you telling me?" 

 She hated both herself and him in the moment as she ceased her escape attempts. She hated him for continuously pushing her, for ignoring her words and trying to force her where he wanted her to be. Even more though, she hated herself. If she had kept away from him, however unlikely that was, if she did not have to hide, then none of this would matter. If she could be honest, truly honest, he would most likely reject her. And that was why she hated herself most. Because she was selfish and wanted his attention and affection, even knowing if he knew who she truly was, he would walk away. 

 Carefully, she turned her head to meet his stormy eyes. "I promise one day I will. I just…. can we please just enjoy this? What we have? I just need…. time."

 He stared down at her for a long time. She wondered what he read in her face when he finally gave a resigned sigh. "Fine. I'm telling people you are my girlfriend though."

 "You're unbelievable."

 "I think you like that about me." He matched her smile with his own before letting her go.  

 She quickly found her bikini top, noticing Ivar not-so-subtly adjusting his sweatpants. She slipped it over her head but when she went to tie the straps, a pair of calloused hands covered hers. Without a word, he tied it behind her back. Once done, his hand slowly prowled down her back to lightly smack her ass. 

 "Hey!" She whipped around, only to see a Cheshire grin on his face. 

 "That's my sexy ass."

 "Oh my god. Unbelievable." She muttered to herself as she snatched up the cover and pulled it over. She looked down at the blanket piled on the floor. 

 "Leave it. I'll deal with it later." He took her hand and walked with her towards the door. When they opened it, a still-shirtless Hvitserk stood leaning against the wall across from them. 

 "Took you two long enough. Damn. Almost came in and threw Kari over my shoulder to get you out." 

 Ivar spat something out in their language that made Hvitserk roll his eyes. Before they could move further down the hallway, Hvitserk reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, freezing her in place.  

 "Hey, whatever they said. Just try to ignore it. We all want you here. Hell, all of us would kick them to the damn curb if Ubbe would let us. But Ubbe and Bjorn have already approved of you."

 Ivar scoffed but Hvitserk kept his gaze on hers, letting her know he was serious. 

 "Just know, we're on your side."

 "Thank you, Hvitty." She squeezed his hand, warmth blooming in her chest at his words.  

 "Either one of them tries to talk to her, I'll strangle them." Ivar growled, starting down the hallway, towing Kari behind him. 

 "You can't kill them, Ivar. Mother said murder is wrong."

 Ivar laughed, looking over his shoulder at his brother. "Mother still loves me."

 "Yeah, yeah, we all know you're her favorite."

 "Can you blame her? Look at me. I'm far superior and more interesting than the rest of you."

 "Keep telling yourself that."

 Kari could not help but smile at their teasing, a mock argument that sounded like it had been executed many times before until now it was said out of fondness and mock sibling rivalry. 

 The three walked back outside through the glassed-in porch. On the way, she noticed her purse back next to Gyda's bag and wondered if Hvitserk moved it there for her. Outside, everyone else sat on chairs or lounge chairs that were grouped in a haphazard circle, obviously waiting for the remainder of the group to join.  

 "What took you so long? Thought we'd have to send a search party to find you." Bjorn called out as the three approached. 

 "I got 'em. The library reeks of sex though." Hvitserk said, dodging Kari's swing. 

 Ivar guided her back to the lounge chair they had been sitting in earlier, tucking her into his side with a hand laying possessively on her hip. Hvitserk sat on her other side instead of pulling a new chair over. She tried to ignore Margrethe and Freydis who sat across from them, keeping her eyes trained on her lap, fiddling with the hem of her cover.  

 "Ok, now that we're finally all here." Bjorn said, standing up with Asa in his arms. "We just wanted to tell our family the good news in person."

 "Torvi is pregnant!" Gyda blurted, staring at her sister-in-law in shock. 

 "Fuck! Gyda!" Bjorn groaned. 

 "Daddy said a bad word." Hali looked over at his mother from his spot next to Sigurd. 

 "Yes, he did, thank you, Hali." Torvi replied smiling then addressed the group. "I'm about two months along. So right now, we are only telling family, so please don't share this with anyone else yet."

 "Wow! A third! Congrats!" Ubbe started, others immediately echoing their own congratulations and well-wishes. 

 Kari jumped up and moved to give Torvi a hug after Gyda. "I know we haven't known each other long but I'm so excited for you. You're an amazing mother."

 "Thank you, Kari. Maybe your own time will come soon." She shooting her eyes over to Ivar for a second then meeting Kari's again. 

 "Oh, I don't know." She blushed at the thought. After another brief hug, Kari returned to her seat. 

 "How old are you?" Hvitserk asked suddenly. 

 "Um, I turned twenty-five this summer."

 "Ha! Still the baby of the group." Sigurd laughed, pointing his beer bottle at Ivar.  

 "Hey, nothing is wrong with an older woman. We're in our sexual prime." Gyda defended. 

 "She's not that much older." Ivar retorted, his hand skimming up and down Kari's thigh. "Just a year."

 "And a few months. You're turning twenty-four after the new year." Ubbe helpfully added with a grin. 

 "Fuck off." 

 "Mommy, Uncle Ivar said a bad word now."

 "Yes, he did, Hali. I think it's time for us to go. Say goodbye to everyone." Torvi said. After a round of goodbyes and hugs to all the uncles and aunt, the small family headed back through the house to head to their own home.

 "Did you know Ivar is younger than you?" Hvitserk asked conspiringly, once conversation started around them again. 

 She tilted her head as she looked at him, slowly answering his question. “Yeah…. we talked about this a while ago."

 "Good. Do you want kids?"

 "Hvits, what is this?" Ivar butted in. 

 "Just testing the waters to see how she feels about having my babies. You know they'd be beautiful." Hvitserk chuckled when Ivar glared at him. 

 "Be nice you two or I'm moving." Kari chided. 

 "Yes, mom." Hvitserk said, sneaking a kiss to her cheek before jumping away. He turned around and pointed at her as he walked backwards. "One day you'll have my babies!" 

 She laughed, shaking her head. She could practically feel the smoke coming from Ivar's ears. Before he could burst a vein, she leaned closer to him and laid her head against his shoulder. "He knows I'm yours."

 "He fucking better or I'll beat his ass to remind him." Ivar murmured, nuzzling her temple. 

 She relaxed against him, looking around the backyard. Hvitserk and Ubbe had started some kind of wrestling competition in the pool, both looking like they were trying to drown each other. Gyda and Ivar called insults from their seats. Sigurd was texting on his phone but occasionally looking up and making a comment. At one point he caught her eye and gave her a brief nod, which she smiled back, hoping any animosity between the two of them from her earlier comment was gone. She purposefully ignored the whispering between Margrethe and Freydis, taking a note from Ivar's book and acting as if they did not exist. 

 Looking at the Lothbrok family around her, she smiled at the group, still amazed she found herself in their midst and how welcoming most of them were. For almost two years she had been alone in a new country, thinking that was what she wanted. Now though, she wondered if she had just been missing a group that accepted her without question. 

 She peered up at Ivar, heart swelling with gratitude and affection. Without second guessing herself, she kissed his cheek and leaned back against his shoulder. He hummed, placing his own kiss to the top of her head. 

 She wondered if she should just give up fighting this, whatever this was between them. Maybe it would work out. Maybe everything would not fall apart as soon as the truth fell from her lips. Maybe he could accept her past and who she was. 

 Silently, she shook the thoughts away. It was still too soon to tell and if she was honest, she did not want to lose this. 

 Or lose him. 

#to call forth love #mzwrites #ivar the boneless #vikings ivar #ivar ragnarsson #ivar lothbrok #ivar the boneless x oc #ivar x ofc #modern!ivar x oc #ivar x oc #ivar imagine #MODERN VIKINGS #Hvitserk #Hvitserk Ragnarsson #hvitserk lothbrok #ubbe #ubbe ragnarsson #Ubbe Lothbrok #Sigurd #sigurd ragnarsson #ubbe's wolfpack #vikings bjorn #bjorn ironside #bjorn ragnarsson #torvi #torvi vikings #gyda #gyda lothbrok #vikings #vikings fanfiction

[harcourtholmesii]

Lost in the Fog

Tumblr Request by: Der-Mottenmann

Request: Ok so can I kinda request a Jason Todd and Cheryl mason pair up. Like Jason goes in the entitiy realm and there they meet?

Notes: Admittedly, I was not expecting a crossover as my first request, but I was excited to give this one a shot. Not once has it ever come to my head to write a DC x Dead by Daylight crossover before. It was tricky, but I do hope you like the story!

Words: 2102

 Warnings:

-          Swearing

-          Disturbing Imagery

-          Blood and Gore

-          Implied/Referenced Death of a Main Character

-          Death

-          Violence

-          Vomiting/Sickness

Enjoy!

His head was pounding. Blinding white light filled his vision, and the heat produced burned through Jason’s senses. His nerves were on fire, and standing was an unimaginably painful ordeal, akin to only one previous experience. The acidic burn of the Lazarus effects ran rivers through his veins, as if reminding him of that horrid experience. It seemed almost fuelled by something.

 Standing, Jason was surrounded by dark woods in every direction, his vision framed by twisted oaks and pines with outstretched, groping branches. Lifting his eyes to the sky, he could see a shine of moonlight, but the pearl was hidden by thick blankets of cloud. This whole place… it didn’t make any sense.

He had last been in Gotham, leaping from rooftop to gargoyle, grapple hook and gun in hand. He had been hot on the trail of some drug traffickers; some new group that thought they were hot shit. He knew the Bat would be on it, but he wasn’t about to leave these guys unpunished. He still had the photographs of those teenagers; young and callous, all just wanting to experiment. The gang made quick work of them when they didn’t pay up.

 There was a crack of a twig underfoot, and Jason was on edge. He turned, realising his helmet’s in-built monitoring systems were fried. They sparked around his head, and the feeling burned. He smacked his metal hood, but it did little to fix the picture.

 He moved forward, on edge and prepared for anything. Take it slow, be methodical. He couldn’t afford to be injured now or caught off guard, especially since he must have been before when someone had abducted him and dumped him out here. His breath heaved deep within his throat, far too loud for Jason’s liking. Perhaps he had suffered from an injury he was unfamiliar with. Apart from the Lazarus’ acidic heat and the pain behind his eyes, he didn’t feel much different.

 He had reached the path where he had heard movement. He found the stick, broken in half, and half a footprint in the dirt. The sole of some sneaker or boots. It was a light form, that much he could tell, and rather small. He followed it closely, and from here, he scanned the surrounding area. The mainframe sparked.

 He could just barely make out a hand, resting lightly against the wood of a tree, bloodied and bruised knuckles on display. Pale skin and a frail arm from what he could determine. He approached, and that hand hurriedly removed itself from the tree trunk. He could just make out the shape of a body behind the tree standing from a crouched position.

 A head of straw, blonde hair had turned the tree, but Jason only got a good look at their grey-green eyes, pink around the edges as if they had been crying. Those eyes had widened at his notice, and suddenly, the girl was running in the opposite direction.

 ‘Wait!’ He called out. He could barely understand himself through the damaged helm. His voice was warped; a mess of a human cry and a deep reverb from the whirring of the helmet’s struggling functions. She didn’t wait. If anything, she picked up the pace.

 He didn’t wish to cause her further alarm, but she could probably tell him where he was. He didn’t much care for children, but he didn’t want to scare her. He was on her tail in a moment, coming up on her quickly. They were coming upon some damaged, brick ruins when she passed through a gap. His hand was out, reaching for her. If he could just stop her, he could talk to her and explain himself.

 There was the sudden pain of something striking him across the head. Splinters of wood and nail flew in an arc above his shoulders, as a haphazardly crafted pallet of sorts came down upon him. Okay. He was getting a bit pissed now. He raised his right leg high in a strong arc, bringing it down and destroying the pallet in a single kick.

 He looked about the ruins, wondering for a moment as to where she could disappear to. A red locker stood to his right, but he couldn’t hear any breathing or creaking wood. She wasn’t there. He stepped forward, until he came to an open window space. He reached down suddenly, gripping a head of blonde hair in his gloved hand and pulling the child up into view.

 Confusion struck him immediately upon realising that this was a teenager or young adult. She was holding her head, trying to relieve the pain his grip had on her scalp. She was panicked, chest rising fervently. He let her go, climbing through the window carefully after her. She stepped back, nursing her temples, eyes wide and watching his every move.

 ‘Who are you?’ Again, his voice was a confused mess of sound, the volume apparently louder than she would have like. Her hands were to her ears, and she was stepping back away from him.

 ‘D-Don’t come any closer!’

 ‘I don’t want to hurt you.’

 It seemed that she thought differently. She was turned away and running at full tilt in the opposite direction. He just didn’t understand it. How had he grown, and how on Earth was his helmet this damaged? He felt sweat building under his gloves, and gave himself a moment of reprieve. However, Jason was astounded by the sight of what lay underneath.

 His hands were their pale white, but his veins were alight, bright green and seemingly shifting underneath his skin. What the fuck was this?!

 A scream cut his thoughts off. Then the sound of a chainsaw.

  ~X~

  It was a new one. Another one! She had to inform the others. She didn’t understand why it didn’t give chase, but that thing watched her leave. The sparking of that red, metallic mask and the pulse of green veins on the neck made her sick. Cheryl had no idea what that thing was, but like Hell was she going to wait for an explanation.

 She was running blindly through the woods, she had almost completely forgotten what she had been hiding from in the first place. That was, until she stumbled upon that freak’s handiwork. She tripped over an obstruction in the dirt, peering down to the sight of Jane’s top half. She was missing part of her midsection, where a chainsaw’s blade had rattled through and split her down the middle.

 The red seeped over Cheryl’s legs, dying them that awful colour. She was on her feet, struggling to hold in her stomach’s contents. She held her hands tight to her lips, trying to prevent sick or a scream from passing them. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed.

 ‘Shshshsh-Shush!’ It was Dwight, in her face and holding a finger to his lips. His glasses were broken, but it was the pool of scarlet in his shoulder that concerned her. ‘W-We need to go!’ His voice was hushed; frantic. Cheryl nodded.

 ‘T-There’s another-’

 ‘Don’t worry about that one! Worry abou-’ There was the telltale rattle of a chainsaw’s engine. They ducked down behind a few bushes, looking up in time to see that face with taut skin pulled across svelte muscle. The sunken, dark eyes stared at them, and there was that growl deep within its throat. The chainsaw swung high above their heads, just grazing Cheryl’s shoulder. She cried out.

 ‘Run!’ Dwight didn’t have to tell her twice. She was back on her feet and racing to the nearest bricked gym. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. She vaulted through a gap in the wall, cringing at the sound of metal shredding through brick. Red dust swirled into the air and sparks flew high at the collision.

 He climbed through the wall after her, and though she was ahead, the revving chainsaw grew louder in her ear, until he was upon her. She felt it imbed itself into her back, and was removed just as quickly. It always astounded her how the hillbilly managed to remove it before permanent damage was done. It was almost a sick and twisted form of art.

 She raised her head, looking around for Dwight. Where was he?! Her voice was weak. She cried out when those unwanted arms reached down and around her. Through the pain, she only just realised that piece of shrapnel Laurie had given her earlier fell from her pocket. There was no getting out of this.

 ‘H-Hel-!’ Her voice cracked. She could barely think through the pain. That arm pulled tight over her back, and no matter how weakly her fists pounded against flesh, he wasn’t letting go.

