#how did i forget these. i have seen this short likely over a hundred times. it's in my top 3 cartoons ever made. i. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

skemford · 7 months

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Decided to refresh my knowledge of bendy protagonists personalities/quirks and i can say that i forget how distant canon Audrey is from fanon one sometimes

Here's relatively short list with Audrey character analysis+random tibbits (environmental/gameplay/voice lines)

(I'll appreciate if someone will interact+most of it is under the cut!)

1. Her workplace is an unorganized mess

On the right side: a couple of empty teacups, empty paper sheets, unopened envelope, books/notebooks, a toy ball and keys in the middle of the desk, storyboards that are UNRELATED to what she was working on;

On the left side: donut that she kept close to her elbow & storyboards while she was drawing + to-do list for a day

There's no WAY she'll be able to keep anything tidy. If you hc her and Bendy to have a familiar bond post game, she'll be as messy if not messier. Her home might be a wreck.

2. She easily distracts

- Audrey is working overtime and claims that she has "only eight hundred more frames to go" until the next deadline

But was she actually *actively* working?

She has unrelated items on her desk (listed above) and jumps on the first opportunity to get a coffee.

If she really did wanted to have a drink, she literally has a soda machine close to her office doors.

Some brands of soda do have caffeine in them, right? Getting a coffee looks more like an excuse for a walk.

Bonus point: if you'll stay in her office without getting up (for 15 minutes), she'll acknowledge that she has no time to waste and will return to work instead.

- "Well, the coffee's good and all. But this work's gotta get done"

Worth to acknowledge: this girl has "employee of the month" award and some kind of animation award (boris statue) in her office .

Does she stays overtime everyday to finish something? Or other Archgate employees are even worse at their jobs, somehow?

3. She uses dry sarcasm or makes jokes a lot

Honestly, it happens really often and should be brought up in fan content more imo.

Due to the images limit i can't put a lot of examples with screnshoots but I'll quote some of them.

- "i think you and i have very different definitions of alright" (toward Allison)

- "Looks like he's having a bad day" (about dead lost one with the gent pipe)

- "Ok! Yeah! And that totally makes sense" (reaction to an easter egg)

- "That's one leap of faith i definitely won't make" (about the pit in animation alley)

4. Audrey gets defensive when someone starts to talk over her or when she feels overwhelmed

Audrey either will deny what was said or will acknowledge it by being sarcastic

Prominent example of this is her reaction to Memory!Joey at the hotel:

- "Oh,now you knew my father. Well, newsflash! I didn't even knew my father...or my mother. Or anyone else in my family" (after Joey says that she has "adventurous spirit of her father")

- "What? Are you crazy?... Who do you think you are?" (after the reveal of her being created by the ink machine)

+ Similar behaviour can be seen in her short interaction with Twisted Alice (Susie).

Audrey prefers to keep conversation equal between both sides and when it fails to work, she'll either stay silent or will express frustration (which can be seen with her replying "no" to Twisted Alice and not saying anything afterwards)

5. She seems to trust Allison enough to be vulnerable around her

After leaving the spider lair, she'll try to reach to Allison through the speakers

- "Alice? Are... you there?... Alice!"

She'll acknowledge that she feels scared and after Allison won't sound reassuring enough, Audrey's hand will be visibly shaking.

Allison is the only character Audrey has opened to; you'll never see her being that vulnerable with anyone else

(She is honest with Henry but not on this level)

It makes me wish they had more interactions; Allison for sure was really important in early development of the game.

6. She's blunt

Through the game Audrey is a type of person who says whatever is on her mind without hiding her intentions too much.

She's emotional and rarely thinks twice (most of her decisions are impulsive or sometimes irrational) which reflects on the way she talks.

It's often slips out through sarcasm when she gets defensive/tries to cope but it's also happens in relatively safe environment (for example, when she talks with Betty):

- "Are you...very old?" (Wilson's mansion, bedroom)

This one liner is the most random question you can say to a stranger; I doubt it was very well thought out from her side

7. Audrey easily trusts people which makes her easy to manipulate

I couldn't skip this one.

When Wilson has created a story about his "poor lost father" as a bait and Audrey did believed in this, there are multiple reasons for "why"

This either could come from her being "goodhearted" or the circumstances being used against her

- She went through whole "father trauma" in one day without being able to process anything & get proper answers:

An idea of "saving" another father (Nathan Arch) who she could've knew more than her own father (Nathan says in one tape that he meet young animators at least once) could've hit her really close to home

- Audrey never actually got a real answer on how to leave the cycle, teaming up with Wilson (who was able to enter and leave) could've looked like the only one way back

(I do acknowledge that writing in DR could've been better at places but if you do think about it in this way,it makes sense)

7.1. She is empathetic

I think that this part says everything for itself and it doesn't need to be explained. Thought, she's the one who decide if someone deserves it.

- She felt bad for hurting Bendy on accident & apologized when she was able to

- When she met Allison for the last time, she "gave" her this name, remembering that she doesn't like to be called 'Alice'

- At the end of the game she wants to try to make the cycle better for everyone.

Twisted Alice (Susie) was included which means that Audrey doesn't hold grudges against her (even with the latest one wanting to kill her previously)

8. Audrey puts her arm through an ink container without hesitation or any side thoughts

IT IS a game mechanic and lore wise you can relate it to her being an ink creature

But honestly? It's in character for Audrey.

We're talking about someone who decided to go to great lengths to catch an aquarium fish (that's kept as a pet) and wanted to use it...for a recipe.

8.1. She doesn't mind eating out of trashcans

If you think that wanting to use someone's pet for a recipe is too weird, you're actually wrong. But eating out of trashcan (when you have other options) may be.

Thought, she drives a line on a food that has flies or other insects on it (like "chocolate cake")...i guess in other cases, it's fine to her.

~~~~~~~

Trivial things:

- Bendy seems to be her favourite cartoon character.

She calls him "little guy" in prologue and keeps close to her storyboards where he's the main character:

In the cycle, she acts joyful when she first stumbles upon the real deal.

- She loves chocolate donuts

- Audrey uses dark eyeshadows (can be seen only in prologue custscene. It's hard to notice at first)

- Her breakfast from to-do list are toasts

- She has abstract Bendy painting in her office

- It can be speculated that she's uncomfortable with being touched (or with someone being physically close), unless, she's the one who initiates it

~~~~~~~~~

#bendy and the dark revival #batdr #bendy #audrey drew #audrey batdr #joey drew #(mentioned)#allison angel #(mentioned too)#my post

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hobiebrownismygod · 5 months

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Streetkid!Hobie x Fem!Reader - Part 3

Part 1

Part 2

I post these earlier on wattpad, the link is in my pinned post!! <3

~4.4k words

Masterlist

________________________

Hobie's POV

________________________

"I'm telling you, Ri, I saw her!"

"Stop moving!"

"Y'have to believe me!" Hobie exclaimed, squirming as Riri dabbed the scratches on his neck with rubbing alcohol before gently placing bandaids on his cuts. "Yeah, yeah, I believe you" she said with an eye roll, more focused on his wounds than he was himself.

"Seriously, it was like I was inna dream..." he started to say, tilting his head back against the wall and closing his eyes with a dreamy sigh. "Couldn't believe m'eyes."

Riri hesitated for a moment as she pulled away from him, satisfied with her handiwork patching him up. "Are you su-"

"Are you sure it was her?" Kamala cut in, walking towards the both of them, hands on her hips with her eyebrow raised. "I mean, you haven't seen her in a decade, how can you be sure?"

"I'm telling you Kamala, it was her." Hobie said, standing up with a groan and wiping the dust off his jeans. He was covered in blood and scratches.

"uh-huh" she wasn't convinced.

Yesterday's riot had done a number on the group. Although they'd been able to keep the protestors safe and had successfully destroyed the mansion, they'd gotten pretty banged up. Karl was in the other room taking a nap while Kamala, Riri and Hobie stitched each other's cuts and bandaged each other up. It was normal for them to be beat up after such a heavy conflict, but it wasn't doing much to boost the team's morale. Meanwhile, Hobie was over the moon at the fact that he'd caught a glimpse of that girl, even if their conversation had been a bit short-lived.

"She looked nearly the same." Hobie started again, eliciting eye rolls from both Kamala and Riri who simultaneously sighed and ignored him. "I could never forget those eyes."

"You do realize she's the daughter of a cop, right?" Riri asked him, looking over at Hobie curiously. "So? I can fix her." Hobie folded his arms over his chest with a cocky smile. "Sure you can."

"No, really! I can. I will." He was completely confident in his ability to win her over, but the girls definitely weren't. "Always the optimistic one" Riri stated under her breath, shooting a knowing smile over at Kamala.

__________________________

Your POV

__________________________

You were sprawled out on your bed, head tilted back, eyes closed shut as your mind strained to remember the fine details of what'd happened last night. After Spider-Man had warned you, it'd all been a blur. Harry grabbing your hand and pulling you out the building, Mr. Osborne's angry yelling and the appearance of his agents, the silent ride home in the taxi...but the one thing she remembered in full was that man's voice.

He sounded so calm, so sweet, his deep voice and thick accent sending a wave of comfort down her body, relaxing every racing thought as she recalled it. He'd called her 'darling'. Well, a lot of people called her darling, but this felt different. He sounded like he really meant it, like that word was more than just a term of endearment to him.

Like he really did find her darling.

No. That was impossible. He was just trying to help her out. After all, it was thanks to him that she'd gotten out of there without a scratch, saved by a quiet warning. It didn't mean anything.

She sat up, hugging her pillow to her chest as she crossed her legs with a sigh. But why did he act like he knew her? What was he whispering to himself about? Why did he warn her specifically instead of the rest of the crowd? There must've been something else behind it, some hidden reason as to why he found her well-being more important than that of the hundreds of other partygoers in the mansion.

Why did he seem so familiar?

"Ms? Are you awake yet?"

You were broken out of your mind by the sound of knocking on the door, your maid having come to remind you of the time. You groaned and fell back onto the bed, covering your face with the pillow and rolling over to the side. 7:30. It was time for you to begin your errands of the day.

"Coming!"

__________________________

Hobie's POV

__________________________

After a proper nap, Hobie found himself ready to begin his day as Spider-Man or 'superheroing' as Kamala called it, grabbing his mask before positioning himself next to the window of his room. His body still ached, covered in cuts and scratches, but it'd have to do, because F.E.A.S.T needed his help today.

There was a huge food transport happening today, and Hobie would have to help protect it, as F.E.A.S.T trucks were often looted due to their high loads and costly materials. This supply was extremely important though, because it was nearly Christmas, meaning F.E.A.S.T's annual holiday celebration was coming up, where they hosted a huge service during which they'd provide hours worth of entertainment, food and drinks for anyone who attended. Not only did this festival lead to an increase in volunteers, but it also helped give sign up access to people who were struggling, helping employees provide them with shelter for the coming weather.

Hobie, an avid supporter of the organization that'd saved him from homelessness, attended this Christmas festival every year, both as Spider-Man and as himself, in order to keep the attendees safe and to be able to sign up to volunteer at the shelters. It was the only 'job' he'd ever had and he hoped it was the only 'job' he'd ever take.

Although this year, a new item had been added to his list of reasons for attending. You.

He hoped that the grandness of the festival would be enough to attract your attention, despite knowing very few members of the higher class attended. Even then, a man could wish...

He jumped out the window, pulling his mask on in the process and shooting a web towards the nearest building, propelling him in the direction of the headquarters. As he swung through the city, he kept his eyes on where the officers were patrolling, where new squads had appeared, mapping everything out in his mind. It'd help him sneak past these same places later on.

The city was overrun by pigs, Osborne's goons stationed in every section of every street, especially after yesterday's riot. The officers were on high alert, pointing their guns towards Hobie's swinging figure whenever he passed by, despite knowing they wouldn't even be able to come close to harming him.

"COZZERS!" (A British slur for cops) Hobie yelled out as he passed them by. They yelled their own share of slurs at him, but he didn't pay any mind, laughing like a maniac as he swung circles around them on his way to his destination.

He loved being Spider-man.

Sure, there was plenty of responsibility, but there was also so much freedom. Being able to stand up for what you believed in, with no fear of being thrown in jail, shot, killed or worse. You could really just do whatever you wanted and nobody could stop you. Hobie always reminded himself of that.

Whenever a fight got too intense, whenever he got a little too bashed up, he would remind himself why he was doing this. For the people. It was his own little saying really, almost like a prayer he'd tell himself before he went off to do the rash, stupid things he did every day.

For the people.

"For the people" Hobie murmured to himself, his eyes scanning the F.E.A.S.T truck that was getting ready to leave from the dock back to the shelter. As the truck left, he did too, silently swinging by its side, being careful to stay out of sight of any criminals that might've been waiting for their chance.

And then, like he'd expected...it happened.

A car swerved in front of the truck, causing the driver to slam on the brakes. He looked around with a bewildered expression on his face, shaking his fist at the car in front of him, until the goons got out, surrounding the helpless vehicle.

Hobie swung in, knocking out one of the thugs in the process, sending the others running. It didn't take long for him to gather them all up, tie them together with his webs and then send the truck on its way, following behind until it finally reached the shelter.

When he arrived, the employees cheered, happy to see their beloved hero. He was offered food, water, the usual, but as usual he refused, gave them a salute, and went on his way. Dropping by an alleyway, he changed out of his suit, and back into good old Hobie Brown, shoving his hands in his pockets and making his way back towards the shelter.

He was greeted similarly, offered high fives and water, and put to work carrying, cooking and decorating. The festival would be at the end of the week, only four days away, and there was plenty to be done. The set up had already begun, but Hobie was thrown into the kitchen for most of the day, cooking up food for the people staying in the shelter, and passing it out amongst everyone along with friendly smiles and a couple light conversations.

He made it his goal to learn the names of every person in that place, and he stayed true to it, getting to know everybody and even ending up becoming friends with some. He could relate to all these people. After all, he'd spent a good amount of time at F.E.A.S.T himself, and he knew that things could only get better from here.

Wearing a white apron and a chef's hat one of the kids had offered him, Hobie was in the process of handing out some of the last bowls of hot soup when he saw the door open. Expecting it to be another person looking for shelter entering, he ignored it, continuing to pass out the lunches. Until...he heard that voice.

"Hi, I'm here to volunteer?"

He snapped his head up, nearly dropping the ladle he had in his hand as his eyes widened. Those gorgeous eyes, that glowing skin, it was her.

He froze up as he saw one of his colleagues begin explaining things to you, handing you a sign-up sheet. He felt as thought his heart would burst when he caught your smile, the way your eyes crinkled just slightly when you laughed. He couldn't do anything but stare as you walked right past him, barely even noticing his presence.

He had to talk to you. He quickly finished handing out the bowls before he practically ripped his apron off and began walking towards you, who'd already began your work decorating the trees.

But then, he froze in his tracks.

He couldn't approach you...how could he? What if he said something weird? What if you didn't like him? What if he messed something up? No...he'd have to get your attention some other way.

__________________________

Your POV

__________________________

You were pulled into the bustle of the shelter, already part of the volunteer family despite spending so little time working. Everyone was excited to meet you, dragging you from here to there to introduce you and help you get to know the others. Everyone was really nice, happy to welcome you and excited to learn your name. You were put to work decorating the trees that were scattered around the room, mainly in the corners, hanging little globes and colorful stars on the branches, with the help of the many adorable children residing within the shelter.