 ‘Help!’ She tried again. A little louder.

 Suddenly, there was a roar from her captor, and she was on the ground. She whipped her head around, in time to see that freakish monster from before standing between her and the hillbilly. Knife raised, she could see those acidic green veins pulsing on his hands. She didn’t understand.

 There was a bellowing reverb from behind that mask, and suddenly they were clashing. The hillbilly’s arms swung a wide arc with the chainsaw, and the red hooded creature leapt back. He leapt forward, striking with the blade until the hilt dug deep into the right shoulder. Cheryl noted a gun on its right hip; it was removed from its holster and hastily, three shots were fired.

 There was another roar from the hillbilly, as a bullet shredded through its cheek, a bullet digging deep into its eye and the hand that gripped the chainsaw. He dropped it. Cheryl scrambled back and away from the two giants as they did battle. She had never seen this before. It was… unprecedented.

 The hillbilly pulled up his hammer, dropping the chainsaw and starting on wide swings of his weapon. One collided into the ribs of the second monster, and there was a warped cry through the scratch of metal. The hillbilly’s taut skin pulled back around his mouth, as if laughing. Suddenly, that laugh was cut short by a crack of a gunshot.

 The hillbilly dropped, a single, explosive bullet hole leaving behind an opening the size of Cheryl’s fist in the monster’s forehead. Skull fragments and brain matter had spread about in all directions. This time, Cheryl did throw up.

 She felt her body wretch and force up the few things she had eaten in the last day, and through it all, one of those large hands rested gently upon her back. Once she was finished spewing, she raised her gaze up at the red hooded creature, and felt those strong arms gather her up, cradling her.

 There was a bellow of sound, and she rose her hands to her ears, desperate to shut out the reverb and shrieking metal. It stopped as suddenly as it started. Through the damaged helm, she could see one, burning green eye. Unlike all the other killers, masked or otherwise, she could see those eyes held something she had never seen before. At least, nothing she had seen in a killer’s gaze.

 ‘Cheryl!’ Dwight’s voice echoed out from his position, and he exited from a locker. He was panicked, watching her with wide eyes. He kept his distance, but she could see how he was trying to get the creature’s attention.

 ‘Stop! Dwight, please!’ She looked up at the creature. Those eyes that had shifted to the injured Dwight had returned to her. They were patient.

 ‘A-Are you going to hurt me?’ It shook its head.

 ‘Cheryl, you know we can’t t-trust it!’

 ‘Shut up!’ She barked back. She soothed her temper with a deep breath, looking past his broad shoulders and down at the collapsed body of the hillbilly. She knew he would be back. They always were. But for now… The monster was gone.

 ‘Are you g-going to help-p us?’

 He nodded again, and started walking forward towards Dwight. When Dwight skirted away, Cheryl threw the cowering man a threatening look. The man held his position, though it seemed like he was about to piss himself. She turned her eyes back up to the creature.

 ‘O-Our hideout is t-t-that way.’ She said, gesturing past Dwight and deep into the trees. The creature didn’t pay Dwight much mind as he passed him, and headed deep into the woods. He did slow down so the man could catch up, but he kept Cheryl tight in his arms. He didn’t let her down for a moment.

 And yet, Cheryl never felt safer.

#fanfiction #fanfic #DC #Red Hood #Jason Todd #Dead by Daylight #DBD #Cheryl Mason #Dwight Fairfield #Jane Romero #Laurie Strode #The Hillbilly #crossover #HarcourtHolmesII

[merinnan]

DMBJ Ep 6

I’ve been a bit behind putting these up on Tumblr, so I’m afraid you’re about to get a dump of the remainder of Season 1, plus the first two eps of Explore with the Note! (not all in one post, of course - 1 ep per post as usual)

So! Episode 6!

The Xiaoge Rescue Count at the start of ep 6 stands at 9 for Wu Xie, 12 for the protagonists, 13 for everyone.

- And we start back with Chengcheng and High Jr. I DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS SUBPLOT, MAKE IT GO AWAY AND BRING BACK XIAOGE AND WU XIE. 

- Why is Chengcheng calling her kidnapper dage? I don't like her or trust her. She is annoying and shady

- Oh, good, now we are back to Wu Xie being a good boy 

- That is a lot of guns and explosives Sanshu has recovered

- I am annoyed at how they all seem to think that A-Ning needs to be shielded from everything unpleasant because she's a girl. She's a goddamn mercenary leader. I think she can take knowing these things - and it's better to let her know as it's found out so that she can adjust to the news properly, instead of springing it on her when it can't be concealed anymore, like what happened when the blood zombie showed up.

- On a completely different tangent, Wu Xie's neck dressing has stayed astonishingly clear for running around in a tomb, crawling through tight tunnels, falling off of ledges and being dramatically rescued, fighting bugs, and fainting all over floors.

- Wu Xie is so sweetly optimistic 

 - LOL, sure Pangzi, you're here for archeological study 

- ....Wu Xie, you are disturbingly knowledgeable about guns for a college student

- Now that I've read the first novel between having watched ep 5 and now, my mind is slightly reeling from how innocent and babie drama Wu Xie is compared to novel Wu Xie 

- Awww. Doesn't matter which Wu Xie it is, babie with gun always looks kinda adorable.

- Also, I appreciate Wu Xie's trigger discipline. So often shows have such terrible trigger discipline. 

- Oooh, it's like a carved thing on the dais that got his attention. I thought it was like a computer drive or something at first, because it looked kinda like that.

- OH NO, THE LIVING VINES ARE HERE AND SNEAKING UP ON THEM 

- ...and pushing the button made them retreat 

- ...phew? 

- I am still concerned 

- The music signifies that something creepy is coming 

- lol, babie. Looking so innocent even though He Knows What He Did

- I don't know what that sound is, but that's not a good sound 

- ...earthquake? That's a bad thing to happen when you're in the middle of an evil cave. 

- WU FAMILY, WHY ARE YOU THE ONLY ONES TRYING TO STAY ON YOUR FEET WITHOUT HOLDING ONTO ANYTHING?! 

- So fucking stubborn

- This is where Wu Xie gets it from, if Erbai is wondering 

- A-Ning is the smartest one, staying sitting down 

- The tree opens up like a fucking security vault and ejects a coffin. Because of course if fucking does. 

- Oooh, yeah, that's that shot from the opening credits 

- "I can't read any of this, but it says this is the guy we're looking for" 

- "His story recorded here is the same as what we know" WU XIE YOU JUST SAID YOU CAN'T READ IT

- Come on. Earlier in the show you said "yes I can read this" and read it. And in the novel, you puzzle it out from being able to read bits. This part, you flat out said he couldn't read it, and now are telling everyone what it says 

 - I love continuity, but dramas really don't

- The music now is similar enough to the Harry Potter music that I almost expect an owl to go flying past 

- The owner of a coffin wanting the coffin to be opened hundreds or thousands of years later seems like it should be something more worrying than how everyone is reacting

- I wanna know how Sanshu knows the coffin has been there for 3000 years. Wu Xie can't read the dates on it, and the Warring States Period was 1500 years ago, not 3000 

- JESUS CHRIST, SANSHU, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE SENSIBLE ONE!

- Why are you suggesting you open the chained shut coffin in order to see if there's somehow something alive (or alive-ish) in there? 

- Awwww! Wu Xie going "no, don't do that, Pokerface told us not to touch anything"

- Like. Not, "no uncle, that seems like a bad idea" 

- But "Xiaoge told us not to, and we should do what he says" 

- I have the feeling that if this Pangzi is agreeing with something, then you all should not be doing that thing. Because this version of Pangzi is an idiot

- HOW THE FUCK IS THE MOVING COFFIN GOING TO SECRETLY HAVE THE EXIT INSIDE IT, PANGZI 

- THAT MAKES THE LEAST SENSE OUT OF EVERYTHING SO FAR 

- Pan Zi's "WTF do you think you're doing" look

- This Pangzi is so bad 

- I even like Chengcheng better than him. And I wish they had taken her into the tomb and used her as bait. 

- I'm glad he's better in other adaptations. Like, I love the Pangzi in Chongqi. I am so glad that he was my intro to Pangzi, not this one

- DON'T MAKE THE BABIE SAD BY BEING DUMB

- A-Ning really should not be just standing there with her leg injury. I've had a muscle biopsy before where they took it from the thigh, which is a similar 'injury' to what she's got, and you do not get on your feet unless you absolutely have to for days afterwards.

- At least they have her limp when she's walking, and it's kinda sad that I'm glad they do that! 

- And Pan Zi should not be doing hard physical labour with a fucking gut wound

- But I think I'm more annoyed by A-Ning, because I have personal experience with her kind of injury so know first-hand what kind of pain she's causing herself by standing and walking 

- HUMAN BRAIN LOGIC GO

- Pangzi you fucking dick, just standing there watching. You should be pushing instead of Pan Zi 

- Hahahah, after all his shittalk and boasting, and he can't do it 

- Oh, there, finally

- I know that inside lid is supposed to be jade, but it looks so terribly fake. Oh my god. It's awful 

- It looks like a bad Photoshop of one of those Windows 98 default backgrounds

- I love the looks everyone gives Pangzi every time he slips up and talks about getting money from the stuff in the tomb 

- LOL, that's not a carving, that's a couple of translucent green plastic discs stuck on top of Windows Background Photoshop cover

- ...I'm kinda waiting for someone to suddenly shout BOO! really loudly while they're all carefully trying to listen for any sounds in the coffin

- They're almost at the end of the first novel in terms of plot, and there's still 4 and a half eps to go

- Wow, I think that's the first time I've seen Sanshu actually worried 

- lol, and now Pangzi says he believes him, rather than get his ear that close to the coffin himself 

- PANGZI DON'T STARTLE SOMEONE WHO HAS THEIR FINGER ON THE TRIGGER OF A GUN & DEFINITELY DON'T SMACK THE GUN

- Wu Xie has a lot of control to have not accidentally shot right then

- LOL, after all their declarations how they're archaeologists, not tomb robbers, & how they're here to protect cultural artefacts from robbers, etc - they go make references to the northern and southern schools of tomb raiding

- Just without actually saying exactly what the 'Southern School' being referred to actually is. 

- ....and now Pangzi jumps in front of the pointed gun as he grabs it. Do you have a fucking death wish, dude? 

 - And now we see the infamous bronze armour! Jade armour. Whatever

- You'd think they'd have learned to fucking take all of A-Ning's guns away from her after last time she held one of them at gunpoint 

- OMG, the face on the helmet is so fucking ridiculous, I can't - It's not even properly positioned over his face

- Aaaaah, Sanshu called him tianzhen  I'm so happy at being able to identify that word now it's ridiclous 

- That...that is not what peeled skin looks like 

- Pangzi comes right out and admits he's a tomb robber 

- And for the first time, no-one calls him on it

- Or correct him for calling them tomb robbers 

- Ah, there you are, Xiaoge. I was wondering how long it would take for you to be back 

- I see looking for people in a tomb requires no shirt XD

- Better shots of shirtless Xiaoge

- Like, same, Wu Xie. Same.

- Look, I have two braincells, and one is for Xiaoge and one is for pingxie

- YOU ACTING LIKE THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS, PANGZI

 - Oooh, this is a goood shot of the tattoo. And of who the tattoo is on

- I don't have a Xiaoge problem. It's the opposite of a problem.

- Seriously, Pangzi is so fucking lucky that Xiaoge didn't kill him a dozen times over during their first meetings here

- Also, now that Xiaoge has explained why he threw a knife at Pangzi, I believe it's time to update the Xiaoge Rescue Count to 9 for Wu Xie, 13 for the protagonists, 14 for everyone.

- Although maybe I should have also been keeping a People Eyerolling At Pangzi Count given how often it's been happening

- More Xiaoge pics, feat. emotions that are not 'worrying about Wu Xie'

- Also, did he throw the corpse off the platform after he broke it's neck, or did it yeet itself off somehow? 

- I mean, I too wanna know how Xiaoge knows all this stuff if this was all put here 3000 years ago

- I do love that Wu Xie is already about the only person who Xiaoge will actually look at instead of staring down or straight ahead

- LOL, Wu Xie won't even let Pangzi so much as touch this. 

- I honestly appreciate that Xiaoge appears to travel lightly enough that he doesn't have a spare shirt

- EVERYTHING makes Wu Xie better than everyone else (except Xiaoge), Pangzi

- lol, Sanshu, yes. You tell him. 

- Hahahah, and Wu Xie playing along with Sanshu, the little adorable shit 

 - THE LOOK ON HIS FACE 

- KJFDHKJDAFHFKASDJHFKJASDLHGFSKLJ 

- AND DON'T THINK I DON'T SEE THAT SMIRK, WU XIE 

- There is absolutely not enough of little shit!Wu Xie in S1

- Loooool, his little nod at Sanshu now that they got their way and made Pangzi promise to stfu for the time being 

- And that is the first time I've seen that style of carriage roll like a car 

- Those skull ballistae were a cool aesthetic, though

- THAT CARRIAGE WAS ROLLING LIKE A FUCKING CAR, HOW IS IT BACK UPRIGHT AND ROLLING ALONG THE GROUND TO THE CLIFF 

- HOW TF IS IT ROLLING ANYWHERE WITH A SMASHED WHEEL 

- HOW TF IS HE ABLE TO HOLD IT FOR EVEN A SECOND, ESPECIALLY WITH ONE HAND

- A thin as fuck flagpole is going to give you jack shit in terms of something to brace with when it comes to that much weight 

- THE SCRIPTWRITER OF THIS SCENE IS BAD AND SHOULD FEEL BAD 

- *cries in physics minor*

- I can suspend disbelief for aliens, zombies, everything about Xiaoge, logic holes, and plot pits. Apparently my line is a non-cultivator breaking the laws of physics. 

- Aaaah, here come the zombies 

- So this dude is not the zombie dude 

- He is the emperor, I think?

- OH MY GOD THAT GREENSCREEN IS JUST THE WORST 

- I thought the one on the river was bad. The one of her falling as he dives off the cliff to save her is actively painful 

- Oh, now it looks like we're gonna have a dumb love triangle in the flashback. Yay. *waves tiny flag*

- Bitch, be a bit more grateful. Yes, your ex-lover caught you as you were falling & did so by basically flying, but that's just standard wuxia defiance of physics. Your husband held a FUCKING CARRIAGE with ONE HAND for AT LEAST TWO WHOLE MINUTES to keep you alive before your ex finally showed up

- "Were you really frightened?" Your majesty, what kind of a stupid question is that? 

- The emperor's armour is really pretty, I gotta say 

- Uuuugh, this stupid love story hurts in a bad way 

- I'm just gonna fast forward through it 

- ...and there's the end of the episode.

- That love triangle is going to make me scream, I know it 

- But that does explain how they're going to pad out the episodes a bit more with how far through the plot they are already 

- None of them are even really that pretty to make up for the boring, trite, love triangle plot

- How do they expect to keep my attention through it if I don't even have eye candy?!?! 

- I will be seriously headdesking if this flashback goes on for more than the next ep! 

- Oh well, there we are. The end of ep 6

The Xiaoge Rescue Count at the end of ep 6 stands at 9 for Wu Xie, 13 for the protagonists, 14 for everyone. 