You'd always wanted to work at F.E.A.S.T. You loved the idea of volunteer work and giving back to your community, but your father had never allowed you anywhere near the shelter, much less allowed you to sign up to help. He said it was a job for hippies with nothing better to do, which you heavily disagreed with.

But now, because you were older, you could do what you wanted without having to worry about him. Even if he tried to stop you, he wouldn't really be able to.

You found yourself alone as you decorated the last tree, the children who'd been accompanying you having been distracted by the promise of popsicles. You hummed quietly to yourself, gently placing a dark red ornament on one of the taller branches, getting up on your tip toes to do so.

But suddenly, you heard a noise

Thwip

You swiveled your head around, peering in the direction of the noise. Your eyes widened as you recalled where you'd heard that noise before. Standing up straight, you looked around nervously, taking a slight step back. "Show yourself!" You called out. "Don't hide! What do you want?"

Thwip

It was coming from behind you. You turned around to see the back door, just barely opened. It led to the alleyway behind the shelter. That must be where it's coming from.

As you approached the door, you hesitated for a moment. Was it really a good idea for you to be following a strange noise towards an empty alleyway? You shrugged.

Thwip

You opened the door cautiously, peering outside. Standing there, leaning against the wall, was exactly who you were expecting. "'ello, darling" he said with a wink.

"You...what are you doing here?" You asked, approaching him in awe. Maybe your suspicions were right. There was a reason behind how he'd warned you last night. Why else would he be visiting you again?

"Just wanted t'say hi to m'favorite lass" he said, stretching his arms out as he walked toward you, shoving his hands into his vest. He leaned down toward you slightly, his figure towering over yours. "We left off pretty abruptedly"

"Who are you?" You breathed out, looking up at him with a slight smile on your face, still in disbelief at the fact that he was standing there, in front of you, talking to you like he'd known you for years.

"Your friendly neighborhood Spider-man of course. Don't tell me you haven't heard of me?" He said teasingly.

"Yesterday-why-how-why did you-?" Your mind was flooded with questions, a string of horribly worded sentences flowing out of your mouth as you rambled. "Woah, calm down." He said, putting his hands up in front of him. "How 'bout I take y'somewhere quieter first? Hmm?"

He leaned in a little closer again. "I know a place where I can answer all y'questions" He looked to the side. "Maybe even get t'know each other a little more too"

"No."

He blinked at you. "No? Wha-what d'ya mean, no?" His shoulders slumped slightly and his voice went up an octave, on the verge of cracking.

"I'm not going to follow a wanted criminal to a quiet place that I've probably never even heard about" You said with a scoff. You leaned back on your heel and turned in the other direction, about to walk away, despite still being fairly curious.

"Wait!"

You smirked to yourself and looked over your shoulder. He scrambled towards you, his lanky arm reaching out towards you, palm up. "Please. I-I need to talk to you." You looked down at his palm disinterestedly, raising your eyebrow at him. "And why would I agree to that?"

"Because I'm Spider-Man."

"What's your point?" you asked tightly, putting your hand on your hip.

He shook his head furiously, the eyes of his mask wide. "You don't understand, I need to talk to you!" His voice was a higher-pitch than before and he sounded like he was on the verge of begging, his hands clasping together.

"What do you need to talk to me about?"

"About-" he hesitated. "I just...want to get to know you" his voice turned deep again and he shrugged sheepishly, standing up straight and looking to the side, trying to seem nonchalant. What a weirdo.

Suddenly, it dawned over you. You scowled, turning away from him. "It's 'cuz I'm the Captain's daughter" you said softly, feeling your heart drop. He must've been trying to get close to you to gain more information about your father and the rest of the police force. "I can't believe you!"

His stance slackened, his eyes widening as he tried to defend himself. "No tha's not wh-"

"You want to befriend me?" You pointed at him. "Morph me into your perfect little rebel?!"

"No i jus-"

"I may not agree with the things my father stands for but I am not a spy and I am not some helpless little girl for you to mold into your servant!" You fumed, throwing your hands up in the air. He looked baffled as you turned away from him once again, ready to march back into the shelter without a second thought.

Thwip

A web caught onto your hand, and he yanked you back towards him, spinning you into his arms. You fell against him with a yelp, his arms wrapping around your waist to keep you from running away again. "Let go-" you struggled.

"Please."

You froze when you heard his voice, raspy yet soft as he desperately held you down out of the fear that you'd leave. "Please. I need to talk to you." he whispered. You looked up at him, eyes narrowing slightly as you felt a wave of guilt wash over you. "I don't even know you." You said quietly.

"Then get to know me."

You hesitated for a moment, biting the inside of your cheek in frustration. "Let go." He obliged, slowly unhooking his arms from around your waist and letting them fall limp at his sides, awkwardly watching you make a decision.

"Ten minutes. That's all you get."

The eyes of his mask lit up and you could tell he was grinning at you from under. "You won't regret it, doll" he said with a wink, offering you his hand as he bowed forward slightly, the way a prince would offer his hand to a princess.

You reluctantly agreed and his hand engulfed yours as he pulled you into him, barely given you a moment to adjust yourself before he lifted the two of you off the ground in one fell swoop, forcing you to have to hold onto him for dear life. He was obviously enjoying your closeness and you swore you heard a deep chuckle escape his lips when you gasped, not used to the sensation of sudden acceleration.

You kept your face buried in his neck as he swung you towards this quiet place he'd spoken about, unable to say a word. Meanwhile, he was excitedly talking your ear off, telling you that he knew you'd love what he'd picked out. You couldn't help but wonder to yourself, why was he trying so hard? What did he want from you?

"You can loosen up a little, I won't drop you luv." You heard him say quietly, as if he was afraid he'd scare you if he spoke any louder. You nervously loosened your arms around his neck, giving him a little more breathing room as he tightened his grip on your waist. You looked up from his shoulder and you were awestruck.

Everything was a blur as the two of you swung faster than you'd ever gone before, your head feeling dizzy with the buildings, cars and people disappearing faster than you could see them. You didn't know how fast he was moving and you were too afraid to ask, knowing putting a number to the speed would just make the whole experience even more daunting.

And then, you felt him begin to slow down and eventually, your feet touched the ground, sinking in just slightly. Even after feeling the dirt under your feet, you kept your arms around him in fear that you would somehow still end up falling. "Uh, darling? We're here." He said softly, a smile on his face as he looked down at you. You cleared your throat as you jumped back, unhooking yourself from him. "Right."

You looked around nervously, taking in your surroundings. He'd brought you to what looked like an abandoned building, rubble everywhere and half the walls caved in. "What is this place?" You asked softly, looking around.

The slightly disgusted expression on your face must've been obvious, because you could tell that his mood had dropped. "I...thought you'd like it." he said softly, looking down, his hands in his pockets. "It's F.E.A.S.T's old headquarters. Before it was bombed."

F.E.A.S.T's original headquarters had been bombed by supervillains a couple years ago, which was why they had moved to a place downtown, where there would be more security and less chance of another attack.

"Oh!" Your eyes widened and a grin appeared on your face as the memories flooded your brain. This was where you'd always told people to go when you were younger. If you ever saw someone struggling or with an empty hat out in their hands, asking for money, you'd always point them in this direction and tell them that the people here would help. It was your way of helping out when your father wouldn't let you do it properly.

"I love it." You said softly, looking around the ruins. "Thank you." His eyes lit up and he approached you slightly, hands still shoved deep into his pockets as he shrugged embarrassedly. "s'nothing really." he said quietly, keeping his eyes on you as you walked towards the window, looking out with a soft sigh.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" you asked him, looking back over your shoulder at his fidgeting figure. "I...I don't know. I didn't plan this far." He admitted, looking down. You laughed, looking back out the window. "How cute."

His head perked up. "Y'think I'm cute?"

"I think the situation's...cute." You cleared your throat. "For the lack of a better word of course." you added quickly. "Yeah, yeah of course." He kicked a rock out of his way with his foot. "So...what's your name?"

"Y/N" you said, watching some of the cars on the streets below pass by, your elbow propped up on the windowsill and your hand supporting your chin. "Y/N...pretty name for a pretty lass." he said with what you believed was a smile under his mask, coming up behind you.

"Why do you want to get to me, Spider-man?" You asked, turning around and facing him, your back pressed against the edge of the window, your head having to tilt up to look at him properly. He leaned down to get to your height. "You caught my eye."

You scoffed. "That can't be true. You said you knew me." He had asked if you'd remembered him that day at the ball, and you remembered how nervous and fidgety he'd seemed. "That I did." he said softly, trying to think up some sort of excuse.

"Where did you meet me last?" His eyes widened and he looked away, swallowing. "A while ago."

"When?"

"I can't put a date to it."

"How long ago?"

"Long." He nodded. "Very long."

You groaned out of frustration, looking back out the window. "What are you hiding from me?" You asked him. He shook his head. "I'm not hiding anything."

"Then why won't you tell me when you met me last?"

"If I tell you, you'll know who I am." He leaned in over your shoulder, looking at you. "And I can't let you know who I am."

"Then why bring me here?" You looked over your shoulder at him, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "Why go out of your way to talk to me?"

He stayed silent. "What a joke." You muttered under your breath, biting the inside of your cheek.

"Because I'm in love with you."

You froze. "What?" You asked softly, looking back at him, eyes wide and jaw practically hanging open. He cleared his throat. This was not going according to his plan. "Because I'm in love with you." He repeated, tugging at the collar of his suit as he looked to the side. "I've been in love with you for years and I'm finally acting on it."

"Look, Spider-man-" You put your hands up nervously, barely able to process what he was telling you. "-I don't even know you and-"

"That's why I brought you here." he interrupted. "Because I want to get to know you and I want you to get to know me."

Your breath hitched in your throat. "You're quite forward, aren't you?" You said nervously, feeling yourself get a little dizzy. Your heart was beating very fast and not in the love-sick way. You were afraid. You were stuck in an abandoned building with a strange man who you believed had been watching you. Anyone would be afraid.

"Look, I know you probably think I'm some creep-" he started, his voice sounding slightly strained as he tried to get you to see the situation from his point of view, "-but it's not like I've been watching you. I saw you once and I couldn't get over you. he said softly, his voice quieting to a whisper.

"You've been the only thing in my mind for a long time. And that day at the ball-" he took a step towards you, "-that was only the second time I saw you and I already knew I was in love."

He noticed how nervous you seemed. "Please don't be scared." he said softly, his hand reaching out to take yours. He gently ran his finger over your palm as you looked up at him. "I swear, I just want to get to know you. I just-I just want to know who you are."

"I want to know who I fell in love with."

Tags:

@therealloopylupin2099 @spiderrinn @l0starl @daydreaming-en-pointe @itsparis-07 @vileviale @puff-hugs @s6onder

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hd-junglebook · 3 months

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Edge of Exile

prologue

summary : this is pretty short compared to what I have in mind for the next chapters. Just some background before I get the story rolling.

The scream died in her throat as y/n jerked awake, heart pounding. The remnants of the nightmare still clung to her - the acrid smell of burning flesh, the anguished cries she released as her mother stopped breathing, the way they dragged her out of the room. She pressed a palm against her forehead, taking deep breaths to chase the images away.

It had been six years since she lost her mother, but it may as well have been last night. The nightmares never let her forget. She saw it vividly every time she closed her eyes – the operation table, the look on Abby Griffins face when all attempts to save her mother’s life failed. And her mother - her brave, stubborn mother - running back into the inferno to help others, never to return.

Y/n rose unsteadily to her feet in the cramped cell, the sound of her footsteps filling the room around her. She splashed icy water on her face from the basin, then reached under her mattress for the tattered notebook. Her fingers trembled slightly over the pages as they traced the faces - her mother's kind eyes, her best friends’ smiles.

The cold vastness of space only seemed to amplify her aching loneliness. Y/n was used to being alone, staying alert, not allowing anyone in. It was the only way to survive now.

This prison cell had been her home for the past year after she was incarcerated. Like all the prisoners aboard this dying relic, she was kept in prison station, locked away from the rest of society, labeled as a danger to herself and the citizens of the ark.

She inhaled a shuddering breath and carefully returned the notebook to its hiding place. There was another long haul to get through today. She couldn't afford to dwell on the past. The ghosts would need to wait - at least until she slept again.

A chime sounded, signaling the prisoners that it was time for breakfast. Y/n took a deep breath and steeled herself. She had survived a year in this floating tomb; she could survive another day. Keep your head down, don't cause trouble, watch your back - that was the only way.

She paused, struck by the silence. The usual morning clatter of prisoners being escorted to the eating hall was absent. She peered out into the corridor - the cells were empty. The entire block, once filled with over a hundred prisoners, was now a ghost town.

Unease crept over her. Just a week ago, these halls rang out with activity. Where had everyone gone? Her friends - Harper and Miller - had been in the cells nearby just day’s before. Now all of them had vanished.

Rumors of mass executions had spread through the cell blocks in recent days. Resources on the dying Ark were scarce, and the leadership was becoming more ruthless. But she had never believed it would actually happen to them.

Harper's 18th birthday was just a few days away. She had seen it happen to so many others before, and now it seemed like it was Harper's turn. In the society they lived in, turning 18 meant one thing - being floated.

Had her friends been marched to their deaths in the middle of the night? Where had the guards taken them? And more urgently - would she be next?

…

The loss of her mother sent y/n into a downward spiral. She became angry and reckless, no longer caring about the consequences of her actions. Her mother had been her rock, and now she was adrift.

She was left under the watchful eye of her uncle, Kane. He was one of the Council members who maintained draconian order on the Ark. y/n saw him as part of the same corrupt system that floated her father for treason.

She had overheard Clarke and Wells discussing how her father had discovered the Ark was running out of air and wanted to inform the citizens. The Council's answer had been to silence him - permanently. He was given a treason charge and floated. Y/n’s uncle being one of the few who did not vote against this decision.

After Jake Griffin’s death, she decided it was time to pick up where he left off. Enough waiting silently in the shadows. She rallied a group from Factory Station, using her uncle's connections to gain access to Council events. Spent hours strategizing and devising a plan to confront the chancellor about the dwindling resources and oxygen.

The day of the Council meeting arrived, and y/n and her followers had knocked out enough guards to sneak into the council room. She marched in with the head guard, Commander Shumway, at knife point. The Council members stumbled over their words, trying to defend their actions. In the end, they confirmed that the Ark was running out of oxygen, but they were sneaky.

The Ark Guard burst through the doors. They had gotten word that the group was holding the Council hostage. Talia never expected them to act so quickly. The guards surrounded them, weapons drawn, ready to subdue them.

Her defiance only angered Kane further. He condemned her "rebellious theatrics" and soon had her locked away, floating the rest of the demonstrators. Charged with spreading false information, the murder of two guards and inciting rebellion.

The day the executions were carried out, y/n could only watch in helpless horror as her friends were floated one by one - launched out the airlock to their deaths. She should have been with them - was ready to die alongside them. But the Guards held her back.

Instead of execution, y/n was sentenced back to solitary confinement. At first, she didn't understand why she had been spared. It made no sense. She had led the uprising, held the Council hostage, exposed their lies. By all rights, she should have been the first to die.

Being left alive was its own special torture. wracked with guilt, replaying every moment in her mind. What if she had done something differently? What if she had turned herself in so the others could get away? She would never know now. Their faces, full of fear yet resolute courage as they floated out into oblivion, haunted her.

The only explanation was her uncle. Kane's influence must have swayed the Council to stay her execution. But to what end? So she could rot in this cell, alone with her guilt and grief?

…

Y/n sat silently in her cell, gazing up at the mural she had painted on the walls over the past year. The portrait depicted a man and woman standing resolute as flames engulfed the scene around them, the Ark crumbling into ashes amidst the inferno.

The burning ark symbolizes the destruction that can be caused by our negligence and disregard for the world around us.

She had just returned from the melancholy affair of breakfast - prisoners eating alone, guards eyeing them warily. The food stuck in her throat these days. Her friends should be here breaking stale rations with her, not lost to the void.

The slam of the cell door jarred Talia from her thoughts. She scrambled to her feet as guards entered behind her uncle, Kane. " Printer 124, Stand against the wall," they ordered gruffly, readying their shock batons.

Kane lifted a hand. "It's alright, let her be," he said. y/n slowly sank back down, watching Kane with wary eyes as he took in her mural. What did he want now? Surely not just to critique her art. The guards took up positions around the small cell standing at the doors.

"The Council has authorized me to make you a deal," Kane finally said as he clasped his hands behind his back. "About a week ago we sent some prisoners to the ground. 100 to be exact. We’ve communicated with them. There's talk of sending the exodus ship to the ground. They want you to go with the first group."

y/n’s eyes widened in surprise. Return to Earth, after all this time? Could the Council finally be desperate enough to take such a risk?

She hesitated, taking in his words. 100 prisoners to the ground the day of Harper and Millers disappearance. But if there was any possibility of life on the ground, she had to take it...for their sake.

Jaha's offer was simple - help repair the last three stations and once they reach Earth, her slate would be wiped clean, but they must be desperate if Kane was resorting to bargaining with me.

"And if I say no?" y/n challenged.

"Then you'll be floated with the rest of them," Kane said coldly.

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where-dreamers-go · 1 year

Note

Hi, Erica! I was wondering if I may request a Dick Grayson imagine where the Reader and him know each other from school, and while the Reader is at a soda shop or something Batman and Robin show up. They recognize his voice but is confused when they see Robin instead and Robin gets nervous because he can see them figuring it out. So maybe Batman has to intervene?

(A/N: Hehehehe. But also: gosh darn, time to put the pen to work because I don't shut up about fandom ideas. Hi!