#alicia watches dmbj #dmbj #xiaoge rescue count #daomu biji #wu xie #zhang qiling #wang pangzi #iron triangle #xiaoge

[the--sad--hatter]

Name Calling (32)

FANDOM - MARVEL MCU

PAIRING - BUCKY X READER (female reader, no physical descriptions)

WARNINGS - ALL OF THEM, SMUT, VIOLENCE ANGST

DESCRIPTION -  In which the ongoing and bloody war of words between you and Bucky turns in your favor when a disgruntled one night stand of his lets slip a secret when you run into her in the elevator… Now you have all the ammunition you need to destroy your enemy but you don’t plan on killing him quickly. Oh no, Bucky Barnes was going to suffer and you were going to enjoy every second. You just didn’t count on how much you would enjoy it.

Current Word Count -  89,843

MASTERLIST

Moodboard by @talesofakindredspirit

Chapter Thirty Two - Let Sleeping Soldiers Lie

When you had arrived back at the compound you had promptly been abandoned by Bucky as he grabbed Sam and Steve and hustled them away, leaving you pouting in the hallway. However when he came slinking back two hours later he was quickly forgiven when he explained his reason for leaving.

“I’ve never taken you on a date doll. So will you allow me to make it up to you and let me take you out tonight?” He begged, giving you a pair of puppy dog eyes that rivalled, nay beat Steve’s.

You grinned happily and practically floated to Wanda’s room to beg for her help getting ready.

To your surprise he didn’t take you very far, you stayed on the grounds actually. He led you through the tree’s at the edge of the compound to a small clearing set up with a picnic basket and a blanket on the ground.

“It was actually Sam’s idea.” he admitted with a grumble.

“Look at you, giving Sam credit!” You praised him and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

The picnic basket was filled with all your favorites but the food was hardly touched in favour of kissing the gorgeous man sat beside you. The innocent kisses and touches became more heated with every passing minute.

The last rays of the day’s sunlight streamed through the trees, lighting up the small clearing with a soft, warm glow. The way the light hit Bucky’s hair was almost ethereal and it was mesmerizing as he kissed his way across your collarbone, the warmth from his mouth a stark contrast to the cool breeze dancing across your skin.

When he had told you he was taking you on a date, this wasn’t what you had expected but it was perfect in it’s simplicity. So perfect it almost felt like a dream, but it wasn’t, it was so very real and the internal gratitude you felt for that fact was almost as intense as the lust roaring to life in your blood as your lover pushed you down onto the blanket.

His tongue ran across the thundering pulse point in your neck and you shuddered as his mouth closed around the sensitive spot. His teeth scraping over the skin awoke something feral and carnal in you and you stretched your neck as much as you could, exposing the vulnerable skin of your throat to him.

There was nothing to hide now and you offered Bucky what you could tell he wanted, the chance to leave his mark on you. He eagerly accepted and bit down gently until it was almost too painful, stopping at just the right point and licking and sucking the tender flesh to ease the sting. You responded with a breathy appreciative moan as you tightened your grip on his biceps.

The stars that were beginning to sparkle in the darkening sky were not as bright nor as magnificent as the stars that burst to life behind your eyelids as Bucky languidly rolled his hips into yours. Even through the coarse material of his slacks and the soft lace of your underwear his hard length was noticeable and the sensation of it pressed against your most intimate parts was spine tinglingly wonderful.

“You’re so fucking beautiful.” He professed.

“So I’m not ‘damaged goods with a poisonous personality wrapped in an average looking package’?” You asked, quoting his insult from all those weeks ago.

Part of you was just teasing him but a large part of you was hoping he didn’t still think that.

He leaned back to look at you, his eyes dark with the guilt and pain.

“I never thought that, I was too ashamed to admit I cared about you, even to myself. I said those things because I was embarrassed that Steve was accusing me of trying to flirt with you.” He admitted shamefully.

“It’s not like I didn’t deserve it. I was just as awful to you and you didn’t deserve it.” You confessed.

“We were stupid.” He said.

“We were.” You agreed.

“Let’s not be stupid anymore.” He suggested and leaned forward to kiss you.

You eagerly and readily accepted him, your arms wrapping around him.

“I love you, every part of you.” He whispered into your skin like a promise.

But he didn’t, he couldn’t. Vernichtung was a part of you that could not be loved by anyone. If Bucky knew the truth about the monster contained within your soul he wouldn’t love you anymore. Nobody would.

“I love you too.” You whispered back.

Nobody could know the truth, it would remain between you and The Professor and you would find a way to eradicate Vernichtung so you were worthy of the love bestowed upon you.

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

The soft buzzing of your phone alarm woke you and you sleepily turned it off. You didn’t remember coming inside last night which meant Bucky probably carried you. That explained the warm body at your back and the unfamiliar bedsheets.

You smiled happily and nuzzled into the pillow, ready to go back to sleep when you remembered why you even had an alarm set. You stifled a groan as you realised you had training with Natasha this morning. You tried to slip out of the bed as silently as possible but a metal arm snaked around your waist and yanked you backwards into a muscular chest.

“Buckyyy” You whined.

“Shhhhhhhh” He chastised.

“If I’m late to training Natasha makes me do crunches.” You complained and wriggled away from him.

He rolled over and settled his body on top of you, nestling his head into your cleavage.

“Ungh, you’re crushing me.” You wheezed.

“You’re a super soldier, you can take it.” He muttered into your chest sleepily.

You didn’t have time for this, you weren’t kidding when you said Natasha would punish you if you were late. As much as you’d rather stay and cuddle your sleepy soldier, your fear of Natasha was much greater than that want. You huffed and shoved at his shoulder, pushing yourself up at the same time.

You’d misjudged the strength you were putting into it and Bucky hadn’t been trying to stop you so as a result he was pushed not just off you, but off the bed. He landed with a thump on the floor and you froze in fear. Bucky sat up and his glaring face peering over the edge of the bed was hilarious and terrifying in equal measure and you ran for the door, laughter bubbling out of you.

“Love you!” You called over your shoulder through your giggles as you fled his room and sprinted for yours.

You were absolutely going to pay for that later, but he wasn’t as scary as Natasha and you had training to get to.

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

Your back hit the mat for the fourth time in a row and you whimpered in pain as Natasha’s upside down face grinned smugly at you.

“I thought cat’s always landed on their feet?” Clint laughed from his position at the targets across the gym.

“And I though cats caught squawking little birds and ripped their beaks off so I guess I’m breaking a lot of stereotypes today!” You snarled at the archer as a laughing Natasha pulled you to your feet.

“Unless you want take over for Nat and see if we can’t change that?” You offered with a daring smirk.

Clint shrugged and put the bow down so he could saunter over as the gym doors swung open.

“Why don’t we double up?” Bucky called, clearly having heard you taunting Clint through the door.

“A Spider and a Hawk vs A Kitten and a Soldier? Sure why not?” Clint said.

“Oh no, she’s not on my team.” Bucky said jerking his chin at you.

You groaned and shot Nat a pleading look.

“Alright Barnes, she’s on mine. Hope you boys are ready to have your ego’s shredded.” Nat sassed.

They stepped onto the mat with cocky expressions and you and Natasha exchanged a knowing look.

You and Natasha had been sparring together for long enough you knew how the other thought.

You aimed a high kick at Clint’s face and as you’d hoped he caught your foot in mid air. Before he could do anything you reached behind yourself, wrapping an arm around the widows waist and pulling her around to your front, lifting her into the air. She took over from there, springboarding off your hip to wrap her thighs around Clint’s neck and pushing him backwards.

Natasha used her perch on Clint to hold her arm out at the right height for you to grab it and vault into the air, your own thighs wrapping around an unsuspecting Bucky’s neck as Clint hit the mats with Natasha straddling him.

“Nah fuck this, there’s two of them now. I’m out!” Clint yelled, slapping the mat to tap out.

Bucky gripped your thighs and prised your legs apart but you countered by pushing your knee’s together and he failed. He tried a different tactic and body-slammed you into the mat. Considering he was over six feet tall it was a hell of a height to be slammed from and pain shot through your spine as your breath was knocked from your lungs but you didn’t relent your grip, pushing through the pain.

Bucky huffed as your calves locked behind his neck and your thighs squeezed around his neck, cutting off his air supply. He couldn’t prise or knock you off himself so he resorted to dirty tactics and with a wicked glint in his eye, bit the tended flesh of your inner thigh. You yelped and loosened your hold and he grabbed your knees, thrusting your legs apart and shoving you away but keeping hold of you.

There was a split second while you tried to think of how to counter before he used his grip on your legs to flip you over onto your stomach and planted his knee in the small of your back, pinning you to the mat. You wondered where the hell Nat was as you struggled to get up.

“Wanna tap out yet doll?” Bucky asked you.

“Go fuck yourself Barnes.” You snarled.

“When you’re pinned underneath me so nicely? I’d rather fuck you sweetheart.” He leaned down to whisper in your ear.

Ignoring the coil of lust his words had started to unravel you thrust your head back and the loud crack and blinding pain in the back of your skull told you you’d hit your mark. Bucky’s hold loosened just a fraction and it was enough for you to push him off you and roll away.

You quickly scrambled to your feet and saw him kneeling a foot away with blood dribbling from his nose and murder in his eyes. Curiously the gym was empty save for the two of you.

“Sorry my love, didn’t mean to make you bleed.” You apologised half heartedly and he glared at you.

He slowly stood up and stalked towards you, pulling up the edge of his shirt to wipe the small trickle of blood from his face and exposing his glistening abs. That pesky little coil of lust unravled a little further.

“You have two choices here doll. You can continue this little charade and we can tear a few more chunks out of each other, or...”

“Or what?” You challenged cockily and he smirked at you and pulled his shirt off.

“Or you can wrap those thighs around me again and let me fuck you right here on these mats.”

The coil snapped.

You surged forward to kiss him but he grabbed you and spun you round, pressing your back to his chest. His metal hand held you in place around your throat while his flesh hand teased it’s way down your body. He slipped his hand under the waistband of your shorts and you automatically parted your legs for him.

“You’re already soaking wet doll.” He noted, his voice heavy with lust.

You simply moaned in response, your head rolling against his shoulder.

“There is a third option sweetheart, you can leave if you don’t want this.” He whispered softly, giving you an out.

“Just fuck me Bucky.” You begged as his finger teased at your throbbing clit, not quite touching you but close enough to drive you wild.

Bucky released you and before you could even blink your tight shorts were ripped down your thighs.

“On your knees.” He instructed and you complied straight away.

One hand went to the back of your neck as he shoved you face down on the mat roughly, somehow still managing to be gentle enough to ensure he didn’t hurt you. His fingers tangled in your hair and held you down as he smacked your ass, the sound making you jump more than the contact did.

“Did you think you could just shove me out of my own bed and leave me on the floor without any kind of retribution?” He asked you, his voice even and low.

“No.” You admitted.

“Are you sorry?” He asked.

“So sorry Bucky.” You whimpered.

“I don’t quite believe you sweetheart.” He teased and smacked your ass again, harder this time and you winced.

“I didn’t mean to do it!” You protested.

“Hmm.” He murmered, massaging the stinging flesh where he’d hit you.

“What about when you headbutted me, did you mean to make me bleed?” He enquired.

“Fuck sake James, no of course not!” You snapped.

You knew the next smack was coming, you’d definitely asked for that one. You felt your wetness begin to run down your thighs as your ass stung and you buried your face into the mat.

“James, James I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do it.” You whined pathetically, trying to push your hips back towards him and he chuckled.

“I know you didn’t.” he admitted.

“Then why the fuck are you torturing me?” You snarled and a filthy moan fell from your lips as you felt his heavy cock drag through your folds, running across your sensitive clit.

“Because you beg so sweetly when you want this.” He told you.

He coated himself in your wetness as he rutted against you and while his hardness sliding over your clit felt fucking heavenly you still felt empty.

“I want you inside me.” You admitted truthfully and the raw honesty and need in your voice made him groan and readjust himself.

“Right here, you want me inside you here, where anyone could walk in?” He asked.

“I don’t care where we are, I need you to fuck me!”

He rammed himself inside you, his thick length sliding into your tight cunt with little struggle. You damn near screamed in ecstasy as he set a brutal and punishing pace, fucking you with wild abandon right there in the middle of the day in a public room.

Your hands scrabbled for something to grip against the mat as you pushed your hips back to try and meet his relentless thrusts. His hand in your hair twisted painfully as he gripped your hip to hold you steady and the sound his groans joined your moans as you gave up trying to find any semblance of control and surrendered to him.

His cock hit every sensitive spot inside you every time he thrust forward, filling you up perfectly before he would drag himself out and snap his hips forward again. He repeated the cycle over and over until you couldn’t think straight.

As far as you were aware there was only Bucky, and the pleasure he was driving into your pliant body. You could have been there for seconds or maybe hours as his movements caused pleasure to ripple through your body, building up inside you until you were like a cup ready to overflow. One more drop and it would spill over…

You screamed his name unaware and uncaring who might hear as it became too much and the pleasure spilled over. Your body shuddered and convulsed below him, his own orgasm chasing yours as his hips stuttered and his abs clenched as he came inside you with a deep, guttural groan of your name.

You collapsed on the mat and his body fell next to yours as you both panted for breath. He affectionately peppered kisses across your shoulders and arms, the only parts of your skin he could reach and you forced yourself to turn your head so he could reach your lips. He immediatley captured them in a sweet kiss, vastly contrasting from the violent and carnal way he’d just fucked you.

“I fucking love you.” He muttered between kisses and your heart melted.

You reached back to run your fingers through his damp locks and smiled into the kisses.

“I love you too” You mumbled against his lips.

You felt his cum start to trickle out of you and hastily pulled your shorts back up before you leaked evidence of your tryst onto the mats. During your struggle you noticed your phone was flashing and you crawled over to where you’d left it with your water bottle at the side of the mats and picked it up quickly to check the message.

Natasha: Enjoy ‘sparring’ with your man. If you’re not outside in 20 minutes I’m sending Wilson to look for you.

The message had been sent 16 minutes ago. You had four minutes to get outside but your legs still felt like jelly. Bucky kissed your shoulder as he read the message over it.

“If I’d have know he was going to walk in I would have taken my time.” He chuckled and you elbowed him.

“If you torture Sam like that I’m going to ‘accidentally’ sext Steve.” You threatened.

Bucky growled and gripped your hips, pulling you back into his chest.

“Don’t you fucking dare.” He growled.

“I wouldn’t. Even as a joke.” You admitted, leaning into him happily.

“Good. You’re my girl, no one else’s.”

“Yes Sergeant, yours.” You agreed and spun round in his arms to kiss him.

He kissed you back hungrily and you regretfully pulled away before Natasha made good on her threat to send your best friend after you.

“I’m going to go find my best friend, go find yours.” You sighed and headed towards the doors shakily.

“Forgetting something doll?” He asked and you turned back before you left the room and smiled fondly at him.

“I love you James.” You said and blew him a kiss.

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

Natasha had told you to come outside but there was nobody around. You frowned as you wandered across the grass, searching for your team mates. Your senses started screaming that you were in danger and a shadow fell across the ground. You quickly whipped your head up and squinted, seeing Sam fully decked out in his falcon gear diving towards you.

You realised a split second too late he wasn’t slowing down and you tensed as he swooped down and plucked you off the ground.

“What the fuck are you doing?” You screeched as he flew away with you.