Also: Ah, crap. It was supposed to be an imagine??? Uh, for now this imagine is complete. Might add a part 2 or something.)

~~~

"Soda For Your Thoughts" Dick Grayson x Reader

On a weekday, the best time of day was after school. No question about it. The brain finally had a break from the hours worth of information intake.

The time between school's last bell and the start of homework was sacred. Short and full of possibilities. Anything could happen in Gotham City.

°.•*

Speeding down the open road into the city was more than business, it was important to the citizens. Arriving to a local soda shop for clues was top priority. The Penguin was up to his foul deeds again.

Without knowing what the tricky bird was up to, the dynamic duo were on their way to find out just that.

Time was ticking, but Robin always had faith that he and Batman could figure it out.

°.•*

You were due for free time. It was only fair. Most of your mornings were spent leaning over a desk with a pencil in hand. Not much choice in that.

Sipping a cold soda did just the trick. It also gave you moments to process your day. The sweetness seeming to light up your day.

"Looks like there are plenty of eyes here." A familiar voice grasped your attention.

Dick Grayson, you thought. A smile pulled at your lips before you fully looked towards the entrance in search of the well-dressed student.

Your excitement upon expecting the boy from class dropped. Who you saw instead was the famed Batman and Robin. The pair stepped with purpose.

What? But I heard him.

How could it be? Were you mistaken?

Your shoulders slumped.

The owner of the soda shop met the caped heroes in a poorly hushed tone. Not that you could blame him. The Penguin had visited not too long ago, but not for a tasty beverage.

Good thing there was no ill intent given to any of the customers, you included.

"Hmm." You grabbed for your drink again, but his voice interrupted.

"Excuse me." Robin walked up to you. "Did you see the Penguin when...he...." He swallowed.

Curiosity had struck you. Not only was the young hero's voice familiar, but his masked face was strikingly like someone you knew. Not a face one passed in the halls. Not brown hair combed just so by anyone.

"Uh." Robin stood still. Watching you study him unabashed.

Blue eyes decorated by black. Intelligent eyes you'd seen before. Ones you would never forget in a hundred years.

"Batman." He said and nothing more. Pivoting on the floor, yellow cape swishing.

The called caped crusader turned and walked over to the younger man. "What is it, Robin?"

You blinked, head tilted sightly.

His eyes, you thought. Those were the same wide eyes looking at me when I said I aced the pop quiz last week.

°.•*

Holy flipping stomachs, Robin thought. His eyes trying to focus on anything else in the shop as he pretended not to notice. Trying his best to act professional. To be Robin not Richard Grayson.

What such luck did he have?

Rotten luck.

Your gaze burned into the side of his cranium even as Batman asked you for any useful information. No doubt you had some.

In school you were always attentive and observant. That surely meant you would be helpful with the new case, but the way you looked at him...as if his mask was barely on his face.

You talked, but Robin couldn't make out your words between the sounds in the shop and his mind. White noise of panic.

Holy multitasker, he thought as he chanced a quick glance over his shoulder. Rubbing his gloved fist, he couldn't help his anxiety.

What if you knew?

A light clap to his shoulder and Robin flinched.

"Easy there, old chum." Batman chuckled. "We might just have our next clue."

"That's great." His words closer to a murmur.

"Everything alright?"

Blinking and hitting his opened palm with his fist, Robin bounced back. "We have a lead. Let's go." Without delay, the young man scurried out of the shop.

Relief hit him as soon as he was in open air. Making a quick jump into the Batmobile was easy. The look Batman set him with, not so much.

"What is it, Batman?"

"You couldn't talk to your schoolmate. How come? You've done it before."

"Not with them," Robin said much too quickly. "I--they just... I felt like they saw me. No mask--no anything!"

"Easy, Robin. I saw it too. We'll have to come up with something if they question you."

Groaning, Robin slouched in his seat.

"But for now." He buckled his seatbelt. "We have a Penguin to capture."

"Right!"

#Robin x Reader #dick grayson #Dick Grayson x Reader #where dreamers go #Dick Grayson imagine #imagines #Erica answers #requested #Richard Grayson #60s robin

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nanagoswife · 2 years

Text

Regret

Summary: You haven’t seen Nanami for years. Not since he left Jujutsu Tech. He left everything behind and that included you. So, when he appears at the bakery you now owned, you have a hundred different questions for him and a truth you’re not sure he should know.

W/C: 5.6k

Warnings: mention of death, heart break, regret, angst?, breakup, hurt/comfort

A/N: So, I’m not sure if I will but there could possibly be a spicy scene added for this. I don’t know if I’ll write it but, if you guys want it, let me know and I’ll write an extra little part for it!

- - -

You were frozen in place. Why? Because the man that you never thought you would see again just walked into the bakery you owned. Was it because of this man that you now have this business? Possibly. However, he didn’t know that. He didn’t need to know that. Especially when you hadn’t seen this man since he left the jujutsu world years ago. He doesn’t deserve to know that this all existed because of him.

Nanami Kento looks different. A good different. He had already cut his hair to a similar style as he has now, but this is a mastered look. The suit he wore made his more defined features look even more handsome than ever before. Then, there were his eyes. Unlike all of those years ago, they look tired, exhausted, and drained. You can’t help but wonder what caused it. He left so that he could live stress free and not have to worry about the dangers of the job. Most of all, he left you. There’s nothing that he could've gone through that was as heartbreaking and difficult as you did during that time. So why does he look so unhappy?

What should you do? Pretend like you don’t know him? No, that wouldn’t work. Especially not with the history you have with him. Do you escape into the back, leaving your friend alone to deal with the man that you used to love so much? No, you can’t do that either. Both because he’s now caught sight of you and because a part of you still loves him and doesn’t want to entirely waste this chance. Well, it would also be because your friend would catch on in a heartbeat and drag you back to the front.

So, resigning to the fact that you have nowhere to run, you pretend to busy yourself with something; bending below the counter to wipe something down that really doesn’t need to be when Nanami slowly makes his way over. Your employee/store manager/friend, Akane, notices how you’re acting. She looks at the man then back to you a few times with a look of confusion. However, that look doesn’t stay for long when she sees your scrubbing at nothing.

“Good afternoon,” she greets Nanami as he gets to the counter you’re still crouching behind. It’s pitiful and embarrassing that you’re hiding from him. It’s even worse looking at the way you decided to do so. However, you don’t know exactly how you would feel if you were to meet his eyes. There’s so much running through your mind that it’s practically short-circuiting. “What can I get for you today, sir?”

The fact that you guessed his exact order, a casse-croute, had your cheeks heating up in embarrassment and frustration. You’ve been trying to forget this man over the last few years. Weren’t things supposed to change? Shouldn’t he have given a new order that you should no longer know? Weren’t you supposed to forget the little details?

At the same time, you can’t help but notice how he doesn’t quite sound like himself. He was never one to stumble over words, but he was now. Even saying something so easy and something that’s so routine and stumbling over those words? It has you peering up for a moment, thinking you see his eyes snap back up as he swallows. It would be a more amusing sight if the frustration wasn’t starting to settle in from the memories of the past.

“Of course! I’ll get my coworker to whip it up for you,” Akane states as she looks down at you.

You whip your head up and glare at her. This was not what you needed right now. Especially since you don’t know whether you want to simply punch Nanami or straight out murder him. Either way, you school your features and act like nothing is wrong as you stand. You don’t look at him and instead smile at your friend as you make your way to the back, chirping out a bubbly-sounding, “On it.”

So, maybe Akane actually was helping. You had to make the sandwich in the back where no one could see you. That meant you wouldn’t have to worry about seeing Nanami any longer. Well, at least not until it was ready and you had to bring it out to him. Perhaps you could get Akane to grab it from you so you don’t have to show your face until after he leaves.

Once you disappear behind the corner, you sigh as you lean your back against the wall. You wanted to take a moment to gather yourself but memories and complex feelings come screaming into focus instead. There’s so much that you don’t know what to do. You don’t know whether you want to scream, cry, punch him out, run away, or all of the above.

You also wonder why he didn’t walk out of the store when he saw you. It was him who left in the first place, the one that broke your heart when he said he was even leaving you when he left the jujutsu world. He was the one who said he couldn’t handle the risk factor of the job. He was the reason why you no longer had a reason to keep fighting curses and that led to where you were now.

When you opened this bakery, all you could think of was Nanami. It wasn’t too long after his decision to leave. There was still a large part of you that was him and it seeped into your thoughts and what you chose to do. Sure, you had always daydreamed about opening a place like this even though, at the time, you were convinced you’d never be able to. When Nanami came along, though, his love of baked treats and his favourite bread pushed those dreams along further. So, you chose to make it your career with the memories of you and Nanami sitting under a tree together, resting your head on his shoulder while you both fantasised about it in between reading.

Those were days that you never thought would end. Not leaving the jujutsu world and definitely not your relationship with Nanami. It didn’t matter how much Gojo tried to plead you to stay, to, “Carry on Nanami’s work,” as he put it at the time. That, though, was the exact reason you couldn’t stay. You couldn’t go through all of that without Nanami there with you and you found you couldn’t think straight when fighting curses. So, you left. That way you could at least fulfill one dream. Even if it wasn’t the exact way you wished it was.

Once again, you sigh, willing all of those memories away. Right now you have a job to do. It doesn’t matter that this is for the man you viewed yourself being with for the rest of your life. You can’t let this small encounter bring all of it back. You don’t want to go through all of that again. You worked so hard to try and (unsuccessfully) forget about it all.

Taking another small moment to try and clear your head, you squeeze your eyes shut before pushing off of the wall. The longer you take, the more he may question your prolonged absence and you don’t want to give him a reason to speak to you.

Unfortunately, that’s not something you can avoid. One reason is because there’s a lot he could talk about. Especially when it comes to what happened and why you’re in this bakery instead of helping out Gojo at the school as a teacher like you originally planned. The second reason is because, as you had just finished putting everything on the sandwich, you saw him standing at the entrance that led to the front counter.

Maybe Akane isn’t as good of a friend as you thought. That or it was because of how long you were taking. Or it could’ve even been Nanami who convinced her to let him back here-

No. No, that can’t be it. Why would he suddenly want to talk to you now when he’s had years to do this.

Still, you can’t help but notice the way he seems to study you. He seems frozen in place just like you were when you had first seen him. When he had first spotted you, you didn’t let him have the same chance that you had to study how the years have changed him. So, you see him study everything about you while you notice he looks even more exhausted than you originally noted. It makes you wonder how he’s even able to stand.

That exhaustion isn’t the only thing you can see, either. There’s a small hint of… sadness? It’s something that’s weighing him down more than fatigue ever could.

“You look good,” Nanami suddenly mutters, his eyes finally ending their search at yours.

“And you look like shit,” you retort.

It isn’t really that true. He looks amazing. He always has and the passing years have only worked to prove that. What you’re really acknowledging is his eyes. They convey the amount of stress he’s been dealing with and you’re honestly surprised you don’t see any grey in his blonde hair.

“Why are you back here?”

Nanami takes a slightly larger breath, almost like he’s steeling himself before answering with, “I wanted to see you.”

His admission is soft but pained. It sounds like he’s trying to plead with himself so that he can talk to you and try to forget everything that’s happened. You know he doesn’t want to skip over it, he just wants to bask in the moment for as long as he can. Why do you know that? Mainly because this is how he was after one day that you got seriously injured partially due to his mistake and again after a fight the two of you once had. Those were moments he was sure you would leave him and never come back. Now, though, that fear would be more real for him now than it was during those instances.

Now, it’s much more than those two combined. This was worse than any injury or fight you could have with him. You don’t know, like those two experiences, if you’ll be able to heal and become stronger. So far it’s only made you weaker and there’s never been a sign of moving on. Like it or not, there’s still a large part of you with Nanami but you’re not sure if you can ever get that back.

“Well, you’ve seen me,” you almost snap, turning from him to wrap his sandwich. “Now,” you continue as you finish wrapping it, walking over to him and pushing it into his chest while you try to not let your voice tremble, “I would appreciate it if you left.”

“Wait,” he calls out, grabbing your wrist as you try to walk past him.

You glare at him when you’re forced to stop, pulling your wrist from his grip. It pains you to do so. That momentary touch of his hand brought back memories that now only caused pain. However, it also reminded you how that same touch was what had comforted you for so long. It was a touch you had been longing for for nearly four years now. Now, though, you can’t let him see that you actually still care.

“Why should I listen to you now when you could’ve talked to me years ago? Apparently what we had was not important enough to keep so why, Nanami? Why now?” You couldn’t help the way your voice finally cracked with that outburst. Nor could you keep the tears from building up in your eyes. They may not be falling yet but they’re there nonetheless.

Nanami doesn’t shy away from you. The only reaction you saw was a small flinch when you said his last name rather than his first. It had been even longer than the few years since he left that you called him anything but Kento. Now, he doesn’t deserve to be called anything but that.

Instead of shying away, he looks to the ground. “I… I wanted to,” he admits in a small voice.

“Then why didn’t you? Do you know how much pain you would’ve saved me from if you had even just simply texted me hello? I was worried about you, Nanami. What hurt most was that you had still kept in contact with Satoru for a while. That was my only way of knowing you were even still alive.”

You watch the way Nanami shuffles a bit as he looks back up at you. His regret is so clearly written across his face that it pushes those tears over the edge. Even though you know you didn’t mean nothing to him, it still felt like it with how easily he cut you out. You wonder if there’s a piece of him that he left with you just as he has that piece of you.

There’s a pang of hurt that crashes into Nanami’s chest when you use Gojo’s first name. He’s sure that, although you also left, you still keep in contact with the sorcerer. Is there something more going on? No, he knows there isn’t. You never thought of Gojo like that and he doubts that you would change that.

Nanami goes to say something but you raise your hand, stopping him before he can start. “I don’t want to hear your excuses,” you let out quietly, wobbly, as you cross your arms over your chest. “Please, just leave.”

“Okay,” he says just as quietly. However he doesn’t move right away. “I’ll leave now but, please, can we meet somewhere so that I can explain. I know I should have done it years ago. I wanted to but I didn’t. Will you let me now?”

If you weren’t so desperate for answers, desperate to see him again, you would’ve said no and escorted him out of the store yourself. Instead, you’re nodding, taking a piece of paper out to write down your address and a time. Wordlessly, you hand him the paper, not meeting his eyes for any of it. When he goes to walk back to the front, you notice how he hesitates. You’re sure he probably wanted to say something more but he knows you don’t want to hear it. So, he leaves.

You wait until you hear him leave, wiping the tears from your face, before going out front. Akane looks worried when she must see your red eyes and tear stains. Instead of telling her what happened, though, you continue on with the day without saying a word about it. If you’re going to tell her what happened, it will be after whatever conversation you were going to have with Nanami tonight. That, and it definitely won’t be a discussion had at work.

Just as expected, Nanami showed up early. Well, the time you wrote compensated for that. So there really isn’t that much that’s changed about him at all, really. You can’t help but wonder why. Wasn’t that the reason he left? To change himself?

Nothing is really said as you let him into your apartment. The only exchange being where he can hang his coat. That and when he paused at seeing tea all set at your livingroom’s coffee table.

“You made tea?” he questions when he sees they’re both already fully prepared. He knows which one’s yours and which one must be for him. You had always liked a bit of milk and sugar in yours. For him, he only ever put a dash of sugar in his. A small flicker of hope trickled into him at the thought you remembered something as small as this after all of these years.

“I may be upset but that doesn’t keep me from having some common decency,” you retort. It’s not too harsh but it’s enough to get your point across.

He stays silent as he settles in the seat you put his tea in front of. Before any talking begins, he takes a sip from the drink and that flicker of hope grows when he finds that you did put the sugar in it. Yet, he shouldn’t be surprised especially when you, he’s assuming unknowingly, even put a light layer of butter on the sandwich you made for him. Maybe, just as he knows he left with a piece of you that he’s never let go, you kept the piece of him that he left with you.

Nanami looks up at you as you stay silent, finding more interest in the plain coffee table than him. He needs to start this off somehow. So, he decides to start off a little light. Especially since he knows it won’t last at all.

“You own a bakery now.” It’s both a statement and a question.

You nod slowly. “I got to live my dream afterall,” you say quietly as you don’t meet his eyes but look in his general direction. “Well, not entirely.”

The fact that Nanami knows exactly what you mean makes his heart ache. It brought back all of those days snuggled up under the tree when you would talk about it. Why did he ever leave those moments behind?

“This job,” you quietly start again after a moment of silence, “this dream, it was supposed to be shared with you.” You pause, looking down at your tea in your hands. “Well, to be honest, the dream was supposed to stay a dream. That way my real dream could’ve come true.”

“I wanted that dream to,” he admits quietly.

Your eyes shoot up to meet his. The frustration and anger begins to build up again. Worst of all, you feel the tears begin to build up again as well. However, you tried your best to keep yourself as calm as possible as you ask, “Then why did you leave me?”

That sadness that you saw earlier came back at full force in Nanami’s eyes. It made him look even more tired than when you first saw him at the bakery. Now you know exactly what the cause was. It was almost liberating knowing that what happened three years ago was weighing on him just as much as it was as it was on you. Meanly so but it was nice to know you weren’t the only one struggling through all of this.

Now, you watch Nanami’s Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallows thickly, slightly adjusting his position. And then, “It was because I was afraid of losing you too. I thought that leaving everything and everyone was what was best so that I would never have to deal with that kind of loss ever again.”

“I never knew you could be so selfish,” you mutter as you meet his eyes again. “You weren’t the only one who went through that loss, Nanami! It’s not as if you were the only one close to him!”