He grinned toothily at you as he carried you further up into the air.

“You’re late and we’re playing a game, a team building exercise.” He explained.

“Oh ok, that’s fine then…. PUT ME DOWN YOU OVERPLUCKED BIRBRAIN!” You screamed.

“No can do baby, we’re playing a kind of capture the flag type game.”

You saw the red blur hurtling towards you from the left that meant Vision was coming towards you at the same time you spotted Clint perched up a tree, arrow aimed straight for you and Sam and it clicked.

You were the fucking flag.

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

Full disclosure, I am having the worst day ever so this probably isn't my best work but I promised you all a chapter every day and I will fucking deliver if I have to bitchslap the devil himself and crawl out of hell to find a WiFi signal.

Reader: You can't just fuck me into being nicer to you. Bucky: ..... Reader: Yeah even I didn't believe me when I said that.

.

@nerdandproud-86 @harrison-shot-first@chook007@thejourneyneverendsx@thelostallycat@inquisitor-selvala@the-corruptor @iovher@kendrawr-kitkat@phoenix-whiskey-tears@the–real-wombat@buckitybarnes@fairislesheets@angieptt@meganjonezzzz

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#hattersmarvelverse #Bucky x Reader #bucky x oc #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x original character #stark reader #dad tony stark #parent tony stark #bucky smut #smut #fluff #angst #tony stark x reader #clint barton x reader #natasha x reader #black widow x reader #hawkeye x reader #wanda x reader #steve rogers x reader #steve x reader #avengers x reader #Platonic Avengers #x men x reader #deadpool x reader #wade wilson x reader #sam wilson x reader #falcon x reader #captain america #the winter soldier #winter soldier x reader

[john-doe567]

The Nomad

A man sits quietly in his classic, brown Ford Mustang with the window slightly open and a cigarette resting twixt his lips. He’s staring out the window, admiring the scenery. The sun cowers behind the towering mountains that surround Ashland, Southern Oregon. The sky is a warm orange, fading into vibrant yellows as it plummits toward the horizon. Of all the things he’d seen in his travels, this was definitely one of the most beautiful. Yet another sight he’d soon leave behind in favor of the road.

He smiles and turns his gaze toward the glovebox, and a look of unease flashes across his face. He reaches over the passenger seat, groaning as he barely reaches the handle. He pulls it and the door falls open to reveal a black leather holster that houses a gun. He picks it up, unbuttons the strap, and slides the firearm out of the holster.

The gun is sleek in design. It has “PIETRO BERRETA.” engraved across the barrel. It’s coated in a chrome paint, shiny as silverware. So shiny he can see his reflection, reminding him a gun is only as bad as the man who fires it, and just as vile as that same mans intentions. He has long, brown hair and slightly tanned skin. He holds a small button on the barrel and the magazine slides out. It’s transparent, and each round is visible. The man mumbles digits for a few seconds until he reaches seven.

“That’ll do.” He says with a sigh before frowning, sliding the gun back into the holster and clipping it onto his belt. He shuts the glove box takes a pull of his cigarette. If his suspicions are correct, then he may need the gun on him. He blows the smoke through the gap in the window before rolling it up and pushing open the door. With a groan he pulls himself out of the vehicle. Fresh air at last. The man drops his cigarette on the tar and stubs it out with his heel before shutting the car door.

He re-adjusts the collar of his trench coat and buttons it up to ensure a gust of wind won’t reveal his sidearm, and heads toward the street. He’d spent about five months on the road, traveling from place to place, leaving behind little-to-no trace of himself. The man liked it this way, he figured if he kept moving steadily the past would never catch up to him. Not for a while at least. He steps out onto the street and looks around. Ashland has the odd scumbag here and there, but it seemed hospitable for the most part.

The street had both red and amber trees springing out of the ground in intervals of five meters along it. Across the road was a bar called “The Black Sheep.” He looks up and down the street checking for oncoming cars, but the road is vacant. The only cars on the road are parked ones. He takes another look before crossing to the other side. The man stops to cough, and recovers after a second. He’d spent a few nights sleeping in his mustang on the side of the road, and the heating had been busted so he developed a cold.

He enters the bar and assesses the area. The walls a purple-ish blue, cut short by a tall wooden baseboard. There’s all sorts of people peppered around the room. A junkie in tattered clothes lurks in the doorway of the men’s restroom. There’s a prostitute hanging around by the bar, leeching on an off duty officer, looking for a quick buck. Who knows where she’d be if she stayed in school longer. Probably anywhere but this place. The bartender is arguing with a drunken woman, insisting she’s had enough. There’s a jukebox blaring music behind the bar; but it’s not loud enough to drown out all this conversation. All walks of life, all put into one room. The man couldn’t help but wonder which bunch he fell into, if he fell into one at all.

He walks toward the bar calmly, pushing through a group of jahova’s witnesses, interrupting their conversation. “Watch it, buddy.” Warns one of them. The man just ignores him and continues towards the bar; with each step making the floorboards squeal under his leather boots. He sits himself onto one of the stools and rests his arms on the counter. The bartender turns his attention from the drunken woman and heads toward him. “Hey asshole, where’re you going!?” She shouts. He ignores her crude remarks.

“What can I get you?” Asks the bartender.

“You got Bourbon?”

“If I don’t have it, it don’t exist. ‘Course I got it.” He says with a confident smirk.

“I’ll have one pint, please.”

The bartender nods and walks over to a cabinet full of glasses. The man turns his gaze to the prostitute. She’s still persisting. Maybe if she tried that hard when it came to making something of herself she’d be in Cambridge, or Harvard. She looks intelligent. The man knew everything about wasted potential. Upon closer inspection the officer has a ring. He can’t help but admire this mans loyalty, most would cheat in a heartbeat.

“C’mon, you know you want it! I ain’t that expensive compared to others, y’know!?”

“For the last time fuck off.” He replies in a Dublin accent.

She rolls her eyes and pushes him teasingly. “I’ll come back when you’ve had a few too many to drink, hows that?”

He growls and she walks off toward another man to make another attempt.

“She’s persistent I’ll give her that much.” Says the man.

“Yeah, maybe a bit too persistent.” The Officer replies.

The man laughs.

“Any kids?” He asks, gesturing toward the ring.

“Yeah, two girls and a boy.”

“Nice.”

“Yeah, the girls are a pain in my ass though.”

“Really? I figured boys would be harder to tolerate.”

“Not at all; Not in my case anyway.”

“Yeah. I had a sister once, let me tell you compared to her? I was a storm.”

“No shit?”

“Yeah, i’d stamp and scream and break everything I could get my hands on if I didn’t get my way, whereas she’d be sad for a minute and be over it the next.”

“Ah, I see. You said you ‘had’ a sister?”

“Yeah, she died at the age of nine. Lung ulcer.”

“Aw, I’m uh, I’m s-sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be.” Insists the man. “It was a long time ago.”

The bartender returns with a pint of Guinness, walking carefully as not to spill it.

“Here you are. Sorry about the delay, ‘bars packed.” He says

“Thanks, don’t worry about it.”

The bartender flashes a smile at him and walks over to a group of other customers.

“Never much liked Guinness.” Says the officer. “Tastes like piss.”

“And you recognize the taste of piss, *how* exactly?”

“I don’t.” He says with a chuckle. “But if I were to guess how piss tastes, that’s how I imagine it.”

“Hmph. Fair enough.” Says the man.

The two sit in silence for a short moment and the man notices a group of bikers walking in, scanning the room. “Fuck.” He utters.

He turns back to officer to hide his face from them. “So, you’re a long way from home.” He says.

“Whaddya mean?” Asks the officer.

“The accent, you’re Irish?”

“Yeah. I’ve lived here for a few years now but, the accent never wore off. One of the few things I got to keep from my youth.”

His phones buzzes in his pocket, the screen so bright I can see it shining through his jeans. He pulls it out, reads the caller ID, and answers.

“Hey, babe. He’s sick? What do you mean he went outside without a coat? Aw hell, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

He hangs up the phone and stuffs it back in his pocket before grabbing his keys off of the counter and pulling on a police jacket.

“I gotta get going, I’ll see you around.” He holds out his hand.

The man shakes it. “Yeah. Be seeing you officer, uh...”

“Kilgallen. Officer kilgallen.”

“Officer kilgallen.”

“And you?”

The man hesitates for a moment.

“William.” He says.

The Officer smiles at him. And heads toward the door, dissapearing into the crowd. He can’t help but think how they would get along if he decided to stick around for a while. Maybe? The group of bikers who entered prior are all staring at William; scoping him out. His suspicions had been confirmed. They’d tailed him all the way from California after he shot one of their men in defense. But obviously they aren’t gonna see it that way. He doubts they’d care all that much either. A big one stands up and draws a revolver from his pocket, aiming it up and firing. Little grains of sawdust fall from the ceiling.

“EVERYONE, OUT!!” Roars the biker.

The crowd all rush for the door and spill out of the bar like water in a cup. After a minute or two, the only people in the bar are him and the bikers. William downs his pint and stands up.

“So you actually caught up. I’m surprised, didn’t think those shitty bikes could travel up the street, never mind twenty miles.”

“You watch it, punk.”

Willaim finds that remark, quite frankly, ironic.

He unbuttons his trench coat and puts it on the stool. His shirt is white, tainted yellow from age. He unbuttons the cuffs on his sleeves and rolls them up.

“Look, I know you’re upset about your friend. And I get that; I really do. But you’ve gotta realize it was in defense!”

“I don’t give a damn, kid.”

William rolls his eyes. He knew it. He counts the bikers. There’s five of them.

“Fine, have it your way.”

He draws his gun and fires, nailing the big guy in the chest. He yelps and falls to the floor, clutching his chest. William vaults the counter and takes cover behind the bar. Cabinet glass and alcohol spills down on him from above, as a steady line of fire comes from the other side of the bar.

He crawls toward the door of the counter, and peaks around it, firing once again at the bikers. He blows a hole in ones skull and turns the gun to another man, doing the same. They turn their stream of fire toward his position and he flinches, falling on his back and shuffling back up to the right side of the counter.

The gunfire stops and he hears a multitude of clicking firearms. He jumps up and fires at the two men, missing four shots. His gun clicks and he looks down at it in dismay. The bikers look at him and he looks back. He vaults the counter and runs at them, bracing himself for impact. He tackles one biker to the floor, hitting the wooden floor with a thud. He rears his right arm back and strikes the biker.

William is alerted by the other bikers footsteps. He looks to his left and the guy swings a glass bottle at him, knocking him off of his friend. He scurrys backward while reaching out with his right arm, desperately trying to find something to fend him off with. The biker walks toward him, strong and tall, before clambering ontop of him and gripping his throat. William still reaches out, gagging. He grips what feels like a bottle and lifts it to the bikers face, breaking it off of his temple. He flinches with pain and released his grip. The bikers face is covered in cuts and booze. William reaches into his pocket and pulls out a lighter, before holding it up to the attackers face and igniting it, engulfing half of it in flames.

He yells out and William kicks him off, getting back on his feet quickly. The other biker watches in horror as his friend writhes in pain on the floor. He runs at his target but the man pushes a table over, stopping him in his tracks. He runs for the pool table but the biker charges him, pinning him to the wall. William tries kicking but it’s no use, he’s stuck. He looks around the room, and notices a jukebox beside him. He uses all of his strength and knees him in the jaw, sending him forward. He grabs him by the neck and stomps toward the jukebox before driving the mans head through the glass. His body twitches for a few seconds as the jukebox sparks, but goes limp as it powers down.

The bar is quiet. Not a noise to be heard. William looks around at all of the scattered chairs, broken bottles, empty cigarette packs and spare change tattered around the room. He pants and walks toward the gun, picking it up and holstering it once more. He walks toward his chair and picks up his coat, pulling it over his shoulders and buttoning it.

He grabs a bottle of whiskey from behind the counter and a rag. He cracks the lid off and stuffs the rag deep into the bottle, leaving a stray piece hanging loose before pulling his lighter back out. He lights the rag and throws the bottle toward the center of the bar, lighting the room on fire as the flames travel on highways of spilled alcohol. He stands in the door, watching vigilant. He could forget any thoughts of sticking around. It was too good to be true. The most beautiful town he’d ever seen in his life, a million miles from what he used to call home. Maybe he’d gotten his hopes up. Maybe.

He takes one last look before heading outside and crossing the street. It’s dark out. He gets in his car, unbuckles the holster and opens the glove box before shoving it back in. The man looks out of his windscreen at the burning bar. Flames rise and a window that once showd people going about their lives now serves as a display stand for death. A tear rolls down his cheek.

He sticks the keys In the ignition and the car starts up with a whir. The car pulls out of the parking space and leaves the empty parking lot. He speeds up the street, trying to get as far away as possible before coming face to face with the feds. The brown mustang roars up the road at alarming speeds as smoke spills out of the exhaust. He checks the rear view mirror frequently, making sure there’s no cops. He didn’t know where he was gonna go, he just knew he’d have to go somewhere far. He’d run, and he’d never stop running. Not until his body gives out and his heart stops. He’ll keep going. He has to.

The next morning, Officer kilgallen found himself ducking under yellow tape. The road had skid marks going up along it. He walked inside the bar, looking around. The place was nothing like it had been yesterday. What was once bustling with people was now vacant of all life. Three men lay on the ground with gunshots in their head, one lay still with his head in a jukebox, and another had half of his face burnt off. The floorboards creaked even louder this time, weakened by the fire. They were black and covered in sawdust. The walls had scorch marks all over them. He walks toward the bar where he had sat prior. The seat was still clean. He sits down and reclines against the counter. The bar is relatively quiet, the only noise being the chatter of firemen outside.

“Who could do such a thing?” He asks himself.

He looks to his right and on the counter,

Sits a lonely pint glass.

Thank you for reading,

Yours truly,

- Údar.

#writing #storywriting #crime #original story #first story #writer #short story #fiction #fan fic #oc #story #writers on tumblr #writers corner #writers community #writers circle

[lokikingofasgardslover713]

4} Christmas Run

Masterlist

Philandering with Thunder Masterlist

Thor Odinson x Plus!Size Reader

Warnings: Angst

A/N: Thor still feels guilty! Fluffy Thor! No Smut still! I am going to make you want it badly! This is a Christmas special and just more FLUFFY THOR! Enjoy!

Words: +2,000

It would have been quiet had it not been for the god of thunders hellacious snoring that echoed around the room he insisted they shared until she fully recovered. Which was proving to be a bit more of a chore than originally thought thanks to the ore Stormbreaker was made of. Here it was 2 am Christmas morning & Y/N was still having to take pain meds as the wound put itself back in order despite the fact it was closed. Thankfully all broken bones had been healed & truthfully she could shift but figured it best not to push her luck.

“Thor,” Y/N spoke out to the room.

The constant waking up to find the god had snuck into her apartment in the night made Y/N decide it was best to take up residence in his room at the compound, seeing it was bigger & better equipped for two people.

“Thor,” she spoke louder after the first call went unanswered, sitting up to fling the pillow she kept for this occasion, forgetting all about the Christmas tree the two had put up & taking it out instead of hitting the god of thunder who was slowly falling off the couch.

“Oh shit,” Y/N blurted out, hurrying to get out of the tangle of fur & cloth.

The woman rushing to the tree knowing the glass ornaments had broken & who knew what else as she witnessed the god roll out of the couch with a start but swift to his feet to realize what had happened. Thor was quick to grab Y/N before she stepped on glass & hoist her into his arms with a yelp.

“Was the tree snoring so loudly you felt the need to kill it,” Thor laughed out, god how could he be this wide awake already, it was only 2 am & he was acting as though he had been up for hours.

“Bite me, you know damn well what I was aiming for,” Y/N scolded, watching as he stepped around the glass to take Y/N where he could sit her down safely as they both called for the lights to cut on.

“Sorry dove, it was a long mission & I didn’t want to wake you up by jarring you all over the bed,” he admitted sheepishly, following her like a diligent dog as she stepped around the chaos that was once a tree to put on boots & get a broom.

“I should have gone with the team, I could have…,” Y/N began, watching Thor sit the tree up with hopes of not loosing anymore ornaments while Y/N swept up the shattered remains of the ones that didn’t make it, the god quick to cut her off.

“No, you still ache & all I need is for you to reinjure yourself,” he snipped, not meaning it so harsh but he was still upset he had almost killed her a few weeks ago looking over at the bewildered woman that he couldn’t help but love with all his heart.

“I can shift without hurting my self just fine, but no one will allow me to show them,” Y/N sighed sadly under her breath as she swept the glass into the pan to carry it to the trach can before putting the broom up, kicking the boots off & going back to the bed.

Y/N quietly curled up on the very edge of the bed, it was clear the woman was upset that every time she mentioned shifting form from mortal to beast to be met with a quick no. Y/N understood it was to keep her safe but not shifting made skin itch uncontrollably & muscles burn to stretch. The thoughts of a run making leg jitter under the covers & bury tired head into the pillow before flinging the covers back to get out of bed. It was not going to work this time, Y/N had to do something regardless if it was a good idea or not, feeling Thor on her heels as she stared for the balcony.

“Come on dove, let’s go back to bed,” Thor began cautiously, the woman’s thick form accentuated by the boy shorts & racer tank that left nothing to the imagination.

The woman’s choice of bed attire making the god wonder how he held back & not giving into their urges to fuck each other mercilessly into the mattress. It was then he noted the bandage she still wore under the shirt & it made his heart ache as they stepped out onto the balcony.

“No, I can’t, I have to,” Y/N spoke turning to look back at the god who seen the defiant look in her eyes, taking a step forward in the cold night knowing she itched to run.

“Let me go with you at least,” he asked quietly, “I want stop you & I can keep up.”

Y/N looked at him, shocked that he was offering to run with her making the woman curious if he could keep up. After consideration Y/H/C head finally nodded OK as she lifted the shirt to tug the binder loose, Thor stepping close to help tug it free, calloused knuckles ghosting over soft, yellowed flesh that made his brow furrow.

“It's healing, quit worrying over it,” Y/N spoke softly, stepping closer to the god to look up into his eyes to note the worry in the smile he gave her.

“Come on, you want to see my true form or not,” Y/N spoke happily turning with her back to him.

Teasingly Y/N pulled the tank over her head, shimmying out of the boy shorts to give the god a glimpse of plump ass & thick curves before vaulting over the rail.

Thor was quick to start after Y/N to land next to her in the soft grass to watch curvaceous body move & stretch out in ways that he never known one could, in awe as Y/N shifted from mortal to wolf in no time. He was amazed because he had only witnessed it on video & couldn’t help as he stepped closer to the wolf like creature that stood to its full height. The same height as he, thick fur making Y/N look bigger than him but knew she wasn’t. Calloused hand reaching out to cup furry jaw, fingers splaying out over the coat to feel it's softness as she leaned in close bowing down to bury her head in his chest as he ran a hand over her shoulder.

“You are right, you are very soft. You’re a beautiful creature Y/N,” Thor spoke gently, filling her pull away & step back towards the small wooded area that surrounded the compound.

“Ladies first,” Thor smiled as he hinted to the trees for Y/N to lead the way the Y/H/C wolf not hesitating to spin & take off with the god on her heels.

When ache stared creeping into sore side as dawn approached, Y/N returned to mortal form & took a seat under a tree to wait for Thor to catch up, having been playing catch with each other all night it wouldn’t take the god long to find her. The heavy steps of Thor’ boots making the ground vibrate as he got closer, he had a smile on his face as he rounded the tree, expecting to find the wolf staring at him but instead found Y/N smirking at him in mortal form. Instantly his brow furrowed, dropping before her noting how Y/N sat to cover her nakedness & swearing she looked to be in pain.

“Relax, I'm tired,” Y/N smiled reaching out to take stubbled face in warm hands & cherishing it with calloused thumbs.

“You look more than tired dove. Let’s get back to the compound,” he worried, getting ready to say more but she dropped her knees & jerked his lips to hers to stop him.

Calloused hands flying to grab to the nape of her neck to prevent Y/N from getting away, lips moving with his to open, so tongues could caress over one another for a long-awaited taste of each other. Thick thighs spreading willingly to allow Thor closer, clothed arousal pressing into dripping core as curvaceous body arched into him.

“You don’t know how long & just how bad I have craved a taste of you dove,” Thor panted out as he pushed back to take in lust blown pupils & not denying himself to rut at her as she done him.

“Show me,” Y/N panted out, not meaning to let a whimper of pain escape as ribs caught hoping he didn’t stop & watched the flinch in his eyes.

“I…,” Thor began but fingers looped to the nape of scorching neck & held tight.

“Please Thor… don’t…,” Y/N pleaded with the god that gently took her wrist to pull free as she rutted at the painful bulge.

“Let’s go back, yeah,” he spoke quietly to the begging creature that fell limp under him, looking at her worriedly.

“You get a shower & I will lay down with you till time to get up,” he began cautiously hoping to peak her interest but watched her eye him wearily having a feeling he would refuse her again.

Y/N could scent his desire to have her, knew he wasn’t rejecting her, it was far from the contrary, the more he denied it the more he desired her. It was to the point Y/N was sure she would have to hold him down & fuck him knowing he wouldn’t dare make a move to injure her.

“It's alright, I’ll take the common room shower & you can have your own,” Y/N sighed out, leaning against the tree, filing tears come to Y/E/C orbs & hadn’t a clue to where that came from gaze darting away hoping he didn’t notice.

Calloused hand lacing into Y/H/C locks to pull her head to the crook of strong shoulder while free arm looped around thick middle to pull her flush. A gentle whisper for her to warp thick thighs around him to which she did gingerly, arms going around strong neck as the god began to carry her back.

Quietly Thor ushered Y/N to into the bathroom to get cleaned up, the god patiently waiting for her to exit to take his own. The god exiting to find Y/N sitting cross legged on the bed waiting for him dressed in the tank top, the binder on underneath & the fur around plump waist. Thor taking a seat with her to pull the tired creature into his lap this time, crossing his legs & seating her facing him. Thick hips around bare toned waist, the woman’s hands going to bare chest to brace against it.

“Don’t doubt I love you dove,” Thor began with a kind smile, bruising wet hair out her face to look into Y/E/C orbs that sparkled at his admittance.

“I have something for you,” he smiled leaning over to the night stand to pick up a small wooden box to hand to her prompting Y/N to open it.

Inside on soft suede rested a pendant on a delicate twisted chain, the god excitedly picked up & held it to show her the hammer pendant that hung from it.

“The chain is made from vibranium, so you don’t have to worry about breaking it,” the god smiled to Y/N who pulled her hair up impatiently, hinting for the god to put it around soft neck to which he was all too happy to do.

“Merry Christmas dove,” Thor told Y/N who smiled at the pendant that rested on soft chest then to Thor who wasn’t prepared for how excited she became, tackling him to the mattress in a fierce hug followed by a crushing of lips.

“When can I give you yours,” Y/N smiled playfully down at the god who smirked at her, Y/N moving to slip to his side to cuddle in with him.

“When you’re ready dove, no rush,” he spoke quietly nuzzling into wet hair the instant someone, sounded like Tony, creating a ruckus as he made his way down the corridor announcing it was Christmas & time to open presents.

Tags open! And re-blogs are ALWAYS welcomed!

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#thor x you #thor odinson #thor x reader #thor #thor x plus size reader #thor x ofc #werewolf reader #werewolf

[elounorfluff-blog]

Inhaling Every Moment

A/N: OK I already apologized for this in my previous post. The whole thing isn’t heart-wrenching, I promise. Like and comment, reblog or DM with feedback! And a super fluff-filled nothing sad at all Christmas one-shot is coming in December. So here’s Christmas 2016....

The air felt colder than usual, but it had nothing to do with close to freezing temperatures outside. Louis wasn’t sure his life could have been in a more horrific state than it was that chilly night in December. The funeral had been held two weeks ago and he didn’t know how there were any tears left in him. After that awful day, it had been too much for him to keep leaning on Dani. Snapping at her when she was just trying to help and then apologizing over and over again until their relationship had more tension than comfort. She had left two days after his X-factor performance, on amicable terms. He knew it wasn’t her fault he was so upset with the world right now, but he didn’t think he could be with anyone in his current state. And of course, she had been at the funeral. Some part of him had expected to see Eleanor there, but when he actually saw her in living, breathing, form, it was like someone had sliced open freshly sewn stitches. He’d barely been able to say more than a few words to her.

His birthday had passed yesterday without any festivity beyond reading a hopelessly long letter his mother had left behind for him, telling him how proud she was and that she wished him only to find peace in the coming year. Lottie had also made him eat something and changed his sheets, and then taken him and Fizzy, along with the older twins to get hot chocolate. It had been a sort of quiet he wasn’t used to, but he had never been more thankful to have so many sisters. They were all in this together, at least.

And there had been today. Christmas. In their rented London home close to the hospital that no one could bear to leave just yet. Nobody woke up early to open gifts, but Dan and Fizzy had started making pancakes around noon as people drifted downstairs. It was an odd kind of relief to have things to do that day. Traditions that simply had to be upheld lest they have one more reminder of Jay’s absence. And so, they had decorated the tree that had sat neglected for the past month as they had been too busy with goodbyes and funeral plans and grieving to worry about something as trivial as ornaments. The memories held in each little trinket he hung up ended up being of far more comfort than he thought they would. He had found all the little things he’d made her in primary school, ornaments from different years which read “the Tomlinsons”, and listed names on some item. The first looked like a cookie sheet and simply held Marks name, his mum’s, and his own. The most recent was in the shape of a large snow globe and held at the top “The Tomlinson-Deakin Family” and read on tiny name plaques, “Jay, Dan, Mark, Louis, Lottie, Fizzy, Daisy, Phoebe, Doris, Ernest”. He’d smiled, wondering what the person who had done the calligraphy must have thought, writing all those names. Every single one of the kids had some creative ‘Baby’s 1st Christmas’ one as well, his own simply stating those words on a tiny silver frame that held a photo of his Mum with him at one day old, not even discharged from the hospital yet.

They had sat in the living room and opened a few gifts from each other, before they had finally addressed the tense absence hanging in the air. Each of them had gone around and told the happiest story they could think of about Johannah. And for awhile they had laughed even though the pain was still fresh. She had brought so much joy to their lives. They had stayed in their cocoon of togetherness, not wanting to leave the warmth and comfort of seeing their mum in each other’s eyes, but then children started to fuss, and the night had to end as Lottie and Fizzy got the younger twins off to bed. He had to let the great world spin, whether he wanted to or not.

It was close to midnight now. He knew all the older girls were probably crowded into one bedroom, asleep on each other, as they had been since the funeral. He sat downstairs, in a back room with vaulted ceilings that was full of windows to let light in during the day. He was curled up on the couch, with his knees hugged to his chest feeling completely numb.  He took out his phone in hopes of finding a distraction, scrolling mindlessly through the names in his phone. Louis wasn’t even sure how or why he had hit call on Eleanor’s contact, it just happened.

Meanwhile, El sat in her sweatpants alone in her London flat. She couldn’t bring herself to go home to Manchester. She’d tried to enjoy herself earlier with a friend who’d invited her to dinner, but now she simply felt alone, save for Bruce, who she was currently using as a pillow. She missed Jay with everything in her, but more than that, she missed the normalcy of being around the Tomlinsons and how comforting it had been just to wrap Daisy and Phoebe in her arms at the funeral. His family was the only one that was going through this process with her, but she felt like an intruder, so she kept her communication to a minimum. When her phone rang, she didn’t intend to answer it until she saw the contact name flash.

“…. Hello?” She answered hesitantly.

“Hey,” Louis said quietly.

“You’re up late,” she mumbled.

“Surprised you’re still awake,” Louis replied awkwardly.

“I haven’t really slept much since….you know. Did you need something?” She asked with curiosity rather than annoyance.

Louis paused as if trying to remember something. “Not…not really, I guess. Just can’t sleep either, although apparently everyone else can.”

Eleanor spoke before she thought, “Do you want me to come over?”

“I can’t say the answer is no. I promised you no more lies, but if you’re tired, I understand” he told her, which was true. They had spoken briefly after Jay told her about Brianna’s pregnancy. It had been a strange conversation where she questioned why he felt the need for her to know before the public, and he’d answered her that despite not feeling they could reconciliate, he felt he owed her honesty, and that honesty wasn’t letting someone you had been with for three and a half years find out you were having a child from the media.

“I’m a little tired, but that doesn’t mean I can fall asleep anytime soon. Be over in ten?” El didn’t know why she agreed. A little birdie (actually twin ones with iPhones) had informed her when Danielle had gone back to America and their general understanding that Louis and she had split.

“Yeah that works…. See you soon.” The line went dead as he hung up.

El turned to Bruce, “I have to go, love.” The dog answered by putting his head on his paws. “….Actually? Do you want to go for a ride in the car…yeah?” The dog’s ears perked up and he sat, pawing at her. “Alright, but we have to be very quiet.”

She grabbed a clean sweater, double checked she had on deodorant, and didn’t bother beyond that. She packed up her golden-doodle and started her car.

Lou texted her to come in the side door, where the deck was waiting off the room where he currently sat. He heard her pull up but didn’t see her until she was at the glass door, holding a giant bundle of tan fur in her arms. Lou gently slid the door open as she stepped in and set Bruce down. “You brought your dog?!” He whisper shouted.

El shushed him in reply, quietly telling Bruce to lay down. “Yes, I brought my dog. You have to take care of them you know.” She wasn’t sure why she was being so forward, although Louis had purchased Bruce for her and known him quite well. He had been their dog. “Besides, you can’t tell me that fluffball is anything other than comforting,” she told him quietly.

Louis gave her a look but then his eyes softened as he crouched down to pet the dog. “Hey Bruce-y. How’s life been?” He sat down on the ground against the back of a couch and pet him.

El joined him on the ground, still wearing her coat and boots, rubbing her dog’s belly as she talked mindlessly. “He’s been okay. Definitely missed you when you first left.” She tried to fill the endless silence. “What’s on your mind?”

Louis sighed, “Just…how lonely things seem without her. I didn’t even see her all that often before she was diagnosed, I was busy living it up in LA, but then I was here constantly after that call. I was afraid if I left for too long, I might never see her again,” he said without looking up. He scratched Bruce’s ears as a distraction.

“At least you got to say goodbye?” El tried to look for something comforting but wasn’t coming up with much.

“You’re only the hundredth person to say that to me”, Lou rolled his eyes, standing up. “I need to smoke,” he told no one in particular, slipping on his shoes and heading out to the deck. Eleanor followed him, since Bruce had fallen asleep in the warmth of the house.