You stop yourself when you notice your tone continuing to raise in volume. This isn't how you wanted this to go. Sure, you were angry and upset but letting those emotions take control is not the route you should take at all. Especially since you want answers and you don’t want to risk not getting them after all of these years. That and a small part of you wants to resolve this. You want the man you love back.

When you see the way Nanami’s eyes seem to look even sadder, you try to backtrack.

“I’m sorry,” you nearly whisper, “I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up.”

“No. It’s fair. You’re right. I was too cowardly to try and get through it and in the process I shut everyone I knew out no matter how much I didn’t want to.” Nanami pauses for a moment, his jaw working as he considers his next words. A breath and then, “When I left, I was going to ask you to join me.”

“Then why didn’t you? Why did you have to cut me off completely? Did you not realize you caused more pain with leaving than if you were to stay?”

You can hear how desperate your voice is getting. Normally you would try and keep yourself calm but you’re letting it all out now. This man was the one you thought you had a future with. He was the one you imagined having everything with that you never used to want. When he left, it broke you so badly that you couldn’t do anything that you used to. Gojo had tried to help you but his efforts were in vain because the love of your life had acted as if you meant nothing to him with how easily he left.

“When you left,” you continued before Nanami had a chance to reply, “you didn’t just simply leave. You took a piece of me that I’ve never been able to gain back on my own. It was a piece that belonged to you and no matter how hard I tried, I could never do anything without having you in mind.”

There was no way to stop the tears anymore. The more you let out, the more you feel the emotions of the last three years come crashing in. It was too much and not enough to show Nanami just how much you’ve been affected. Yet, you continued as everything you’ve wanted to say; every question you’ve had for him comes pouring out.

“The bakery? Leaving jujutsu? Everything I did was because of you, Kento. I loved you. I still do because I’ve never been able to let you go. And, now that I look at it, everything I did was to nurture that piece of you that lived in me. That’s why I couldn’t let go. I wanted to know why you let me go so easily. I wanted to know if you even tried to reach out to me. Was Satoru the only one you talked to? Was he more important than me? Did you envision the same future with me as I did with you? Was I part of the reason you decided to leave? Did you leave a part of yourself that you couldn’t get back just like there’s a piece of me I’ve never got back? Did you find someone that replaced me? Most of all, I just couldn’t forget you, Kento. That’s why no one was ever able to replace you in simple things like asking for me to stay. That’s why…”

There’s an almost tense silence that spreads out through your living room as you trail off. All that could be heard was your tears as you struggled to keep yourself together; to not break down into the sobs you really want.

So, to try and keep that from happening, you squeeze your eyes shut as you dip your head. Your hands clench the material of the couch as you attempt to will away the tears. However, the more you tried, the harder it got. Not to mention how you were trying to fight the way you wanted to fall into the comfort of Nanami’s arms just like years ago.

That thought was only making it all worse when you knew you couldn’t do that. His plan was to leave everything behind; to move on and forget it all. What if, unlike you, he’s actually been able to move on? Was there someone else in his life? Did he even care about what the two of you had anymore? Did you mean anything to him still?

Before you know it, the dam bursts and there’s no longer any possibility to keep your tears in check. You hold your face in your hands as you let it all out, finding it difficult to breathe while you at least try to hold back the way you want to cry out. In fact, you’re so lost in that effort along with everything you’re feeling that you don’t notice the way the couch dips beside you. You don’t realize anything has changed until you feel a hand on your shoulder.

It has a weight and warmth you thought you would never feel again as it pulls you into its owner. Even though a part of you wants to pull away, the larger part of you, the part of you that’s always been centred around Nanami, pushes you in further. You’re burying your face into his chest, effectively creating a wet spot on his white dress shirt. It’s almost like your hands instinctively find themselves clenching the material of his shirt at his back as nothing at all is held back anymore.

Nanami’s welcoming and warm embrace provides you with a sense of security that you haven’t felt for so long. It brings back memories of how he would hug you after a long day and just hold you. The one mission the two of you went on where he shielded you from an explosion with his own body. Most of all, all of the nights the two of you spent with each other just simply snuggled up, your back to his chest, his grip protective even in his sleep.

At the same time, that fact makes it all hurt more as you feel that security once again. Why is he doing this? How were you supposed to try and move on like he did when he’s offering what you could’ve had in these last years? It all just makes the tears flow harder and his grip on you becomes just that small bit tighter.

Next thing you know, you can feel his lips pressing into your hair. There was no hesitation like he had earlier when just simply trying to talk to you. Now, you could tell, all he was trying to silently convey was how much he still cared for you. He’s providing that same comfort that he did whenever times had become rough for you. It’s just like how he held your crying figure close when you found out your friend was unable to survive from a curse attack.

Then, with his lips still lingering where he pressed them, he whispers, “I’ve never stopped loving you, either.”

Those words sent both a wave of relief and resentment. If he had just said that all of those years ago and kept you in his life, moments like these would never have happened. However, you’re just happy that you have Nanami back like this.

It isn’t until you’ve finally calmed down that he continues to mutter everything into your hair, not letting up on how he’s embracing you. “I’ve never had a single day where I felt genuinely happy since I left. I was so stuck in what I thought was my ideal, following my head over my heart. It was a moment of weakness and I was a coward for running away. I was an even bigger coward when I never let myself try and reach out to you. The thought of you having moved on kept plaguing me.”

You shake your head into his chest, moving your arms around to grasp at his back. Like this, you pull him in as close as you can. “How could I ever get over what we had?”

“I don’t know,” he softly admitted. “However, you were always so much stronger than I was. Whatever you had put your mind to, you chased it even if it seemed impossible.”

He paused for a moment, allowing you to finally enjoy his arms wrapped around you as your flow of tears finally stopped. You allow his words to sink in, finding yourself forgiving him despite all of the questions you had weren’t all answered. You find yourself adjusting your head until it’s more comfortably placed in the spot where his shoulder met his neck.

“For me,” Nanami started again after adjusting so his cheek was resting against your head, “there was also a piece of me that I left with you. I could never forgive myself for leaving you and it scared me when I thought you may not have been the same. It was selfish of me to want and it only made me feel worse when I heard you say it.”

“I also wanted you to feel the same. So, I guess we’re both selfish, huh?”

You can feel the way Nanami smiles against you. However it falls as he pulls away enough so that you can look at him. “That didn’t answer all of your questions, though. You weren’t in any of the reasons as to why I left. Letting go of you was the hardest part of leaving and a part of me was wishing you would ask me to stay,” he admits, pressing a kiss to your head. Then, he continues, “I know why you didn’t, though. You would never keep me from doing what I felt was best for me. One of the many reasons I still love you to this day.”

Another pause stretches out as he kisses your head yet again, letting this one linger. With every answer he’s willingly giving you, a weight lifts from your chest. You’re sure that, by the time he’s finished, that weight will be nearly gone.

“I wanted to reach out to you. However, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep to my decision if I did. The only reason I was only messaging Gojo was so that I could know how you were doing and so that he could pass on how I was to you. That man is nowhere close to being more important than you.” A small huff of laughter. “Especially when you know he drives me insane.”

You laugh with him for a moment before burying your face back into the crook of his neck. Now that you had him, you wanted to regain the knowledge of him back. The way he felt, the way he smelled, the way he sounded as the vibrations from his chest transferred through to yours. You noticed how tightly your hands grasped into the back of his shirt but you weren’t letting go. If it meant you were going to lose him again, you didn’t want to. However, with the way he didn’t seem to mind, that worry could be set aside… in a few moments.

A hand of his comes up to brush some of your hair from your face, his no longer calloused fingers brushing gently across your forehead and causing you to bury further into him. Then he continues, tone and expression sincere and expressing how much he wants you to know all he says is true, “I loved you so much then, Y/N, I still do. Before I met you, I never imagined a future that would be shared with someone else.” Nanami pauses, using his hand to guide your face so your eyes meet his beautiful chestnut ones. “Don’t think I forgot about the one day we talked about that future instead of the bakery. I truly wanted all of that with you. I wanted that dream to be the only one that came true. I never wanted that with anyone other than you. I never wanted to see someone romantically if it wasn’t you. A part of me will always be with you and I never could forget you.”

For a few moments, you watch as he studies your eyes. It reminds you of the days when you were first getting to know each other and how he terribly hid his feelings through those motions. The way his chestnut eyes would search yours shamelessly gave it all away.

A smile creeps its way across your lips as you slide a hand up to brush away some hair from his forehead, your fingers threading through the soft strands. All you want right now is to savour the moment and possibly rekindle what the two of you had. There was going to be a lot of catching up but, for now, the only thing you really needed to know was said; how both of you had the same struggle through all of these years. There is one question, though, that you want to ask now.

“Is there anything else you would like to ask me?” Nanami’s voice is gentle, genuine curiosity flowing through his words. You watch the way his eyes never leave your face as he leans into your touch.

“Only one. For now,” you answer quietly, allowing yourself to notice how his eyes have gained the brightness that you once knew back. It may not be exactly the same as before, but it was something else added onto the familiarity you missed so much.

“And what is that?” he breathes out as he looks at you as if you were the one that his life orbited around. It always amused you how he viewed you as the centre of his orbit when you thought he was yours.

Nanami smirks as you begin to lean closer to him. “Will you come back to me, Kento?”

His smile grows, leaning in the slightest bit more until your lips are a breath away from his. “Of course, my love.”

- - -

@where-fantasy-meets-reality @thereluctantherosrose @fiona782

#nanami kento #nanami kento fluff #nanami fluff #nanami kento x reader #jjk nanami #jujutsu nanami #jujutsu kaisen nanami #nanami imagine #kento nanami #nanamin #nanami kento x you #nanami kento jjk #nanami kento fic #nanami kento x reader fluff #jjk nanami kento x reader #kento nanami jujutsu kaisen #kento nanami x you #kento nanami x reader

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gojo-enthusiast · 6 months

Text

Chapter Eight — Will You Make Love To Me? (Mature)

Master Zenin - Toji Fushiguro Series — Reblog & Like

Chapter Eight

“Please have these washed, and dried. For now, is there anything we can wear?” Toji says to the attendant. “Ah yes sir, we have this night gown for the lady, and we found these cotton shorts, unfortunately sir we have no undergarments.” The women bows, giving him the clothing. “This will do. Thank you.” He nods, shutting the bedroom door.

You stepped out of the shower drying yourself off. You hear a knock on the bathroom door, you hear the rough sounding man— “I was able to secure you a nightgown, but no panties.” You open the door, seeing the sheer cotton white gown. “Thank you.” You say, grabbing it and shutting the door. You pull the gown over your head, your curls loosely fallen over your shoulders, over your breast reaching down all the way to your lower back. You never really paid much attention to your hair, and were surprised to see how long it had gotten, the ends nearly at the crack of your bottom. You hear the bathroom door slowly open— “Hey, are you hung-“ toji begins to say, before his breath hitched in his throat, seeing the raw sight of you, freshly washed curls, skin not covered with anything, the slight acne scars that rested on your chin, with a light hint of redness but not to noticeable. And the way the gown was loose fitting, but he could see the color of your areola’s through the sheer white cotton, and as his eyes traveled down, he saw the hair of your womanhood.

He knew you weren’t one to keep up with that, because you just weren’t that kind of girl. You of course would trim yourself in your woman regions because you wanted to feel clean, but he was so used to the other women he had seen, completely taking off anything that could be considered dirty, hairy, gross, in the eyes of a man. While you, simply were yourself. He loved that about you, as he’s staring at you, admiring the beauty that you are, his heart was beating so fast. “Toji?” You interrupt his thoughts. “Hmm?” He hums, forgetting what he even was in here for. You take this as your opportunity to question him, “do you love me?” You ask, no hesitation. “Yeah I do.” He answers, looking at you through the mirror. “Why?” You continue to ask— “You are just you.” He says, clearing his throat. “Why do you want to marry me?” You ask this question with a shaky voice. “Because I don’t want to ever love anyone else but you.” He says, finally he can no longer hold himself back. He spins you to him, and pushes his lips onto yours, grabbing you by your waist, pulling you in. He swipes your bottom lip with his tongue, wanting to ask for permission to go deeper, you oblige. It’s almost as if you both were eating each other alive, the way you both deepened your passion, your lips, so much so, that you both were swallowing each other’s breath. You both pull away catching your breaths. In a swift movement, he’s is picking you up, and you wrap your legs around his waist. He is attaching his lips onto yours again.

“Fuck I love you.” He’s groaning, you felt yourself heating up, your womanhood tingling. “T-Toji?” You are breathing heavy, trying to catch your breath. “Y-yeah?” He questions, catching his breath as well. “Can you show me that you love me?” You whisper into his ear.

You had never been this bold, you knew where this was going, you knew that you couldn’t not love this man, the man who ordered hundreds of thousands of people to be slaughtered, so he could have power in this nation. You knew why he did it, you even understood, but it didn’t change the fact that it was wrong. Yet you couldn’t control how you felt, this was a man you had loved from the moment boys caught your eyes. You were 12, and had just started your period for the first time, that’s when you met Toji, and you swore he was the most beautiful creature you had ever seen. You were just a child, yet you blushed when he would pat your head and ask you how was school? Or when you were 15 and he took you to your school dance because no one asked you to go with them. Or when you were 17, and you were at his apartment while he was looking over files for a case he had in a couple of weeks. While you did your homework beside him, it was days like that where you would sit there after you had finished, and watched as he bit the inside of his cheek, or bit off the skin of his lips, so focused that he didn’t notice the hole on his face that had burned through from your eyes staring so intently. You had loved this man from the moment you saw him, he was your first love, and at this very moment, he was your first everything. You couldn’t push him away anymore, he was all you wanted, even if they meant wanting a man who when he dies, he would be in the underworld, becoming a demon. At least that was your beliefs.

“It’s okay to touch you?” He asks, staring into your eyes as he’s hovering over you. For such a big, aggressive, rough man— he was so gentle with you. “Yes. Make love to me Toji.” You say, kissing his jawline. He didn’t say anything, he smiled, and started sucking on your neck, leaving his love marks as a reminder of who you now belong to. He lifted you up, pulling the night gown that you have only had on for 10 minutes, right off of you. He began sucking down your neck to your breast, sucking your nipples, teasing the other one with his hands. “T-Toji.” You groan, trying to pull away. “Hmm? You ok?” He says looking up, still sucking on your nipple. “There’s not much there, th-that can’t possibly be something you like.” you moan out— “They are perfect to me, will you let me continue showing you my love?” He says as he lightly bites at your nipple. “Agh— y-yes.” You moan out, after a minute he starts licking down your chest to your stomach, feeling all your curves, he started lighting groping and pawing your stomach. He loved the excess skin, and the little belly you had started to get because he was feeding you well. He finally got to where you needed him the most.

“Toji- just put it in. I haven’t shaved.” You say covered yourself with your hands down there. “Mm no, I much prefer it like that.” He says as he rubs the little hairs on your womanhood. “Leave your fingers all you want, I’m tasting you.” He says, spreading your legs, and sticking his tongue in between your fingers, tasting your wetness. “Agh- To-jiii.” You moan out, throwing your hands up in defeat. He smirks, diving in deeper, sucking and licking every spot, wanting to know your taste, which he quickly got addicted. He muttered how sweet you tasted, as he pushed his tongue into your tight virgin hole, while his thumb lightly circled your clit. You felt the pit of your stomach tighten. You had never touched yourself or been touched so this new found feeling was strange. “T-Toji, stop stop stop.” You say pulling his hair, trying to pull him off. There was no budging, he was quickening his pace, knowing that your release was coming quickly. “Toji, oh my god! Pl-please stop. I’m gonna pee.” You’re inhaling air, feeling like you’re about to burst. “Mmm.” He moans into your cunt, sticking his tongue into your hole that he had stretched as much as he could, he was rubbing your clit at an ungodly pace, so fast but lightly pressing on it. It had sent shivers all around your body, you were shaking and almost convulsing in pleasure, bucking your hips without realizing it, and you snapped, you not only had your creamy juices leaking from your hole, but you had squirted all over his face. Throwing your head back, moaning loudly, almost as a yelp. “T-TOJI, I- AGH, I CANT.” The noises from your mouth were vulgar, erotic, disgusting. And Toji was loving every second of it. He was bathing in your juices, licking you from your hole, to your clit. Causing you to shake as you came down from your orgasm.

“Toji-to- I’m so sorry.” You cry out, he sees the tears coming down your cheeks. “Why are you sorry?” He questions, coming up to your face, planting soft kisses on your lips. “I pissed all over your face!” You cry out, “Baby doll, you didn’t piss. That’s natural, you squirted baby. Did it feel really good?” He says, kissing your cheek where your tears were going down. “It felt so-so good.” You moan out, as he’s slipping a finger into your drenched hole. “Good, I want my baby to feel good.” He says, thrusting his finger slowly into your heat. Stretching you out, causing a whimper to escape your lips.

“Hey doll?” He half questions, “mmhmm?” You moan. “I’m gonna put it in, but it’s gonna hurt. I need you to hold onto me, and just bear with me, aight?” He says, as he pulls down his shorts.

His throbbing cock had already had pre-cum dripping.

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oonajaeadira · 11 months

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Hello! Absolutely no obligation at all to answer this, you just seem really lovely and approachable. Any words of advice you would be willing to share for someone who sort of just arrived here accidentally because they are chronically behind the times and didn’t realize there was a bandwagon and is now utterly terrified to interact anywhere in the fandom lest they make a problem worse and/or get lumped in with the portion of the bandwagon that is…erm, overboard and a bit scary?

(Which isn’t to say you or anyone else is being intimidating on purpose of course. Everyone seems lovely, the anxiety is just REALLY committed to winning this round.)

(Second add-on before I forget, your writing is absolutely bloody brilliant by the way. Thank you for sharing it with us!)

Hello you lovely, lovely, lovely human. <3

Breathe and stick close, honeybee. This is a good corner of the fandom....at least from where I'm sitting.

To be totally honest, I know that there's a lot of horror in the fandom, but I've actually not seen a lot of it with my own eyes. That's because when I landed here, I basically just kinda sat and observed folks for a hot second, started writing, and let friendlies come to me. If someone or the mutuals they would interact with seemed like a lot of drama, I mainly steered clear. My best friends here mostly approached me and were kind and gentle and funny and respectful to the man we all love. And because of that, I've pretty much just curated a really lovely corner of the fandom for myself.

As someone who deals with anxiety and depression though, I get you. Coming into a place where there are SO MANY of fans and cliques and strong friendships feels intimidating...like starting at a new school/job. There's really no short answer though. Like anything else, settling in and finding your folks and your path takes a little time.

You seem to be doing alright so far though...you marked me as someone safe to approach. So your powers of observation are working! Good start! 😄

But nobody's going to assume you're one of the scary ones right off the bat. Being kind and offering up a bouquet of niceness (like you did in your ask) opens the door up real quick.

So my question for you is...where do you want to live in this fandom? Are you a fic writer? A gif maker? An artist? A reader? A reblogger? If one of the first three, then start creating, kitkat! Learn how to tag your stuff and those who love it will find you! If you're a reader, I guarantee the fastest way to spread goodwill and make artists start to recognize your callsign and appreciate you is by reblogging and commenting on their work. I can't emphasize that enough--creators don't get paid for their work here. They share their creations in exchange for interaction and community. They want to scream joyfully about the fandom with other fans. Please, for the love of Pedro, come scream with us!

And that, my friend is what you bring to the table.

That's all you have to do. Openly share joy. Do it by sharing your art/stories/talents or by sharing the work of others and your love of it. And if you happen to share your joy with someone but don't receive it back from them, then you've found someone who may not be worthy of your collection of the fairest folk. That's okay. There are a hundred more who will acknowledge your joy. Turn around and you'll walk right into them around here.

But if you have anxiety, it's okay to go slow. Starting on anon is good, helps you get some practice in before you're ready for your debut. Just remember what my buddy @insomniamamma says..."the anon button is not for hate. It's for horny and embarrassed about it."

You'll get over the embarrassment soon enough once you realize we're all pretty horny (including sappily horny for fluff and romance) around here. Don't judge yourself for it. We sure won't!

Post some joy. Reblog some work with an "I love this!" Join in an ask game. All of those are loved around here.

And do it on your own terms. Take the time you need.

Nobody's gonna think you're one of the overwhelming ones, love. They'll just think you're one of the thirsty ones. And that's nothing to be ashamed of once you realize that you're no different from everyone else in your new favorite corner of the fandom.

(gif by damerondjarin)

#join us #we have pedros #joy and kindness and respect #and being hopelessly in love and admiration for one glorious chilean dork

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writing-the-stars · 2 years

Text

New Girl Pt. 2

Part 1

Pairing: Rebekah x Fem!Reader

Summary: Your feelings for Rebekah continue to grow, but complications get in the way.

Warnings: Angst, Underage Drinking, Excessive Drinking. Let Me Know If I Forgot Something

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: You asked, I delivered. Here is part two of New Girl. Sorry for the long wait, but I am officially out of school now so I should be posting more frequently. Thank you for reading and please send in requests!

Masterlist

Anxiously you warm-up for cheer practice, your mind miles away from what you’re actually doing, as you await Rebekah’s arrival. It’s not that you are against her joining practice today– part of you wants her to show up. Despite the short period of time, you have become captivated by the goddess-like woman, feeling special underneath all the attention she has shown you. You want to spend as much time with her as possible– never wanting that feeling to disappear, but that’s the problem. Rebekah throws you off your game, turning you into a blubbering mess of idiocy– and that’s the part of you that doesn’t want her here. You feel like a silly schoolgirl around her and you don't like it.

"Has anybody seen Dana?" Chelsea asks from her position in front of the squad, causing you to realize you haven't seen her since last night at Senior Prank Night. Maybe she did what you wanted to do and skipped out on school to catch up on sleep. If you had, you wouldn’t be in the position you are in now, toiling over these newfound conflicting and confusing feelings for the new girl.

"Sounds like you have an opening on the squad," Rebekah’s accented voice says, infiltrating your thoughts and spiking your anxiety. You look over at her, in awe of her effortless beauty as she walks to fill in the space between you and Caroline. Even in a tank top and shorts, the gorgeous blonde managed to look radiant. She sends you another dazzling smile, your breath hitching and your heart skips a beat. A blush creeps up your cheeks at all of these novel emotions. No girl has ever made you feel this way before and it scares you.

A cheeky grin draws across Rebekah’s lips as she notices you checking her out, considering her mission accomplished. She intentionally put on the tightest tank and shortest shorts she could find in hopes to draw this exact reaction from you when she arrived to practice. Wanting to continue her fun and tease you, she swiftly bends over to show off more of her ass but is interrupted too soon by Caroline– who you perceive to be threatening Rebekah for her advances on Tyler.

A pout sits on your lips as you watch Rebekah glance over at Tyler, running across the field, no doubt checking the athlete out. You shake your head with a sigh, feeling silly for even briefly entertaining the idea of you and Rebekah together. Tyler is a jock, in all senses of the word– wealthy, attractive, popular, and given way too many undeserved privileges. Of course, Rebekah would like a guy like him, all pretty girls do, he's exactly her type and she is his. Your heart aches for the blonde as your mind conjures up images of her and Tyler together. Tyler is aggressive and arrogant, treating women as if they are his to command. You remember how he treated Vicki Donovan before her tragic passing and the thought of him behaving in that same manner toward Rebekah angered you. However, it’s not like you can do anything to stop it and, as you are starting to learn, the heart wants what it wants.

Thanks to the aforementioned jock’s hostile behavior, Coach blows the whistle early, dismissing you all from practicing– relief flooding through you. As much as you love cheerleading, the bonfire is tonight and all you want to do is get drunk and forget all your teenage woes. You walk over to the rest of the squad who are already surrounding Rebekah with a hundred questions.

The question of Rebekah’s talent came up, causing Jasmine, one of the cheerleaders, to put her on spot, "Well, alright new girl. Show us what you got." A wicked grin creeps up Rebekah’s lips as she drops her bag and walks over to an empty spot on the field. "Come on, Rebekah. You've got this!" Chelsea shouts from beside you, already having an immense amount of faith in Rebekah’s skill set.

You watch Rebekah in admiration as she runs down the football field, going into an aerial before continuing into a front walkover, and finally landing in a split. You cheer loudly along with the rest of the squad for her impressive combo, but feel your excitement dwindle as Rebekah turns her head to look back at Tyler and Caroline– realizing she was trying to impress him.

All the glee that you felt before dissipates, being replaced with a heavy weight. No longer wanting to hang with the rest of the squad, you send Chelsea a quick goodbye, telling her that you will meet her at the bonfire.

Rebekah turns her smug look from Caroline— satisfied she has proven how easily she can replace the 17-year-old vampire— to the lauds of her new cheer squad. With a prideful grin on her face, Rebekah scans the crowd of athletes that have gathered around her, disappointed in her inability to find you amongst the giddy teenagers. The praise now seems insignificant to her as it is not coming from you.

You quickly down your cup of beer, disgusted by the warm liquid as the party rages on. It’s definitely not your preferred beverage, but since it was the only alcohol being offered, you will tolerate it. “Y/N,” Kristen shouts over the music, grabbing your attention and leading you in her direction. “I love this song,” Chelsea shouts, clearly inebriated as she sways to the beat. You laugh at her drunken attempt at dancing but join in anyway– wanting to feel as carefree as possible.

Of course, you do not get your way as the universe would have it. “How was practice?” Kristen asks, reminding you of Rebekah’s flirty behavior. A bitterness rises in you at the fact that the behavior was not directed towards you. ”It was awesome! Rebekah is amazing, we are so lucky to have her on the team,” Chelsea chimes in– completely in awe of the blonde girl. As much as you wanted to deny Chelsea’s claim, you knew she was absolutely right. Rebekah is an excellent addition to the team, her athletic prowess definitely elevating the squad’s skillset. The cheer squad is completely lucky to have her– you just wish it didn’t have to be at the expense of your developing feelings for the blonde beauty.

“Can we not talk about Rebekah for, like, five minutes,” you ask your friends, not wanting to be reminded of the complicated feelings stirring in you. “I thought you liked Rebekah,” Kristen questions your sudden shift of attitude towards the girl. “I do,” a little too much, “but that doesn’t mean we have to talk about her in every conversation,” you tell her, hoping the hostility is not too noticeable in your tone.

You are mature enough to admit that you are jealous of Tyler Lockwood and upset that Rebekah is not as drawn to you as you are to her. But you are also petty enough to channel these emotions into being upset with Rebekah rather than handling them maturely.

The pool of despair growing inside of you deepens as you look over at Rebekah, finding her talking at the beer keg with Stefan Salvatore. Rebekah was unlike any girl you had met– her Elysian beauty and surpassing allure making it rather impossible not to be smitten with her. It was only a matter of time before she found her way atop the social hierarchy of Mystic Falls High School, leaving you behind somewhere in the middle. You knew that any kind of relationship between the two of you was pure fantasy, but you had to admit the dream was nice while it lasted. "I'm gonna get some more beer," you tell your friends, knowing that by the time you leave here tonight, you are going to be blacked out drunk.

The party rages on and you find yourself drinking cup after cup, dancing and mingling with the other bonfire attendees, having the time of your life. "Y/N, come here," someone shouts at you, drawing your body to them– your mind long gone in the alcohol. "Have some," they encourage– your mouth opening to try whatever they're feeding you. A moan escapes your lips at the delicious combination of chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker melting in your mouth. “This is so good,” you talk through the mass of the campfire treat– eyes closing to savor the taste. You lick the remaining residue off your lips, enjoying the euphoria your drunken state has brought this simple food.

Rebekah watches you from a bench– isolated from the rest of the party– a sadness pooling in her. She tosses another blackened marshmallow, not understanding the appeal as it tastes bitter to her, wishing she was the one feeding you instead. She came to the bonfire tonight hoping to find you; however, when she did, you were grinding against someone else– quickly ruining the party for her. A humorless laugh leaves her lips at the irony of the situation. She is a 1,000-year-old vampire who could effortlessly get anyone she wanted, yet here she is pining after a 17-year-old human who is having the time of her life with the imbeciles of the football team.

She knows it’s reckless– the way she feels for you. But whenever she talks to you, she is reminded of the human life she so desperately desires and it is addicting. Placing another marshmallow on the stick in her hands, she contemplates if it would be wise to allow herself to get involved with you. After all, she is an Original Vampire with several complications– the most pressing ones being her overbearing brother who continues to rob her of love, and her murderous father who has been hunting her and her siblings for the last millennium. It would be selfish of her, to bring you into this life, and for once Rebekah wants to do something selfless, something to bring back her humanity. So, she lets you go, opting to play with Klaus’s new hybrid to distract her from her woe.

Part 3???

Taglist: @padmeswife @lucciolaraven

#rebekah mikaelson #rebekah mikaelson imagine #rebekah mikaelson x reader #rebekah x reader #rebekah mikaelson x you #rebekah mikaelson x y/n #rebekah mikaelson x fem!reader #tvd rebekah mikaelson #rebekah mikaelson fan fic #tvdu #the originals #the mikaelsons #the vampire diares imagine

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maple-the-awesome · 9 months

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We'll Meet Again...I Know When || Chapter 28

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x GN Reader

Words: 3,252

Overview: Given your old-fashioned personality and obsession with all things 1940s to 1980s, it’s no wonder that most people refer to you as an ‘old soul’ who would’ve rather lived back then than in the modern era. Little do they know, you already did, but with your previous life as Hollie Stark cut short, you’ve been left with some…unfinished business, to say the least. Top of your list? Finally getting to marry your thought-to-be-lost fiancé.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: LEFT ON READ

You hate the sun and its terrible habit of waking you up every morning. Sure, it can be a nice natural alarm when you want to walk up early, but believe it or not, sometimes you actually like sleeping in, especially after such an...'eventful' night.

You're not entirely certain what the exact time is right now. The sun's light appears relatively dim, so it must be sunrise or at least no later than seven. Normally, you'd have plenty of time to be lazy then if this were one of your days off, however prior promises were unfortunately made, requiring your presence elsewhere during the youngest hours of today.

Now while half of you is tempted to become conveniently forgetful of such arrangements, you're also aware that doing so would be a dangerous game. You have a perfect record of being trustworthy, thus your absences would no doubt cause concern. Concern leads to questions and questions lead to investigations which may produce rather embarrassing results in the case that anyone were to stumble across you in this position: completely nude aside from a thin comforter draped over half your body with an equally compromised man lying fast asleep beside you. What a meaningless yet annoying scandal that could cause particularly if your poor brother were to find out. He'd likely have a heart attack once realizing his dear little sister carries more of that troubling Stark charm than he anticipated.

It's a struggle to make a proper decision: roll the dice or play it safe? Honestly, you could go for either the more you dwell here. You do adore how peaceful Bucky looks as he sleeps, his lips slightly parted for each breath and hair not as neatly maintained as he typically keeps it (although your fingers might be to blame for that).

Come to think of it, this is the first time you've ever seen him in such a vulnerable state. You've fallen asleep around him before, usually after long nights waiting at the lab, however there's never been a situation where he has risked drifting off himself. Forever the gentleman, Bucky would refuse any overnight stays at your apartment, fussing over how 'inappropriate' it would be and how 'rumors would swirl', but you've longed deciphered that glimmer of desire in his eyes during each of those conversations. Although a gentleman, he's still a man completely infatuated with his gal. All he needed was a little push - a reminder that the feeling is very much mutual meaning there's no reason for dancing around the bush.

There was no hidden motivation or even a plan, in fact you're not hundred percent sure why things went the way they did last night. Perhaps you wanted to express your relief over your boyfriend having survived his latest dangerous mission. Maybe it was because of those drinks at the bar and how well they paired with Bucky's flirtatious whispers against your ear. Or it could've simply been something you've put off for far too long until you were no longer strong enough to set aside the temptations you feel everyday with this man you consider yourself so lucky to have...That would be a very suitable explanation...

To put it short, you had a veeery good night. Bucky didn't leave any question as to how much he loves you, reminding you more times than you could count between each pant and moan. The bliss remains even now, lingering in your thoughts as you finally make up your mind and cuddle closer to his sleeping form. Fuck working in a lab or training for another mission. You've both sacrificed so much for this damn world already, the least it can do is give you these seconds in return; to let you soak up this joy and hope for the future.

You can't wait to finally be wed, almost tempted to just jump the gun yet again by waking Bucky up and dragging him down to the nearest courthouse. Surely, he'd have no true objections, after all, the sooner he can call you his wife, the sooner you can both drop this act of pretending you can actually survive even a second without each other nearby at all times.

...If you had gone with your heart then, would anything have changed? You often find yourself overthinking that sort of stuff especially during the mornings where you just stare up at your ceiling feeling particularly empty inside. If you had married Bucky sooner, would he have been more careful? If you begged enough, would he have even gone that day? Hell, in your worst moments, you whimper at the thought of never having existed as (Y/n) in that case. Assuming that your purpose for remembering Hollie is to be with Bucky, maybe there wouldn't have been any need for it had you accomplished the task in the 40's...Although, anymore, you're convinced that isn't the actual purpose for these cursed, lingering memories...

If your regrets from the past make you feel bad, then thinking about (Y/n)'s exact purpose makes you feel even worse. Are you sure you're meant to be with Bucky romantically? It doesn't seem like the universe is setting that up. Him 'dying', you actually dying, all the current turmoil between (Y/n) and him now...sometimes you're convinced you were never meant to be his lover, in this life or Hollie's. Maybe you're just supposed to make amends somehow or maybe this is all just some cruel game life's playing to torture you; the universe didn't expect you to find Bucky again and now it's punishing you for changing destiny's course.

Your thoughts wander so far that you almost miss the sound of your phone buzzing in the corner. Turning away from the window you've been mindlessly staring out of for the last hour, you place your coffee mug on the table and exchange it with the device.

"...Hey."

"Wow. Nice to see that someone actually answers their phone," If only Sam knew you just spent a few seconds debating whether to pick up or not.

"Yeah, I've noticed that when your friend group consists largely of 'superheroes', they're usually pretty difficult to get a hold of. You just happened to call the one normal person with no social life," It's said as a joke, although deep down, it doesn't feel like one, "What's wrong? You piss everyone else off?"

"No...just Bucky apparently. He's been ignoring me like some kind of plague. 'won't call back or nothing."

"Welcome to the club," You roll your eyes bitterly while reaching for your mug again.

"He's ignoring you, too?" The annoyance from Sam's voice is dropped and quickly replaced with genuine surprise, "How'd that come about? You guys are practically attached to the hip from what I've seen! Even when a whole ocean apart, weren't you guys always going on 'Zoom dates' or something? Hell, I think you were making Steve jealous there, stealing his best friend..."

Sam trails off slightly and you imagine he visibly cringes over having brought up the topic. While he doesn't quite know exactly how you feel about it, he does remember how awfully distant you were after Steve went back in time. Rumor even has it that you both had an argument over the matter (not that Sam was eavesdropping or anything). Since then, he's avoided mentioning Steve around you. The way he sees it, if he's been having a hard time with the changes that came with your mutual friend's decisions, surely you're still feeling the burn yourself. You did know Cap a lot longer than himself.

Fortunately, you don't react openly to the topic nor do you comment on it much to Sam's relief. You merely focus on his previous line of questioning instead, "We're, uh...on break at the moment, I suppose you could say."