El pulled her coat tighter around her in the still night air, watching Louis take a pack and a lighter out of his sweatshirt pocket. She leaned against the railing and put one of her hands out. “Give me one those,” she said.

Lou gave her a strange look, “Didn’t you quit smoking…. four or five years ago?”

“I quit because I was dating someone in a band who had in image to uphold for millions of thirteen-year-old girls in 2011, you hypocrite”, she deadpanned, but he still didn’t look like he planned on surrendering any. “Give me a fucking cigarette!” She whisper-shouted.

Lou looked he had been shaken out of trance as he handed one over to her and lit it for her. “Well at least I can count on you not to lecture me about the hazard”, he told her, taking a drag off his own.

El almost laughed as she exhaled, “I’m pretty sure the fact that Jay hated smoking is enough of a lecture by itself.”

“You’d think. I’ve been awful about it though. I can go through a pack in two hours easily,” he informed her. It was true. His nerves never seemed to calm down and for some reason the routine dispense of nicotine into his system felt at least somewhat relaxing.

“Well, we all have our vices,” she knew it wasn’t worth lecturing him about anyway. He was going to do it either way until he worked through Jay being gone. They were silent for a few minutes as they smoked, until she stomped hers out on the ledge, too cold to continue. “You almost done, it’s bloody freezing out here?”

Louis saw her shivering and threw his in the ashtray. “It’s warmer upstairs, inside I mean,” he said as he offered his hand to her to walk back in. El glanced at him suspiciously before accepting it.

“What have you been doing down here, then?” She asked as he slid the door open.

“I…I couldn’t fall asleep alone. The girls are all piled in with each other, and if you hadn’t heard, things weren’t really working between Dani and I. She left two weeks ago,” Louis pat his leg to call Bruce over while El took her boots off. He had forgotten how much he cared about the dog.

“I heard,” she said quietly, looking for a subject change. “He remembers you. I can tell, he wouldn’t let Max near him for months, but he doesn’t even make a sound when you pet him”, she said watching the two interact, “are we going upstairs?” She gestured to the staircase down the hall as she hung up her coat above her boots.

 He figured she was cold from being outside, and it wasn’t going to hurt anything for them to go up to his room, “I guess…as long as Bruce is quiet.” El nodded in reply and picked up her overgrown puppy. Lou shook his head at her, hinting at a smile. He crept down the hall and up the stairs with her in tow, until they got to his room. He shut the door and turned on a lamp.

El set Bruce down on the bed, while Lou cleared away random things from it. “What’s that?” She asked of an unopened gift bag sitting on the ground.

Lou looked to where she pointed, and his heart sank, “birthday gift from Mum. I read the letter, but I haven’t opened it yet.”

“Oh…well do it now then. While I’m here for moral support,” She knew it might be months before he got around to it if she didn’t push him. Lou gave her an annoying look but picked it up and sat down next to her.

He took out the tissue paper and removed the two items inside. The first one was an engraved picture frame with one of the last photos of him and Jay before she was hospitalized. It simply read ‘Love you always, Mum Xx’ in what was clearly her handwriting. He smiled at it before setting it down gently on his dresser and picking up the other gift. It was a flat silver circle with an inner an outer ring, hung from a ribbon. The inner circle had a teddy bear holding a gift etched into it, while the outer one read ‘Baby’s first Christmas 2016’. He blinked back tears as he showed it to El. “She has one of these for all seven of us. And everyone’s is different, even Daisy and Phoebe’s. They were some of her favorite ornaments, she always talked about getting one for Freddie.”, he said it solemnly, leaning against her shoulder without thinking.

El squeezed his hand gently and set the trinket down next to the photo. She went to kick the bag aside but noticed something white in the tissue paper and picked it up for Lou to see. It was a Polaroid of all things, from Jay’s wedding. “Is that us?” Eleanor asked, even though she knew it was her because she remembered taking the photo.

It was while everyone was still getting ready and somehow the bridesmaids had found themselves running around barefoot as they finished up. Sophia had come to help her fix her hair, and brought Liam with her, who had brought Niall, and before she knew it all of One Direction was in the house and her hair still hadn’t been fixed. Someone was taking Polaroids for fun and had gone to grab one of Louis and Liam after he first walked in. Joke was on that photographer, because Lou had called her over, which of course led to Liam calling Sophia over, and then Louis told Zayn and Perrie they may as well join, which led Niall and Harry to sarcastically complaining about not being included. Louis had told them it was a couples only photo, and they needed a date, which they responded to by waving over Daisy and Phoebe, also barefoot and dresses still untied, and putting the girls on their backs.

The end result had been a set of laughing twins on the backs of Harry and Niall with linked arms and ridiculous facial expressions on one end and Zayn and Perrie looking relatively normal on the other end. In between that mess was Louis holding El’s waist and kissing her on the cheek while she looked slightly to the side, bursting with laughter at Sophia who was standing on her tiptoes in her black dress, trying to be as tall as El in her bare feet while Liam had covered half his smile, trying to hide his laughter at Soph’s attempt to be taller.

Louis took the photo from her after studying it, wondering why his mum had included it. He turned it over where the back of it had written in sharpie, ‘Louis, never stop making people smile. :)’. He looked at El, “that is definitely us.” He wasn’t sure what else to say. The photo only stirred up more feelings, although not all of them were bad.

“Can I borrow a sweatshirt?” El asked out of the blue once the silence got to be too much. Her sweater felt tight and uncomfortable now.

“Yeah, I’ll grab you one”, he exhaled heavily as he set the photo down and pulled one of his drawers open, surrendering the warm fleece. “Did you want one of the guest rooms?” He turned to pet Bruce while she changed.

El pulled her sweater off and unclasped her bra, before discarding that as well. She pulled on his warm sweatshirt and scooted back, “I’m fine here.”

“You want to sleep in my room? As in….” Louis was confused.

El rolled her eyes, “I’ll sleep with you. Wait not like that, I didn’t mean-”

“I got it,” he cut her off, understanding her meaning. Bruce stayed curled up at the end of the bed as he went to lay beside her, taking the Polaroid with him to examine it further.

She put a hand on his arm out of habit, “You alright?”

Louis shook his head. “I know that was probably one of the happiest days of her life, but it’s definitely in me own top three. I got to walk down the aisle with you. And nobody was fighting, not the band or my siblings, or…us”, he tilted his head slightly.

“You really want to do this right now?” El turned on her own side to face him, leaning on her arm, “talk about us?”

“You say it like it’s such a bad thing”, his tone didn’t convey any particular emotion, besides the grief he was clearly carrying in general.

“Not bad, per say…. just doesn’t do anybody a lot of good. Reminiscing about a girl you used to be in love with,” Eleanor stated like it should be obvious.

Louis raised an eyebrow at her as if she had just told him something completely inconceivable, like the sky turning green. He took one of her hands and looked straight at her, “Eleanor, I didn’t used to be in love with you… I still am.”

El blinked back a tear and looked at their hands instead of back at him, “You promised… no more lies.” She didn’t ever want to risk having her heart shattered again.

Louis wasn’t holding back his tears as they slid down his cheeks. “I’m not lying. You’re my girl, Eleanor,” El tried to look anywhere but at his eyes. “I know I fucked up, and got really lost the last two years, in too many ways to count, but I promise I’m not lying about this,” he pleaded with her.

El let the tears fall down her face. “Why did you call me?” She asked through her tears, swallowing thickly. She stared at their fingers, still laced together between them.

“Because”, Louis choked out, “because you’re my family. Nobody can ever be you, which means no one can ever understand losing her the way you would. You don’t treat me like some…broken, fragile thing. And because…maybe, I missed you.” He blinked hard and wiped at his eyes with his sweatshirt

“Maybe?” El finally met his eyes.

“No. Not Maybe. I did miss you. Shit, El. I missed you so much”, it was like a million emotions came flooding back in one second.

El wiped at her own tears. She crept closer to him, feeling her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She lost herself in the ocean of his eyes.

“I missed you too,” she whispered.  She wasn’t sure why she admitted to that so freely, but she knew with every part of her that it was true.

Louis didn’t stop to wonder if her reply was genuine or second guess her, at least not with words. He just gave her a half smile and squeezed her hand gently, “Yeah?”

El nodded and pushed her palm against his so he fell on his back and pressed her lips to his. Her thought process was completely gone at this point. She had meant to be gentle and quick, but before she knew it, his other hand was tucking a stray hair behind her ear as she found the familiar taste of cigarettes and some expensive whiskey he must have been drinking earlier and him. She surrendered all her oxygen to it, kissing him as they both cried silent tears.

Lou wanted her back the second she pulled away to breathe, but he decided he could definitely settle for her body pressed to his as she curled around him and rested her head on his chest. He swallowed and found his tears finally subsiding as he wrapped his arm around her. “I can’t lose you too, not again.”

El didn’t look at him to argue or try to declare her love enough to convince him she wasn’t going anywhere. She didn’t have the energy or the motivation to do any of that. She simply snuggled closer to him and ran her thumb over his where they knotted together. “You won’t,” she stated simply, glancing at the clock reading eleven fifty. “Merry Christmas,” she said sleepily. And then her eyelids were getting heavy as she wrapped her body around his and shifted most of her upper bodyweight onto him.

He yawned under the comforting pressure of her head tucked beneath his chin and her chest against his abs, one arm wrapped lazily around him.  Eleanor drifted off with her nose tucked to his shoulder. Louis’ breathing finally became slow and even as he listened to her breathe and smelled the same perfume that had been a constant for almost four years of his life. Bruce came and laid beside them. This was the furthest thing from happily ever after as their tear stained faces dried, but there was no denying it was love. It didn’t matter how many mansions he bought, or how hard he tried to escape his feelings for her, she was his home.

“Merry Christmas, Eleanor, I love you,” he whispered in the darkness before sleep finally found him.

 A/N: Please like and comment! Title from “First Time” by Ellie Goulding and Kygo

#elounor #elounorfic #elounor fanfiction #eleanor and louis #eleanor calder #louis tomlinson #christmas fic #oneshot #im sorry

[killian-whump]

OUAT 2x05: Rewatch Blog

Heeeeeeeey, everybody! Welcome to my liveblog of episode 2x05 of Once Upon a Time - “The Doctor”! This one’s about Dr. Whale aka Dr. Frankenstein. Or... something like that. I think that’s what it’s about. To be honest, I just call this one “the one where he’s tied to a tree” because I’m... me.

Anyway! Let’s get things underway, shall we?

Oh, look. A complete and utter massacre. That’s a lot of dead people.

Aaaaaaand here’s Blacksmith Hook :D Gosh, have I mentioned yet today how much I love it when Colin’s voice is all broken and trembly? ‘Cos I really, really, really love that.

Okay. I have some serious-ass questions about this decor right here. Number one: Did they NAIL those gourds to the front of the fence posts there? And, even more importantly...

In other news, that was a wonderful suckerpunch and David should be proud.

“Regina! Are you here to see me?” Umm. Does Archie get a lot of people knocking on his door to... like... NOT see him?

What’s up with all this testosterone all of a sudden? Geez. *sees Regina’s expression* SAME, GIRL. Same.

OH MY GOD, her sweet and innocent, “There, I did it!” T_T

Gosh, she’s so pretty, and this is one of my favorite outfits of hers.

“What’s holding you back?” I dunno, bro, seems like she straight up told you she didn’t want to kill the dang unicorn.

Hallucinating isn’t really a great sign, I’m just saying.

Hey, look! It’s David’s truck. Did you know his truck has a cameo in The Words music video by Christina Perri? It does! :)

OH MY GOD, HENRY IS SO SMOL. Sorry, I just joined the rewatch last episode, so this is the first time I’ve seen him this smol in awhile. Gosh.

Dave, pal, you’re a total buzzkill kinda. Let the kid ride the horse T_T

GRAND THEFT DEAD BOYFRIEND

You know what would really help this episode? Bucky Barnes.

I mean Jefferson. Yes. Jefferson.

These guys are such terrible actors. The characters, I mean.

I don’t know why, but Rumple’s “Nnnnn- Yes.” makes me laugh.

...but not as hard as Jefferson’s 1000x extra “pardon me” does. Honestly, one of the funniest moments in the whole dang show.

Aw, my baby <3 The angst is totally fake, but I don’t even care. Look how traumatized he is, and Colin’s doing the shaky voice thing again and... and...

*happy sigh* True Love’s knife to the throat! <3

Oh, you need a heart? Buddy, why didn’t you SAY so?? We got all kinds of hearts on this show. Big hearts, little hearts, red hearts, black hearts - ALL kinds of hearts for sale!

Always a bad sign when you find someone’s arm well before you find the rest of them.

“He’s a monster!” Okay, but just as long as he’s not a zombie.

“Whose hearts are these?” HAAAAAAAAAHAHAAAHA HIS FACE

I really wish Jefferson had stuck around on the show for longer.

Hospital scene! But it’s only Whale :/

Hahaha, David. “You have hearts here?!” Sweet, summer child. Of course she has hearts here. She has hearts everywhere else, why wouldn’t she have some here?

It’s a good thing I’m never around horses in real life, because I’ve seen so many scenes on television and in movies where they get frightened and it means there’s a ghost/werewolf/vampire/zombie around, like, I don’t think I could ever see a horse in real life act even the slightest bit anxious without immediately thinking, “WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIIIIIIIIE”

But, you know, I’m sure it means nothing here. Definitely not a zombie.

Oh, great. ALL the horses are scared. WE’RE ALL GONNA DIIIIIE D:

...or get clobbered by a horse. I mean, that’s better than a zom-

ZOMBIE!!! IT’S A FUCKING ZOMBIE!!! \o/ RUN FOR YOUR LIVES

In other news, I’ve just found Regina’s stolen dead boyfriend.

IT’S THE ONE WHERE HE’S TIED TO A TREE, GUYS.

And the son-of-a-bitch is so fucking happy about it, too <3

You know, I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t have done the entire next 6 seasons’ worth of episodes with him tied to various things. Trees, beds, chairs, playground equipment, car bumpers, fences, park benches...

I should probably pitch this to one of the networks. This is gold.

Okay, serious question: Why is Henry so terrified of this dude when he literally just walked in the door? Is Henry part horse?

Ohhhhhh, Henry knows about the horse thing, too. Savvy kid. Always trust the horses, Henry. Horses know true evil. And zombies.

Mmm... David takin’ charge and loadin’ his gun and bein’ smexy.

AHHHHH, Regina’s pain hurts me T_T

Hey, Dave, don’t shove my girl, okay? I do like this scene, though. I love Charming and Regina as a kinda sorta BroTP. Aw, heck, I just like Regina’s relationships with everybody. Ah, but David having sympathy for her T_T

Wait, I thought they got trapped in the vault and had to use magic to get themselves out? I guess that was a deleted scene I forgot was deleted. Oops. It was a good scene, though.

AHHHHHHHHHHH OMG THIS IS SO SAD T_T

AHHHHHHHHHHH OMG THIS IS SO SAD T_T (the sequel)

Great acting, though. Awesome acting <3

IT’S THE ONE WHERE HE’S TIED UP WHILST HIKING, GUYS

I mean, they don’t really need to tie him to things. This is good, too.

I don’t know what it is, but crying always seems sadder somehow when someone’s doing it while driving. Is that weird?