"Damn...What happened?" It's probably not his place to ask, seeing as neither of you have spoken much in the months following the Snap, however he can't ignore his own curiosity and worry.

Sam might not like Bucky and admittedly, he's never had the chance to properly befriend you seeing that your paths usually only cross when your lives are in danger, but he'd be a fool not to see how whipped the two of you have always seemed for each other, in fact last he hear through the grapevine, you were practically living together with some of your other friends placing bets on whether you're supposed to be secretly married or not. With that said, it's concerning to learn your relationship has apparently fallen apart within such a short amount of time.

You inhale through your nose heavily, finally bothered by one of his questions, although you don't completely shy away from it. You just take your time answering while fiddling with the bracelet on your wrist, "...Steve...told you about all the Hollie stuff...right?"

"...Bucky...I'm Holiday Stark..."

Your blood feels cold, body shaking even as you force yourself to maintain eye contact with him, desperately yet hopelessly wishing you could read his mind since his outward reaction gives you so little to work with.

He doesn't mock amusement like Natasha did. He doesn't get angry like Steve. He doesn't show increasing annoyance like Tony...He stares. He simply stares at you, eyes difficult to decipher, although that slight tremble of his lips and the whimper-like sound that he tries unsuccessfully to swallow aren't.

"...J-James?" You're beginning to panic, realizing just how sick he suddenly appears - face pale and blank with shock. This is exactly what you were afraid of. Regardless of his promises, those vows were spoken while believing you to be someone you're not - someone truthful and perfect. Until now, you've only been (Y/n), a life that brought upon no complicated feelings nor gave him any reason to look twice. In his eyes, mere seconds ago, you could do nothing to change that perspective, however it turns out he was just lacking the proper imagination to understand a scenario where you could...the same scenario you've landed yourselves in now.

When Bucky drops your hand - one you forgot he was holding given how limp his grip had gone - a wave of emotions overtake you before you can push them away again.

At first glance, you’ve always seemed good at playing things off and pretending you’re unfazed, a ‘picture of maturity’, as some have said. It helps that you’re usually able to sweet talk yourself out of stuff, utilizing that Stark-charm to either leave everyone speechless or on your side, but for some reason your mouth feels dry and your brain fuzzy. You felt this way when letting the others in on your secret, but not to this extent. Staring back at Bucky, feeling your world of lies and secrets crumble down on top of you in a crushing weight, you feel too terrified to think because deep down, despite all this ‘incredible’ reincarnation stuff, you’re still just an ordinary human who’s scared shitless to lose the one thing who makes you feel just that: human.

"I-I can prove it! Ask me anything! Ask me any question only Hollie could answer - something only she'd know a-and I'll know it, too! I swear! Bucky, I promise. You know me. I'd never lie about anything like this! I'd never do anything to hurt you -!" You cry in an avalanche of words moving so quickly that you can barely keep track of them. You reach towards his hand, called to feel comfort by his touch again like an injured child would their mothers, yet he pushes himself away, inching further towards the other end of the couch until his back hits the arm. With him, he takes your shattered heart.

"...I believe you," He whispers after a moment, although his voice isn't consoling. He spits out the claim while actively avoiding eye contact, his primary focus being on that silver ring around your finger which always seems fond of taunting him by the way it so easily catches in the light.

...He knew when he first saw it. He would know that ring anywhere. It wasn't yours - at least that's immediately what he had thought back then. 'That's Hollie's ring,' he wanted to point out, perhaps even demand it back. That's his doll's ring - the only one he thought was worthy of being on her finger. To him, it was only ever a design, but after HYDRA, Bucky had made sure to research Hollie’s life and countless pictures of her proved she had the ring made exactly as he had imagined it. It looked identical to the one you wear.

He thought he was going crazy, yet it still kept him up for nights afterwards, wondering what excuses could explain its location on your finger, in the twenty-first century no less. You could’ve found it or perhaps Steve gave it to you as a gift. Sometimes Bucky even felt nauseous at the thought that maybe - just maybe - you were a descendant of Hollie. She didn’t remarry (he checked), but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have had lovers. Hell, it wasn’t like he was entirely out of the question himself. They did...do it together, not to mention he was never quite certain what your relationship with Tony was.

…Of course, none of those reasons felt quite right. As upset as he may be with Steve, Bucky doesn’t believe he’d give anyone a version of Hollie’s ring at least without approval first. He asked you about your relationship with Tony once, breathing in a sigh of relief when you confirmed Stark to be a friend after only some hesitation Bucky didn’t second guess at the time because in that moment, he’d rather gloss over such a detail and just be thankful he hasn’t been attracted to his grandchild or anything like that this whole time.

Bucky never asked you. He never even drew attention to the ring while in your presence aside from sometimes letting his thumb run over it when holding hands or cuddling. He decided to conclude that maybe he wasn’t that original after all and that a very similar design was later made for the general public. It had nothing to do with Hollie. It was just a coincidence he didn’t need to bother you with. That was the extent of Bucky’s investigative thinking which makes him feel incredibly stupid now.

This whole time…Nine years…For nine fucking years, it’s been you. All those complex and private details you knew about his life - things even he couldn’t remember himself. The way you always seemed so comfortable around him as if you were facing a dear friend, not a monstrous killer. How close Steve and Tony were to you. Your smile and laughter...Your weird yet adorable habits…Your bad habits…Your jokes…Your manner of speaking…Your manner of teasing…Your eyes…It always felt so familiar - like looking into the past through warped glass yet never did Bucky think in a million years it would be you - that it would be Hollie looking back at him the whole damn time.

“...Bucky please…P-Please just talk to me,” You plead in a whimper, your hands frozen in front of you as you struggle to decide how to address this. In fairy tales, this would be the joyful moment everyone’s been waiting for. Two lovers reunite against all odds before living happily ever after together, but this is real life. Perhaps fairy tale endings happen occasionally for those lucky folks the universe actually likes, but for you - for (Y/n) and Hollie - you’ve never known what that kind of ending could feel like. You’ve only ever been given teasing tastes of it just to be led down a dark hole to moments like this - moments of heartache.

“I…I need to go.”

You suck in a breath when Bucky suddenly stands straight, your entire body feeling as if it’s going through its own personal earthquake, “O-Okay…Okay, um…I’ll, uh, I-I’ll just give you some sp-space then…”

Your voice squeaks and you try to sniff, yet that does nothing to stop the burning in your nose nor the tears in your eyes. You curse yourself for crying in front of him, still more concerned about what kind of guilt it might give him rather than worrying about your own emotions…Maybe because you’ve long convinced yourself that you deserve it and that you’re used to it…

Bucky hesitates there, almost looking down at you, however he knows by your sniffle that if he does that, this will only be made a lot harder for you both. So, with hurried footsteps, he slips on his boots and leaves the apartment in silence aside from the slam of the door, the whirling of the box fan, and your cries that soon break through.

"...Do you think I'm crazy Sam?"

"Yes," His answer is prompt, although his voice grows soft for the next part, "You gotta admit, it's an insane story: 'Girl who was somehow magically reborn with all her past memories eventually meets her past life's boyfriend and BOOM! They're in love in this life, too!' …Sounds like a bad fanfiction."

“I don’t know if you can say we're ‘in love’ anymore…At least not mutually…” You mumble dejectedly before groaning and running a hand over your face, "...I should've never gotten involved with him - with anyone for that matter. It would've been easier for them all if Hollie just stayed dead instead of forcing them to dig her back up again -”

"- Now I wouldn't necessarily say that. Sure, it’s probably not the easiest pill to swallow initially, I mean, I saw firsthand how pissy Steve was around you that day, but didn’t you see how happy he was afterwards? Put yourself in his shoes. He was torn away from the life he knew best into the modern century with basically nothing until you came along. You were his friend then - someone who could understand fairly well what he had to go through. Your relationship was special because of that. I reckon it was the same for Stark. He had to have been pretty little when Hollie died, right? I don't know about him, but if my aunt was murdered, I'd want some form of closure. No better way to get that than her showing up in a different life, happy and safe."

Sam has a point. Tony mentioned the guilt he had suffered for years thinking it was somehow his fault Hollie died. Coming back as (Y/n), you were able to assure him how much you’ve always loved him and how he wasn’t at fault for what happened. He never avoided the topic of his late aunt again and threw a huge birthday party for himself the next year…

"Do me a favor and try not to beat yourself up over this too much, alright? We've already gone through enough shit as it is. I'm sure Bucky will come around eventually like Steve and Tony did, just give him some time for it to sink in. It's a lot to come to terms with, after all, especially probably for him of all people. You were...you know?"

You nod as if Sam could see it, “...I just hope he doesn't take too long, not for my sake, but for his own. Bucky isn't like Steve or Tony. He isn't the type to simply walk away and let stuff roll off his shoulders either. He's overthinking this - I know he is. He’s letting it dig into him like he's done something wrong when all of the blame is mine alone. I’m the one who lied to him. I’m the one who kept this a secret…I wish he could just understand that…”

NEXT CHAPTER ->

<- PREVIOUS CHAPTER

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iviarellereads · 10 months

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Nona the Ninth, John 5:4(1)

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For detail on The Locked Tomb coverage and the index, read this one!)

(No icon) In which it's time to finish this, and get on with the rest of the story.(2)

In the dream they were back on the beach with their backs to the sea. The sand was soft and wet and grey—so fine that it dried as they plucked at it, then crumbled through their fingers like ash. The beach was a long, smooth stretch relieved only by hummocks, here and there, of thin grass and silvery driftwood sticking out of the dunes like exposed bone. He was scooping indentations in the sand, making big, print-block child’s letters with the tip of his forefinger. As she watched, he made a pothook—J—then the finned spine of E. He wiped that E clean, and replaced it with A. He wiped that clean, and he drew the prison bars of H. This J and H he barred around with an uneven heart.(3)

She asks if she can ask a question. He agrees, surprised. She asks what it means to love God. He makes a joke about being an easy date. With less patience, she asks what it means for the Ninth House to love their God.(4) There's a long silence, and then he gives her a short parable about faith that you aren't alone.

She said— “After this, you’ll resurrect them.” “Yes,” he said, as though halfway dreaming. He stuck his finger in the sand and made a hole so deep that water glimmered at the bottom. Hypnotized, he did it again. “Yes. Once we’ve rested. No, we’ll do it before you’ve rested. You can rest afterward … resurrection is different from waking up. We’ll get them all back … some of them, anyway … or at least, the ones I want to bring back. Anyone I feel didn’t do it. Anyone I feel had no part in it. Anyone I can look at the face of and forgive. And my loved ones … The ones I left, I’ll bring back. I know I can. Even G—. In fact, G—’ll be easiest—he won’t remember the compound—none of them will have to remember anything. I know where remembrance lives in the brain, and he won’t have any of it. You know that too, don’t you? It’s the easiest thing in the world … to forget.”(5)

She asks if they should forget everything. He says it's the only way, so they won't feel guilty over their actions. He adds there was no other way, once the bombs started going off, there was no hope for G- and Melbourne anyway. She says, but he said that G-'s bomb went off first. He clarifies defensively that of course it did, but that's not the point, and it doesn't matter. Only one thing matters now. He smooths over the holes he created with his fingers, and says he still breathes, and "they" still exist, and he cannot forgive them.(6) She asks to whom he refers. He doesn't answer.

Then he said, “Do you remember what happens now?” Harrowhark Nonagesimus stood up. She brushed a few traces of sand off her trousers. [...] “Yes,” she said. “Through her, I’ve seen it. You resurrect some of them. You wake up fewer still. You start out with a few thousand, then, later, some hundred thousand, then millions, but never more than millions.(7) You teach them how to live all over again. You teach yourself. [...] It’s easy. You’re God. Your energy is limitless and you can sustain your theorems without a thought—forget about them—because she is so enormous, and you and she are one. She understands at this point that she does not have to die—that she can never die, if you’re alive. And she’s scared to die.(8) You’re afraid of so many things, but she’s only afraid to die. Then, when the disciples come to you and say the word Lyctor, she does not understand that they want the thing you did to her—she watches as you watch … watch them misunderstand the process.”(9)

He says "God must be able to touch all of creation". She doesn't understand.

“You said it yourself. I can’t die if she’s alive; she can’t die if I’m alive. Why would you let something like that run around, Harrow? Why would you let someone go—away from you—untouchable—two people?(10) I couldn’t—I loved them too much—I saw the face of Earth and choked the life out of it and ate it whole. Oh, I knew I was on the clock for the Resurrection Beasts. I pretended she was the only one,(11) but I knew the others were coming. I needed my loved ones to be something I could touch … needed them to be my hands … my fingers.”

He reiterates that there's no forgiveness for those who ran from him, and there can be no forgiveness for himself, either. Not even as he rips off his very fingers and throws them at the monsters who hunt him.(12) Still, the power of God allows him to wipe it clean again, if he wants, like an old cleaner ad, "Spray and walk away, right?" He thinks perhaps the only reason he hasn't done it yet is that he wouldn't be able to touch them.(13) He thinks maybe that's why he made the Tomb, because it's his death, the apocalypse,(14) his self-preservation.

She says there's something she doesn't understand. He says there's lots he doesn't.

She said— “I want to understand why she was angry—I want to understand the mathematics, now that I have seen them for myself. I want to know how many of the Resurrection are left, and how many you began with, and what the discrepancies are. I want to know where you put them. They didn’t go into the River. I want to know why she was angry … and why you were terrified.” She looked away from him, and she said: “I want to journey to find God. Maybe, at the end of that road, I will find God in you, Teacher … the God who became man and the man who became God. Or, perhaps, the child of the Nine Houses will recognise a different divine. But I am the Reverend Daughter—I am the Reverend Mother, the Reverend Father—I must find God, or some aspect of God, and understand it for myself … even if she lies, right now, within the Tomb.”

He stands, and he's taller than she is, but she isn't afraid of him. He puts a hand on her shoulder and looks at her, wonderingly.(15) She can see no fear in him now.

He tells her God is a dream, one the people all dream together, even "her"(16). He asks where she will go in her search.

She turns from him, standing ankle-deep in the River.

Before her, the waters parted, speared-through and mute, for the enormous lance of a tower(17)—a tower that had never been there before; a tower that soared, impossible and deadly grey, out of the waters—a tower of grey bricks, lurching out of the River as though gasping for air. An impossible, cone-capped tower—a belled tower; she could see the steeple, but the bell cot was too far from shore to see the bell. “I’ll start there,” she said. And she stepped into the River. She took another step, and she walked, and she walked.

=====

(1) "And an angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond and the water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under." A difficult passage to find relevance in. Loosely, I suppose, you could say that John's intention to resurrect Gideon again counts as making him whole. Our final A1Z26, though, the full sequence: THE TOWER IS REACTIVATED. The very Tower that Harrow views, here, in the River? What does it mean? Now, at this point, I can tell you that there was at least one report, from someone who got an advanced reader copy of the book, that there was a second A1Z26 sequence. Admittedly, it was just a tweet, which may or may not have disappeared since, but it said that in the ARC version, it read THE TOWER WANTS JOHN GAIUS. I should've been going through and checking the relevant Bible passages for that version, too, as I read… but I'm giving that to you, my readers, as a fun side project. Open the John chapter summaries, pull up a Douay Rheims or any old translation you prefer, and look up the alternate verses. How do they stack up against each chapter's contents? Are they more or less applicable? Honestly a lot of the "final" hardback/ebook version verses are just like astrology or tarot: vague enough that you can find ways to apply them within your biases and expectations. I don't expect that the ARC version would be much different. Though, I am curious if we'll get a third set with the paperback release in a couple of months. (Why yes, I have mine preordered.)

(2) Quite literally, when you consider this used to be the end of Act One of Alecto the Ninth. (3) The ancient tradition of putting your initials with those of your lover. John loves Earth, not quite right. John loves Alecto/Annabel, still not quite there. John loves Harrowhark? Why yes. I don't think this is a literal romantic love, though. I think it's dream-logic, since here, she is both Alecto and Harrowhark. (4) And here, the proof that it was always, on some level, Harrow as much as Alecto. (5) Multiple parts to break down here. For one, he's still mentally stuck in the story, speaking as if he only just ate Earth. Two, he's still making decisions for people he has no right to decide for. Three, this really reinforces my questions as to whether or not the Lyctors remember their pre-Resurrection relationships to him. This seems to imply that he doesn't want them to. (6) Again, he seems stuck in the immediate aftermath of his story, as if it really has only been weeks, as if he hasn't yet performed the Resurrection. Is it just dream logic? Is he insane? (7) I have another theory that he's Resurrected multiple times, I don't think I've mentioned it in the non-spoiler read so far, but here's kind of where it goes. Think back to the opening poem, "This time will be the time we get it right". He knows how to make them forget. He knows how to restore their bodies and minds to a particular point in their lives. There seem to be a lot of hints that he spent more time at Canaan House than the strictest indications of other characters' timelines as given, like Pal's psychometry indicating some pieces are thousands of years older than others. They could just be rescued statues, but the implication all that way back in GtN was that they were two parts of a whole, or seemed to be, but separated in time. There are a LOT of reasons to reread the series and there are a LOT of things that can serve as launching points for theories.

(8) Which brings a whole new depth to Nona's admission. That she's ready to die. Over and over she said it. And now I'm just gonna go crawl into a lil hole and cry for a bit over it. (9) She watches as he lets them misunderstand. As he lets them butcher each other to gain a fraction of what he has. (10) What two people? (11) Acknowledgement that she wasn't really just the Earth's spirit anymore. Alecto was the first Resurrection Beast. Truly, it's a wonder she passed for as human as she did, to make the Lyctors only suspect and not rebel so much sooner. And remember, too, that once it was stated in the text that she started to go crazy after they put down the first RB. (12) He throws the Lyctors at the RBs, and at the BOE, and at anyone who threatens his empire and his power. (13) Wouldn't be able to touch whom? Why would his loved ones not come back to him, especially if he altered their memories? Does he mean that he wouldn't have his present reach into non-House territory? This whole chapter is a damned fever dream. (14) Remember the dual meaning of this one? Yeah. (15) I think this is an intentional dual-meaning again. Wondering as in thoughtfully, but also wondering as in "with wonder(awe)". (16) Alecto, one assumes. (17) And at long last, The Tower... but what could it mean? There's not much time left for answers in this book, and we don't know when the next one's due.