I also like this outfit. Black leather, yes.

Lana’s acting in this episode is super great, though. And I love how she even uses her vocal intonations to indicate her level of innocence/evil. Nice.

Archie, take care of my other baby, okay? T_T

These three little shits...

“Sure you’re not. Good luck.” Hahaha :D

Don’t mind the suspicious-looking dude with one arm and a cooler covered in blood. Don’t mind the even more suspicious dude who owns the pawn shop. Don’t mind anything or anyone in this entire show, actually.

I vaguely remember being impressed with the melodrama building up to the “big reveal” on first watching, but now I’m just seeing Shirin-level heavy-handedness and I want to throw popcorn at it.

THE END ~ PEW PEW! PEW PEW PEW!!!

#kw liveblog #ouat liveblog #2x05 #ouat rewatch #watching fairytales #oc #not whxmp #kw reviews

[pjminyng]

Even If It’s a Lie

this is terribly written and I butchered a beautiful myth and I hate myself but fuck it @ima-dead-girl-walking you’re the worst but ily

Based on The Myth of Psyche & Eros (Cupid)

Writing in Italics are directly from the written myth

A long time ago, when gods and humans walked along the same paths, a king and queen had three daughters. The two eldest daughters had charms that were more than common amongst mere mortals, but the beauty of the youngest was so extraordinary that the poverty of language is unable to express its due praise. The fame of the youngest daughter’s beauty was so great that strangers from far and wide visited in crowds to awe, looking at her with admiration, paying her that homage which is due only to Venus herself. However, Venus found her altars deserted, while men turned their devotion to this young virgin. As she passed along, the people sang her praises and strewed her way with chaplets and flowers. The homages to a mortal gave great offense to the real Venus.

"Am I then to be eclipsed in my honors by a mortal girl? In vain then did that royal shepherd, whose judgment was approved by Jove himself, give me the palm of beauty over my illustrious rivals, Pallas and Juno. But she shall not so quietly usurp my honors. I will give her cause to repent of so unlawful a beauty." Venus exclaimed, shaking her ambrosial locks with indignation.

Filled with anger and jealousy, Venus called upon her winged son Cupid. Cupid was mischievous enough in his own nature, and rouses and provokes him yet more by her complaints. She points out Veronica of Psyche to him.

"My dear son, punish that contumacious beauty; give your mother a revenge as sweet as her injuries are great; infuse into the bosom of that haughty girl a passion for some low, mean, unworthy being, so that she may reap a mortification as great as her present exultation and triumph."

In his mother’s garden, there are two fountains, one of sweet waters, the other of bitter. He prepared to obey the commands of his mother, filling two amber vases, one from each fountain, and suspending them from the top of his quiver. He traveled to the chamber of Veronica, who was asleep when he snuck through her window. Shedding a few drops from the bitter fountain, he glossed them over her lips, though the sight of her almost moved him to pity. With the point of his arrow, he poked her side. Veronica awoke at the touch and opened her eyes upon Cupid (himself invisible). She startled the God that in his confusion he had pricked himself with his own arrow. Regardless of his wound, his whole thought now was to repair the damage he had done. Thus he poured drops of the sweet waters over her silken ringlets.

From then on, Veronica of Psyche was frowned upon by Venus who derived no benefit from all her charms. True, all eyes were cast eagerly upon her, and every mouth spoke her praises; but neither king, royal youth, nor peasant presented himself to demand her hand in marriage. Her two elder sisters of moderate charms had long been married to two royal princes; but Veronica, in her lonely chamber, deplored her solitude, sick of that beauty which, while it procured abundance of flattery, had failed to awaken love.

The king and queen, afraid that they had angered the gods, sought for guidance from the Oracle of Apollo, the god of light, reason, and prophecy. Apollo stated that the virgin is destined to be the bride of no mortal lover. That she would marry a cruel and savage, serpent-like winged evil; a monster whom neither gods nor men can resist. The king was told to abandon his daughter on top a rocky crag where her future husband awaited her. The dreadful decree of the oracle filled the people with dismay, and her parents abandoned themselves to grief.

"Why, my dear parents, do you now lament me? You should rather have grieved when the people showered upon me undeserved honors, and with one voice called me a Venus. I now perceive that I am a victim to that name. I submit. Lead me to that rock to which my unhappy fate has destined me." Veronica of Psyche said wistfully.

Accordingly, all things being prepared, the royal maid took her place in the procession, which more resembled a funeral than a nuptial pomp, and with her parents, amid the lamentations of the people, ascended the mountain, on the summit of which they left her alone, and with sorrowful hearts returned home.

While Veronica stood on the ridge of the rocky crag,  alone and shivering with fear as her eyes filled with tears, the gentle Zephyr the West Wind lifted her from the earth and carried her to her new home.

When Zephyr set her down, Veronica looked round and came across a pleasant grove of tall and stately trees. Trudging carefully, she entered it. In the midst she discovered a fountain, filtering clear and crystal waters. Behind it was a magnificent palace that was not the work of mortal hands, but the happy retreat of some god. Drawn by admiration and wonder, she approached the building and ventured to enter.

Every object she met filled her with pleasure and amazement. Golden pillars supported the vaulted roof, and the walls were enriched with carvings and paintings representing beasts of the chase and rural scenes, adapted to delight the eye of the beholder. Proceeding onward, she perceived that besides the apartments of state there were others filled with all manner of treasures and beautiful and precious productions of nature and art. While her eyes were thus occupied, a voice addressed her, though she saw no one, uttering these words,

"Sovereign lady, all that you see is yours. We whose voices you hear are your servants and shall obey all your commands with our utmost care and diligence. Retire, therefore, to your chamber and repose on your bed of down, and when you see fit, repair to the bath. Supper awaits you in the adjoining alcove when it pleases you to take your seat there." A voice addressed her while her eyes were occupied.

Though she saw no one, Veronica gave ear to the admonitions of her vocal attendants, and after repose and the refreshment of the bath, seated herself in the alcove, where a table immediately presented itself, without any visible aid from waiters or servants, and covered with the greatest delicacies of food and the most nectarous wines. Her ears too were feasted with music from invisible performers; of whom one sang, another played on the lute, and all closed in the wonderful harmony of a full chorus.

“Your husband awaits you in the bedroom if you dare to meet him.” The voices whispered after her feast.

She was led to the room, twisting the cool feeling doorknob, opening the door. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, the feeling of fear returning. However, Veronica continued to hold her head up high, telling herself she was brave enough. The bedroom was pitch black, so dark that she couldn’t see her husband. She walked around carefully, coming across a figure. She reached out to touch the figure called her husband, but he didn't feel serpent-like at all. His skin was soft, and his voice and manner were gentle. She asked him who he was, but he told her this was the one question he could never answer.

"Why should you wish to behold me?" he said. "Have you any doubt of my love? Have you any wish ungratified? If you saw me, perhaps you would fear me, perhaps adore me, but all I ask of you is to love me. I would rather you would love me as an equal than adore me as a god."

“But if do not know who my husband is, how will I be able to address my love to the monster I'm supposed to fear? I understand that I mustn’t see your true form in order for us to love each other as equals, all I request is a name that I may associate my husband with.”

The room remained silent for a while, almost as if she was the only one in the room. Veronica could hear herself breathe, but could still feel the presence of the figure in front of her.

“Jason, Jason Dean, JD for short.” The figure spoke.  

“Jason Dean, how modern of you.” Veronica couldn’t help but smile, not that it could be seen in the darkness of the room.

This reasoning somewhat quieted Veronica for a time, and while the novelty lasted she felt quite happy. His visits continued night after night as she lived in the palace; but at length the thought of her parents, left in ignorance of her fate, and of her sisters, precluded from sharing with her the delights of her situation, preyed on her mind and made her begin to feel her palace as but a splendid prison. Before long, after many months of night visits and their love being the only light that filled their dark room, Veronica found herself pregnant. She rejoiced but was also conflicted. How could she raise her baby with a man she’d never seen?

Veronica of Psyche resisted as well as she could, but her own curiosity was too strong for her to resist. That night she approached her sleeping husband, prepared her lamp and a sharp knife in case he as cruel a monster as he claimed to be. Hiding them out of sight, when he had fallen into his first sleep, she silently rose. Letting the flame of the oil burn into bright fiery embers, she looked around. Her lamp shined brightly and unveiled her sleeping husband, beheld not a hideous monster, but the most beautiful and charming of the gods. With his golden ringlets wandering over his snowy neck and crimson cheek, with two dewy wings on his shoulders, darker than the night sky, and with shining feathers like the tender blossoms of spring.

As she leaned the lamp over to have a better view of his face, a drop of burning oil fell onto his shoulder. Startled, JD opened his eyes and fixed them upon her. Without saying a word, he spread his black wings and flew out of the window. Veronica, in vain endeavoring to follow him, fell from the window to the ground. With the twinkle of the stars and the moon, she caught a glimpse of his face, seeing that her husband was not only the name ‘Jason Dean’ but Cupid, Eros, the god of sexual attraction. He who sent gods and humans lusting after each other with the pinpricks of his arrows. JD, beholding her as she lay in the dust, stopped mid-flight for an instant, turning to look at his bride.

"Oh foolish Psyche, is it thus you repay my love? After I disobeyed my mother's commands and made you my wife, will you think me a monster and cut off my head? But go; return to your family. I inflict no other punishment on you than to leave you forever. Love cannot dwell with suspicion."

He didn't believe that gods and humans could love as equals. Now that she knew his true form, their hopes for happiness were dashed. So saying, he fled away, leaving Veronica prostrate on the ground, filling the place with mournful lamentations. When she had recovered some degree of composure, she looked around her, but the palace and gardens had seemed to vanish, their beauty no longer visible to her. Left in her despair, once again upset and alone, the unseen voice returned and told her that it was indeed possible for her and JD to love each other as equals. Encouraged, she set out to find him.

Veronica wandered day and night, without food or repose, in search of her husband. She was brought upon a lofty mountain, having its brow a magnificent temple. Sighing, hoping that her husband was inside, she strode in. However, Veronica was met with an angered Venus instead.

"Most undutiful and faithless of servants," said she, "do you, at last, remember that you really have a mistress? Or have you rather come to see your sick husband, yet laid up of the wound given him by his loving wife? You are so ill favored and disagreeable that the only way you can merit your lover must be by dint of industry and diligence. I will make trial of your housewifery." Venus spat with an angry countenance.

Veronica was faced with impossible tasks given by Venus. The first when the goddess ordered Veronica to be led to the storehouse of her temple, where was laid up a great quantity of wheat, barley, millet, vetches, beans, and lentils prepared for food for her pigeons.

"Take and separate all these grains, putting all of the same kind in a parcel by themselves, and see that you get it done before evening."

Then Venus departed and left her to her task; but Veronica, in a perfect consternation at the enormous work, sat stupid and silent, without moving a finger to the inextricable heap. While she sat despairing, watching from afar, Cupid stirred up the little ant, a native of the fields, to take compassion on her. The leader of the anthill, followed by whole hosts of his six-legged subjects, approached the heap, and with the utmost diligence taking grain by grain, they separated the pile, sorting each kind to its parcel; and when it was all done, they vanished out of sight in a moment.

As twilight approached, Venus returned breathing odors and crowned with roses. Seeing the task done, she exclaimed, "This is no work of yours, wicked one, but his, whom to your own and his misfortune you have enticed." So saying, she threw her a piece of black bread for her supper and went away.

Next morning Venus ordered Veronica, demanding that she bring Venus the fleece of the golden sheep, who had a reputation for disemboweling stray adventurers.

"Behold yonder grove which stretches along the margin of the water. There you will find sheep feeding without a shepherd, with golden-shining fleeces on their backs. Go, fetch me a sample of that precious wool gathered from every one of their fleeces."

She obediently went to the riverside, prepared to do her best to execute the command.

"Oh maiden, severely tried, tempt not the dangerous flood, nor venture among the formidable rams on the other side, for as long as they are under the influence of the rising sun, they burn with a cruel rage to destroy mortals with their sharp horns or rude teeth. But when the noontide sun has driven the cattle to the shade, and the serene spirit of the flood has lulled them to rest, you may then cross in safety, and you will find the woolly gold sticking to the bushes and the trunks of the trees." Said a compassionate river god, teaching her how to collect the sheep’s wool that had snagged on briars.

Veronica soon returned to Venus with her arms full of the golden fleece, but she received not the approbation of her implacable mistress.

"I know very well it is by none of your own doings that you have succeeded in this task, and I am not satisfied yet that you have any capacity to make yourself useful. But I have another task for you. Here, take this box and go your way to the infernal shades, and give this box to Proserpine and say, 'My mistress Venus desires you to send her a little of your beauty, for in tending her sick son she has lost some of her own.' Be not too long on your errand, for I must paint myself with it to appear at the circle of the gods and goddesses this evening."

Veronica traveled down to Erebus by foot, determined to convince Proserpina, queen of the dead, to put a drop of her beauty in a box for Venus. Once again, the unseen voice came to Veronica’s aide. Then the voice told her how by a certain cave she might reach the realms of Pluto, and how to avoid all the dangers of the road, to pass by Cerberus, the three-headed dog, and prevail on Charon, the ferryman, to take her across the black river and bring her back again.

But the voice added, "When Proserpine has given you the box filled with her beauty, of all things this is chiefly to be observed by you, that you never once open or look into the box nor allow your curiosity to pry into the treasure of the beauty of the goddesses."

Encouraged by this advice, obeyed it in all things, and taking heed to her ways traveled safely to the kingdom of Pluto. She was admitted to the palace of Proserpine, and without accepting the delicate seat or delicious banquet that was offered her, but contented with coarse bread for her food, she delivered her message from Venus. Presently the box was returned to her, shut and filled with the precious commodity. Then she returned the way she came, and glad was she to come out once more into the light of day, but having got so far successfully through her dangerous task a longing desire seized her to examine the contents of the box.

"What, shall I, the carrier of this divine beauty, not take the least bit to put on my cheeks to appear to more advantage in the eyes of my beloved husband!"

Thus Veronica carefully opened the box but found nothing thereof any beauty at all, but an infernal and truly Stygian sleep, which being thus set free from its prison, took possession of her body. She fell down in the midst of the road, a sleepy corpse without sense or motion.

However, JD, now recovered from his wound, was no longer able to bear the absence of his beloved Veronica. He slipped through the smallest crack of the window of his chamber, flying to the spot where his bride lay. He gathered up the sleep from her body, closing it again in the box, and waked Veronica with a light touch of one of his arrows. He told her he’d been wrong and foolish, that her fearlessness in the face of the unknown proved that she was more than his equal. He brought his bride up to the heavenly assembly, he handed her a cup ambrosia, the nectar of the gods.

"Drink this, Psyche, and be immortal; nor shall I ever break away from the knot in which we are tied, but these nuptials shall be perpetual." JD smiled at her.