#the locked tomb #tlt #nona the ninth #ntn #nona the ninth spoilers #ntn spoilers #emperor john gaius #harrowhark nonagesimus

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possessingtheproperspirit · 2 years

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For want of a nail for Two Hundred and Twenty-Eight Days - in that scene where James sees Lily tapping into her phone in the street, but she doesn’t see him…what if she does see him and they make eye contact? 😌

thanks for sending this!! 🥰 if this happened, it would've changed the rest of Two Hundred and Twenty-Eight Days, as well as chapters 9 and 10 of Forget Me Not, because a) she doesn't realise he's still in Oxford, and b) as soon as they start talking, it would all come tumbling out. I suppose at this point of THAT8D, he's not come to terms with it all yet, he's still blaming himself and unwilling to see that she has forgiven him, that she did that a long time ago, so maybe it wouldn't change the timeline a huge amount... but it would make enough of a difference, I think.

I did a bit of a write of what that scene would look like, anyway, under the cut if you're interested 😊 (the bit in italics is from the original scene)

That was, until he crossed the road at George Street, nipping between a bus and a cyclist, and stopped short.

She stood, head tilted down as she tapped something into her phone, her back to a shop window displaying various brightly-coloured dresses. She looked breathtakingly, wonderfully the same: her red locks were pulled back from her face; her slender form was buried in jeans and a warm coat, a bag strewn over her shoulder as if an afterthought. She always had been able to make the mundane look beautiful—he thought back to the last time he’d seen her, in her flat, pale and vulnerable in her pyjamas and dressing gown, but still stunning, the kind of beauty that made him have to work hard not to kiss her. He’d wanted to, and desperately. But then, he always did, didn’t he? Even when he thought he had the right to be angry at her, he’d wanted to gather her up in his arms, let his hand find the curve of her jaw, kiss her until she was as breathless as she made him feel.

There had never been a time, really, when he hadn’t felt like that about Lily Evans.

He stood there, watching her and feeling hideously torn—he wanted her to look up, to see him there, to feel that sensation of looking into her green eyes and seeing the world there. But he also, somehow, did not want that, because he felt he probably wouldn’t see the world: he’d see the pain, and the chasm that he had forged between them, an abyss that couldn’t be crossed.

And then, as if she had read his mind, she glanced up—a throw-away look, something small and inconsequential, clearly not expecting to find him there, staring at her with the kind of naked intensity of a person dying of hunger and faced with a meal.

Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open, and there was no way he could pretend they hadn't seen each other now, not without looking like a Class A wanker, so he closed the distance between them, ducking around passing pedestrians, and offered her an awkward smile. "Hi..."

She stared up at him as if he were an apparition. "Hi," she echoed, and for some reason, blushed. God, she was beautiful. "I, um—how've you been?"

Was this worse, somehow, than not seeing her at all? Having to stand there as they interacted like mere acquaintances, like people who barely knew one another. He wasn't sure. "Yeah, not bad," he nodded, jamming his free hand in his pocket—whatever it took not to give in to the temptation to reach out for her. "How are you?"

She smiled, and it almost knocked him flat for how real it was, how simple and stunning and joyful it was, compared to the last time he had seen her. If this was what being away from him did for her... "I'm okay," she replied, and he believed her. "I'm...in therapy, and...I don't know." She paused, her smile becoming sheepish, almost embarrassed. "I feel like me, again."

"That's great," he told her, trying to make his smile reassuring rather than desperate and sad and all the strange mixture of emotions he felt in that moment. "You deserve that, Lil."

She wet her lips, glancing down at the Tesco bag in his hand. "I thought you were living in Bristol now...?"

James frowned. "Bristol? No, I...that was just a short term thing," he replied. "I was there for about two months. More than enough time for Sirius to get too used to the power of being the only one here."

Lily laughed, a soft, almost nervous sound, and tucked a loose lock of red hair behind her ear. "So you're...you live here, now?"

Her gaze found his, and something in him softened; a feeling close to hope, blossoming there amongst the shards of his heart. "I do."

Her smile strengthened, and she held his gaze. She looked more sure of herself, more certain than she had since—well, probably since sixth form. "Good."

"Lily!" A voice cut through whatever moment they were having, and she looked away, finding whoever was calling her somewhere over his shoulder. "The taxi's here!"

She looked back at James, shifting her bag onto her other shoulder. "I'd better go," she said, and hesitated, giving him one last, soft smile. "It was really good to see you, though."

He felt like his breath was caught in his throat. "You too," he managed to reply, and her smile grew once more. "See you round, Lily."

She reached out to briefly touch his arm—hardly a touch at all, in most circumstances, but still enough to send his whole body into some kind of electrical storm—before she replied, "I hope so."

And with one last smile, she slipped off into the crowd, leaving him standing there, winded, and far too hopeful.

#forget me not #two hundred and twenty-eight days #jily #jple #fic #writing #fmn #james potter #lily evans #asks

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ramblings-of-a-mad-cat · 6 months

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If Beyond doesn't see the return of R then I have to wonder what was the fucking point of them in the first place?? Like sorry but what did they actually accomplish other than killing a kid for vague ass reasons

I couldn't begin to answer that, anon. Because to a degree, I've been wondering the same exact thing. (Fun fact, anon, you inspired me to begin working on my own headcanon/backstory for R, and redeveloping it with the new content since I last looked at it, so thank you for that!)

Frankly, when it comes to R, what I keep coming back to is how we never learned what "R" actually stands for, despite how basic that seems. And that frustrates me. Merlin's beard does that frustrate me. Even if the developers wanted to retroactively claim that The Cabal is simply called "R" and that it's not short for anything else (which would be utter nonsense at this point) the name still has to mean something, right? If it isn't shorthand for something, then what exactly is the origin of The Cabal calling itself R? We deserve an explanation on that.

Then there's also the unfinished, underdeveloped tale of Dai Ryusaki. What happened there? How exactly did he die, because we've heard conflicting reports. Is his spirit still around, even now? What is the amulet anyway, how does it work? It appeared to function similar to a horcrux, but that can't be true. Not if Ryusaki was actually a misunderstood wizard of noble intent. Was he R's founder? Or was the group perhaps named in his honor? But if "R" in fact stands for Ryusaki, why haven't they just told us already?

Don't forget Peregrine. For a character this significant, it's a little odd that he wasn't introduced or seen onscreen until the third act of Year 7. Especially if he was just going to be killed off so quickly. This is MC's Dad, for crying out loud, and we have so many unanswered questions. Was he truly himself? Or was he influenced, possessed? How does that impact his "death?" What happened to the amulet? And where does Elton fit into all of this? How is he just casually mentioning that he's hundreds of years old, like, what? And nobody thinks that's weird? (Don't get me started on Elton. Long story short, I think MissNightOwl has the measure of him perfectly.)

How and why was R founded, and by whom? When did it become about interfering with the Ministry? Whatever happened to their pursuit for "enlightenment and immortality? Was Ryusaki or his spirit always an influence over this group? How did it become such a cesspool for dark wizards? Was The Cabal, at one time in history, a noble organization? Come to think of it, how long has R even been around? Again, I assume it was founded during Ryusaki's time, but if so, that means that R is old. Very old. And what's their deal these days? Are they still a global organization? Are they still active, even after Year 7? What's happening in the branches across the globe?

I meant what I said before. R's story is unfinished and undeveloped. Which is such a crying shame because they were creepy as all hell, and by Year 7 they were given the responsibility of driving the story on their own, with no cursed vault to pick up the slack. It seems like the writers had a lot they wanted to do with their villains, but when the time came to actually follow through, they simply...didn't, for some reason.

#HPHM R #HPHM Peregrine #HPHM Cabal #HPHM Spoilers #Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery #HPHM Beyond #HPHM Analysis #Dai Ryusaki #Elton Elderberry

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trikruismybitch · 8 months

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PROMPTS

* "your scared aren’t you? Your entire life you’ve broken and done what you want to people but now that you finally realize someone can do it to you and you're terrified."

* “ I love all of you. Even the parts that you believe are too dark and too shameful. Every scar. Every flaw. Every imperfection. I love you. “

* “To truly love another person is to accept that the work of loving them is worth the pain of losing them. And that’s it. That’s All.”

* “I wish I had done everything on earth with you.”

* “Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time.”

* “They say when you meet the love of your life time stops.”

* “Love isn’t something we invented its, observable and powerful it has to mean something.”

* “But the hearts not like a box that gets filled up, it expands the more you love.”

* “Because, every parting from you is like a little eternity.”

* “I would rather die tomorrow, then live a hundred years without you.”

* “Your so stupid (name)! Why did you do that! Why?” “You jump I jump right?”

* “The best love is the kind that weakens the soul, that makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.”

* “Can’t you see? Every step I have taken, since I was that child on a bridge, has been to bring myself a step closer to you.”

* “You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love...I love...I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.”

* “I love you more than I have loved any women, I have have waited longer for you, than I have for any other women.”

* “My dream? My dream wouldn’t be complete without you in it.”

* “This, this part of you, don’t destroy it.”

* “Winning that ticket (name) was the best thing that ever happened to me, it brought me to you.”

* “I don’t want to be worshipped I want to be loved.”

* “And the last thing you will ever see will be me because I love you.”

* “Because I want you! All of you. forever.”

* “And in this moment I swear we are infinite.”

* “Life is short, the world is wide, I want to make some memories.”

* “You can rest now.”

* “I waited for you for seven years, and now it’s too late.”

* “I will never let go, I promise.”

* “Take her to the moon for me.”

* “Loneliness has followed me my whole life, everywhere.”

* “You still go to bed every night, going over every detail, and wonder what you did wrong or how you could have misunderstood.”

* “I want the fairytale.”

* “I love you” “then prove it”

* “What would you do for love?”

* “It’s you (name) it’s always been you”

* “I know my value, anyone else’s opinion doesn’t matter.”

* “It was no surprise to me when I finally understood that (gender) was the most beautiful person I had seen in all my life.”

* “It’s not gonna be easy, it’s gonna be really hard and we’re gonna have to work at this everyday but I wanna do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me everyday.”

* “I don’t wanna forget you. I don’t want to forget us.”

👇 Part 2 to 👆

* “I would take my year with you over a lifetime with anybody else.”

* "That's the thing about best friends. That's what they do. They keep you from spinning off the edge.”

* “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

* “You complete me.”

* “You make me want to be better.”

* “You can’t live your life for other people. You’ve got to do what’s right for you, even if it hurts some people you love.”

* "You want the moon? Just say the word, and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. I’ll get you the moon.”

* "I love you. You complete me."

* "I think I'd miss you even if we'd never met."

* "I love you without knowing how, why, or even from where."

* "I vow to fiercely love you in all your forms, now and forever. I promise to never forget that this is a once in a lifetime love."

* "It seems right now that all I've ever done in my life is making my way here to you."

* “You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how."

* "It's like in that moment the whole universe existed just to bring us together."

* “These two people who truly love each other and have no idea how truly miserable they're about to make each other. But—but—when two people know that and they decide with eyes wide open to face each other and get married anyway, then I don't think it's conservative or delusional. I think it's radical and courageous and very romantic.”

* “I don't know; I just got a feeling about her. You know when a song comes on and you just gotta dance?”

* “Multiply it by infinity, and take it to the depth of forever, and you will still have barely a glimpse of what I'm talking about.”

* "Our love is like the wind. I can't see it, but I can feel it."

* "In my opinion, the best thing you can do is find someone who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you."

* "What I'm trying to say, very inarticulately, is that, um, in fact, perhaps despite appearances, I like you, very much. Just as you are." — Bridget Jones's Diary

* "I knew that when I kissed this girl I would be forever wed to her. So I stopped. I stopped and I waited. I waited for a moment longer. Then I just let myself go." — The Great Gatsby

* "I've come here with no expectations, only to profess, now that I am at liberty to do so, that my heart is, and always will be, yours." — Sense and Sensibility

* "When I first saw you, I felt like I knew you, and I couldn't stop seeing my life with you, and building a family together. One that isn't stuck in the pain of the past. It's very pretty. And so, if you're asking me if my proposition still stands, then my answer is yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes." — The Light Between Oceans

* "It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together, and I knew it. I knew it the first time I touched her. It was like coming home, only to no home I'd ever known. I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew it. It was like magic." — Sleepless in Seattle

* "If I had a flower for every time I thought of you...I could walk through my garden forever."

* "For all the things my hands have held, the best by far is you."

* "If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus one day, so I never have to live without you."

* "You have made a place in my heart where I thought there was no room for anything else. You have made flowers grow where I cultivated dust and stones."

* "You make me happier than I ever thought I could be and if you let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way."

* "I was made and meant to look for you and wait for you and become yours forever." ― Robert Browning, Pauline: The Fragment of a Confession

* "Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt the sun doth move, Doubt truth to be a liar but never doubt thy love."

* "Love starts as a feeling, But to continue is a choice; And I find myself choosing youMore and more every day."

* "I can conquer the world with one hand, as long as you’re holding the other."

* "When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too."

* "You don't marry the person you can live with—you marry the person you can't live without."

* "I swear I couldn’t love you more than I do right now, and yet I know I will tomorrow."

* "A hundred hearts would be too few to carry all my love for you."

* "My love for you is a journey, starting at forever and ending at never."

* "You're something between a dream and a miracle."

* "I look at you and see the rest of my life in front of my eyes."

* “When I look at you, I see everything I've ever wanted."

* “You are every lovely word I could think of."

* "Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.”

* "In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine."

* "Do I love you? My god, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches."

* "If I know what love is, it is because of you.”

* "I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you."

* "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, While loving someone deeply gives you courage."

* “You know I fell in love with you the first time I saw you. You’re just the most amazing beautiful girl I ever met, and I don’t know, somehow you chose me....but how I loved you then, it’s nothing compared to how I love you now. I love you with everything inside of me.”

* “I don’t care where we are. I just care that we’re together, you’re my home.”

* “And honestly when I’m with her, I completely forget what I am.”

* “If you walk away, it’s for you because I know what I want. I want you (name), I love you.”

* “I’m still mad at you because being around you drives me nuts and not being around you drives me nuts.”

* “I believe that when you love someone and that person loves you in return, you’re uniquely vulnerable. They have a power to hurt you like nothing else.”

* “Anybody capable of love is capable of being saved.”

* “It’s not a crime to love what you cannot explain.”

* “I’m in love with a woman I can never have. The point, I’m in love with her and its driving me crazy. I’m not in control. I have to stay together to protect her and she wants me to be a better person. Which means I can’t be who I am.” Continuing to last sentence “or who I think i am”

* “You were by my side when I needed a friend. You made me laugh. You made me dance. You told me that I would find love again… And, I understand if I have to wait for you, and I will. I’ll wait. And when you’re ready for me, I will be ready for you.”

* “Love’s always going to require a huge leap of faith. A big, scary leap over a hot pit of lava. And, you might end up heartbroken, but you might be the happiest person on the face of the earth.”

* “Through all of this, you’re the one thing that kept me from giving up.”

* “I don’t pretend to be anything when I’m with (gender), that’s the whole point. I get to be myself.”

* “I would rather spend every moment in agony than erase the memory of you.”

* “When it’s real you can’t walk away.”

* “If it’d were my choice I’d be with you forever.”

* “I’d tell you to have hope because sometimes that’s all that keeps me going.”

* "(Gender) was your first love. I intend to be your last. However long it takes."

* "I don't know who I am without you, but I know that as long as I'm with you, time will stand still."

* “I’m not going anywhere. I’d rather burn alive than abandon you.”

* “(Name), to me you’re the whole damn world.”

* “You’re gonna like me, (Name). I’m gonna let you pretend for awhile that you don’t already.”

* “If you lay even a finger on her I swear I will make you suffer in ways even your evil mind can't imagine.”

* “You came back” “I always come back”

* “If you love someone, you tell them. Even if you’re scared that it’s not the right thing. Even if you’re scared that’ll cause problems. Even if you’re scared that it will burn your life to the ground, you say it, and you say it out loud and you go from there.”

* “You were like coming up for fresh air. It’s like I was drowning and you saved me. That’s all I know.”

* “I love everything about you. Even the things I don’t like, I love. And I want you with me. I love you and I think you love me too. Do you?”

* “She’s my person. If I murdered someone, she’s the person I’d call to help me drag the corpse across the living room floor. She’s my person.”

* “Please don’t give up on me. Promise. Promise me you won’t.”

* “When I had no one else you accepted me....and you showed me what it was like to be loved.”

* “I didn’t fall in love with you because I was lost and lonely. I fell in love with you because when I bonded with you, I had finally found my home where I felt safe.”

* “I’ve realized that I don’t care if (gender) is the most perfect (gender) in the world. (Genders) not you.”

* “Maybe life should be about more then just surviving. Don’t we deserve better then that?”

#happy prompts #love prompts #kinda angsty prompts #prompts #writing ideas #quotes to write

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