Thus Veronica of Psyche became at last united to Eros, her Jason Dean. And in due time they had a daughter born to them whose name was Hedone.

this was terrible and I murdered a myth 

#heathers #heathers the musical #heathers (1988) #jdronica #jdonica #Veronica Sawyer #jason dean #jd #greek gods au #my writing #this is highkey written for kate cause she put this idea in my head #I'm a dead queue walking

[nukacolamama]

How would companions react to sole confessing his/her love for them? PS: I just recently found your blog and wow! Your writing is so good!!^^

Aw thank you so much!! I really hope you enjoy this reaction! Sorry it’s been taking me so long to get this finished. (Answering more asks asap)

Cait: Cait winded gauze around Sole’s bruised knuckles, candlelight flickering behind her. Neither of them said a word, but the beating in their chests pleaded for their lips to part. “I think I love you Cait…” Sole confessed, staring at her working hands. She stopped, looking up at the Sole Survivor.”You think, or you know?” She questions, her hands slowly tying up the thick wrap.”I love you,” they reply. Cait leans into them, pressing her lips onto theirs. Her heart pounded, and without a second thought she kisses them harder. The months of built up desire and tension, dispersed in this moment. She pulls back, the both of them breathless.”I’ve never loved anybody before,” she admits,”But I know I love you.”

Codsworth: “Oh mum/sir…I don’t know what to say.. What about Sir/Mum?”

Curie: Curie hummed joyfully as she meddled with blood samples and shuffled papers that her handwriting had marked with calculations and hypothesis’. The Sole Survivor watched her from a distance, as they occupied their self with their own hobbies.”Oh isn’t it just amazing what the human body is capable of!” Curie exclaims rushing over to Sole, her notes in hand. She boasts about her findings, with the cutest grin plastered onto her face. Then without second thought, Sole kisses her softly as she speaks.”Madame/Monsieur?” She whispers, her cheeks glowing from the soft lips that had met hers.”I’m sorry,” Sole apologizes,”I’m in love with you…” Curie grins, looking at the floor to handle the uncharted land of emotions bestowed upon her.”I believe I am in love with you too madame/monsieur,”Curie says, craving to share another kiss with her new found love.

Danse: “Why? Why would you do all of this to save me? I’m a machine! I am a traitor to you and the Brotherhood!– I am nothing…” Danse snaps, his hands firmly grasping Sole’s arms. “Because I love you!” They snap back. His grip loosens, his hands moving down their arms and back to his side.”I’m in love with you Danse, I don’t care what you are, it doesn’t matter to me.” He regains his composure, finding the words to say. But they are jumbled by the confusion and anguish within ”Sole you of all people know I am no good with words, but I… I’m infatuated with you. And I dare say I’m in love with you too. Please… be patient with me, I have a lot to learn… and a lot to overcome.”  

Deacon: One night, as the Sole Survivor and Deacon lie awake in a pitch black room of the Dugout Inn Deacon’s thoughts raced about the man/woman beside him.”Sole?” he whispered into the dark. Sole sighed wearily, letting him know that he had their attention. Deacon licked his lips, his heart beating faster than it should.”Do you think you could ever love again?” Maybe it was the bottle or two of Gwinnett Stout that encouraged him to ask such a question, but regardless Sole was taken off guard.”Yes,” they answered vaguely, waiting for Deacon to say something in return. Instead he rolled over onto his side, and let no words escape his mouth.”I’ve fallen in love with you Deacon…” Deacon didn’t move, nor speak. A few minutes rolled by until the silence grew too uncomfortable. ”I’m sorry…” Sole finally said. The pathological liar turned over to spill a few truths,”You should be,” he smirked,”teasing a guy like that, it’s cruel.” Sole snorted,”I’m serious Deacon..” He let out a pleasant sigh,”Goodnight Sole.” He cooed planting a small kiss on their forehead. That night he dreamed of finding the courage to tell Sole everything, the truth, about his mutual feelings for them. But until that moment he’d cower behind his jokes and his black shades

Hancock: The Third Rail buzzed from the music and comforting appearance of Goodneighbor’s beloved mayor. Hancock sashayed nonchalantly to the bar ordering Sole and himself a cold beverage.”When are ya gonna tell the gal/guy what your true intentions are Hancock?” Whitechapel Charlie asked, while fulfilling the ghoul’s request. Hancock glanced at the Sole Survivor with a smile.”I have no idea what you’re talking about Charlie.” The bartender allowed Hancock to take in Sole’s beauty before speaking again.”It’s no secret around here that you’ve got something for the Vault Dweller, admit it, you like the gal/guy.” Before Hancock could defend himself Sole appears by his side, taking the glass out of his rough hand.”Mind if I have a word with you?” They ask, their alluring eyes causing Hancock’s thoughts drift to sheer desire.”I’ve been meaning to have this conversation with you for a while now…” Hancock pressed his lips against the glass in his hand,”Lay it on me.” Sole took a sip of their liquid courage before spilling the secrets they held within.”I’m in love with you Hancock… And I’m not sure if you-” Hancock interrupted their moving lips by using what was left of his to give into the urges and tension he’s let bottle up inside him. His hand tangled itself in Sole’s hair, pulling them into him, allowing him to kiss them passionately and deeply.”I was wondering when you’d say that, love.” He breathed,”Why don’t you say we take this somewhere more private? And I’ll show you what my love really feels like.” 

“Fucking finally..” Charlie huffed as the entire joint cheered for their sailing ship.

Maccready: Maccready hardly ever misses a shot, it’s something he is certainly proud to put on his business card. But it’s a skill that is acquired through practice. On days him and Sole aren’t giving the Commonwealth’s Finest hell, he spends his morning making a target practice out of what he can scrounge up.”Maccready, may I talk to you for a moment?” He loads a bullet into the chamber,”Of course. Give me one second.” He smiles, then staring through the scope, eyes fixed on the empty can of pork’n’beans. Maccready holds his breath steadying his aim,”Maccready, I’m in love with you.” BOOM, the gun goes off, his bullet spiraling into a nearby tree. He sets down his rifle with haste,”Y-You’re what?…. What about your husband/wife? I know she’s/he’s gone, but you still love him/her don’t you?” Sole then confessed to everything. Everything they had felt then, and everything they feel now for their spouse.”But it’s you I love Maccready…” His cheeks went ablaze, as his heart beated intensely.”I…I love too Sole,” He admits after hearing what he needed to hear.”I think I have for a long while now..”

Nick Valentine: It was late, Nick hung up his coat then making his way over to his desk to analyze his newest case. Sole had convinced him to go out to dinner with them, to get away from the drag atmosphere of his office. With plenty of convincing he went, but once he returned it was all work no play. Sole slipped of their shoes, watching the detective light up a smoke.”Nick, there’s something I’ve been needing to tell you…” Nick turned to look at them,”Lay it on me kid.” Sole sat on the corner of his desk, letting the radio that played softly in the background calm their nerves.”I love you Nick.” They didn’t look at him, just stared at the floor expecting the worse. He dug his cigarette into the ashtray on his desk, feeling elated yet confused how Sole could love an old bot like him. He placed his hand on theirs, leading them to the center of the room. Nick placed his metal hand on their hip as his other hand tangled with Soles fingers. The office became a ballroom, reserved for Sole and Nick only. They danced to the rhythm playing on the radio for as long as their feet would allow. Nick then paused, placing his hand on the back of Sole’s head, running his fingers through their hair as he finally spoke.”Kid, I may not know how or why you feel the way you do for me. But I believe you when you say that you love me. And you should believe me when I say, I love you too.”

Piper: Piper was writing the Diamond City’s next headliner when she ran out of ink. Luckily for her she had someone like Sole to run and find her the ink she desperately needed.”Oh my gosh Blue, I love you!” She thanked. Sole smirked studying her features,”I love you too Piper.” The reporter’s cheeks grew a rosy red.”Do you really?” Sole leaned into her, their lips meeting. Piper hesitated for a moment, but finally gave in, placing her hand upon their cheek. Sole pulled away, her eyes now sparkling like a sky full of stars, full of lustful desire.”Yes, I love you Piper.” She pulled them into her, allowing her soft lips to clash with theirs once more. From then on she was complete.

Preston: The morning was warm and tranquil, the water crashing upon the castle walls sounded harmonic in way, and the diamond city radio allowed Preston’s hips to sway without a care. Sole watched Preston dance ignorant of their presence. The humble man turned on his heel when he heard Sole chuckle,”Care to join me General?” He smiles, unmoved by their judgement. He pulled them into his world, leading them with the music, twirling them when urged to. ”Preston…I’m in love with you.” The militia man’s ears burned as his smile spread from ear to ear.”So am I,” He admitted, slowly inched his lips closer to Sole’s, and when they met Preston didn’t hold back. Slow, but passionate and genuine, familiarizing himself with the woman/man h’s craved for so long.

X6-68: “Let me handle this ma’am/sir.” X6 pleads with a forceful tone. The Sole Survivor had gotten X6 and their self into a situation that called for an immediate reaction, that in turn, could have dire immediate effects.”No, this is my fault, I need to be the one who fixes it.”Sole orders, slipping off their coat.”Ma’am/Sir!” The courser yells pulling at their arm. “Let go X6!” Sole screamed over the unraveling blizzard. They pulled their arm away, then diving into the frozen pond. The scientist they were assigned to escort to Med-Tek Research had fallen through the ice after Sole lead her and X6 across, thinking it was thick enough to support the three of them. The cold sent an immediate sharp pain through their body as they swam deeper to rescue the cocky scientist. X6 anxiously stared into the water, anticipating Sole to submerge. After a minute or two he pulls off his trench coat preparing himself for the worst. A hand shoots up from the water searching for something to grasp. X6 grabs a hold, pulling Sole and the scientist out.”X6-88, Sole, and Ava Baker ready for relay. Mission failed, standby for medical attention.” When they all were transported back to the institute X6 pulled Sole into a maintenance closet with great force,”What the hell were you thinking?!” He seethed,”That was irresponsible, idiotic! I was more than capable of-” Sole ripped their self from the raging coursers tight fists.”I couldn’t stand the possibility of something happening to you! You may not know this X6, but I care about you, more than I do for anyone else… I love you.” X6 stands up straight staring at Sole,”I’ve never been in love ma’am/sir… nor have I ever had someone love me. I am a machine, but I’ve learned the extent of which I am capable of feeling. And I know if you hadn’t submerged, I would have died right then and there. I would die for you, and not just because my orders are to do so… From what I gather, I guess that is love. And I feel it for you..” Sole wraps their arms around X6, not expecting the courser to return their affections. But much to their surprise, one of his arms held them, as the other hung by his side. “Love,” he thought holding onto whom he feels for.

#fallout 4 #fallout companions #fo4 #fo4 companions #companions react #cait #codsworth #curie #paladin danse #deacon #mayor hancock #hancock #maccready #robert joseph maccready #nick valentine #piper wright #preston garvey #x6 #x6 88

[falloutdovah]

August Prompts- Day 21 (Sensitive)

The first thing Cat saw was a whole lot of white. “FUCK me- what the hell is this-” Her head throbbed and just as she sit up, someone else fell right on her with a screech.

“OH- oh goodness- wait- it’s you! What are you doing here?!” Liam scrambled off of the girl and scooted away.

Cat groaned and just laid there, defeated.

Liam adjusted his glasses and looked around. The floor under them was white, but the walls were grey and clean...everything was so pristine and shiny. Where were they?? Slowly he got up and pulled Cat along with him, as much as she wobbled back and forth.

“What is this?”

“I don’t know… but- but whatever- WHEREever this is we need to get out of here immediately-”

“You wouldn’t go running off so soon would you?” A voice said from some hidden intercom. The two froze. “There’s no need for that now, come in please.” Ahead of them a door hissed and slid open quickly.

The two looked at each other, before Cat moved in front and went on ahead, fists at her sides, while Liam practically crept after her with about as much bravery as a mouse. He clumsily patted around for his emergency gun but found that it wasn’t there. “I must have dropped my… weapon...”

“No use for it now, can you punch?”

“Why would I ever punch anybody?”

“In case ya NEED TO SHORTY.” Cat hissed. They were the same height.

The scientist grumbled, “I don’t need to! ...Who was that?”

They continued down a short hallway, through another security door with a synth blocking the way in. The white metallic menace stared blankly at them.

Cat tried her best to poof up some, but it had no effect.

“Better move it metal-head or things are gonna get UGLY-”

“The Director has granted you permission to access the Institute. Please follow all rules and regulations and proceed to the second floor. If you do not comply, there will be consequences.”

“Th-THE INSTITUTE?” Liam stammered, “OH no no- you mean that dreadful place that makes up these-these-”

“Robots? No shit. Looks like we’re on the inside,” Cat muttered as the synth moved aside to escort them to their supposed destination.

Once the doors opened for them, they were greeted with a massive, round room. Trees dotted the gardens within it, an odd thing to see when the world above was dried up and dead. Soft blue light bathed the clean walkways, windows to other hallways lined the walls going all the way up quite a ways. And in the center was a column of light? Cat squinted at it, unsure. “Is that an...elevator?”

“That column with the helix design? I...I don’t know… this.. this place,” If Liam could see he’d have been pulling off his glasses to get a better look at the place. “This is … amazing...” Was it any wonder they could create the synths? What else did this place have?

“Please follow me.” Their synth-escourt stated  loudly, waiting for them.

Cat made a face and reached for Liam’s arm, yanking him along.

As they walked, some of the other scientists and residents stopped to watch them, quite baffled to see two outsiders here. No one did anything or pointed any guns at them though. They only stared.

Once they had climbed to the designated floor, the synth stood at attention by a door. “Please proceed inside. I have informed the Director of your arrival.”

Liam gulped and looked at Cat, who only frowned in response.

“...Should… should we?”

“Now or never four-eyes. If we die we die.”

She took a step forward, almost recoiling as the door slid open.

It looked like an apartment of sorts on the inside. There were a few pieces of furniture laying around. A sofa, a desk with a chair, a window on the opposite side and somebody standing there looking out and over the main plaza.

Cat narrowed her eyes.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why the two of you are here. Originally I was only going to bring him and have you eliminated, but, I decided against it. It would just make more trouble we don’t need.”

“What a fucking welcome.”

Liam scratched at his neck nervously. “Excuse me- please tell me- us why we’re here then. You’re not going to torture us are you?”

The man standing across from them turned. He had a tall and sturdy frame, but he was old. His hair was snow white and so was his beard, and he had a pair of sad, tired and cold grey eyes. Something about him seemed familiar to the vault-dweller, though he couldn’t place what it was.

“No, I’m not. I wouldn’t dream of it. You’re Liam McPhearson, aren’t you? You worked for Vault-tec as one of the engineers in charge of overseeing the construction of the vaults.” He asked, arms behind his back casually.

The words stung. Liam took a small step back, alarmed at what this man knew about him. How could he have known? Was there an existing record somewhere? Was he going to blame him for all those people dying? Blame him for all of the ones stuck in the other vaults as experiments and THEIR awful fates?

“H-How do you know that,”

Cat looked back and forth between the two, clueless. “Huh? What’s this old coot talking about?”

The old man smiled and snorted. “You never would talk about it very much, but I do know a little.”

Liam blinked. What did he mean? His heart raced in his chest and his breaths were short and quick. “Tell me who you are- this isn’t funny.” The past was more than a sensitive topic for him.

The Director sighed and looked down at his shoes, and then back up again. “Hard as it is to believe, somehow we both managed to end up here in this time. Do you realize how...” He steadied himself. “...Dad, I would have never dreamed of this.”

The vault-dweller’s eyes widened as he tried to process this old man’s words. Dad? He couldn’t be his dad. There’d be no way, unless it were-

“It’s me, Neil, remember?”

#liam mcphearson #catrene luvere #neil mcphearson #BUMBUMBUMMM